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