I feel as though a friend has gone and I can't seem to find the words to explain why it seems so. I loved this man I never met. Loved him for his defense of life, all life. Loved him for his firm stand on what he believed right. Loved him for the compassion and forgiveness he gave, even to his enemies. Loved him for his willingness to seek forgiveness and admit wrongs. Loved him for the way he reached out to everyone with God's love. Loved the way he could cause me to stop and think with his words.
What really matters in life is that we are loved by Christ, and that we love Him in return. In comparison to the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And without the love of Jesus, everything else is useless. Prayer 1979 Philadelphia
The goal and target of our life is He, the Christ who awaits us - each one singly and all together - to lead us across the boundaries of time to the eternal embrace of the God who loves us. Address World Youth Day 1996
Goodbye dear friend, you will be well missed. I'll see you when I meet our Lord.
02 April 2005
31 March 2005
Requiescat in pace
Please keep Terry's family in your prayers.
13 March 2005
Blogger Hell
Well I have been trying for three hours to post photos of my niece to celebrate her birthday yesterday and have finally given up. They are on the other site but posted on the wrong date. The editing abilities of blogger this past week have been lousy or non-existent.
Had a great time with two of my nieces on Friday night. We had pizza, popcorn and candy. We played "Sorry", watched flicks and laughed a lot. I got some good pics and when I find myself rescued from blogger hell I will get them out for you to see.
Need to go to bed now so that I can make it to church tomorrow. At least I can rest assured I won't ever have to go to the original hell.
Had a great time with two of my nieces on Friday night. We had pizza, popcorn and candy. We played "Sorry", watched flicks and laughed a lot. I got some good pics and when I find myself rescued from blogger hell I will get them out for you to see.
Need to go to bed now so that I can make it to church tomorrow. At least I can rest assured I won't ever have to go to the original hell.
08 March 2005
Aunt Carol
Today is my Aunt Carol's birthday!
She's taught me about strength, honor, music and friendship. To some it seems weird that in addition to being my aunt she has a place in my circle of friends. She and I talk often and I love that I don't need to edit what I say to her. You know, the way you sometimes do when conversing cross-generationally. She knows about the world I live in because she's right there with me.
So today and everyday I thank God for an aunt who loves me as much as I love her.
She's taught me about strength, honor, music and friendship. To some it seems weird that in addition to being my aunt she has a place in my circle of friends. She and I talk often and I love that I don't need to edit what I say to her. You know, the way you sometimes do when conversing cross-generationally. She knows about the world I live in because she's right there with me.
So today and everyday I thank God for an aunt who loves me as much as I love her.
Pause for prayer
As I have mentioned previously, I am currently praying for a friend at work as he and his wife are trying to start a family. Right now they are walking on eggshells to see if the latest attempt worked.
Please take a moment to add them to your prayers.
Thanks.
Please take a moment to add them to your prayers.
Thanks.
05 March 2005
Garlic: it's many uses
Garlic is good for your health.
It has antibacterial properties.
It is reputed to be a blood purifier.
It has a lowering effect on blood pressure.
It has had some success in reducing symptoms of auto-immune diseases.
This week I have learned of perhaps it's most potent properties.
It was triumphantly used to break a dear child of her chupa habit. For those that don't know a chupa is a pacifier a.k.a. a dummy or binky.
Just the mere taste of the garlic was not enough to cause her to cast away her bedtime favorite. One night she held on to it in a gladware container. Then the next day she threw the container and the chupa in the trash.
What will be useful to her later in life is the knowledge that she could effect a change with her own determination. That same determination which caused her to hang on to the chupa until this point will also serve her well later.
The next time I find myself facing a disagreeable task or needing to make a change, I will think of the courage shown by this little child. If one so young can be brave enough to face it, I should be as well.
It has antibacterial properties.
It is reputed to be a blood purifier.
It has a lowering effect on blood pressure.
It has had some success in reducing symptoms of auto-immune diseases.
This week I have learned of perhaps it's most potent properties.
It was triumphantly used to break a dear child of her chupa habit. For those that don't know a chupa is a pacifier a.k.a. a dummy or binky.
Just the mere taste of the garlic was not enough to cause her to cast away her bedtime favorite. One night she held on to it in a gladware container. Then the next day she threw the container and the chupa in the trash.
What will be useful to her later in life is the knowledge that she could effect a change with her own determination. That same determination which caused her to hang on to the chupa until this point will also serve her well later.
The next time I find myself facing a disagreeable task or needing to make a change, I will think of the courage shown by this little child. If one so young can be brave enough to face it, I should be as well.
02 March 2005
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Theodor Suess Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Suess was born today.
Anyone my age or younger can recite at least two or three lines from one of his books.
Green eggs and ham were offered in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse, in the rain, on the train, with a goat , and on a boat.
Dr. Suess caused us to look at language in new ways as he invented words and manipulated rhythms. Buried within the lyrics he wrote were simple life lessons.
How do we know we don't like green eggs and ham unless we try them? What can we think if we really try? Is it alright to dislike someone just because they have a star on their belly? Can you celebrate Christmas without all the gifts?
What's your favorite Suess book? I'm torn between several. Don't know if I could pick just one.
Anyone my age or younger can recite at least two or three lines from one of his books.
Green eggs and ham were offered in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse, in the rain, on the train, with a goat , and on a boat.
Dr. Suess caused us to look at language in new ways as he invented words and manipulated rhythms. Buried within the lyrics he wrote were simple life lessons.
How do we know we don't like green eggs and ham unless we try them? What can we think if we really try? Is it alright to dislike someone just because they have a star on their belly? Can you celebrate Christmas without all the gifts?
What's your favorite Suess book? I'm torn between several. Don't know if I could pick just one.
24 February 2005
Why save only homosexual babies?
I have not taken leave of my senses. The legislature in Maine has though. They are considering a bill which will restrict a "woman's right" to have an abortion if she is doing so to rid herself of a baby carrying the homosexual gene.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1597-B is enacted to read:
§1597-B. Prohibited basis for abortion
An abortion may not be performed when the basis for the procedure is the projected sexual orientation of the fetus after birth, based on analysis of genetic materials of the fetus in which sexual orientation is identified through the presence or absence of a so-called "homosexual gene."
I am so thoroughly appalled by the whole mess. Is there really a homosexual gene? If there is, doesn't it only indicated a predilection? Why does the bill allow provisions for both the presence or absence of the gene? Don't we make choices in how we live our lives regardless of the DNA we carry? If the termination of a gay baby is discrimination, then every other abortion should be considered discrimination of straight babies.
I find it ludicrous for law makers to say abortion is acceptable as long as you don't abort babies we are trying to place in a protected class. All life is precious. Your sexual orientation has nothing to do with the value of your life.
I think what the Maine legislature needs to do is to decide to save all babies. If a little gay baby's rights are to exceed his mom's right to kill him, the straight baby deserves equal representation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1597-B is enacted to read:
§1597-B. Prohibited basis for abortion
An abortion may not be performed when the basis for the procedure is the projected sexual orientation of the fetus after birth, based on analysis of genetic materials of the fetus in which sexual orientation is identified through the presence or absence of a so-called "homosexual gene."
I am so thoroughly appalled by the whole mess. Is there really a homosexual gene? If there is, doesn't it only indicated a predilection? Why does the bill allow provisions for both the presence or absence of the gene? Don't we make choices in how we live our lives regardless of the DNA we carry? If the termination of a gay baby is discrimination, then every other abortion should be considered discrimination of straight babies.
I find it ludicrous for law makers to say abortion is acceptable as long as you don't abort babies we are trying to place in a protected class. All life is precious. Your sexual orientation has nothing to do with the value of your life.
I think what the Maine legislature needs to do is to decide to save all babies. If a little gay baby's rights are to exceed his mom's right to kill him, the straight baby deserves equal representation.
23 February 2005
Connections
Today the last of my sisters made the switch to high speed internet. Now we can send lots of pictures back and forth without worrying that she'd be tied up forever receiving them. More importantly I no longer have to IM the kids and ask them to get off-line so I can call their mom.
E-mail and the internet have changed how we reach out to each other. Stop and think for a minute about all the people who have become part of your life even though you have never "met" them.
I now know several people who contacted me after reading my blog. Groups, webrings and message boards brought me new friends. Even a few old friends have re-connected electronically.
Getting to know someone in this remote fashion is challenging. You can edit what you let them find out about you. If you wish you can only let the best part of yourself show. Conversely, it is easier to be totally honest about yourself when you don't have to look into someone's eyes. You get to choose your approach.
At any rate, you just got to love anything which allows you to make more friends. You can never have too many.
E-mail and the internet have changed how we reach out to each other. Stop and think for a minute about all the people who have become part of your life even though you have never "met" them.
I now know several people who contacted me after reading my blog. Groups, webrings and message boards brought me new friends. Even a few old friends have re-connected electronically.
Getting to know someone in this remote fashion is challenging. You can edit what you let them find out about you. If you wish you can only let the best part of yourself show. Conversely, it is easier to be totally honest about yourself when you don't have to look into someone's eyes. You get to choose your approach.
At any rate, you just got to love anything which allows you to make more friends. You can never have too many.
19 February 2005
Pain, Prayer and People
This week has been a collection of a lot of crazy moments.
I went to work Tuesday with a migraine. They seem to be a frequent part of my life lately. Unfortunately the roof at the store needed some repairs. This led to banging and hammering. Picture a metal roof and you start to see how my day had gotten worse. I got there at 8:30 am, I did my best to ignore the whole situation. By 12:30 pm, I was willing to admit defeat. I left to head home to my bed and large amounts of legal pharmaceuticals.
That led to crashing for the rest of the day and most of the next. Back to work on Thursday. Noises were gone. Sadly, we were now up to the tarring part of the repair process. Still, nausea alone was easier to bear than excruciating pain and nausea from days gone by.
Friday I worked a shift for a friend. She needed to be with her husband for doctor visits. I caught up with another co-worker to ask how his tests at school had gone. He reported he'd done well. I had promised to keep him in my prayers this week and to pray during his test. I asked the Lord to help him remember all that he knew and to make up the rest. He said I was right on target. I have also been spending some time in prayer for another colleague and his wife as they are trying to start a family.
Aside from all the fun I have at this job, perhaps the best thing has been making new friends. As an Air Force brat my life was a steady stream of moves. Learning to reach out to strangers became a necessary skill for me. This job gives me the opportunity to do that on a daily basis.
Today seven different people who had been in before came to give me a hug and thanks for help I had given the previously. No amount of money can make you feel as good as gratitude from a kind heart.
I went to work Tuesday with a migraine. They seem to be a frequent part of my life lately. Unfortunately the roof at the store needed some repairs. This led to banging and hammering. Picture a metal roof and you start to see how my day had gotten worse. I got there at 8:30 am, I did my best to ignore the whole situation. By 12:30 pm, I was willing to admit defeat. I left to head home to my bed and large amounts of legal pharmaceuticals.
That led to crashing for the rest of the day and most of the next. Back to work on Thursday. Noises were gone. Sadly, we were now up to the tarring part of the repair process. Still, nausea alone was easier to bear than excruciating pain and nausea from days gone by.
Friday I worked a shift for a friend. She needed to be with her husband for doctor visits. I caught up with another co-worker to ask how his tests at school had gone. He reported he'd done well. I had promised to keep him in my prayers this week and to pray during his test. I asked the Lord to help him remember all that he knew and to make up the rest. He said I was right on target. I have also been spending some time in prayer for another colleague and his wife as they are trying to start a family.
Aside from all the fun I have at this job, perhaps the best thing has been making new friends. As an Air Force brat my life was a steady stream of moves. Learning to reach out to strangers became a necessary skill for me. This job gives me the opportunity to do that on a daily basis.
Today seven different people who had been in before came to give me a hug and thanks for help I had given the previously. No amount of money can make you feel as good as gratitude from a kind heart.
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