Friday, January 30, 2009

Random Facts

I've been tapped to write 25 Random Facts on Facebook but felt this was a better spot. There are not many things people don't know about me - the down-fall of being talkative. However, it is interesting to think about: "what makes me unique?"

1. I have known David since I was 12 years old. We have been married for 17 1/2 years. Our first date was 21 years ago this past Monday.

2. I'm a proud Texan - born in Waxahachie, TX in 1969.

3. My dream as a child was to be a wife and mom. I chose that over a singing career - my vocal instructor was livid when I announced my engagement. She wanted me at the Denver Opera. Really???

4. "David" is a family name on both sides of our family. Chris is really "David Christopher." At one time, there were 13 living David's between the two of us.

5. I once auditioned for Lionell Harris as one of his back-ups. Made it to the final round!

6. I love movies! Pirates of the Carribean are my current favorites. But I will watch Pearl Harbor if you ask! Oh, and John Wayne movies, too. Love to watch "McLintock!" But I love black and white movies . . .then musicals - they are so happy, and I like. . .

7. I love to read! I currently have 3 books going.

8. In 2002, I weighed 263 pounds. I've lost over a 100 pounds through a surgery that almost took my life and required 3 more surgeries to fix!

9. My ipod collection is very eclectic - jazz, rock, worship, kids, musical theatre - love it all!

10. I've always wanted to ballroom dance.

11. I'm not as organized as I look. My list making and quest for order are an attempt to harness the millions of random thoughts and ideas that go through my head in an hour. Yes, hour.

12. David makes me smile. His wink makes my heart race.

13. I love to go for long drives. Just being in the car with my family, looking at God's world.

14. I play the clarinet.

15. Politics - another passion. I follow talk radio and read newspapers, magazines and watch the news. We must be aware of our world.

16. I've had the Secret Service pull their guns on me when I accidentally walked into a curtained area where President George H. Bush was standing. Hey, I got to see him up close!

17. My best friend lives in Oklahoma. We've been friends for almost 24 years!

18. I regret not studying more in college.

19. I will try most things once. Especially in a competition. I do not like to lose.

20. I love diamonds and pearls - alone or in combination!

21. Ashley is named for a childhood friend's sister who died when he and I were 9 years old. I promised him after the funeral I would name my daughter for his sister. Twenty years later, I did. Ruth is from my dear friend, Ester Ruth, who died while I was pregnant with Ashley. Wilson is my maiden name, her middle name.

22. My middle name is after my aunt, Sharon Kay.

23. My family history can be traced on paper to the 1700's when they came from Ireland - on my mom's side. My dad's family came from Scotland about the same time.

24. I love techy things!

25. A travel trailer fell on me when I was 5 and broke my back. My mother prayed immediately and God healed me. I am in awe the way God has taken care of me throughout my life.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Another Anniversary

January 27, 1999. Before 3:00 am. Horrible screams as our 6 month old daughter's right mid-cerebral artery ruptured in a massive ischemic stroke. Her tiny brain began to swell, her skull expanding - ultimately saving her life.

It was fifteen hours later when the grand mal seizures began and we were sent to the emergency room. Fifteen hours filled with doctor's visits and medications for vomiting. And nearly midnight before we are put into a dark, cold pediatric intensive care unit room surrounded by beeping machines, creeking rocking chairs of tired moms and the muted bustling of nurses.

I will never forget the loneliness as I watched from the PICU room window as David walked across the street from the emergency room to our car and left for home - wanting to be there with Chris when he awoke and assure him things were going to be okay.

Ten years. Three surgeries. Countless seizures and numerous medications. Bad diagnosis after mis-diagnosis. Tears, celebrations. Fears. Pain. More medications. Blood work. Therapies - physical, occupational, speech.

And many smiles. Little girl laughs. Giggles as her brother helped her walk. Laughing when we realized she was caring her walker instead of pushing it. Rejoicing as she skiied for the first time. Cautious fear as she climbed her first moutain with her quad.

Garth Brooks sings a song that so wraps up the life of having a child with a disability: "I could have missed the pain, but I would have had to miss the dance."

Father - I hate the pain. I hate feeling responsible. I hate the tears in the middle of the night. Watching her struggle to crawl and walk and run. The sense of loss of what could have been - should have been. What was stolen from her.

But Father God, I have loved this dance! If you took her home tonight, I would celebrate the beautiful dance of her life - the smiles, her love of children and music and camping and people and her family.

Lord, help me celebrate the dance above mourning the loss.

Terrific Tuesday

Yesterday, January 26th, was the 20th anniversary of our first date! David and I have been together for over 1/2 of our lives now.

When a friend announced her engagement today, it took me back to that first date and to first love and the excitement of an engagement. The pride in my ring. (I still love looking at my ring and remembering the love and sacrifice that brought it to me.) The thrill of wedding preparations and the joy of starting our lives together.

Today, I celebrate love. The love for my husband. The love that has seen us through so beautiful days and some dark nights. The love I still feel in my heart and know in my spirit each time I see my husband.

I love you, David.

Borrowing a line from the new love birds: Thank you for spending eternity with me, one day at a time!

Monday, January 26, 2009

What do you do?

What do you do when life hands you lemons and you hate lemonade?



What do you do when the song bird outside your windows is really a woodpecker?



What do you do when you have to put on a happy face but all your make-up is gone?



What do you do while you're waiting for those gray skies to clear-up and it dumps torrential rains?



What do you do when you choose to be happy but everyone else around you chooses to be a jerk?

Hmmmm.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Thankful Thursday

1. Take Out Food
2. Nyquil
3. Vicks Vapor Rub
4. Hot baths
5. Husbands who cuddle
6. Kleenex
7. Chloraseptic
8. Fire Alarms
9. Email
10. Blogs
11. Hot Tea
12. Splenda
13. Hot Cocoa without Sugar
14. Diet Coke (it hasn't made the list in a few weeks)
15. Great friends at work
16. Children's laughter
17. Puppy dog cuddles (okay, Polly is growing on me!)
18. My Bible
19. Hershey's kisses
20. Hand lotion

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Woo Whooo Wednesday

Let's Celebrate Life!

Take a deep breathe! Turn your face towards the sun! Enjoy the crisp winter breeze on your face!

And thank the Father for this good day!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Our Saunders Family

Those of you who read my blog have often followed a link to my friend's blog, a place called simplicity. This family, our pastor's, lost their home and belongings in a fire this past week - their their son had emergency surgery and to compound the grief, their dog Lucy passed away during hip surgery.

We are bombarding ABC's Extreme Homemakeover (the Saunder's Favorite Show!) with requests for them to build a house for the Saunder's and quickly. Please follow the link and you, too can add your comments. These will be used to petition ABC for the construction.

http://lovebuildsahouse.blogspot.com/

Many have asked how they can help. There is an account sent up at First National Bank of Durango for the Saunders and donations can be made there. Until insurance is settled, their second greatest needs are financial - personal necessities, food, hospital bills.

Their first is prayer: for peace, for wisdom, for rest, for the children; for God to redeem this tragedy for His glory!

Thanks!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Satisfying Saturday

It's over. I finished my first Conference. (First? is that prophetic?) I can see many things I should do better and improve; reword, adjust, change. But I also saw people's eyes as God began to touch their hearts and they realized, "God has a plan for me! He truly does!"

Thanks for those who attended and those who prayed. Great things will be born from today.

Thanks to the church staff who believed in me. Giving someone a microphone is always a dangerous thing!

Mostly, thank you Father for the dreams in my heart. For my passion for families. For my love for my own family. Thanks for the ability to community. Lord, give me yor eyes so I can see the potential in each vessel. Lord let me see the precious in each package. Thank you Father. I love you Lord. You have saved my soul; you have rescued my heart. I am so grateful. I am so in awe of your goodness.

Now as exhaustion sits in - a good exhaustion - I will rest in you. Heal my sis's cold. Keep Chris safe on the soccer field. Strengthen David as he guides our family. Give my friends peace and rest today.

Thank you Father.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Wow! I haven't written a Thankful Thursday in a long while! First it was Christmas, then New Year's then back to work and now. . . here we are!



I am up to Ashley on my Thankful list. And although there's so much to be thankful today after the fire (http://www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/), I want give my daughter her day.



So, dear Ashley, I am thankful for. . .



* Your birth. We had not planned for you - you were a total surprise! I'm so glad you are here!

* Your smile. I loved your first smile - both of them (pre and post stroke!)

* Your tender heart. Youcare so deeply for people.

* Your heart for God. He loves you, too!

* Your athletic ability - skiing, running, four-wheeling! Wow! You are amazing, sis.

* Your love for your brother.

* Your ability to make me smile.

* Your toughness - you are the Girliest Tom-Boy! Precious in Pink on a Quad! And
able to face surgeries, medications, pain meds and therapies with a smile.


* The way you scrunch your nose when you smile. Too cute!

* That you don't blame me for your stroke.

* That you don't blame God either.

* That you are able to see how God redeems your pain and problems to help others.



Sis - I love you. (I like that you like your nickname, too!)



A Little Worried . . .

Stepping out. Going Bold. Living your Go - all very dangerous things.

The enemy does not like that. He wants us to stay tucked away in our nice churches and be quiet. Stay comfortable.

But God said, "Go!"

But what cost the "Go!"?

Teaching Dream Releasers can be a hazard. It can change your life!

But I'm praying for positive change! :)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A Change

. . .in priorities. What I value. What is important.

My family. People. Relationships.

The rest can be replaced.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

This Week's Question

Finding Your Passion
If you were guaranteed success (financial, academic,
employment, happiness, etc.) what would you do?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Things I've Done


Okay, a new trend - What have we done in our life? It's a neat reflection on your life. My friends have used the same list and highlighted different things - now here I go!!!
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it

09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
42. Had amazing friends... and still do.
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (and DVD's, and...)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62.
Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (heck no!)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (okay at home but it did not say were)
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (working on it...)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking with the windows open
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life


A New Week

Let it be known throughout the land - I hereby revoke Murphy's Law!

This week, I will not:

Drop a television
Or Cable Box
Or my Laptop
Television remote
Spill coffee at Joe's
Loose my eyeglasses, badge, car keys, purse, cell phone, wallet. . .
Schedule 3 appointments at once
Loose sleep over things I cannot control
Allow my head to spin in frustration
Skip meals (keep that blood sugar level!)


Saturday, January 10, 2009

Here I Stand

I love the story and bravery of Martin Luther. He hungered to know more about his Savior. Even if that meant going agains everything he thought he knew. He stood before the leaders of his day, challenging them with a holy zeal to examine what they knew about God. He wanted everything to know God has he had come to know Him - personally. His famous statement to those who had the power of life and death over him has often been my prayer, "Here I stand."

In times of surrender: Lord, use me, here I stand.In times of fear: Lord, I am powerless, here I stand.In times of conviction: Lord, forgive me. Here I stand humbly before you.When I must live by my convictions: Here I stand!

I was twelve when I knew that my life would be a life of ministry. Everything that has happened to me, for me, in me, has been leading to this week. Here I stand.

I am a teacher. I love it. Sharing new ideas and thoughts and information! And I love teachng God's word. I learn so much from my students!

But to teach a Conference? To have people listen and look to me for guidance for four hours? Stand. Literally, that's what I must do! But before I can stand, I kneel. I cry to God, give me your words!

Lord, here I stand. Humbled that would you use a 39 year old housewife to help people see their dreams! Amazed that you brought us to this town to this church family! Thankful for your grace and mercy that has sustained our family through dark days. No matter how dark, your love and gift of humour has let us see your love.

Thank you Father! I will stand. Here. There. Wherever you call me.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Thanks Mom and Dad

There are certain moments as a parent that make you appreciate your own mom and dad.

The first: band and orchestra concerts. How did my parents sit through elementary, middle, high and then college concerts! At least by High School an College you could recognize the tune!

The second: Girl Scout Cookie sales. How many boxes did my parents sell fo me? How many did they just eat? As the sale begins this Friday, I think,
" didn't we just do this?" Order forms, money, cases of cookies!


Last, the bathroom. I dream of bathing without someone knocking on my bathroom door.

So thanks mom and dad for the concerts and cookies. And I'm sorry I knocked on the bathroom door so much!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Rest is a Weapon

"Rest is a weapon."

What a powerful statement! When you see everyone rushing around, busy, busy, busy and all saying they are so tired, you wonder why? What is so important?

Selah.

Fatigue is the weapon of the enemy of our soul. The more tired we are, the more suspectable we are on his battlefield - our mind. The more we focus on our own physical needs. More fatigue, less accomplished.

Yet it is also the Weapon of the Almight!

When we are rested, we can think clearly, study more, understand Him, hear Him!

Father, so many are tired. They crave rest. They need to lay their head in peace tonight. Our leaders are tired - and for good reason! Parents of young children are pushed to the limit of their conscious mind and physical bodies. But there is a place of rest for these children, too!

Some of us are attacked with insominia. Night after night we lay awake, unable to quieten our minds. Some are attacked with worry and fear. Some are so exhausted they cannot sleep.

Children cry in the night as their sleep is disrupted and they seek comfort.

Tonight, Father, pour your rest over Durango. Let our children sleep in peace. Let our minds rest. Let our bodies rest as your Holy Spirit envelopes us in His gentle arms.

To sleep, perchance to dream. To awake refreshed and regifted! Lord, be our rest tonight!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Sentimental Holidays

I love Traditions. And dishes. And decorations.

And this holiday I was more sentimental about both.

Growing up, my Grandma Roork had a cut-glass jelly dish that sat in a silver holder and held a tiny little serving spoon. I loved that dish. It usually had cranberry jelly in it. Dinner was almost ready when the dish made it to the table. This dish meant family gathered on Christmas Eve - and then friends and family and whoever else happened by (usually most of Chouteau, Oklahoma!) on Christmas Day. My grandparent's door was always open. I think we ate most of the day!

There was also a green Christmas Tree candy dish. I think my Aunt Sharon made it one year. It usually held cholocate creams. The kind that churches used to put in their candy and fruit sacks. To me it meant Happy Holidays.

And then there are the three choir boys. Little ceramic statues. Dressed in white choir robes with red ribbons. Two hold handles while the other holds music. My Grandma had them. Then my mom. Now I put them out every year. They mean the sounds of Christmas - it's music and laughter.

And lastly, the ceramic Santa boot of my Grandfather's. It usually held candy canes - and still does.

These items mean Forever. Traditions. Some traditions I will pass to my children. They will take them, modifiy them, embellish them and ultimately create their own with their families and their children. But one Tradition will always stay - Love.

That's what these baubles mean. They remind me of the love behind each tradition.