"In My Daughter's Eyes...I can see the future a reflection of who I am and what will be, though she'll grow and someday leave, maybe raise a family, when I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me...I'll be there in my daughter's eyes...this miracle God gave to me...gives me strength when I am weak...she was sent to rescue me...gives me faith to believe...in my daughter's eyes..."

One of my favorite songs about mother's and daughters...a special bond that God gives us when we are blessed enough to have a daughter of our own. I want to wish my "little" girl a big birthday wish...tomorrow!

15 years ago we rushed to the hospital in a blizzard a crazy snowstorm. I was checked into the hospital at 3am (the last suite available on the OB floor no less) and waited...until after12:30pm that day to welcome into our lives...a little girl...named Mariah Lyn! What a blessing we were given that cold snowy January 27th! Now we celebrate this gift we've been given...Happy Birthday Mariah! God Bless You!

Love you much, Mom

Happy Birthday to my hubby!

Today we celebrate another birthday...it's not as big of a deal as it was when we were younger but when you get our age (over 40) you learn to appreciate your birthdays as a gift. It's another year we are given to "work" on the purpose for which we've been created. If you've read Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life...you know what purpose we were created for. We serve on this earth for such a very short time as it compares to eternity. Milliseconds as compared to the infinity of eternity. We may worry about all our "earthly" burdens and tasks in the present...but really when we ask ourselves what is most important in the "big picture" or scope of our life...it's about preparing for where we will be spending eternity. "Life is just a dress rehearsal" we are reminded by Rev. Warren...what really matters is what happens after we die. Yes we should enjoy our time here on earth and do all that is expected of us as we live our lives...but when you ask yourself "In what way have I served God today and prepared myself for eternity?" It's all that matters at the end of the day. So today we celebrate another year of health and happiness...but most of all we are grateful for another day to serve God and our loved ones as we prepare for what is to come...this is one of Joel's favorite scripture verses from I Cor 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him". Wishing you many more Happy Birthdays Joel!

This is the Gettysburg Address as it reads on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial given by one of our great Presidents...

Abraham Lincoln who believed that all men were created equal. Many decades later we are on the"eve"of an inauguration of a United States President who has Negro heritage. In the years when slavery was practiced this would have been unheard of or even undreamed of...but today we do not see color...or do we? Didn't we read that in this last election more blacks voted than in any other election and while most admitted they were voting for Obama many also admitted they had no idea what his voting record was or what his position of certain political views were...yet in their words he was the first ever potential "black President"...so my question is...if we are supposed to be color blind and judge a man " by the content of his character and NOT the color of his skin" why is there such a fuss about the color of this man's skin? Our next President has Negro heritage...so is that what defines him? What is his voting record? What does he stand for...change? He has changed his name and his religious views among other things. I have researched this man's voting record and am concerned that he is the first "Chameleon President" as he can be "whatever you want him to be"...look over his religious views, his political views and his stand on social issues...it's extremely liberal. So my question to you is...if this man were white...then what? My point is whether you are black, blue, yellow or green...stand for something and stand on the values this country was founded upon...that's all I want from our next President...just STAND up for what is right for our nation... whatever your skin color may be! God bless our next President and God bless America!

"The Love Dare"...If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal...1Cor 13

Several months ago we went with some married couples to see the movie "Fireproof". We weren't sure what to expect but thought it was a good message.

In the movie there is a young married couple going through some difficult times...how many of us who have been married a few years haven't experienced some of these "growing pains"? Those of us who have been married over two decades have been through some difficult time and have had to make adjustments in our marriages...we have had to learn to put our spouse's needs before ours at certain times. To refrain from being selfish in our needs and focus on our partner's needs...sometimes this is not easy to do. The movie introduces the "love dare" as a way to think differently...it is a journey to demonstrate genuine love to your spouse without trying to change them into what we "think" they should be. Isn't that the most challenging thing to do in marriage...not to try to change our spouse? God knows I have tried to change him for the twenty three and half years of our marriage...but seriously... he is what he is and I am what I am...the truth is love is a decision and not just a feeling. Love is selfless and sacrificial...not easy for most of us to be selfless.

Each day of the Love Dare is a journey...you will learn a unique aspect of love, then be given a "dare" to do for your spouse...then you have a journal space to log what you are learning. You can do this as a couple or alone as a gift to give your spouse. My husband is "getting" it...as he asks my each day..."so what nice thing are you supposed to be doing for me today?" He says with a sly little smile on his lips...yes, this isn't always an easy task for me...but I am learning to love in a whole new way and I am receiving a greater love in return without even asking...it's called the dare because it's not going to be easy...but it will be worth it...love always is!

Finding an "Anchor" in our lives...

This is a picture I took of the anchor used on the USS Arizona ship which was sunk in the attack at Pearl Harbor Hawaii.

Webster's Dictionary defines an "anchor" as a heavy weight that prevents drifting; anything giving stability; to hold secure...sometimes in today's society it seems hard to find stability and something solid that won't drift or sway with the changing times. It is good to know that in this turbulent world of changing "tides"...with wars being fought around the world, seeing our loved ones suffering with illness or ailments, seeing others losing their battle we have an "anchor" in the promises of our loving God...we can know that no matter how hard the waves crash around us...we can be assured that God's promises will keep us secure and safe from the storm...having my anchor in Christ makes the storms of life less threatening and gives me peace to know that I have a bigger God than any problem or storm that I will ever encounter...Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast...

What's your life story? This is a chapter in ours...

"Chasing the dream"... twenty years ago back in 1989, my husband had a dream to start farming.
We had a one year old son and had been married a few years by then but being a "town girl" I had no clue what living on a farm was all about. I had been exposed to farm life in brief intervals while visiting friends and relatives. My husband had been raised as a farm boy and as they say you can't change those farm boys...and hard as I may have tried at the time...there was not changing his heart and mind. So scraping together all our savings we cashed in a CD and bought our first tractor from a neighbor...rented about 260 acres of farmland and pasture...and the 100 yr old farmhouse that went with the deal. I remember the emotion we felt plunging into the unknown and having very little financial resources for this farming adventure. Thankfully, with help from Joel's mom and dad who lived a mile down the road...we made it. Taking out loans for crops that might not grow, buying cattle to feed and hoping the market would hold until they were sold...buying equipment we couldn't afford...it all looked so big and yet this was a risk we (or he) had to take...and I guess I was along for the ride...good, bad and otherwise it has been a learning process for both of us...lots of hard work...long hours, lost sleep and adjusting to the reality of farm/ranch living. Looking back I am grateful that my husband had the foresight and the courage to take this risk and with working extra jobs and taking things as they came we have been blessed beyond our dreams. It all starts with a dream and some initiative...but with hard work and God's help it can become a reality. So reflect on your life story and if you don't have a plan or a dream to follow yet...with a little courage I hope you can find one this year!

What I will leave my children...while visiting with family over the holidays, I ran across a copy of the following "will" printed on an old card from a friend. It is very profound and hope to share it with my children and future grandchildren someday. Maybe you will feel this worthy of passing along as well...

"After making out my will, I realized that what I most want to leave my children are things without material value. Here's my supplementary Will."

Article I: House

I leave each of my children a home built with the solid bricks of faith in God and self esteem. May their houses have windows of empathy and doors that open both ways.

Article II: Vehicles

May my children be provided with some means of transportation to take them beyond themselves: an absorbing hobby; a service only they can perform; a talent or recreation that renews their spirits.

Article III: Personal Items

I bequeath to each child a jewel box filled with glistening memories; drinking cocoa on stormy nights; the books that made us laugh and cry together; the shared miracles of a pumpkin colored sunset; tulips sprouting through the snow, and falling stars on summer nights; bedtime kisses, family prayer times and mealtime graces; homemade Valentine cookies, and backyard petshows.

Article IV: Stocks and Bonds

Finally, I leave my children enough stock in the bonds of love that they will keep investing it in others, becoming "heirs of God through Christ."

Article V: Taxes

Before taxes are levied on this estate, please deduct (and forgive) cross words spoken, times of being too busy to listen and missed apologies.

This is what I would leave to my dear children.