Called to Love

I truly believe that when God told us to love as He has loved us, we don't take this command literally enough. I have recently been made aware of the plight of the poverty stricken children of this world. Did you know that every 3 seconds a child around our world dies of disease and famine? That $50 could completely change one family's life. ( We spend that on gas for our over-priced cars in one week. ) Our church has decided that this is unacceptable and has decided to buy a South African Village. Did you know that for $12,000 you can provide clean water, education, food, and shelter for the people who live in that village? $12,000!!!!! This thought has kept me awake at night. If 24 people got together and each gave $500, children would go to bed with a full belly and thoughts of hope for a future. I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone in my circle of friends that would go completely bankrupt with the loss of $500. I believe that my generation has the potential to eradicate poverty around the world, and that God will hold us accountable for these lives. Thank you for listening to me, and may God bless all that read these words.

http://www.one.org/

http://www.worldhope.org/

Baby Giggles

Tell us something that made you smile today

Being a new mom has blessed me with both new joys and stresses in my life, but the one thing that I can count on is for her to make me smile. Just within the last few weeks, Elise has found her laugh, and there is nothing short of the Rapture that would keep me from watching, and listening to her when I am around. You also realize that you would do ANYTHING to make her do it again, even if that means humiliating songs, or dances that you should never do in public somehow seem perfectly reasonable to make your child happy.

Just in case you didn't have anything to write about, I will share mine:


http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/jumpyrn/?action=view&current=May07040.flv

Foolishness

What is the most foolish thing you have done in your life?

I must admit, I have done a few. One that sticks out to me , almost physically pains me to talk about, but I will muster through. I was working at a surgery center, and local artists used to display their art in our waiting rooms and various other places around the office. There was one painting that had been hanging there for quite some time. It was a slow Saturday, and a gentleman came into the center. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt carrying a hammer and some nails, and another painting. I walked up to him and innocently enough asked if he was going to change the painting. He said that he was, and I said "good". The conversation continued and he asked "Why? don't you like it?" This is where a person who is smart actually uses that filter in her brain. You know the one that stops you from sounding like a idiot? "I then proceeded to tell him why I did not like the painting, and that it only looked good from far away. If you haven't already figured out where this is going, he was the artist. There is really no way to recover from that, and needless to say, a memo was posted entitled: Attention art critics... It was a proud day!!

Thanks Mom

Mother's day has made me a little sentimental today. This being my first Mother's Day, I have been thinking about the moms that have influenced my life. Allow me to share them with you.

Mom, first I have to thank you for teaching me how to be a good mom. You sacrificed so much for us. You didn't work so that you could be there for us. You came to every play, game, concert, and field trip. You made cupcakes at 10:00 at night because we forgot to tell you that we needed them until the night before. I will be forever grateful that you moved without dad my sophomore year of high school so that I would have an easier time by not having to move more than once. I hope that I can be as good of a support to Elise that you have been for Glynis and me.

Glynis, the role of motherhood looked easy when I watched you. You had great pregnancies, and births, and when Danae was sick, you had such courage and faith. You have always been someone that I admired, and it became stronger when you took on your new role as mother.

Grandma Harris. She was such a strong woman. I would love to think that I have allot of her in me. She never seemed to waver in her faith, and the thing that I will remember the most about her was her generosity. She always was giving something to someone who needed it. I love her and miss her everyday.

Grandma Buhler. We always had fun when we came to your house, and you always took time to play with us. You would take us on walk and pick flowers to press and then make card and bookmarks with them. You would help us to sew something, or make a plate of bubbles at the kitchen table. From you I learned to take time out to play, and that nothing tastes better in church than vitamin C!!

Andrea, you have taught me determination, and organization are key tools to parenting and motherhood. That being a sleep-Nazi really does make for a happy home. The encouragement and advice have been unwavering, and I can not express how much I love you, and am blessed to have you in my life.

I love you all.
Happy Mother's Day

The Haunted

What do you think about ghosts?

Ever since I can remember, I have loved hearing ghost stories. My family used to what Ripley's: Believe it or Not, and I remember being glued to the TV listening to the people tell their tales of haunting and supernatural occurrences. I always thought how cool it would be to stay at the White House in the Lincoln Bedroom, and have something to tell Ripley's.
The closest that I have ever come to an actual sighting was in the house that I just moved out of. It was an older house built in the 1950's. The house would creak and moan as old houses do. One day I came home, and the freezer door was open. Interesting, but nothing supernatural. Then all of the cabinet doors (and the freezer door)in my kitchen would be open. When this started to happen regularly, we began to call our ghost Dennis, and we would greet him when he was up to his antics. I never felt scared, but it is a bit creepy to share your home with someone that you never invited to be there.

HERE WE GO A TRAVELIN'

You have won the travel lottery. Name 5 places that you have to see.

1. India ( I have a great Aunt and Uncle who were missionaries in India, and they regaled me with stories, and have been in love with the people ever since.)

2. Western Europe. (My family heritage is Irish,and German mostly, but I would love to have a glass of Sicilian wine, visit the Louver, and dance in the Roman streets.)

3. New Zealand. ( There is a reason that directors and cinematographers use it. It is absolutely beautiful)

4. Egypt. ( The hieroglyphics and ancient tales and beliefs have always intrigued me.)

5. Jerusalem. ( To be able to walk the steps of my Saviour, words cannot express...)

Books vs. sleep ( Sophie's choice for new parents)

Since my husband and I found out that we were expecting, our reading has taken a sudden turn. A bookshelf that was once filled with John Grisham, Mario Puzo, Anne Rice, J.R.R Tolkein, and C.S. Lewis, was now filled with books with titles something like: "So your guys work!! A fathers guide to pregnancy" and "You will never sleep again: Bringing home a newborn" (fictional titles, but you get the gist) My husband and I read anything that we could get our hands on. We went into that birthing room with birth plan in hand thinking that we could knock this labor thing out and still make it home to catch the end of C.S.I.. Oh, how naive we were. Nothing that I/ we could read could ever prepare you for the labor process, or bringing home that sweet little bundle whose cutest hours seemed to always be between 3:00 and 5:00 am.
How I miss picking up that book just to get away for a little while, but I wouldn't trade my new life for anything.

Are you Superstitious?

Not really. I guess that I have always been more of the "seek out a black cat to walk in front of you sort." I think that being raised in a Christian family helped you to see the humor in superstititons, realizing that God had power over fear of the unknown. Although I do remember stories of my mom's grandma being very superstitious. She was Irish, and they are known for being very superstitious. She would never let my mom whistle. It seems very silly to us to look at whistling as something to be scolded for, but I'm sure if you go back in history, some woman was whistling and her entire village was destroyed in a typhoon, and thus whistling woman=disaster. Mom also said that she had a "tonic" for everything. A winter tonic to keep you warm, a spring tonic to get rid of the winter and so on. She and all of her children have lived to be aged adults, so maybe there was something to a "tonic."

Tagged!

Four jobs I've had: Worked in a jewlery store, nursing home, hospital and Pier1(my fav low stress seasonal job)

Four movies I have watched over and over: The Sound of Music, The Last Don, Star Wars (the original trilogy) White Christmas( a family tradition on Christmas, and well worth the watch!)

Four places I have lived: Salem, Oregon, Biloxi, Mississippi, Aberdeen, SD, Arlington, Virginia.

Four TV shows I like to watch: Scrubs, House, Bones, CSI

Four places I have been on vacation: Las Vegas, Vancouver, BC, Washington, D.C.,Gettysburg, PA

Four favorite foods: Salmon, Wonderful hamburgers (a family favorite), my Grandma's blackberries and ice cream, my husband's chili.