Thursday, November 6, 2008

The Journey

Blue Bonnets of Texas

I just love this picture taken by my friend, Deanna. It just reminds me of life's journey.

To me it just symbolizes how the road is long and the end is out of sight. It has its bumps and curves and heights to scale. There are places we would like to pass but it is forbidden.

At any point along the way, the place where we are on the road is the biggest and most visible while the road behind and ahead are less distinguishable. This is a blessing if we don't dwell on the bumps we have endured or worry excessively about the ones coming up. Staying in the present, with God's help, we can handle them.

As we go along if we look around and beyond the confines of the road we can see immeasurable beauty surrounds us even at the curves, bumps, hills and things that cannot be passed around, but must be gone through to stay the course to the horizon and beyond.

In the midst of a crisis we have a few choices.  We can just stop.  Stop progressing, stop going places.  We can just sit and wait.  Wait for a rescue, wait for someone else to take care of things.  If there is an accident we can easily blame someone else even though it was our fault.  If we are traveling the road alone, it's our word against theirs.

We can see a traveler along the road in trouble.  We can stop to help or drive right by rationalizing why we could not make the sacrifice to serve.  Or we can how dumb coming our here in the middle of the bluebells without enough gas.  Or thinking something like,  ou must have done something stupid like excessive speeding for that to happen.  Again exonerating ourselves for any need to inquire.

Or even worse we can be so self-absorbed that we cannot even see the need.  So caught up in our own problems and our own innocence that we cannot even see another's pain.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Moving Right Along

We've Had Our Fill of These


And These.....

Now we're Moving on to These.......

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!


We Have Much To Be Thankful For

"We Always Have Been and Always Will Be The United States"
President Barack Obama

Electing to Move Forward
~ Being Thankful for Our Freedom to Have A Voice~
One And All

flickr photos

Monday, November 3, 2008

I Know You Know What Day It Is!

Jeff Adams, MDUSD Board of Education
Please Vote only for Jeff even though 2 seats are open!

Also for Kids, Freedom Of Religion, Parental Rights
And Voter Rights. The Voice of Over 4 Million People
Should Not Be Over Turned By Four Lawyer/Judges.

Halloween~One Last Word!

The Best of Times~Enjoying the costumes
without having to dream them up!

The Worst of Times~Not seeing our 10 little grandkids
on this fun day for them!

The Next Best Thing~ Grown-up kids that keep us in the loop
with their photos and blogs!

Jen and Lowell's Pumpkins
Providing the Atmosphere for
Our Virtual Cousins' Halloween Party

Shelby (Chloe's best friend) and Chloe

Julia, Piper & Chloe

Aynslee From East High!

Jen's Artwork!

Daddy and His Girls Goblins!

Connor the Pirate!

Miss Hazie J!

Owen, Our Little Dino!

Spencer and Ross, the Mummy and Spider Man
1st Trick or Treating Experience in Italy!


Chloe~Miss Deseret 2008

Spencer and Ross and Mom have
Dinner from a Pumpkin!
Missing Dad!

Big Black Cat~Zach

Rossie, Counting Sorting and Labeling His Loot!
No Question He's Ours!


A Replica of Hazel's Little Teeth!

The Moon Has Gone Down On Halloween 2008!

All photos courtesy of 6 great parents/kids!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Voter Inspiration

United We Stand~Divided We Fall

I have found a new blog that I really like and it is found here. This blog is written by a Christian man named, Danny. I could not agree with him more on his five points to inspired vote casting. It was posted today, Nov 2, 2008. He has some very poignant things to say about voting, political opinions, families, friends, and food choices and favorite colors. I really liked it so decided to pass it on to you. Things to ponder are always good about now in an election year.


~Your Right And Privilege As An American~

Don't Try To Deny That Same Privilege To Others
Be Smart and Stand Up For What You Believe
But Don't Personally Attack Others If They Do Not Agree
This Is A Freedom We Never Want To Lose

Hand Out or Hand Up?


We have a social situation that seems to be getting worse and worse in our town. We are seeing more and more beggars and panhandlers. I have a social dilemma where these people are concerned and am wondering if you feel it too. On the one hand I want to help and on the other hand it is upsetting. Let me explain.

I know that in the scriptures it says we should give to the poor. I am all for that and try to do that in a bunch of different ways. What I don't like is being approached in the grocery store parking lot which has happened to me several times over the past few months, or being approached at the gas stations which has also happened to me since gas prices skyrocketed in the past year.

I had a guy beg me for some gas as he approached me with a gas container. He told me he was just down the street and had run out of gas and that he needed just a little gas to get his car up to the station. He was nicely dressed, about 45 years old and looked like a guy in a tight spot. So when I finished fueling I let him put some gas in his container. My first clue that he was a swindler should have been the five gallon container he carried. So then he started engaging me in conversation and madly trying to fill up his container. Finally I caught on and said, "Hey, I don't mind giving you some gas but I am not filling up your entire $25.00 container! He then started in with the "God bless you mam, etc," without removing his hand from the lever on the hose. Finally I had to get nasty. He quit fueling and left singing my praises. I decided to follow him and found him putting the gas into his parked car that was in an adjoining parking lot of the store next door. I rolled down my window and told him how sad he was and how people like him made it very difficult for people like me to trust. I also told him how what he had done not only hurt him but people in my future who might truly be in need.


On the other hand there was a time when I walked by a guy sitting out in front of the post office asking for money and I walked past him and something told me to go back and give him money. I only had a 20 dollar bill so I gave it to him and it felt right. So what is the answer?

Yesterday the guy that approached me in the Safeway parking lot was actually working the area. After I refused him money he picked up a cart and proceeded to head back towards the store to find another person to hit up.

I guess the more annoying thing is all these things happened in broad day light in very nice areas. What the answer is I don't know ~maybe just taking it on a case by case basis and letting your intuition or the spirit guide you. I almost like the honest ones better like the guy in this picture saying he needs money for beer.

That settles it for me. No dice, buddy. But the ones where you don't know for sure...they are the disturbing ones. How do you handle it?


photos as seen on flickr

Saturday, November 1, 2008

The Leaves

photo*

The Leaves

anonymous

The leaves had a wonderful frolic.
They danced to the wind's loud song.
They whirled, and they floated, and scampered.
They circled and flew along.

The moon saw the little leaves dancing.
Each looked like a small brown bird.
The man in the moon smiled and listened,
And this is the song he heard.

The North Wind is calling, is calling,
And we must whirl round and round,
And then, when our dancing is ended,
We'll make a warm quilt for the ground.


* Someone sent me this photo. Credit: Unknown