Good to Know....

I got online tonight to check my email on Yahoo and found an article about "grieving rituals" on my home page. I thought it was interesting. There were examples of various people and the ways they grieve. Some wear their loved ones clothes, some plant gardens, some sleep in the bed in which the loved one slept, others leave their loved one's cell phone in service just to call and get their voicemail and hear their voice. I haven't really found a "ritual"...that sounds so....well....freaky. I guess everyone's grief is different, but sometimes I just need to be reminded that what I feel/think is normal....that it's something everyone else feels under similar circumstance. I had expectations for what it might look like for me and our family, but experiencing it is something altogether different. I'm grateful for the people I've met who have been through the death of a loved one and for their gentle reminders that the hurt doesn't go away, but that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Somehow, because of his concern for our hearts, we are sustained.

It has been amazing to be on the receiving end of the outpouring of love, after having lost mom. There are so many things about her I didn't know....things she did to make others' lives better. I wonder how I missed knowing those things about her. How is it that we (I) get wrapped up in our own lives that we fail to know or see the gifts our loved ones are to others? I'm thankful for those memories of mom that are new to me through the eyes of the people she touched.

I continue to be blessed through this process.....daily.

Off the Grid....Sort of.

I have been neglectful of my little blog....much has transpired. My new year's resolution has pretty much tanked, although I have kept a steady stream of books at my disposal.

Currently, I'm reading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Amy Blackburn put me on to the TV series on HBO, and I fell in love. As a result of my enjoyment of the TV show, I decided to start reading the series. The setting is Botswana and the main character is Precious Ramotswe. Precious is a divorced woman whose father dies and leaves her with a large head of cattle. She sells the cattle in order to open a detective agency. The characters in this series are fabulous! Some of her cases are funny and lighthearted and some are quite suspenseful. At any rate, I am truly enjoying the series.

Earlier in the year, I lost my Addy to tick fever and anemia. I had to have her put to sleep. I was with her and it was truly the hardest thing I've ever done. My Adelaide was the truest of companions and I still miss her presence in my life. My brother brought me Lucy, a three year old chocolate lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever. She has been a natural fit into my life, although in my absence this summer she's been quite a handful for her summer caregivers.

Mom was placed on hospice in March due to the recurrence of her cancer. She was too weak to undergo chemo again, so hospice was the only reasonable option. It has been a very slow decline. We had to move her into a private care home as it was too much for dad to care for her. At this point, she is loosing her short term memory rapidly, very confused at times, and mostly bed fast. It has been difficult to watch the decline. A woman who was once energetic and independent is now reliant on someone for all aspects of her care. She hardly seems like the woman I knew as my mom.

Presently, I am at Camp Blue Haven for the summer working on the ropes course. This has been a blessing in many ways. First, it has allowed me to stay busy and not dwell on the difficulty of mom's situation. Secondly, it has given me the chance to learn, listen to, and serve the Lord. There is no doubt in my mind that he knew I needed every second of this time here. I am blessed by daily prayer time with the other women permanent staff members.....a time to share and bear one another's burdens.

I am also being opened to the possibility of exploring some options for my life I had once fervently pursued.....I guess you might say wanderlust is settling into my bones once again. I don't know what that looks like, I only know that I am praying for the Lord to provide me with opportunities to grow and serve. Ideas are brewing in my brain, but whether those are things I need to pursue remain to be seen.

God is faithful all the time....in the calm and in the storm. It is difficult to praise him in the storm, but I am learning to thank him for the good that will come as a result of it. Thankfully, his patience is unending!

A New Year, A New Resolve

I got this idea from a friend, so I must give credit where credit is due. That belongs to Haley McDonald. She made the resolution to read a book a week over the year.

I love reading and don't get as much in as I would like. My friend, Stuart McGuiggan, works for a Christian publishing company and reads a new book every 2-3 days! I wish I were disciplined enough to do that!

So, I'm gonna shoot for my 52 books this year! I enjoy mostly novels....mainly fiction. I have read some historical fiction that I enjoy. I'm not much for non-fiction. It has to be nail-biting and gripping non-fiction to keep my attention. So having said that, any suggestions?

I did start Blessed Are the Cheesemakers a few days ago, so I'm counting that as part of this year!

Happy New Year, y'all!

Turkey Trot and Beyond....

Well, my race Thanksgiving was FANTASTIC!!! I had the most fun and felt really good most of the way. I kept telling God that there was no place I would rather be....well except Heaven, that's a given. The last hill almost got me. I had to will myself not to throw up. It got stuck in my throat and I kept telling myself not to throw up, after all my dignity was at stake!!

No medals or great time, I managed to stay within the minute window I was shooting for. Really, all I got was the satisfaction of completing something I set my mind to do several months ago....that's worth a lot!

I registered for the Austin Half tonight. That will be Valentine's Day, a Sunday. My friend, Rachael, offered to go and be my cheer section. Hooray!!!

As I registered there were at least 10 extra things you could order or join, none of which were less than $20. Well I say none, there was one....a $5 donation to keeping Austin "green" and to reduce my carbon emissions from driving there. Why does that surprise me? I mean it is Austin!!! How 'bout we keep Sarah's "green" in her frickin' pocket??!!!! I'm all for increasing our carbon footprint.....doesn't that mean the weather gets warmer and more pleasant?! How do we make that happen faster? WHATEVER AUSTIN!!! I'm gonna run through your streets and stomp on your grass, and throw Gatorade cups in your parks, and I might even chunk a rock at one of your rabid bats!

Ok, I'm done....but I may be back later!

Decision

I've been putting off committing to this for some time now, just wanting to take things one step at a time and not get too far ahead of myself. Maybe it was the breeze, or the way my muscles, lungs, music, and the weather were all in sync last night as I ran.....but as I ran last night I finally decided it was time to say it. I'm officially training for a half-marathon! EEK!!!

The Wilcoxes are training for the Austin full and told me I should go with them and run the half. It was then that the seed was planted. I immediately wanted to say "Yes!" but was afraid to do so out loud. I just kept telling myself to take it a race at a time.

So there, it's out there....now I HAVE to do it. Please continue to pray for my body, and that somehow God can be glorified in this!

The Wall

Well....I think I may have reached it. I am completely frustrated with my running right now. It seems like I have trained and worked and progressed, but at the moment I can't seem to get where I need to be.

Tonight I ran half the distance of what I'm supposed to run in a week and a half, and barely made it. BARELY! I have been running this distance for a good month now, and should be used to it. I just feels like I'm running in tar. I'm sure the heat this evening accounts for part of it, but it just seems like I should be getting farther.

October 10th is the day of my 10k. I'm really nervous that I won't be ready. I don't expect to medal or go particularly fast, I just want to finish and not embarrass myself.

I was just praying tonight while I was running. In this small, insignificant way, I want to push this body God gave me to give him glory. I want to prove to myself that I can do this if I just work hard enough for it.

Utterly frustrated.....in need of prayers.....

First Race

Yesterday I ran my very first race......well at least since elementary school when we had field day. I was never much of a runner. To be perfectly honest, I was never athletic. I always wanted to be good at tennis, but the whole hand-eye coordination seemed to work against me!

For the past couple of years I have talked about wanting to take up running, but never really did much about it. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that if I don't know what I'm doing I don't really want to do it for fear of looking like a complete loon.

I met an Irish guy at the park one day while I was walking around Tech Terrace. He was riding around the park on his bike encouraging people who were walking/running. Once he spoke I was immediately curious about him because I could tell he was Irish. You don't meet many people from Ireland around here! Jerry explained to me that he belonged to the West Texas Running Club, so I decided to pick his brain about running. He is a marathon runner, and runs mostly to set pace for other people in the running club. He took my email address down and emailed me a running program.

All summer I've been training and making headway. My goal has been the 12K (approx. 7 or so miles) Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. It has been such a fun process, one because I finally decided to put my money where my mouth was, and two it has given me an outlet to clear my head/pray/think etc.

So yesterday I ran a two mile race in Shallowater. The idea was for me to run with one of the other 4th grade teachers, Sandra Spruell. On Thursday, Sandra told me she was going to have to help with registration, but that I could run with her 11 yr old daughter, Lindsey. Well, Lindsey left me eating her dust at the starting line.

It was crazy when they sounded the horn to start the race. Everyone was running like mad, so I started off faster than I would have normally. I ran pretty hard the entire way, but people kept passing me.....like elderly men. When I say elderly, I mean 80+. I was convinced I was bringing up the rear until I got to the halfway turnaround and saw there were still several runners behind me. One guy kept passing me, and then I'd catch up to him as he was walking. Once I passed him, he would start running really hard to pass me. This happened at least four times.

Once I came across the finish line, I didn't wait around to check my stats. I was hoping to make it to ladies bible study so I went ahead and left. Later in the day, Susan Wilcox told me I had around 9 minute miles. My best time in training was around 9:48 min/mile. Then Jerry emailed me to tell me great job, making me think my time had been posted. So I was curious, and decided to check my time on the running club website. My time was 8:58 miles! I had to laugh because I knew old men were passing me and my running partner left me and I started out too fast, and so on. Come to find out I came in 2nd in my age group.....out of four. HA!!! My overall ranking was 112 out of 164.

I guess there is always room for improvement, but I was really happy with my first run ever. I have a 10k/6.2mi run October 10. That should prove to be very challenging. I'm up to about 3 and 1/2 miles in my running plan. So I still have quite a way to go.

Tonight I'm off to run at Tech Terrace. Sundays I run with Jerry, and get coached on form, nutrition, and training. It's great to have the help and encouragement.

So thanks for all the kind words and prayers....keep 'em coming! I surely need all the help I can get.

Conditioning

Ok, this is my first post from my iPhone, so first off please excuse any misspellings. I am waiting to get my laptop back from bluescreen of death heaven!

Last week I started training for a 5k run. A friend sent me an 18 wk training program and told me to start on wk 10 since I do spin regularly. Now first off, I do not consider myself a runner.....in fact when I run I think about that Friends episode where Phoebe teaches Rachel to run with her arms and legs flailing all over the place.

So I start off with wk 10 last week where you run 7 min, walk 3 min and repeat 4 times. Well, I could do 3 reps of that, but doggone if I couldn't go 4. I emailed my friend and asked if I could back it up a few weeks. He put me on wk 7 where you run 4 min, walk 3 min at 5 reps. Much better!

I am getting ready for camp, so I am doing spin and running to build endurance for the ominous Crest, the hardest, steepest hike Blue Haven has to offer. I have never climbed the Crest in all my years at CBH. When you get to the top you get your picture taken brushing your teeth with.....that's right, Crest toothpaste. It's quite an accomplishment.

Since we have been studying 2 Pet the idea of conditioning has been plaguing my thoughts. Peter talks about adding things to our faith; goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In my mind it is a sort of building block process of conditioning our spirits.

When I was trying to bite off too much with running last week, I didn't get far. I so desparately want to possess those spiritual qualities, but sometimes I wonder if I would be better off focusing on one building block at a time. Paul talks a lot about preparing for the race. You don't just do that by signing up for the marathon without gradually building up to it. This is where my lack of patience waylays me!

So I ask for your prayers, both physically and spiritually, that I can prepare myself for the race and that God will give me the discipline and perseverance it will take to accomplish these things. I know the training doesn't come without pain and doubt, but I've got the best coach getting me ready!

Really?!

Of all the stupid things I've done......

Two days ago, the fuel light came on in my car. I kept thinking I would stop later and fill it up. Well yesterday morning I was running late (story of my life) for work and realized I hadn't filled up like I had intended. I just told myself I would have to just do it later, because I HAD to get to work.

Well, yesterday afternoon I got in the car and was set out for Walmart on the Loop and Quaker. Mind you I work in east Lubbock, but I thought I could make it. It was a little after 4 pm. I get to the interstate to turn south, and right before the 34th St exit my car stalled.

I decided to exit 34th Street and pulled over onto 32nd and what I am pretty sure is Crackville! I wasn't quite sure what to do, afterall I hadn't ran out of gas since high school. I could have gotten out of my car, walked across the access road, under the overpass, and across the other access road. The more I thought about it the more I thought I didn't really want to get out of my car. I was parked in front of a house where about five men were working. Then I thought, "Jane"!

Jane Brock is my sweet friend from work, and since I wasn't too far from Parkway I thought she wouldn't mind coming to my aid. After chasing her down, she told me she was stuck at school and promptly handed the phone to our school counselor, Bill.

Now Bill has always been my hero. He is very fatherly to the kids at school, and also to the teachers. Bill is the epitomy of togetherness, organization, do-the-right-thing, etc. I immediately stammered when I heard him speak. All I could say was, "Uhhhh.....It's ok, I'll get a friend to come get me."

Well, Bill, in his fatherly voice said, "Now Sarah, I can be there before you can call anyone. Just let me come get you and we'll take care of it." Well, you can't tell fatherly types no.

So I waited. The men in front of the house waved, friendly-like. I gave a half wave and looked away as if to say, "Everything's ok!" Maybe if I just don't make eye contact.

Bill showed up shortly after. The wind was picking up and the clouds were rolling in. If I could have crawled under his seat, I would have. He told me he wasn't going to say anything, but if he did it would be something he would tell his daughters. I couldn't even look him in the eye.

He asked me if my car was fuel injected. Really I have no idea. None whatsoever. He told me if it was we might have to get it towed and have a mechanic prime the fuel injector thingies before it would start. GREAT!

He took me to his house to get a gas can, then to fill up the gas can. It started raining while we were getting gas. Once we got back to my car, it was pretty much a downpour. I told Bill that if my dad were there, he wouldn't say anything, but I would know what he was thinking! We got gas in the tank and after a few cranks, it started up! I was as happy as you can get when you are utterly humiliated.

Well, it seems the humiliation was there to stay because when I turned on my windshield wipers.........the driver side wiper wouldn't work! I'm pretty sure I can't ever look Bill in the face again!

So in the midst of the tornado warning, I drove home with one windshield wiper, craning my neck to see out the passenger side, with a couple gallons of gas, and my wounded pride!

Spring Break!

Well I got a little more done on my house over the break. I was determined to get my kitchen painted, and was able to accomplish that task. When I first moved in I painted all but three rooms, one of which was the kitchen.

I had debated over the color for awhile. I wanted to paint it green, but I wasn't sure how it would blend in with my living and dining room. I finally decided I didn't care, went to Home Depot, and bought the color I wanted. I was so pleased with the results. I think you'll like it too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

March 17th happens to be my most favorite day of the year. It is a reminder of my nearly two years of living in Ireland. As you can imagine, Ireland holds a very special place in my heart!

Usually on this day, I am preparing shepards pie, and bread pudding for all my friends. Today, however, my kitchen is out of commission because I am painting it.....green, incidently!

I have so many memories of Ireland; the people, tea and biscuits, rain, fabulous landmarks and landscapes, Rose McGlynn's cooking (you haven't lived til you've had Rose cook for you!), the amazing church I worked with there.

So in honor of this day, I'll leave you an Irish Friendship Blessing:

May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

I sure wish I was there today! The Irish know how to do up Paddy's day! Instead, I will continue painting my kitchen my favorite color!

My First Love

Have you ever been shaken to the core by a song or album? I have always enjoyed music of all kinds, from hymns to punk. My first experience like that was the first time I heard a U2 song. It was.....well.....kinda spiritual. It was like I was sucked up into the speakers and actually part of the song.

I've been a follower of their music for many years now, own all the albums, seen them in concert 3 times (twice in Dublin), I've even been to three of the four members' houses (well the outsides anyway). They never cease to have that same effect on me after all this time. Certain songs transport me back to certain times in life, some sad and some exhilarating.

One of the things that impresses me most about U2 is not their music, but their social activism. If you look at every single one of their album covers, you can learn about various social causes they have supported such as poverty, political prisoners, AIDS, malaria, and economic stability in empoverished countries. You can read up more on their cause to end poverty at www.one.org. I also appreciate their non-partisan approach to such social causes.

I once read a book about the band, and learned three of the members were involved in a grassroots Christian church in their early years as a band. They were even baptized in the Irish Sea, not far from where I lived in Dublin. Many of their early songs were actually songs of praise.

So this week they released their latest album, No Line on the Horizon. I have been listening to it non-stop and have been reminded why I love them so much. At the moment, I am totally taken with a song called Magnificent. It's a throwback to their more spiritual roots.

Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

The Strangest Thing....

As I was driving home yesterday afternoon, I noticed that there was a dead cat lying on the corner of the intersection by my house. I think my neighborhood has a hex or something.

And no, I didn't stop to take a picture! (But I was tempted!)

You SO Won't Believe What I Did Today!!!!

WARNING!!!! GRAPHIC IMAGES!!!! If you are grossed out by dead animals.....DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER.........

OK, but I warned you.........

I came home from church this morning to find a kitty napping in the sun in my front yard. I notice it didn't hear me when I went out to the mailbox. I approached ever so carefully to inspect the poor creature, only to discover it was dead. It was at this point I was wishing I had my dad or another man around to "fix" the problem.

I started to have flashbacks to an incident this summer when my former dog, Bentley, seriously maimed and paralyzed a cat in my backyard.....or so I thought. It was about 2 am and I was awoken by a death howl coming from the back. I went outside to see Bentley with a kitty in his mouth acting like it was his toy. I finally got him away from the cat and put him in the crate. The cat dragged itself toward the fence with it's front paws. There was nothing I could do about it until the morning, anyway, so I went to bed. The next morning I searched the yard, and there was no kitty to be found!

Well back to today......I decide if I just go inside and shut the front door, problem solved. I called dad, who told me I was silly and gave me many options of how to take care of the problem. One of the solutions he gave me was to tie twine around it since I didn't want to touch it and drag it to the dumpster. Ummmmm.....not gonna happen!

I closed the front door and decide to try and forget about the dead kitty in my front yard. Now mind you, our lesson in church was about death.......is this a sign or something?

I am plagued by this dead kitty in the front yard, so I resolutely set out to "take care" of it. When I looked closer at the cat, I noticed it's eyes were half open. I have an Anthropologie box lying around, so I figured I would put it to good use. My plan is to get a shovel, pick up the cat, put it in the box, close the lid, and carry it to the dumpster. Easy enough, right? WRONG! Riggermortis set in and the frickin' cat didn't fit in the box!!! To make matters even worse, it had blood coming out of it's mouth and cat hair in it's paws!!!!

Well, to make a long story short, I "made" the kitty fit in the box, put the box in a trash bag and carted it off to the dumpster. Immediately, I came in and washed my hands even though I never touched the kitty with my hands.

I am now very proud of myself, and can confidently say, "I don't need no stinkin' man!" Hee hee!

Sweet Picture!

My cousin's wife, Jaymie, posted this picture from Thanksgiving on a blog. It is of my dad and my other cousin's daughter, Saylor. I am pretty sure Saylor is the sweetest little girl I have ever known. She has such a sweet nature and is just so smart.....and of course she is gorgeous!

What I love most is the way dad is holding her hand. I know that grasp, it is gentle and warm. I've sat in his lap and held his hand to enough to know how safe a place that is. I have to admit I haven't outgrown sitting in his lap or holding his hand.

This is my favorite picture of Jesus. When I get overwhelmed....when I can't sleep because the thoughts are running rampant......when my heart hurts.....I imagine Jesus is where dad is, and I am where Saylor is. Just rocking, no words, only the warmth and safety of my Savior holding me close.

A Day of Significance

We watched the inauguration at school today, and I was most impressed by Rick Warren's invocation. I am posting it below. I prayed today that God would bless Mr. Warren for declaring Him as the one true God, and for not giving in to the pressures of being politically correct.


Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story.

The Scripture tells us Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America's peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.

And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

I believe God was glorified and honored through this humble prayer. I will remember the significance of this day, not because of who is in office, but who is in control. Lord, may we always remember that!

The Whys Will Make You Crazy!

Sometimes I think in many ways I am my own worst enemy. I have a tendency to think and dwell on things too much. I wish sometimes my mind had an off switch.

I guess by nature I am somewhat anxious. I come by it honestly. I envy people who can just let things roll off their shoulders and trust that everything will work out.

One of the things that has been plaguing my mind is the idea of injustice. What I mean in particular is watching people live the way they want to live without regard for God, and yet they seem to have the things in life they want.

I was reading in Jeremiah 12 last night where he questions God's justice. "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?" My heart and mind cannot reckon this. I completely identify with Jeremiah. It saddens me to watch people prosper who do not live the way God wants us to. I don't mean to sound like I am looking down on people who are not as good as me, because I have my own hangups in my walk with God.

I guess what struck me in looking at Jeremiah is God's response to the whys. He doesn't offer an answer specifically to those questions. Maybe he didn't think he needed to answer whys. I've learned that he rarely, if ever, does. That is his perogative, after all he is God.

I have lots of why questions, and I can make myself CRAZY thinking about them but never find an answer. What I am reminded of are the promises God makes to me about living faithfully.

"Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous." Prov 13:21

"A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." Prov. 17:20

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Prov 28:13

"A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper." Prov. 29:25

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Heb 10:23

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Heb 10:36

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Heb 11:9

God is faithful to his promises, so I have to trust that he has and will bring about those things in my own life. I guess my problem is the waiting!

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:13-14

I Love My Dad!

Today is my dad's 70th birthday. It is hard for me to believe. I remember one time when I was younger telling him he had a lot of hair for an old man. That has become our running joke. Every birthday, I call him and he reminds me he still has a lot of hair left.

So in the spirit of celebrating my dad, here are some of my favorite things about him:

1. Everytime I call him, he is always cheerful and excited to hear from me. I usually get a "HELLO, Sarah Jones!" or a "Is this the party to whom I am speaking?" or a "It's me again, Margaret!"
2. My dad will go well out of his way to do anything for anyone. He does so cheerfully and selflessly.
3. Dad always made sure Jason and I were at church and surrounded us with godly people who helped lay the foundation for our faith.
4. When I was little, mom worked the 7 to 3 shift at the hospital a lot. Dad would get us up, feed us, and would even fix my hair every morning. He was good at it too! I remember one morning when I was little I wanted to wear my jeans backwards and without any objections dad let me. (It wasn't very comfortable!)
5. In high school we lived across the street from the school. Dad would schedule his lunch around mine and met me at home everyday to make sure I had a good lunch.
6. I can remember every free moment he had he spent with me and Jason. He took us hunting, sight-seeing, visiting people who lived way out in the country, bouncing down country roads. He didn't let the TV babysit us, he got us out and showed us how to have fun without being lazy or spending a lot of money. We sang a lot on these trips. Our favorite song to sing was 1814 by Johnny Horton. Radio-schmadio, who needs it?!
7. Dad has the biggest hands. He can fit both of mine in one of his, and they are always warm. I love holding his hand. No matter how old I get, I will never outgrow that!
8. He worked many many years at a job that was virtually thankless and many times downright miserable to provide for our family and raise us in a small town. He could have moved us to a larger town, worked a job that was more fulfilling and paid more.
9. I always feel safe in my dad's presence. I can remember once when I was about 5 or younger, our drunk/drug addicted neighbor was shooting his gun off in the street at his wife and baby in the middle of the night. (So much for the safety of a small town, huh?) My mom woke me up and I can remember dad standing by the window with a gun. I don't remember being scared because I always knew dad would keep us safe.
10. Dad always taught me the importance of taking care of myself. I am sure this is where I get my independence from. I can remember him telling me very often that I needed to be able to provide for myself and not rely on anyone to take care of me.

I could go on and on about my precious dad. I am so thankful God chose him for my daddy. It makes me sad for people who don't have the kind of relationship with their fathers that I have with mine. I truly wish everyone could experience that kind of love. I am just reminded that if my earthly father loves me this much, how much more does my heavenly father love me!

So on his 70th birthday, I will praise and thank my heavenly father for the gift of my dad. I hope he's around many more birthdays! You are my hero, Dad!

Tagged....AGAIN!

Rules:

1. Post rules on your blog.
2. Answer the six "4" items.
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.

4 Things I Did Yesterday: Went to church, made soup, hung curtains, hosted a Christmas party

4 Things I Look Forward to: Christmas break, playing Guitar Hero: World Tour with Brad and Paige, sleeping in, and my first Christmas in my house with my family

4 Things On My Wish List: Gift cards from Home Depot, restful break, for God to bless our ladies bible study with answers to our prayers, oh yeah.....and World Peace. ;)

4 Restaurnts I like: Patrizio's, La Madeleine, Mongolian BBQ (in Dublin), California Pizza Kitchen

4 Favorite TV Shows: Lost, 24, Pushing Daisies, and its a tie between Ghost Hunters and The First 48.

4 People I Tag (You're it): Paige, Sherry, Elaine, Leslee

A Very Bad Dog!

I got home yesterday from Thanksgiving with my friends, Greg, Angie, and Selandra. I started a load of laundry and noticed I had very little water pressure. My first course of action when something goes wrong is to call my dad. He said I needed to call the water company and find out if there were any broken water mains near my house. LP&L sent a serviceman over and he told me I had a water line broken and I would need to call a plumber. I knew this wasn't going to be cheap!

The LP&L man turned off my water supply because I was loosing 25-30 gallons per minute. Having just spent the day on the road I was in need of a shower. Thankfully, Sherry came to my rescue and let me come over to her house and take a very nice, long, hot shower!

This morning I called the plumber. The owner called me and asked me if there was anyway I could put the dogs up so they could work in the back. I found someone to cover my class and drove home to find the plumbers waiting on me. The one who looked like he was in charge told me he thinks he got it all figured out. He said my water faucet in the backyard was on. He said he thought my dogs might have turned it on. Immediately, I knew it wasn't the dogs, but one dog in particular......Bentley!

Thankful for my prayers being answered for a cheap fix, I am now contemplating what to do with this dog who can apparently turn on the faucet. Not only can he turn on the water faucet, but it seems that he is a master escape artist. He has managed to get dig/tear out of the yard three times, two of which, my very good dog has followed him. One of those times I got a call that they were found in Wolfforth.

I adopted him thinking I was being a good pet lover and rescuing a doggie that needs love. What I wound up with is a dog who happens to be a holy terror!

So if you know anyone who lives on the farm and has kids that could wear this dog out, or even if you know some gypsies who need a sideshow, please let me know! He is sweet and good with kids, just very determined. He likes chewing up things and jumping on the trampoline.

Any takers?????