Little Dirt Roads

There's a story my mom tells about when I was a small kid - asleep in the back seat on the way home from church one night. I'm kinda fuzzy about the details, but I think it goes along these lines that we were driving home (before seatbelts were mandatory) and I was laying down in the seat. Somehow, my dad missed a stop sign and we went through a dead-end - stopping short of all of us being killed. I raised up from the back floorboard where I'd been thrown in my sleep and scolded him for driving so poorly. After the fear of what had almost happened had subsided, the humor in my ignorance of the matter was acknowledged. I had no idea how near death I'd (or we'd) come, and I was bent on complaining about my dad's poor driving. (I assure that was not the first or the last time I had that complaint.)

They still talk about that moment and how funny it was that I had no idea what the situation was when I raised up to complain that I'd been awakened by a crash to the floor-board - miraculously, not through the windshield.

I said all that to lead to this. Last night while sitting in church, I was reminded of that little story while a friend of ours preached. Bro. Jeff Hensley preached last night about "Things that cannot be shaken." The first thing he mentioned was that the throne of God is never shaken by our circumstances.

In the process of that thought, he told a story of a sweet little lady (one of my favorite little ladies) who attends our church - Sis. Powell. The story he told was that years and years ago when her children were little, on their way home from church, they happened up on a bad curve which she was not prepared for because of a distraction in the car. She knew she was not going to be able to make the curve, so began to slam on brakes and prepare her children for impact. (My recollection of preparing for that meant an arm thrown across your chest or neck - depending on how tall you were...I've had that more than once, also)

To her surprise as she skidded straight through the curve, her car landed upon a little dirt road that went straight - instead of the black top that curved. A little dirt road that she'd never noticed before. There she was able to stop her car - and I'm sure recollect herself - and readjust her bearings. She was able, from that little detour, to turn her car around and go the way she'd intended.

In Bro. Jeff's thoughts, he mentioned that he somehow could see that somewhere back in time, God saw that a little mother would need that little dirt road to spare the life of herself and her children.

I've dwelled on that thought more than once today. I'd not heard this story before, but have heard my share along the same lines. As another friend would say - "Even so," I would probably be overwhelmed if I really knew how many times God has prepared the "little dirt roads" in my life. That's just one of the wonderful advantages of being a child of the Almighty who can see my life's roads way before I ever reach them....and his thoughts are much higher than mine.

Think about it. The next time you have that "barely missed it" moment, or "that was close" moment - acknowledge the "little dirt road" and be thankful for it.

My mom always declared that being stuck in traffic was always for a purpose. More than once after having to wait - sometimes hours - in traffic on the interstate, Mom would always remind us that God may be keeping us from harm by keeping us there. There have been times within an hour of leaving the traffic jams we'd come up on a wreck or something and she'd say - "see that could have been us - had we been just a bit sooner." They say seeing is believing - therefore I believed.

When we live with the rushing "always gotta move" mindset, it's easy to miss the "little dirt roads." I think we'd all be much more thankful if we only had a clue just how many of those little roads have been prepared just for our safe keeping - and most of the time, never even know that they're there.

Just thought I'd mention it......I was thankful for the reminder.

Almost Over

I have returned! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and made tons of memories. We did. Probably some of my favorite memories were: Zach learning to box with his new Wii, going to the kitchen to find Addison and Abby quietly upon a step-ladder - both with their hands in a jar of M&M's (who knows how many they had before we caught them), Hailey and Addison sitting under the kitchen table singing "Away in A Manger" and "Jingle Bells" at the top of their lungs, Addison insisting on walking around the house in her "Hello Kitty" bicycle helmet, and the list could go on and on......I've printed (and posted) the pictures just so I can remember it all again.

Well, I've spent the last couple of days that I've been home from Alabama spinning circles, trying to figure out what to do with all the new toys and other things that I've accumulated - whether to get rid of any of the older ones and replace them with the new, or just keep it all. I do NOT like clutter, and I'm about to go insane over the stacks of it around my kitchen and in my bedroom. Really, it just all needs some time for organizing, and it will all have a place. Just haven't taken the time to do it yet.

So, I've started me a big new list. It's called "Organizing My Life." I've started out with some of the few necessities that will make it easier for me to figure out what to do with this "stuff" and how to better place it all. I'm getting pretty excited about the possibilities. In addition to that, I've already started my Christmas shopping for next year. I'm making my list of things I want to get for everyone I have to buy for next year and I plan to get it all done by July! LOL!! We'll see how successful I am with that. I went today to Hobby Lobby and another nameless store and found quite a few bargains. I was loving it.

Now, 2009 is quickly drawing to a close, and my list of things I'm going to try to do better....or just get done at all, is getting longer by the minute - for next year. I'm actually looking forward to next year. For some of my faithful readers.....next year has to be better.....some moments from this year couldn't get much worse, right?? I'm looking for big things - and I also have a list of my dreams and expectations for 2o10 - some only in my head, others I've written down. I was taking down Addison's little Christmas tree a little bit ago and I was thinking that hopefully next year will bring some changes to Christmas - as we knew it this year. I smiled as I thought about the possibilities.

Those thoughts led me to a quote that I found in the Christian bookstore this year while shopping for Christmas. It said this: "Faith is seeing the light with your heart when your eyes only see darkness!" It was a beautiful picture and I kinda got spell-bound looking at it for a moment thinking of the things that I only see in my heart. So, as 2009 is almost over, 2010 starts with new hopes, new dreams, and new goals. I "believe" (multiple meanings, there) it's gonna be a good one!

Global Warming

The headline reads "Hundreds Gather to Protest Global Warming!"

Pretty cool!! (Pardon the pun!)

Take Your Pick

This is an online "jukebox" of sorts with some of my favorite Christmas songs and singers....like The Carpenters ( I absolutely love their Christmas music) and Josh Groban, John Denver, Nat King Cole....and the wonderful list goes on. You pick your song and your singer. It's great.

I haven't listened to all of the songs, but I don't seem to believe there's any "HEAD BANGING" stuff on here. Just easy listening Christmas music. Lovely. If you don't know what to pick, you can start with "Believe" by Josh Groban but it's the Polar Express Soundtrack. Really pretty!

You can also make you a preferred playlist and allow it to play continuously or it will continue to play anyway after you choose a song. Now it just doesn't get much better than this.

So HERE is the link. Click on it and enjoy.

Wise Words

I received this in a power point today, but had to make it accommodating for the blog....

Here are some very wise words - I'm sure you've heard them before, but I liked them.

It's called "My Favorite Philosophy:"

- A man with a watch knows what time it is - a man with two watches is never quite sure.

- Don't look where you fall - look at where you slipped

- Look at life through the windshield - not the rear-view mirror.

- Be nice to people on your way up, because you will need them on your way down.

- People may doubt what you say - but they will believe what you do.

- Never explain. Your friends do not need it and your enemies won't believe it.

- Time you enjoyed wasting - was not wasted.

- While seeking revenge - dig two graves. One for yourself.

- You've go to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was

- Courage is not a lack of fear, but the ability to act while facing fear.

- The best way to predict your future is to create it.

Speaking of philosophy, I believe it was Chuck Swindoll who once said, "I'm uninterested in the philosophy which you live by. I only care about the philosophy you die by."

For Jenna

As Slow as Christmas

Well, anyone who loves Christmas as much as I do, simply cannot wait for Christmas to get here. It feels like time drags and drags before you can bring out the Christmas music, the tree, the lights, the dishes....maybe you get the point! Unless you're like some people I know (cough, cough) who drag out the Christmas music in July.

I must admit - I'm guilty! I love to listen to Christmas music all year long, really! But it really feels like it will never get here.....and then December 1st hits and there's simply not enough time in the day hardly to get everything done that needs to get done. There's parties, programs, and whatever else you can think of to take up the hours of the days leading up to Christmas. Time drags by until it's time for Christmas to arrive and then it goes by so fast that you feel like you almost missed it.

I remember the days that I used to sit in the dark for HOURS and just watch the lights on our tree twinkle and think about nothing. Since that is such a rare occasion, I found that time very valuable. It's like my mind kinda went to sleep, but my eyes stayed open. I couldn't tell you the last time I found time to think about nothing......if it's not birthday parties, church functions, shopping for gifts, etc.....it's something else, like work! Any kind you can think of. I haven't had the time to sit and stare at my tree at all this year. And it's one of my favorite TRADITIONS!

But anyway....life moves on and it's not going as slow as Christmas used to be in coming for me. We usually spent Christmas Eve or the day before with Aunt Linda, Uncle Eddie, Mark, and Amy. We'd have a great time with them, then we'd pull out to head to Dayton. I remember Christmas mornings waking up at my Grandma's house waiting for everyone to get there....and it seemed they would NEVER show up. The anticipation - looking out that huge glass window in her living room that was so cold that just the slightest breath made it so foggy you couldn't see a thing, and was so thin, that the only way we could bear to stand next to it was to stand on top of the heater vent in the middle of the floor where the window was. We would stand or sit on that vent for hours, it felt like, waiting for some sign that family was on the way.

The snow flurries would start trickling down outside and slower than Christmas one or two relatives would show up. It was a yearly tradition that Aunt Bobbie Jean would come in her spike heels, crawl out of the car and slide and fall on the ice in the driveway.....every year. And we'd fall over laughing at her because she seemed to be so vain. I can hear her still....."OH, I broke another nail!".....in that nasal voice of hers. It always amazed me that she never learned. I really can't remember a Christmas that she didn't fall. It was either in the ice in the driveway or down the steps in the house. And, I also can't remember a time that I didn't laugh at her for doing it. I mean, why would anyone wear 5 inch heels in 2 inches of ice, anyway? And that, my friend, is not an exaggeration in the least.

Eventually, we'd all finally gather around the table and the conversations would be so many and so loud that you really couldn't think straight.....speaking of which....(I remember the first time I ate Thanksgiving with Jeremy's family while we were dating. While we ate, it seemed to me that no one said a word. I was most uncomfortable. As soon as we got back in the car, I told him immediately, if that was what he was used to, I didn't figure he'd ever survive when he met my family! )

Anyway, back to my ramblings, after a whole day of MAJOR chaos - (it was chaos for everyone but Grandpa - he just walked around with his "telescope" looking at everyone's food and gifts), we'd load up all our stuff, leave Grandma crying at the doorway, and head off to further north into deeper snow, to spend Christmas night with Mama and Papa in the big log cabin. Leaving Grandma's chaos and walking into Mama and Papa's dimly lit cabin with a little ceramic tree with tiny colored lights that glowed in the almost dark, was like walking into some type of sanctuary where the chaos we'd left was forbidden. We'd quietly break out the toys we accumulated that day and occupy ourselves until it was time to say good-night and crawl into the big bed with the ice cold sheets- and after a VERY long day of anticipating what was to come - all of a sudden, time had just evaporated into thin air and it was over. Gone!

Sometimes I miss those days. I didn't know what worries were. I don't know how many years this routine was TRADITION for us. It was an every year thing. Christmas was as slow in coming as anything - I can remember that delightful anticipation so well. It wasn't just so I could get another gift. It was because I was seeing family that I hadn't seen in at least 6 months - sometimes longer.

I reminisced for the sole purpose of reminding me that I am the one who allows life's appointments to overwhelm me and snatch the most anticipated time of year from me and all too soon become another memory. I think that this year, I'm going to do all of my Christmas shopping in July - just so I'll have it all done by December 1st - so that all I have to do then is sit back and wait and do some baking and throw a little birthday party for Addison. Maybe for once more in my life I could actually sit back and wait on Christmas......

Yeah, right! And everybody that believes that's possible, stand on their head!!

I hope you take at least a few minutes and remember a few memories that made you love this season. My memories are endless....I could go on forever, but I won't continue to bore you.

More than that, though, mostly take the time to remember the REASON you have to make these memories. What a beautiful time of year! Although, it can be quite a slow-poke getting here!!

In case I don't get on here to blog again before Christmas, I hope everyone has a very merry one. Enjoy yourself and your time with your families. Make memories that will last a lifetime.

Merry Christmas to All - and to all a Good night!!

YEAH!!

Years and years ago, I was treated us to one of the greatest pleasures of my young teenage life! (not exactly sure who paid for all that....if it was Aunt Linda, THANK YOU SO MUCH, if it was mom, THANK YOU TOO!)

My cousin Mark played the main character, Reb Tevye, in his high school play, "Fiddler on the Roof." We came as support for Mark, and ended up loving the play! We went every night, I do believe. We took the trip to Lexington, KY from Alabama to watch Mark perform, then fell in love with the play itself. It was wonderful! I've always remembered the moments of that week fondly. I mostly remember after the play every night, Mark would come home and he would teach us all his "dances" from all the songs.....one of the favorites...."If I were a Rich Man." We would all dance down the steps, in the basement, in the bedrooms, down the halls......oh the memories......

Well, finally years and years later, I am going to see "Fiddler on the Roof" on stage again. The production has made its way to Savannah, GA. So, tonight at 8:00 p.m. I will be sitting in the Lucas Theater in Savannah enjoying myself all over again to the mystery of the Fiddler.

So, to all the jealous souls out there who might be reading this, I'll post you a video so you can remember why you enjoyed it in the first place. You can spend the evening reminiscing yourself about how wonderful that time was.

I guess as long as I live, I'll never forget the first time of seeing this, but it was even more intriguing because we were staying in the same house as Tevye! And let me tell you, he was as lively at home as he looked on stage!!

Christmas Sing-along

I talked to Laura a few hours ago. She shared with me the events of her day. Her day was only half over and she was ready to call it "over!"

She attended Zach's kindergarten Christmas party today and afterwards the parents were treated to a little sing-along with all the kids doing the singing. After they finished, the teacher announced that they had a few "soloist" who had wanted to sing a song. She said a few little ones got up and sang their favorite songs...."Row, Row, Row your boat......," "Old McDonald had a Farm,"....etc.....

Much to her surprise and regret, Zach stood up to sing his "favorite"......and out he belted this:

"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.....kick the devil overboard and listen to him scream."

I think from the way she related the story to me, that she would have felt much better if the floor would have opened up and swallowed her up into it.

I'm still cracking up over it. I would have loved to have been there.

A Little Winter / Christmas Humor

Time Is Flying!

My little girl turned 3 on Sunday. I simply cannot believe it. Time has flown by. It doesn't seem possible.


Anyway, I could rant and ramble about it forever and I'm sure it bore the hound out of most of you, but here are some pictures of her birthday party on Sunday night after church. She begged for weeks to go to her birthday party. Now she wants to know when her birthday party is coming again.

Here she is after the party cuddled up with "Phoebe" - her new stuffed pig from Jenna and Joey.

Wow!

Now here's (click) a story you don't hear every day!!

Irish Blessing

I'm going to see if this works. My Aunt Linda sent it this morning. I hope the link is good enough. It's beautiful.

It's called a Traditional Irish Blessing. (click)

Press start when the page pops up.

The Perrys Again!

Well, since Mom commented that she enjoys the Perrys, I would like to let you get a taste of some of the most beautiful songs on the face of the earth. In addition to the fact that they are gorgeous songs, I think they could be of some benefit to a few struggling souls....or should I say frustrated souls.

By the way, just in case you didn't know this, Libby, the only female singing, has only 12 % of her hearing. And she has a voice like that!







(Note: this video was taken at NQC this year. If you think it's good on here, you should have been there. It had the ability to raise you out of your seat - whether you wanted to or didn't. Joseph, the guy singing, wrote this song, btw, along with Rodney Griffin. This month, it is #1 on the Singing New chart. )

Gone!!

I have heard that being able to fall asleep this fast without laying there tossing and turning for an hour or two is a blessing. I'll take their word on it, because I've been blessed in this way. I am so sorry if you are one who takes while to snooze. I hope I never find out what it's like!

The New Hype

All this hype about Tiger Woods looks as though it might continue for a while. Tonight while catching up on the headlines...."Tiger's Wife Moves Out"...... Jeremy told me an interesting quip.

He says a friend of ours says Tiger's name needs to be changed to "Cheetah."

Let that sink in. Not sure if it was original or a joke being passed around.

Regardless, it was rather hilarious.

What a Day!

I got an email from Jeana today.....did you know that today is "International Disturbed People's Day?" I thought it may be a bit of a joke.....until one I know snapped today. Must be the pull of the moon recently. My Uncle Jerry should appreciate this.

But the message of the day was for Disturbed People! I received it,so I guess I'm "touched," too! So here it is, Sunshine -

"Please send an encouraging message to a disturbed friend...just as I've done.

I don't care if you lick windows, take the special bus, you hang in there, Sunshine; you're special!

Every minute you spend angry, upset or mad, can be sixty seconds of happiness you'll never get back.

Life is short,

Break the rules, (Use some wisdom here! When I think of breaking the rules, I think of a friend who recently caught some grief when she attacked Bro. Peretic at Export with silly string - sent by people, btw, who don't bend the rules - just thought I'd throw that in.)

Forgive quickly,

Love truly,

Laugh uncontrollably,

And never regret anything that made you smile - (and I'm wondering if back injuries fall into this category) :-) "

Interesting......

Let's see who can come up with the best caption for this picture. I took it last night on the way home from church. This was the scene behind a motel, which is obviously under construction.

The Perrys

Thursday night, we went to see the Perrys. They sang wonderfully, but the crowd consisted of mostly 90 year olds. The only young people were the ones that were from our group. We had approximately 20 people there. For as well as they sang, there was little reaction. On one particular song, I talked Reba into standing up with me. Us and two other ladies in the crowd stood up, also. I've wondered all weekend just how the Perrys enjoy singing to such dead crowds. I have a feeling that we would have heard more from them as far as singing goes if there would have been a few who acted like they were actually enjoying it.

I've felt bad about it all weekend for their sake. Anyway, here are a few souveniers we took away from the concert. Addie and I are with Libby Perry Stuffle - who was voted Favorite Alto this year and was awarded at NQC.

Jeremy and Addie are with Joseph Habedank. He won Favorite Young Artist of the Year at NQC also.

The other is Reba and Addie. Reba is her buddy.

For the Kiddos

This is for the kids and for the kids at heart. From my Aunt Linda.

Thanks a bunch for sending it. I love this song, myself.

The Joys of Medicine

I love being in the medical field - most of the time. But one of the funniest things about working in medicine is the things you can discuss at the most inappropriate times - like at the table - without the slightest hint of nausea or dizziness. LOL!

This used to be a game for us before Laura and I got married. When we'd all be home sitting around the dinner table talking of our experiences, we made it a point to make them as gorey and detailed as possible because it didn't take very long unti

l Dad would start turning green at the gills. We thought it was great. We played havoc on his weak-stomached ways.

I have to say that the older I get and the less I am in the hospital doing gorey work, the less I like it. I have this thing about spit though, always have and always will that I just can't discuss it or see it. It makes me terribly nauseous. I have never liked it, but being as sick as I was during my pregnancy, I got to a point of major intolerance for it. I'm still there. Trachs and tubes are not much for me anymore. It would almost take some therapy for me to go back to it. I'm enjoying pushing the pen for the moment.

I will never forget the first medical question my brother-in-law, Gregg, asked me in the presence of Jeremy and Jeana. Neither of the three have forgotten the question or the answer I gave. We were in the car, though, not discussing it over food. I think if it had been, they would have all become anorexic!! If he wants to be brave enough to post what his question was, I'll let him. I won't go there. It was funny, though. It was a piece of information that he felt he would have been better off not ever knowing. He asked, though.

So, I said all that to get to the point of why I find this cartoon outrageously funny.

Since there are so many nurses in this family, I wanted to share the humor.

Regarding Life

Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.

- Corrie ten Boom

Thanksgiving Pictures

I have very few pictures from Thanksgiving, but here's a few of the hours after we ate. The kids were having a blast.

Wedding Memories

If you thought you were getting ready to read some memories from my wedding day, you're not. I have weddings on the brain because a girl in our church is getting married Saturday and so last night as we waited for our husbands to help move big stuff, we discussed some wedding memories we had. That is not what I intend to share.

I've been promising you some humor, and so since weddings are on the brain, I decided to give you something to smile about today. The first one, sorry to say, had me literally rolling on the floor (I actually am typing while I sit on the floor, so that was easy) . These are hopefully things that I will not see Saturday - some are not really even a possibility, but they are outrageously funny!

Enjoy!

The Season of Miracles

Well, Christmas has always been the "season of miracles" for obvious reasons, but I have to say, this season is off, in my mind, to a great start.

To ponder a moment, I would like to tell you about something I witnessed with my own eyes and hands on Sunday night to tell you why I say this.

During church on Sunday night (during prayer requests), a man that I have referenced before in another post, not by name, but that I have great respect for, made a statement that I could not get out of my head. Not that it was profound or anything, it just got stuck in my head. He requested prayer for a situation taking place on I-16 that he no idea what had happened, he only knew that it had the interstate shut down. He made the statement, "I don't know what the situation is, but I wish the Lord would show them favor." With that, the service moved on and there was not another mention of it.

That night as we left the church, we were headed to eat at a local restaurant with some friends. As we started to pull into the parking lot, we saw a little bit of commotion in the next driveway and Jeremy told me to pull on up. We both jumped out of the car when we saw a man laying flat on the ground past a crumpled piece of metal - which was the remnants of his motorcycle. There were no police or ambulances present yet, and no sound that they might be close until after a few moments of standing next to him trying to figure out how best to help. He had t-boned a mini van in the side, which pulled out in front of him, and three young guys and myself knelt next to him trying to extract information as well as perform a visual assessment of what his wounds might be. He could only tell me his name and as I talked with him, he couldn't remember anything except that he had a girlfriend. His pupils were beginning to constrict and he was beginning to slur his speech. I was convinced he had a major closed head injury. He had no idea where he was or what had happened. Once he realized he was injured, you could sense he was becoming afraid. After a few minutes, rescue arrived and we left. Jeremy couldn't tell what type motorcycle he was driving because it was so mangled.

As we drove away into the parking lot of the restaurant, I silently whispered what I had heard someone say earlier. "Lord, show him favor." I don't know how many times that night that phrase went through my mind. I personally expected him to die or have severe head injuries. He had little visible blood on him, but that is not an issue where head injuries are concerned.

The next morning on the way to work, I wondered what the situation turned out to be. I had made mental plans on the way that I was going to visit him in Trauma ICU that day.

I went into my office to look him up in the computer system and MUCH to my surprise discovered that he had been brought in and had CT's of every organ in his body done......From head to toe. Not one broken bone....Not one head bleed.....Not one laceration. Just a small scratch on his nose. At 3 in the morning, he was discharged home with a clean slate and a few sore muscles to recover.

Out loud in my office as I sat there with my mouth hung open, I said out loud, "Now THAT's a miracle!"

So, just in case you're in need of one and starting to believe God's not doing that much any more.....think again. I saw it for myself. I wasn't exactly having trouble believing in miracles, but sometimes God has a way of just opening your eyes all over again to show just how much power He has.

I can assure you, if you went to the junkyard where they disposed of that bike, you'd never believe that he "walked away from it." I'm still shocked.

Then again, I don't know why I should be shocked. Tis' the beginning of the season of miracles. I hope to document more, at least mentally, before it's over.

As one writer wrote: Suffering is everywhere. Don't think it isn't. So are miracles. Don't ever think they aren't!"

Something I Promised

I didn't exactly promise a picture of this, but this is the first fire of the season. It was absolutely beautiful. Been waiting all year for that. As one guy I know would say, "I'm a firebug." I guess we are, too. We love a good fire. It was rather warm, too, I must say. I love the quaint feel a fireplace gives. A happy home makes that even more wonderful! Just one of the many things I have to be thankful for.

And then for my promises - here are just a few pictures of some decorations. The first is a nativity Jeremy got when he went to Israel a few years ago. It's handmade out of olive wood. It's very pretty and detailed. It sits in the middle of my mantle and makes a beautiful centerpiece.

The second is a gift I received from Jeana last year for Christmas and was anxious to get it in front of the fireplace. It's very pretty. I love it.

The others need no explanation. I just love Christmas.

So, Aunt Linda, here you are. The pictures I promised.

A New Face

Well, the time to post again has finally come. Busy doesn't explain it well enough as the excuse I'll give to why I haven't posted a thing lately. And I don't think traffic through the blog has exactly been up either, so apparently someone else is busy, too. This post will be a bit of a mixture of information, as I have a few things to say and post right quick.

I do hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was wonderful. Had some time with Mom, Laura, Zach and Abby. The kids had a blast playing together. And we had fun relaxing. Thanksgiving Day was beautiful here. Good enough weather that they were all able to go outside and swing and slide. That was a good thing. Used up some energy that would have otherwise been used in the confines of my living room walls. And heaven knows, it couldn't have taken much more energy!

For starters on the post, I got the shock of my life last night when I looked the top of the blog and there was a new face in the blocks of "Followers." I looked at the picture and tried to figure it out without seeing a name and after about three guesses of who it could possibly be, I moved the mouse over to see the name Amanda Bennett Greene. I was shocked to no end, to say the least, and absolutely thrilled to see her again. I gave her mom the website the last time I was in Alabama, and posted her picture on here when I came back. But I was unaware that Amanda would find me, also. So, Amanda - HELLO!! Glad you joined in. I couldn't be happier. Amanda is a friend of our family and has a connection that goes WAY back. I have to tell you, Amanda, that my daughter, Addison, is just as greedy about having her back and arms scratched as you were. You have no idea how many times we have laid down to go to sleep at night in the last year and she would say, "Scratch my back, scratch my arms, scratch my wegs, scratch my beddy button." I would think to myself......"OK, Kitty!" And I really thought I outgrew that slavery!! Guess not.

So, to Aunt Linda, who knows her but doesn't recognize the name, I kinda gave away the hint in the last few sentences.

To the rest of those who read, Amanda and her sister, Sarah, were big sisters to Laura and myself. Many, many posts ago, I wrote a post about the people who had impacted my life. The name was Marjorie Wynn that I referred to. Amanda and Sarah were her daughters. Their mom worked many midnight shifts, so they stayed with us, or us with them. There is more or less a 10 year age gap between us, but I was Amanda's "scratch slave" for YEARS!! LOL!! I have yet to forget.....

So from Savannah, Georgia to Jackson, Mississippi (close enough, right?), welcome to my blog. I'm tickled pink to see you again.

Another thing I wanted to post is a picture I received a day or so ago. It is of my grandparents who went to Michigan for Thanksgiving. It was a really good picture, so I wanted to post it. If you had a clue how hard these types of pictures are hard to come by, you'd understand why it's important. Being that all three of their children read this blog, now they have instant access to this.


Well, that about covers the two major things I wanted to post....so I'll hush for now. I'll be back soon. I promise. I might leave you with a laugh a little later today.

As Paul Harvey would say......"Good Day!"

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's two Thanksgiving songs.....well, kinda. The first is a slow, beautiful song and the second is an upbeat old Dottie Rambo classic.

Hope your Thanksgiving is a good one!

'Tis the Season to Be Thankful!

I tried to make a list of everything I was thankful for, and decided it would not be a good idea for me to begin posting a list. I have such a list, it would take forever and so many names of people who matter to me....it would take me pages upon pages. That doesn't include the other things I'd be thankful for.

Since you have plenty of other things to do right now than read my list of blessings, I won't bore you. Just know that if you are reading this, you are on my list, and I'm thankful that you are a part of my life.

So, 'tis the season to be thankful......and it really helps your spirit when you begin thinking of the things you have to be thankful for. It just brings a natural smile to your face!

Over and Over

If I were ever asked the question of what my favorite song would be, I'd have a very hard time coming up with just one. I have a few favorite songs....many of which I've posted already, but this one is very high on the list. "Over and Over, again and again...gets stuck in your head and you will sing all day long. And smile as you sing it. Because you know the truth is - that over and over, God truly is faithful.

Blonde Password

During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password:

"MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento"

When asked why such a long password, she said she was told that "it had to be at least 8 characters long ... and include at least one capital."

On Being Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have
everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be
to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes,
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
Because it means you’ve made an effort.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those
who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they will become your blessings.

NOTE: There was no author posted, or I'd put an acknowledgement.

The Need to Ask Why

This morning, I was browsing through our church's website trying to find out if this past Sunday morning's message was posted. It wasn't, but I did find something else wonderful there. On the home page, a man in our church, Brian Purtell, had something written on the front page that I thought was definitely worth posting.

Sometimes he goes on there and puts a new little "sermonette" kind of thing on the welcome page. He's a very intelligent man, so it's no surprise that he can make sense of things, but this one was particularly good to me. For those who don't know him, he is a man who has walked away from awesome jobs with BIG money to put himself in a position with "barely get by" pay - with having 5 children to raise - all in pursuit of following the will of God for his life. He craves doing anything that might further the kingdom of God.

The goal of his life was to begin working in the church and since he began making life changes, his 13 year old son was diagnosed with a mild form of muscular dystrophy and earlier this year, his 10 year old daughter landed in pediatric ICU with the final diagnosis of new onset juvenile diabetes - Type 1. A virus she had earlier killed her pancreas. She began receiving 4 shots a day and the family of 7 made another life change in learning with how to deal with a brittle diabetic. Not long before Valya (you can see pictures of her on the church picnic post) landed in ICU, the mother, Nadya, was rushed to the hospital for an emergency surgery - turned out she had a hot appendix. Recovering from an appendectomy with 5 small kids was no easy task, I assure you. Within a couple weeks, they moved. I remember the emotions at the different points of these events. Brian Purtell was a very broken man, but he knew he was following the will of God and saw that these were placed in his life to test his faith.

If a man needed to ask why, I could see why Brian Purtell would. Yet, he's a man constantly praying that God will heal both of his children. If God does, I can just see him dancing across the front of the church. If he doesn't, he'll dance anyway and he'll trust anyway.

Now, you can understand why I like this particular writing so much:

If you have, or have been around children you will know this drill. After explaining something with words and wisdom that may even surprise yourself - the child shoots back with "Why?". Dumbfounded (and slightly disappointed) the common response may become a "because".

Nothing has really changed has it? You are an adult know, but the events and circumstances in life have you asking "why?". You just need answer, just like when you were a child.

The wonders of childhood have been replaced by the wonderings of life's circumstances. The loved one who passes away unexpectedly, the sickness that has afflicted someone in your family, a broken relationship, financial trouble....the list goes on. Why me, why now, why this? You might not be really looking for answer, but rather peace in your situation.

This need for an answer can become a hinderance in your walk with God. There is a saying, "the devil is in the details". I believe the devil wants to hinder us by making us focus on the details. "Why" is a detail. The answer to "why?" will not change the situation and, in fact, might not change anything. Look at the Disciples in the story of the blind man in John 9. They were not worried about the potential of his being healed, instead they were focused on the question, "why?". "Why is he blind, who sinned?", is what they asked. Did it really matter? Jesus' answer was a "because". God had a plan to manifest His power.

In asking "why", the focus is on you. You want to know because it is affecting you. The question should be, "Lord, what is your plan in this?". Somtimes He is working out a bad character trait, sometimes building character, sometimes it is to work a miracle, but it is always by Him. The devil had to go to God in order for Job to be tried. In the same way whatever you are going through God is in it somewhere. The focus is on God's plan for you. Forget the "why", instead seek after His plan for your life. In prayer, you will find the answers and steps in His plan.

Praying you find His will,

Bro. Brian Purtell