God Blessed CFS Again!

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Tonight was the CFS annual dinner. Every year, Christian Family Services does a dinner at Orlando Gardens in an effort to raise funds to help meet their mission of finding homes for children and helping families find solutions to life's problems. Jason and I are blessed to be volunteers for CFS. This organization is very close to our hearts.

Here are a few pictures from tonight's event:

Here is Jason starting the computer and sound set up.

Here are Mike and Chirs working on set up.

Steve Awtry did a great job with his magic act!

Here is the Captain and his beautiful date!

The music man himself.... Mr. Steve H.

The girls had a good time at tonight too!

Rumor has it that Kermit won't be back next year...He's retiring!

God is SO good- the goal was surpassed! PRAISE GOD!

CFS is located in St. Louis, Missouri and exists to help children and families in need. If you were not able to attend tonight, but would like to make a contribution, please mail your check to CFS, 7955 Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63119. Even though the goal was reached, monetary donations are always needed!

The Doo Run Run

Wow, it is amazing to me how quickly we become "old."

Here is a picture of the love of my life when I was about 8 years old. Trust me- it just didn't get any cuter than this in the mind of an 8 year old!

Today, Mr. Shaun Cassidy turns 48 years old! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? 48 YEARS OLD?! My, my how time passes us by so fast! Here is what he looks like today.

In my opinion, he still looks pretty good. I wonder if he is still singing, "I met her on a Monday, and my heart stood still- the doo-run-run-run, the doo-run-run-run..."

I have 2 questions for my readers today:

1. Who was your childhood heart throb?

2. What specifically is the "Doo-Run-Run?"

Happy Birthday Andrew!

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It is hard to believe, but my nephew, Andrew is 13 already. It seems like just yesterday that he was born. Drew is a great kid. He is pretty much your typical 13 year old... he likes video games, dirt, riding bikes, and is starting to notice girls!

Today we were excited to be able to spend the afternoon with Andrew and my mom to celebrate his birthday. We had lunch together, then birthday cake, and of course presents.

We miss not having Drew around more often, but circumstances at this point just won't allow it. Maybe someday we will be able to spend more time together.

Bekah and Jennifer were particularly excited to see him... it has been a while. Even though it is a difficult situation all the way around, we are trying to make time for Jennifer to see her brother and for Bekah to see her cousin. Family relationships are so important, and we are happy to encourage healthy relationships. Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox now. This post is supposed to be to wish my very special newphew a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you very much!!

Mikki

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It has been a week since we got our sweet puppy. Mikki is really a great dog. Here are some pictures from today. She is such a cutie!

Mikki looks like a drowned rat when she gets done with her bath! But she is still cute to us!

After her bath, a few minutes with a blow dryer and a brush and the princess LOOKS like a princess again... a very fluffy princess!

Mikki likes to play with blankets. She likes her pink and black blanket the best, but any fuzzy blanket will do in a pinch.

After bath time and play time, it's nap time.

We are thrilled that Mikki is part of our family. The girls and Jason LOVE having her too. She is potty trained already and is working on basic commands. She can already "sit" on command. We are working on "lay down." She is a great dog!

Isn't she precious?

What do you want?

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A recent study was conducted about employee satisfaction, and the results came across my desk. I was shocked to learn just how unhappy people are with their jobs. The study was not unique to the YMCA, but I am sure that the same principles apply no matter where you work. What do you want from your employer? What could he/she do that would increase your satisfaction at work?

More Comments...

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I have to admit, that sometimes the comments on this blog are better than the actual posts! I think that the following comments warrant a lot of thought and consideration:

"I love Jesus" (Jennifer)

"it doesn't matter in the end./....it is heaven or hell..... " (Miss Kay)

I suppose these comments sum things up pretty well. Now, it is up to each person to decide what he or she believes. We all have been given the gift of free choice. We need to respect all people, regardless of their choices and their views.

Enough said.

A Point to Consider?

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This was a comment from someone on a recently posted on this blog.
Does the commenter have a point worth considering?

"I find it interesting that no one responded to the previous post on Conni's blog. Isn't it amazing that people instantly "recognize" an image of Jesus, but were deafeningly silent on the blog post where Conni asks Christians what it means to "Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself." I wonder why the Dichotomy? Why are we, as

people, so easily attached to an "Image" but unable to understand personality and character? So, we DON'T know what Jesus looked like (he may have been George Harrison's twin)

but we DO know how he acted."

I know that we (as friends and family members) speak openly to each other about living Christian lives, but why don't we share openly in a more public forum? Granted, a blog maynot be the most comfortable place to share answers to questions like I asked, but think of the audience that the world wide wide web offers. What if our shared Christian experiences touched even ONE person in a way that helped them see God, and ultimately helped them to choose Him.

For anyone who regularly reads my blog, you already know that 3q has no problem stirring things up. Sometimes s/he does it just to get us going, and sometimes s/he has valid things to say... I think this time something has been said that is worth thinking about.

I am as guilty as the next person. I asked the question, but I didn't answer.

Look for my answer soon.

WAY TOO COOL

Stare at the four little dots in the picture below (between the 2 hearts) for 30 seconds, Then look at a blank wall near you..... A Bright spot will appear- Now Blink a few times.........Who or what do you see?

A Tough Act to Follow

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What does this mean to you?

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.”

Another New Addition to Our Family

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Well, for the past 7 years, I have fought the good fight AGAINST having a dog. It is not that I don't like dogs, because I do, they are just a lot of responsibility. Anyway, yesterday we received our long awaited puppy, and I couldn't be happier! She is 6 weeks old and a full-blooded Shih Tzu. She is a doll! Since she is pure bred- she needs to have a "real" name for her papers. We went back and forth and talked about A LOT of names, but finally decided on McAllister Rae. That is a lot of name for a 1 pound puppy, so we have opted to call her Mikki. We wanted to take her to meet a few special friends before we posted these, but not all of them were avaiable today! Here are a few pictures:

Look at this little princess!

She is already spoiled rotten!

There is no doubt about it- Mikki is a welcomed addition to our home!

Family Fun Festival

Today was the Family Fun Festival at the YMCA. Although I had to work late on a Friday evening, it was a lot of fun. I was especially thankful to have Jason and the girls with me to help with the carnival. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the event. First, here is a picture of 2 of my co-workers, Amy and Angela. They are both a lot of fun and love to act crazy!

This picture (below) is of Bekah doing one of the things that she does best- ACTING CRAZY!

The YMCA tries to teach good sportmanship, but all bets are off when you get 2 YMCA staff members together who both claim to be the best soccer players on the face of the planet. I wonder if either of them noticed that they were using a basketball instead of a soccer ball?

Jennifer was so kind to run the cookie decorating table. She did a great job, but had a little run in (with a little help from my friend Nicole) with an iced cookie!

This picture is of Lindsay and one of the little boys who visited our festival. Lindsay is the fitness director at our branch and does a great job!

There are a lot more pictures that I will share in the future. I LOVE my job, and all of the people that I work with. THe YMCA is such a blessing in my life!

If you ever want to come and check us out, let me know- I can get you a GUEST PASS... Just let me know!

Poll about Soda

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I love Diet Coke, but to me, not all Diet Coke tastes the same. What do you think? Do you think bottled and canned soft drinks taste the same? Do you think a fountain soft drink tastes the same as if it had come from a can? Which one tastes the best to you? (If Diet Coke is not your favorite, the same principle applies to other soft drinks.)



Choose One
A. I like canned soda the best
B. I like bottled soda the best
C. I like fountain soda the best
D. I don't have a preference.

Katie or Meridith?

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Did anyone else watch the Today Show today? It was Meridith's first day. Do you like her better, or wish Katie would come back? Or, do you just not care either way?

I have been a Today Show junkie for a LONG time. I am not sure what I think yet. I suppose time will tell.

Definition Please

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We can all pick up a dictionary and look up a word, or pop on-line to dictionary.com to find out what a word means. But, at the same time, we all assign some unique meanings to some words based on our world-view, religion, culture, or some other variable.

Please define GOSSIP.

9-11...5 years later

It is hard to believe that it has been 5 years since America was attacked by terrorists. I am sure that we all remember exactly where we were, and exactly what we were doing when the news came: "Two planes have crashed into the twin towers in New York." I doubt that any of us will ever forget the sound of the reporter's voices, the chills that we felt shoot up our spines, or the tears that fell so freely from our eyes that day. 9-11 changed our lives- Forever.

Today we mark the 5 year anniversary of this horrible event, and yet I am starting to see a lot more hope and healing instead of hate and anger. I am thankful for that hope and healing, and I am thankful that we serve a God that provides us with a security that this life can never afford.

Just like many of you, I am praying for the families directly affected by the 911 tragedy, and for our country as a whole, and I am praying for unity and peace throughout the world. Our God is capable of healing the deepest wounds, and I am praying that we will all open our hearts to the healing that He offers. I am seeking God's guidance for our leaders, and praying that God will pierce the hearts of those who refuse him, and serve evil instead. I am praying that goodness will overcome evil, hate will become absent, and brotherly love will become the norm in our world.

May God bless each one of us as we look back today on 9-11-2001 and may He fill us with His spirit.

God bless America.

Football Season

Well, believe it or not, it is football season again. We have spent most of the day in between church and small group watching things get started in the NFL. I like football pretty well. I used to hate it, but it really is pretty entertaining, and when the game itself isn't so entertaining, usually the people I am with while watching the game are entertaining enough for me!

At this moment, we are watching the Indiana Colts face off against the New York Giants. Many of you know that this game has been anticipated by a lot of football fans for a long time. No, it is no Superbowl, but it is the first time that brothers Payton and Eli Manning are playing against each other in the big league. Who will win? Payton's Colts or Eli's Giants?

Are you a football fan?

GO RAMS!

Watch this.

If you have already seen this on Eric's blog, that's okay, it is worth watching again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAdq8kJUw8I

I think that we have our priorities just a little bit mixed up. This video was a real eye opener for me. Please take a second to watch it.

Thanks Eric, for opening my eyes...again.

Crrraaaaazzzzzy Bekah

...or should I say crazy Mrs. Trenkler, from the Legand of Sleepy Hollow. I would have never guessed in a million years that Bekah would want me to post this picture out here on the world wide web, but she told me that the picture represents her current theatre character well. So, we chose to use it. (Obviously it is not the best picture of her in the world!)

Anyway, Bekah is in yet another play. In fact, she is actually in 2 plays at the current moment, but has been ask to kindly choose between the 2. She is already involved with about a zillion things- 2 plays is a little much for anyone, much less a 13 year old who makes family, school, church, music AND theatre all priorities.

So, she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of having to choose, but in the end, "The Legand of Sleepy Hollow" won over "George M." I was glad that she chose the school production over the community theatre production this time.

For all of Bekah's theatre fans, we will keep you posted on production dates, and will let you know when tickets go on sale!

Break a leg Bekah-Boo, we love you and are proud of you!

I Don't Get It

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As some of you know, I have been reading the Daily Bible. I am finally caught up again. I have to admit, that I just don't get some of it. I consider myself to be relatively smart, but some of it I just can't figure out. Don't get me wrong. It isn't the content that I find difficult to understand; it is the reasoning behind what I am reading.

For example, today's reading came out out of the book of Ezekial 44-48. Why did God choose to share this with us? Why do priest's garments matter to us? Why do we need to know the exact dimemensions of the city gates? Why does God choose to share such specific details about the division of land and the specifics of tribes?

What am I supposed to be gaining from this reading? If I am supposed to becoming more and more thankful for Jesus and the grace that I am covered by when I can't adhere to the Law; it is working!

Does anyone have any thoughts about why God gives us SO MANY details?

The Office

As you all know, I love my job. Working for the YMCA is such a blessing. Really the only complaint I have had at all is that the office that I moved into was a mint green color. I suppose that if you are expecting a new baby and are unsure of its gender, mint green might be an okay choice. But for me, it was AWEFUL. Even before I was officially hired, they told me that I could have it painted any color I wanted, I have just been too busy doing about a zillion other things, so it got put on the back burner for the last few months.

Well, this past weekend, Jason, my mom, and I decided to take the time to get it done. I chose brown and pink paint, and baskets for accent pieces. My friend Ray, (who is very much like Larry at church) said that he would paint it for me, but I figured that it would be good family time, and I think Ray works too hard already! This picture shows one view of my office. It is certainly not a Donald Trump kind of office, but I love it! It is great to have my own space, decorated the way I like it!

Here are some of the comments I heard today from my co-workers: “You didn’t tell me you were going to be on Trading Spaces- Your office looks great!” “It looks wonderful; it is so homey and comfortable.” “You did a great job- Wanna help me with mine?” “I think that you paid someone to do it for you- it looks like an interior decorator did this!” “If this were my office, I would never want to leave; I am so jealous.”

I am glad that my office is done and that it looks so much better. I am also glad that people think that it looks nice, and that they have been inspired to make their offices better too.

This picture is of two of my co-workers, Cesar and Lisa. Lisa recently resigned as the Associate Executive Director, and Cesar will now assume her position. Lisa passed on the witch’s hat with good reason. The Associate Exec is usually the “bad guy.” I personally don’t think either of them has a “bad” bone in their bodies. They are awesome to work with.

Well, I suppose I have rambled on long enough. Feel free to stop by and see my office in person anytime!

Miss Gin

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From the front of the church auditorium, I grabbed my microphone and began to sing. The service was pretty much like any other worship service: prayers, songs, communion, sharing of the Word, and fellowship. I felt the sudden onset of tears. My throat closed up a bit, and I had a hard time choking out the words. I missed her being there. I missed the hug that I always managed to get before services and the smile that would brighten anyone’s day.

For only a moment, I glanced back to the church pew where she always sat. I knew that she wouldn’t be there, but I was hoping against all hope. I really wanted her to be there. I looked back and she wasn’t there, just as I knew she wouldn’t be, but my tears dried up, and I felt a sense of joy.

I smiled as I realized that Miss Gin’s pew was filled with her family. Where my 92 year-old friend once sat, now was filled with her daughters, sons in law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other family members. Miss Gin could be seen in their faces, attitudes and actions. My tears were gone, because Miss Gin wasn’t there in the flesh, but she was exemplified by the family that she loved so much.

I was honored to spend a good part of today with Miss Gin’s family. As the day went on, it became more and more evident how much impact that she had in each of their lives. Miss Gin taught her family how to live, love, serve, respect each other, and reach out to others. She taught them so much about God, mercy, and the saving grace of Jesus, and she taught them to share the love of Christ with everyone around them. Miss Gin wasn’t with us today in the flesh, but her legacy was all around, and her presence through her family couldn’t be missed by anyone who knew and loved her. Miss Gin was there.

A long time ago, I blogged about Miss Gin. To be exact, it was January 1, 2006. I am so thankful that she had the opportunity to read my tribute to her before she passed from this life. Unfortunately, she can’t read this blog today, but I know that she knew that I loved her very much and that I was thankful for the influence she had on her family and on those around her.

It is true that we won’t see Miss Gin in the 6th or 7th pew at church ever again. But if you look at her family, you will see her smile, feel her touch, and be reminded of who she was, and everything she stood for.

I love her very much, and I look forward to seeing her again someday.

(Picture "borrowed" from Miranda' blog! Thanks, Miranda- I hope you don't mind!)

Prayer

This is so neat. I had never heard this before...This is beautiful - and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Today, I especially praying for the Runcie family, healing for those who are suffering from broken relationships, the body at McKnight, the Bearden family, the Magnuson family, and my immediate and extended family.

Are there any other special prayer requests anyone wants to add for others to be praying about too?