Is this for Real?

This just came to my attention via Facebook. I really don't know what to think.

First of all, the blog address is birthornot so that would mean that when this couple started this blog, their intent was to bring this discussion to the forefront. Obviously they weren't a couple who was excited about their expected baby and then were faced with a difficult pregnancy and began to think about whether or not to abort the baby.

Which makes me wonder why they started the blog - is it a publicity stunt? Is it for information? Is it a genuine quest for guidance?

If it's a genuine request for guidance, I can't believe that they have stooped this low. Is there not anyone that they can trust - who will give them guidance?

I haven't read all of the posts here, but I have read quite a few and looked at their ultrasound pics. This obviously isn't a "blob" but a human child being formed in his/her mother's womb. He/she is fearfully and wonderfully made.

How can a parent kill their own child?

I just don't get it. I know there are always "reasons" - and in certain circumstances, these "reasons" might seem legitimate...but they are never right in my opinion. I know this debate brings out the worst in people, but there are so many options available to couples today. So many families wishing for a child - so many homes open for an unwanted child.

How will this child think about him/herself when/if they are born and find out about their parents pregnancy blog? WOW.

I pray that these parents will see the truth for what it is - abortion isn't an "answer", it's killing a viable human being. I pray that God will have mercy on them, and that they will have mercy on the child that is growing.

Children are a GIFT.

No Impact for Me Too

No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process, by Colin Beavan.

I just completed reading this book and I have to share some quotes with you. These quotes are just some points that struck me - there's a TON of info in this book. Hopefully they will encourage you to read the book ... and think about what YOU can do to help preserve the world around us!

I'm not a tree-hugger. I don't think that we can actually "save" the planet because God says that it will eventually be burned up. But that doesn't relieve me of any responsibility. As a Christian, I believe that it is my responsibility to be a good steward of the world around me - and the resources that I choose (or don't choose) for myself and my family.

I do what I can because of my responsibility to God. Simple as that.

This is not a Christian book - and it contains some swearing as well as some meditation-zen stuff. It also contains a lot of questions and biblical questions. It made me see my world in a different light.

I recommend this book. The following quotes are from the many pages that I dog-eared...lots and lots to ponder and glean from this experiment. It has made me look even closer at what purchases I'm making and how I can improve my "footprint" in this world. (Note: the quote titles are mine.)

PS Read the book first. I haven't watched the DVD yet, but I do have it and hope to watch it soon. I'll keep you posted.

Life:
"The happiest people, the shrinks discovered, did not live their lives on this perpetual loop. Rather, these folks had raised their baseline mood in ways that did not require repeated doses of new stuff. The people most satisfied with life, it turned out, had strong social connections, found meaning in their work, got to exercise what they considered to be their highest talents, and had a sense of some higher purpose." (pg. 26)

Garbage:
"According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food packaging makes up 20 percent of our solid waste nationwide [US]. The archaeologist studying our nation's trash, it seems, would see that it's not just the city folks who don't have time to cook. A lot of suburbanites aren't exactly finding the time to peel a carrot, either. It's just that instead of getting their throwaway packaging from takeout, they're getting it from the frozen-food section." (pg. 39)

"Think of the grocery store. If you're lucky, in the aisles around the edges you'll find some fresh produce -- some food you can actually cook. But every other aisle -- the aisles in the store's heart -- has shelves crammed with cereal in boxes and vegetables in cans and frozen food in plastic trays. That's the stuff that's destined to become, after a couple of minutes in a microwave and a couple more on a table, or a lap, a full 20 percent of our nation's trash.

However much my grandparents' ghosts might cluck their tongues at my way of life, it is not that my family alone had turned into some sort of monstrous, garbage-making machine. It's not that I'm a marred human being who took a wrong turn, or that I've turned bad in the twenty-five years since my grandparents wielded their influence over me. It's not that I'm the lazy ingrate I thought I was. But it may be that, as a member of the crew of the huge steamship that is our culture, I had acquiesced to some decisions that caused the whole boat to take a wrong turn, and possibly sink." (pgs. 39-40)

"Sure, it was just one piece of tissue, but the problem is, as Heather Rogers points out in Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, some 80 percent of our products are made to be used only once. As trivial as that paper towel might seem, it points up a multitude of individual and cultural choices we make every day, choices that mean we are sucking resources out of the planet and sending them to the landfill or incinerator, having barely used them.
As long as we're talking about waste, it's worth noting that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 4.8 million tons - nearly 10 billion pounds - of disposable paper napkins, towels, cups, and plates is what the United States sends to landfills every year. I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but what we're talking about when we talk about 10 billion pounds of trashed paper products is 10 billion pounds of dead trees." (pgs. 47, 48)

Plastic Bags:
"Every year, we junk some 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags worldwide, according to the Worldwatch Institute. Around the globe, plastic bags, used for a matter of minutes and then thrown away, leave stores and markets in quantities hundreds of times greater than any other piece of merchandise. They are the world's most ubiquitous consumer items and, not coincidentally, its most pervasive throwaway product.
We recycle plastic bags at a rate of less than 1 percent, and thrown-away bags formed some 4 million tons of municipal waste in the United States in 2006. They poison the air when burned in incinerators, or leach nasty chemicals in our landfills for hundreds of years. And thanks to their lightweight aerodynamics, the wind carries an estimated 1 percent of plastic bags out of trash depositories. These renegade bags end up billowing from trees, hanging from fences, or, worst of all, floating in the ocean.
In 1988, across a span of just two weeks, fifteen leatherback turtles, an endangered species, washed up dead on the beaches of Long Island. Alarmed by the deaths, marine biologists performed autopsies. They discovered that eleven of the fifteen dead turtles had ingested plastic bags that blocked their stomach openings. Leatherback turtles, you see, have the unfortunate twin qualities of a taste for jellyfish and bad eyesight. To these nearly blind turtles, it seems a submerged plastic bag looks simply delicious." (pgs. 53, 54)

Stuff:
"Everybody says I want this and I want that. If our assumptions about happiness and the fulfillment of desire are true, well, then, so be it: the economy is rightfully predicted on the fulfillment of desires and it will burn along until there's nothing left to burn. But if that is so, why did Jesus say that a camel can fit through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich man can get into the Kingdom of heaven?" (pg. 115)

Chemicals:
"Corn belt fertilizer washing off the land into the Mississippi River, meanwhile, ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. It turns out what when you fertilize the ocean you get a massive bloom of oxygen-hogging algae. The results if a 7,900-square-mile dead zone in the Gulf that is so depleted of oxygen that it suffocates fish, shrimp, crabs, and all manner of marine life. The EPA estimates that 210 million pounds of fertilizer end up in the Gulf every year." (pg. 122-123)

Light:
"...I read that people without artificial lighting often experience a phenomenon known as "second sleep." They go to sleep when it gets dark, wake up halfway through the night, light a candle, get up for an hour, and then go back to bed. They supposedly end up more rested than people who go to bed later and sleep through the night." (pg. 166)

Water:
"In the United States, for example, the average single-family household uses some seventy gallons of water every day. A full quarter of that we use to flush our toilets. In other words, while 1 billion people in the world don't have access to clean drinking water, Americans are flushing 2.5 trillion gallons a year down the toilet." (pg. 193, 194)

Children:
"More children have died from diarrhea than people have been killed in war and conflict since World War II. A child dies every eight seconds from drinking dirty water." (pg. 194)

Simple Steps:
"To keep toxins out of the wastewater, around the house we use nothing toxic. Pretty simple. We learn to make our household and personal cleaning products from a combination of borax, white vinegar, baking soda, and Dr. Bronner's vegetable-oil-based liquid soap. Baking soda, it turns out, makes the world's best underarm deodorant. A vegetable-oil-and beeswax moisturizer made by a local person is better for our skin than anything we've ever used before." (pg. 197)

Thoughts:
"When I take my last breath, will there be a wish that I had more stuff? ... This life is so short and it will soon be over. What will we use it for?" (pg. 210)

"I'm just suggesting that we should at least wake up long enough to make it an active decision. And yes, it's our decision. It's a decision that belongs to us. Not to the government. Not to big business. It belongs to us." (pg. 215)

"I'd hear criticisms like this constantly throughout the No Impact project. What difference can one person make? Well, absolutely none if that one person doesn't try to influence a difference. But who among us knows how much we will influence the people around us? Which one of us knows which of us, by applying their talents and efforts to what they believe in, may not become a Martin Luther King, Jr. or a Bobby Kennedy or a Betty Friedan or a Nelson Mandela?" (pg. 219)

"I'm not going to make myself a martyr. But I am going to keep trying to live my life deliberately. For most of my forty-five years I didn't try hard enough. I got too paralyzed by this question of whether I was the type of person who could make a difference. Finally, during the year of the project, I realized that's the wrong question. The real question is whether I'm the type of person who wants to try." (pg. 224)

~~~
Colin's blog link: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/

Being Perfect

27 Sep 2010
Rachel Olsen

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence." 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

There's a moment I dread when going to the doctor for a check-up. It's not putting on that tissue paper rectangle they mistakenly call a "gown." It's not having my finger pricked for blood tests - though I'm really squeamish about that. It's the moment right after the nurse finishes her questions, grabs her clip board, and announces the doctor will be in to see me shortly. Pulling the door closed behind her, she leaves me alone with it.

I already know what it's going to say about me; I've read it before. It's going to say that I don't measure up. That I'm not reaching my potential. That I don't equal my ideal. It's the height/weight chart that declares the perfect weight for my height – and I'm several pounds away.

It extends no mercy. It offers no grace. It makes no allowances for how old I am, how many babies I've birthed, or the fact that my husband can eat three plates of food every night without gaining an ounce. It demands perfection.

A few years ago I heard a verse that seemed to be the scriptural equivalent of the height/weight chart. A single verse to measure my worth against, and feed my expectations for perfection: "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48, NIV)

I figured this verse justified dressing my family in matching sweaters, in the middle of July, to take the Christmas card photo because I'd just gotten the perfect haircut. I figured it warranted pricey tooth whitening treatments because I drink coffee and tea, and it shows. And I figured it would be my defense when I drove my family nuts about deep-cleaning the entire house because my new friend said she might stop by.

While the verse came in handy when I needed to justify my quest for perfect teeth, perfect photos or a perfectly clean house, it added to my disappointment, guilt and occasional loathing when my life, body or family didn't match the ideal notions in my head. Rather than fostering perfection, it fueled my self-criticism. Surely this is not what Jesus intended!

In the years since hearing that verse, I've embraced a core conviction that goes like this: If God created life, He alone gets to define it . This conviction drove me to find out what exactly Jesus meant by "be perfect."

Matthew wrote this verse. And the word he used in the ancient Greek language means something a little different than Mr. Webster's English definition. The Greek word here is teleos and it means "complete, full grown, developing."

The first two pieces of that definition indicate something already accomplished, while the third indicates an ongoing process. So this perfection Jesus prescribes for us is already complete and yet still developing. Complete in Him; still at work in us. We're allowed to be a work-in-progress!
All parts of this definition, however, refer to maturity of character, rather than a flawless figure, immaculate home, or the faultless execution of a task. Jesus just doesn't care so much if there's dust on our mantle, a stain on our teeth, or a scratch on our car. He isn't interested in how well our bedspread matches our curtains; He's interested in our spiritual maturity. Jesus teaches I will not find my worth in my ability to reach my perfect weight or accomplish my to-do list flawlessly, but in the fact that I am learning to reflect His character. To graciously give and receive love.

That's good news for a recovering perfectionist. Plus, as John writes in 1 John 3:18-19 of The Message: "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it."

Dear Lord, thank You for grace! Thank You for mercy! Thank You for empowering me to be like You as I submit to Your Word. And thank You for not caring about dust bunnies or stained shirts. Help me to care less about those things as well and focus my heart more on You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Spend time reading through the gospels, noticing what concerned Jesus and what did not.

Reflections:
What surface-level thing(s) have you been worrying over lately?

If it's not about your character, let it go as imperfect and rest in God's grace today.

Power Verses:
Philippians 3:8-9, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith," (NASB)

3900 Saturdays

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those Lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles..' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say....

Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'

'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.'

'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'

'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.

'There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .'

'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time.. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'

'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' '

What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. '

Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.


And so, as one smart bear once said.....'If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.' - Winnie the Pooh.

Help to Get & Stay Organized

Secrets of the Organized
by Jill Cooper

Could these 9 tools change your life?

1. Never stop picking up. Try picking up during TV commercials or while you are waiting for something to boil on the stove. You will be amazed how much you can get done in five minutes. Have the entire family spend five minutes picking up the family room or living room before they go to bed. Set a timer for young kids, so they don't get overwhelmed. If your family members go to bed at different times, then have each member pick up his or her items before bedtime. Once this becomes a habit, you will be amazed how much easier picking up becomes.

2. Stop making messes. Keep a trash can in every room. No one likes carrying one small piece of trash from the family room to the kitchen, so it usually ends up on the floor. Keep small trash cans everywhere. In our office, we have two trash cans, one next to the desk for throwing away regular office trash and one next to the shipping table for throwing away envelope tabs, extra invoices and other shipping trash. If you need two trash cans in a room, put them in there. Make it easy to keep things clean. Throw that sticky food wrapper straight into the trash. Don't lay it on the counter to make another mess that needs to be wiped up later. Don't lay that dirty spoon on the counter. Rinse it and put it in the sink or dishwasher. As you're undressing, don't throw your dirty clothes on the floor or on the furniture. While they are still in your hand, put them in the hamper, or if they're still clean, hang them up. Keep the hamper close to where you undress at night. If it is convenient, you will be more likely to use it. Before you leave the bathroom, hang your wet towel on the rod. Don't drop it on the floor or leave it in a pile.

3. Think ahead. What are you having for dinner? Are the kid's papers signed and ready for school? What clothes are you wearing tomorrow?

4. Never, Never Procrastinate. Keep straightening things all the time. For example, when you put away groceries and you see that the cans of soup have fallen over, take two seconds to re-stack them. When you put linens or clothes in their drawers, make sure everything in those drawers is neatly stacked. Pick up as you go. Each time you walk through a room, pick up something.

5. Stop thinking about it! Just do it. Train family members to rinse their own dishes and stack them in the sink (or better yet to put them directly into the dishwasher). It may take a while to develop this habit. For kids, you may want to do something like charge each member a dime for every dish not rinsed or make them responsible for doing all the dishes for a week. Remember Thomas Edison? What if he had given up after his first 5, 10, or 100 light bulbs? Where would we be now if he had thrown up his hands and quit at his first failures? The same is true with getting and staying organized. Keep practicing and you will create a productive new habit.

6. Attitude, Attitude, Attitude. Stop dreading taking care of your home and start taking pride and pleasure in it. Think of an organized home as a special gift of peace and pleasure that you are giving your family. A disorganized one causes turmoil and frustration. Besides, you probably spend more time worrying about it than it would take to clean it.

7. Use rooms for their intended purposes. Don't let kids get undressed in the family room. That's why they have bedrooms. Eat food at the kitchen table or bar, not in bed. This alone can save a huge number of messes. Fold laundry in the laundry room immediately after taking it out of the dryer and put it away immediately.

8. Be a wise steward of your time. If you see something that needs to be clean, clean it as soon as possible. If something doesn't need to be cleaned, don't waste your time. If there is no dust, don't just dust because you dust every Saturday. Don't overbook yourself volunteering at schools, churches or charities. Learn to say "no." Notice that I didn't say don't do these things at all, just control how much you do so they don't take over your life. Don't overbook your children with their activities, either. Get rid of fruitless activities. Many of us spend way too much time talking on the phone, watching TV, shopping unnecessarily or killing time on the computer. These are all time robbers when you devote a lot of time to them.

9. Keep on top of things. If you do small cleanings every day, you'd be surprised how much you can accomplish. In ten-minute increments, you can do each of the following: wash the dishes, vacuum, file a pile of papers or clean your purse. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes for each child to pick up his room before bed and to lay out his clothes for the morning. Don't let the laundry, dishes, toys and paperwork get out of control.

www.livingonadime.com/

www.stretcher.com/index.cfm

Andrea Bocelli tells a "little story" about abortion

This speaks for itself.

The Rebellious Balloon

Or maybe it was the exuberant wind. Or maybe the inattentive homemaker.

Whatever it was, yesterday I purchased an "It's a GIRL!" mylar balloon for a baby shower that I was leading in the evening. However, when I stepped out of the car and went to retrieve my purchases, the knot that I'd tied the balloon to the grocery bag handle let go, and the balloon zipped into the heavens. My daughter almost grasped it but it got away!

I began to think about that balloon -- it actually headed towards the church where the shower was to be held. Maybe it was just headed there before me, I laughed! Then I thought that maybe the mom that it was for might just see it that day, since she lives close to the church. I pictured her smiling as the balloon sailed by her and as she looked into the eyes of her new little blessing from Above. Then my mind began to wander more and more...

I pictured a couple in the hospital, the wife in labour, waiting for their expected child. Looking out the window they see the "It's a GIRL!" balloon and wonder if they're having a baby girl also. I pictured the older man in a hospice, seeing the balloon out the window and thinking back to the day when he became dad to a wonderful little girl. I thought of the couple who was wishing for children of their own - seeing the balloon and wondering if they'd ever celebrate their own baby's birth.

Then I thought of the regular person doing their mundane chores -- seeing the balloon go by and thinking "How exciting! A new little girl for someone!"

Okay, so maybe none of these scenarios occurred. But it made me ponder, made me think about how each day, each of us all over the world is going through our own days, some difficult, some happy, some sad, some celebratory. And how we're all in this together -- neighbours in this big world that God created for us. May we truly share one anothers burdens and joys.

Wherever you are today, whatever you are doing - may you look to the Giver of Life and thank Him.

New Every Morning!

His mercies are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:23

Mr. & Mrs. Mallard are back in the yard again!

Blooming - so full of promise

After the rain

40 bags in 40 days

I am not Catholic, however this challenge intrigued me. AND interested me!

I've been trying to get some decluttering done but life keeps taking over.

Years ago I used to follow The FlyLady and her "27 Fling Boogies" helped me to declutter (everyday you try to get rid of 27 things - either in the garbage or donated to charity).

The 40 days challenge is a Lent thing --

and Lent is from Ash Wednesday

until Easter Sunday.

All of which are over for this year.

So, I will try this starting next week -

Monday, April 12 and go for 40 days (for me, May 21).

Wanna join me?

40 bags in 40 days challenge

How it works:

1. Pick what size of trash bag you want to use. (I will use the tall kitchen bags.)

2. Each week for eight weeks, fill one bag (or equivalent). It can be a bag of stuff, toys, clothes, papers - anything, a box of books, an old TV. Anything that you can count as clutter is fair game.

3. Update on your blog how it goes.

4 Have fun!

Drawn for ME!

Unspoken Voice

Click here to listen to a song to raise funds for pro-life organizations: Pro-Life Music

I Loved Her First

We love this song -- thought I'd share it here. We heard it at four weddings this year and it's always been a fav. As our kids grow older we understand these sentiments more & more... ;) Enjoy!

A letter from an Alzheimer's patient, to you

Good morning. My name is Dr. Alice Howland. I'm not a neurologist or general practice physician, however. My doctorate is in psychology. I was a professor at Harvard University for twenty-five years. I taught courses in cognitive psychology, I did research in the field of linguistics, and I lectured all over the world.

I am not here today, however, to talk to you as an expert in psychology or language. I'm here today to talk to you as an expert in Alzheimer's disease. I don't treat patients, run clinical trials, study mutations in DNA, or counsel patients and their families. I am an expert in this subject because, just over a year ago, I was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

I'm honoured to have this opportunity to talk with you today, to hopefully lend some insight into what it's like to live with dementia. Soon, although I'll still know what it is like, I'll be unable to express it to you. And too soon after that, I'll no longer even know I have dementia. So what I have to say today is timely.

We, in the early stages of Alzheimer's are not yet utterly incompetent. We are not without language or opinions that matter or extended periods of lucidity. Yet we are not competent enough to be trusted with the many demands and responsibilities of our former lives. We feel like we are neither here nor there, like some crazy Dr. Seuss character in a bizarre land. It's a very lonely and frustrating place to be.

I no longer work at Harvard. I no longer read and write research articles or books. My reality is completely different from what it was not long ago. And it is distorted. The neural pathways I use to try to understand what you are saying are gummed up with amyloid. I struggle to find the words I want to say and often hear myself saying the wrong ones. I can't confidently judge spatial distances, which means I drop things and fall down a lot and can get lost two blocks from my home. And my short-term memory is hanging on by a couple of frayed threads.

I'm losing my yesterdays. If you ask me what I did yesterday, what happened, what I saw and felt and heard, I'd be hard-pressed to give you details. I might guess a few things correctly. I'm an excellent guesser. But I don't really know. I don't remember yesterday or the yesterday before that.

And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted. This disease will not be bargained with. I can't offer it the names of the United States presidents in exchange for the names of my children. I can't give it the names of the state capitals and keep the memories of my husband.

I often fear tomorrow. What if I wake up and don't know who my husband is? What if I don't know where I am or recognize myself in the mirror? When will I no longer be me? Is the part of my brain that's responsible for my unique 'me-ness' vulnerable to this disease? Or is my identity something that transcends neurons, proteins, and defective molecules of DNA? Is my soul and spirit immune to the ravages of Alzheimer's? I believe it is.

Being diagnosed with Alzheimer's is like being branded with a scarlet A. This is now who I am, someone with dementia. This was how I would, for a time, define myself and how others continue to define me. But I am not what I say or what I do or what I remember. I am fundamentally more than that.

I am a wife, mother, and friend, and soon to be grandmother. I still feel, understand, and am worthy of the love and joy in those relationships. I am still an active participant in society. My brain no longer works well, but I use my ears for unconditional listening, my shoulders for crying on, and my arms for hugging others with dementia. Through an early-stage support group, through the Dementia Advocacy and Support Network International, by talking to you today, I am helping others with dementia live better with dementia. I am not someone dying. I am someone living with Alzheimer's. I want to do that as well as I possibly can.

I'd like to encourage earlier diagnosis, for physicians not to assume that people in their forties and fifties experiencing memory and cognition problems are depressed or stressed or menopausal. The earlier we are properly diagnosed, the earlier we can go on medication, with the hope of delaying progression and maintaining a footing on a plateau long enough to reap the benefits of a better treatment or cure soon. I still have hope for a cure, for me, for my friends with dementia, for my daughter who carries the same mutated gene. I may never be able to retrieve what I've already lost, but I can sustain what I have. I still have a lot.

Please don't look at our scarlet A's and write us off. Look us in the eye, talk directly to us. Don't panic or take it personally if we make mistakes, because we will. We will repeat ourselves, we will misplace things, and we will get lost. We will forget your name and what you said two minutes ago. We will also try our hardest to compensate for and overcome our cognitive losses.

I encourage you to empower us, not limit us. If someone has a spinal cord injury, if someone has lost a limb or has a functional disability from a stroke, families and professionals work hard to rehabilitate that person, to find ways to cope and manage despite these losses. Work with us. Help us develop tools to function around our losses in memory, language, and cognition. Encourage involvement in support groups. We can help each other, both people with dementia and their caregivers, navigate through this Dr. Seuss land of neither here not there.

My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I'll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today didn't matter.

I'm no longer asked to lecture about language at universities and psychology conferences all over the world. But here I am before you today, giving what I hope is the most influential talk of my life. And I have Alzheimer's disease.

Thank you.

(pgs. 251-254, Still Alice, by Lisa Genova)

Somewhere

We've been to a few weddings so far this year with a few more to go ... and recently I came upon this song that I hadn't listened to for a very long while. I used to have it on cassette when the kids were little and I used to play it a lot -- thinking about what my children's future mate might be doing at that time! I thought I'd share it here. It's written by Wayne Watson and I couldn't find him singing it on YouTube or GodTube, and the video below has the piano too loud but it's the best that I can do! The lyrics are written below.

Now that I've been married for quite a few years I realize fully how important the decision of one's marriage partner really is. Of course I always knew it was a serious choice, but time and maturity does open your eyes to things that didn't seem as consequential when I was younger. Having a mate whose first goal in life is leading a life that is pleasing to the Lord IS the best. Having "stuff" is the least of important things -- having the Lord in your life and marriage is the best.

Enjoy!



Somewhere in the world today
A little girl will go out to play
All dressed up in mama's clothes

At least the way that I suppose it goes

Somewhere in the world tonight
Before she reaches to turn out the light
She'll be prayin' from a tender heart
A simple prayer that's a work of art

And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife

So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are

Somewhere in the world out there
That little girl's learnin' how to care
She's pickin' up her mama's charms
Or maybe, swingin' around in her daddy's arms

Somewhere in the world to be
Through the future's not real clear to me
Theirs could be a tender love
Grounded in eternal love above

Made in China Boycott

I received this email a while back and I thought I'd share it here for those who might be interested but haven't seen it.

I'm one who regularly reads labels and makes choices based on what I read...and I especially love to buy Canadian if I can and avoid items made in China. Mainly because I feel that if we don't support our jobs here at home, eventually there won't be jobs here at home! Also because of quality. My rules are these: I will buy Canadian wherever possible. If I can't buy Canadian, I will buy US made items next. After that, I will reconsider if I really need the item and possibly skip buying it. I only shop at dollar stores (I call them "landfill stores") as a last resort and I apply the "Buy Canadian" rules there (Canadian-made greeting cards are often available at dollar stores).


I had to buy myself some new running shoes lately and I know from experience that 99.9% of athletic shoes are "Made in China". Imagine my surprise when I chose a pair and read that they were "Made in the USA!!" Yah!! The price was good AND they were made in the US!!! Win, win!!


Last week I had raisins on my list to buy -- the last package made it past me before I realized that they were from Thailand. Grrrr. So I read the labels and found that SunMaid raisins are from the US. About 75cents more per package but worth it. Those raisins are AWESOME anyway!


Here's to supporting our workers here at home in North America!


I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT THE COUNTRY MARKET. ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID FROM CHINA. FOR EXAMPLE THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN FROM CHINA I WAS SHOCKED!! SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE DOLE IS FROM CAL . TAKES FOREVER JUST TO BUY FOOD AND DO LABEL READING ! !
Are we Canadians as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not think? While the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in Canadian markets, Yet 70% of North Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Well, duh..why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? SIMPLY DO IT YOURSELF!! Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without. Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some Canadian farmer. Easter is just an example, the point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own. THINK ABOUT THIS If 200 million North Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!! The downside? Some businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. Wahhhhhhhhhhhh The solution? Let's give them fair warning and send our own message. Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on June 4, and continue it until July 4. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their North American exports. Then they will at least have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it. ! Remember, June 4 to July 4. EVEN BETTER. . . START NOW. If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!

Rumours, Real or a Hoax?

Recently we've received quite a few forwarded emails that seem quite legitimate and usually they are about something that is concerning -- like the latest one about a movie about Jesus and his disciples being gay. These emails often get forwarded quickly because they seem so real -- and some are real. HOWEVER, a lot aren't. In fact, most aren't.

The one about the gay Jesus movie was a hoax. But it got a lot of Christians in an uproar. And the emails flew!

Recently we've received one about Christians preachers being banned from the TV/airwaves. Again this sounded legitimate, and concerning. However, again, it is an old email that is being forwarded over and over. Both of these examples are old emails -- a few years old! Yet they are still being forwarded as "true".

I have a suggestion -- before you forward any email, check to see if it's true first! There are sites available that will let you know if they are a hoax. The one that we check often is "Snopes".

Take some time, do a search and see what you come up with. And THEN, if it is legitimate, forward it on! Thanks!

What Is Worship About Anyway?

I was flabbergasted when I read this article.

In Seattle, Mars Hill churchgoers regularly tweet throughout the service. In New York City, Trinity Church marked Good Friday by tweeting the Passion play, detailing the stages of Jesus' crucifixion in short bursts. At Next Level Church, outside Charlotte, it's not only okay to fuse social networking technology with prayer; it's desirable.

On Easter Sunday, pastor Todd Hahn prefaced his sermon by saying, "I hope many of you are tweeting this morning about your experience with God."

What is "twittering"? (tweeting)

Voelz and David McDonald, the other senior pastor at Westwinds Community Church in Jackson, Mich., spent two weeks educating their congregation about Twitter, the microblogging site that challenges users to communicate in 140 characters or less. They held training sessions where congregants brought in their laptops, iPhones and Blackberrys. They upped the bandwidth in the auditorium. (Finding God on YouTube)

* * *

A while back I saw a guest at our church typing into his
Blackberry during the sermon. I thought that he might be making sermon notes (and maybe he was). But now I wonder if he was answering emails or "Twittering".

Can we ever leave electronic devices alone? For an
HOUR?

Do our minds have to be constantly going? Can't we just "be
still" and listen to God's voice?

It used to be that cell phones were the big annoyance. In
restaurants, movie theatres and sometimes church. Now Blackberrys?
Texting? Where will this end?

Or will it ever?

It seems to me that we are so fixed on our gadgetry that we cannot enjoy silence and calm. Many times we don't greet those walking past us because we're involved in a cell phone conversation already. All of our "quiet" times are filled with gadgetry.

And now worship services too?

What is worship about anyway? Or better still, WHO is
worship about? It's about HIM. God. Jesus. It's FOR
Him. It isn't about us!

Think about it.

And leave the gadgetry at home.

You'll enjoy it.

THE HEART OF WORSHIP, by Michael W. Smith
Verse 1:
When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Verse 2:
King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

Bridge:
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Chorus:
I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Tomato Soup Recipe

I thought I'd archive this recipe here so when (I hope) I'm bombarded with fresh, garden tomatoes, I can make some of this! And it's gluten-free too (as long as the stock doesn't contain gluten)!

Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 medium very ripe tomatoes, cored and
cut into 8 pieces each (or 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped
pinch of sugar
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh chervil or 12 leaves fresh flat-leaf parsley

Warm the oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes or untilvery soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme and sugar. Raise the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil, then boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer to a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until smooth.

Strain the soup through a medium fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the milk (if using). Season with the salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 minutes.

Place equal portions in each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Garnish the chervil or parsley.

Maison du Fort, Quebec City

1987

today

1987

My neice Emily and I were talking this past weekend about Quebec and Quebec City. I'd been thinking about Quebec since that's where Andrew & I went for the first week of our honeymoon and it was our anniversary on Saturday.

I still have a file of "wedding receipts and confirmations" so I hauled it out today and found how much we paid for our week's stay here -- $150. per person, including "daily continental breakfast, two dinners at "the table d'Hote", taxes and service. That was in 1987. The current price for the two-bedroom/kitchen penthouse suite that we had is $275. per night! (not sure if that's per person or not...)

It wasn't as beautiful in 1987 as it is now, but the views were spectacular -- we could see the Citidel from our kitchen and bedroom windows and the St. Lawrence River and Plains of Abraham from the livingroom windows. Since it is located in the old Quebec City, it is close to everything and the night views were spectacular! From the cobblestone streets to the horse & buggy rides -- lots of walking to do and places to see!

Climbing those stairs to the penthouse was probably the worst part! Lots of exercise!

We'd love to go back -- and maybe take the kids along for a taste of Quebec culture. Maybe one day!

I Believe in Miracles

On my walks lately I find myself singing this song so I thought I'd share it here today. It's a song that I remember from my growing up years -- when my sisters would have young people's at our house and I would listen in! ~D

Creation shows the power of God

There's glory all around,

And those who see must stand in awe

For miracles abound.

Chorus:

I believe in miracles

I've seen a soul set free,

Miraculous the change in one

Redeemed thru Calvary;

I've seen the lily push its way

Up thru the stubborn sod

I believe in miracles,

For I believe in God!

I cannot doubt the work of God

It's plain for all to see;

The miracles that He has wrought

Should lead to Calvary.

Chorus:

I believe in miracles

I've seen a soul set free,

Miraculous the change in one

Redeemed through Calvary;

I've seen the lily push its way

Up through the stubborn sod

I believe in miracles

For I believe in God!

The love of God! Oh power divine!

'Tis wonderful to see

The miracle of grace performed

Within the heart of me.

(Chorus)

By Carlton Buck and John Peterson

1956, Singspiration Inc.