Faith, Family and Friends

Second Post & SNOW!

Snow? In October? What a wonderful idea!

Sure wish I had it outside my door right now!!

This was taken from one of the blogs I haunt. Living in Denver for "not long enough" left me envious of anyone living in that area. This blogger is in Utah. Wow. Forget getting this white stuff, in October, in central Alabama.

Happy Birthday, Bear!

Happy 50th birthday, Paddington Bear!

Michael Bond recalls in his own words how Paddington first came into being:"I bought a small toy bear on Christmas Eve 1956. I saw it left on a shelf in a London store and felt sorry for it. I took it home as a present for my wife Brenda and named it Paddington as we were living near Paddington Station at the time. I wrote some stories about the bear, more for fun than with the idea of having them published. After ten days I found that I had a book on my hands. It wasn’t written specifically for children, but I think I put into it the kind things I liked reading about when I was young."

Michael Bond sent the book to his agent, who liked it and after sending to to several publishers it was accepted. The publishers commissioned an illustrator and the very first Paddington book "A Bear Called Paddington" was published on 13th October 1958.In 1965, after writing several Paddington titles Michael Bond retired from his job in order to write full time. The Paddington books have sold more than thirty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into over forty languages.

On another note, a surgery date has been set to repair this incisional hernia! WhooHoo! Next week!! We would appreciate your prayers, as John is still a bit nervous over all this. I'm fine with it and know in my heart that all will be okay. I survived those 77 days in 2006 and I will survive this. With one exception, I will awake after recovery and it will be the same day that I was put to sleep on! I am so ready for this to be over and for recovery to commence. I'll keep you posted!

Hmm, Texas Longhorns

Okay,

so we're not in the number 1 spot this week.

That's quite alright,

we will be!

And Texas did a great job Saturday!

Why Aren't We Praying?

From: ELIZABETH ROHN-NELSON
Subject: Prayer can move mountains, why not Obama?
Being dismayed recently when a family member of mine said to me with great resignation that Obama will take the presidency. These words came from someone who in the past has been a great prayer warrior. What is happening?? was my question. Why are we Christians settling and not issuing a battle cry and falling to our knees and taking our country back?

We allow ourselves to be stripped of the right to pray at school functions and in school, we have the 10 commandments removed from government places and are told we cannot pray in school, all the while providing public prayer places for Muslims. What in the world is going on and why are we being apathetic? Why aren't we praying?

Our God is a mighty God who is waiting patiently for us to raise our voices to heaven to stop the tide of the anti-Christ actions in our world today. Now we find we have a charismatic candidate for president who does not respect our flag and refuses to wear one on his lapel except when it becomes politically expedient and whose own wife and pastor that he loves profess to have strong anti-white feelings, and we sit back and say "it is a given, we can do nothing."

There has never been a time in 2000 years that we can do nothing, never a time that we must sit back and allow the evil in men's and women's hearts to take over our world. We should be very afraid because our apathy is leading us to perdition.

It is time for all Christian Americans to raise the battle cry and take our nation back. Maybe McCain on his own cannot defeat Obama, but our God can and He will if we take to our knees in prayer and raise a mighty cry to the heavens to "Save us O Lord." We have the power to change the course of this election and to keep a man as suspect as Barak Obama from leading our country to who knows where with his message of "change" - a change which I fear will be away from our Christian ideals and away from Christ and further away from one nation under God.

We are great at passing stories and pictures around the internet, but where are our prayers and (are our) prayer warriors praying to stop this tide of Barak Obama? God parted the red sea, Jesus raised himself from the dead, and we can bring our country back to its Christian roots and stop the move to the rise of Muslims in our country. We can stop our country from being "under Allah," but we must begin to pray, to pray as if our country and our lives depended on it, because they do. We can stop all these atrocities against God's commands that have taken root in our country through something as simple as sincere prayer, a call to God to deliver us, to forgive us our sins of apathy and to protect us from the evil that is upon us.

Okay prayer warriors, here is your challenge, start those prayer chains. Get the spiritual power working on our behalf and stop Barak Obama the proper way, by calling on our God to save us from the deception that charismatic preaching is using to lead us on the wrong path. Stop those who would take God out of our country and our government. Raise up good men to lead us and protect us.

George Bush is being buffeted because he has fought a holy war against the evils that attack us and we should not be surprised because a prophet is not honored in his own country. But we should not rest on our laurels and allow ourselves to be taken further off the path of Christianity and to have God removed from our presence in our schools, courts, government and businesses. Invite God into the fray. Ask that His power rest upon us and give us the victory. Ask him to raise up a mighty army to defend us and to protect our country as he did in days of old. Let us be victorious beginning NOW. The battle is His but we must call on Him without ceasing and unite our voices and hearts in prayer and fasting.

Please pass this around to all people of prayer that you know and maybe, just maybe a more eloquent person of prayer will write something better and more inspiring and even the rocks will shout that Jesus is Lord and our Mighty God is with us, bringing the victory for us and ultimately for Him.

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
I Thess 5:16-18

Continuous Prayer is the answer to this attack on the USA. Please pray the Will of God will prevail through our continuous prayers to HIM. Remember Prayer Can... Move Mountains

He Has Written Across the Heavens

For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning,
which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other."
Luke 17:24

FROM THE FATHER'S HEART

My child, I write My name on the clouds with lightning strokes. My glory can be seen even in the storms. And just as My signature brightens the heavens, the very mention of My name will light up your heart with joy. One day all will watch as I return. As quickly as a lightning flash, I'll come for My bride. Soon, My child. It could be today.

A GRATEFUL RESPONSE

With lightning strokes, You walk across heaven, demanding the attention of all Your creation. And each one groans, longing for the day when You will light the skies with Your lightning return. Your signs are everywhere, Lord. I anticipate Your coming.

SIMPLE TRUTH
One glimpse of His face will tell us it has been worth the wait.

For those of you who knew and loved Skylar Norton, a dear friend and minister of the gospel, Raymond Elliott has written a beautiful tribute to her and to her family. You can read it here. If you know of others that would be comforted with his words, I know he would not mind if you forwarded it on.

I hope Thursday treated you kindly and that Friday will be even better!

What Makes a Good Teacher?

These are beautiful Christian women, but once upon a time they were second graders at Holtville Elementary. I loved them then. And that love story still continues.

Thank you, for always reminding me of the love and joy we shared in our Land of Many Colors~

I will always and for ever be just a thought away.

2nd Post, Still in Love

they grow up too fast, these children

of our children. I wish
I could slow down time
so I can just, just one more time
smell the sweetness of their milk breath
and

watch them fall asleep as we rock,
and marvel
that they are the best parts
of everyone I've loved

and Noah, the baby, who isn't a baby
much any more
although
we try to keep him there
just as long as possible

they, who are so eager to strike out
and feel life,
and we, we want to hold on a bit longer
because to hold on means maybe,
just maybe,
we don't grow older.
Maybe?

7 Weird and/or Random Facts

I've been tagged by Kelly! So here goes, and look to see if you're tagged! It says seven weird or random facts. Here goes ~

1 - I love wearing wigs! and did so for several months, but too many friends and family members kept asking if I was "okay?" They seemed to think there was a reason, but nope. I just liked being able to have long hair one day, curly hair the next. I still see nothing wrong with it and wish I had not bowed to peer pressure ~
2 - I cannot stand to see dishes pile up in the sink, even if it's a cereal bowl. Trying to get a handle on some OCD's, I've managed to go to bed and leave them in the sink, only to get up later and go clean up.
3 - I yearn for my late teenage and early adult years. The days of drive in movies, young love, football games, and that first apartment and thinking life just couldn't get any better.
4 - I wish I could bring myself to wear jumpers and dresses more than pants. I think I have good looking legs, but always shop for pants instead of dresses. Go figure.
5 - Camping is for the birds! I hate hiking, bathing in a bath house, and having dirty hair. I'll camp. But in a super nice camper or fifth wheel.
6 - I have a birthmark in the middle of my lower back.
7 - It hurts when others make fun of me and laugh at me, not with me. Especially when they don't realize I've seen them. I don't hold the hurt long, but it still stings. So ~

*Lynne at Pages From Our Life **BTW, Lynne will begin working on a coffee table book this coming January! I am so excited and can't wait to get one of my own. I think she plans to make it a book of Prattville sites, especially the downtown area. Go to her page and leave a comment supporting her!
*Heidi at Another Year With the Murphy's
*Kristi at Sweet Home, Alabama **who is a great vet should you need one!
*Susanne at The Goodin Family
*Jenny at The Maddox Family
*Jennifer at The Crill Circus, and last but not least,
*Raymond at Hunting Humor & Tales

and if you're feeling left out, then by all means do this!! and leave me a comment so I can visit you and see if we share any weird and random traits!!

I am such a sucker for Flair on Facebook!! bbuuuuttt, you can only have 60 badges on your corkboard and Jenny and I can swap that many in a months time! SO, I posted two of the newest cute ones from today and here's one that expresses the way I feel right now about the election. I'm all for putting Biden and Palin up for the big man's seat!!
and this one is posted for you just because it made Johnny Hood laugh out loud!

Hey!! I don't have to fuss and fume because I can't put these on MY Facebook board! I can post them here for you to see~so get ready, there are lots of them {wink,wink}

Oh, and if you want to see something so stinkin' cute, click here. The post that her mom posted today asks for prayers, but I'll let you see the picture first. To update the site, just put your cursor over the header title and click. This will update the site~

Lunch Bunch, MeetNEat! UPDATED!!

Okay Lunch Bunch!!! and this includes everyone that blogs and wants to drive to Montgomery to meet other blogging buddies!! The poll is showing a preference for every other month, so~

We will meet on the ODD numbered months. How about that?! It will always be at 11 am on the ~~first~~ SECOND Saturday. So, ~~first~~ SECOND Saturdays. 11 am. ODD numbered months. This means we WILL meet the ~~first~~ SECOND Saturday in November!!! Yay, and yes, I'm grinning.

I did NOT want to wait until after Christmas to see you again and I knew everyone would be too busy and have too many excuses for the Saturdays in December. If you can come, great! If not, then you know you can count on the ~~first~~ SECOND Saturday of January. We will post a place to meet prior to each gathering. In fact, Lunch Bunch, it would be nice if you could post the information on your site.

Let's plan to go back to Eastside Grille and we will set, at that time, a place for the January MeetNEat. If you were there, put it on your calendar now. If you weren't able to come, then I sure hope you'll plan to make it a date!

Thank you for your kind words, prayers, and support in reference to the death of young Skylar Norton. I thought of her mother so often today, this being the first day that they weren't surrounded by family and friends. I'm sure it's been a hard one.

My appointment with the cardiologist went well, and I had an echogram as well. He feels that everything looks as good as it can, considering the damage done during the accident trauma. So. I see the surgeon next Monday and a surgery date will be set! The sooner, the better! I'm ready to get it over and begin the recovery process!! I'll keep you posted!

Skylar Dawn Norton~

Today. Today was a hard day. A difficult day. A very emotional day. One that rips at the heart, shuts down the breathing process, and reduces you to a sobbing broken heart. We die. We know that. It's just that. Children aren't supposed to die. Not suddenly. Without a clue. And with an "inconclusive" autopsy. It's just.not.supposed.to happen this way.

And the parents ~ Jamie crying in my arms, "I know where she is. I do. I know. But I want her here. I want her here right now." and the father, Rick ~ a tall, tall man folding half way to the ground just to hold me and cry as if his heart had been cut in two. And it had. and the brother? Tyler ~ shell shocked. Those were the only words that come to mind.

And the crowd. so.so.silent. The graveside service in an ancient cemetery filled with the thoughts of generations of family. You could hear the breeze whisper. It was that quiet. Children. Parents. Family. Friends. Angels. I know they had to be there. Too many of us were praying for them to hold us all, to comfort us, to lift us above the pain and grief.

And then, there was the other grief. This was the first time since the accident that I had been with so many from school. The school I called my second home for almost twenty years. The school I left through no wish of my own. The life I used to have. The life I still miss and am adjusting without. So many teachers, so many parents, so many students. The headache began on the way there and intensified to the point that speech became next to impossible. Thoughts were fragmented like broken glass and frustration took over.

And the tears came. It would have been so easy to just have sunk to the ground with the sadness of it all. To leave that sorrow within the confines of a piece of ground used to tears of the grieving. But no, there were too many around. So with His arms around me, and John's strength holding me up both literally and figuratively we walked that long walk back to the car. And I cried. Most of the way home. Four extra strength Excedrin's and five hours later, it had abated somewhat.

But Rick, Jamie, and Tyler? Their long night has just begun. Dying is easy. I know. It's living that's hard. And telling someone that where they have gone is so much more than one can imagine, is just not the words they want to hear. Like Jamie kept saying, "I want her here. I want her here right now." Oh, what anguish our heavenly Father had to have felt for His Own. And I know. I know He was crying with us today.

Lunch Bunch Poll

I forgot that many of you get updates through feeds and may not know that I have a poll listed on my site. For anyone interested in meeting with fellow bloggers, this one's for you~

Kristi and I are wondering what the consensus might be if we establish a set Saturday, make it 11 am, and choose two or three sites we'll migrate between. I would like to do this once a month, realizing there will be months where some will come and other months they can't. But instead of trying to find a time for all, everyone will know there's a Saturday each month to look forward and plan around.

There were several with babes this last time and they were so good. Of course, a shout out to Eastside Grill for being so understanding and even going so far as to joke and play with them.

So, how do you feel about this suggestion? The grouping would change month to month, but that would be half the fun! Vote and let us know how you feel and and have a really nice Monday.

As for me and my Sweet Man, we'll be attending the graveside service of a 13-year old family member, Skylar Norton. Skylar loved her Lord, her family and friends, and was in love with life. Her home congregation, Cold Springs church of Christ, will sorely miss her. As will we all. The autopsy was inconclusive; she collapsed while with a group of friends walking across the campus Friday around 4:30. Such a sadness for us, but a delightful new life for Skylar. Pray for all that loved her.

The little country cemetery is on a dirt road, quiet, hushed, very old, and has many many family members interned within its borders. I hope those gathering will bring some comfort to her grieving parents and younger brother~

Second Post For Saturday~

Ever taken the time to think about your last 24 hours and think, "how did I ever have the energy to do all that?" Yeah, I thought you had.

Jen and Brandon went out of town and left the boys with Johnny Friday afternoon. They picked me up at the boutique at 6 pm and we went looking for pizza on a kids meal menu. After supper we went home to find that our a/c was NOT working!!! I dozed in the recliner until early morning to make sure no one came in on us while we slept. Yes,

it got so warm, even with the overhead fans, that we left the sliding door open to the screened in porch. And I wouldn't have thought twice about leaving it open all night, but

we don't have a second floor apartment. Once I got back in bed, I think I heard Noah each time he turned over or squirmed in his pack and play. Ah, I remember those early days with Jenny now.

The morning dawned bright and early with Ian asking me if it was time to get up. "No, sweetheart, it's only 5 and it's still dark" Again, one hour later, "okay you can watch kiddie shows if you promise not to wake Noah". Noah was awake by 7. John went out for doughnuts and chocolate milk while I found that there are not many decent cartoons on Saturday mornings!

Oh, lunch! It took almost four hours from the time Haley and I with two boys got to Eastside Grille for a luncheon with fellow bloggers in the tri-county area to get back home, but what fun it was! Ian had a blast being the only male in a gaggle of girls, but Noah chose to cling tightly to his Nan and ask repeatedly for his papi, which I thought we had, but didn't.

Left John with Noah while Ian and I took some time in the pool. It was cold!! By the time we got back to the apartment, John was in the throes of the Alabama-Kentucky game {and that only got worse}. Noah kept crawling up in his lap, saying, "Pa, I scared" each time John got vocal. Ian was glad to see Pa leave for a 12 hour shift at the mill so he could get back into the kiddie shows. I got them in their jammies after supper and a pizza break, and rocked Noah while waiting on mommy and daddy.

They're home now, safe and happy and bushed. John's at work. The a/c is working, but I have the door open listening to the night sounds. I can't help but think, and hurt, for

Rick and Jamie Norton. They lost their 13 year-old daughter yesterday afternoon. Her presence will be sorely missed. She collapsed around 4:30 at school and could not be revived. It was a struggle to not get emotional last night with the boys here when we got the news. So horribly sad. You know we use the word 'lost' when we speak of death, but

Skylar isn't lost. We know where she is. She grew up in the Cold Springs church of Christ congregation and was deeply loved and nurtured. I wish there were another word to use. The autopsy was 'inconclusive'. She will be buried in a small country cemetery where scores of other family members have been laid to rest. And her parents and younger brother will struggle for answers and comfort. If you're a believer, pray for them. It's been a very difficult weekend, but one also decorated with the laughter and love of two grandsons~