I Stand Amazed.

I stand amazed at the way God works,

at His lessons and His plans;

I don't have a clue how anyone could doubt

that His ways are higher than man's.

I stand amazed at His sovereignty

at His ability to give and withhold.

He gives us things to strengthen our walk --

To go into the world and be bold.

I stand amazed at the way he discerns

What truly is best for us--

The fact of the matter: We may not always agree...

but to live in His will, we must!

I stand amazed at the gifts He gives

of people, places and things.

They all can be forms of encouragement

no matter what each day brings.

I stand amazed at how He speaks to others,

like when we need a hug or word from friend...

Yet He also leads us and helps us to know

When there are needs to which we should tend.

While I stand amazed at all these things....

which are gifts from God above

My prayer is that I never take them for granted

Because they are tangible gifts of His love!

The silly poem I posted the other day has gotten more comments than anything else this month. I started this one a while back, probably a month or so ago, and never finished it, so I thought I'd do so tonight. You didn't know what you were signing up for when you commented on the other one, did you??? :-)

What's yours?

Our Minister of Music preached our sermon tonight. It was titled, 'A SINGING Sermon.' He touched on points of 'The GREATNESS of God,' 'The LOVE of Jesus,' 'The POWER of His Spirit,' 'The PROMISES of God's Word,' 'The PRIVILEGE of Prayer,' 'The GLORY of Worship,' and 'The JOY of His Presence.' With each, he gave scripture then he had us sing choruses or parts of hymns that went along with each point. I don't know that I have ever heard or taken part in a sermon like that before, but it was absolutely fabulous. I was thinking on the way home about it all and got to thinking about my favorite scriptures...I have several, but here are a few:

Psalm 19:14
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer."

Psalm 51:9-12
"Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Romans 12:1-2
"I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing unto God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do no conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

and Hebrews 3:13
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

Scripture can be so personal, yet at times so general. Certain passages can mean so much at one point in life where we've never experienced a particular need before, then some scripture just transcends all life events and time. I was thinking that I don't think we've ever 'chatted' on our blogs about our favorite scriptures, so that leads me to the question....

'What's yours?'

The Concord Jubilee

Not much to report for today, but a fun day nonetheless. My friend Gina's husband is from Concord (a small town south of where I live) and they have the 'Concord Jubilee' down there during the third weekend in October every year. It's one of those small town fall craft fairs with lots of booths, lots of good food, and lots of nice people. I went with them for several years, then didn't go for several years just because it seemed like I was always busy during this weekend. Last year she mentioned they were going, so since she's one of those friends that I can just invite myself along to go with and no one minds, I did! It was a lot of fun, kinda like 'old times' or something; I kept pushing and asking if they were going back this year, so we did. Granted I could go by myself, but it's always more fun to go with someone else, plus I just love her in-laws and it's always nice to see them.

Tomorrow is a Pampered Chef party at my sister's at 2:00, so I'll miss out on my dearly loved Sunday afternoon nap since I'll have to be back at church at 5:00. It seems like the weekends just fly by!

I wish we could come up with a way to have a five day weekend and a two day work week, you know? :-)

More wise words...

"Be generous and understanding. Let no one come to you without feeling better and happier when they leave. Be the living expression of God's kindness: with kindness on your face...in your eyes...in your smile...in your warm greeting."

--Mother Teresa

Quality time

I got to spend time with two sweet girls tonight...my nieces! My sister called me today and said they were going to return something tonight she'd bought for Grace that didn't fit and run a couple of other errands if I wanted to hook up with them, so of course I did.

From the time Kate was a little thing, I would go to their house for dinner once a week, usually on Thursday night, then somewhere along the way, it turned into Tuesday nights. It was just something we did. It gave me GREAT time to spend with Kate each week and many times I would even put her to bed (bath, brushing teeth, reading, talking and all that entails) before I left. We had the opportunity to have such a solid base of time together during those years, then in 1999, along came Grace and after a while, things changed somewhat.

Oddly enough, Grace didn't have too much to do with me until she was about 2, so that was still great for me and Kate. I just thought that my relationship with Grace would be different...as indeed it is! I still went over once a week for dinner, after which my sister or brother-in-law would put Grace to bed, and I still had some fabulous time with Kate. As Kate is growing into a thoughtful, considerate, opinionated young woman, it thrills my soul that she still has time for her 'Aunt Dianne.' I can see that our relationship is changing a little, but she never hesitates to hug me, hang on me (although she IS as tall as I am now!), or just say, 'I love you' before we leave each other's company. Do I need to tell you how much I treasure that from a teenager?

Grace is just Grace. She's the funniest child I've ever known and she is a boss from the word 'go.' She is a helper....if you are doing anything at all, she wants to be right there helping you get it done. The days of her not wanting much to do with me are gone and she now just thrives on time with me and wants to spend the night with me all the time. Tonight was special though because this year, we've had to put some distance into my every week dinners at their house because she's got such anxieties about homework, tests, school, etc, that she just can't concentrate and get things done when I am there. I am the one that chose to put some distance there because my sister would get mad (and you know how it is when mama ain't happy!) and it just wasn't fun for anyone, so I've only seen them a little on the weekends when we've had time. It's been a little different, but fortunately, my sister has always allowed me to have as much time with them as we can possibly allow, so my relationships with them are fabulous no matter how much time we have or don't have together.

Actually, my sister had Grace tested a few months ago, maybe even last school year, and that is how they figured out her anxiety issues. She is seeing a counselor (for lack of a better word) every month or so to help give her some coping skills and the funny thing is that she comes away from that time saying, "You seem stressed....want me to tell you some ways to deal with that??" As I said, always a helper! It is so funny to hear advice like that coming from a third grader! :-)

So I say all that to say that tonight was different and fun...time with two girls who are just my heart and soul....and it doesn't get much better than that!

Girl Talk

My offering today is to point you to my friend Leanne's blog....I was hoping she would do this and she did! She posted about a Women's Ministry event we had at church last night....'Girl Talk.' It was a fabulous success, very well attended and very informative. I was sitting there thinking how much wisdom is out there from others if we will just take the time to ask. It was dinner and a question and answer time with a panel of women within our church from all walks of life. We gave out index cards as women arrived and told them to write down any questions they had for the panel, so once they were taken up, no one knew who had asked what and that worked fabulous. There was a wide range of questions...from marriage, child-rearing, singleness, dating, church involvement as a new member, etc...all areas of life. I was more than blessed.

Now, go read about it on Leanne's blog and let her know your thoughts to her question at the end. I'll be checking there to find out your answers.....maybe we can get our own forum going! Wouldn't that be great?

The "Lost Art..."

It's getting late....I was driving home tonight thinking, "I've got to post something!!!!!!" I'm hoping that Leanne will post about what we did tonight, so I'll save that for her....(hint, hint, my friend!)

First of all, let me say thanks for the great ideas to post about and thanks for all the kind words of encouragement! I am sure you will be seeing some of those suggestions put to type before too long, I just need time to think about what to say......

Here's what I'm thinking tonight.....I'm thinking about listening. To God. To ourselves. But most of all, to each other.

I found a quote by Dale Carnegie many years ago that goes like this, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." I was probably in my late teens or early 20's when I found that quote, but I thought I'd try putting it in to practice, and you know what....it really works! It works because we are starving for people we can be honest with, people we can share our heart with without feeling judged and people that we trust will not use what is shared with them at some point against us. And sometimes we just need people to simply listen. To be solid. To be supportive. To be a stable force when we need it.

I have a book in my room titled, "The Lost Art of Listening." I bought it several years ago and read about 1/4 of it back then, but I never finished it. For some reason, I've felt the 'tug' to read it again lately, so that is going to be my attempt. Hopefully it will help me hone my listening skills, and I'll pass on any tidbits that just astound me.

One thing I found just thumbing through it tonight....'There's a big difference between showing interest and taking interest.'

AMEN!

My 'half-way there' poem

I don't know what I was thinking when I said I'd post every day for a month! It seemed like a good idea at the time! :-) SO, in honor of being 'half-way there' I thought I'd make up a poem! :-)

I had no idea

how hard it would be

to post every day

about the life of me!

It seems a long time

yet it's only (been) 15 days...

Trying to do this every evening

puts my mind in a haze!

It's harder than I imagined

My thoughts are running thin

I'm trying to be original

but I'm in a tailspin!

Yet I'll keep plugging on

in order to keep my word and be kind

But if I say that I'll do this again

You'll know that I've lost my mind! :-)

I am kidding with this, of course...I know the pressure is self-imposed, but that's one thing I'm great at! I just wonder how original and interesting I can be for 15 more days! :-)

WAY out of my comfort zone!

Well, let's suffice it to say that I stretched W-A-Y out of my comfort zone tonight! Back in July, our Minister of Music called me one afternoon and said that he was wanting to put together a Sunday night Praise Team and wanted to know if I would be a part of it. After a bit of talking and finding out what he had in mind, I told him I would and he said we'd start practice in September....enough time to finish out any summer plans and get us past Labor Day. So about nine of us (give or take since we've not all been together to practice until tonight) have been practicing each Sunday afternoon before church and tonight was our first time out....UGH! It was really different in my mind when it was a couple of months away (!!), but all in all, although it was a rather large stretch, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and surprisingly enough, my hands weren't even shaky! :-) We did a hymn and a fellowship chorus tonight, but next week, we are supposed to sing one of the songs we've learned....I just hope that goes as smoothly as tonight did! You might mention that for me in your prayers!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am all about NOT being out front. I function better as and 'indian' and not a 'chief,' but since my sister first mentioned moving and I knew she was serious about it, my prayer has been, besides the fact that if it wasn't right for Kate and Grace that it wouldn't work out, that God would bring things into my life to fill the time that will be there once they have moved. He's begun filling these requests in ways I never could have imagined and through people He's brought into my life. He's given me a great opportunity to be involved in Women of Purpose at church and to build some great friendships there, He's gotten me involved in this praise team stuff and I am sure there are other things that will come along with time if I am just open to them.

So I went out of my comfort zone today....and lived to tell about it! :-)

Just thought I'd let you know! :-)

More awards....WOW!

How sweet was it of Lynne to leave a comment this morning and tell me I had an award at her blog to pick up? Needless to say, like we all do when we know we have an award waiting, I rushed right over to see what it was. This one is sweet because although I KNOW I fall short sooooo many times, it is given to bloggers "who live what they preach, who try to make the changes in their own lives that they would like to see in the world." I left Lynne a comment and told her that one of my favorite quotes is indeed, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I even have a rubber stamp with that quote on it in my stamp collection! All I try to do is be a good friend, a good sister, and a wonderful aunt and to be courteous, thoughtful and fair to everyone who crosses my path. Like I said, I know I fall short, but this my goal every day. Thank you Lynne for thinking of me and passing it my way. I am passing this one on to Karen, Amy, and Jill. I've enjoyed getting to know them through their blogs and can tell that they are awesome in their own sphere of influence. Thanks girls for making a difference!

This award made me giggle. I went to check out Amy's blog and found that she'd given me this one. I had to laugh because hers is such a FUN blog! I've probably posted about this before, but Amy and I share a love for Donny Osmond that evidently can't be topped! :-) I knew we were destined to be buddies from the day I happened upon her blog and she mentioned Donny in her sidebar. Kindred spirits, no doubt! Since then, have identified with her about several things she has shared and her blog is just a fun place. If you haven't been there yet, you need to check her out. I can see why you got this award Amy, you ARE totally fabulous! :-) If you hadn't passed it on to me, I would have passed it on to you! I'm passing this one on to Deedra, Jess, Lynne, Joan, and Tracey. The award title speaks for itself....so pass it on, girls!

If you've ever had a cat....

...you'll know how true this really is. My mom sent this to me today via e-mail, a .wmv file, and it was too funny to keep to myself. Without a doubt, THIS is Sweet Kitty (!!) and quite possibly my all-time favorite e-mail. Be sure your sound is turned up....and ENJOY! :-)

The blessings of contentment

One of my favorite things to do in life is to just hang out with friends, have fun and talk. I've had the opportunity to do that twice this week and I am thankful. I had dinner with my friend Joan and her sister, Christy, on Monday night, then on Tuesday, Christy e-mailed me to see if I wanted to go to the fair tonight down where their other sister, Gwen, lives. Of course, I said 'YES!' It had been absolutely forever since I'd been to a fair and it was so much fun! It was fun just being there, but it was fun to spend time with friends (Christy, Gwen, Christy's daughter Jessica and their Aunt Sybil) talking and enjoying each other's company too.

There were many times I spent (and many tears I shed) between the ages of 37 and 40 looking at what everyone else had and looking at the things I didn't have in life, coming to grips with the fact that I more than likely wasn't going to be blessed with children, realizing that I was going to have to make it on my own and just battling that feeling of loneliness in several areas of life. I know the scripture about being content in all circumstances and I know the scripture in 1 Corinthians about the unmarried not having divided interests, but none of that seemed to matter. It was an emotional thing, not a spiritual thing, so it took a while to work though. God knew what He was doing though...my 40th birthday was fabulous...a huge turning point for some reason...and I haven't looked back a day since. It's like I adopted 1 Corinthians 7:17 ("Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.") and applied it to to my life. The things I've read about this verse apply it to a vocation, but I felt it was applicable to my life in general. I needed to come to grips with where I was and 'turn it around,' so to speak. Since I've attempted to do that, I've come to fully realize that my singleness is, more often than not, a gift. Over time, it has allowed me to have a VERY active part in my nieces lives that I know I wouldn't have had if things were different; likewise it has afforded me the opportunity to have time in the lives of so many of my friends' children that I never would have had otherwise. It has given me the opportunity to build some wonderful, deep friendships that I may not have had the time to do otherwise. It has freed me up to be there when I've needed to be there for others and it has given me a huge opportunity for blessing and ministry in the lives of people, who often turn out to be friends, that God puts in my path. Being allowed all these things has blessed ME....I have been blessed FAR BEYOND what I could have imagined or expected and to be honest, I can't imagine having a life any different than the one I have. There are still times that I worry about my future, from a monetary standpoint mostly, but when I look at how far God has brought me these last few years....how far He has brought me in my relationships and in my trust in Him....I know He has that aspect of my life under control too.

I don't know how all that ties in to me being at the fair with friends tonight, except that I am just so grateful for the people and time to invest in relationships that God gives me, even in something fun like a trip to the fair!

God is good....all the time!

What to post about???

This is harder than I thought it would be! My hat is off to you ladies who do this every day and come up with interesting stuff! I've got a few things I'm thinking about, but haven't had time to think them through enough to post anything. I heard this song by Steven Curtis Chapman on the radio on the way home from church tonight though and loved the words, so here it is, for your listening pleasure. My prayer is that we all make the most of our 'moments.'

So much history...

It is amazing to me when I stop and realize how much history surrounds this place that I call 'home.' Kate's chorus was supposed to sing at this place called 'Nash Farms' on Saturday, but my sister had only mentioned it in passing, so I had no idea it was a big deal. When I talked to Patty, my sister, on Friday, I said, "I guess I'll talk to you sometime tomorrow," to which she said, "Aren't you coming to hear Kate sing tomorrow?" Well, of course, the answer was 'yes,' and I am SO glad I did.

When I got there, I found that it wasn't actually AT Nash Farms, but what the whole thing was about was a headstone dedication at a church close to Nash Farms for a man named John Pleasant Shaw Nash. I've been trying to find out about him online, but with the time crunch of posting every day (!!) what I've found so far is that he owned the land turned out to be the final battlefields of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign from Sept 2-5, 1864. His dad started a church here in 1883, the County Line Church (it still goes by that name!), and John owned and farmed property just up the road, what ended up being the battlefield property. As stated in the Henry County Times, a local newspapaper, "This park was the site of the largest cavalry raid in Georgia’s Civil War History and is the site of the final battle of the Atlanta Campaign." You can read about it all here and here. It sounds here like the Zachry Rangers weren't present for this battle but were in Virginia serving in the Army of Northern Virginia. No doubt, whether he was here or not, the battlefield got it's name and place in history for it's obvious significance.

Below is the front of the program for Saturday's dedication, Kate's chorus (which is normally much bigger, but this was a voluntary thing so I guess not many people felt compelled to show up), then some of the people dressed in period costumes as well as pictures of the headstones.

Lastly, I learned a little about where the story of 'Gone With the Wind' originated tonight too...very interesting! You can read that great story here.

Pretty fascinating stuff even if I do say so myself! :-)

The MOM

You have to listen close to hear it all, but it's all familiar! :-)



I don't think she left anything out, do you???

My first 'best friend'

I am one of those people who just LOVES a good quote. I am forever looking for them, buying those page-a-day calendars with quotes on them, etc. The other night, I was going through one that I had bought for this year, but haven't used (!!), and found a quote that I thought was fun. It made me think of one of the first two friends I have had for virtually my entire life. I wrote a post about one of them, Connie, a while back. We lost touch for a few years while we were growing up, so while she was the first friend I really ever had, this quote brought to mind another friend, Amy, who truly was my first 'best friend.' Here's the quote:

"There is no friend like someone who has known you since you were five."

-- Anne Stevenson

I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures of us when Amy and I were kids. She says we started living across the street from each other when she was two, which meant I was three, but I can't remember that. I just know she's always been there! Her parents divorced when we were young (I was probably about 6) and to this day, I remember sitting across the street playing with a stick, waiting on Amy to come out, and her dad was packing his car to leave. I didn't know any better, so I called out to him (nosey person that I am!), "Hey....Mr. (Amy's dad), where are you going?" He told me he was going fishing. That is the last I ever remember seeing him, and oddly enough that is the ONLY memory I have of him. Amy and I had so much fun together. We went to Brownies together, rode our bikes all over the neighborhood, had our secret crushes, played games....all the things that kids do. My family moved when I was nine and I think Amy's moved shortly thereafter, but we packed a LOT of fun into those years we had living across from each other and we've stayed in touch through the years. We realize what a special gift we were given in having such years together as children. It was just fun and I wish children could have that kind of fun these days.

Anyway, below are some pictures from 'way back when' and below that, a letter Amy wrote me just before they went somewhere one year....seems like it might have been California, but I could be SO wrong about that. Funny still to look at and read. If you'll notice the 'DH+BS ' at the top, the 'BS' meant Bobby Sherman! :-) Even now when I see Amy and she introduces me to someone, she tells me to "sing them some Bobby Sherman!!!"....Yeah right.....like I'm really gonna to do that!

Me and Amy

Amy and me in our Brownie uniforms

Me, Patty (my sister), Amy, and Shawn (a neighbor)

celebrating a birthday

Shawn, Amy, Me (back row)

Kelly, Patty and Scott on the front

The letter....such fun days!

(notice how she spelled 'swet shurt'...PRECIOUS!)

Wonder what I can come up with for tomorrow? :-)

WOW....another award! :-)

This post is a couple of days late in coming, but Karen passed this award on to me on Wednesday and I am just now getting around to passing it on. First of all, thank you for thinking of me Karen! I was surprised and totally humbled that you thought of me, no kidding. I enjoy your blog a lot too! As background, Karen and I have just recently connected in the blogging world in the last few weeks and if you haven't been to visit her, you need to go....NOW. (Well, maybe after you finish reading this post anyway....) She does some of the coolest things with her kids and shares great pictures. She has a fun blog. Definitely worth visiting again and again.

I know that I've said this before, but I feel like I post about such mundane things sometimes that it's hard to imagine that anyone is THAT encouraged, especially enough to warrrant an award (!!), but blogging is fun and I enjoy the friendships that have come from it, so I plan to keep plugging along. :-) I sincerely do appreciate the encouragement I get from those of you who read my blog and comment though and I want you to know that. There is a quote by William M Kinnairdthat I love:

"We are not placed on this earth to see through each other, but to see each other through."

Even though so many of us have not met, it's a great thing to be able to get insight and encouragement from so many places in the world. I have recently added the sitemeter thing to my blog and have found that there are literally people everywhere that take a peek whether they comment or not. THAT is amazing and humbling...first of all that they visit to begin with...but second of all that they come back for more! WOW! :-) Life holds a lot of things and gives us each a lot to deal with. One of the best things we can do is to help see each other through, no matter what the circumstances, just as the quote above states.

In passing this along, I really appreciate everyone who reads and comments, but I would have to say that my first thoughts go to Jean, Tonja, and Kat, in the blogging world because they really are thrilled when I post anything...and I DO mean anything! :-) Their comments make me grin, giggle and even laugh sometimes and they are not afraid to say that they care about whatever is going on. They are unabashed encouragers and I am grateful our lives have intersected through this venue. On a face to face, everyday personal level, I would have to say that this award needs to go to Leanne as well. I already knew her a little through church, but being involved in Women of Purpose this year has given me a fabulous opportunity to discover what a great person and friend she really is. We are forever finding that we feel the same way about things and that we have loads of stuff in common. It is great how God gives us who we really need in our lives, isn't it? One way we are different though....this is her comment to my last post, and it is SO true! HA! "Surprise, surprise! I took the little test and guess what, our result was exactly the same. Now the real question is, as we continue to discover our very similar characteristics, how can we be soooooooo different in the "fruffy" department??? Is there a neat quiz for that one?" I am definitely not 'fruffy'! That made me laugh out loud.....SO true! :-) If there is a quiz for that, let me know....I'd be interested.

So, my hat is off to each of you ladies. For your friendship and your encouragement, thank you.

'You lift me up,' and I am grateful.

A new effort

I've decided that I am going to try to do something different this month. I noticed last night that I have posted something every day this month so far...4 days in a row...HA!...so I thought I'd try to post something every day and see how long I can keep it up. Some days it may be good, some days so-so, maybe even yucky somedays, but I thought it would be fun to try.

For today I found the following on Karen's blog and thought I'd give it a shot...once again, no surprise....it's funny how accurate these things can be! (Except for the 'medicine' one...UGH! and if 'speech' includes public speaking, NO THANKS!) Go ahead...give it a try and see how yours turns out!

Your Scholastic Strength Is Evaluating

You are great at looking at many details and putting them all together. You are talented at detecting subtle trends, accuracy, and managing change. You should major in: Statistics Speech Conflict studies Communication Finance Medicine

What Should You Major In?

And just as an aside, I am still wanting to know your favorite songs for my iPod! :-)

AND, while you're here, don't forget to click the pink icon to your left....it's important. Thanks!

An Oldie but Goodie

With yesterday's ipod purchase (which I can already tell I am going to LOVE!), looking through the iTunes store tonight and thinking through all the CD's that I have, I particularly want to include songs that have meant something to me over time for one reason or another. I realize that sometimes it's been a short list and sometimes it's been a long list, but this song is on EVERY list: Carry On by Sandi Patty. It really ministered to me several years ago when it first came out and with all the challenges and ups and downs that life continues to hold on so many levels, it is just as powerful now as it was then.



I'd be interested to know some of your favorite songs so I can check them out too...I may need to include them as well! :-)

My latest purchase.

I finally did it...I broke down and bought an ipod today! I have been wanting one for months and have even been holding money I got for my birthday back in FEBRUARY (Hello! What's up with that???), but still couldn't make myself spend that much on it, even if it is 'free' money. As it turns out, I was short on cash a few weeks ago, so I had to use some of it....since it was just sittin' there, you know....and I didn't want that to happen to the rest of it, PLUS I really have been wanting an ipod for that long! I just decided today at work that the world was going to quit spinning if I didn't make this purchase today, so off I went to Best Buy. Of course, I got home tonight and forgot all about getting it charged up, so there it sits still in the box and it's almost time for bed! Life's funny like that, isn't it? Can't live without something one minute and forget all about it the next. It will be fun though, I have no doubt.

Now we'll just see if I can figure out how to get it all loaded up with music...hope it's not too hard to do! If you have any advice, suggestions or pointers, I'm ALL ears....

Another worthwhile truth

Along the lines of my post on July 26 titled 'Who's in Your Front Row?,' here's another story that packs a punch and holds a big lesson.....ENJOY!

Who Packs Your Parachute?

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”

“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”

Plumb thought of the man hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?” Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He calledon all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

As you go through this week, this month and this year, take time to recognize people who pack your parachute and at the same time, be sensitive to the people in your path whose parachute you can help to pack with a simple word of encouragement, a kind deed or some unexpected thoughtfulness.

We all need a lifeline.

A sweet visit

I had a sweet, unexpected visit today. I took a side road on the way home to keep from getting stuck in traffic, and who would I see just beyond the stop sign except Bev's daughter-in-law Gina, Gina's sister, and Bev's (and my) friend, Cindy...all pushing baby strollers on the way to the pumpkin patch just up the street at the Methodist church. I was thrilled to see them all doing something fun together, so I parked my car and went with them! It was a great chance to visit with friends and just be around children for a while. What I haven't shared in the events of the last week is that Bev's daughter-in-law, Gina, had a new baby last Thursday...two days after Bev's funeral. This baby was not due until the end of October and Bev had so wanted to see this child born, so it was a little bittersweet that it came so close to the time she died, but God has a plan and as it would turn out, this baby was born seven years to the day that Bev's cancer was diagnosed. I ran into Bev's son at lunch today and he said that even the birth time was within ten minutes of when Bev had her appointment to meet with her doctor seven years ago as well. It just continues to be an amazing and touching story. There are seven grandchildren in that family now, and surprisingly enough, the oldest just turned 3 yesterday! Can you imagine? Bev always told me that her prayer when she got cancer was just that God would let her see her grandchildren, and He did allow her to see all except the last one. I'm sure he's gonna be a special little guy....and they gave him a great name....Caleb Bevin!

Also, I posted a couple of months ago (July 30) about my friend Melanie's 20th anniversary with CFA. There was a photographer there and I had asked her about pictures a few days later. She said she would check and let me know. I have only thought about it occasionally since, usually while driving or at a time I couldn't ask or do anything about it, so you can imagine how happy I was when she e-mailed me a few pictures last week at work. I was elated to open the first one.....Bev, Melanie, me and Cindy. This was by far the best one of them all, and the ONLY one of the 4 of us. I had really even forgotten we'd had this picture taken....but I'm SOOOOOOO glad we did. Two short months ago. You just never know. I feel a post welling up within me about living with no regrets....so I'm sure that will be coming soon. Life certainly has lots of lessons.

For now, here's the picture.....which, needless to say, I LOVE! Happy times with sweet friends.

Can you believe how short I am? I never realize it until I see myself in pictures! HA!

10 things...

I was tagged by Jess at Bittersweet to play along with this meme..."10 things that make me smile." It sort of intrigued me because I really didn't know that I could come up with 10 things offhand that make me smile. I am a major thinker and ponderer though, so this challenge was right up my alley! I finally had the thought, "If something makes me smile, it has to be something that makes my heart really happy." It's taken me a little bit to come up with these things, but thinking about it that way made it seem a little easier for some reason, so here we go:

10 things that make me smile:

(and not necessarily in this order)

1. My sweet nieces

2. My goofy cat

3.Rain

4. Fall weather that is just around the corner

5. God's PERFECT timing

6. Getting home in the afternoon and seeing that

my grass has been cut (!!)

7. My wonderful friends

8. This one is silly, but hearing wind chimes

makes me smile for some reason! :-)

9. The thoughtfulness of others

(which can also make me cry!) :-)

10. The end of tax season every year (!!)

So there it is! Nothing profound, just a post that really made me have to think. If you read this, I'd love to have this glimpse into your life as well. If you will play along, leave me a comment so I can go check out your blog too!

Life

“Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.”
Henri Frederic Amiel (Swiss writer known for his masterpiece Journal intime, 1821-1881)

Amazing Grace (my chains are gone)

We've been practicing this song for weeks in choir and sang it this past Sunday morning in church. I know it is applicable to all of us who are Christians, but it was hard, at least for me, because somehow on the heels of Bev's death, it seemed extra-poignant, extra-powerful and extra-meaningful...'my chains are gone, I've been set free.'

A Tribute

Just a word of thanks to those of you who have offered prayers for my sweet friend Bev and her family when I've mentioned them these last few months. Bev passed away this afternoon and as much as I know I have bragged on her, her testimony and her brave fight against cancer, I wanted to share the e-mail her husband sent after her death....again, another testament to a life well lived and a God who is faithful.

Hello:
Bev passed away today (Friday) at about 4:30pm. All of our family was at her bedside and we witnessed the entire 23 Psalm and we saw Bev walk fearlessly through the valley of the shadow of death. An amazing wife, mom, friend and Mimi. We will follow-up quickly with funeral celebration plans. Her last words were "To God be the Glory!"

Thanks for all your prayers.........God is Good and Great!

Blessings on You

The picture above was taken one month ago when they were on an extended family vacation in Florida and looking at it now, God was SO good to give their family that time together. They did not know then that cancer had gotten to Bev's liver. I went to see her this past Monday and prints of this picture were by the door for visitors as a thanks for their (our) prayers through the years. I met Bev through another friend when I was 11 or 12 years old, then we grew to be friends as I became an adult as well. Little did I know as a child what an influence she would have on my life as an adult! God has been good to bless me with her friendship. She has left an amazing legacy and I am proud to count her as a friend.

I can only imagine what she must be experiencing now!

Bev's life is one of the many reasons I ask you to click this link often!

Inquiring minds want to know....

In comments from my last post regarding the Middle Name Meme, a couple of people asked my first name, so below is a repost from August 2006:

This is from the wedding I went to on Saturday night....the end of my busy week. It is a picture of my mom (on the right) and her friend Brenda, one of her best friends that I am named after. (The other person I am named after is Brenda's sister, Dianne....so I'm Brenda Dianne....cool, huh?) Anyway, it was a very nice wedding...absolutely HUGE, but very nice. Unfortunately Brenda's husband died last March, so the bride's nephew gave her away. That was both extremely sweet and sad at the same time....my sister didn't even need to look at me, she just passed the tissues! Good thing she knows me so well!

Anyway, my mom sent me this picture tonight, so I thought I would post it along with a funny story from when they were teenagers. My mom didn't have the best home life with my grandparents, so she spent LOADS of time with Brenda and her family growing up. One time when they were teenagers, before they could drive, they were in the car with Brenda's mom, Mrs Bowman and they asked her to drive by the house of this guy that was good looking and they sort of liked. Well, this guy lived in a cul-de-sac and was out in the yard cutting grass, so my mom and Brenda both hit the floorboard to hide so they wouldn't be seen as Mrs Bowman went down there to turn around. Brenda was yelling at her mom (rather anxiously!), "Just turn around....turn around mama!" So, here's what Mrs Bowman does...she rolls down the window and hollers, "David....DAVID....I have Brenda and Anna Jean over here hiding in the floorboard. They just wanted to drive by and say 'hey'!" Brenda is, in the meantime yelling at her mom, 'MAMA!!!......Just go!' If my memory serves me correctly, he came over and poked his head in the window and spoke to them! This story STILL makes me laugh to this day. Brenda's spirit is infectious and I just adore her, but with a mom like that, it is easy to see where that comes from! I was glad to get a chance to visit with Brenda and her mom last night. I asked my mom how old Mrs Bowman is now and my mom said she has to be at least 81 or so, but she still looks great, has a sharp mind and has her fantastic sense of humor. If I get a picture of her via e-mail, may post it too just because I love her and want to.

Are YOU named after anyone?

An award, a meme and a prayer

I don't even know what to say to this. It's nice to get such an award from friends I haven't even met yet! I got this award on Monday from someone I have just recently learned reads my blog, Joan, then my friend Jean passed this award on to me on Tuesday. WOW! Who knew?? I have a hard time knowing WHAT to post sometimes, but to think that people actually smile and enjoy it....that is humbling! The idea is to pass it on to others who make ME smile, so I'm passing it on to Amy. Her blog is one that I randomly found and I loved her the minute I read she was a Donny Osmond fan too! I am also passing this award on to my friend Leanne although I know she has more on her plate than is humanly possible to cope with and may not have the time to pass it on. Just know Leanne that you are dear friend and that this award has been well-deserved. You've been an awesome friend these last several months.

Second, Tonja passed on a 'Middle Name Meme' to me this past Wednesday. The rules are as follows:

"You have to post these rules on your blog. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you do not have a middle name, choose one you would like to have. When tagged, write your own blog post containing your middle name facts. At the end, choose one person to tag for each letter of your middle name. Then leave them a comment telling them they have been tagged."

Of course, you would know my middle name is Dianne, so here goes:

D -- dog-gone tired right now!
I -- intrigued by the things God is putting my life these days
A -- always grateful for my nieces! :-)
N -- not perfect (ummm.....AMEN!)
N -- never too busy if a friend is in need (or I try not to be too busy anyway)
E -- empathetic (please notice 'EM' in front of 'pathetic'! :-) )

I am tagging Kat and my new friend Karen for this one, so 'you go girls!' and good luck! This one is kinda hard!

Lastly, I would ask you to pray for my friend Bev who I have mentioned from time to time on my blog. She is an AWESOME woman and someone I am honored and priviledged to count as a friend. She found out she had breast cancer what will be 7 years ago at the end of this month and while this cancer has gone to her uterus, lung, heart and bones through the years, it is now in her liver and her prognosis doesn't appear to be very good. God can do anything though and none of her family and friends are losing sight of that, but please say a prayer for her and her family if you read this and if they come to mind any other time. My heart is heavy for them, but Bev is a Christian as are her husband and children, so that is one major good thing. It's just difficult to think about. I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Thank you!

Let me just say....

I am not a political person, but this was evidently part of a Republican debate recently...and here's what I have to say about this...'WOW!' I LOVE his answers!

I'm lovin' this!

Market Place Moments: Appreciation, by Michele Howe


Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50 TNIV).

"The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere. One comes from the heart out; the other from the teeth out." (Dale Carnegie in "How to Win Friends and Influence People")

There is something wonderfully enigmatic about sensing that another person notices your efforts -- weak attempts though they may be -- and kindly expresses such recognition with even a single word of thankfulness. One paltry word, even? Yes. A mere word can make or break a person's spirit.

On any given day, individuals, young and old, from every life background have an inner, and frequently unidentified, hunger for a bit of expressed goodwill. Dale Carnegie knew this secret over fifty years ago and spent his life reminding others that all people have this need. It's a "craving" to receive validation for their accomplishments, their purpose, and their very person. Carnegie notes that, "... the rare individual who honestly satisfies this heart hunger will hold people in the palm of his or her hand."

Cynics may grouse that there's a fine line between appreciation and flattery or between affirmation and manipulation. Well, it isn't so. Flattery is simply verbal manipulation that benefits the speaker alone. The words may be true or not, that's not the point. Flattery is about the one speaking it and his or her gain, not about the person receiving a false or exaggerated compliment.

Cynics may grouse!

Appreciation runs deeper. It marks another's actions or attitudes and sees the benefit in the attempts ... no matter how insignificant. Real appreciation also alters both the speaker and the recipient, for the good. It spawns renewed vision, encourages continued efforts, and lights a fire for ongoing perseverance toward excellence.

Perhaps the most significant difference between flattery and appreciation is that one offers life in abundance while the other signals an inner death knell to the listener. People instinctively know if they're being schmoozed and it's always an ugly thing.

The question then is how to offer praise genuinely when someone is glaringly lacking from every visible vantage point. Again, wise and resourceful Carnegie offers this quote as a starting point for zeroing in on others' strengths, hidden though they might be: "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Wise words and utterly true.

In short, as we practice the art of identifying people's strengths and offer words of consistent appreciation, we will take part in their success. This will naturally spill over positively, affecting countless others. Today, begin focusing on the strong points of people and then commit to communicating daily sincere appreciation to all. These few powerful words, which cost us so little, will be treasured by the recipient long after we've forgotten them, and there's nothing insincere about it.

---------
(c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published
by Josey-Bass. A Wiley Imprint. 989 Market Street. San Fransisco,
CA 94104-174. www.joseybass.com

The whirlwind

I realize I have not cornered the market on being busy, but these last several days have just been a whirlwind of activity and I haven't even had time to check blogs, much less post anything!

After that Women of Purpose meeting last Thursday night (which is practically the last time I posted!), Friday and Saturday night, my friend Gina and I babysat three children for some friends that went away for a few days. They have a 3rd grader and a set of twins that are in first grade. I'm tellin' you, if you haven't spent 48 hours in that world, you don't know what you're missin'! Friday night was fine....we just ordered pizza, played, then Gina had bought some make-up for them, so we let them play around with all that. Bet you can't guess how long it took for them to want to do a makever on ME, huh? I haven't figured out how Gina got out unscathed! I was a sight to behold, trust me! She took a picture with her phone, but neither of us know how to download it. In the event we figure it out, I'll post it. No sense in my friends missing out on such a sight!

On Saturday, they all had football games to cheer at. The twins cheer for the same team, so we had to be there by 8:40 on Saturday morning. After that, we went to their house, let them change clothes, then we headed out for lunch and to the second game which we had to be at by 1:30. You would know that the second game went into overtime (!!), so we left there about 4:30 or so, made a quick stop by the store, came by here to check on my cat (she's spoiled and not used to me being away....although she hid under my bed and behind my washer while we were here because she's afraid of everyone), then we stopped by Wal-Mart for some Funny Foam for them to play with in the bathtub. They were playing with shaving cream the night before during the make-up event and I asked them if they'd ever had any Funny Foam. They said they hadn't, so I told Gina we had to find some Funny Foam on Saturday. Anyway, we got home, painted some Halloween masks their grandmother had bought for them, ate dinner, then it was time for bath....the Funny Foam was fabulous! Since they'd never seen or played with it, they were in heaven! After that, we watched a Disney movie, then it was time for bed. I slept like a rock!

Sunday, we got everyone up, fed and out the door to church. We were even there early, believe it or not, and we'd even gone by Gina's house to pick up her son and drove him through somewhere to get breakfast! It is amazing because when I have just me to get ready, I am borderline late, but when there are 3 kids involved, somehow it works! :-) Anyway, after lunch, we went back to their house and I gathered my stuff to leave because I had to be back at church by 5:00, so Gina took them swimming at her house before taking them back home and leaving them with their grandmother. I was so glad to get home after church Sunday night and just 'be.'

I got home last night and had a couple of projects I needed to work on for church, then it was almost time for bed. I have several things to get done tonight as well, but I wanted to just post a note so the few that read this wouldn't think I had dropped off the face of the earth! I enjoy being busy, but this last month has been kinda ridiculous!

(Don't forget to click......)

Dependence

"Lord, cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You” (Psalm 143:8). I know that when I try to run the race without You, I get off course. Thank You that even if I become weak and stumble, You will help me to rise again and continue on. And though I can’t see exactly where I am going, I’m certain that You can and will enable me to get to where I need to be. Thank You, Lord, that You are teaching me how to walk in total dependence upon You, for I know therein lies my greatest blessing.

--JUST ENOUGH LIGHT FOR THE STEP I'M ON by Stormie Omartian

Coffee cups

We had a wonderful Women of Purpose dinner meeting tonight to start getting things lined up for the luncheon we are having on November 10. It is going to be fabulous, but while we were finishing up dinner, coffee was being served and the talk turned to the great coffee cups that were used. It reminded me of this story I read before and I asked one of the friends I was sitting by, Michelle, if she'd ever heard or read this story about the coffee cups. She hadn't, so I told her I'd post it here. It was a good lesson the first time I read it, but it just gets better every time....probably because it's true!

Good Coffee
(Author Unknown)

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee!"

My sidebar and a HUGE favor...

Once again, my friend Leanne had a great thing on her blog yesterday. It was a request to go to a website and click on a link to provide free mammograms for women who may not be able to afford it. I went there and they had icons that can be added so blog sidebars, so I picked one and added it to mine. The website is easy to get to, literally a click away using the link to your left, so I am asking anyone who reads this blog, any and every time you read it, to take a minute to go to this site. There is a 'Click here to give' button once you get there, so you can't miss it. I have a sweet friend who has been battling this disease for what will be 7 years at the end of this month. It has literally traveled all over her body and she's in the hospital even now battling this dreaded foe. With that being said, I know many of you have also been touched by this disease yourself or dealt with it through the life of a friend or family member. This cause is near and dear to my heart. We just can't do enough...but if 5 seconds of time can help to save a life, it's definitely worth it.

Look for this icon every day

and help save a life!

THANK YOU!

Trapper

There is absolutely ZERO worth to this post, it's just funny. This picture is OLD...I mean like probably 25 years old! His name is 'Trapper' and he's a cat I had when I still lived at home with my parents. He cracked me up and I had to take his picture when I saw him trying to get his own food out of the bag one day because we were bad parents. You can see his empty food pan sitting right there beside him! :-) I left him at my parents when I moved out and he lived to be about 18 years old. That's a long time for an outdoor cat! :-) He was a sweetie!

Anyway, I've spent the day cleaning out JUNK from this 'office' room that I have and this picture is above my radio in here...my current cat came in to check things out and I saw it when I picked her up to give her some love. It just made me laugh so I thought I'd post it. It's good for a giggle if nothing else!

If no one else is gonna feed ya, ya gotta feed yourself, huh?

Lifesong

Okay...I couldn't bear to take the pictures of Kate off my blog yet, so I added them to my sidebar with a link. No telling how many pictures I may have over there by the time it's all said and done! I know I need to move on eventually though, so I might as well do it with something that is a blessing, huh? This is definitely it.

One of the talented young women in our youth group sang this song this morning in church. I had heard her sing it before on a Sunday night, so I was thrilled when I knew she'd be singing it again this morning. I wish there were some way for me to post her singing it. There's just not a way to do that, but it's definitely worth the the listen...

Lifesong, by Casting Crowns: