My Christmas wish for all my family and friends...

I received this via an email, but the message is beautiful...

Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you and I wish you enough". The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom".

They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?"

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said , 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them."

Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

"I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

"I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

"I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

"I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

"I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

"I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

She then began to cry and walked away.

TAKE TIME TO LIVE... To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH

Husband Appreciation

So I was driving home today, my soul having a chat with God, and I thought, "We have pastor appreciation month, when's husband appreciation month?" I guess it's every month, of course, and I do appreciate Mark on a daily basis. But there are times when my appreciation is not enough to carry him through. I'm his number one fan, but if there's only one....
So I guess I'm asking for some others who read this to step up to the plate and honor my husband along with me, my hard-working, dedicated, loyal, thoughtful, creative, under appreciated husband. (He's cute, too, but no one other than me is allowed to say anything about that!)

A Small Way of Supporting Our Troops That Means A Lot!

Through an email, I learned about something cool that Xerox is doing.
If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card. Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second.
I did.

for Thanksgiving and always...

So I heard last night on TV that 1,500 grains of rice comprise a serving...keep checking your word power people!!!!

Not only does this site increase your word power, for every word you get correct, 10 grains of rice are donated through the United Nations to help eliminate poverty! Click here!

I'm the Mashed Potatoes...

Cute, got this quiz from Carey's blog, so tried it...being ordinary, how exciting...sigh...

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictableYou're the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

sickness and timing

I didn't mean for it to happen, but I managed to have a day off yesterday. Leah was feeling punk on Sunday, and running a slight temp. I called in to arrive late to see how she was doing, and thought she could head to school. But when I got there for work, I went to check on her, and she sure looked tough! No fever, but I could tell that she would be better off resting at home for the day rather than staying at school. So we left together, and I didn't work.
Okay, so I was grateful for it! I spent my time rushing around my upstairs getting Leah's room in shape for her grandparents to stay in this week, and aslo was able to spend time in her sister's room to make aspace to accommodate Leah for the week. I was grateful for the extra 6 hours at home yesterday!
Leah is much improved today, and is back in her element enjoying learning and socializing with her caring group of friends.

Praise the Lord!!!!

God is Good! All the time!!!

From Carey's Blog...
Thank you so much for your help! I haven't heard officially from my friend, but this was posted today on a yahoo group that I belong to.

I just thought I would let you all know that Sandi & Hannah were present for the swearing in ceremony this afternoon. They will be leaving tomorrow morning as the adoption is FINAL!!!! Sandi and her family (and her China travel family) are extremely grateful for all you have done on her behalf during this stressful and difficult time. Your actions and God's abundant grace have moved mountains for Sandi and her family half way around the world. We are giving thanks to our Heavenly Father for His FAITHFULNESS and His love! Sandi thanks you from the bottom of her heart. Please do not forget her and Hannah in the coming weeks and months, as they will need our continued love and support!

Prayers and Action Needed!

This is info from my friend Carey's blog, please read, pray for Sandi and Hannah, and take action if you can. Thank you!

I have a friend, Robbie, who just got home from China. She and her husband adopted their little Ellie and came home 3 weeks. Robbie went through Bethany out of Atlanta. There was a couple, named Dennis and Sandi Sheldon who were to be in Robbie and her husband’s travel group. Dennis and Sandi were adopting a 17 month old Special needs little girl, Hannah. They were not able to travel with my friend’s group because as it turns out China lost their TA (Travel Assignment). They eventually found it and are in China right now having gotten their little Hannah last week. While in China the husband, Dennis was not feeling well. It turns out that he went into a diabetic coma and died in China on Monday the 12th. Hannah is their first child. Now Sandi is waiting to see what China will say and what US Immigration will say, obviously, no one has ever heard of this happening before. Sandi’s mom and brother are trying to get emergency visas to go to China to be with Sandi and Hannah. The situation is probably the worst nightmare anyone could imagine. Please pray with DW and I for Sandi, Hannah, China, immigration, the emergency visas, etc. The travel group (4 other couples) that Sandi is with has been helping her in the midst of their adoption journey in China but are to return to the US on Nov. 17th.

Here's the newest email:
The US Consulate in Guangzhou has denied Sandi Sheldon permission to proceed with the adoption of Hannah. They want her to fill out a new I-171 and are making no guarantees after that. Sandi, of course does not want to leave China and leave Hannah here because she has no where to go. Sandi needs our help desperately! Please start a massive campaign of calling to her US Congressman and US Senator and urge them to intervene on Sandi's behalf. We have discussed this with Sandi and she wants our help. Please pressure these elected officials to contact the State Department and straighten this out. Sandi Sheldon should not be denied Hannah's adoption because her husband passed away unexpectedly. The adoption has been finalized here in China. Sandi's congressman is Mike Rogers. His Washington office number is 202 225 4872. His Michigan office number is 517 702 8000, he also has a toll free number 1-877-333-MIKE. Sandi's US Senator is Debbie Stabenow. Her Washington DC number is 202 224 4822 and her Michigan office number is 517 203 1760. Everyone should try to help and call these people until we get final approval. We should continue to pray that her adoption is finalized quickly and that Sandi can return home to Michigan with Hannah. Thanks from everyone here in China. Patrick & Eva. Also, here's another one: Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice: 202-647-4000 email is http://www.congress.org/congressorg/mail/?agencyindid=117&type=AN you should be able to email through there. We can all do this! Let's flood her mailbox! And if you can, dial her up and the above Senator and Congressman.

Please alert your own congressmen to the plight of this family, and pray for them, especially for little Hannah.

Coffee thoughts

As I was bringing my son to basketball practice at 6:30 this morning, (!) I got to thinking about my little coffee habit. I've gone from being a coffee hater, to being able to tolerate the weak stuff that others call coffee, to being a full-blown coffee fanatic. If you're gonna make it, make it a good, solid cup of coffee--if I serve you a cup of coffee, you won't be able to see the bottom of the cup, even when the cup only has an inch of coffee in it. I"m not offended if people "can't take" my coffee, or want a little coffee and some water to thin it out--I used to do that to my husband's brew. I guess I can "blame" him for getting me to the level I'm at.
So when I was "deprived" this past weekend, and about the only cup available was a watered down version at best, it was hard to function. Not necessarily because I needed the caffeine, there are Diet Cokes for that, but because I missed the flavor of the cup I'm accustomed to.
Then I got to thinking about Jesus. Did he miss the flavors of heavenly food when he was here on earth? I mean, the food here was okay, and he could live on it, but I just wonder. Think about it, when Jesus did his first miracle at the wedding in Cana, he turned bath water into wine. We know that. But not just any wine! This wine was the BEST the master of ceremonies had ever had! Heavenly wine? I wonder... . And what must it have been like for the disciples to taste Jesus' cooking on the lake shore that day after his resurrection? They were out fishing, and when they got to the shore, Jesus already had a fire going with fish cooking on it!
This also makes me think of the manna that the Israelites were given 6 mornings a week. Have you ever noticed that the writer of Exodus couldn't quite explain what it tasted like? Heavenly food...heavenly food.
Getting excited for the marriage feast of the Lamb yet? I am!

Communion Thoughts

In the congregation I worship with, the bread we use for communion isn't cut up, or in small pieces. When we take communion, each individual tears a piece off the loaf in order to partake of it. The bread symbolizes Christ's body. As we tear into that loaf, I am reminded of how my sin is what Jesus bore on the cross--my sin tore into his flesh.
After communion, I look at the remains of the loaf of bread, no longer perfect, yet symbolizing the anguish Jesus went through for me and the rest of those he came to save; I see a thing of great beauty.
Jesus commands us to observe communion, to remember what he did, to be spiritually nourished by the profound wonder of it all. What would posses an innocent man to die as he did for a perishing humanity who turned their back on him other than an immense love for that humanity whom he created to be in perfect fellowship with him? Jesus died for the sins I commit on a daily basis, he forgives those sins when I go to him in faith, he loves me with the greatest love of all, himself.

A site worth visiting over and over

Not only does this site increase your word power, for every word you get correct, 10 grains of rice are donated through the United Nations to help eliminate poverty!
Click here!

Thought-provoking and beautiful...

It didn't happen overnight

I'm going to have to keep reminding myself in the next several days as I gradually try to get my house back in order that the mess didn't happen overnight, so the cleaning process won't happen that way either.
I'm glad it isn't that way with God, aren't you? Yes, the consequences of my sins may last a while, but the sin itself is graciously forgiven the instant I ask for it. And it's FORGOTTEN!
In the meantime, I have a house to clean and no time to be blogging.

Yesterday's Gone--Saturday Morning is Coming!

Sorry, but I'm glad yesterday is over!!! Our church puts on this HUGE Hallelujah Party as an alternative to trick-or-treating. It is a big deal, and a lot of work for all of us to set up and staff. We love doing it, of course, and the community has embraced it thoroughly over the last 9 years that we've done it, but it is still tiring.
And...drum roll, please...after not being able to do so for a month, on Saturday morning, I FINALLY get to sleep in! Woo-hoo! So don't call me, okay? But I think I might take the phone off the hook or something, I'm not sure what...I just want to have the luxury of sleeping in for a change.