Importance of the Harvest speech September 2011

I was privileged to speak last night at the All Saints Lutheran Church. I have to say what a great evening it was and once again, I found myself surrounded by incredible women.

I mentioned that I would put the notes of my talk on my blog so, here it is…

 

Read…Matthew 9:37-38…

 

This scripture makes me realize that we are all God’s hands here on earth, we need to be ready and willing to do the things He needs us to do, but first I believe that we need to make sure we have our lives in order.
I try to go over a check list in my mind every now and then, about how I am doing in certain areas that I think are vital in order to serve with the Savior with all my heart

.Here is my check list …

#1…    Do I put on my air mask first?

I believe that one of the hardest things for women to do is to take care of themselves. I remember thinking as a young Mom that I had to do everything!  I really struggled taking time out to eat right, exercise or get enough sleep. I actually felt guilty if I did anything fun for myself. How foolish I was back then, some time wisdom comes so slowly and so painfully. It is vital to take care of ourselves first, so that we have the ability, the energy and the strength to help others

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."    ~World Health Organization, 1948

"The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life.  Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop."    ~Quentin Regestein

 

#2…   I think we need to ask ourselves what baggage are we carrying?

28 years ago Jeff and I were going to meet a Counselor for my depression. Why was I depressed?  Well, I was a child of incest and I tried to tell when I was 5 years old but I was not believed. Now I had just delivered my first baby and it was a girl. I was terrified that like me, she would too become one of my grandfather’s victims… IF I DIDN”T SPEAK UP and stop the chain of abuse.

The first thing the counselor asked where our little girl was, and I mentioned that my parents were watching her.  He then asked if they knew I was getting counseling.  My comment was " No, this is about me and my family, which only includes just Jeff, Amy and I"  Next he said something that I will never forget, he said "Lynn, when you are really ready to get rid of this baggage you are carrying, that does not belong to you, then let me know and we will meet again".  At the time, I was so upset, I thought he didn't understand my situation, but I soon realized that he actually understood it better than I.
He was right, I had been carrying baggage around for years that wasn't mine, I had become so used to carrying it, that I didn't even realize the damage it was doing to me, from bearing that type of weight (emotionally) for so many years.

This quote reminded me of my situation.

"We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it.  But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it."  ~John Newton

Now even 28 years later, I still have to work at checking what baggage I am carrying each day.  I also need to remember what the Savior said, to each of us in
Read… Matthew 11:28-30  We need to remember that the Savior helps us with our burdens, shares our load, but does not take them away from us. We do not need to carry it all on our own!

 

# 3    Am I willing to OBEY?

Mary ( the Mother of Christ ) is such a great example to me of Obedience.  Even after the Angel came unto and told her that she had been chosen and to be the Mother of Jesus Christ the Son of the Highest, even after she questioned how all this could possible come to pass? Her ultimate answer was…“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”

 
Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t be more like Mary, she wasn’t perfect … but pure in our thoughts, words, deeds and motive.
Later in that same chapter we read when Mary and her cousin Elizabeth were talking she said
“ My soul doth magnify the Lord”  Mary was willing and obedient!

 

#4  How is my faith doing?   And do I daily communicate with God?

They say that “great faith has a short shelf life” what that means to me is that every day there will be things that come along to shake our faith, whether it is illness, loss of a job, death of a loved one, pain or bad choices…it is important that we continue to check and see how our faith is doing.

" Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other"  ~ Thomas S. Monson

There is great power in prayer and I have personally witnessed this over and over again in my life. I can not deny it! When I was diagnosed the first time with Cancer, I was overwhelmed by the many friends who prayed for me and my family on a daily basis. I was touched as I would be in the grocery store and a stranger would come up to me and ask if I was Lynn Woodard. As I said yes, with a puzzled look…she then smiled and said “Oh I thought I recognized you from the photo someone brought to church. We are praying for you on our Prayer Rolls!  I couldn’t believe it a stranger ( one of the Lord’s laborer…was praying for me !)

Then 7 years later when I was diagnosed for the 2nd time with Cancer, once again, I felt the strength and  support of loved ones and friends.One of my dear friends went as far as to make me a Prayer Shawl, she reminded me to wrap up in my shawl often and feel the love and prayers that were going Heavenward in my behalf…and I did and still do!

So remember this quote about prayer by James E. Faust…“No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day.

There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place.”

And remember this quote on faith by Patrick Overton…"When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly”

# 5…Perspective… "If you were told you only had a week, a month, or a year to live, what would you change?

This perspective empowers you and I… to understand what really matters in this world. If we change, if we improve, there is a rippling effect of love and strength, which has the power to change our family, community, and so on..."

Proverbs 23:7"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

We need to be happy. The Savior said it himself. Sometimes that sounds too simplistic I think. But in actuality, we have more happiness if we choose to consider things from a positive perspective. Everyone goes through the ups and downs of life, however, we can make a decision to dwell on the negative or like they say… “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."  ~ Abraham H. Maslow

  It is important to associate with people who are positive and uplifting. In order to stay healthy and happy you need good energy, and let’s be honest not everyone has that
. (story of Lauren and the cut up straws by names ) . I was grateful that she was protecting me, when maybe I was too weak to protect myself!

So let’s go ahead and each day try to change our perspective for the better. Let’s not compare ourselves to others but just be our best selves.

They say anyway… ““The only normal people are the one's you don't know very well.”  ~ Alfred Adler

  # 6 … Service and Gratitude…  I always ask myself… what I could be doing for someone else?

"When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; talk to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated."   ~ Lorenzo Snow

Read… John 12 :35-36

…One of the great blessings of living in the great North West is all the Lighthouses we have close by. We love visiting the beaches and looking at all the different lighthouses

. I this quote from George Bernard Shaw…“I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.”

  In the dictionary is tells us what al·tru·is·tic means...unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others "

We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does.'” Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining, they just shine."  ~ Dwight L. Moody

No matter how much pain I am in, how sad I am feeling, there is always an immediate lifting of my spirit when I stop thinking of myself and serve.

I love this story that a Mother relates…
She says Years ago when  our four month old son had an operation. I felt forsaken and alone in the hospital waiting room. Another mother there was particularly comforting to me. She took me down the hall to meet her twelve year old daughter who was suffering from leukemia. I found her to be like her Mother, peacefully  and cheerfully accepting this fatal illness. The girl was busy knitting dish clothes for her nurses. Her brightness helped me put my own concerns temporarily aside. A few days later, our little one, now at home, and was much better. I received a note from this Mother. The illness had taken my new young friend back to her Heavenly Father, but before she died, she asked her Mother to send me a hand-knit dishcloth. What a beautiful example of the Savior they both were to me.”

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best …”It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

  #7… Humor…  How important will all this be in 20 years?

You know as a Mom you do the best you can and sometimes you just have to laugh and realize that life is not perfect and your not perfect but trying.

I like the saying “Triumph is just ‘umph’ after the try”

Story of the homemade spaghetti sauce and acidophilus

Story of the Aloe Plant     

Another thing that I think is funny and makes me smile is when I was trying to come up with a name for my Quilting/Sewing blog. I needed to make a card for it and so of course I needed a name. I decided to call it Mandie and Me Designs. That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Well, my kids didn’t really think so because they know that Mandie is the name of my prosthetic. I am not sure why I did that, probably because I got tired of saying and spelling  the word prosthetic all the time! J The truth is Mandie and I go every where together and because of her, I was able to go back into life with much more confidence and peace after my mastectomy.So I feel blessed to be able to have replaceable parts for the ones that are not working any more or gone, in my case both problems applied

.My quote for myself and Mandie is this one…"Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts - it's what you do with what you have left."  ~Hubert Humphrey

 

# 8     Purpose and Knowledge…  “What is my purpose here on earth? And am I doing it?

The answer to this question is in James 1:5-6…Who better to find out what our purpose Is, than from God? There are many out there in the world that continually try to tell us what we are or what we should do or look like, but I want to know from God what it is that my particular mission is. Once you find that out for yourself…then you will never be bored again, because you will realize what you need to do.

I love the story of Queen Ester…we know that she was an orphan, she was a Jew, and she was raised by her cousin Mordicai. Circumstances came up to where she was privileged to become the Queen, the King did not know that she was a Jew. To summarize more, at one point Esther’s cousin told her about danger that was coming to the Jews, if she didn’t intercede. He suggested that she go to the King and talk to him, but to go to the King uninvited could be life threatening but she realized she may be the Jews only hope to have deliverance. Here is what her cousin  said to her to help her with this terribly hard decision…Esther 4 :14….’Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

"Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."
~James Buckham

Do we know what the Lord needs us to do and are we ready and willing to do it?

Remember…”Knowledge is Power”

Hannah Snesh said “In my life’s chain of events nothing was accidental. Everything happened according to an inner need.”

We need to know that the Lord won’t give us more than we can handle, we need to trust in His power

  Yes, "Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."
~James Buckham

Do we know what the Lord needs us to do and are we ready and willing to do it? Remember…”Knowledge is Power” Hannah Snesh said “In my life’s chain of events nothing was accidental. Everything happened according to an inner need.”

We need to know that the Lord won’t give us more than we can handle, we need to trust in His power

Yes, “ There are some things you learn best in calm and some in storm.”  Willa Cather 

#9 Self Worth and Self Esteem? …Do you know the difference?

Three years ago on  November 13th 2008   I wrote this in my journal… “My spirits were high until I got ready to leave the hospital and first took a look at myself in the mirror, what a shock. My whole chest is wrapped with ace bandages so I actually couldn't see the effects of the surgery but my body still looks deformed already. I couldn't help but cry when I looked again in the mirror. How could this really be happening to me and how will I ever feel normal and good about myself again? I know there are many women who have gone through this and worse, but for today I am just talking about me. How can such a routine surgery now days, leave someone feeling so ugly, empty, sad and doubtful?”

I had forgotten at that moment what my Self Worth was!

Self Worth is who you are…a daughter of God, however Self Esteem is how you feel about yourself. I believe if we could remember more often our self worth… then our self esteem would be better!

“The choices we make about the lives we lived, will determine the kind of legacies we leave.”  ~ Tavis Smily

I have this quote on my mirror and I read it every day , to remind myself just exactly who I am and the work I need to be doing!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

   “ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest
fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our
darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,  Who am I to be
brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
     Actually , who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your
playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing
enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel
insecure around you.
    We were born to manifest the glory of God within us. It is not
just in some of us- it is in everyone.  And as we let our own light
shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically
liberates others.”                                                  ~ Marianne Williamson

I know this post is long but I hope for all of you who wanted to come but couldn’t will feel the spirit of what I was talking about.

Good night dear friends!

Choices, we all have to make them.

Tonight right after my speech at the All Saints Lutheran Church, I made a choice to go to the hospital to see a dear friend and her new baby instead…of staying home and writing my blog. I had many who said they would have loved to come hear me speak tonight but they had other obligations. So my intentions were to write down the notes from my speech so they could read it but…that cute little baby just needed to have his Aunt Lynn hold him. No he really isn’t blood relation but just about as close as you can get! so it is late and had better just leave you with a positive thought and head to bed. I am teaching at the Quilt Shop tomorrow, so I need to be rested up for that!

 

So good night dear friends and I will talk to you tomorrow!

 

“Charlie Brown: “Sometimes I lie awake at night and ask, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’ Then a voice

says to me, ‘This is going to take more than one night.”’   ~ Charles M. Schulz

 

So glad that I am not the only one who feels like that!

Missed Opportunities!

Tonight I have been trying to finish up the last minute notes for my Motivational Speech tomorrow evening. I don’t think I have enough energy tonight to write much on my own, so I will leave you with this sweet story.

Since my computer hardware died, we had to put in a whole new operating system, and now I am left trying to figure out how in the world to write and do my posts. I still haven’t figured out how to add photos yet. Just be patient with me as I try to figure all of this out.

Good night dear friends!

A Nickel in the Road
Exercising is not one of my favorite pastimes but I know it's good for me. So every day I try to get outside and take a 2-mile walk. Most days I carry a small notebook and pen with me so that I can jot down the random brilliant thoughts that come to me as I stroll around the neighborhood.
A few weeks ago I was rounding a corner about half way through my walk and noticed a nickel in the road. I adjusted my gait so that I stepped on the shiny coin and kept walking.
Within a few steps I started thinking of my daughter who always stops to pick up loose change. She wouldn't have passed this one by. I was half tempted to turn around and go back for it, but I thought it would be embarrassing if someone happened to see me stooping down to pick up a nickel.
It didn't take long for me to transition my thoughts from that nickel to those small opportunities that have been in front of me that I've stepped on or passed by. How many have I overlooked because I thought they were insignificant? How many have I been too embarrassed to attempt? How many have I stepped on because I wanted to show the world they were unworthy of my attention?
Later that day I told my daughter about the nickel incident because it was continued to weigh on my mind. She didn't say, "Don't worry about it. It was only a nickel." She did say, "I would have picked it up. Did you know that one day at school I found over a dollar in change on the floor?"
She had taken advantage of seemingly small opportunities. But when added up, they became something worthwhile. In my daughter's case, she was able to buy a can of soda from the vending machine at school-something she wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.
The next morning I paid attention as I walked that same stretch of road. I was determined to pick up that nickel if I saw it again. But alas, it was gone. Not surprising I guess. Someone else is usually willing to take advantage of the opportunities that others choose to pass by. Unfortunately by the time I decided to take advantage of it, the opportunity was no longer there.
Of course not every opportunity is one that I want to stop and pick up. Some merely resemble something that would help me achieve my goals in life, the way that bottle caps, from a distance, look a lot like coins. But some we recognize immediately as worthwhile yet we still choose to walk by them.
Since the day I walked past that nickel in the road, I've been more attuned to opportunities that surround me. I've been paying attention to my response to them. Instead of quickly discounting the ones that appear to be small payoffs, I'm looking at the bigger picture. What can a small opportunity add to what I already have going on? How can a small opportunity serve as the beginning of something bigger?
What a great life lesson! And it only cost me a nickel.

 

“When I look back now over my life and call to mind what I might have had simply for taking and did not take, my heart is like to break.”         ~William Hale White

“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”       ~Benjamin Disraeli

American spirit

 

I loved this quote by Mack Wilberg …

"As much sorrow and grief as came from 9/11 there have also come positives. The indomitable American spirit turned a tragedy into a triumph of coming together as a nation, caring and serving one another."

I thought  today at church as we had a Moment of Silence, for all those who  gave up their lives and their families during 9/11… that it made me realize that we need not forget the lessons that we learned from 9/11.

May those memories change our lives and attitudes forever. I was in the grocery store the other day and saw on the front cover of a magazine where the children of the victims of 9/11 was shown. How proud they must be to  know that they are the children of heroes. Yes, their lives also had to have come with heartaches and sorrow but still…hopefully they will live their lives in such a manner that their parents would have been proud.

I think that we need to all check how our American Spirit is doing? Are we actively involved in making the world a better and safer place? Are we being heroes for our children and those around us?
Yes, let us not ever forget the tragedy of that day, and still be ever prayerful… for all those who paid the ultimate price.

Good night dear friends!

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children." -President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

"You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy." -Colin Powell

"The moment to spend with a husband who loves me, or a sick friend, or a delicious new grandchild is here and now. Not some time later .... The nation learned this lesson all at once that horrible day in September 2001. The pictures stay with us -- the fires and falling debris, and, most hauntingly, the faces. Look how young so many of them were, people who thought there would be much more time, a lot of 'later' when they could do all the things they really wanted to do. I grieve for their families -- especially for those, like me, who haven't found any trace of the people they loved. But I grieve even more for the people who died that day. They couldn't know what we know now about the precious gift of time." -Cokie Roberts, contributing senior news analyst for NPR News

Bigger than me day!

Sometimes I wonder why certain things happen in multiples? Maybe because it takes more patience, courage and understanding to handle them. I really don't need to tell you all the struglles that I am going through right now, but it is probably safe to say that the last couple of days have been a bit bigger than me.

Right now I am at my daughter's house using her computer (as I babysit the girls).I won't be able to put a photo with my post because ...all my photos are on the hard drive of my computer that died a couple of days ago. I have had some dear friends try to retrieve all my information on the hard drive but so far no luck.

Even as I sit here tonight feeling a bit sorry for myself, I realize that things aren't really that bad and that I have a lot to be grateful for. Tonight we had a meeting at church and I sat with a dear friend of mine who is handicapped in many ways. When she was 18 years old, she was hit by a drunk driver, that left her speechless, unable to move any part of her body except her head, and very limited movement with her arms. Her courage and determination to keep smiling through this all has been amazing to me. As I sat with her tonight and held her hand, she just kept making noises that means she is happy. She and I met about 6 or so years ago, I instantly felt like a sister to her. Many people would think that she is totally handicapped but her mind is totally there and if you are with her in her room in her center where she lives, then she can use her computer to punch out one letter at a time with trying to steady the end of a pencil to talk to you. I realize that it takes time to wait for her to write. She often has to wipe her mouth, because she can't close her mouth very well, she drolls often, yet you will never EVER see her without a smile. I thought tonight how brave she is. What would it be like to know and see and feel things and yet never be able to really express them. I can't imagine, wanting to say something and have to wait until someone takes you to the computer and then waits for you to painstakingly try letter by letter to write it down. Yes, it truly made me realize, that I am NOT having a bigger than me day, I am just experiencing life and I should be grateful that I am healthy enough to call someone to fix my computer, walk to their house to pick it up. To call somewhere if I have a question...yes, my life is good and how grateful I am tonight for a dear friend, who has gone through so much, to teach me that JUST through her smile.

So please be patient with me and I try to learn how to use other people's computer and forgive me for my complaining and short sightedness.
Hope you had a wonderful day, Good night dear friends!

"It is a good thing to take LONG pauses in our pursuit of Happiness and just be HAPPY"

" We know what we are but not what we may be." ~ Shakespeare

We are having technical difficulty!

Went to turn on my computer this evening and my hard drive died on me. I couldn't believe it. So tonight I am going to just leave you with a quote so my husband can continue to use the computer and see if he can help retrieve any of my files! Oh brother, I think this is why you should back up your files on your computer every now and then.
Good night dear friends!

"As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way."

- Sharon Salzberg

Getting to know your neighbors!

Tonight was our neighborhood BBQ and it turned out well. We only thought of the idea a few days prior, so we didn't give our flyers out until Monday. Still we had about 15 neighbors/families there... it was wonderful. We got to meet new neighbors that had just moved in, old neighbors that we have never met and then to re-visit with those neighbors that we already knew and loved. It was so much fun and how interesting to get to know more about them and their lives.
I went and got name tags so we could all call each other by our first names. It went well and we all were already planning our next get together! I am so grateful to live in a wonderful area with some incredible neighbors...what a treat tonight was!

I think we needed to do this BBQ get together... so we could all at least take the time to get to  know each other. I laugh when I remember how my grandmother used to tell me about neighbor's life, just by watching their laundry. Too funny, true but funny non the less.
But since most of us don't have a laundry line any more, I thought it would be nice if we shared a meal together and...we did!

 

A CLOTHESLINE POEM
A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by,
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew,
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths"
With intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth
From folks who lived inside -
As brand new infant clothes were hung,
So carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed,
You'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged, with not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past,
For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life. It was a friendly sign.
When neighbors knew each other best by what hung on the line.

 http://lyle-lylesplace.blogspot.com/2011/03/clothes-line-history.html

" Don't buy the house, buy the neighborhood."  ~ Russian proverb

"Everyone is a friend, until they prove otherwise."
- sent by Steve

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."
- (sent by Dior Yamasaki)

 

Unconditional Love

I am re-reading a book called I DON'T HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING ALL BETTER  written by Gary and Joy Lundberg. I have read it on more than one occasion, but sometimes when I get stuck on a relationship situation, I try to go back and read it again. I try see what I should have done or could have done better or different. I like most people don't like confrontation, especially if the person you are confronting is a very confrontational.  I wonder at times, how I can explain how I really feel about a relationship and how to make it better? I know by reading this book that I can't change anyone else but myself, still I want to be able to make sure that my boundaries are set and respected.

I found this article on Unconditional Love, I liked it... a few really good points to remember. One thing I really like was the reminder that true love IS NOT BASED ON POWER, and  IT IS NOT BASED ON CONTROL! I do believe that IF your love is unconditional, then you really will make it through anything, and that would be because you would do anything for your loved one, even at the cost of changing things that might need to be changed. Yes, Unconditional Love speaks for itself I believe ...by it's actions and results!
Something to think of, that is for sure! Good night dear friends!

Unconditional Love

When we love someone in its truest of form, it is a pure love, a love with no conditions. Love out of purity can develop over time or be instantaneous in some situations.

When we love or care for someone unconditionally it is because we want to, not because we feel we have to. We don't love that person because of what they do for us. We don't love them because we want something that they have. We love them because we have a special place reserved in our hearts and in our spirits specifically for them. This love is unshaken because it is based on truth not on convenience.

It doesn't even matter if our love is reciprocated by the person we care for. It doesn't matter if they turn their backs and walk away. It doesn't matter if they choose to say nothing at all, because the love you have for them exists regardless of the circumstance and regardless of the condition. It is simply based on your strong sense of care for this individual. It is not based on power. It is not based on control. It is based on love's purest intentions.

When we love someone unconditionally, we love them as they are, as they were, and as they intend to be. We embrace their past, their present, and their future as a fine intricate detail of who they are. When they speak, we listen to them. When they are still, we stand by their sides. When they need to be left alone, we leave them be, but we continue to love them even when separated by distance.

Unconditional love goes beyond just the emotions of love, it develops in the core of our being as it is there where we hold those close to us so dearly.  ~ Meilena Hauslendale

"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships." - Abraham Lincoln

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being." -Goethe

 

"Give others freedom to be themselves. Appreciate the differences between their ways an yours."

Pumpkins are here!

Yes, it is definitely that time of year again, when the nights are getting cooler and the day light is getting shorter. I love the Fall season. I am not trying to rush it... because it does feel like we are just now getting the summer weather that we usually have. Still we have pumpkins on the vine in my back yard (no they don't look like the ones in this picture, these are the pumpkins I made and that I am teaching how to make at the Quilt Shop ).

I spent part of the day today with one of our neighbors...passing out flyers for a Neighborhood BBQ this week. I am so grateful that we took the time to do that, everyone that we talked to seemed excited by it. It seems funny that you can live next door or down the street for years of each other and still not really know what is going on in each others lives. So we are excited to take the time to eat and just talk to each other. We have a lot of new families that have moved in so...we are hoping to have them come and get acquainted too!

I feel it is so important for us to get to know our neighbors, that is who you are living by and it would be a great help to each other if we were friends. We already have a pretty close neighborhood but still many times it is hard to find the time to get together. It does take time and effort to get to know your neighbors but... it has always been worth it for our family. We have been blessed with many wonderful neighbors who became dear friends throughout the years. So I am hoping that you are enjoying this September and will take the time out to get to know a neighbor near you. Who couldn't use another friend?
Speaking of dear friends...Good night!

"We cannot live only for ourselves.  A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men."  ~Herman Melville

"While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many."  ~Lady Bird Johnson

Labor Day Birthday!

Our son Bradley was born on Labor Day, that would have been appropriate IF... I would have labored having him, but I didn't ...he was a planned C-section. I just remember hearing him cry for the first time and then they laid him up next to me and I cried. I was worried that my heart wouldn't be big enough to love two kids but...how wrong I was. Brad was a great baby and a 100% boy. He always had to be moving and making some kind of noise, he loved the outdoors, and could eat a potato bug...quicker than anyone! :(
Life seemed to move faster with two kids, there was always something going on, still having Brad around was a joy in our lives. I like this poem because that explained him to a T!

Little Boys Little boys come in all shapes and sizes,
Shy and adventurous, full of surprises,
With misshapen halos and mischievous grins,
Small dirty faces, and sweet, sticky chins.
They'll keep you so busy, and yet all the while
Nothing can brighten the world like their smile.
And no greater treasure has brought homes more joy
Than a curious, active, and lovable boy!  ~ Unknown

But then Brad started growing up and I remember the first time he left home...I cried my eyes out again. I wondered if I had taught him everything he needed to make it for himself out in the world? And boy did he ever, he served a 2 year mission for our church in the Philippines and loved it and the people there!

Then he got married to our cute Krystal, and in April they both graduated from college!

And now they are working and expecting their first baby! How does time go by that fast? I can still remember of getting up early on Labor Day to check in to the hospital to go have Brad, and now he is going to have a little one of his own.

Brad is such an incredible part of our family. He is funny, he has a very good heart and loves everyone. He is so talented and passionate about his work. I don't think we could have picked out a better life for him. I feel grateful and blessed to be his Mom. How proud I am of the man he has become. Happy Birthday son!

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.  And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes."  ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

"Good fathers make good sons."  ~Author Unknown

Mothering

   I had a Doctor appointment a few weeks ago and as I was sitting in the office waiting my turn, when a young women came in who was pregnant and very sick. As soon as she came in she ran to the bathroom to throw up, she came back into the waiting room but was hurting so bad that she could hardly sit still. Just a few minutes later another lady came in, she was probably about 20 years older than the first woman, and she stated she was the young woman's Mother. It made me homesick for my Mom when I saw her sit down beside her grown daughter and move the hair out of her eyes and rub her back. I felt like I was invading their privacy as I listened to her whisper words of encouragement, and yet you could still see the worry in her eyes. I am not sure if this was her daughter's first pregnancy or what, but still she was a Mother who cared and loved this daughter and I am sure... the baby that was inside of her. Yes, I have been blessed with an incredible husband, sensitive kids and the most amazing friends so that when I am sick, I am well taken care of...but I still miss my Mom!

   Now I am a Mother of adult children, and it is a new role for me. It is hard know when to Mother and when to stay away. It gets more complicated when each child is different, so you don't treat each of them the exact same way. Then you add on top of that Grandchildren, who you naturally want to help Mother and some times that is ok and sometimes it isn't.
    I remember when Amy was born and how inadequate I felt as her Mother. I had never been a Mother before, there wasn't any instruction book that came out with her and so I had to watch, learn and listen to my heart...to teach me how to be her Mother. Now 29 years later, there still isn't an instruction book and so ... I sorta feel like that new Mom again. When do I give advice? What boundaries should there be? How much do I help?
   I have learned the hard way that you almost have to start over like a new Mom, you have to watch, learn and listen to your heart to know how to Mother an adult child. The only difference is that little newborn didn't tell you if you did something wrong, or if you should have done it this way or that instead...adult children do. Sometimes that hurts, only because that isn't what you meant to happen. But then again the nice part is that as adults, you can talk and work things out, so I guess it all equals out in the long run?

But as I remembered that Mom, I realized that no matter what...most Mom's just love their children sooooooooo much that they would do absolutely anything to help them. So hopefully there is forgiveness and a lot of patience, as we all learn how to handle the new aspect of our roles as adult children and Mothers.

"Mother's love grows by giving."  ~Charles Lamb

"If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been."  ~Robert Brault,

"Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What's that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don't mean a thing."  ~Toni Morrison

Fighting the Battle at such a young age!

Just recently I heard that a dear friend of mine's grandson, was battling cancer... and he is only 3  years old. I was saddened to hear his story, and yet as I have read each days account of the blog they are keeping for him, I am amazed at this little guys courage and the incredible love that his family has for him. It is hard for me to read, I can still remember my last battle with Cancer, it has almost been 3 years ago in Oct that I was diagnosed. What a battle that was and yet...I can't even imagine how much harder it would have been had it been my child or grandchild!

July 18th 2011 After complaining of a tummy ache and possible appendicitis, Porter has been diagnosed with a tumor on his right kidney; Wilm's Tumor. Children's Hospital bound.

August 1st 2011 ...There are two blocks in Porters intestines. One in the small and one at the junction of the small and large. They are scheduled for surgery as the doctors do not want to wait another two days for GI results. We are praying that Porter gets some relief and his vomiting and discomfort subsides.
Thank you for all the prayers - Keep 'em coming!!!

Saturday, Aug 20, 2011 ... Porter went in for Emergency surgery due to internal bleeding. After 3 blood transfusions, by machine and nurses (by hand) pumping blood in him for over 2 hours, he was transported to ICU. The pressure of the cantaloupe sized tumor pressing on Porters lungs, making it hard to breath (changing his oxygen level usage from 1 liter to 5 liters) in one day.
During surgery doctors found the tumor had ruptured for a second time. This has doctors completely speechless, non of them have seen this before. A team of doctors have worked with Rob and Marissa, keeping us all in the loop - and all feel very confident that if this tumor could be taken out or stop its growth, Porter's outcome is very favorable! The question now is...how?!
Porters blood is not clotting, so doctors gave him 'Factor VII'. After two hours, their "best case scenario" happened. His blood began to clot at a normal rate.
Doctors then did an Intravenous Radiation procedure, through his Femoral artery. The dye showed the areas of internal bleeding and also showed that the clotting agent was doing its job. While inside, they inserted a biological agent to stop the main blood supply to the right kidney (to keep it from continuing to 'feed' the tumor). Porter did very well during these procedures given all that he has been through.
Now Doctors are trying to decided when to resect (cut away/out) the tumor and kidney.

August 29th 2011... Surgery began at 1:20pm and by 3:42pm the doctors were calling Rob & Marissa that the tumor and kidney had been removed.  Amazing!  Then later, a part of the team of surgeons greeted us with full on smiles, giving us hugs. As they left, our entire family broke out in a round of applause. This journey that we have traveled since July 19th has been a roller coaster of emotions. We are all exhausted both physically and mentally, so it's hard to come up with more words to say how much we all appreciate the support, thoughts and prayers that have been placed before us. Each day we are blessed with just that much more.  Still a long road ahead, but the road seems so much smoother. 
Love to all!

Now the reason for my sharing this story with you, is so that if you feel so inclined that you will donate whatever you can for the medical bills this family will have to face. That will be no small thing. I know with both times I had Cancer, we paid the bills for over a couple of years. So since these are friends of mine, and this touches me so close, I thought I would at least put out the offer. I asked my dear friend ( Porter's Grandmother ) if I could share his sweet story and this information, here was her reply...

"Good morning, Lynn. That would be awesome if you would like to share Porter's story. He is one tough little guy! There is an account set up for him at BECU #3587914538 or just mention his name Porter Price and they will take care of the rest. "

Now little Porter has been fighting this battle since July. He has already had multiple surgeries and complications along the way. He has a long road ahead of him, but the future looks promising. Please realize that your faith and prayers in his behalf ...are worth more than any donation, so please say a prayer tonight for Porter and his family!

"The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart."  ~Nikolai Lenin

"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death."  ~Author Unknown

"The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it."  ~C.C. Scott

Quiet Heroine... Irena Sendler

What an incredible story!

During WWII, Irena got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. 

She had an anterior motive'. 

She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews (she, being German). 

Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried, and she carried, in the back of her truck, a burlap sack (for larger kids). 

She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. 

The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog, and the barking covered the kids/infants noises. 

During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out, and save, 2500 kids/infants.

She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs, both her arms, and beat her severely. 

Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out, and kept them in a glass jar buried under a tree in her back yard.   After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived the horror, and reunited the family. 

Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted. 

In MEMORIAM - 63 YEARS LATER  

Irena Sendler was an elderly, relatively unknown Polish social worker until four teenagers from Kansas in search of a National History Day project discovered what she had done. Sendler had helped to rescue 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, before being captured and sentenced to die. But she escaped and lived quietly until the students found her and wrote a play about her. Sendler died on May 12, 2008, aged 98 years.

http://www.silverplanet.com/photos/quiet-heroine-irena-sendler/6165

"There's no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were."  ~ Nina Simon

" A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."  ~ Christopher Reeve

" A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." ~ Joseph Campbell

Parable of the Milk Jug

Well, today I worked at the Quilt Shop, then got to visit a dear friend who just had hip surgery and then tonight we are doing a Baby Shower for another dear friend. So I believe I am going to be pretty wiped out so I wanted to go ahead and do my blog now. This was such a cute story with a wonderful moral. It didn't have a title, so I called it the Parable of the Milk Jug.  It is one that we all would do well to remember, especially during the hard times.

I am so grateful for all of you, who have been there to lift me up...when my burdens were soooooooooo heavy!
Thank you for that!
Good night dear friends!

Once  there was a women who was deep in a tremendous trial; she had a small family to support and this burden was just to difficult to bear. She constantly called upon the Lord, begging him to remove this trial from her life, and couldn't understand why her prayers seemed to go unanswered. One day after she returned from the grocery store, she was carrying in the groceries when she spied her little three year old trying desperately trying to lift the gallon jug of milk. The little girl pulled and tugged but to no avail, she couldn't move the jug. The mother watched her struggle as the little girl tried so hard to help her mother with the load. Finally the woman picked up the jug, as she had the Lord to do for her so many times, taking the milk from the child. The little girl began to cry, "I want to do it...." she mumbled. The she lifted her head as her eyes lit up, "Mom, I know! I'll carry the milk and you carry me."

 

"There is no education like adversity."
Benjamin Disraeli

"Pain is inevitable.  Suffering is optional."  ~M. Kathleen Casey

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.  I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."  ~Mother Teresa

The Grandma Test

This was a cute story that my friend sent me today, so I thought I would pass it on...for the sole purpose of making your smile!  Of course, I didn't show it to Jeff! :)
Good night dear friends!

GRANDMAS ARE SMART
I was out walking with my Grandson. He picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in his mouth. I took the item away from him and I asked him not to do that.

"Why?" my Grandson asked.

"Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs, and sometimes germs make little boys sick and not feel good" I replied.

At this point, my Grandson looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Grandma, how do you know all this stuff?? You are so smart."

I was thinking quickly and said to him. "All Grandmas know stuff. It's on the Grandma Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Grandma."

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but he was evidently pondering this new information.

"Oh....I get it! He beamed, So if you don't pass the test you have to be the Grandpa."

"Exactly," I replied with a big smile on my face.

"Becoming a grandmother is wonderful.  One moment you're just a mother.  The next you are all-wise and prehistoric."  ~Pam Brown

"If becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one.  There is no fun for old people like it!"  ~Hannah Whithall Smith

"You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother."  ~Proverb

Lighthouses

Yesterday we went to Mulkilteo Beach for lunch. It was beautiful and they even had a light house there. I don't know if it is used now, or just more for tourists to go through and understand the history behind it. So you could go up to the top and look out at the beautiful beach and water. Inside, along with all the history about Mulkilteo was a quote that I thought was wonderful, and so I wanted to share it with you.

“I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.”  ~ George Bernard Shaw

al·tru·is·tic...unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others

I have always loved lighthouses and even more so now that we moved to Seattle. We love visiting the beaches and Lighthouses. As I look at the Lighthouses I think of all the good they do, the hope they provide and think of all the service they give. Much like what we should be doing in our own lives. Something to think about!
Night dear friends.

" We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining, they just shine."  ~ Dwight L. Moody

The new normal!

   As I watch the weather around the the US this past year, I am amazed at all the extremes which have been happening. As I looked at these photos today, I realized how blessed we have been here in Seattle. Many have complained that we didn't have much of a summer but, that would be considered an inconvenience, not a disaster... like many others have had.
    Like this article said, after conditions keep happening over and over again, we probably should consider it as the "new normal".  Normal or not, it makes me think and rethink about how prepared I am. I know you can't prepare for everything, but being prepared as much as you can... is just responsible and that is just what I want to be for me and my family. So tomorrow, I believe I will start rearranging my garage to get things in order, and then start a new check list of what we need to have on hand. I know this isn't the most positive thing to talk about, but after looking at these photos... I am definitely more MOTIVATED to do something. And this is... as you know a MOTIVATIONAL blog! :)
Good night dear friends!

 

Extreme weather: 'the new normal'

Federal climate scientists say 2011 has been one of the worst in U.S. history for extreme weather. With punishing blizzards, epic flooding, devastating drought and a heat wave that has broiled a huge swath of the country, the year's weather has been unrelenting and extraordinary.

By Julie Cart and Hailey Branson-Potts

Los Angeles Times

Mississippi River floods: A levee saves a home.

Tornadoes: May 26 twister kills 141 in Joplin, Mo.

Drought: A cracked lake bed in San Angelo, Texas

Groundhog Day blizzard: Chicago bears brunt.

The weather's apparent caprice puzzled many as it played out: Farmers in Texas and Oklahoma unable to plant during the worst drought on record watched as farmers along the Mississippi River lost their fields to floodwater. Much of the nation suffered through stifling heat while the West Coast enjoyed a mild summer.

Climate scientists note the predictable and cumulative impacts of climate change — hot and cold — to account for much of the extreme weather, although the connection between tornadoes and climate is not clear. In any event, scientists caution the future will hold greater temperature extremes, and for longer duration.

Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say extreme weather has been more frequent since 1980.

"I think it would be a mistake to not think that this has become the new normal," McManus said. "Until it stops happening, we should expect it to continue

 

"Luck can often mean simple taking advantage of a situation at the right moment. It is possible to "make" your luck by being always prepared."  ~ Michael Korda

" Forwarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory."  ~ Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

"It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark." ~ Howard Ruff

Siblings

It is a bit weird to have two kids at home now, instead of just one. But since they were little, they have been good friends. I have to admit it is nice having another girl around the house too! I keep hearing a lot about Empty Nesters, and I am a bit worried about getting to that stage of our lives, so I am just trying to just enjoy each day while they are here.
I took this photo of Lauren and Lee the other day, and realized how terribly grateful I am... that my kids are all close to one another. What a gift... LOVE is, in a family. They really are best friends with each other, yes they can still fuss and fight but in the end, they always work it out and learn and grow from it. What a concept? I hope their children will have the same type of friendship with each other. Families Are Forever, how grateful I am to know that.
My dear friend just lost her brother in a car accident. She is heart broken and was flying home to help and comfort his family. This same friend knows a lot about pain and suffering, she lost one of her sons at a young age, and also in a car accident. So I am sure this whole thing with her brother has brought back some painful memories. Yet she is amazing, she continues to help and comfort others and stays close to God. She is such a great example to me. So tonight, think about your family, and make sure to tell them how much you love and appreciate them...I am going to.
Good night dear friends!

 

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."  ~ Angela Schwindt

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."  ~Frederick Douglass

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."  ~ John Bowring

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."  ~Jane Howard

Amazing!

Sunday a friend of ours, spoke about service to others. One of the stories that he related, was about a man who developed this technology called Eagle Eyes. I can't tell the story exactly word for word but it went something like this... This man would walk to work everyday. He had to pass Handicap kids and it made him feel uncomfortable, so he would cross the street so that he wouldn't have to have that feeling. Basically the technology that he created, ended up helping these same kids that he used to try and avoid. When he realized that something he developed could actually help someone he was excited and said something like this..." Now I know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I am going to dedicate my life to these handicapped kids that I used to avoid every day."

I just thought this was an amazing story, especially since I used to work with severely handicapped children...they are special spirits! Any of us who have these special spirits in our homes and families, already know how blessed we are to have them in our lives!

EagleEyes Project

The purpose of the EagleEyes Project is to help people with severe physical disabilities develop and be educated to their fullest by enabling them to access the computer. We work with people, mainly children and young adults, who cannot speak and can move only their eyes or head.

During the past ten years we have developed two access technologies. EagleEyes allows people to control the computer by moving only their eyes. EagleEyes works through five electrodes placed on the person’s head. The Camera Mouse allows people to control the computer by moving their head. The Camera Mouse works through a video camera or web camera connected to the computer. Both access technologies function as standard mouse replacements in Windows systems. They work with standard commercial Windows applications software. We also have developed a number of application programs (for example on-screen keyboard programs, games, and a browser) that work well with EagleEyes and Camera Mouse and are available for free download or on a CD.

The EagleEyes Project is centered at Boston Collegemainly as a joint project between the Carroll School of Management, the Computer Science Department, and the Campus School. Boston College recently signed a licensing agreement with the Opportunity Foundation of America of Salt Lake City to build miniature EagleEyes boxes and distribute them for free. EagleEyes sites have been set up at several facilities in the U.S. and U.K.

http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/csom_sites/eagleeyes/pdf/C-%5Cfakepath%5CEEChangingLives.pdf

 

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."  ~Stacia Tauscher

"When Jesus Christ asked little children to come to him, he didn't say only rich children, or White children, or children with two-parent families, or children who didn't have a mental or physical handicap. He said, "Let all children come unto me."   ~ Marian Wright Edelman

How would you like to be remembered?

It is late and I found this wonderful story that makes you think? Enjoy!

How would you like to be remembered?

About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies." And also "He was the merchant of death." This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words "merchant of death," he asked himself a question, "Is this how I am going to be remembered?" He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.

Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values, we should step back and do the same.

What is your legacy?

How would you like to be remembered?

Will you be spoken well of?

Will you be remembered with love and respect?

Will you be missed?

"Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day."    ~ Billy Graham

 

Date Night at the Movies

   Last night for our Date, Jeff and I went to see the movie called... THE HELP.

Stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny-three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed-even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. -- (C) DreamWorks

   It was an amazing movie and one that will really touch your heart. Now that is saying a lot for me. Those of you who know me, know that there aren't that many movies out there that I want to watch. I don't like immorality, violence, bad language, torture or someone being chased or threatened...I know you are probably laughing by now. It's true, my poor little spirit is offended by those things, and so there aren't many movies that we go to and that I would come out praising them. This one however made you think,feel and ask yourself would I ever treat any other human being like that? There was in the beginning more bad language than I wanted, that whole part could have been just as good without it. Actually it was in the first few minutes of the movie and I was wondering if Jeff and I were going to have to get up and leave. So yes, there was some  bad language, so please don't think I am promoting that, I am not. 
   I guess what touched me so deeply about this movie, is how people can change and their opinions can change, given the opportunity to see it from another's point of view. Of course I loved the strong women, who with courage and determination helped make big changes in the world, at quite a terrible cost personally...but they did it!
The racial conflict was real, I know because I lived in the midst of it.
   When I was a little girl, we lived in a mostly Black neighborhood. ( Now Black was not an offensive word at the time ) I got in fights many times after school for being White. I can't remember all of the situations, but I do remember spending a whole lot of time at my BEST FRIEND Kathy's house,  and that that was a safe place for me. She was like the sister I never had. She and I did everything together, much I have forgotten now, but I never forgot her kindness and the kindness of her family. What I didn't really think of was that our skin was different colors. She didn't seem to care that I had white skin and to be honest with you, I didn't think of her as a Black person, she was just my friend. When I thought of the Black kids that I was fighting with, I really just thought that they were cruel and mean...instead of their color. Many of our neighbors and friends were Black, but once you really become friends, color isn't an issue, and for that I was grateful.
   I guess I could relate on a SMALL scale what is was like to be different, and yet that was only for a few short years in my life, not for my whole!  Anyway, I left the movie thinking...how grateful I am for reminders like this movie, to never let us ever go back to that way of life or thinking! It made me determined to continue to stand up for what is right and true...no matter what the cost.
Good night dear friends!

"Judging someone... having never walked in their shoes, is like trying to shoot at a target blindfolded...it is important to see the whole picture"  ~ Lynn

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."  ~ Audre Lorde

" Our greatest strength as a human race is our ability to acknowledge our differences, our greatest weakness is our failure to embrace them."  ~ Judith Henderson

True Happiness

Last night we had a SLEEP OVER with the girls, so that Mommy and Daddy could go to a concert and have some time by themselves.Their 7th wedding anniversary is this year. The girls were so excited to come over. We took their Lady Bug Picnic Quilt out to the park and had a picnic dinner. Then we spent some time on the play toys, then home for baths and stories. As I was putting Angie to bed, right before I closed the door she said..."Nana, I love coming over to  your house for Sleep Overs" and you are the best Nana ever" I could hardly answer because I was choked up. How truly happy I am, to be where I am today, with my family and friends.

Each day when I wake up, I look around and think...I am so grateful for my health and that I get to have another day here on earth. I am so thankful for this home that we have to live in and share with family and friends. I can't believe how lucky I am to have so many Best Friends. And last but not least, I am so glad that I know my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Knowing that I don't have to go through anything alone is a huge blessing.

This morning Jenny woke up, (after sleeping all night) and she said with a big smile on her face " Happy... Day...Party...Puppy...Two"  She knew today we were going to do her Puppy Birthday Party today and she was excited about that. Yes, we have a lot of TRUE HAPPINESS in our lives... how thankful I am for that!
Good night dear friends!

"True happiness is to rest satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient."  ~ Seneca

"Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into." ~ Wayne Dyer

“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money.”   ~ Suze Orman

"Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life."  ~ Wayne Dyer

How to look and feel old!

A month or so I bought a new dress. It was one of those that is suppose to have the wrinkled look. I didn't actually like it when I tried it on again at home, so I decided to pack it back in the bag and return it. I  laughed as I read the tag that was on it. It said..HOW TO KEEP YOUR GARMENT LOOKING WRINKLED! Isn't that funny,  you don't hear that every day now do ya?

http://www.123rf.com/photo

I think what was really funny, was the fact that there was a whole set of instructions to wrinkle your garment. Man, I think we should have that same type of tag on us and it would say...HOW TO GET MORE WRINKLES, LOOK OLDER AND KEEP THAT LOOK FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

It really wouldn't be hard to come up with those instructions, let's see ...HOW TO GET MORE WRINKLES? Never put on sun screen, never wash your face or wear moisturizer.  Then ...How TO LOOK OLDER? Worry about everything, as if it all depends on you. And last... HOW TO KEEP THIS LOOK YOUR WHOLE LIFE? Don't exercise, eat whatever you want, get only a little bit of sleep and be negative and contentious about everything. Remember to be as selfish as you can. Always be doubtful and for absolutely sure...never have HOPE!

Yes, I think if we followed those instructions on our tag... we would really be able to keep that wrinkled, old and worn out look ...all the time! That was easy to think of. Maybe I should have been a designer? :)

Speaking of needing to get some sleep, I had better close now before the wrinkled look starts to set in!

Good night dear friend!

"Accent your positive and delete your negative.'  ~ Donna Karan   

"Bondage is - subjection to external influences and internal negative thoughts and attitudes." ~ W. Clement Stone

"Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one." ~ Hans Selye

Side effects of cancer!

   A few weeks ago, I had mentioned that I had a few tests that I was concerned about. Now having survived Cancer twice, I am the first one to admit that just having Cancer...can give you side effects. I mean side effects other than the normal ones from the disease or the treatments. I am talking about the ones that happen in your mind and heart. If you were to ask me how often I think about Cancer now, compared to the first couple of years, I would say not often at all. Except when I get sick or find a lump or something that feels like a lump. Or if I get symptoms that I am not sure about or things like that. And I am sorry to admit but those side effects that come with them are the sick feeling that you get...the one that tells you that you can't do cancer again. The one that makes you sick to your stomach with worry, the one that makes all your thoughts focus on what MIGHT be wrong. The WHAT IFS are a terrible part of the side effects. A few nights before my tests, I cried during the night, I begged and pleaded with my Heavenly Father to either make everything come out normal on my tests, or if need be...make me equal to whatever trial I was going to face.

   Yes, Cancer does have side effects of the heart and mind like that. I don't have them very often but when I do, it is quite paralyzing and it totally drains my energy. So yesterday, I got the call back on one of my tests (that I had really been worried about ) and it came back perfectly normal (those were the nurse's words not mine ). I felt like jumping for joy, I immediately went back to my Heavenly Father and thanked Him for this chance to continue to live life to it's fullest. I have two more tests coming up in the next month or so I am trying to find my Happy Place, so I won't worry too much about them. I am telling you, these side effects are real and so hard to battle. I realize they are normal, but I sure don't like them or the way they make me feel. I know a lot of people would say to me "Just don't worry, I am sure it isn't anything". Actually that isn't really comforting, because that is exactly what people said when I went back in 3 years ago for a return mammogram... and it did end up being Cancer again. The truth is no one knows, so probably what I would rather hear is something like..." Oh Lynn, let's hope it isn't Cancer again, I will keep you in my prayers". That is about all we all can really do for each other any way. We can't stop bad things from happening to our family and friends, but we can have faith and pray hard for them...that is one thing we KNOW that works!

   So for all of you that suffered through my sad posts, and for those of you who kept me in your prayers...thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
    I wish I could say, I am better and won't have those type of side effects anymore, but I can't. I do realize that every year, they get a little less intense, so that is hopeful. Yes life is hard but... I am still grateful to wake up each day and spend it with my family, friends and YOU!!!!

"Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power."  ~ Blain Lee

"God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."  ~ Unknown

"The greatest battles of life are fought daily in the silent chambers of the soul."  ~ David O. McKay

Compassion...we all need it!

Read this sweet short story. I am telling you, if you ever need a good example to follow...watch a child!

THE MOST CARING CHILD

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed into his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing I just helped him cry."

"The true riches of life come naturally as we enrich the lives of others." ~ Byrd Baggett

"We are not here to merely make a living, but to enrich the world with a finer spirit of hope and achievement―and we impoverish ourselves if we forget the errand."

"Compassion is the key which opens the gates of happiness, and connects one soul to another." ~  M. H. McKee

Our little Jenny Paige!

Today our little Jenny Paige turned two. She only had 3 melt downs, I guess that is doing pretty good for a Two Year Old?  Jenny has been our little stone face, or she can win any game at staring at someone. She is all full of giggles and smiles if...she knows and likes you. She is a typical Two Year Old, wants to do things by herself, and is talking and running all over the place. Every day we are getting more words from her. She almost has all the words to SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN memorized...guess who sings those every day? She and Angie play and fight together, they are typical sisters or I should say siblings. But Jenny always worries about Angie, so deep down I bet they will grow up to be close.

I have to admit, when I knew that we were going to have another grand child, I wondered how in the world I could possibly love another child like my Angie girl?  But... as soon as they placed this little red head ( yes, she came out with this color ) in my arms... MAGICICALLY my heart grew! That actually happened with each of my children too, funny how that is.

So we are grateful to have our sweet, funny, snuggly, stubborn, happy, smart and cute little Jenny in our lives! My heart melts when she comes in my door yelling for NANA! Yes, I am blessed to have these two sweet little red heads in my life and another sweet little baby coming soon...yes, life is good!

Good night dear friends!

 

" A grandchild fill a space in your heart that you never knew was empty."  ~ Unknown

"Children are born, traditions are passed and the LOVE continues on"  ~ Sharon Bibby

"There is more, much more, to being a redhead than the color of one’s hair." ~ G. Adam Stanislav,( red-haired )