Tomorrow night Don and I have GREAT tickets to see Michael W Smith and Stephen Curtis Chapman. Then we are planning to spend the night at a hotel in Rockville.
I'm excited. This will be the fourth time we've seen Michael W, but the second time we've seen Stephen Curtis! We are kind of celebrating my birthday early. Next week I am going to a Ladies Retreat with New Life Christian church. I'm going straight to my art class both Sat. after we spend the night in a hotel and I'm leaving early from the retreat for my art class. (I have my priorities right, right?)
Roan Rickards comments had me in tears Sunday morning. He talked about the Marines, their willingness to die for one another and their respect for their fellow Marines...both dead and alive. My dad was a Marine. I knew what he was talking about. I miss my dad more this year than I have in the past two. There are a lot of things I would like to ask him. I think I've been dealing with so much change--good and not so good--since he died. Now, I'm sad. That's so weird. I'm getting close to the age he was when he had his first major stroke. I'm going to be 54 next Tuesday. He was 62 when he first had a stroke. It's hard to imagine being handicapped so young. Happy Halloween out there. I'm putting a bowl of candy on the front porch next to our jack o lantern with a sign that says, "Please take one." Don laughs at that idea. Hey, I have faith in our youth! :)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Jumping Out of the Boat....I'm not a Boat Potato!
I'm not sure how many people read my blog, but any who do, please feel free to comment. I have decided to vote for John McCain; although, I don't think he is the best choice, as far as his ability to run this country at this time in history. I like him and respect him as a person,I respect his military and political service to our country, and I will respect him if he miraculously becomes President. I think Obama has a better financial plan, and I agree with his plan to exit our troops from Iraq as soon as possible. But I cannot vote for a candidate that is pro-choice, because I believe abortion is WRONG! I listened carefully during the debates to Obama's stand on abortion. He said, "I am against partial birth abortion, as long as there is a clause that allows for it in order to protect the health of the mother." Even before Roe vs. Wade, babies could be delivered early when the pregnancy was a threat to the health of the mother! And, why is no one asking this question: What in the world does it have to do with the health of the mother to KILL the baby after he/she is partially BORN? With my first son I had pre ecclampsia and was close to dying after 21 hours of labor. My son was past due, and they did an emergency C section to save both my life and the life of our son. Okay...there was never a question that my baby being born ALIVE would affect my health negatively! Of course we desperately WANTED our baby!
Partial birth abortions are performed during the last trimester, when, with our advanced technology, a near term baby can be viable. Why, why why KILL the baby after he/she is partially born....in the guise of protecting the health of the mother?? The baby would still be OUT if they didn't kill him or her!!! The only thing that protects the life of the mother in this circumstance is getting the baby OUT! Why NOT allow this precious CHILD....a life that God considered important enough that He knitted him or her together in her mother's womb...why not allow that child the chance to live? If the mother doesn't want the baby, someone out there will!
It is not ours to say when life begins. As a mother of four, I knew there was life inside me early on. There was a relationship between me and my unborn children.
I do not pass judgement on anyone--God alone knows a person's heart. But I do question the logic here. I definitely disagree with the morality of protecting a mother, who actually has many choices to prevent an unwanted pregnancy by sacrificing a life that God created from the union of two people. I have had a couple of friends who had abortions when they were young. They were emotionally scarred because of the experience--and I have compassion on young women who make the choice to abort their babies, because it takes a toll on them, and sometimes they realize too late that society is not always right. But I cannot think of even one argument that could stand honest scrutiny in support of partial birth abortion. Take the baby, if you must, to save the mother, but give the baby a chance to live....and give someone else the chance to parent him or her! There are many people out there who can't have babies who would give everything to give love to an unwanted BABY!
I have heard the argument, "Well, what about the lives that are being lost in Iraq?" I hate war. My father was completely traumatized for his entire life because of fighting as a Marine in WW2 and by being the only survivor from his division who fought in the Korean War...and he nearly didn't make it because he was shot in the stomach. I love soldiers, and I hate war...even necessary wars. But any good soldier would risk his own life to run into a battle and drag away the body of a fallen comrad. That's the way they are trained. My dad was a Marine. I know about the horrors of war. But the Marines are a volunteer branch of the service, as are all of the branches of service during our times. Men and women VOLUNTEER to go into battle. They are trained. They know where they are headed. They have choices.
An unborn child is at the mercy of the vessel that carries him or her. And even then, sometimes aborted babies live a few minutes after being cast from their mothers. Those little babies have no choice. Who knows who they may have become?
They have no voice of their own. Only people with voices and choices can speak for them! We are outraged when we see the genocide that occurs around the world. We cry out for redemption...not nearly enough...but we do...when atrocities happen around the world. But we have for almost two generations stood by while generations of our OWN children have been massacred in the name of "pro-choice". What about the choice of our babies? I would love to see a change in our country, but I don't think it is going to come from our President alone. The change has to happen in our hearts! I do not hold to the dogma that there is only one political choice for Christians. I always vote for the man. I will not have anyone telling me for whom I must cast my vote. My dad used to take me to the polls when he voted. He considered voting his patriotic duty and right. He always told me that who I voted for was my business alone! I honor the duty, the right, and my father. If he was alive, he might vote differently than I will on November 4th...which is also my 54th birthday. But he did defend almost to his death before I was ever conceived, my right to cast that vote. Do I care about the lives that are being lost in Iraq? Yes! But I have to speak up for the lives that are being cast away every day in our own increasingly self absorbed society. A life is a life. I am thankful for mine.
And that brings up another question that is looming on the horizon. If we humans have the power to decide when life begins, then how far away is it in this perilous economy in which we live, before someone raises the question of: When does life END? I had a 16 year old friend in Texas who was thrown from a horse many years ago. She landed on her head and was in a coma for years. She woke up sometime around our senior year in high school. She was herself again...with a few minor glitches. Her parents got to finish raising her and she rode horses again. She had a life, even when she was in a coma. I have other friends who have passed on from cancer, most of them very young. Until they breathed their last breath, there were thousands of prayers being offered on their behalf, because their lives were precious...even though all they could do was lie in a bed and interact with those around them. I have to wonder how far we are from a society that considers the sick and the handicapped a drain on our economy and our precious "way of life" to the extent that we no longer consider the rights of those people. Even today, a person with no health insurance is not very likely to get adequate health care. And I know, the Democrats have a great plan for national health care. They also recognize our need to actually care for the poor, instead of making them wait for
money to fall out of the sky and land on them! AND my last point is this: Republicans have been standing on the pro life platform for many years, and I think several have been elected while proclaiming to be pro life. If they can't produce some meaningful legislation...take a real stand for life....then why should we keep voting for them? I'm getting a little sick and tired of talk. And I am really tired of hearing about our bulging pocketbooks here in America....when a whole segment of our population can't even conceive of having money to invest in the stock market, because they can barely live from day to day. AND even they are far richer than most of the world we live in. Anyway, I'm voting for McCain...and I'll see if he does anything about abortion.
Partial birth abortions are performed during the last trimester, when, with our advanced technology, a near term baby can be viable. Why, why why KILL the baby after he/she is partially born....in the guise of protecting the health of the mother?? The baby would still be OUT if they didn't kill him or her!!! The only thing that protects the life of the mother in this circumstance is getting the baby OUT! Why NOT allow this precious CHILD....a life that God considered important enough that He knitted him or her together in her mother's womb...why not allow that child the chance to live? If the mother doesn't want the baby, someone out there will!
It is not ours to say when life begins. As a mother of four, I knew there was life inside me early on. There was a relationship between me and my unborn children.
I do not pass judgement on anyone--God alone knows a person's heart. But I do question the logic here. I definitely disagree with the morality of protecting a mother, who actually has many choices to prevent an unwanted pregnancy by sacrificing a life that God created from the union of two people. I have had a couple of friends who had abortions when they were young. They were emotionally scarred because of the experience--and I have compassion on young women who make the choice to abort their babies, because it takes a toll on them, and sometimes they realize too late that society is not always right. But I cannot think of even one argument that could stand honest scrutiny in support of partial birth abortion. Take the baby, if you must, to save the mother, but give the baby a chance to live....and give someone else the chance to parent him or her! There are many people out there who can't have babies who would give everything to give love to an unwanted BABY!
I have heard the argument, "Well, what about the lives that are being lost in Iraq?" I hate war. My father was completely traumatized for his entire life because of fighting as a Marine in WW2 and by being the only survivor from his division who fought in the Korean War...and he nearly didn't make it because he was shot in the stomach. I love soldiers, and I hate war...even necessary wars. But any good soldier would risk his own life to run into a battle and drag away the body of a fallen comrad. That's the way they are trained. My dad was a Marine. I know about the horrors of war. But the Marines are a volunteer branch of the service, as are all of the branches of service during our times. Men and women VOLUNTEER to go into battle. They are trained. They know where they are headed. They have choices.
An unborn child is at the mercy of the vessel that carries him or her. And even then, sometimes aborted babies live a few minutes after being cast from their mothers. Those little babies have no choice. Who knows who they may have become?
They have no voice of their own. Only people with voices and choices can speak for them! We are outraged when we see the genocide that occurs around the world. We cry out for redemption...not nearly enough...but we do...when atrocities happen around the world. But we have for almost two generations stood by while generations of our OWN children have been massacred in the name of "pro-choice". What about the choice of our babies? I would love to see a change in our country, but I don't think it is going to come from our President alone. The change has to happen in our hearts! I do not hold to the dogma that there is only one political choice for Christians. I always vote for the man. I will not have anyone telling me for whom I must cast my vote. My dad used to take me to the polls when he voted. He considered voting his patriotic duty and right. He always told me that who I voted for was my business alone! I honor the duty, the right, and my father. If he was alive, he might vote differently than I will on November 4th...which is also my 54th birthday. But he did defend almost to his death before I was ever conceived, my right to cast that vote. Do I care about the lives that are being lost in Iraq? Yes! But I have to speak up for the lives that are being cast away every day in our own increasingly self absorbed society. A life is a life. I am thankful for mine.
And that brings up another question that is looming on the horizon. If we humans have the power to decide when life begins, then how far away is it in this perilous economy in which we live, before someone raises the question of: When does life END? I had a 16 year old friend in Texas who was thrown from a horse many years ago. She landed on her head and was in a coma for years. She woke up sometime around our senior year in high school. She was herself again...with a few minor glitches. Her parents got to finish raising her and she rode horses again. She had a life, even when she was in a coma. I have other friends who have passed on from cancer, most of them very young. Until they breathed their last breath, there were thousands of prayers being offered on their behalf, because their lives were precious...even though all they could do was lie in a bed and interact with those around them. I have to wonder how far we are from a society that considers the sick and the handicapped a drain on our economy and our precious "way of life" to the extent that we no longer consider the rights of those people. Even today, a person with no health insurance is not very likely to get adequate health care. And I know, the Democrats have a great plan for national health care. They also recognize our need to actually care for the poor, instead of making them wait for
money to fall out of the sky and land on them! AND my last point is this: Republicans have been standing on the pro life platform for many years, and I think several have been elected while proclaiming to be pro life. If they can't produce some meaningful legislation...take a real stand for life....then why should we keep voting for them? I'm getting a little sick and tired of talk. And I am really tired of hearing about our bulging pocketbooks here in America....when a whole segment of our population can't even conceive of having money to invest in the stock market, because they can barely live from day to day. AND even they are far richer than most of the world we live in. Anyway, I'm voting for McCain...and I'll see if he does anything about abortion.
Friday, October 24, 2008
God is always watching!
Conner has had a cold all week, but as of last night I was still undecided about cancelling my dr. appt at Walter Reed for today at 1PM. I felt unsettled, because I haven't taken Conner into WR yet, and I was concerned he might pick up a flu bug or something. But I haven't been to the dr in a long time, and I've been sick off an on since August. I finally decided to cancel when I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't go. My appt. was easily rescheduled, and I felt good about taking good care of Conner.
This afternoon, Nathan and a friend discovered that my valve stem on my car was leaking air....so badly that we could hear the air escaping. Nathan and John changed my tire, and I took my car into Goodyear. Turns out my tires had been recalled, and they replaced all four tires and didn't charge me a penny! If I had kept my appointment, Conner and I would have been on 495 rushing when the valve stem started leaking, and many people have crashed as the result of a faulty valve stem. That is the fifth brand new tire that has gone bad on my car since August 2007. I was stranded with Conner twice, once with my nephew and once with Conner and Mary Jane McGiboney! Hopefully, this is the end of my tire issues....but it could have been SO much worse! God is good! I have been all over the area this week, and my tire started leaking in my own driveway! I drive Conner on two way roads every day. I consider it a huge responsibility. Chris, Cam and I just switched Conner to a bigger car seat, because he was getting to the weight limit on his. Anyway, I'm feeling loved and cared for. I am thankful for Nathan and John, too, and for Goodyear's integrity. I have changed my opinion of them.
This afternoon, Nathan and a friend discovered that my valve stem on my car was leaking air....so badly that we could hear the air escaping. Nathan and John changed my tire, and I took my car into Goodyear. Turns out my tires had been recalled, and they replaced all four tires and didn't charge me a penny! If I had kept my appointment, Conner and I would have been on 495 rushing when the valve stem started leaking, and many people have crashed as the result of a faulty valve stem. That is the fifth brand new tire that has gone bad on my car since August 2007. I was stranded with Conner twice, once with my nephew and once with Conner and Mary Jane McGiboney! Hopefully, this is the end of my tire issues....but it could have been SO much worse! God is good! I have been all over the area this week, and my tire started leaking in my own driveway! I drive Conner on two way roads every day. I consider it a huge responsibility. Chris, Cam and I just switched Conner to a bigger car seat, because he was getting to the weight limit on his. Anyway, I'm feeling loved and cared for. I am thankful for Nathan and John, too, and for Goodyear's integrity. I have changed my opinion of them.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Not giving up.....giving it up....
Well, my drawing class is annoying me! It's because we do three minute sketches for 2.5 hours straight...with a break, but just when I start to get a concept, it's time to change. I know I'm learning, because my paintings are getting better , but we never finish anything in drawing class! I'm always ready to go home after class, though. On the other hand, I could paint all day long...I am never ready to go home on Sat. I'm thankful I can take these classes, though.
Conner has another cold, and yes, he slimed me again. I hope he feels better really quickly, and I'm hoping my resistance is higher this time. I don't want to end up sick in bed again.
I'm excited about a few upcoming events. Don and I have really good tickets to see Michael W Smith and Stephen Curtis Chapman at the Strathmore with the National Symphony on Halloween! I had to get the tickets as soon as I heard the first advertisement, because Don's dream concert was to hear the two of them at the Strathmore! I had the same dream.
We also have a free night's stay up on Skyline Drive on November 23rd! We go there every few months, so they gave us a thank-you night. We are going up after church.
Don and Elise, Chris and Cameron and another couple are hiking up a mt., camping out and hiking down this weekend. Cam's mom is watching Little Man. It should be a beautiful hike. I hope the weather is nice for them.
I'm going to be 54 in a couple of weeks, and I'm not near my goal weight again. I don't know what to say about that. I see my doctor this week, and I'm about the same as I was the last time I saw her. She doesn't get after me about my weight...she's mainly concerned about all of my other numbers. She's a good doctor, but I wish my weight was going to be down. On the positive note, I've weighed more, and I'm not far from the weight I was when I got married. I still am sticking with my goal of getting to my goal weight in 2009. God will get me there, if I give it up....but not give up.
Conner has another cold, and yes, he slimed me again. I hope he feels better really quickly, and I'm hoping my resistance is higher this time. I don't want to end up sick in bed again.
I'm excited about a few upcoming events. Don and I have really good tickets to see Michael W Smith and Stephen Curtis Chapman at the Strathmore with the National Symphony on Halloween! I had to get the tickets as soon as I heard the first advertisement, because Don's dream concert was to hear the two of them at the Strathmore! I had the same dream.
We also have a free night's stay up on Skyline Drive on November 23rd! We go there every few months, so they gave us a thank-you night. We are going up after church.
Don and Elise, Chris and Cameron and another couple are hiking up a mt., camping out and hiking down this weekend. Cam's mom is watching Little Man. It should be a beautiful hike. I hope the weather is nice for them.
I'm going to be 54 in a couple of weeks, and I'm not near my goal weight again. I don't know what to say about that. I see my doctor this week, and I'm about the same as I was the last time I saw her. She doesn't get after me about my weight...she's mainly concerned about all of my other numbers. She's a good doctor, but I wish my weight was going to be down. On the positive note, I've weighed more, and I'm not far from the weight I was when I got married. I still am sticking with my goal of getting to my goal weight in 2009. God will get me there, if I give it up....but not give up.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Restoring communication--return of my cell phone!
On Saturday I got up early and trekked out to Rt 29 where my cell phone flew off the roof of my car...still feeling DUMB! Anyway, I didn't find it! I did, however, get my jeans legs really wet, as well as my shoes...with the morning dew, and some really tiny seeds were all over my shoes and pants. Lovely look, but I was going to art class....people show up all kinds of ways.
It was a two art class day...making up for lost classes on Don's wedding day and my weekend away with Jennie. So I was painting from 9:45-4:00. I still didn't want to quit. My art teacher was quite pleased with both of the paintings I was working on, and I got some very good feedback. I just can't learn enough about painting right now! I'm loving it!
And to my surprise, when I checked Don's cell to see if he'd called me on it, I saw 2 calls from MY cell phone!! Yep, my sweet husband found my cell phone!! He said it took him one minute! He was more certain of where I'd lost it than I was. It had a few scratches on the back, but other than that, it was perfect! Did I mention that I have the BEST husband ever! (No you don't, I do!!!) :) He stopped on his way to Warrenton area to play a wedding--in his tux, no less! No, he didn't get wet pants legs or tiny seeds. He didn't park on the OTHER side of 29 and run across 29 like I did. He didn't go down in the ditch and up the other side. He just stopped where he thought it was and there it was waiting for him! I didn't mention how efficient he is, either! It's a good thing he is with a wife who leaves her cell on top of the car--I lost my best Bible that way, too....on the FFX Cty parkway once. I stopped and picked up all the pieces and tried to put it back together, but I couldn't. So I missed all my years of markings and the "flip open" spots. In that case, I started all over, and it was okay. Now my new Bible has those things.
Bruce talked about resolving conflict today and all of the things that we do but shouldn't in the face of conflict. I have to say that I have visited most of the wrong ways to deal with conflict. I'm still thinking about it. I'll write more about this later.
It was a two art class day...making up for lost classes on Don's wedding day and my weekend away with Jennie. So I was painting from 9:45-4:00. I still didn't want to quit. My art teacher was quite pleased with both of the paintings I was working on, and I got some very good feedback. I just can't learn enough about painting right now! I'm loving it!
And to my surprise, when I checked Don's cell to see if he'd called me on it, I saw 2 calls from MY cell phone!! Yep, my sweet husband found my cell phone!! He said it took him one minute! He was more certain of where I'd lost it than I was. It had a few scratches on the back, but other than that, it was perfect! Did I mention that I have the BEST husband ever! (No you don't, I do!!!) :) He stopped on his way to Warrenton area to play a wedding--in his tux, no less! No, he didn't get wet pants legs or tiny seeds. He didn't park on the OTHER side of 29 and run across 29 like I did. He didn't go down in the ditch and up the other side. He just stopped where he thought it was and there it was waiting for him! I didn't mention how efficient he is, either! It's a good thing he is with a wife who leaves her cell on top of the car--I lost my best Bible that way, too....on the FFX Cty parkway once. I stopped and picked up all the pieces and tried to put it back together, but I couldn't. So I missed all my years of markings and the "flip open" spots. In that case, I started all over, and it was okay. Now my new Bible has those things.
Bruce talked about resolving conflict today and all of the things that we do but shouldn't in the face of conflict. I have to say that I have visited most of the wrong ways to deal with conflict. I'm still thinking about it. I'll write more about this later.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Birthday, Cold Stone and Flying Cell Phone!
Tonight we celebrated Chris' 32nd birthday! You know you're getting old when your kids start getting old! :) Sorry, Chris, just couldn't resist! Seriously Chris is getting up there! We were 35 when we moved to Fairfax county from DC, and that seems like yesterday! Don and I took Chris, Cam and Conner to PeiWei for dinner and then to Cold Stone for ice cream. I got to see Chris and Cam in action with Little Man--in public. They were great! Conner seemed to know what to expect from them, and they worked as a team. Don and I were quite proud. I'm always proud to watch my son with his son! He loves Conner so much, and Conner loves him back. Same with Cameron! Conner expects love wherever he goes, and that is because he receives love from everyone around him. Pei Wei was good, but I didn't like what I ordered. I ordered a Thai dish with coconut and chicken. It was kind of slimy, spicy with a weird taste that I can only compare to some kind of charcoal lighter. Chris agreed with me. But everything else was good. I had never been to Cold Stone except to buy an ice cream cake one time. The ice cream was good, but I didn't know how to order. I ordered black cherry and French vanilla ice cream and then sat down to watch Conner. Don asked if I wanted it "mixed", and I said, "No." The next thing I know, Don is semi-shouting over to me, "Are you sure, because it's going to be HUGE!"
Did I mention that I dislike eating ice cream in public places, because I shouldn't be eating ice cream at all??? I muttered, "Fine, just have them mix it and put it in a cup." Don came over and said, "I told them to put it in a cup, and they put it in this big cup! So, I kind of huddled next to Conner, holding a BIG cup and feeling like a pig! Of course I fed Conner some, and I only ate off the top...who eats dessert anyway after eating dinner at a Thai place? Don didn't mean to be LOUD about ice cream in PUBLIC...and using the word "HUGE" about my portion....we just never have ordered ice cream at Cold Stone before....and probably won't until I am 50 lbs. smaller.
On the way to meet Chris and Cam, my cell kept ringing. We couldn't find it! I always carry it next to me when I am driving, and I was driving. I assumed it was in my purse, but it was ringing near me...not on the floor where my purse was. We were in stopped traffic, so Don took off his seat belt and was crawling around trying to find my phone. He kept calling it, and it kept ringing muffled near me. I made sure I wasn't sitting on it, and then we decided it was under my seat. It rang again as the traffic finally sped up. Then we heard it! A couple of clunks across the roof of my car and a crack on the pavement behind my car! Don called my phone again....no ring! My phone was lost from the top of the car! I was really sad, because I love my phone. Don reminded me we have insurance, and I cheered up a little, but I knew I would lose numbers I probably couldn't get back. Then, after we got home, I remembered all of the adorable pictures of Conner since birth...all on my phone. I have to go back and try to find my SIM card. I'm going to do that tomorrow morning before art class.
Next time--wedding pictures!
Did I mention that I dislike eating ice cream in public places, because I shouldn't be eating ice cream at all??? I muttered, "Fine, just have them mix it and put it in a cup." Don came over and said, "I told them to put it in a cup, and they put it in this big cup! So, I kind of huddled next to Conner, holding a BIG cup and feeling like a pig! Of course I fed Conner some, and I only ate off the top...who eats dessert anyway after eating dinner at a Thai place? Don didn't mean to be LOUD about ice cream in PUBLIC...and using the word "HUGE" about my portion....we just never have ordered ice cream at Cold Stone before....and probably won't until I am 50 lbs. smaller.
On the way to meet Chris and Cam, my cell kept ringing. We couldn't find it! I always carry it next to me when I am driving, and I was driving. I assumed it was in my purse, but it was ringing near me...not on the floor where my purse was. We were in stopped traffic, so Don took off his seat belt and was crawling around trying to find my phone. He kept calling it, and it kept ringing muffled near me. I made sure I wasn't sitting on it, and then we decided it was under my seat. It rang again as the traffic finally sped up. Then we heard it! A couple of clunks across the roof of my car and a crack on the pavement behind my car! Don called my phone again....no ring! My phone was lost from the top of the car! I was really sad, because I love my phone. Don reminded me we have insurance, and I cheered up a little, but I knew I would lose numbers I probably couldn't get back. Then, after we got home, I remembered all of the adorable pictures of Conner since birth...all on my phone. I have to go back and try to find my SIM card. I'm going to do that tomorrow morning before art class.
Next time--wedding pictures!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
