A Public Service Announcement

Well...it should be.

Endless Needs

"The sun is about to come up. The aftershocks continue. Some more noticeable than others. There is no way to even begin to share the things we’ve heard and seen since 5pm yesterday. To do so would take hours that we don’t have to give right now. Some of them feel wrong to tell. Like only God should know these personal horrible tragedies. "

From a missionary family serving in Haiti. Read more here.

These days are full of needs beyond most of our comprehension. The horrific situation over in Haiti weighs heavily on my heart right now. As help has begun to trickle in the last 24 hours, more and more images are flooding the media. Splashed across television, the internet, newspapers, and everywhere in between Haiti's desperation is being forced into our living rooms.

This one brings tears to my eyes of both joy and sadness. What appears to be a rescued child, may now be an orphan.

I'm praying for this community. The people. The rescue workers and first responders. The physicians and politicians. The children and their teachers. The parents, siblings, sons, and daughters. The family's of those lost and those found.

Please join me in these prayers.

Remember this little bit of adorableness.

Well, she needs your prayers too. She is a little sick right now. Well, actually she is a little sick all of the time, but she is a LOT sick right now. She may be heading back into the hospital this weekend. She has visited the hospital more times in her short little four years of life than any of us would care to even think about.

Yet, she still smiles like this on her good days.

Her Mommy could use some prayers too. She fulfills the role of the brave, nurturing, and patient mommy better than anyone I have ever seen. She calmly administers painful treatments to her daughter while trying to re-direct her attention with songs and happy faces. Bravely, she packs her three children into the car and faces trepid weather and cantankerous kids to visit the doctor on a more than frequent basis. Patiently, she faces many sleepless nights with the sick one.

Routinely, like most mothers she
visits the grocery store,
washes the clothes,
cleans the house,
changes diapers,
cooks dinner,
pays bills,
irons clothes,
gives baths,
washes hair,
packs bags,
unpacks bags,

and then, as if she needs more to do she

runs a business,
answering emails,
fielding phone calls,
managing people,
manageing events,
hiring and firing,
and all of the other responsibilities that come along with that.

My guess is....she's exhausted. She's broken on the inside from putting on the brave face while watching the agony of her own offspring crying in pain and desperation. She's desperate for her daughter to just have a run of the mill cold that goes away in 3-5 days.  She's in need of a kid-less day for a pedicure and a haircut, but she'd probably settle for a 2 hour nap and a day with no Dr. appointments or phone calls.

Please join me in praying for this little one and her mommy and the rest of their family.

Blessings to all,

Hope

Hope is a powerful thing.

Bernice, Bernice, Bernice knows a little about it. She watched her mom hit that skunk named Justine Mattisse over the head with a club.

 

I'm sure that left her hoping for a new little, cute and cuddly puppy for a pet with a normal name like Spot or Rover.

Possibly, Justine Mattisse was hoping that Bernice, Bernice, Bernice would vanish into thin air at that moment.

Here is the thing about hope. Hope never disappoints us. It's always there as a light shining in the distance to get us through from one stagnant, stressfull or perilous moment to the next.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in Romans 5:3-5.

3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

copied from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%205&version=NIV

What strikes me about this passage is the idea that sufferings exist. Pain is real and the fact that trials will be in our life to produce suffering doesn't go unnoticed by the Lord. Life just ain't always a bowl full of cherries and God gets that!

According to Ramona Calvert, you just get a little stink on you sometimes. But how exectly do you go about blowin' it off?

"Sufferings produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope"

Here is a hint. It's what's sandwiched in between: perseverance and character building. Boy, aren't those things music to your ears?! Want to know what Mr. Webster has to say about perserving? No? Too bad because I'm going to tell you anyway.

"to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement"

Oh dang! This is hitting home for me. Probably for many of you too. All four of you that stop by here.

Keep in mind though that hope follows perseverance and character building. I mean, I might have a bad day and find myself comfortably perched on my haunches on the sofa hoping a big, fat bowl of chocolate ice cream would make its way into my hands, but that my friends is a vain hope. Selfish ambition at it's finest.

Hope that follows perseverance; that's the good stuff. The genu-ine, real thing. Guess I'll persistently wade through the sea of obstacals to the fridge and fix my own bowl of chocolate ice cream now.
But, here is the key to it all friends. Don't miss this. It's big. Really Big!

"hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts"

That part makes all the difference in the world. Without that love, that stink...well, it just ain't goin' no where and I'd be willing to bet it just gets worse.

Daily Blowin' Off Stink,

The Back Burner

Ever wonder what a blog on the back burner looks like?

Well, if you have stumbled across this site once or twice recently, then your getting a first hand look my friends. It's sad really because there is so much to share.

Hopefully, you won't hold it against me that I am a bit neglectful. Please? Pretty please? I'm on my knees here.

This stint will probably last a couple of months, but I'll do my best to get in a quick post every now and again. Regular post (well as "regular" as they ever are) should resume March 1.

So, stay with me. Please? Pretty please? With sugar on top? I'll throw in a cherry too?

I want to make a deal with you. You add the substance for the blog today. I'd love to hear how you spent your weekend. Bundled by a fire during this acrtic blast? Or cooking something to warm your soul in the kitchen? Or did you do something crazy like go outdoors and risk turning into a popsicle? Tell me all the details in a comment. Please? Pretty please?

Hoping you all had swell weekends,

Manic Monday

Last night I went to bed with an overwhelming sense of panic. A list of 1,000 things ran through my head that I wanted to do before Monday morning, but alas I did not get them done. Nor did I want those things to keep me from my beauty rest. So I closed my eyes and fell promtply into a carb induced coma from everything consumed the previous week.

Now, it's Monday morning and the mental list has returned along with the panic. And the list is even longer and the panic even stronger.

So, I've decided the best thing to do is have one more cup of coffee and go over it mentally one more time before I get up and get started on it.

Off to refill my coffee cup.

Make yours a less manic Monday friends.

Peace out,

Winter Snow

The blog challenge dates may have officially ended, but I believe I owe at least one more Christmas Song post. Besides, I know the title will catch your eye, Kathy.

If you don't know Kathy. Check her out by here. Besides being a fantastic writer, she has a way of bringing you right into the midst of some rather entertaining stories. I promise you won't be sorry for popping in and visiting her every now and then.

Here is a little teaser for you.  Her most recent release is about her intense dislike for wearing winter coats and the delimna she faces living in Maryland.

We’re snowed in today. Like, 20 inches of snow. It’s lovely being forced inside with your family and not having the option to leave the house for anything. I’m not being sarcastic. I really think it’s been fantastic. The snow is beautiful and as long as I don’t have to touch it, I love it. Which brings me to the point of this post. I’m usually not forced to pull out my coat until January.

I have a personal anti-coat policy. I dislike them.

This is the view from her window this last week. Hellloooo! Who wouldn't have a disdain for coats in weather like that?

To get back to the task at hand, I have to share a song with you that I heard this week. Chris Tomlin instriduced a new artist on his most recent Christmas CD. Audrey Assad has captured beautifully the gentleness of the season in her lyrics to Winter Snow. I couldn't resist sharing them with you. Just click the words Winter Snow and it will take you to her playlist where you can listen.

Enjoy!

POST EDIT: I found a video of the song. It's not the best, but it's easier than chasing it down on myspace.

Go Tell It On The Mountain

....Jesus Christ is born!

Luke 2


The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

copied from www.biblegateway.com


Inspiration from this post came from Bebo Norman's version of the song, but I'm leaving you with a different version.



In your spare time, I suggest you check out Bebo's version because it's wonderful and totally different than this one. You can do that at http://www.pandora.com/. It's a great link to have on your favorites, if you don't already.

Now- Go and tell! That's a directive people.

Happy Telling,