It's about time!!

So finally I got all 3 of my kids to stand still long enough - at the same time - to take a recent picture of them. The oldest 2 - the ones on the outside wearing green shirts - are Zachary and Jessyca, proudly wearing their Crew uniforms from Fuel at church. Daniel, well, that's his uniform - a silly smile or a way to make YOU smile. They're all 3 homeschooled, though don't get sucked into that ol' myth about "no social life." Their social life makes me tired. Most of it takes place at church - by their choice - which I must say is better than the social choices I made as a teenager. Zachary is my computer genius; rarely a day goes by when I'm not yelling, "Zach I need you to fix something!" He also refuses to let me beat myself up or spend any real time in a panic attack - he's a very good encourager (is that a word?). Not to mention he's just a good FRIEND and a terrific example to those he's around (including me). Now Jessyca's my social butterfly - as well as a clothes horse, of late. She's developing her own fashion sense and doing very well. She doesn't ever hear me talk - usually has those darn things in her ears playing Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothes or the BLUES BROTHERS...but who am I to complain? She is a lot of fun to share a milk shake with! Finally there is Daniel, who would gladly live his entire life playing his Wii and his DS, if only his mother would stop making him read so much. Funny, too - cause he has a real affinity for math and GERMAN of all things. Little dude catches on pretty fast! Daniel and I love to watch mysteries together - and Mr. Bean. I don't know who laughs harder, me or him.

Altogether - kids that don't suck too bad. :)

Cause to Celebrate

This morning my Ebay feedback hit the 500 mark. I now (tada!) have my purple star. When looking at my profile on Ebay - sadly lacking a good picture of me, which I will remedy as soon as I can lose (or photoshop away) about 30 lbs - I note that Ebay is now officially my longest-standing relationship. Ebay and I have been together for 8 years and 8 months (give or take a day or 2). Even more than that - Ebay and I have been together 8 years 8 months, have had 621 interactions, and I have 100% feedback. I have never been able to say those things about any other relationship. And it HAS been a 2-way street - I have bought, and I have sold. And Ebay 100% loves me and recommends me to others. I am A+++++ x500!!!! Wow. Shouldn't there be some special jewelry to go along with that? I bet there is, and I bet I could out-bargain someone on it!!!

Tam

Heaven

At the urging of my aunt, I borrowed from the library - and subsequently went to Family Christian and bought a copy I could pore over and highlight if necessary - a copy of "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. It seems that I am not alone in my secret disdain for the idea of leaving here for a boring city of light where we dress in white and sing hymns all day. I have always kept this feeling hidden - although in the last months or so it had begun to occur to me that a God who could create this fantastic temporal place certainly wouldn't abandon His lush creativity for an eternity of bleak boredom. And perhaps that if we don't see the green fields of Ireland or feel the rain on our heads in Paris in this life, perhaps we might spend part of the afterlife exploring the world God created without the hassle of actual tourism. Randy Alcorn confirms it - heaven might not suck :) Trust me - read the book! (either "Heaven" or "The Book" itself - there's plenty of proof in both).

You are my way

I would just like to say THANK YOU to whomever at Hulu started posting Another World episodes. A big NO THANKS to soapnet for dropping the show, an even bigger NO THANKS to NBC for cancelling AW in the first place! I have not watched NBC daytime since the last episode of AW aired!

In any case - it is wonderful to be able to catch up once again with my friends from Bay City, hear the familiar music, see the outrageous hats Felicia wore....sigh.....

Gotta run...there are more episodes to watch!

Well said!

By John-Henry Westen

GUATEMALA CITY, August 20, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "It is just as serious to kill a 10 year-old child or a 20 year-old adult as it is to kill a baby in his mother's womb," said Guatemalan Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruno in a homily Sunday. "No one, under any circumstances, can assume the right to directly kill an innocent human being," he added.

The Cardinal's homily comes as pressure to legalize abortion increases from groups within the country, which groups are also supported by powerful international organizations. The United Nations has long sought to overthrow Guatemala's constitutional protections for unborn children.

It was due to those constitutional protections that the Guatemalan Supreme Court suspended a family planning law passed by congress in 2006, which would have legalized abortifacient drugs.

Cardinal Quezada noted that abortion is "killing of a child in his mother's womb." He added, "Everyone has the right to be born, and anything deliberately done to obstruct this right to life is a crime...there are some things we must call by their name. A crime can never be turned into a right."

Moms and daughters

Well, really just the one daughter - mine. This is Jessyca last Christmas with my grandmother. Today she left for church camp - her favorite kind of camping, in a hotel at the beach. What can I say...she is my daughter!

Last year when she left for camp I was so worried...would she make friends? Would they get to know her or steer around her because she's different? Then I went to pick her up and nearly cried when I saw all these people crowding around to hug her goodbye, and others yelling across the church parking lot that she MUST come to the youth event they have every Monday night. And, of course, she has been there every Monday night since then.

Today - a year later - I dropped her off again and I thought I would only be excited for her. She and her friends have been jumping up and down excited over camp all summer long. But no, as I drove away it was the same old sad...my baby is growing up. One day she won't even need me to write the checks that pay for camp. I don't know what I'll do! She laughs and says, "Mom, what will you do when I grow up and you have to bend down and get things off the low shelf yourself?" Very funny. Oh - if you don't know, my "little girl" is a Little Person, bona fide, true-for-real.

Oh well, last year I worried about her for a week (church camp=no electronics, no MP3 player, no cell phone) and it came out okay. This year I only have to wait until Sunday afternoon for her to return. I already can't wait to see her.

Our rights - given away by "choice"

Below is my response to one of those mass e-mails regarding politics...it stated that the Bush Administration is responsible for the erosion of our Constitutional rights. Below was my reply.

I think it is too much to say the Bush administration is responsible for the erosion of our rights. They have been eroding for years. The incoming hero will always end up the stooge for the next incoming hero. It's a merry-go-round. It will never be fixed in 4-8 years because it
took longer than that to screw up. Personally I think the rapid decline began with Roe v. Wade, when we decided that some persons were created equal and some didn't count. I believe that the devaluing of one life based on the feelings, needs, economics, etc. of another person is today what slavery was in its day. I believe fast-moving erosion came with that decision; when right and wrong became so "subjective" - and brutal murder began being hailed merely a "choice". Then began the mad washing away of the clarity between right and wrong, taxing and stealing, governing and oppressing. It's all "subjective". It's all "politically correct". Nothing is considered worse nowadays than to say anything that might offend another person or culture or choice or behavior - but HEY some persons and cultures and choices and behaviors are WRONG. Not DIFFERENT, folks - WRONG. The inability to define - the illegality of defining it now - THAT is erosion.

Defending principles was a responsibility, and our freedoms the privilege that came with upholding the responsibility. Now our freedoms are going the way of our principles - they are subjective.

So - I vote Pro Life. To clear the problem out from its root, we must get to the root and start over. Protect LIFE, then promote LIBERTY, and then PURSUE HAPPINESS.

Tam