Blessings

Forgiveness

2009-08-02T20:16:00.017-04:00

A friend of mine recently brought up the topic of forgiveness and asked for people's points of view. It really began me thinking about the subject.

Forgiveness when someone has hurt me:

When someone hurts me I am always devastated when it happens. I tend to be so shocked that I can hardly process that it has just happened. My tongue can't even begin to speak because usually tears overwhelm me. I am learning to get better at that but usually they conquer the moment.

I always forgive the person. I hate that I still remember the situation that happened and always recall it when I see the person. I think it's because it gives me a new perspective into who the person is and how they think, and their opinion of me. I guess it makes me more cautious when I am around them. Please understand though, I always forgive them regardless if I remember the issues we shared or not.

When I remember the past, I find I have to not dwell too much on what took place. If you give too much thought on the past it becomes more of your take on the situation and less on the facts. The fires can be negatively fueled entirely too easy if I dwell too long.

Dwelling on the past keeps you in the past. Focusing on today and the future moves you forward.

Forgiveness is to forgive the offense and restart a new at looking forward to the future and keeping your eyes on God's desire for unity.

When I ask for forgiveness:

I hope and pray that when I am the one to make the mistake that others are quick to forgive me. I want them to see past the offense and begin a new to know me as a better person from learning from my mistakes. I often forget that just because I know my heart and the way I view things doesn't mean that others see me in the same way nor do they think the same way I do.

I have to learn to forgive myself as well. I will far more beat up on myself emotionally than even others would. I also have to move on and not stew in my mistakes either. It can cause me to lose my focus on God's plans. I am here to serve Him not wallow in self.

I pray people forgive me and look at me through God's forgiving eyes. I pray I do this as well towards others.

Pet peeve:

I don't know why it always shocks me when someone assumes the worst and throws out all the good a person does/is just because of one/more mistake(s). Whether the mistake was made against me or I made it against them, mistakes do not cancel out the heart of the person or their christian walk.

There is a radio show I listen to and it is full of old time type of stories. The man spoke of when he grew up and his uncle told him a joke. It was pretty calm and innocent, especially compared to today's jokes. He said how he felt so honored his uncle told him/trusted him with the joke. He said, " To know I could hear him tell that and to know that it didn't mean he wasn't a Christian."

It is odd how I've observed that the more mistakes people make, others expect it, and they forgive them quicker. When someone seems to make fewer mistakes people are less forgiving and question their entire christian life. I was actually dumbfounded when I saw that often people look for fault in people and revel over the fact when they find it.

I believe that God is about unity and being as one. In my life I want nothing to stand in between God and I. Forgiving is a way of life, not a choice for me.

Modesty

2009-05-31T20:02:00.004-04:00

I enjoyed today’s sermon. Patrick spoke about modesty. There were a few things that stayed in my mind over others. To be frank, I can not retell what he said to do him justice. Here are some general ideas.
1Timothy 2:8-10 It tells of lifting holy hands in prayer.
Thought: Do not go anywhere where you have to leave Jesus outside and cannot lift holy hands in prayer.
Put on Jesus, and do not worry about your attire. What ever you chose to wear, make sure it doesn’t blind others that you belong to God.
1Peter 3:1-7
Your value is not on what you wear, put on Jesus. This also extends further than clothing. When you are with your family in private and others in public, how do they view you? Are you treating others with care, kindness, love, forgiveness, etc...? Are you showing by your actions and words that Jesus lives with in you?
1Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Proverbs 11:22 and Romans 12:12
Thoughts: Do not let the world tell you what to wear. Make yourself recognizable to the Lord when He comes.

Tin Man is all done!

2009-03-05T14:31:00.002-05:00

I am happy to say my Tin Man is complete! It was fun and exhausting too. I will now figure out the caption to place on the portrait. This is for my son's school.

a little more tin man

2009-03-04T17:49:00.002-05:00

Added a few more lines, details, and shading. A work in progress.

Tin Man

2009-03-04T14:59:00.004-05:00

I have been working on a project for my son's school. As you can see I am trying to give my best effort at drawing the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. It's not perfect, but it's been fun. I've used 10 different shades of color to get what I have completed thus far. He has been a new challenge for me since I have to make him look metallic and I have not used any metallic pencils. I hope to get him done by Friday. I'll post how he turns out when I'm done.

Lucy or Ethel

2009-01-10T18:15:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wondered if you were an Lucy or an Ethel? In my world, questions like this do actually pop up in my mind. I would say that I am definetly an Ethel. I am a good side kick friend, not the star of the show, and a few pounds heavier that my friends. I do well as Ethel Mertz. I think that's why I named my car Ethel. I just would rather not be the lime light star. I don't think I'd do well. I am far better the supportive friend, laughing , and enjoying life.

Earl

2009-01-04T23:33:00.004-05:00

There is a TV show that has to deal with a man named Earl. He goes back and finds all the people in his life he did wrongs to. I haven't really ever watched the show, but understand that the man tries to make up for his past mistakes. It's an interesting idea...

I was talking with an old high school friend through Face Book tonight. We got into a conversation of how we wish we could take back old dumb mistakes we've made in our lives. We realised that no matter what we do or say now, the mistakes have been made and yet, oh how we wish we could still take them back. We have to be ever so careful to not dwell on past mistakes. The devil likes to take our faults and remind us we messed up. If we aren't careful, we spend too much time looking back, and forgetting to learn from the mistake and look forward.

My fortune cookie read today, "If you made no mistakes, you haven't lived." I suppose that is true. I just hope that I am as forgiving to others as I'd hope they would be forgiving of me.

I am ever so grateful of God's grace and His forgiveness.

I know this seems silly, but to all who read this, if I have made a mistake in any way towards you, please forgive me... I would always pray that people I come across in my life would truly know my heart and love me despite my faults.

They say there is the version you see of yourself, the version you think people see of you, and the version people truly have of you. I pray that in all versions I'm more Christ like and less of me.

A song to my ear

2008-11-24T23:48:00.002-05:00

The other night I was helping my son and he just stopped and said, "Mom, I love you more than anything!" My heart melted. Oh how thankful I am that God gave me my sweet son.

It's been too long...

2008-11-23T20:24:00.003-05:00

Boy, how did this much time pass by since my last blog? So sorry. I believe once I began Facebook my blog went to the side. I found FB to be addicting for about a month or so. It is a great way to catch up with people you haven't seen or spoken to in forever.

Tonight our family watched the original Jerry Lewis "The Nutty Professor." It fits perfectly with my son's humor. Great slapstick comedy! Our family laughed pretty hard several times.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It seems as if we just had Thanksgiving yesterday and here it is again. I always think of my mother's stuffing and noodles during this time. She has the best dressing! My mother-in-law makes an amazing turkey, (perfect every time) so we are looking forward to that! My father-in-law always makes the greatest pies, incredible crust! Yum! I plan to make a Blueberry Cinnamon Swirl breakfast dish, Creamy Rice Pudding, Banana Bread, and an old family recipe Date Cookies. The key word is plan. I bought all the ingredients today anyway.

My sister Vicki makes these wonderful Buttermilk Pancakes. I'm making those for supper tomorrow night. I figured if I bought buttermilk for one recipe, I'll use the rest up with the other.

I have been busy, nonstop, since school began. I go a million miles a minute in the classroom. I help students who need guidance in their day to be successful. You never know what interesting moment will greet you from second to second. It's exhausting but also very rewarding.

My son comes home with a lot more homework these days too. I just love this stage of life he's in. He's asking great questions all the time. He's asked about time beginning, ending, how small is the smallest small, where does the universe end? He said he couldn't think on those things too long or he'd go nuts. He said he has to trust that God has it all figured out and that will be just fine.

My dear sweet husband is greeting every new interesting situation at work with class. He has such an amazing way about him and I am thankful for all he is.

Well, off to get my darling son to bed. He has a big test tomorrow in Geography.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

There's No Place Like Home

2008-09-13T21:19:00.009-04:00

It was so hard leaving my parents and sisters to head back up north. I thought I'd live on a farm all my life. I'm a farm girl at heart.

When it was time for dinner, mom would send me out to the garden and get things like sweet corn, onions, tomatoes, and more. I'd shuck the corn and cut the roots from the baby onions and place them in cold water for Dad to eat at dinner. Dad would come home for dinner (lunch) and supper. Mom always had the most amazing meals fixed to feed the whole crew. Dinner was always at noon. Dad and a farm hand or two would eat and have to get back to the fields. We'd always fill jugs full of water and ice so the guys had something cool to drink in the fields. On some occasions the guys had to keep working, the rain was coming, the crop needed to get in, and we'd take dinner to the field. Mom always made sure the men were fed well.

Dad always checked the prices of hogs, corn, beans, etc... He'd faithfully check the weather ban. He could tell when it was time to push through the night and when he could come home for the day. It all depended on the weather.

One thing my Dad always made sure of, he never worked on Sundays. We faithfully went to church Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday nights. My parents were active members in the church. I do not know at what age they began teaching Sunday school, but they both still teach to this day. Every morning my Dad would be in his den with his Bible open, studying in God's word. Every Saturday Mom would be preparing her Sunday morning lesson.

How blessed our family was growing up on a farm and having Christian parents!

The Last Hurrah

2008-09-09T20:11:00.000-04:00

At the end of our summer, before school started, we decided to go for one more hurrah. It’s been ages since we went to an amusement park. We decided to try out Michigan Great Adventures. The drive was pretty decent and it was easy to get to. It was kind of in the middle of a field. Cedar Point owns it.

It had an amusement park and a water park. I was shocked when my son was so brave and he rode a water ride that went strait down a huge hill in a boat. I am a Farris Wheel kind of gal.

We had the most fun in the water park area. They had 3 wave pools that acted like the ocean. I actually went down a water ride that was an enclosed dark tube, riding on an inner tube, and as I whooshed this way and that, I screamed my head off. I do not like the feeling of my stomach dropping. My son was bursting out laughing as he watched me fly out of the tube screaming. Okay, I did look funny!

The next coolest part of the trip was staying at the Hilton. We got the most amazing price savings deal through hotwire.com. I love my geek husband! The hotel was even better just knowing we saved a ton of money! On our bed the 4 pillows were down-filled, the comforter was down-filled, well … everything was wonderful!

I guess Phil and I loved watching our little swimming pro get the confidence to swim across a true depth swimming pool. All the pools he had swam in before were only 5 feet deep. Luke asked Phil to touch the bottom of the pool so he could see how deep it really was. Phil was hilarious. He was too buoyant, he couldn’t sink. Leave it up to ole lead bottom mom and I showed him the depth of the pool. We laughed at dad floating for a long, long time. We thought he was just joking at 1st, but we lost it laughing when we realized he really couldn’t sink. It was great!

I have no photos to share, forgot the camera at home. Trust me when I say, It was a great quick weekend hurrah!

Pokagon State Park

2008-08-26T09:03:00.025-04:00

This summer we went to Pokagon State Park over our 15Th wedding anniversary. We have revisited the park each summer. It has become a family favorite destination. We always stay in the newest part of the hotel but they also offer cabins, and camping sites.

They have horse trail riding, boats, nature walks, swimming, and bike riding, just to name a few. We have a tradition of renting a paddle boat and seeing the lake as we paddle. The boys tell me I can sit back and relax as they chauffeur me around the lake. This usually means Luke and Phil get us out and Phil and I get us back in : )

We do not have cable TV at home, due to our dear sweet son has the hardest time leaving Cartoon Network! The hotel has cable, so he is never in a hurry to leave the room in the morning and is always ready for bed in the evenings!

While we were there, for our anniversary, my sweet husband gave me an afternoon at the spa. I was completely relaxed! I gave Phil the complete collection of all the seasons, movie, interviews, and etc... of the M.A.S.H. TV series. He has wanted that for years, and I mean years. I found the complete series at Target 11 months earlier. I wrapped it up, and hid it, so he couldn't find it, and I wouldn't be tempted to give it to him early! Since our trip, we found out we have a 3rd fan of M.A.S.H. in our house, Luke!

At Christmas time Grandma and Grandpa gave Luke the game "Are You Smarter Than a 5Th Grader." We went to the hotel's library and played the game one evening. Not a one of us was smarter than a 5Th grader! We are as smart as 4Th graders though. Luke, in a voice filled with laughter, said, "I haven't been a 5Th grader yet, what's your excuse?"

We always put together puzzles while we are there. It's fun to begin a puzzle and you leave it on a table in the big gathering room. The next day when come back, others have worked on your puzzle too. You just pick up where they left off.

Luke has slowly become comfortable with swimming. With his Aspergers, he has to try things at his own pace. He was a quite a young man filled with confidence this time around. He used to do one cannon ball after another, now he is willing to try swimming. If there were a category in the Olympics for floating, he would have taken gold!

While we were there, my family sent us a striking arrangement of flowers and had a Congratulations announcement put up on the daily board. They made another wonderful memory for us. We couldn't have asked for any more gorgeous weather for our anniversary trip!

We traveled back home to my parents over the weekend. It was a quick stay due to my father-in-law being in the hospital. It was just wonderful just being home, back on the farm.

Day 4

2008-08-13T17:04:00.025-04:00

The 4th day of our trip we went to Bull Run. The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassass, was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. It was fought on July 21, 1861.

Later that day we swam in the pool and then had a cook out. We were all pretty happy just chilling and eating grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, watermelon, chips, and strawberry pretzel salad, Yumm! Yum!

Washington Day 3

2008-07-17T10:36:00.024-04:00

We had a lot of fun touring on a bus from monument to monument and getting off and on the bus when we felt like it. Our feet and legs needed to see hope/relief from the prior’s day walking in the heat.

We thought Union Station was impressive. We ate at a great pizza place there. The architecture was just beautiful, just like all of Washington D.C. They had a replica of the Liberty Bell, minus the crack in it.

We saw a great deal of monuments but decided to see Lincoln memorial, the Vietnam Vet. Memorial Wall, the Korean Vet Memorial, the WWII Memorial, and had fun with the Washington Monument. When we got to the WWII Memorial there were a ton of people there with their feet in the water getting relief from the heat. We followed suit and felt like we were in heaven. The cool water couldn't of come at a better time.

We weren’t able to visit the White House this trip, but we at least viewed it from afar. Phil and I saw it back in college and someday want our son to see it too. Security was everywhere in Washington. It takes a bit of getting used to seeing men with really big guns.

That night we took Christi and Hunter out to eat for her birthday. If you ever get a chance to eat at Sweetwater Tavern, you must! It was by far one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Yum!

Washington, day 2

2008-07-14T21:09:00.015-04:00

I know how sad it is that it's taken me days to write from day 1 to day 2 of our trip, so sorry.

We were all about finding a parking spot. There are a million rules to parking in D.C. Your best bet is going through a ton of security and finding a parking garage.

We decided due to the extreme heat, we'd do the museum scene 1st. We went to The National Gallery of Art, The National Museum of Natural History, The Capital, and The Library of Congress. We began our touring at 10 a.m. and all the museums closed by 5 p.m. We were all ready to fall over by 5 anyway. By far, we all agreed having the Congressman Mike Pence and his staff giving us The Capital Tour was our favorite part in the day.

We bought our son a book a couple of years back and it's pretty cool, "101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12." While we were in Washington he was able to check off: A Space Place, an Art Museum, a Battlefield, a Sculpture Park, an Insectorium, Your Elected Official's Office, a Dinosaur Site, an Airplane Hangar or Collection, and so on... Of course I didn't mind seeing the Hope Diamond which happens to be 45.52 carats and it is surrounded by 16 white diamonds, and it's chain holds 45 more white diamonds!

Oh how we wish we could of had more time to soak up all the museums, but you'd have to live there to begin that journey. Washington is an amazing place!

Washington D.C., Day 1

2008-07-08T14:46:00.010-04:00

I thought you may enjoy some photos from our vacation.

I am not a fan of flying. I do not like small spaces and the whole idea that I have absolutely no control of the vehicle I am in, like I said, not a fan of flying. My husband and son loved the flight. It was my son’s 1st time to fly. He was so brave. We asked him if he wanted a drink/pop before getting on the plane and he said, “I’ll get my drink on the plane." When going through turbulence he'd hold my hand and tell me, "Mom, it's just like you are on a bus and it's a little bumpy." It is easier flying with family.

The 1st day we arrived in Washington we went to the National Air and Space Museum. It was cool to see. For example we saw the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet-powered aircraft ever built, and The Space Shuttle Enterprise.

When I was 4 the family I was born into was adopted out to different families, all 10 of us. My twin brother and I were kept together. God gave us to, blessed us with, and adopted my twin and me into an amazing Christian family! Believe me when I say that God gave my twin and I a precious gift when the Robrock's loved us as their own children.

Twice in my life I have gotten to see my biological sisters Christi and Susie, once was in college, and the other time was about 4 years ago. All in all, we have only spent maybe 4 hours together since we were seperated into new homes 35 years ago. We had another reunion during our Washington trip with Christi and her son Hunter. They graciously opened their home for us to stay in. I have to admit it was a surreal experience meeting someone who you know is blood related to you, looks like you, but you do not know them.

It was a very pleasant experience getting to know her and her son. They are fun loving, kind, easy going, and generous at heart family. Hunter is incredibly smart, all about sports, and full of history facts. Christi is genuine, down home, sweet, and hospitable through and through. I asked my husband what he thought of Christi and he said, “She is you in 5 years.” Oh, by the way, they have the most awesome dog ever, Scout! We joked and said if you see big holes cut in our suitcase and fur sticking out; just know we took Scout home with us. It was a blessing spending time with their family.

Anyway, as I run on and on, we had a really fun 1st day and I’ll follow up with our next few days of our Washington trip over the next few days.

Freedom

2008-07-03T09:54:00.003-04:00

Our family just returned from an amazing trip to Washington D.C. While we were there completely in awe of each building and monument, it really made me think about all those who have fought for our freedom. It was incredible seeing original documents of how our country was built and shaped.

Congressman Mike Pence told a story when we met with him. He said that when 9/11 happened he went to the lawn of the Capital and waited to see how he could serve, and wanted to know what he could do to help. He knew about The Twin Towers, The Pentagon, and told of how grateful he was and owed his life to the people who took down United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. The flight was said to of been headed for The Capital.

I do not have any great words of wisdom, but want to say thank you to all who have served before and currently so that we can have the freedom to be an American. I saw a sign while I was there that said, “Freedom is not free, men have paid a price for us to be free.”
Please, say a prayer of thanksgiving for all who have and still serve our country and send a blessing to them that they keep out of harms way.

From our family to yours, have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Father's Day

2008-06-14T19:28:00.024-04:00

I must say that I am very blessed to have an amazing husband, father and father-in-law!

My husband and his dad are generally quiet when they are around others. They watch and absorb others. They are a lot a like. They speak when there is something important to say, neither of them waste words. Phil is also like his dad in that the two of them are incredibly funny! They have the perfect comedic timing. When you least expect it, the funniest words come, and you're left rolling with laughter. Laughter is good medicine for the heart.

I love how our family has it's own humor. My son and I are the lucky ones to get to see my husband in the quiet, crazy, silly, hilarious moments. He doesn't slide across the wood floor doing the running man for just anybody!

My dad is amazing too. He has the largest and strongest farmer hands, but the heart of a man of God. He is on a mission trip to New Mexico at the moment. He's helping build churches, and what ever else they need. He has done this before and when the group was told they got a day off, Dad didn't want to stop helping. He said, "I came here to work." Most of all, he loves and cares for my mother, that means the world to me.

I believe that all three men are exceptional because they let God live in them and through them. What an amazing blessing they are! Happy Father's Day!

Schooooooooooools out fooor the summer!!!!!!!!

2008-06-12T19:15:00.010-04:00

Yippee!!! School is out for the summer. My son and I are both rejoicing. I surprised him after school and took him to see Kung Fu Panda. The perfect movie for end of the year fun!

I was suppose to work Tuesday and Wednesday (my last two days of work), but we had no power at my school. There have been several schools in the district with out power due to the bad thunderstorms that came our way over the weekend and Monday evening. I wish I could of said goodbye to the kids at my school, but I had fun helping at my son's school. In fact, when we were at the theater we ran into a large group of ladies going to the movies because they have been with out power for one too many days. They decided to escape their homes and hit the movies.

I thought I'd share some photos of summer fun. They are from my son's end of the year picnic at school. They played several games like, Tag and everyone was IT, water balloon fights, eating through whip cream to get to the gum balls and blowing bubbles, etc... They even had one game where the leader gave them these rules and the kids figured out how to accomplish the task: You have to use the wooden poles and build a ladder that is as tall as her, and three people have to climb it. Believe it or not, but they actually thought of three ways to do this. My dear boy figured out a great way to do it, and the leader said she hadn't ever seen anyone do it that way and praised him for it :) He had them build the shape of the ladder, lift it up off the ground high enough for the kids to pull themselves up by each rung and go under it. Pretty creative!

I know our family is wishing you tons of summer fun!!!

James Taylor is amazing!

2008-06-05T20:48:00.008-04:00

Yesterday my family went to the James Taylor concert with two old friends, Keisha and Kwaun. The whole evening was WONDERFUL!!! I can not give James the praise he deserves, but WOW! What a talented man!

Our friends invited us to the concert and what a fantastic gift! We had lawn seats so we were very lucky that it only sprinkled a little rain here and there. The temps last night were just cool enough to set a perfect mood. James took us to church and back, sang the blues, and rocked. He was fun, funny, an all around entertaining artist. The place was packed from the front seats to the back lawn. There were a few songs at the end, before the encore, that everyone sang.

The Red Wings were playing in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. All through out the evening people walked by us and said the score. Each time they scored you'd hear "Let's Go Red Wings!" cheering from the lawn crowd. When they won James Taylor put on a Red Wings hat and a band member held up a Red Wings jersey. How cool was that! As we left after the concert the cars were honking to celebrate the Wings win.

Nothing like hearing "You've Got a Friend" sang by James himself, sitting with dear friends, a cool summer night under the stars, and the Wings winning...

Graduation Weekend, Saturday

2008-06-04T13:19:00.009-04:00

Graduation Weekend

Saturday morning came so quickly. I think we all could have slept in longer. Our whole family was tired from the graduation party for my niece Hannah. Seeing my niece, and my sister Laurie, so pleased about the party made all the energy put into it worth every minute of it.

On Saturday morning my family was treated to a brunch by my friend Danielle, her husband Brent, and their girls, Kaitlyn and Reagan. Thank you so much for all the yummy food and the monkey bread! Danielle is a fantastic cook. My husband wanted to and could of eaten a ton of food that morning, but he was afraid he's need a nap afterwards. I am pretty sure Brent was looking forward to the leftovers!

Their girls are so sweet! Kaitlyn is a more reserved & cautious girl, but very lovely and kind. Reagan is a go getter, but adorable through and through. Having lunch with my friend was like going home. You know that feeling, like, all is good in the world and a part of who you are was found again. Maybe when I grow up I can be more like Danielle :)

After lunch we traveled to my niece’s graduation. It was a wonderful ceremony. I captured the photo of my nephew, Isaiah, as he was leaning in his mother’s hand at the graduation. How fun is he! My niece Hannah and my niece Jordan are quite the pair too, "The dynamic duo."

Saturday evening, My husband, son, brother-in-law, and nephew headed to the Prince Caspian movie. Myself, sister Vicki, sister Laurie, and adopted in as a sister Katie hit Panera Bread and a movie. Thank you sweet Laurie who would not accept any other way than to treat us that evening. Laurie is such a thoughtful giving sister!

It is always good to be with family!

Graduation Party

2008-05-31T19:27:00.006-04:00

The next day after Kentucky, Friday, we traveled to Tennessee. My niece Hannah was graduating from high school on Saturday but her party was on Friday evening. From the moment we drove up at noon until we were ready to drop at 10 p.m. or so, we got ready and had my nieces’ graduation party. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. My sisters made it fun. Our family can laugh, be silly, and get a ton of work done at the same time.

We had her celebration at a house that was 101 years old. The wood work told a story of ole. How beautiful the place looked as each of us gave it a special touch. My mom made the cakes, my sister Vic frosted and decorated them, Jan made the punch, I made floral arrangements, Laurie prepared food, Phil was Mr. Technology, Nana made appetizers, the kids played, and we all decorated, cleaned up and etc, etc, etc… Every one gave it their all and we had a wonderful time! It is funny how we all just look at each other and just know what to do. I suppose that’s what family does.

The pictures above are from the party and my sisters Vicki, Myself, Laurie, and Jan are in the bunch as well. Unfortunately, my parents (due to health) and my sisters Jill and Kathy, and brother Tim (due to work) were unable to make it. They were greatly missed!

Friends

2008-05-30T12:53:00.005-04:00

On Thursday, May 22nd, our family was able to meet up with some old friends in Kentucky. We had a fantastic time catching up with Trevis, Nicole, Parker, and Lilie.

It was wonderful seeing Nicole being a lovely wife and mommy. How precious their children were. Lilie has her own darling language and adores her older brother and Parker was the adventurer and a perfect older brother. We were happy Trev made it home safely from his trip for work and was able to tuck the kids into bed and share some laughter with us as well.

The whole family welcomed us with open arms, food, laughter, and even sent us off with a care package for the road. Thank you dear friends for your love, kindness, and thoughtful nature! Thank you Lord for such good friends!

The Poe Reef Lighthouse

2008-05-19T19:38:00.004-04:00

This past week we had to finish up a major project for my son's school's Open House. He and I made the Poe Reef Lighthouse. All the kids in his grade had to invent a board game, recreate a landmark or a lighthouse. I told my son thank you, many times over, for picking a lighthouse that was simple in nature. There are some lighthouses that have elaborate attached houses. We looked at every craft store for the supplies and found out foam cost more that college tuition. You have to love coupons! In the end the dragon was slain and we had a lighthouse! I was proud that my son hung in there with all the detailed painting. He said his favorite part was taking the dental floss through the white paint to make the lines on the windows and making the top out of a Pepsi bottle.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T21:16:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! This morning my son and husband made me pop-tarts for breakfast. You have to realise that this is an honor because my son absolutely LOVES pop-tarts and he wanted to share with me what he loves best.

Right before church my boys gave me a lovely gift bag that was green covered in beautiful pink and yellow florals. I had to laugh because the tissue paper was blue with red, white, and teal polka dots!

The boys gave me the purse you see in the picture above. You have to understand that my husband has never paid much attention to purses at all. When he was at work there was a lady who had a unique purse. He asked her about it because it looked very interesting. My husband went home that day and Googled it. When we were in the gift shop at the Art museum we got to see the purse in this striking red color, and that sold it! My boys ordered me a red Harveys Seat Belt Bag! Yes, you read correctly, seat belt bag. The fact it was made out of sturdy material made sense to my husband. It was an extra special gift because my boys picked it out, all by themselves. I love the bag! I love my boys!

After church the boys took me to a local restaurant that has the best bread ever! It was fun to hear, "Order what ever you'd like, even dessert."

Later on in the day I asked my son why he loved me. He melted my heart when he said among the other words, "I love you because you pray with me..."

I hope today you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I know I was blessed more than I could possibly say!

Humility

2008-05-03T16:29:00.006-04:00

"Humility does not mean you think less of yourself.

It means you think of yourself less."

~Ken Blanchard

Opportunities or Obstacles

2008-04-27T13:26:00.006-04:00

If you believe it will work out,
You'll see opportunities.

If you believe it won't,

You'll see obstacles.

~ Jon Alma

In Hebrews 12:1, 2, 3 The word tells us that we have been surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus...so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The chapter speaks of how we are honored to be called sons. We will be put through hardships, have to endure, to consider this as discipline to make us stronger. If I raise my son and let him have everything he wanted at every moment, he would not learn the value in a dollar. If I let him do what ever he wanted, he would not know self control or the value of another person. He would not learn what we call "Life's lessons that make you stronger." If we do not walk through challenges in our lives, receive discipline, we are not taught or guided to become stronger. The Lord teaches us with life's challenges and discipline.

Hebrews 12:12,13 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and week knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Have you ever wondered if vs. 12 and 13 mean get up and stop being a stumbling block for those who are traveling the path too. I hear so much complaining and excuses used every day. Some times I wonder if we are what is in the way of ourselves?

Consider how many times this week you are choosing words that

1. Lead you forward

2. Help you stand still

3. Send you backwards

on your path to Jesus.

Do you see opportunities or obstacles?

Art Museum

2008-04-18T13:30:00.005-04:00

A week ago tomorrow I took my son to the doctor for his physical. We were very lucky because outside the doctor’s office the Book Mobile arrived. We were the 1st ones aboard. I asked for a museum pass to the Art Museum. We were pleasantly surprised to find they had one. We had been trying at the main library for around 6 months to obtain one pass, but they were always all out. We were blessed to get the pass. It admits 4 people so our whole family could go.

We spent 5 hours walking, talking, and admiring art. The museum was recently redone and it was quite memorable. Unfortunately we did not know we could take out cameras with us, so the pictures you’ll see are borrowed.

My son was all about the knights in shining armor. He was sure he wanted to see Picasso’s work and when he saw it, he said, “I guess I’d like to see something I couldn’t paint myself.” My husband enjoyed the fine detail in paintings, especially if it dealt with architecture. I was all about the old masters and admired the work of Adolphe – William Bouguereau. He was a painter in 1825 – 1905. You probably know him from two pieces of his work “The Kiss” and The Nut Gatherers.” They are often reproduced for wall art or note cards. The best way to describe his work is he pays attention to the slightest details. Each and every detail is lovingly rendered. I am also fascinated by Egyptian artifacts.

When we were at the museum there was a man painting a portrait of a woman. We would go by and look every once and a while to see the progress. A lovely day in all!

Lumber Jack

2008-04-14T22:28:00.002-04:00

My son's class and all the other students in his grade read and studied about lumberjacks. Everyone dressed up like lumberjacks on Friday, built eatable shanties, and ate lumberjack foods (pancakes, biscuits, etc...). How fun!

The symphony

2008-04-14T22:16:00.002-04:00

My son had a wonderful opportunity to go with his class to hear the symphony perform. I won the parent lotto and was chosen to go with them. I loved it too! They had a program set up to teach the students in a fun way what each part of the orchestra was all about. They even had a guest conductor who led an 8 year old volunteer in conducting the orchestra. It was wonderful sharing this with my son!!!

Boys will be boys

2008-04-12T22:28:00.004-04:00

The other day I was taking my son to our neighbors so I could go to work. As I was walking up the stairs I felt this thing hit the top of my head. I looked up and asked my son, who was leaning over the balcony, what hit my head. I felt my hair and realised it was wet. "Oh yuck! It's spit." He says, "Oh mom, I've always wanted to do that!" We cracked up laughing!

Today we were at the art museum and I reminded him there was no spitting off the balconies under any circumstances. It took all he had to not toss his gum wrapper off the balcony.

Inquisitive minds want to know...

What would you do with a million dollars?

2008-04-08T15:23:00.005-04:00

Recently I got to thinking more and more about Oprah's show where she gives away a million dollars. I thought about what I would do if I had a million to give away.

The 1st thing that came to mind was to pay off the debts of each family member, including brothers, sisters, parents, spouse...and so on. Wouldn't that be amazing? Can you imagine how you would feel being 100% debt free, but to also give that gift to your family?

I think I'd set up some kind of fund with the church where we could feed the homeless. Our church currently has a wonderful program where we do feed the homeless once a month, but I'd like to do this daily and provide Bible study, counselors, basic need items, and so on. I'd call it "Feeding the Spirit".

I would like clean water systems to be available and given to villages in such places as Africa. A mission to feed their souls in Bible study while giving them clean water and call it "The Spring of Life."

I'd like to know my son's college was taken care of and that the future needs of his Aspergers health care were covered.

I'd like to write and illustrate a children's book about autism and donate to Aspergers/Autism foundations.

We'd like a house with a yard for a dog to run in and a place for flowers. There would be a big ole tree house for my son to play in with an adopted brother or sister. I'd like an art studio to paint and work on my photography. There would be a library/den just for my husband.

There are so many areas a person could give and give to. I guess these were just a few that ran across my mind.

What would you do with a million dollars?

Easter

2008-04-01T19:08:00.015-04:00

I haven't placed any photos on the blog yet from Easter. Time escaped me too easily.

The Easter Bunny visited us at the Grandparent's home up north. The Easter Bunny brought a Webkinz dog that looked just like Buddy the dog, a dog that we used to walk. He also brought a magnet of Elvis, toy cars from the movie "Cars", candy, a giant chocolate bunny, bubble gum, a puzzle, and some other little toys. I can still remember my mom giving fun baskets and egg hunts with clues to the prizes. She always bought me the loveliest Easter dresses.

This was the 1st year our son had figured out who the Easter Bunny was. He was a great sport and still loved his Easter basket.

Today is April Fools Day. We all played jokes on each other and had a few good laughs. My son told my husband, "Oh No! Dad, I forgot to do my homework!" My husband fell for it. Hope you had a few laughs today!

Batman

2008-03-31T21:40:00.003-04:00

I ran across an old photo of my son as A.K.A. Batman.
He was playing with his Buzz and Woody toys from Toy Story.
I love this photo! Good memories...

Day Five

2008-03-28T22:23:00.006-04:00

Belly Laughing!

Day Five:
Today my son slept in and savored his last day of Spring Break. He wanted to relax today so we took it easy over all.

There is a restaurant that has the best bread ever, so we ran by and grabbed a bag. I think my son is still grinning, he loves that bread!

Next we went to the library. That is always fun. We could stay there for hours and it would feel like minutes.

My son has wanted to have time to just play video games. Today was the day. He played his PS2, his DS, and then later on we watched the Golden Collection of Looney Tunes (thank you library).

Tonight we read as a family again. The 1st book in a series we are reading is Wright & Wong Mystery, The Case of the Prank that Stank by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz. We have laughed so much with this book. My son gets the uniqueness of one of the main characters B. Orville Wright because he has Aspergers syndrome. We have only read the 1st book but are looking forward to reading more. We have loved hearing our son belly laugh!

Hope you've enjoyed reading about our Spring Break.
Our family was blessed to have this time together.

Day Four

2008-03-27T20:33:00.007-04:00

Day Four:

As boys grow older their desire to sleep in increases ten fold! A few extra minutes of sleep is a nice reward on a day off.

We began our adventures today by meeting with dad for lunch. The Red Robin restaurant was yummy!

We decided to adventure to another home we hadn't toured before. We enjoyed the home and grounds of Edsel and Eleanor Ford. (They do not allow photos inside the home so the 1st beautiful picture you see above is courtesy of Balthazar Korab and Dirk Bakker).

The house pictured above was given to the daughter of the estate for her 7th birthday. It is a miniature home where she learned social graces and played. If this mini home were built in today's times it would of cost around $300,000 thousand.

Today it began snowing again. We had no idea it was coming in the quantity it arrived. They say we may get another 2 or 3 inches. I love the 4 seasons we have here but I am officially ready for Spring to show up and stay a while.

Tonight we took time to stretch out, relax, and then my son and I drew. My son loves drawing ships. Some how they always end up having a great battle. From the time he 1st picked up a pencil he has drawn pirate ships and pirates. I can't seem to toss any of them. They are drawn on napkins, place mats, on the back of church attendance cards, and so on. Some day I think I'll frame a series of them.

We are going to watch a movie as a family now so enjoy your evening!

Day Two and Three

2008-03-26T22:38:00.015-04:00

Day two we spent at doctor appointments and the movies. My son loved the doctors appointments because he brought along his DS and got caught up on Pokemon. We saw Horton Hears a Who in the afternoon. It was fun and we enjoyed the movie. Every night we read to our son and it makes a great time for our whole family.

Day three we spent the morning at home. My son slept in while I cleaned the house. Then we watching the movie Cars. After that we headed to the zoo! In the spring, with the cool air, all the animals were more active and that made for fun pictures. Enjoy! I promised my son we'd get the Little Caesars pizza and bread sticks with a frozen coke for supper. We hadn't done that in a long time. I remember why now, heartburn! Tonight we are having a camp out in the family room.

Day One

2008-03-26T08:47:00.003-04:00

This week is Spring Break from school! Just to think, one whole week to not think of school or work and time to celebrate each day. It sounds wonderful to say it. Unfortunately my husband doesn’t have a break from his work this week. We have shared our days with him so I know he is thrilled to see us happy, especially hearing the excitement from our son’s stories.

On Monday we went to a mansion. We visited a mansion which the Dodge Family built. It is the 4th largest touring home in the country. I wasn’t sure how my son would like the tour since it required a lot of walking but he loved it.

When we 1st walked in he said, “Wow! This makes me think of Hogwarts from Harry Potter.” I believe his favorite part was seeing the secret passage ways in the walls. They didn’t let us go in, but you could see a few they had roped off and the wall was opened up for viewing. You could look up and look down, just couldn’t walk on the stairs. He also loved the game room. It intrigued him that it was underground and still had windows to make you think it was night time.

I loved the sun room. There was one room that was all glass walls. It would be the perfect place to go with a cup of hot tea, and gaze longingly outside to a gorgeous view. I also loved seeing the sweet details they added to the children’s rooms. They had tiles of stories outlining the bathtub walls, fireplaces, and more.

They did not allow photos inside the mansion so I took this photo outside. A long time ago they allowed photos, so I’ll have to see if I can find them and share a few with you.

I bought him an old toy car replica a 1939 Lincoln Model K Convertible Sedan. He loved how the front hood folded open. I bought a Christmas ornament that looked just like the mansion to remember our special day.

There is nothing more precious to us than to watch our son light up and see him thrilled and full of excitement. Children have this beautiful way of reminding you of the joy found in every moment!

Basketball

2008-03-25T00:23:00.008-04:00

I finally have a moment to write. It is 12:22 a.m. on an early Tuesday morning and the house is quiet.

My son and I went to a basketball game last Tuesday night. We were given two tickets to go. Unfortunately that meant my husband had to stay home. It worked out though because he was gone all day at conferences and wasn't home in time anyway. We missed him at the game though!

The game was so much fun. This was the 1st time my son ever got 100% into a basketball game. He cheered, he yelled, he laughed and had way too much fun. He wanted to eat right when we got there. He had just finished supper before we left, but to him you had to buy a slice of pizza to start the night off right.

We sat next to a fella who was a chef. We found that interesting since he just finished his dream speech about becoming a chef.

I was so proud of him because he made it through the big loud introduction of the teams and the big flames they shoot out high in the air when the team is introduced. With his Aspergers his sense of fear is greatly heightened and he remembered that he was surprised/frightened by the noise and unexpectedness of it all from the 1st game he was at. I helped him get into a safe zone. We talked about all the things that were to come, he wore his hood over his head (ears), and sat down as I held him close and talked him through it all. He was so proud of himself when it was all done because he knew he conquered his fear of the big noise and big flame. I was so proud of him!

It was so foggy out on our way home that we could barely see a foot in front of us. It was kind of funny because the lights on the on ramp glowed like a space ship. All the cars slowed way down to look. It was wild to see.

I just loved every moment of sharing the basketball game with my son. What a great memory!

The World's Best Friend

2008-03-17T22:43:00.003-04:00

I have had the honor to work with a fine young man, Brian, for 11 years today. He has Autism. I remember his mother speaking to me about the word Autism and really, at the time, everyone was trying to figure out what the word meant. The world was on the verge of bringing it to light. There were all kind of theories and a few books written at the time. I am so grateful that the word Autism is now spoken to the world and is being studied further. I have learned with Brian that there is no way to place each individual Autistic child into one group, each child is so unique.

I have been honored to see how Brian sees the world. He is by far the most honest and loving child. He brings joy when you have had an awful day. He brings peace because his heart loves unconditionally and he fervently prays for you. He is as close to innocent as I could describe someone. I am a better person having him as a part of my life. I find joy in far more moments than I would have if I never knew him. He lights up life because God has surely favored him. He was a gift, a blessing, that God sent my way.

I believe God knew I was going to need Brian as I was becoming a mother. I applied so many of the teachings I learned working with him to my own son. I believe it is because of my time with him that helped my son succeed as well as he has. My son has a form of Autism called Aspergers Syndrome. I am sure God blessed me with Brian, so I could help my son as well.

Dear sweet Brian is the world's best friend and we are so lucky to be blessed by one exceptional boy!

2008-03-13T12:15:00.006-04:00

Nothing Like Friends and James Taylor

2008-03-06T20:57:00.011-05:00

I know, I know, you will be completely surprised to hear, but we are expecting up to possibly 10 inches of snow this Friday night/Saturday. At least it should lend itself to a lot of beautiful pictures!

A dear friend called me today. I was thrilled to hear her voice. Sadly she lost her husband at Christmas time. God has wrapped His arms around her and her son. I am longing to see her again. Many years ago we introduced her and her twin sister to James Taylor. They have grown to truly appreciate his music! My husband and I took them to see him in concert and we loved every minute of it, even sitting in the rain. Great memory! My friend called to invite us, on behalf of her and her sister, to a concert he is giving soon. We were so excited! What a blessing it will be to spend time with them again and enjoy James Taylor's music! They are such amazing and Godly women. We have been blessed beyond measure knowing them!

Results of speech

2008-03-04T19:17:00.006-05:00

Photo by Tamera We couldn't be prouder of or son. There was stiff competition in the Dream Speech competition. Another child took 1st place, but I'll tell ya, a lot of adults could not of gotten up and given better speeches! It was such a joy watching our son give his all. We went out to eat this evening and celebrated him trying his best and wowing us!

We are expecting up to a possibly 8 inches of snow this evening. This means the tree branches will lay heavy with snow. This winter does seem just a bit too long, but I have to admit the snow on the trees has mesmerised me. We have many large and very old pine trees. When they are full its like heaven, just beautiful, almost enchanting.

I am loving my new car! My husband laughs at how giddy I get about it. It was odd seeing the New Yorker being towed away (gave it to charity). That car blessed us and took care of us for a long time! She deserves a bit of a rest.

They came to get the New Yorker right before my son got home from school. I was glad they were here and gone before my son saw it. I don't know if I've mentioned that he has Aspergers Syndrome. Due to this, he has a very hard time letting things go. When he was in Kindergarten a boy named Joey moved away, he still thinks on it today. Where we used to live, they cut down two amazingly beautiful pine trees and he sobbed. When his emotions are too big, he is truly sad and relates all sad moments to the current sadness he feels at that moment. He would not of let the New Yorker go as well as he did if he saw it leave. Thank goodness he LOVES the new car!

I know God blessed me with everything about my son. He teaches me all the time to see things from multiple angles and there are many ways in coming up with an answer. He has taught me a gentle way of being and to look at a situation from his eyes. My husband and I are better people because of him.

My dad turned 72 today! He is a wonderful Christan man. He came to the Lord through dating and then marrying my mother over 50 years ago. I saw him every morning of my life, at his desk in his den, studying the Lord's word from his bible. I know the Lord blessed me with seeing my dad grow daily in His word.

So Happy 72nd Birthday Dad!

I must go and finish up homework with my son.

May you find joy in the smallest moments today!

Being the Face of God to Others

2008-03-01T13:17:00.004-05:00

Photo by Patrick Mead

Today is about cooking. We are making stuffing and bread for the homeless. It is an honor to do this. Our church has taken scripture and put action behind it. I am grateful that many saw and fulfilled the need to feed the homeless.

I am glad that the church asked the children to get involved. They bring items to help the other needs of the homeless. They bring everything from gloves, ear muffs, scarves, tooth paste, deodorant, soap, etc… I take my son to buy the items and we talk about helping others, following what God has asked us to do, and so much more. He also helps me cook the food too. I want him to always have the heart of a servant and serving others in the name of the Lord.

Lately the sermons at church have been on the face of God. We go to serve the homeless and we are like the face of God by helping take care of a few of their needs. Then, as many have testified to, you arrive and the homeless are really the ones with the face of God. They teach you lessons only they can teach. They are far less inhibited and extremely forth coming. Those who have nothing material to lose tend to talk from their hearts uninhibitedly.

I remember growing up and having VBS at church. They’d encourage you to bring as many people as you could each night. I always found it interesting that the newest church members always brought the most people. They were on fire for God. They did not sensor themselves like we tend to do as we get more settled in our faith.

Be like the photo of the tree and do the impossible, grow and survive through the rock. Be the face of God in this troubled world.

New Car

2008-03-01T13:13:00.003-05:00

I am so excited! We bought a car Thursday. Let’s just say we get our moneys worth out of a car. My husband said the last car was his so the next car was for me. Ever since the PT Cruiser came out I have loved them. I guess it is the type of car either you love or it does nothing for you. My son keeps saying, “I love this car! I mean it’s just perfect! It’s all thumbs up! Can you believe we own this blessing?” To anyone else it probably isn’t as thrilling, but to our family, we are smiling from ear to ear!

Mom, they liked my best

2008-02-26T22:29:00.004-05:00

My son is absolutely a gift from God. I can not tell you how many times I feel as though I must of done something right in my life (like the song from the Sound of Music where Julie Andrews sings, "Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must of done something good...") because God gave him to me. I tell him often that he is a gift from heaven, that God answered my prayers when He gave me you.

A couple of nights ago my son wrote in his journal. He writes exactly what's on his mind and on his heart. He told me it was okay to read his journal and I cried when I read his words. He wrote, "I say my mom is really, really, really love. I love my mom. I mean she is soooo very nice all the time." I know, I know, before you know it he will be a teenager, etc..., but for now I am soaking up the joy of my sweet boy.

Update on his Dream Speech. They had the second round Wednesday morning. He was the 1st to give his speech. He said he was glad to go 1st because then he didn't have to think any more about it. I was just dieing all day to hear if he had won. As I walked into his school the principle congratulated us on our son winning the second round! He will now go to the District Finals! He'll go up against 14 students total in his grade. We could not be prouder!!! We let him know before his speech that we were proud and just wanted him to try his best. When he told me he had won he said, "Mom, they liked my best!"

Dream Career Speech

2008-02-22T22:28:00.004-05:00

My son came home from school and said, "I know what will put a smile on your face, I was chosen in my class for my dream career speech of becoming a chef!"

For the past month we have been reading, writing, rewriting, and practicing his dream career speech. He had to get up in front of his classmates and teachers today to give his speech. This is a district wide competition and there are two more rounds to go. We are so proud that our little man was chosen as one of the finalists in the 1st round!

Jack

2008-02-18T04:24:00.005-05:00

Photo by Tamera

I wanted to share a story from a fellow christian's blog. We have so much to learn from Steph's words and her journey. I included the picture above, because we often look through our hand instead of seeing God's work.

Jack By Steph

This summer I had an encounter with a man who changed my life. I was in Downtown Detroit with a group of students from College leading a dislocated Bible study. We went to Campus Martius to read the story of the Good Samaritan and were then going to walk to Hart Plaza to think and meditate on what we had read. On our way to Hart Plaza, I saw a man sitting outside an office building. He had a huge head of curly hair, wore a coat in 80-degree weather, and as people walked by, his smile lit up his face. I told the group that I would catch up with them and crossed the street to sit by the man. I sat down and said hello. He seemed surprised, but said hello back. I introduced myself and he did the same. His name was Jack. We sat and talked for about 15 minutes and then I asked if he was hungry. I hadn't eaten all day, so I asked if he would like to have lunch with me. He said he'd love to. Because it was nearby, I suggested Au Bon Pain--Jack said "how about if we go to Jimmy John's instead--I've never eaten at Au Bon Pain, but that name sounds too snobby for me". So, we walked to Jimmy Johns, got our sandwiches, and went back to the park to eat. While we sat and ate, Jack told me about his life. He told me about his family, his children, and how he ended up living in shelters and on the street. He told me how grateful he was to have people who loved him, but how distraught he was that he couldn't make them proud. After he talked for a while, he said "Ok, I've depressed you enough. Now let's talk about you." I told him about my job, my family, and all of the things we talk about to make small talk. But Jack didn't want to hear those things. As I spoke, he interrupted and said "now tell me about the real you". It was in that moment that I let my guard down. As he sat and held my hand, I told him everything. For the next fifteen or twenty minutes, he listened intently to my hopes for the future, my fears, my dreams. I began to cry as I told Jack that I want to work with the homeless and the working poor full-time, but that I am too afraid to give up a secure job and secure relationships in order to do so. I explained how much it hurts me that I don't have enough faith in my God take such a leap of faith. It was the most free and open I had been with myself and with another person in a long time. He encouraged me to take a small leap of faith and to take classes on non-profits and business so that I can begin my own organization. He told me about his experiences as a homeless man and how he often feels stripped of his dignity by the police, the community, and while living in some of the shelters in Detroit. He talked about how excruciatingly embarrassing and dehumanizing it is to have to go to the bathroom on the streets since there are very few public restrooms in the area. We discussed the zoning and set-up of the city of Detroit--how hundreds of thousands of suburbanites can come into the city for ballgames, plays, concerts, casinos, and so on, yet have absolutely no idea how bad it really is there. Detroit is the poorest city in America, and yet most of us who go Downtown from the suburbs would never know that because we do not have to drive through any of the "bad" neighborhoods in order get to where we are going. Jack told me what he thinks the homeless really need, what changes he thinks need to be made in the governmental system, and what the homeless really need from soup kitchens and shelters. A few minutes later, the group I was with returned. Jack looked at me and said that he wanted to ask me one more question before I left. "Why did you talk to me?" he asked. I said "I don't know. There was just something that drew me to you". He took my hand and said "Thank you. Most people will look the other way or give me money, but you talked to me. You saw me. To most people I am invisible, but to you, I was a real person. Keep doing that. Promise you'll keep doing that". I gave Jack my word and my phone number, hugged and kissed him, and went back to the van to head back home. Not a single day went by that I did not think about, pray for, and thank God for my encounter with Jack. You see, while he was touched that I "saw him", what he didn't realize is that because of him, I saw the real me for the first time in a very long time and my life has not been the same since. Jack wouldn't settle for the trite conversation and pleasantries. He saw right through my stock answers and shallow conversation. He was the kind of man who drew complete honesty out of a person, not to be manipulative, but because he genuinely cared. Jack did more for me that day than I ever could have done for him. I looked for him each time I went back Downtown, but could not find him. I was with a group serving lunch for the homeless in Cass Park in October when I heard his voice. He looked different--his hair was short and he had a different coat, but he still had a smile that lit up his entire face. I sat and talked with him on this day and on other days that we went to Cass Park. The last time I saw him, I asked him what I could bring him the next time we came. He asked for homemade chocolate chip cookies and I promised I would bring him a batch. Today, we received word that Jack passed away on Friday. I have cried off and on since the moment I found out. I only knew him for a short time, but this man impacted my life. He helped me realize what I really want to do with my life. He helped me see that I should not be afraid to do what I am passionate about. I will keep that promise that I made to Jack--I will not allow the homeless of Detroit to be invisible. I will do all that I can to make sure they have people who will listen, people who will love, and people who will serve them. And from now on, each time I go to Cass Park, I will take homemade chocolate chip cookies in remembrance of Jack.

Narnia Trees

2008-02-14T12:47:00.006-05:00

Photo by Tamera

When I saw these trees I knew I had to snap a picture of them. It made both my son and I think of The Chronicles of Narnia. It was funny because when my son saw the trees he said, "It looks like Lucy, Edmond, Susan, and Peter should be chasing each other around the trees. He asked me if he thought this was a God moment. I told him, "I think God sends us many moments, so I am sure this must be one of them. I'm just blessed enough that God let me share this moment with you!"

Cold Remedy

2008-02-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

Photo by Tamera

I wasn’t feeling well at all yesterday, first day of a cold. I asked my son what he’d like to eat for supper. He so sweetly looked at me, gently placed his hand on my cheek, and said, “Oh mother dear, why should you suffer over a hot stove at a time like this? I mean…we should support our local economy and pick up the healing power of pizza!” There was no arguing that cold remedy! :)

Tent Sweet Tent

2008-02-07T15:40:00.001-05:00

Photo by Tamera

The community we live in is a very affluent community. There are huge houses everywhere we look. Many children that attend my son’s school live in these grand houses.

Once after a play date my son asked me why we do not live in the huge houses like his friends do? I replied that we should never compare ourselves to another. The grass will always look greener on the other side if we do. We need to be who God has asked us to be and be thankful for what He has blessed us with. We have to be good stewards of what God has given our family and at this present time our house is perfect for our current needs. God has given us a roof over our heads and taken care of our every need quite well.

During that same time frame we kept hearing sermon after sermon on “This world is not our home.” Our preacher mentioned our houses are only our tents, our home is in heaven. My son heard the same sermons that we did at church and when we came home after church, as he opened the door, he happily said, “Tent Sweet Tent.”

I often wonder if God blesses us more after we have been good stewards of what he has already blessed us with.

Happy Birthday!

2008-02-05T23:55:00.001-05:00

Photo by my son!

February 6th, 12:54 a.m.

It's midnight, I can't believe that my birthday is here! About a month ago I had to stop and think how old I was. Since then my husband has reminded me daily how old I am going to be. He teases me that he married me for my social security!

The Lord has blessed me dearly in my life. My mother wrote the most endearing letter from her and dad. She has this amazing gift of writing. I don't think she's ever let one person who's been in need at church, one family member, one friend, and even strangers she accidentally met, go by with out writing them a letter from her heart. I say letter because she hasn't ever just written a short note in her life. She takes time to write from her heart. She has a talent and is using it to the Lord's service. I know she has blessed me countless times and made the world of difference from her words.

In our family, daughter like mother, we do not send a note either. We send mini books. We share from our hearts. My mother handed down that blessing.

I know it's not easy for some people to share from their hearts. I understand that. I am not that way though. I find myself wanting to make sure you know how amazing you are, or what you did made a difference, or that I love and appreciate you. I don't ever want to say, "I wish I would have told them I loved them and they meant so much to me."

I know this sounds silly, but I can't wait to get birthday cards. I am so sentimental, a big ole' sap. This is the one time a year I get a hand written card from friends and family. I love seeing the hand writing and reading over the words that they took time out of their busy schedules to write. It blesses me more than you'll ever know. So next time you sign a card, make sure you remember your words are important and make a difference to the person on the other end.

We are expecting ice and snow all night. My son prayed so hard before bed that we wouldn't have school. He wants to be home with me on my birthday. Before bed he kissed me and said, "Alas mom, this is the very last memory you'll have of me as a (?????) year old mom! Well, that's if, my sweet darling mother, you can still remember at your age!" :)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2008-02-01T10:55:00.001-05:00

Photo by Tamera

To children there isn't anything more exciting than to hear, "There is NO SCHOOL today!" We're enjoying the snow day. I think we are expecting a foot of snow before the day is over. We slept in, ate a late breakfast, read books, talked about this and that, and later there is a snowman that needs to be built.

While we were talking my son said, "God answers prayers mom! In my prayers I've been asking Him if I could stay home with you. God gave me a snow day!!!" He turned on the T.V. and said, "BONUS! He gave me The Price Is Right too! God is gooooooooooooood!"

George Washington

2008-01-29T22:33:00.002-05:00

Photo by Tamera

Today I received an answer to prayer. Thank you all who prayed for me. A blessing came my way and I couldn't be more thankful. Your encouragement was appreciated with all my heart!

Over the weekend, my family and I walked through our sweet little town and enjoyed looking at ice sculptures. The theme had to do with heroes. In front of several stores were a lot of Disney heroes but the one that stood out to my son was George Washington. Out of all the sculptures, he wanted his picture taken with ole' George. Today we walked through town again, the temperatures had risen and melted quite a few ice sculptures. My son said, "Poor old George Washington, he already had a receding hair line, look at him now!"

What do you do when it's zero degrees out?

2008-01-24T22:16:00.001-05:00

Photo by Tamera
Can I just tell you how much I love my husband and son! The other night I pumped up two basketballs and then watched my boys play basketball in our basement. They ran drill after drill, practicing their gross motor skills with a dribble here, or a fake move there. We had to keep reminding our son not to shoot because he'd knock out a light!

There were only two basketballs and when I asked if I could give it a go they told me, "Mom, you have to see that you smell entirely too pretty for this male bonding game!" I took pictures instead and cheered them on.

My son finds such joy over the littlest things. He'd burst out laughing if the ball hit the dryer or if he passed gas as he passed the ball. He would stop his dad, talk, and talk, and talk smack, and try to intimidate him. He told his dad to be ready for any trick move he had up his sleeve (You have to understand my sweet darling son has not exactly been blessed with athletic coordination).

We laughed and laughed together as a family. It was a good memory for all of us.

A call to pray for me

2008-01-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

Today, I received news that made me sit down. For about a week I had a feeling change was coming my way. My prayers have been heavy in accepting what ever it may be that was coming and that God would place His hand on the change and keep all safe and cared for.

This is NOT a life or death situation for me or my family, but is an important factor in my life. My apologies, I can not go into detail.

I do have a prayer request. Please, pray that Tammy can have 10 more days! It sounds silly but 10 more days will make the world of difference.

Thank you for praying this prayer, being understanding, and so thoughtful to keep me in prayer. You are a blessing to me and my family...

Forgiveness

2008-01-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

Last night at our church Small Group we watched a video about forgiveness (Nooma Video). They spoke about trusting God to lead our lives, and truly putting Him in charge of every situation. How often do we fully do that? Completely put Him in charge? It is hard to let go of the reigns.

Forgiveness, true forgiveness, is not only just saying you forgive someone but also wishing them well. I don't believe we'll forget about what happened between you and another person, but letting that anger go is so we can heal. Too often we get stuck on wanting to see punishment happen upon the other person so we feel we were right, or we feel justified that they are suffering the way they deserve. We want justification...honestly spelled R.E.V.E.N.G.E.

Revenge is like telling God, "I know my way is better than your way!" God is full of love, grace, forgiveness... When I forgive, I am giving another the same gift God gave me. None of us have clean hands and that is why God gave His only son to die on the cross for you and I...and your neighbor.

Sometimes we hold onto our anger so long it festers and infects every pore of our being. We hold onto it like a crutch that we can't let go because we haven't felt justified yet. It is time to let go of the past, to grow in your present day. I ask my son all the time when he gets upset, "Can you change the fact of what just happened? No, we can't stay upset over something that has happened that we can not change. It is time to let it go and see if we can be a better person and learn from it. Let's see what the Lord is teaching us today?"

It is in our control of how hard or how easy it will be to forgive. Please, keep in mind that just because we are forgiving someone doesn't mean we are agreeing with what the other person chose to do. Do not let that stop you from moving on, living in joy.

I know this ending sounds like an old church revival meeting but...just go with it.
We are not promised our next breath, so let us use our time in doing what the Lord has asked us to do...His work.

"Less of Self More of Thee".

.

God Made the Stars for Everyone

2008-01-17T21:19:00.002-05:00

Photo by Tamera

My son has been sick with a high fever and bad cough for 3 days now. I have to admit that I love having him home. I soak up the extra time we get together.

In school he learned about the Underground Railroad. Last night we watched a show that touched on the subject of Hitler and the Jews. He had a ton of questions and thought so deeply about the history he had learned. After we said our nightly prayers he asked me, "If God made the sun, moon, stars, the heavens, and the Earth for everyone, why do people think they know better than God and decide one person is better than another? It's just not right and it isn't fair. I think on Judgement Day He will have a word or two to say to those people!"

Focus

2008-01-13T20:43:00.005-05:00

Photo by Tamera So do not throw away your confidence: it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith." Hebrews 10:35 -38

Today from the time I woke up to the end of today I kept thinking about focus. This scripture seemed to fit because in Hebrews, the Jewish people who had converted to Christianity were loosing their focus. At 1st they were strong while being persecuted, but after a while instead of being recharged or energised from their challenges they became weary and began returning to their Jewish faith. The writer of Hebrews quotes a great deal from the Old Testament but eloquently tells them to get their focus back on Jesus.

Daily I need to refocus, even moment by moment. Every situation is an opportunity to either let "Him" shine through or let "self" try to make the best go of it. I see reason to rejoice when I choose His way. I find hope. Taking the focus off of self and doing what the Lord has asked me to do (even the general basics) helps my worries, aches, and pains step aside. Our time here is so little. Our troubles will be of short duration "just a very little while."

Today, remember to focus on the doughnut and not the hole!

Blessings

2008-01-12T20:40:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine has a blog and I absolutely love it! She inspired me to do this.

I love being a mom more than anything I suppose. I can't thank God enough for the gift of becoming a mother. I tell my son everyday, several times a day, a million reasons why I love him. He is darling and lists off why he loves me too. He'll say, "Today mom, I love you because you put my socks on my feet before I had to get up for school. Your heart remembered my toes." He fills my heart so full of blessings it couldn't be any fuller. He loves words like "Ginormous" or "Enjoyfull." I think we'd all be happier adding such fun words to our vocabulary.

My husband is one of those people you'd say "I'd like to know him." "To laugh is to know love". I know I am a better person because of who he is to all he knows. I think God knew I needed a blessing that kept on giving.

I suppose I am the type of person who wants the whole world to smile. There is so much love and warmth in a grin. A day isn't nearly as long when you look for joy.

Today, look for the blessings of joy in the little moments....