Happy 20th to My Baby Girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ALISA!

Self-destruction: Too Selfish, Too Unfair, & Way Weird

When we have children, we lose our right to self-destruct.

~ Ruth Bell Graham

(I think I heard this on a TV show tribute to Mrs. Graham. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

There has been a time or two I've seriously thought of self-destructing, but always think of my daughter (and mother, siblings, nieces, and nephews). They could get along perfectly fine without me, but aside from a little initial sadness, dealing with death is just way too weird, especially under self-destructing circumstances. WAY weird and so unfair of me to lay that on them.

I think it was the George O'Malley character on "Grey's Anatomy" who said at the time of his father's death, "I have never lived in this world when he was not." (or something like that)
Way weird--I can vouch for that.

I Can't Always Say What I Really Want To Say, Sometimes I Let Others Do It For Me

I seriously thought about going insane. I concluded that since I would want to come out of it eventually, it would probably hurt more than help.

~ Natalie of "What I Really Want to Say Is"

She also asks.. if she reads blogs of people she doesn't know, does that make her a Cyberstalker? I say, no. I don't know Natalie, but found her blog by accident and really enjoy reading it. I don't in any way feel that I'm stalking. Blogging is what it is, and it's out there to be shared unless you use a format where you have to be invited to read and/or comment.

So I Could One Day Pray For You To Save My Life

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say
To let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me
In the exact same place as New Year's Eve
And from the lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time that You opened Your eyes
Did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever...

...And I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

~ I Celebrate the Day - Reliant K

God Bless the Givers

April Houk is a missionary in Port de Paix Haiti. She's lived there for ten years and teaches Second Grade, two ladies' Bible studies, Junior Church, and English at Sonlight Bible College. She is now a part of the Go Verona mission team of the Taking Christ to Italy project.

Here are some insightful things she has posted on her personal blog. I'm sharing without permission, but it is the way of blogging, isn't it? I hope she doesn't mind.

Sunday, April 15, 2007
When Common becomes Sacred

After Jr. Worship, we teachers gather around for prayer and communion, served on the lid of a plastic shoebox. Isn't that just like God... to give the most important gifts served on or wrapped up in something so common. Like a 7 year old, or an old piano...like a stable or a hill.

Monday, May 14, 2007
Another Cup of Water

My second graders get a cup of water at 9 in the morning, then at snack time, and again after recess in the afternoon. Today it was almost 90 degrees before school. It was hot! Because we were all wilting, I gave the kids a cup of water at 8:30 and told them they would get another one after math at 9:15. Bismark said, "We get two waters? Every day? Every day that it is hot?" I nodded yes. Then, the class cheered. They cheered for 6 more ounces of water.

Taking Christ to Italy Project

Go Verona!

Exciting.