This is me....

Things that will be comin!

2010-05-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

In June me and the kiddos are headed to "Sweet Home Alabama" for some granpa Tom time...aka fishing, getting filthy dirty, playing the fields of fresh produce, and maybe some target practice! Seeing aunt VeeVee, aunti Wooz-Tater, Brandi, and Dustin.

Then its off to Florida for some Aunt Deeb, Uncle Andy, and a much needed bonding time with Taylor, Bethany, Grace, and lil Jillian.

Coco Beach

Then......I'm dropping off the kids with Tony. They are going on a camping trip.
I'M GOING TO ALERT!!!!

Random Moments

2010-05-19T16:44:00.001-07:00

It's random moments that sneak up on you that remind you that something is missing. I know this is my first post in what feels like forever, but to be honest things have just been nuts. I should warn you this is going to be personal and transparent.
Back to random moments.
Yesterday as I was going through my mental list of things I need for my trip home to Alabama. Then before I knew it I was sitting in my rocking chair in my kitchen sobbing. It was the first time I had cried, like seriously cried about a loss that hit my family like a devastating tornado. They always warn you about the stages of grief, it comes in waves, it will wash over you, it will strip you of your strength, anger, ect. They never tell you the stages come when your not ready, when your guard is down. Being the guarded person that I am, I kept the showing my grief to a minim...or maybe it was because I was so busy trying to be strong for my husband and our two beautiful children.
On April 21st Tony's dad, my Poppa Bear, the Peepaw, the loving husband, the kind of daddy a child dreams of having lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.
For days I sat and wondered how Tony was going to be, how he was going to recover from losing his daddy. The man that from day one carried him in a back pack on hunting trips until he was too big for the pack. The man that gave him his first beer, taught him how to use an ax, shoot a gun, how to start the perfect camp fire, the man that taught my husband how to be a man.
For weeks leading up to the end I laid in bed worrying about Avery and Paiden, their Peepaw was always at soccer, drove them to school while I was mission trips, that had a running "What kind of bird is that?" list at the cottage with Avery, Paiden's digging for cow heads buddy. How HOW HOW were they going to recover?
I would have conversations with God pleading for Ron's life on my way home from work. I knew it was coming as I was kneeling in my flower beds Paiden was sitting next t me and said "last night I had a dream that Peepaw was all better mommy, he's going to be all better when he gets to heaven". With in days it was over.
I thought I was going to be fine, and then yesterday happened.
When you fill out your passport information you are required to give the contact information for someone you would never travel with. This is the person they (the authorities) notify if something happens to you while traveling. Ron was my person. I remember the day I asked him. It was in the drive shed over a beer and ribs i was plucking off the BBQ when his back was turned. I opened up my passport and saw his name written in ink...

The good the bad the ugly

2009-12-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas bring out all of these things are more in me. Like so many other posts I believe it is my duty to be real, transparent, I don't play pretend well and I'm not going to now.

I love Christmas for so many reasons. Giving praise and sing songs of thanks to our Holy Father for his son who offered his life so that we may live with grace and freedom. For he is the reason for this season (teehee i'm a poet...haha) ok i'm gonna get back to the subject. Without Jesus we would have no reason to even have Christmas, December 25th would just be another day. We give presents as maybe a reminder that its better to give then to receive. Coz really God gave right? We had nothing to give Him that He didn't already have. I'm not talking about our love and devotion, nor giving Him our hearts. I'm just saying He has never asked for us to give Him a new toy or IPOD. This is the time of the year where I'm physically blown away by God's hugs believe me after working 96 hours this week, it's only God's strength that keeps me going.

The bad part about this time of the year....I get a bit ugly ok I'll be honest I get REALLY ugly. I guess exhaustion takes over my body, heart, and mind. I take everything personally. I get so home sick that I become bitter. I hate that I will spend another Christmas with out my parents, sister and her wonderful loud house. I loath that fact that I have never ever EVER had a big loud family holiday. I squirm that my in laws are not big "yay it's Christmas people", and they never have been.

Then the overly controlling part that insets that the kids get what they asked for from Santa is under that tree even if I have to sit on the floor drinking coffee at midnight waiting for the stock personnel to unload the truck (yes, I got that Moxie doll named Avery and I only had to stay at Wal-Mart three nights to get it. I screamed like Avery will on Christmas morning after I paid for it too.)To be honest again, I do love that I am that type of mom, I love giving to my children, they give me the kisses and prayers that make me smile even on my darkest days, and if a Moxie doll is what will make Avery smile...I would go back to Wal-Mart again tonight and wait for the trucks to unload again.

I love that by living in Canada I get to have the white Christmas I dreamed about as a child. I love that my husband is strong enough to deal with my emotional roller coaster. My heart bursts with pride that God blessed me with amazing children. But there is such an ugly part of me that longs to be home. I want to laugh at the loudness of my children playing with my sisters kids. I wanna see my daddy's face when he watches for the first time; his grandchildren opening up their gifts on Christmas morning. I wanna eat my Mommy's pancakes with with loud "can you pass the butter" yells from across the table.

But being the woman God made me to be, I will praise and rejoice because I know in my heart that when you are faithful with the things God gives you...He will bless you with more, when He knows you're ready.

The Jeans....

2009-12-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

ok, look i know this is uberly stupid and at the same time maybe its not....to me...it's not stupid. but i could see how someone would think it pretty vain.

this past weekend i took a drive with my favorite two girlfriends and we went shopping, after a great dinner and some retail therapy we all had some money left over. ok....pause for just a sec and rewind. during our travels we found out that a jeans and shirt store....cough cough..Holster...cough cough was have a GREAT sale on jeans. ok fast forward to where we were.
we had money left over and we were SO EXCITED..jeans for 29.95 at Holster, this was going to be the cool moment where i was going to be able to buy myself a great pair of HOT jeans....and not feel guilty coz they were only going to cost me 29.95 + tax.....
my excitement went to an ego blown right out of the water...actually i was down right angry. don't get me wrong i was still very excited for my favorite ladies that they were both able to find and fit into the hot deal. but yes i was angry that all the working out i've done, all the running, the weight i've lost, the soreness of lifting weights...... added up to nothing....well at least nothing i was going to fit into.
i realize that this is stupid and vain, but come on people i have been just about the same size my whole life....and those jeans wouldn't even fit over my thigh. and i'm really not a "bigger" girl...i'm actually a small girl....with a butt and some legs.
then tonight i was reading an old magazine and i read a quot from Christina Applegate that said....if you don't think the jeans are going to fit....just don't try them on, you are perfect and beautiful without having to try to fit into the mold.
so while i was working out thinking...am i ever going to fit into a hot pair of jeans i have decided that i'm going to think of it this way....the jeans i wear will be hot coz i'm the one wearing them, and wouldn't it be wonderful if more women felt this way...
Truly ladies we are all sexy, beautiful, hot women.....because God made us all perfect.

The Path

2009-11-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Every now and the you come to a point in your life when you really just don't know which way to go.
Then sometimes you know which way to go, but you still have to wait. You know God has a plan for you; still waiting is the hardest part.

Chapter 2

2009-10-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Operation Christmas Child

Chapter 2

So now that I have I shared with you how a simple red and green box can change the way a child looks at life. How something as simple as a doll or a stuffed dog, stickers or pencils and paper, tooth brushes or soap, socks and underwear can open up a window for a child to feel good about themselves, the door to a future, and a gateway to a world where their imaginations run free. That these little boxes can encourage a child to dream for a better tomorrow.

Ok, I need to stop there for just a moment and tell you about two little girls I got to meet while I was in Guatemala. Maybe after I tell you about them you will see why this year this project has become a little (understatement) personal.

Kimberly, she is the spitting image of my daughter Avery. Their birthdays are just weeks apart, they are in the same grade, enjoy the same things, and the both love soccer and their momma’s. Kimberly is the youngest of 4 kids. Through Compassion International her 3 brothers are sponsored and receive an education, meals, and just general help with things that are very much needed. Kimberly however is over looked by the organization because you can not have more then three kids sponsored. Without people personally sponsoring her, she would be unable to go to school because her parents wouldn’t be able to pay for her uniform. I went to Kimberly’s house during my second visit to Guatemala, and to be completely transparent with you. I wanted to just take her. I wanted to bring her home and love on her, buy her the things I think she should have. I wanted her to have a toilet that flushed, a room filled with toys to play with, crayons and paint to illustrate her creativity. Her parents are loving and hard working parents that give her, and her bothers everything they can. Her momma Anna is a beautiful woman and I could only pray to become Godly woman like her. This is not a family looking for a hand out, but a family that is living with what they have.

Katrina aka Katty, is an amazing young girl whose love for all things that are simple and “tom boy” toughness reminds me a lot of myself. I met her on my first trip to Guatemala. I can tell you that this little girl personal dragged me back to the Lord. She is the oldest of three children of a single mom who works in the Guatemala City dump. She goes to school, but when things get tough she helps her mom, and looks through the dump to find glass or metal so that her baby brother and little sister can have dinner. Her house is smaller then most people’s bathroom. There are no toys for her or her siblings to play with. Katty is not playing house she is the second parent and sometimes she has to be the primary parent. Again not because she feels like she ‘has too’, but because she knows that’s just the way it is for right now. She doesn’t begrudge her mother, be rejoices that she is able to help. This little girl loves blindly without reason; she looked at me one day and reminded me that I didn’t have to do anything for God to love me. He loved me just the way I was…..and so did she.

These two girls and so many more kids (300+) and their families receive clean water from a church/community center/after school center/medical center that Northview Church out of Georgia built and funded. But is pains me beyond belief that there are still children out there that have NO access to clean water or medical care.

When Sumatran’s Purse deliver the Christmas boxes the workers themselves go in and talk to the villagers see what they need. If its medical care or water filters they want to see kids and adults to be given a chance to survive the harshness of their world. They don’t just go in drop off boxes and run.

This year one on the many countries that will receive boxes from Canada will be Guatemala. This country holds a piece of me that I will never be able to explain. It’s a place that I found myself, I found the woman that God had intended me to be. I pray that you give this country and many others a fighting chance this Christmas. Remember is so much more then a box.

Operation Christmas Child

2009-09-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

Operation Christmas Child

About this time every year I get uberly super excited about a program that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Yes, I love it for obvious reasons, but this year my reasons for loving this program are VERY different. This year it’s personal!

This year I’m not calling this program Operation Christmas Child, this year I am 'nicknameing' this program Operation Christmas Hope. The reason you ask? Well like I said this year it has become very personal! These boxes go where children dream of Christmas but are caught in a world that’s filled with reality; there is no time or place to dream.

While I was in Guatemala and then in Uganda I had a few experiences that left the mommy in me torn into shreds. Now hear me out! I’m not new to the mission field. I started around the age of 12 and did my first “mission trip” four years ago. But I saw something that broke me, and I know nothing in me will ever be the same.

Have you ever seen a 5 year old little girl carrying her 2/3 year old baby brother on her back while hoeing a dry dusty field? Have you ever see that baby hours later crying for their sister, not their mommy, but their sister? Have you ever held the hand of a little boy and looked in his eye while he was being tested for HIV, the same disease that had stolen the life of every member of his family? Have you even see and child digging through garbage and actually eating what they find? Have you ever see and held 5year old little girl that wore a white ring she got off a milk jug as a bracelet with a men’s button up shirt with only a top button left to cover her little body?

I looked in to the eyes of these children and more, and I can tell you that these little red and green boxes mean a lot more then a Christmas gift to these children. They are a ticket to a place where imagination runs free. It opens a door to a long forgotten window filled with dreams, unleash world filled with make-believe and fantasy. They are reminding children that they are not forgotten.

As I told you before this year it personal, the list of the places that will receive the boxes that Canada as a whole will collect will be shipped to the following places: Central America & the Caribbean:
Costa Rica / El Salvador / Guatemala / Haiti / Nicaragua
South America:
Argentina / Bolivia / Chile / Paraguay / Uruguay / Venezueua
West Africa:
Cote d'Ivoire / Ecuatorial Guinea / Guinea Bissau / Senegal / Sierra Leone.

The Words on a Coloured Leaf

2009-09-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Avery was asked to make a list of things that she loved about her mommy, she could not go into detail, and she could only make a list of using one word.

My Momma
Beautiful
Funny
Loving
Patient
Cooking
Brave
Reading
Hero

So like any good nosey momma I asked her to tell me why she chose those words. I won’t repeat everything, but I just had to share this part.

Avery “mommy, you I have watched you walk away from your dreams to make me and Paiden your dream. I have watched you pack up your stuff to love on kids that don’t have a mommy. You have held me when I was sad and didn’t push me to talk. You get up every morning and make us a hot breakfast and you cook dinner even when your not here.
Mommy, you are such a good mommy”

As I sat there with tears in my eyes, I thought about all the things I have missed by working and dedicating my time to everything else in the world. And then I thought about the promise I made to my family…that they would come first from now on. And how just being there has made my daughter so proud.
I have realized it’s not always what you do with your moment here on earth…fame, wealth, and successfulness will pass when you leave this earth. But it’s the legacy you leave behind in the hearts of your children that carry on forever.

Forgive...but maybe not forget

2009-09-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Late last night as i was driving my children home, Avery started talking about things that she has obviously been holding on to for a while. She thinks everything through before she speaks, yes i realize i can learn alot from her. anyways...
she started talking about someone who has hurt our family deeply, and to her the things that this person has done are just unforgivable.
i took a deep DEEP breath and said crap (very loudly in my head). I too have been really REALLY....did i cover the really part? Struggling with forgiving someone who just seems to hurt me on a regular biases..... tony says that i give this person all the tools they need to keep doing this and maybe i should just walk away for a bit until it doesn't hurt so bad...yep i'm doing that but my face turn a number of shades of red...and its daily.
i found myself reminding her that before we can go to the Father and say "i'm sorry Lord, can you forgive me" that we have to forgive those who have wronged us. As you can imagine it felt like i was whipping myself with the whoppin spoon as we were talking.
avery-she said but momma, this person has stolen my trust. me-i know baby, and i know it will be hard to forgive them. but trust me baby...its so much harder staying mad it them.

Tijuana's Live-In 'Prison Angel'

2009-08-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today Tony called me while I was at work, not to tell me he loves me, but to tell me about a woman. This woman's story moved him to chill bumps and he couldn't wait to share it with me. I was able to find her story on the internet, so I have copied and pasted here for you to read.
I hope her story moves you.

Tijuana's Live-In 'Prison Angel'

American Nun Brings Hope to Inmates on Border

By Mary Jordan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, April 10, 2002; Page A01

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TIJUANA, Mexico -- Mary Clarke was an all-American Beverly Hills beauty, accustomed to luxury and her weekend beach home. She had eight children before a divorce led her to tear up her life and start again.

So as a middle-aged California mother she crossed the border into Tijuana in the late 1970s. She traded her sparkling gowns for the simple black habit of a Catholic nun, her English for Spanish and her airy Los Angeles home for a musty Mexican prison cell. For the last 25 years, Sister Antonia, as she is now known, has been the Prison Angel of Tijuana, a tiny woman in a spotless white veil ministering to the miserable.

Her mission is practical: She provides aspirin, eyeglasses, false teeth and bail to thousands of petty thieves and other impoverished convicts. She washes and prepares for burial the grotesquely tortured bodies left in the gutters by drug gangs. She sings in the prison chapel to lift the spirits of the down-and-out and counsels rapists and drug traffickers as well as the guards who carry automatic weapons.

Inside La Mesa State Penitentiary, one of the roughest prisons in Latin America, she lives in a concrete room about 10 by 10 feet with pink walls. She keeps little more there than her English Bible and Spanish dictionary. Long-timers recall when the 5-foot-2 woman halted a riot, walking into a hail of bullets to demand that the shooting stop. Inmates, stunned that she would risk her own life and let the tear gas burn away at her Windex-blue eyes, put down their guns and jagged broken bottles.

President Vicente Fox recently met and lauded Sister Antonia, who this year is also honored on a calendar praising women who have made great contributions to Mexico. Another president, Ronald Reagan, also wrote to her, in 1982, saying he was amazed at her "devotion to a calling beyond the ordinary."

Hollywood has come knocking, too. The Californian has always turned down the movie producers and generally has shied away from publicity. But now, at 75, and after a quarter-century in the prison, she consented to extensive interviews.

"I always felt for people in prison," she said. Then she laughed lightly, as she seems to all day long, telling a visitor that maybe some of her long-ago relatives spent time behind bars.

"It is different to live among people than it is to visit them," she said. "I have to be here with them in the middle of the night in case someone is stabbed, in case someone has an appendix [attack], in case someone dies."

All four of her grandparents came from Ireland and many people in Tijuana refer to her as the "Irish nun." She is a curiosity to many who do not understand why anyone would willingly live in a place known for stabbings and the smell of sewage, and who sings "Danny Boy" and other tunes while she does.

"There is no other way to describe her. She is a saint," said the prison warden, Carlos Lugo Felix.

Lugo said her work extends to helping poorly paid police and prison guards. Those people get little respect, in part because so often those who carry guns in Mexico abuse their power. But Sister Antonia embraces them, raising money for the children of Tijuana's long list of murdered police officers and hugging the guards as she walks about the prison. She also gives the guards ethics classes.

Lugo said their Prison Angel should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, like Mother Teresa, who came to Tijuana in 1991 and chatted with Sister Antonia about their shared mission of bringing dignity to the poor.

Even with her serious heart problems and her chronic shortness of breath, Sister Antonia rises before dawn and seems to never stop moving. She is increasingly devoting time to organizing the religious order she recently founded. The order is specifically for older single, divorced or widowed women who have decided to devote their lives to the poor. It is called Servants of the Eleventh Hour, a reference to their late start in their vocation. Seven woman have joined.

"I can't die without giving other women, and someday men, the chance to serve as I have," she said.

Sister Carmen Dolores Hendrix, a widow with four children from Orange County, Calif., is part of the new order, which has the blessing of the Tijuana archdiocese. Formerly an electronics assembler for Rockwell, she now cares for the sick in Tijuana.

Joanie Kenesie, another California widow who works alongside Sister Antonia, said she was drawn to her obvious love of what she is doing. Kenesie has accompanied Sister Antonia to Tijuana's red-light district and around town. As they go, prostitutes and former inmates wave and honk.

"They will scream out the window: 'Remember me? Look at my car. I paid for it. Are you proud of me?'. . . . They love her."

As word of her work has spread, growing numbers of lay people -- many of them not Catholic -- have come to Tijuana from the United States to meet her and donate to her charities, such as a hospice for women and children with AIDS. Truckloads of medicines and mattresses and other donated items come nearly weekly from San Diego to the Tijuana prison. Caring for prisoners and others in Tijuana with tuberculosis, AIDS and cancer is also a significant part of her work.

La Mesa is vastly different from prisons in the United States: Wealthier inmates live in relative comfort in little houses with sofas and stereos, while the poorest inmates cannot afford a bed and so sleep on the ground. Inmates are expected to pay for their living expenses -- from clothes to medicine -- and so Sister Antonia has made it her mission to help the poorest behind bars.

"I am hard on crime, but not on persons," she said. "Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity."

At a recent Mass inside the prison celebrating her 25th year of living among the inmates, hundreds of robbers and drug traffickers and murderers interrupted the service to give her a standing ovation. They cheered and whooped at the little elderly woman on a makeshift stage.

On the prison soccer field that day one inmate recalled how Sister Antonia ran to an all-night Tijuana pharmacy to get painkillers for him after stopping a prison medic from sewing up a gash on his hand without anesthetic.

Inmate Jorge Perez Ruiz pulled up one leg of his jeans and exposed a festering sore. "She paid for my medicine so this wouldn't get worse," he said, dabbing at a year-old bullet wound. Martinez Lopez Serrano, a convicted burglar, chimed in, saying he was feeling miserable until Sister Antonia arranged for him to be transported to an outside hospital for treatment for his hepatitis.

The government has given Sister Antonia the concession to sell soft drinks to 5,500 inmates. She has used the money to free more than 2,000 poor first-time offenders by paying their bail or fines. She has also paid to fix the teeth of more than 3,000 inmates. Some lose teeth in prison fights; others lose them because they have never owned a toothbrush or known how to use one.

"Pleasure depends on where you are, who you are with, what you are eating," she said. "Happiness is different. Happiness does not depend on where you are. . . . I live in prison. And I have not had a day of depression in 25 years. I have been upset, angry. I have been sad. But never depressed. I have a reason for my being."

Mary Clarke was 18 when she married, and, according to her daughter, Kathleen Mariani, she was depressed when her marriage of 25 years ended. But, Mariani said, her mother sold their Los Angeles house and did more and more charity work. Several times she went to Tijuana, a place where she increasingly felt she could do the most good. She played records to learn Spanish.

Mariani, who lives in San Diego, said her mother used to faint when one of her own children needed stitches and literally passed out at the sight of blood. "That is the greatest marvel of all," she said, noting the gritty work she now does. "To watch her walk into that prison is incredible."

Sister Antonia resists any discussion of her life before she entered the prison. But she keeps in contact with her seven living children by phone and weekend visits. Her former husband has remarried and the two have almost no contact.

While she often tells those she counsels that "only love can break your heart," the brutality she has witnessed has also strained it. Many of the inmates and police officials she counted among her friends have been murdered. She spoke to the Tijuana police chief the day before assassins pumped 100 bullets into his body two years ago. She knew well the La Mesa prison warden who was dragged from his car and executed in 1995. She comforted and housed the mother of the man convicted in the 1994 killing of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio in Tijuana, one of the most infamous murders in modern Mexican history.

Manuel Martinez Rivas, a prison guard who has known Sister Antonia for 12 years, said she brings calm and warmth to Tijuana and the prison.

"She gives us a good talking to before we become guards. It's part of our training," he said. "She asks us to be better with our families, with our wives, to be faithful husbands, not to drink, and to treat the prisoners well."

Guards and others who know her say she helped get rid of the torture racks and other techniques guards used against prisoners in years past. Even at her celebration Mass last month, she used her few minutes at the microphone to ask for the closure of the so-called punishment cells, where prisoners are often beaten by other inmates.

"Little by little, I would like to think I have been an influence on getting better treatment for the prisoners," she said. "For so many of them, their only crime is poverty."

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

The southern way for the northerners

2009-08-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

One of "The Ladies" asked me if I would make a list of how southern people deal with the heat, well I'm just going to give you instructions for dealing with summer, after the last thunder storm.

So for my sweet, beautiful, God lovin friend...Vicki.

There are many ways of dealing with the weather of summer. Southern weather can be as unpredictable as gathering of Southern Baptist ladies at an after church lunch-in.
There is nothing like hearing blue haired ladies talking about the 'wickedness of the world'. Such as:Bless her heart, did you see Bobby Sue walking through Belks with that Jake guy? Nope, but I did see her holding hands with Jed at Bob's BBQ pit. The nerve....humf! Oh, Bless her heart, but she can't hold a tune any longer then Bubba jr, can stay away from the all you can eat buffet.

See southern women know, that you can say whatever you want, when ever you want as long as you bless their heart first. Learnt that myself from one of my favorite southern women....
Ok, sorry got side tracked. To survive the summer.

1. Drink lots of sweet tea. (ice tea for them northern gals)
*Boil water in a medium sauce pan, steep 4-5 tea bags for 5min, pour into a 1 gallon pitcher, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar, stir, add cold water until pitcher is filled, stir again. Place some mason jars in freezer, and wait about 15-20min. Fill jar with tea and enjoy. While your kids run through the sprinkler and your husband mows the grass.

2. Fill jar with tea, and then head to the mall where the temp is always around 65. Or meet up with friends at The Wal-Mart, where you walk around a look at things you don't need. Its always better to hang out some where someone else pays for the air conditioning

3. This is by far the thing I miss the most about my life in the south. Fix yourself a jar of tea, grab a great book, and head out to your front porch swing, and wave at the down home people as they drive by.

4. During thunder storms, asses the situation. Is it gonna be bad? Or REALLY bad, you can tell by how hot it is outside before and during storm. I will have to break this down into two categories.
*In the car. If you are driving on the interstate or 400 series highways and the rain is coming down so hard its like someone is standing in front of your car with a water hose. Turn on your flashers, get behind an 18 wheeler and just cruz along behind him. If the rain is SO bad you cant see his tail lights pull under a over pass ramp, leave flashers on and wait until you feel safe to drive. If the storm calms to the point of no movement and you hear/see a tornado coming get out of your car climb up the slanted side of the over pass where you are protected and STAY! If there in no over pass get out of you car, and get in a ditch tuck yourself into a ball and wait.
*At home first find something for your kids to do when or if the power goes out, so you don't feel the need to throw them out in storm. We dance, board games, make paper cutouts ect. Cook dinner early or make sandwiches something you can eat by the oil lamps. Keep a radio with batteries and a flash light handy. If there is a tornado warning for your area and you have a basement hang out in there for a bit, if not gather your family and pet into the most center room of your house with blankets and pillows.
When I was a kid we often had camp outs in the storm pit...it was always so much fun, though the grown ups will tell you s different storey.

5. Hang out by the lake with your friends! Blow up a big float that you can sleep on, fix yourself a big ol' bottle of tea and then tie one end of a long piece of a rope to your toes and the other to the dock so you don't float away. When you get really hot or just wanna jump in tie the rope to the float.

6. Homemade ice cream and warm watermelon is a favorite of the southern ladies. Its the best thing to have around 7-8 pm, not to close to bed time but after the sun has gone down.

Things you should NEVER do! Use baby oil for tanning, drink beer or wine coolers (alcohol and sun don't mix well), leave things like a dog in your car, go anywhere with out a glass of tea or water.

I do have to admit I love summer! Enjoy everybody!!!!

7 years 7 lessons

2009-08-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

September 2nd is a very important anniversary for me. No, its not my wedding anniversary or even the day I became a Christian, but its a very important day.
As of September 2nd....I will have lived here in the great province of Ontario for 7 years. *deep sigh* Yep, I know its hard to believe coz its hard for me to even think about it. Don't get me wrong I love living here, and to be honest this past year was the first year I didn't feel home sick everyday.
Two very different group of friends have made living here bearable. There have been a few lessons I've learned....the HARD way while living here, actually there is seven. Yep, you got it! I learn something new each year. I figure after living here for 20+ years....if I make it that long I will write an instruction manual for southerns moving north.

Year 1 When you are out of diapers and there is a blizzard outside...you still have to leave your fear behind get in your car and drive to Wal Mart. Driving in the snow is NOT the same as driving through a thunder storm.

Year 2 Always keep a 1/2 to a full tank of gas! The condensation in your tank freezes and will leave you stranded. Better yet keep a 4-6 pk of gas de-icer in your car.

Year 3 You can never ever have too many pairs of mittens, your children lose them, you drive off with then on your roof, they get wet and nasty. Just keep a small trunk on them next to your back door.

Year 4 It actually gets cold enough to freeze your car battery, keep jumper cables on hand.

Year 5 If you have children you must have a pair of snow pants coz they don't care how cold it is...they will skate outside until their feet have frost bite.

Year 6 Dusty hay has to be watered down, during the winter...its best to just fill a water bucket up in the barn instead of trying to use the outside water speckit.

Year 7 And by far my favorite! When your car door freezes open on shut...your best friends become an extension cord and a hair dryer.

There are a few other lessons I've learen butI will save them for another day.

Forgiving VS Anger

2009-08-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was deeply hurt by one of my friends, the bad part is, I wasn't really shocked by their actions...it's something he/she does on a rather frequent biases. But it still hurt the same.

In response of my anger I posted something the goes a little like this on my Facebook account:
ok, i tried to practice keeping my anger in...but i really have no room in my life for opportunist that step on and over people because they so desperately need attention. Let me ask you a question...how many of you would do the things you do if no one but God was watching?
Then I said this:
I'm just having an issue with fame hores. and the last button got pushed. Now I've been doing pretty good about not getting angry and keeping my temper in check, but today. I feel like I was standing on a rug, and it was mine...because it was something personal and close to my heart. And then someone walked up and ripped it out from under me. But it will be ok, all things come around...they'll get a bite in their behind.
I see now that this was very wrong of me.

I was so angry at this person for taking my "rug", something I felt was so personal....pure, and using as another thing to put on a resume.

After calling my sister and erupting, she had to remind me that some people are just fame whores, they need somebody to look at them and give them constant attention and validation. It is those people that battle evil insecurities on a daily biases, in order to feed their addiction of attention they will step on people. They often don't really care or even think about who they hurt along the way until its to late.
Deb reminded me its those people that feed on the judgment of others that need our prayers.

So while I was still choking on my anger, I had to remind myself that God tells us to forgive. Even if it hurts, we have to forgive.

So today? Yes, I'm covered in goose bumps and so mad I feel like I could cry. But I know God knows my heart, and I know he will restore what was broken/taken. And if that person walks past me...I will never tell them how bad they hurt me, I won't expect an "I'm sorry". Maybe its because they will think that they never did anything wrong, or maybe its best for some people to learn on their own. Or maybe just maybe...its. Simply because I know one day they will have to answer to someone way more powerful and bigger then I could ever dream of being.

God, give me the strength to forgive this person and show them love and patients.

Deebs

2009-08-07T00:17:00.001-07:00

On the eve of my sister's birthday, that I have give props to a kick butt woman who molded me with her own two hands.

My sister, Debbie...better know at our house as Deeb's, could never be put in the category of just sister. She is SOOOOOOOOOOO much more!!!

You could imagine my sister's surprise at the ripe ol'age of 8 when she found out she was going to be a sister. But what she didn't know was God was rolling on the floor laughing until tears were pouring down his face when he got the notation of giving my sister me. Sometimes I think he placed us in the same family for a good laugh, but other times I know he placed us together because he knew that no matter what, when, or where we would always complete each other and back each other up....even when that meant sacrificing ourselves.

My sister and I were always left alone when we were kids, and growing up in Joppa, Alabama...we had nothing better to do then to torture the living crap out of each other from dusk till dawn. My sister always won the battles! She would lock me outside during a thunder storm, put dish soap in my bed coz I woke her up early (by pouring water on her...hehehe), would trick me into doing her chores, and I will never forget all the times she looked at me and said "who's mom and dad going to believe? you are me?"

While waiting for the bus she would pelt me with little green tomatoes and tell me that I was a nuisance. But then one day a little boy punched me in the face....she kicked his butt from one end of the bus to the other. I would wait for her after school outside her classroom so she could drive me home. All of her friends would call me little Debbie, and this would be the greatest complement of my life.

My sister and I would hang out in her room late at night coloring and drawing with neon crayons with the black light on so the would look all cool. I would sneak down to my sister's room when she had friends over and she would always let me in. When the nights got scary I crawled in her bed and she would hold me until the storm of life blew over. Debbie made my breakfast, woke up with me in the night, taught me how to use the potty, took me to my first bar, and my first concert.

When we were kids we would always sneak down the hallway wearing socks on Christmas morning to get our stocking before our parents woke up. We would quietly open our stockings in her bed, laughing and trying to keep our voices down. I still remember our last Christmas morning together...she had came home from college the night before, and I can't tell you how happy I was to have my sissy back down the hall from me.

My sister took me to my fist gyno appointment, and just to make me feel better the took me out for the largest white chocolate chip macadamia cookie. Led me on a historical adventure of Mobile, Alabama that took us to the beach. Debbie and I have traveled the world together and done mission work in Guatemala...."Oh, Picayo...the girl can't look me in the eye-o"

Though my sister and I have seen and done it all together, there is one memory that stands out more then any other moment our life together....

On February 26th, 2001 at 7am, my sister walked through the doors of Brookwood Women's Center on a mission...her mission? Me, I was in labor with my first child. She walked through the door of the delivery room with a sense of calmness that I was grateful for. With her coffee cup, lip chap, and smile in tow, she held my hand when I looked at her scared and in pain, she just tilted her head to the side and said..."it's going to be ok, I'm right here." When I cried about the pain, she would reassure me and say "I know it hurts." My sister had already had three beautiful children by this point. When the time came she took my hand and talked me though the delivery of Avery. Debbie was the first to hold her, she cut the cord, and wrapped her in a blanket. Debbie stayed with me that night, she slept when I slept, and talked to me when I was awake. At one point we laughed and sang out loud as we were watching MTV.

Today my sister is a Groovy mom to four amazing children, who never throws in the towel. She is a wife to a man who has now loved her for more then half her life. Debbie will tell you its not easy to live with her, but I know its harder to live without her down the hall from my room.

Debbie blesses children with her laughter, honesty, and compassion as a school nurse. She has prayed over a dying children, stuck band aids on more knees then most of will ever see, took medical calls from yours truly.

My sister....yea she's SO much more then a sister. Debbie is my forever miracle.

Moment for the ladies

2009-08-06T01:43:00.000-07:00

Growing up I was always on the small side, 5ft 3in 105lbs from the time I was 13-22. We do have to take into consideration that I was pregnant when I was 21 and I shot up to 145, but I walked out weighing in at 110.

Yep I was tiny and I praised myself for it. I worked hard to have a body that I could be proud of, and still struggled daily with self image issues. I always felt I was never pretty enough, the other girls I went to high school with always had dates and would get hit on by the hotties while we were out 'cruising' on Friday nights. I always got the "oh, Juli...you just so cute and funny." I was one of the guys and though I have to admit I loved was always being on the inside loop of the "man's" world, and would NEVER trade in my guy friends for any girl in the world. But I craved for someone to say I was pretty, or dare I even say it...SEXY!

Now, at 28 years old...kissing 29, I'm an active mom of two and I know I will never be "tiny" again, and I know my husband thinks I'm hot no matter how big my butt gets, but he did tell me that if I got as big as my hero Paul Dean, that he would love me....with the lights off. I just love him and how he just lays it all out there....don't worry he was joking, at least he said he was anyways. Anywho, my beehind ain't a size 2 like it once was, and now I starting to get over it.
No I'm not having one of those high and mighty feel for me moments, but I have a serious complaint!

Earlier tonight I read a blog written by a woman I have bundles of respect for, and it hit me. Are you ready for this...THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING A BODY OF A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL AND HAVING A BODY OF A WOMAN THAT HAS BY GOD'S LOVING GRACE PLACED A LIVING BEING INSIDE OF YOU! THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN HAVING A BODY THAT CARRIED, PROTECTED, AND NURSED A GIFT FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND A BODY THAT HAS JUST BEGUN LIFE!! WOW, I feel better already.
Did you know that the North American culture is one of the VERY FEW cultures where (i'm not talking about actively fit women) stick skinny women are valued. And don't be fooled they are valued, you see them every where on magazine covers, TV, or posing in clothes that people like America Eagle and Holster what us to buy. There is media out there telling our daughters that if they don't fit into this size 0/2 or heaven for bid they actually have curves that they're fat and covered in cellulite. Tabloids calling Jessica Simpson "fat!"

just pisses me off. No, my boobs arn't ever going to be as big as hers but I trump her by well, we'll just say a few pounds, and I would like to think I'm not 'fat'.
This kida stuff just puts the BIGGEST bee in my bonnet.

I really hate that we have become a society that values a 'girl' type body, when we should be showing appreciation to the 'woman's' body. I hate the we have become a society that gets pleasure out seeing girls/women clad around in clothing and bathing suits that arn't big enough to cover my big toe, and I have really little feet. Marlin Monroe...

one of the most beautiful women in movie history wore a size 12-14 and she had curves. She was not a rail that only ate salads, and skipped meals so she wouldn't be called names by the media, never foced to lose weight to play a role in a movie.

Now I'm not saying that I love my body, of course I don't no girl 'loves' everything about her body. But I am saying it would be a whole lot easier if the media and those little peons that make snickering smart a** remarks about ladies that don't fit into the extra small stores like the Garage would just shut their stupid traps and eat something. That has a few more calories the celery.

I'm just saying there is a big difference between having a body that looks like it belongs to a 12year old and having a body that woman should have, you know a bit of junk in the trunk. I hear Paula Dean has some great ways to add a bit of cushin on you tushin....

Comforts of Home, yummy stuff to be found

2009-07-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll check out my other Blog.

You will find it under Southern Stuff

A Sound

2009-07-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

I have been holding on to this post for a while, but after the email that I received (that i posted just a few minuets ago) I decided to post this one. You'll probably see it as cheesy, but here goes.

I spent the first 5 1/2 years of my life living at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo New Mexico. My daddy, was an F15 Eagle tech, his last rank before retiring was Master Sargent. He was in charge of many, many fighter jets, and often slept at the flight line 7 days/nights at a time and came home for just a few days.

As a child I always thought growing up of an Air Force base was a dream come true. I often fell asleep at night listening to jets doing touch and goes just down the road from my house. I would lay there in bed at night and could identify the type of jet by its sonic boom.

There were other times that my momma would drive me out to the flight line (when she had enough of me screaming for my daddy) and my daddy would then take me out by the runway. I would tuck myself in his arms, take in the comforting smell sweat and grease, close my eyes, and relished in the loud pitch. The sound would get louder and softer it eventually would rock me to sleep.

Those loud starry nights are my favorite memories as a child. One night while I was wrapped up in the safety of my daddy's arms I asked him "daddy, why do you like jets so much?" and He held me a little tighter and whispered in my ear..."Taterbug, there is no other noise like jet noise. Jet noise is the sound of freedom. When you hear a jet, remind yourself that the noise represents the heart beat of a pilot willing to give you his life."

Those words remain with me today.

Many nights while I am pulling into work I hear the loud humming of a plane, sometimes...I'm blessed to here a fighter jet.

For those brief moments when I get to hear that noise...that only a fighter jet can make, I stop breathing, tears well up in my eyes, my heart pounds out of control, and I am covered with goose bumps.

The sound takes me back to the days when I was just a daddy's girl, but also remind me to pray for those who make our freedom possible and their families.

2009-07-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

I had to shareLuke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung quite a bit.

'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:
Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated.

Respons:
'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m . , a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..
A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and a Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

CARE Canada - a leading aid and development organisation fighting global poverty

2009-06-21T00:43:00.001-07:00

CARE Canada - a leading aid and development organisation fighting global poverty

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Paiden

2009-06-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my sweet baby boy turned4. The night before I spent the evening looking at pictures of Paiden before he became "Paidzilla" or "Zilla" as we often call the firecracker of energy that runs through our home.

He was born at 12:53 am weighing in at 8lbs 14oz and 21inches, it was a huge joke because my Poppa Bear (aka father in law) had made a bet with that Paiden wouldn't weigh over 6lbs.

Paiden is the baby of our home and he knows it, he can get away with stuff that Avery could have only dreamed of. He will often sneak into the bathroom while someone is showering and flush the toilet and then bolt it up stairs, he also hides under our beds to scare us as we walk by.

But there is another side of Paiden that mostly I get to see. Everyone knows Paiden as the head strong "tank", but I know him as my sweet baby that will tell you his momma is the most beautiful woman in the world. I know the Paiden that crawls up into my bed and holds my arm like he's holding a teddy bear to fall back asleep. That cries when he knows he hurt Avery's feelings (which is often).

He has brought me so much joy as a mom, and he is the one who has taught me that a messy house will still be there, there will always be war in the world, and there will always be bills you may not be able to pay. But your children.....you only have them for a moment, and no moment is worth wasting.

Every Man

2009-06-06T21:53:00.001-07:00

Casting Crowns put out a song I'm guessing a year or two ago, and it has now become my husband "Theme Song" Tony starts his day listening to this song and ends his day listening to this song. If you haven't heard the words I have "cut and pasted" them below. But....oh you already know I have SO much more to say....

It wasn't that long ago that Tony became a Christian and things before that...well...........weren't the easiest, we'll just leave it at that.

Then one day Tony and I took a Dare that changed our lives, our marrage, and our friendship. I can tell you with God and really REALLY great friends we have made it out of the deepest pit of our lives so far.

Then this song came into Tony's life, he says it was the song that made him realize what was really going on, and that there was a hope out there for every man, even him.

I must say that Tony....is not like every man, he is the man God made for me, he is the man I moved 1300miles from home for, he is the father to our wonderful children, and tonight he was the man that packed my lunch for work cooked dinner for the kids, and then kissed me good bye.

Every Man
I'm the man with all I've wanted
All the toys and playing games
I am the one who pours your coffee
Corner booth each Saturday
I am your daughter's favorite teacher
I'm the leader of the band
I sit behind you in the bleachers
I am Every Man
I'm the coach of every winning team
And still a loser in my mind
I am the soldier in the airport
Facing giants one more time
I am the woman shamed and haunted
By the cry of unborn life
I am every broken man
Nervous child, lonely wife
Is there hope for every man?
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
Is there hope for every man?
Is there love that never dies
Is there peace in troubled times
Someone help me understand
Is there hope for every man?
It seems there's just so many roads to travel
It's hard to tell where they will lead
My life is scarred, my dreams unravelled
Now I am scared to take the lead
If I could find someone to follow
Who knows my pain and feels the way
The uncertainty of my tomorrow
The guilt and pain of yesterday
Is there hope for every man?
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
Is there hope for every man?
Is there love that never dies
Is there peace in troubled times
Someone help me understand
Is there hope for every man?
There is hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
There is hope for every man
There is love that never dies
There is peace in troubled times
Will we help them understand
Jesus is hope for every man
There is hope for every man
A solid place where we can stand
In this dry and weary land
There is hope for every man
There is love that never dies
There is peace in troubled times
Will we help them understand
Jesus is hope for every man

The Ladies in my life

2009-06-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Something that I never thought would happen has happened and I have to tell the world how wonderful it feels!!!!!

I have a group of friends......are you ready for this?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

THAT ARE GIRLS!!!!!

They are the most wonderful group of women, so filled with God's love and boldness.

What I have love most about getting to know these ladies is they are all at a point where they have "been there and done that AND survived" or they are there right now.

I never thought in a MILLION years that a group of women would love me for me, speak words of love and life, into not only me but to my family, encourage me as a mother and wife.

WOW, give it up to GOD!!! Coz by His grace have these women have came into my life at just the right moment.

You're blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. She's worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. She's the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tight—and be blessed!Proverbs 3:12-14

Juls

GRITS

2009-05-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Thankx to the GRITS group for the following:

Southern Girls Know Bad Manners When They See Them

Drinking straight out of a can.

Not sending thank you notes.

Velvet after February.

White shoes before Easter or after Labor Day. .

Southern girls appreciate their natural assets:

Dewy skin.

A winning smile.

That unforgettable, Southern drawl.

Southern girls know their manners:

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, sir."

Southern girls have a distinct way with fond expressions:

"Y'all come back!"

"Well, bless your heart."

"Drop by when you can."

"How's your mother?"

"Love your hair."

Southern girls don't sweat....they glisten.

Southern girls know their summer weather report:

Humidity

Humidity

Humidity

Southern girls know their three R's:

Rich

Richer

Richest

Southern girls know their vacation spots:

The Beach

The Beach

The Beach

Southern girls know the joys of June, July, and August:

Summer tans

Wide brimmed hats

Southern girls know everybody's first name:

Honey

Darlin'

Sugah

Southern girls know the movies that speak to their hearts:

Gone With the Wind

Fried Green Tomatoes

Driving Miss Daisy

Steel Magnolias

Southern girls know their religions:

Baptist

Methodist

Football

Southern girls know their country breakfasts:

Red-eye gravy

Grits

Country ham

Mouth-watering homemade biscuits

Southern girls know their cities dripping with Southern charm:

Richmond

Charleston

Savannah

Birmingham

'Nawlins

Southern girls know their elegant gentlemen:

Men in uniform.

Men in tuxedos.

Rhett Butler, of course.

Y'all know Southern girls are quick on the drawl.

Southern girls know their prime real estate:

The Mall

The Beauty Salon

The Nail Salon

Southern girls know the three deadly sins:

Bad hair

Bad manners

Bad blind dates

Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fo'evah!

~ GRITS guide to life

Thoughts Turned Into Action

2009-05-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

As you all know...I'm a momma, not a mother, but a momma. Yes, there is a difference! But I'm not going to get into that right now. I have another purpose to this message.

Ok, so back to what I was saying. I am a momma! I cook, clean, drive, do first aid with my magical kisses, I hold the bowl for my kids while they are puking and pooing at the same time. I have crayon stains all over my car, cookie bits in my purse, and finger paint stuck in the cracks of my kitchen table. I eat my kids left over cereal for breakfast, coach soccer, watch cartoons, and have camp outs on the living room floor. I am not just a momma to my two children, but I also count the 2 dogs, 1 hairless cat, 1 rabbit, how can I forget the fish, and the countless birds that my children insist that I feed outside all year long. (cuz dinner just wouldn't be dinner if we couldn't play "what kind of bird is that" game). I have not slept through a night since February 25th 2001, and I don't think even the strongest drug made could stop me from getting up to check on my babies.

Yes, I know I'm kinda up on myself, but I can be the type of momma my kids deserve because by God's grace I have the abilities, resources, and most importantly I'm alive to do it.

Unfortunately there are many mothers out there that often feel burdened by their children. Let me make this very clear! These women love their children and would often die for them, but many have to choose which baby eats and which one starves. Which baby gets the medication to save its life and which one dies or is deformed by illnesses that are preventable. Which child goes to school and which one stays behind to take care of the younger kids and/or work the fields. Some siblings become the care giver and/or provider simply because another life has died in child birth, lost the battle with AIDS, or died at the griping hands of violence.

Now, I'm not one of those people just jumps on every social justice club band wagon (not that there not needed). I'm one of those people that believes you can't give 110% to a hundred and ten different things. I believe you find the one or two you really speaks to you and give what you can, if that is funds, prayers, time, or just spreading the word. I know that some people would say what's the point of just doing "what you can" when we should always do more. However, I strongly agree with what a 'wise old man' said. "You always start with what is closest to you. You can't save the world if everything around you (husband, kids, and the rest of your family) is taking the back seat; it just NOT appropriate!

So I have found two really great organizations that I have fallen in love with. One is close to home and is close to my heart. I have seen first hand how this organization changes lives, and I have also been blessed by being apart of it. Yes, you all guessed it Streams Of Hope! But the other one has gripped my heart for reasons that I don't need to explain I will let you read. You'll see for yourself, but I promise you this if you're a momma or a mommy you feel the tug on your heart to.

Another minute, another mother

Every minute, a mother dies from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. In fact, in many countries where CARE works, a girl is more likely to die in pregnancy than to finish secondary school.

Together, we can change this tragic situation. CARE's programs are designed to reduce maternal mortality by improving access to quality health care during pregnancy, safe delivery services and post-partum care for millions of women in the developing world.

(care.org)

www.care.org

B and I

2009-04-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Good morning world!!! Today...will be a better day!

April 22 at 7:20am ·

Bryna Jones

I think by default it just couldn't top yesterday!! Lol! I'm sorry for laughing. I just enjoy the visual.

Juli McWhorter Sprigings

B...my love for you is deeper the all the oceans! and i'm kinda still laughing about my fun day yesterday. LOL

Bryna Jones

Juli, if Edward from Twilight doesn't marry me, will you? I mean, I know about Tony and all, but that's the most romantic thing anyone's said to me in a long time!! Lol!! Xoxo

Juli McWhorter Sprigings

I have tears pouring down my face...i never thought you would ask. YES!!! as long as you can take me to Disney World! LOL

Bryna Jones

Hahahaha!!! Ooohhh...I love US!

Juli McWhorter Sprigings

Me to, i would be so lost in this world with out you, but i would drive a little better...FB and driving. i just passed my road.lol

Bryna Jones

Ahhhh!!! Hands at 10 and 2! We wouldn't want any policeman friends to catch wind of this... ; )

Juli McWhorter Sprigings

Oh whatever he's gone away for 2 weeks...loser. LOL

The Truth

2009-02-25T12:25:00.000-08:00

Ok...to tell you the truth I don't know where to start. I'm still caught in this state of not only feeling over whelmed, but again asking....WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?!?!?!?!?! Ministry or Law enforcement?

So as I blog about the trip over the next, oh lets say.... forever or so, I'm going to ask you to bear with me. I'm still trying to process the things. I feel like everything I have ever struggled with; everything I have been ashamed of from my past, all the things that I kept from myself hidden in the back closet of my heart are all coming out. And in a big way.

As I was trying to pull everything together, so I could blog about this trip...I decided I would start from the Beginning. Where else should I start....really?

Africa was not a place I dreamed of going, it was just a place on a list that I might visit some day. To tell you the truth Avery planted the seed of Africa in my head.

It is the place she dreams of, the animals, the people, the land, and the truth that has been hidden by war and death. She would always tell me that there was so much more there then people see. When our pastor mentioned Africa, Avery begged to go, but she knew the answer was...no.

After a lot of long talks and many nights praying, Tony and I decided that I would go in her place. Tony made it very clear that it was time for me to let go of my past and to embrace what was important to the father of our house, So I packed my stuff and prayed for days, weeks, months, I was trying so hard to prepare myself for what I may encounter. What a fool I was, thinking that I could be prepared for my life to change in ways I could have never imagined.

The truth is....

One of the first nights in Uganda; I shamelessly cried in front of people that I didn't know. (If you don't know me...I don't cry in front of any body except for a few close friends and family. I'm not ashamed of my feelings or anything, I just hate people seeing me when I'm weak) I didn't realize then that God was preparing me; I had to let go of my pride. See..with my pride in tow, I would have never prayed the way I did, I would have never let my true self be seen out of fear that I would be judged. I have been judged my whole life by people I realize now had no place to judge my life nor my choices, but that's...another story for another time.

It was the night of our second crusade that was going to blow me over with emotions, emotions I was not prepared for. That was the night I prayed a prayer that I truly thought I would never pray. It was a night where I had to decide who was whispering in my heart, but I knew it was God. I knew there was no way I could have EVER come up the feelings all on my own.

As the night was coming to a close I saw a young girl walking around with a belly sticking out of a boys button up shirt, she was completely exposed for all the world to see, but she didn't care. That girl was so full of life that she danced herself silly all night long. She had no pants on and only one button done up...it was the only button on the whole shirt to be honest. As I watched her from the background I started to pray for this little "spark plug". I prayed that her love of life would consistently flow through her and that it would ultimately lead her out of the place she was in. I prayed that she would not only walk in favor of our Lord, but that she would lead others out of the darkness. I prayed that she would live.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and caught my breath then I turned around. And that's when it happened....I was standing less the 3 inches away from a young girl that was not only dying physically but she was already dead inside. You could see it by the blankness in her eyes, she was filled with fear, sickness, and shame. She was as tall as me if not a little taller and weighed I would say no more the 50lbs. Her face was covered in sores, her head was filled with lice, her yellow flowered dress was ripped the the point where her brown panties were completely exposed in the back. There are no words to describe how she smelled.

As Cheryl looked at my face I'm sure she could see how I felt because I didn't say a word she just began to pray for peace for this young girl with no name. I felt the Lord say....Send her to me Juli...send her home to me with peace in her heart, I will give her comfort. Pray for her to rest with peace in her heart. I wrestled with the thoughts, the feelings, and the gentle whispers in my soul for much longer then a moment. But I knew God's instructions were clear. That day I prayed for that young girl with no name to go home in peace with her one true Father. I knew that there was nothing on earth that could comfort her the way Jesus could. When all was said and done, she looked up at me and smiled; I knew at that moment God had filled her with his peace, and that it wouldn't be long until her pain and suffering would be over.

As I tried to gather as much information as I could about her...I learned that her parents were long passed on, she was epileptic, and she was shunned by the village. She was truly orphaned by the world. But she was not orphaned at all, she was and will always be the most beautiful girl in the world; for she was nothing less then a daughter of our Father in Heaven.

Some may say to me that I should have prayed for healing; what a true testimony of God's power for her to be healed. The testimony would shake the village into revival. Hundreds would come to Christ because they saw what God did in the girl with no name. It's true, it would have been a testimony that would stop everyone in their tracks.

But the truth is...I know that I did the right thing. I know that girl rested in peace that night for the first time in maybe her whole life and I know that she will rest in God's unwavering love for eternity.

The Truth is....I feel in my heart that Avery was right all along, she was right about more things then she'll ever know or maybe ever understand. It not just the people, the land, the animals, it's all the things that people don't see that the truth hides behind.

It took the words of God that live in my now 8 year old daughter's soul beating in my heart for me to see the Truth.

Leaving on a jet plane.....I know I'll be back in 23 days

2009-02-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

So for the past 2 days I have cried, packed, prepared meals, lists, and watched my kids play and dream.

This is ALWAYS the hardest part, saying good by to my little ones. They are so wonderful, and I know God gave me my children to colour the world for me, because without them I would live in a very black and white world.

So as I finish up with all the final touches, I am convinced that this may be the last trip for me for a little bit. Saying good bye to the is starting to be to much for me.

God's words however are very powerful in my head right now. Romans 15 (the message)

1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, and not for status. Each one of us needs to look after the good people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help"

I am strong in faith...I am a daughter to the most high king, I am a mother that has been given strength and love to carry with me to the hurting children of this world. I will follow God's plan for me and show the world His love and grace.

Then at the end of it all I will hold my two children, and thank God for the wonderful gifts He gave me.

So until then....ladies keep praying.

Just because...

2009-01-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post this picture...I love my husband, and he took my breath away the other night. I asked him what he though about me going to Africa. This is what he had to say.

"I don't like that you're going, I hate that you're going to be away from me and the kids, I hate the thoughts that run through my head while you're gone. I don't know what I would tell our children if...." But Juli....I'm SO proud to be married to a woman that loves God, and will Him follow without fear, I'm proud....though sometimes I get a little annoyed....that you are going." "I'm so blessed to have YOU as the mother of my children".

YES....I cried like a baby....

5,4,3,2,1,0

2009-01-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

five more days, 5 more days....FIVE MORE DAYS!!!!

I leave for Uganda in five more days... Yes, I'm having a moment.

I have never been without my kids for 18days, I haven't slept through the night in 8+ years, and I'm going to miss my husband more then I can swallow.

My eyes as I write this are filling up tears, and and it feels like I can't breath.

The questions are...did you make the right choice...are you SURE you're not suppose to go back to Guatemala? What are you going to do on a mission trip without your sister to tell you what to do? Are my friends still going to be my friends when I get home...after the realize how loud I snore? Is this where God is pointing? And when is He going to answer me??????

I'll fill you in...I have this vision in my head. God is standing on a map, looking at me like He is waiting for me to do something. To put it this way....He is giving me THE LOOK.

Jesus, yea He's standing behind me saying...are ya goona go? Then there is the Holy Spirit, holding my hand...saying I've got you, I will walk with you, I will protect you. But I'm stuck...I won't move without Tony. I won't move out of my own confusion. I don't want to walk on the journey without him. But the Holy Spirit keeps telling me..."I'v got you, and Tony is with you...he is in you".

So this questions....of where, when, how, and why.....ARE POUNDING IN MY HEAD!!!! and it won't stop.

I have talked to the Rev, and told him that I want to learn how to lead mission trips. I know some will think I just want to title, but the truth is...I want share with people the love of our Lord, and how in everyday situations there is so much more then what meets the eye. I want to be that strong woman of God that people can lean on...cry to...and I return offer them prayer and love. I get so excited when I see peoples faces light up when they see what their maker has done. I want to take young minds and hearts to the edge of the Earth. I want to serve my purpose, I want God to not only be standing on a map...but standing on the place He wants me to go next. There is nothing better then getting the honor to be God's hands and feet here on Earth.

I could go on FOREVER so I'll stop.

The fact is....I leave in five days.....so if everyone could just pray. For the team, the children in Uganda, and most importantly our families that we leave behind. Pray that our children understand their mommy or daddy is severing a wonderful God.

Count Down in on...

2009-01-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

As I get all my Ziplock bags packed with my clothes, snack, toiletries, and a few other things I found more then useful on my little adventures.

I wanted to share with ya'll some information of who we will be working with while we're in Africa.

Are you exctited yet?

Do something...anything

2008-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

I just happened to me looking up stuff...yea, I was bored at work! Then I found this great website. I know many of you have heard of Doctors without Borders. They are teams of men and women that just hear the call...and then BLINDLY jump in to do whatever has to be done.

I am not saying that we ALL have to go this far but we all believers and non believers have an obligations to do something...anything....

The New Year...

2008-12-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

I am starting my New Years resolutions early...

I know every year some people make up this "crap" or "goals" to make themselves feel better about the year to come, and I'm not different.

This year I have decided to focus on me!?! YES, I know it sounds extremely selfish, but the truth of the matter is; I feel like through the years I have lost all of the things I loved about me, and in doing so I have short changed the people I love most in my life.

So! This year...I am not going to focus on the things I want and don't have. This year will be about my children, my marriage, and MY passions.

So here is a mini bio about me I guess you could say.

I married the man I chased for 7 years...yes! it took me 7 years...HAHA. Now I have two fantastic children, a hottie of a husband, and the most amazing small group of friends...that deal with my spaz caseness and forgive me even when I am in the wrong.

I am not disillusioned...I know I don't have it all together, but I sure am trying my best to figure it all out before it's to late. Although there are times it seems that life is getting a little more crazy then I can handle; it is at those times I have learned...it's time to hit your knees and NOT to get up until God tells you to...no matter how long you are there!!!

I still strive to find the good in every person, every day in every situation....even when I don't want to.

I live my life as a mom extraordinaire, a wife, the runner of the house hold, I'm a counselor, a ref, a dreamer, a chef, and a taxi driver.

Someone once said...I was as loyal as a dog....but in a good way, whatever that means. It's true though I am loyal, but I have discovered that it is my loyalty that gives me the most amount of pain, but also bring me the most joy.

Things that I love: God...and His consent steady devotion, even when I am not, I love to laugh until my face hurts, I love seeing my kids discovering new things, I love it when Tony breaths on my neck, I would be lost without my drive to change the world for the better. I love music and how every moment of everyday has it's own soundtrack, holding hands, surprises, my dogs, throwing a football, deep conversation, pizza, the lake, flip flops, coffee, kissing Tony, naps. I love my few friends that have seen me at my weakest, but still love me anyways.

The things I closetly love: Big jewelry, beautiful perfume, pictures, sticky notes that have sweet messages on them, ice cold sweet tea, milk with ice in it, fast food burgers, and sand under my feet, walking through squishy mud, the sound a new born makes when they sneeze, lip gloss, Malibu rum and tequila, dancing until I can't stand up, the way it feels when Tony wraps his arms around me when I'm already sleeping, opening my eyes to see our children in our bed, white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. And believe it or not I love complements and thank you's.

Things that I hate: People that settle because they don't believe they are worth more (I am so bad for that), lies, people that play with the minds and hearts of others, waking from bad dreams, sounds I can't explain...and yes! I am terrified of the dark. I hate when I have put my trust into something or someone just to only lose it in a moment. But Most of all I hate that some of us have to learn things the hard way and unshowingly live with the pain for a lifetime.

Do as I say & DO AS I DO!!!

2008-11-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

Do as I say & DO AS I DO!!!

For the past month or so I have been conducting an experiment in my house. I have been doing it without anybody really noticing, or at least they haven’t said anything…

For the most part I always have my morning coffee with God, we sit and chat; I use the time before the kids get up and the loud chaos begins to read God’s word. I never look for something particular; I will literally hold the Bible in my hands and say “God open up Your word for me today.” That was how I’ve started my day every morning for the past two or so years.
Isn’t great how God knows what you need everyday, I’ve never read the same group of verses twice doing it this way, yet Timothy, Colossians, and Thessalonians seem to be God’s favorite for me. But then again I think God knows I like direction…

Anyways on with my story or experiment which ever it is.
So for the past month or so I have made it my purpose to read the Bible in front of my kids or husband every morning! Yes, this means there is mornings I drag myself out of bed at 5am, so Tony (my wonderful husband) can see me have just some simple time with God. To my surprise it didn’t take long before he was reading scripture and leaving notes on my Bible of what he read that morning. I was so excited! Tony had NEVER gone out of his way to get into his word, and here he was finding the most amazing scripture to share with me.

Now, my kids took a little long, mostly because of their age.
But this morning Avery (my oldest) saw that Tony and I were reading God’s word to each other. Then after she finished her breakfast, she came and sat down with us with her Bible and started sharing God’s word with us. Then Paiden came and just sat with us and listened.

I looked up at Tony and said…here is the time where you are proud of the type of parent God has made you. When your kids see you go to God; that you seek him first, and they fallow your steps.

We as parent’s are always telling our children to do as we say and not as we do…I believe it is imperative that in today’s crazy, perverse, dangerous world that we ALL pull up our big girl/boy pants and start living the type of life we want for our children.

The mission call still rings loud and clear in my heart...

2008-11-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I pray this letter finds you in good health and spirits! It has been, personally, a rewarding year and I am astonished at how quickly it’s gone by. The kids are great! Paiden is so full of energy and loves Nursery school. Avery...wow! She is wonderful; her life is filled with school and horses. Tony is really enjoying his new job, and I’m enjoying Bible College, spending time with our wonderful children, and working part time.
The time of year has come for me to participate in a mission trip a.k.a. a “vacation with a purpose”. This trip will be dramatically different for our family. This year I will be going with our church family from Desert Stream to Uganda, Africa!!! Yes, I am very excited and a little overwhelmed to say the least.
This trip will be long and busy; we’ll be doing construction, medical/dental care, ministry, and just loving on the kids. The children of an orphanage in a little corner of Fort Portal, Uganda have faced realities that no child should have to face. Their parents’ lives have either been stolen from them by the Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA) or have passed away before their time from AIDS. In some cases these children have been forced to kill their own parents, then forced into being child soldiers; some children are dying of the same disease that killed their parents.
You know what I’m describing! You’ve seen the commercials on TV; the ones that make you so uncomfortable that you change the channel or you get up to go get a snack. We all do just about anything to stop ourselves from looking into the eyes of those children because we either feel helpless or we don’t think it affects us.
To be honest; I’ve sat down an uncountable amount of times and started writing this letter. I knew once I finished this letter, my heart would be committed. To be honest I’m scared; I have never been so far from home for so long. Then God reminded me that fear is not of Him, and that He will protect me as He protects those children living around the world needing to be loved, fed, educated, and saved from poverty, illness and war.
As you can imagine, the fund raising is going to be harder this year; that is why I’ve started now. Ok, here comes the hard part, I have to tell you the total amount. The cost is going to be $3,500.00. Please don’t be overwhelmed by the total amount; any amount goes a long way when everybody pitches in; remember the Lord said ALL things are possible through Him. If you can’t find it in your budget to donate funds, please donate your prayers. I will not be able to go without them.

In His Grace,

Juli Sprigings

“But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” Luke 18:16

Please make all donations by December 1, 2008 to:
Desert Stream Christian Fellowship
535 Dundas St. E
Belleville, ON K8N 5P6
Uganda Mission Trip: Juli Sprigings
You will receive a tax receipt for all donations made!!!

One of those days!

2008-10-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

One of those days…

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the ones I’m talking about; you feel like “blah, yuck, and pooy” all at the same time. You want to crawl in a hole or under a rock, runaway to some beach so you can sip margaritas and tan, oh oh and! Sleep!!!

One of those days where smiling is not an option, and nothing will make you laugh.

One of those days when you just want your husband to love on you (a hug, back rub, ect.); no joking around or tickling or tackling. No questions like “what did you do all day?”

One of those days when you just want your best friend; the one that doesn’t care if you laugh or say anything at all to come over and just sit with you, so you can rant on and on about how you feel. After all they are the only ones that will understand your unorganized nonsense.

One of those days when your kids fight and argue in the car, just because they know you are having one of those days and you will ignore them by drowning out the shouts with the radio.

One of those days when you don’t want to cook, but you do anyways…and it taste like poo to you cuz it’s not what you want. Cuz the only thing you want by now is a glass/bottle of wine and whole chocolate cheese cake with a bubble bath on the side; heck lets throw in a cheesy chick flick for good measure.

One of those days you just want to stay in your PJs cuz your bloated or lazy…ok do we really need a reason to stay in our PJs? I think not, so I will leave this one be.

Yes as a matter of fact we all have those days and yesterday just happened to be mine’ the good news is…I’m not due for another one for at least six months or so.
Don’t you just love being a woman?

I have learned

2008-10-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

I have learned you can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life.

I have learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I have learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I have learned that you can keep going long after you feel like you can't.

I have learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I have learned that either you control you attitude or it controls you.

I have learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take it's place.

I have learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I have learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I have learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I have learned that sometimes the people to kick you when you're down are the people that will help you get back up.

I have learned that sometimes when I'm angry...I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I have learned that a true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. The same goes for true love.

I have learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean that they don't love you with all that they have.

I have learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I have learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but the people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.

I have learned that no matter how god a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must be able to forgive them for that.

I have learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to forgive yourself.

I have learned that no matter how bad you heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I have learned that our background and circumstances may influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become.

I have learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean that they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue doesn't mean that they do.

I have learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I have learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I have learned that two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.

I have learned that your life and be changed in a moment by people you don't even know.

I have learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when someone cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I have learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I have learned that the people you care about the most in life are taken from you too soon.

The lessons in life are hard, and sometime you feel like tomorrow will never come, there are times that you want to run and hide, or just cry all the pain away. Just remember that God is there with you holding you when you feel week and helpless. Then after the storm is over the simple things remind you that life is all about the journey.

This is it....

2008-10-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know...my dream is to be a cop. YES!!! A gun carrying uniformed officer. No, it has nothing to do with the power, though being a southern chick I dig guns. (Used the right way)
I grew up in a home where there was always drama, and the police often had to be called. I remember looking out my door, and thinking to myself "it isn't her fault" but they always made it to be that way.
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be that person that people could count on, the one that would make kids feel safe, wives empowered, husbands respected...I just wanted to serve God by serving people!
So today I did it...I made that payment to take my test. I have put it off for 7 years out of fear. I was shaking while I was typing in my credit card number, the tears were welling up in my eyes, I could feel my heart pounding, and I knew it was the devil saying "CRAP! NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD HER BACK FOR SO LONG!"
I know being away from my kids is going to kill me, but IF I'm going to be the mom that tells her kids to chase their dreams, then I need to do the same.
I just want to ask all of you to pray for me, I know that God has put this drive and dream in my heart for a reason.

Friends...

2008-10-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

Friend: calls your parents by mr. and mrs.
Best friend: calls your parents dad and mom.

Friend: has never seen you cry
Best friend: has always had the best shoulder to cry on

Friend: never asks for anything to eat or drink
Best friend: opens the fridge and makes herself at home

Friend: asks you to write down your number.
Best friend: they ask you for their number
(cuz! they can't remember it)

Friend: borrows your stuff for a few days then gives it back.
Best friend: has a closet full of your stuff

Friend: only knows a few things about you
Best friend: could write a biography on your life story

Friend: will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing
Best friend: will always go with you

As my best friend prepares to have her daughter today I pray that she, Hyghly will be as blessed as Veda, Susie, Brandi, Bryna and I have been through the years to have such a friends.

Men

2008-09-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

I got this email from my mission team leader, as I read it I laughed until my bladder could not take it anymore....SO I thought what a great thing to pass on, so you can get a good laugh for the day. (WARNING: YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ SOME TRUTH...NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH)

Because I Am a Man"

Because I'm a man, when I lock my keys in the
car, I will fiddle with a coat hanger long after
hypothermia has set in. Calling AAA is not an
option. I will win.

Because I'm a man, when the car isn't running
very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the
engine as if I know what I'm looking at. If another
man shows up, one of us will say to the other, "I
used to be able to fix these things, but now with
all these computers and everything, I wouldn't know
where to start." We will then drink a couple of beers
and break wind, as a form of holy communion.

Because I'm a man, when I catch a cold, I need
someone to bring me soup and take care of me
while I lie in bed and moan. You're a woman. You
never get as sick as I do, so for you, this is no
problem.

Because I'm a man, I can be r elied upon to purchase
basic groceries at the store, like milk or bread. I
cannot be expected to find exotic items like "cumin"
or "tofu." For all I know, these are the same thing.

Because I'm a man, when one of our appliances
stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite
evidence that this will just cost me twice as much
once the repair person gets here and has to put it
back together.

Because I'm a man, I must hold the television remote
control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has
been misplaced, I may miss a whole show looking
for it, though one time I was able to survive by holding
a calculator instead (applies to engineers only).

Because I'm a man, there is no need to ask me what
I'm thinking about. The true answer is always either
sex, cars, sex, sports or sex. I have to make up
something else when you ask, so just don't ask.

Because I'm a man, you don't have to ask me if I liked
the movie. Chances are, if you're crying at the end of
it, I didn't . . . and if you are feeling amorous afterwards . .
then I will certainly at least remember the name and
recommend it to others.

Because I'm a man, I think what you're wearing is fine.
I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was
fine, too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or
without it, looks fine.. It does not make your rear look
too big. It was the pasta and potatoes and Margaritas
that did that. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we
just go now?

Because I'm a man, and this is after all, the year 2008,
I will share equally in the housework. You just do the
laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the vacuuming, and
the dishes, and I'll do the rest. Like wandering around
in the garden with a beer, wondering what to do.

This has been a public service message to help
women to better understand men.

Music

2008-09-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's funny how something a simple as a song can take you back to a different place, time, feeling...it can just transform your day in a moment. As everyday people we have our own soundtracks, a song that reminds of our spouse, or our college days, friends, sisters, our children...or just our personal thoughts and experiences. Some songs bring us to tears while others make us laugh.
So as I was thinking of songs that would be on my 'Life' soundtrack; I did just that...I got a little teary eyed and then I laughed. Some songs make me miss my friends back home while others inspire me to be a better person, a few remind me of my wedding day, and one the day I became a mother. Then there is the songs that remind me of my sister, and how there's not a day that goes by that I don't long to be near her. My dad, and how I know now at 27 that I'm more like him then I ever thought I would be. Then there are the ones that reflect today, going to see Momma Mia with "The Ladies", and how I laughed so hard that night that I cried and then laughed all the way home.
So as I was thinking of all these songs I decided to add them here on my blogspot,(once I figure out how too) I'm sure now that they're on here people are going to see a different side of me...but that's ok, cuz remember i'm trying to let my guard down..LOL

My husband...

2008-09-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

No, he hasn't done anything wrong...that I know of at this time.

But in the fast world we live in we often forget our spouses. Our children, work, school, house, and all the other things seem to come first.

This weekend, I got to do one of my favorite things in the whole world......I got to go on a long car trip with my husband (and the kids, but they were either sleeping or watching TV). I know most of you are thinking, poor guy! Cuz you all know I love to talk and sing, so you could only imagine being in the car with me for the better part of 4hours HEehee.

I like that I can trap him in the car with no where for him to go when I reach over to hold his hand, and he can't even pretend he doesn't hear me when I ask a question. I love that he'll take this time to tell me about work and make jokes. We talk about everything we don't get to talk about daily.

It is amazing to me how fast life can be, but at the end of it all...the drive is worth it.

Aves

2008-09-03T12:26:00.001-07:00

Not long ago I was just sitting with my mom talking to her about the up and coming mission trips I have planned. I mentioned to her the DS was going to Africa and how I would love to go, but I would still be in Guatemala. Before I could even get any other words out of my mouth my daughter, Avery comes running through the house and says to me "if your going I'm going" my eyes fell out of my head.
I was standing there thinking "how am I going to tell her no? and how am I going to explain to her the danger?" My mom quickly says to my daughter..."no way no how Avery". Then the "WHY's" started.
Now, the thought of Africa has never been far from Avery's thoughts. Since she was about 5 she told me that she was going to live in Africa to be a photo journalist/eco tourest. (yes way too much National Geographic gets watched in my house)I know what your thinking...don't worry she'll grow out of it right. Yea...I'll be waiting, but there is apart of me that hopes that she doesn't. I love that she thinks SO far out of the box.
As I explained to her what the mission team would be doing there she became more and more excited. Then the questions came; much like they always do...why, who, what, and why... once again.
As I looked at my wise 7 year old little girl, I remembered that I wasn't much older then her when I knew that hurt was apart of our world. So I answered her questions with truth (not to much truth) and I was amazed that after the talk of AIDS and war what Avery had to say next.
"Mom aren't you glad we're Christians; just think about all the children that will be saved."

The Heart Reader

2008-07-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

I picked up a book at the library; for some reason this book just seemed to shine on the shelf as I walked by it. I picked it up and decided to read it, I was not prepared for the words that would just seem to invade my heart.
In chapter one the pastor asked what would we hear if we heard with God's ears; what cries of desperation, hurt, fears, and joys would we hear.
As I drove to work the next day I started think of what would I hear if I could hear with God's ears. Would I hear the mothers in Guatemala who spend their days looking through the trash to find glass bottles; which would give her enough money to buy a small thing of sweet milk and two bread rolls. How about the mother that holds her child close to her heart hoping that today won't be the day that her child is stolen from her by AIDS. The father in the same country hearing his daughter scream as she is being raped and sexually mutilated by militants. How about the young boy who is ripped away from his parents to become a child slave. The children being raped, abused, neglected right here in Belleville. The single parents all round us swimming in a sea of loneliness. The teenagers drowning in this crazy perverse society. What would their souls be saying, what would I hear....or better yet what would we ALL hear if we would just tune in.
After my thoughts ran away with me I started to realize....I can hear some of those cries. But then my question turned to be...if I can hear it why can't everyone else? Why doesn't anyone respond when they hear the cries of a friend, a stranger, or better yet their spouse? Better yet how do we respond?
I think we all have so much to learn and give....and when we are ready too hear the call we will start hearing the cries and the rejoices.

Mission: The call

2008-07-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Pastor Kevin touched on a touchy subject for Tony and I; mission work…but for the first time Tony just held me as the tears weld up in my eyes; instead of his usual deep sigh and pull away. This made me wonder…is he getting it? Does he understand yet? Or is this just a moment that will pass?
See, I know I’ve been called to the mission field, I’m not talking about moving and living in a different country, but going to serve families, mainly teens and children that are living in poverty, and/or working with teen girls that have been forced into sexual trade. I know that I have a gift for young people, and I truly hope and pray that one day Tony will walk beside me in my calling or send me off with his prayers.
I know it’s hard for him to see me get on that plane every year and head off to a place that has become my second home. I know that as he sends me off; he asks himself; what will I tell our children if the worse happens. I know that he would tell them the truth. That their mother was called by God to serve, to give children in this world a fighting chance at a better life and an education, she did it without question and she did it with passion.
Sometimes Tony’s fear over takes him, and I think that is why he has told me that I can go no further the Central America.
In all reality I don’t see myself going much further until our children are grown, and when I say our children; I also mean Kimberly, Catrine, Justin, Estephany, Lilita, Olivia and the many others that hold my heart as I lay down to sleep.
As a mother I’ve learned that your children are everywhere, they’re not just the ones that sleep down the hall.

Guatemala

2008-06-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

It was said by a church elder that I will always be the sweet Alabama girl who moved to Canada, and who leaves her heart in Guatemala. No truer words have ever been spoken about me.

Each year I follow my heart back to a place that I dream about. The kids are the air I breath and the parents are my heroes. Each year I go with hope that I will leave more of myself there, but I always bring more home with me then I left with. I miss them all so much when I'm away and I long to be with them again.

Today I received a message that a land slide in the Guatemala City dump took the lives of 50 or more people. They will not be searching for the bodies due to the danger.

The government with be closing the dump taking the only form of employment some of the families have.

To be honest I feel empty, helpless, and displaced. I know that the families down there will do what they do best. Thank God for their blessing and give God praise that not all was lost. I often wonder if I could ever be as strong as them.

As a clean up my tears I think of what Kimberly would say to me, "No tears God is greater then all the pain in the world." Wise words from a seven year old little girl.

So today I want to Give God praise for their lives and the lives they touch. May the Lord give those families peace.