* christian sisters

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ, that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living', I'm whispering, 'I was lost, now I'm found & forgiven'.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble & need Christ to be my guide.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak & need His strength to carry on.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I've failed & need God to clean my mess.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I'm worth it.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I still feel the sting of pain. I've my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

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When I say, "I'm a Christian", I'm not holier than you, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

* the law of the garbage truck!

One day I hopped in a taxi & we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded & missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around & started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled & waved at the guy & I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car & sent us to the hospital!" This's when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.

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He explained that, "many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger & full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it & sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well & move on. Don't take their garbage & spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

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The bottom line's that successful people don't let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life's ten percent what you make it & ninety percent how you take it!"

* marbles

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone & feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I'm a pushover for creamed peas & new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) & the ragged boy next to me. "Hello Barry, how are you today?" "H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good." They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?" "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time." "Good. Anything I can help you with?" "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas." "Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller. "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with." Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?" "All I got's my prize marble here." "Is that right? Let me see it", said Miller. "Here 'tis. She's a dandy." "I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one's blue & I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked. "Not zackley but almost.'' "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you & next trip this way let me look at that red marble." Mr. Miller told the boy. "Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller." "Mrs. Miller, who'd been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles & they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all & he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store." I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

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A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys & their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I'd occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community & while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening & knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased & to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform & the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits & white shirts, all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed & smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her & moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly & placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in th e casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller, I told her who I was & reminded her of the story from those many years ago & what she'd told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand & led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size, they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world, she confided, but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho" With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband & resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

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The Moral: We'll not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life's not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

* hand sanitizer [didn't happen to our family]

Yesterday, my youngest daughter, Halle who's just 4 years old, was rushed to the ER by her father for being severely lethargic & incoherent in her classroom. He was called to her school by the school secretary who said that she was 'VERY VERY SICK'! He told me that when he arrived at her classroom, Halle was barely sitting in the chair. She couldn't hold her own head up & when he looked into her eyes, she couldn't focus them. He immediately scooped her up & rushed her to the closest ER & then called me. When he got there, they ran blood test after blood test & did x-rays, every test imaginable. Her white blood cell count was normal, nothing was out of the ordinary. When I arrived at the ER, the doctor there told us that he'd done everything that he could do so he was transferring her to Saint Francis Hospital for further tests. Right as we were leaving in the ambulance, her teacher arrived at the ER & told us that after questioning Halle's classmates, she'd found out that our little girl had licked liquid hand sanitizer off of her hands! Hand sanitizer, of all things, but it makes sense. These days they have all kinds of different scents & flavors & when you've a curious child, they're going to put all kinds of things into their mouths. When we arrived at the Saint Francis' Hospital ER, we told the ER doctor there to check her blood alcohol level & yes we did get weird looks, but they did it. The results showed her blood alcohol level was 85% six hours after we first took her. There's no telling what it'd have been if we'd have requested it at the first ER. Since then, her school & a few surrounding schools have taken the liquid hand sanitizers out of all the lower grade classes, but what's to stop middle & high schoolers from ingesting this stuff? After doing research on the Internet, we found out that it only takes about 3 squirts of the stuff ingested to be fatal to a toddler. For her blood alcohol level to be so high, it'd be like someone her size drinking 120 proof liquor. So PLEASE PLEASE don't disregard this because we don't ever want another family to go through what ours has gone through. Please send this to everyone you know that have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins. It doesn't matter what age. This could affect anyone of them. This story was verified at: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp

* is your bible, like your cell phone?

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we used it to receive messages from the text? What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? What if we gave it to kids as gifts? What if we used it when we traveled? What if we used it in case of emergency?

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This' something to make you go.....hmm.....where's my Bible? Oh & one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop & think 'where are my priorities & no dropped calls!

* the old man & his syndrome

Two medical students were walking along the street when they saw an old man walking with his legs spread apart. He was stiff-legged & walking slowly. One student said to his friend, "I'm sure that poor old man has Peltry Syndrome. Those people walk just like that." The other student says, "No, I don't think so. The old man surely has Zovitzki Syndrome. He walks slowly & his legs are apart just as we learned in class." Since they couldn't agree they decided to ask the old man. They approached him & one of the students said to him, "We're medical students & couldn't help but notice the way you walk, but we couldn't agree on the syndrome you might have. Could you tell us what it is?" The old man said, "I'll tell you, but first you tell me what you two fine medical students think." The first student said, "I think it's Peltry Syndrome." The old man said, "You thought.....But you are wrong." The other student said, "I think you have Zovitzki Syndrome." The old man said, "You thought.....But you are wrong." So they asked him, "Well, old timer, what do you have?" The old man said, "I thought it was GAS.....But I was wrong, too!"

* rose buds

A teenage granddaughter comes downstairs for her date with this see-through blouse on & no bra. Her grandmother just pitched a fit, telling her not to dare go out like that! The teenager tells her! "Loosen up Grams. These are modern times. You gotta let your rose buds show!" & out she goes. The next day the teenager comes down stairs & the grandmother's sitting there with no top on. The teenager wants to die. She explains to her grandmother that she has friends coming over & that it's just not appropriate. The grandmother says, "Loosen up, Sweetie. If you can show off your rose buds, then I can display my hanging baskets".

* scars *

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida , a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks & shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer & closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed & made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim & shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks & weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. Then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go.'

ADHD awareness week september 13-20

ADHD awareness week is september 13-20,

but ADHD awareness day is september 19

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"No," "Stop," & "Don't touch" appear to mean nothing to children with ADHD [due to their poor self-monitoring skills].
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Children with ADHD are sometimes overbearing with peers. They can't keep their hands to themselves & tend to poke, grab hit & touch other children. This aggressive behavior may result in physical fights with classmates, neighborhood children & siblings.
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ADHD children simply do not stop to think before they finish through with a thought [ie: They were told to not go outside...an ADHD child hears the rule, understands it, confirms he/she understands it, then quickly & without any thought, they go outside. When asked 'why', they have no reply, because they truly do not know.]
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Resorting to punishments such as putting soap or hot sauce in a childs mouth for sassing, spitting & speaking inappropriately will not teach compliance. Spankings also will not teach compliance for a child with ADHD, but in turn make the child more angry. For instance, spanking an ADHD child teaches that it is acceptable to hit others when angry.
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Many children with ADHD have great difficulty paying attention. This means they have difficulty filtering out unimportant stimuli. ADHD children left alone or unattended, usually ends in the child doing an act that he/she normally would not have done.
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Many children with ADHD tend to act younger than their chronological age. They usually are immature & as a result, tend to play better with younger children, often because they cannot successfully do what their peers do.
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ADHD children tend to be very bossy [telling others how to play the game & insisting it be done their way], pesty & annoying [teasing & harassing]. They may throw HUGE temper tantrums when they don't get their way & be prone to fighing, arguing endlessly, lying & cheating. They may attemt & make friends, but are usually unable to keep them.
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A child with ADHD may consistently interrupt conversations [because he/she's afraid they might forget what they want to say] or not pay attention to what others are saying.
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Although an ADHD child will recognize the consequences of an earlier behavior, it does not necessarily mean he/she can prevent it from happening again in the future. Remember that a child with ADHD is often impulsive & lack any ability to control themselves in many situations.
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Often ADHD children view their self esteem as poor compared to their siblings, classmates & friends, thus their self esteem plunges even lower. They hear the frustration in their parents' voices. They regard themselves as bad, or trouble makers & often see themselves as stupid [sometimes because a parent implies or tells them they are] & different from other children. They can not & should not be compared to other children in or near their age that do not have ADHD.
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After a recent study in the state of Virginia, it showed that people need an average of 4-8 hugs daily for our bodies to maintain, survive & grow. An ADHD child needs a minimum of 1 per hour [24+ daily].
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ADHD children typically have problems with fine motor skills &/or gross motor skills. Children with poor fine motor skills may have problems with writing, drawing & coloring, for instance. It is not unusual for some 4th graders to be still drawing stick people, much like the ones 4-year-olds draw. Their coloring may still be uneven & they can rarely stay within the illustration's lines.
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ADHD children tend to be very clumsy & uncoordinated.
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ADHD children will more times than not, have nighttime wetting & still be in diapers at night. Bedtime wetters are often very sound sleepers.
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Taking a timed test for most ADHD children is impossible because they work much slower than the average child. It takes them longer to get started on a project, to process the information, to organize needed materials & complete assignments. They need/require more time than their peers simply because they are not able to attend to the task in the same manner as the student who does not have ADHD.
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ADHD is difficult to understand, but it is important that parents keep the characteristics of ADHD in mind when dealing with their child. While many children with ADHD might not exhibit all symptoms, some do & it is imperative that parents identify those symptoms their child displays. Parents & other caregivers simply cannot compare a child who has ADHD with other children & treat them the same. It is unfair to the child with ADHD. Never forget that ADHD is a developmentally disabling condition, in which many cases will last a lifetime.
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For an ADHD child, what works one day with them, will not work the next & they can be so unpredictable. One week they are great, the next two weeks they're awful & then suddenly they're great again.
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They are often destructive, often noncompliant & forever getting into things the average child their age wouldn't even notice or be interested in. They are unable to see a relationship between cause & effect.
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ADHD children must have strict schedules & structure!
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When they've done something that's unacceptable, give them 1 warning [ie: even though you told them yesterday not do ride in the road, when they do it the following day, they still need & must have 1 warning as was stated above, they are unable to see a relationship between cause & effect]. Share this method with other children in the household so they will understand ahead of time why the ADHD child always gets 1 warning & they do not.
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Praise your child each time you see him/her doing something right. Watch for appropriate behaviors & praise as often as possible. They have shorter attention spans, so explanations must be simple & few words & praise must come often.
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ADHD children must be supervised almost constantly.
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Most children can be told the rules of the home & will apply those to their lives with minimal opposition, but an ADHD child cannot handle having all the rules told to them at once. They can only handle 1 or 2 at a time & nothing more, until those are mastered as it boggles their minds.
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Not to brand your child as 'a child with ADHD', but those that they'll be in contact with continually, need to know [ie: school, peers, neighbors, friends, family, etc.]. In doing so your child will not be labeled as a troublemaker, a spoiled brat, a space head, weird, or whatever name people may choose to use.
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Try to always encourage your child's strength, rather than criticizing their challenges.
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Remind your ADHD child of the house rules daily & do not assume since you told them once, they know...because they don't!
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ADHD children need 'hands on' [ie: rubbing their back, holding their hand, sitting them on your lap, etc.] in almost every situation.
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"As a parent of 2 children with ADHD [both girls ages 9/Lauren & 4/Amy], it is absolutely the most exhausting task of anything I have ever dealt with before. They are the only 2 children we have, so people might assume, I've got everything covered & have easier days the older they get, but that's just not the case. This is by far the hardest 'job' I've ever had & every day gets harder, not easier. The older they get, the more their ADHD comes into play. Some days I feel like I can't go on & feel totally overwhelmed by all I've had thrown at me [sometimes literally], but I go on...for them. I feel like a horrible mother when I'm out with my girls & get the raised eyebrows from those onlookers that do not have a clue what it is like to walk in my shoes for the day. All I can say to them is, "put your nose back where it needs to be & walk in my shoes for a bit & you will surely see that even though my shoes might not be a great fit, they are what I've been given to walk out my life in, so strap 'em on & get to walking, then see how well you do...being me!" BJ, Virginia Beach, Virginia

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kiara, you've taught me so much, but have so much more to teach me through your adhd - i'm here for you through it all & will be by your side even when you're yelling, growling & kicking me, we'll work through it together - you're the light of my life & i love you more than words can say - you're a special little lady, that god plopped into my life & i thank him for you daily - you're special & loved, more than you know...mommy

- WE'VE A NEW ADDRESS -

I knew you'd want to know that I've moved out from Beggars Alley, located at 2 Poverty Lane at the corner of Down & Out Circle . As of today, I've a brand new home. My new address' in Living Well at 231 Abundance Terrace , located at the corner of Blessings Drive & Prosperity Peak. It's in the God Can neighborhood. No longer will I allow myself to travel to the other side of town on Begging Peter to Pay Paul Route, located at a dead end intersection called I Don't Have, which connects with Borrowers Junction! I no longer hang out at Failure's Place, near Excuses Avenue, next to Procrastination Point. I've moved to an upscale community called Higher Heights with unlimited potential & opportunities for me to succeed. I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me! Life's good because God's good! Care to change your address? There are many vacancies! Geat is thy faithfulness oh Lord! I'm well blessed, in spite of temporary circumstances! (& so are you) Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell your storms how big your God is!

- THE SWIMSUIT -

When I was a girl in the 1940's & 50's, the bathing suit for the mature figure was boned, trussed & reinforced, not so much sewn, as engineered. They were built to hold back & uplift & they did a good job. Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure carved from a potato chip. The mature woman has a choice. She can either go up front to the maternity department & try on a floral suit with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus who escaped from Disney's Fantasia, or she can wander around every run of the mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designer range of florescent rubber bands. What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice & entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room. The first thing I noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a
slingshot, which give the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you're protected from shark attacks as any shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash. I fought my way into the bathing suit, but as I twanged the shoulder strap in place, I gasped in horror! My boobs had disappeared! Eventually, I found one boob cowering under my left armpit. It took a while to find the other, but at last I located it flattened beside my seventh rib. The problem is that modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman's meant to wear her boobs spread across her chest like a speed bump. I realigned my speed bump & lurched toward the mirror to take a full view assessment. The bathing suit fit all right, but unfortunately it only fit those bits of me willing to stay inside it! The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom & sides. I looked like a lump of play dough wearing undersized cling wrap. As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent sales girl popped her head through the curtain, 'Oh, there you are,' she said, admiring the bathing suit. I replied that I wasn't so sure & asked what else she had to show me. I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, & a floral two piece which gave the appearance of an oversized napkin in a serving ring. I struggled into a pair of leopard skin bathers with ragged frills & came out looking like Tarzan's Jane, pregnant with triplets & having a rough day. I tried on a black number with a midriff & looked like a jellyfish in mourning. I tried on a bright pink pair with such a high cut leg I thought I'd have to wax my eyebrows to wear them. Finally, I found a suit that fit....a two-piece affair with a shorts style bottom & a loose blouse-type top. It was cheap, comfortable & bulge-friendly, so I bought it. My ridiculous search had a successful outcome, I figured. When I got home, I found a label which read, "Material might become transparent in water." So, if you happen to be on the beach or near any other body of water this year & I'm there too, but l’ll be the one in jean shorts & a T-shirt!

- IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN -

If you give a mom a muffin,

she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

So she'll pour herself some.

The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor,

she'll find some dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over some snow boots & bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her

she has to plan supper for tonight

She'll get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook

(101 Things To Make With a Pound of Hamburger).

The cookbook's sitting under a pile of mail

She'll see the phone bill which's due tomorrow

She'll look for the checkbook.

The checkbook's in her purse

that's being dumped out by her two year old.

Bending down to scoop up the contents already on the floor,

she'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two year old.

While she's changing the two year old

the phone will ring. (Of course!)

Her five year old will answer it & hang up.

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend

to come over for coffee on Friday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her

that she was going to have a cup.

She'll pour herself some,

& chances are, if she has a cup of coffee,

her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

- BBQ RULES -

we're certainly into the BBQ season - therefore it's important to refresh our memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity - when a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

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Routine...

(1) the woman buys the food

(2) the woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables & makes dessert

(3) the woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils & sauces & takes it to the man who's lounging beside the grill

(4) the woman remains outside the compulsory three metre exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone & other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman

(5) the man places the meat on the grill

(6) the woman goes inside to organize the plates & cutlery

(7) the woman comes out to tell the man that the meat's looking great

(8) the man takes the meat off the grill & hands it to the woman

(9) the woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauce & brings them to the table

(10) after eating, the woman clears the table & does the dishes

(11) everyone praises the man & thanks him for his cooking efforts

(12) the man asks the woman how she enjoyed her 'night off' & upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women

- A FATHER & A SON -

after a few of the usual sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit & before he gave his sermon for the evening, he briefly introduced a guest who was in the service that evening - in the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends & that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church & share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service - with that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit & began to speak - a father, his son & a friend of his son, were sailing off the pacific coast, he began - when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore - the waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright & the 3 were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized - the old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with 2 teens who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story - the aged minister continued with his story - grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life...to which boy would he throw the other end of the life line - he only had seconds to make the decision - the father knew that his son was a christian & he also knew that his son's friend was not - the agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves - as the father yelled out, "i love you son!" he threw out the lifeline to his son's friend - by the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night - his boy was never recovered - by this time, the 2 teens were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old ministers mouth - the father, he continued, knew his son would step into eternity with jesus & he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into eternity without jesus - therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend - how great is the love of god that he should do the same for us - our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved - i urge you to accept his offer to rescue you & take a hold of the lifeline he is throwing out to you in this service - with that, the old man turned & sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room - the pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit & delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end - however, no one responded to the appeal - within minutes after the service ended, the 2 teens were at the old mans side - "that was a nice story", politely stated one of them, "but i don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a christian" - "well, you've got a point there", the old man replied, glancing down at the worn bible - a big smile broadened his narrow face - he once again looked up at the boys & said, "it sure isn't very realistic, is it? - but i'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for god to give up his son for me - you see...i was that father & your pastor is my son's friend."

- JUST KEEPING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE -

I hear a mother complain about her child 'talking back to her' & think...

I wish my child could talk.

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I see two brothers playing tag at the park & think...

I wish my child could do that.

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I hear a mother complain about her daughter's choice of wardrobe & think...

I wish my child could choose & dress himself.

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I see my son line up his legos & think...

I wish he would build something with them.

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I complain about my child's picky eating...

& think about all the children who have to be fed through tubes.

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I see my child climbing on the table...

& think of the children who can't walk or climb.

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I see a child with leukemia & think...

at least my child's physically healthy.

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I receive from & give hugs to my son...

& think of the mothers who've never received a hug from their child.

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I hear my son say "Mama" for the first time...

& I thank God.

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I look at my son & am in awe at the beautiful gift God's given me. God only gives us as much as we can handle. Sometimes it seems as though we cannot cope with all the struggles, but we must remember we're CHOSEN as strong parents of VERY Special children.

- JUST A MOM -

A woman, renewing her driver's license, was asked by the woman at registry to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is", explained the woman at registry, "do you have a job or are you just a ...?" "Of course I have a job", snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom". "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it", said the recorder emphatically. I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation.

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The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient & possessed of a high sounding title like, 'Official Interrogator' or 'City Registrar'. "What is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it?, I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development & Human Relations". The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair & looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. "Might I ask", said the clerk with new interest, 'just what you do in your field?' Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory & in the field, (normally I would have said indoors & out) I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord & then the whole family) & already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) & I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it), but the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers. The rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money". There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up & personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants - ages 13, 7 & 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished & indispensable to mankind than 'just another Mom.' Motherhood! What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door

- RALPH & EDNA -

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

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Ralph & Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool & stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom & pulled him out. When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

`

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, "Edna, I've good news & bad news. The good news' you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in & saving the life of the person you love. I've concluded that your act displays sound mindedness. The bad news is, Ralph hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I'm so sorry, but he's dead. Edna replied, "He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry, now how soon can I go home?"

- MY DAY YESTERDAY & TODAY -

yesterday was an extremely hard day for me - it was the last day of summer & keep in mind...i love my kids being home for the summer - i'd asked several times recently for the name of kiara's teacher so i could prepare her a bit [she's ADHD & really needs to know things well in advance] - they couldn't give out the information until monday night [school started tuesday...UGH] - she'd a horrible time going to sleep the night before, as she was sooooooooooo nervous - finally she drifted & so did i
`

another 'emotional thing' for me yesterday was ahniér - she's been battling [severely] dry, flaky, crusty skin & it's driving me nuts! - i've used so much stuff, i couldn't begin to share it all - i've got enough stuff left over that didn't work, i could start my own store, for sure! - anyhow, everything i've been doing for her [extra bathes, not so many bathes, every kind of lotion/cream on the market, prescription ointments from the peds, warm bathes, oatmeal bathes, etc.] - well, yesterday i'd just had it & called the dermatologist's office - keep in mind, she had an appointment for september 22, but i didn't want to wait [that's me being impatient again!] - i called & they said they'd nothing, so i begged [not beyond that, i tell ya!] - they came back & said they might be able to get her in tomorrow [meaning today/tuesday] at 10am - beggars can't be choosers i know, but that wasn't going to work as i had to take karleigh to school this morning as a parent had to attend with them - they then said, "well, if you can't bring her in on tuesday, then she'll just have to wait until september 22 or unless we get a cancellation - begging kicked into high gear & i wouldn't stop [didn't really know at the time why i needed it so urgently, but i did] - after i talked to almost everyone on their staff, they said, "alright, if you can be here in 40 minutes, we'll see her" - "great", i said [now, neither she, nor i were dressed & the office was about 20 minutes away, but ya know what??...we go there! - i went in & saw the doctor & the words that came out of her mouth made me almost forget to breathe - after checking her over thoroughly, she said, "she's got a BAD case of staph infection & it's so bad, it could've been deadly, had it not been caught when you did" - she said that when it started out, it was dry skin, but nothing really to speak of - i used cetephil cream on her & then the only problem areas i dealt with her the bends of her arms, under her arm pits & behind her knees as she's chubby & she'd sweat there - they were so 'sore looking'/very pink, etc. - she said that when those areas became irritated, ahniér would then began to scratch them & wouldn't stop - she'd do this so much, it became more & more irritable - in doing so, she developed a staph & untreated, it could've killed her!! - my heart sank, but then i knew why i was so adamant on getting her in that day...BUT FOR GOD!!

`

i thanked god so much for making me pushy, because had it not been for that, i don't even want to think of the outcome

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on a better note, we got up this AM & prepared for school - the girls did great & couldn't wait to leave - we headed out & dropped kiara off at her class, then i went with karleigh for the kindergarten's 1st day - she was there unti 10:30 & then it was off to get groceries

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when kiara got home, i asked her how her day was - she said, "GREAT!, but did you know that 1st grade teachers look just like kindergarten teachers?" - she said, "i thought they'd look different...but they don't" - the only thing she's stressing about is that we've got to pay for a month of lunches at a time - then everyday, she'll go in & when she's in line, she'll put in her lunch 'code' & it'll be deducted from the balance on her account - she's afraid that if she puts in the wrong code, someone else will get to eat her lunch!! - that girl!!

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here's some pics of the day [enjoy!]