Quarterly Report WoW so much happening

I have not been intentional at reporting quarterly, I originally planned to write weekly, wow I am far off. My business has slowed down; yet the time with family keeps me so busy.  I used to multi-task 8-10 things going at once now I am blessed if I can get one or two things done with no interruptions. May was exciting I had three grandchildren with birthdays, 4, 5, and 12--and very exciting a new grandchild was born. We have six grandchildren and four are born in May.  Four friends are going to join me in a trip to Washington DC in August. We are participating in 8-28. We will be HONORING our magnificent military, our founding fathers, our constitution, and most importantly we will HONOR GOD and his blessings. Please join us in prayer for all participating and for our country.

It is a Blessing I have not written for three months

My plan all along has been to keep up the blog site; yet, I have not touched this site for three months. I am so disappointed in my lack of effort. I have indicated that it is a Blessing that I have not been on site. We are blessed with more work to do, with more family time, time to begin a spring garden (check out my garden page). I hope to get organized with work, family, garden, cooking, exercise, friends, and be able to visit this site at least weekly, if not more. Thank you for joining me. I may not be talking to anyone, as you out there may have given up waiting for any word.   Since January 16, my husband has had a birthday, my daughter and I have had birthdays, and many friends and family (I did send their cards late).    I love my family, we all enjoy playing games, the latest is one my son-in law sought us to play, the new Monopoly Cards game. Try it and tell me what you think. My family loves to eat and fortunately, since we love to eat, most cook too. We can be entertained a whole evening just all cooking together and eating. Some favor making desserts, some try new recipes, and others make up dishes. We certainly all love one another very much and it is after midnight and I must get some rest.  My nephew is coming home from IRAQ, Praise the LORD.  I am going to Washington DC in August. I am looking forward to seeing places I did not see when I went in 1966, as a teen.      Taylor, wife of Q, your mom told me about your new venture, send me some info, I may be able to promote it. Blessings to all!!!

2010 A Year To Give and Receive Blessings

May we all find ways to help others this year. Perhaps your neighbor needs a meal, help with repairs, transformation, childcare, a listening ear. Perhaps your local community churches, and other charitable organizations need your skills/abilites to help others. When we help others by reaching out to them, giving materially, caring for them, or praying with them, we are carry the Lord's blessing to them and we are also blessed with a peace that is beyond understanding.
My heart goes out to the people of Haiti and many others that were there already helping poverty stricken Haiti. The death toll is still growing and devistation is literally everywhere. We have been talking about how we can help. Many want to help and cannot do so monitarily. We were blessed by an email from my neice telling us about a way that Sport Chalet is helping, they give softly used shoes to those in need in many developmental countries. They are currently collecting shoes for distribution in Haiti. My children are conducting a drive to collect shoes from our friends, family, and neighbors. Check out their web site, this opportunity to give is called 'Soles 4 Souls'. Shoes need to be delivered to a Sport Chalet store by January 31. If you can help this way or some other way, please try. I know the Red Cross has been in Haiti as a permenant fixture and their facility was damaged, as well.  There are churches and other organizations that will be traveling there to be helping hands. They are in need of more doctors and nurses, and so many other needs that it can bee overwhelming.
Please find something you can do this year to help others in your family, in your neighborhood, in your community, and beyond your community. May you be blessed this year!

What do you enjoy doing? What do you have a Passion for doing?

Today my two youngest children, 16 and 12, are going to play the piano at a convelesant hospital. I hope that they will be relaxed and just let their talent flow. My hope for all of us is that we will let our talent and skills flow through us and out to others. We all have been given skills and talents to use in our lives for our good and especially for the good of others. We each were given a particular spiritual gift as well. It is often more difficult for some to know what that is. It is that something you do very well and feel passionate about. If you have a desire to do something for others and when doing it you lose track of all time, when doing it others are made happier, healthier (mind, body, and/or soul) when doing it you feel happier and healthier and you do an excellent job. If you are not sure what that is, just volunteer to do anything that interests you.

When you try to exercise a gift, observe am I enjoying this, am I comfortable, if it is something you are better off to do just once in a great while you will know from the way you feel, the results you receive, and the peace and comfort you do or do not have while doing it.  If it was not something you felt passionate for move on to something else.  Your time was not wasted, you helped someone in some way and you found out this is not my spiritual gift. When you experience using your intended gift, you will know. The Word says the spirtual gifts are: Teaching, Prophecy, Peaching, Healing, Serving, Mercy, Leadership, Administration, Encouraging, Speaking in all kinds of languages, interpreting the languages, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Faith.
1Cor 12:4. It is possible to have more than one gift at a time; yet, one will be more dominant than any other. Usually it is one gift, sometimes it can be one and a time later, a year, numerous years later, you may receive a different gift and change your emphasis to the new gift and that opens the door for someone else to take your place wherever you were serving. If I have time I can put to use a lot of different skills and talents, but I know I have been given a spiritual gift of Encouraging, I love people, I always have, I want to help others to feel their value and their ability to succeed with joy no matter what life hands them.

I have HOPE that the future will bring a better time than this.

I just recently opened my blog to many more people. Surprisingly or not I did upset someone.  In the past there were people that walked politically for the good of their lives and there families. There were the  left wing radical thinking (leftist democrats), there were moderate democrats more family and God values than the left, the center independents, which voted liberal or conservative depending on the candidates not their party line, the conservatives very set on family and God values, and the right wing radical conservatives.  I think in our culture today people have gotten the idea that you if you are conservative you can only be a right wing radical. Unfortunately someone thinks because I state that I am conservative that I am prejudice, bigoted, and a racist.  We conservatives are pretty sick of being called these things, it just is not true. Just because we do not stand for the same values does not make us racist and bigoted.  I used to be registered an independent; however, I could not vote in a primary so I changed my registry.   When we disapprove of our children's behavior does it mean we do not love our children. I disagree with certain behaviors but that does not mean I hate or even dislike someone. A conservative does not mean racism and predudice.

Another movement that is happening in our country now, as it has long been throughout the world, is the prejudice toward Christians. The movement on the left is to be tolerant of specific groups of people not including Christians or military, they even passed a hate crime bill that includes telling us we cannot even speak against specific behaviors. They refused to include the hate toward Military and Christians (what does that say?). Yet, those who pass these bills have no tolerance for anyone who has a difference of opinion from theirs and will even try to destroy anyone who speaks out against their beliefs.  Christians in the US are Americans with Constitutional rights, which I intend to always exercise including freedom of speech. I continually pray for truth to be revealed and I have hope that the future will bring a better time than this.

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year

This blog has been in the making since mid-summer.  You may have just learned about it, as I just published in Facebook that it is in operation.  When I first envisioned a blog I had thought about it for business purposes. It has become a great way to share our lives with those we care for and it can be therapeutic.
Journaling is a therapeutic, growing experience I would say blogging is a way to know yourself better and share your life with others.  I do not know if blogging openly to everyone would be beneficial but it may. This is a learning growing experience and I hope you will share it with me.
Perhaps in the future this can be a means of my grandchildren knowing some of the experiences in my life that formulated who I am and perhaps their lives.

May this tool of communciation plant seeds in your minds and hearts, may it bring healing and hope for the future.

I commit to write regularly as of January 2010, I hope to write each week, sometimes daily.

May you know the love of the God of the Universe.
Many Blessings to you and your loved ones.

PS Dave this is the arrangement  Thank  you

Do you know a caregiver?

Is someone you know caring for a sick parent, spouse, child, or friend? They need to know you care. They may not be able to take time to go out with you, they may not have time to call you like they used to, like they want to; yet, they need you. What can you do? Send them a card, a letter, email. A communication that they can receive when they have an extra moment, which might be when you are sound asleep. Please do not forget them. If you can arrange with friends, family, or maybe church volunteers, set up a time that they can be relieved of the responsibilites for at least a few hours. They need to have some time for them. They need be pampered once in a while. Encourage them, be there if they need something. Take a meal and drop it off do not expect to stay. But definately stay if they insist, only they know their schedule, their needs.

If you are the one who is doing the caregiving. Try to find a way to be in a support group for caregivers. I cared for my parents for over five years. My mother was first at age 58 she began signs of Alzheimers. My father began to show signs two plus years later. They both lived with my husband and I for five years. Being a part of a caregiver support group softened our frustrations. Let people help you. Find some way to pamper yourself. I made sure I went to a Bible study once a week. I had a pedicure done regularly. I looked for blessings every day. Now ten years later, both of my parents are deceased and I can truthfully say I was so very blessed to have that time with my parents. I gave back to them after many years of their giving to me. It was not easy, I would cry in the shower so that I could scream and no one saw me. I never wanted to be angry with my parents, it was not their fault. I was hurt and sometimes felt angry that my parents were ill at such a young age. With my faith I was able to be patient, kind, and affectionate to them even when my Mom would pinch and hit me. A rub on her back with "I love you sweetie" always calmed her and she would smile and be at peace. God gave us all that we needed to care for my parents. I pray right now for each of you who are caregiving and are reaching out to a caregiver. May there be joy and an abundance of peace.