I took this, I guess you could call it a quiz today about what my spiritual gifts might be and I think it's pretty accurate, for the most part, only I think #3, Exhorter, is more number one than Mercy, but who knows. So, what do you guys think? do you agree with the assessment about me? Your Top Three Spiritual Gifts (1) Mercy The God-given ability to have immediate compassion for those who are suffering combined with great joy in meeting their needs (E.g. the Good Samaritan in Luke … [Read more...]
Day 141: Poetry for Your Table
Sometimes the words we speak or see can be that old saying, "Poetry to our ears." It's not so much the words that are spoken as much as the meaning behind them. I think that has become more evident for me now than any other time in my past. When I'd read a book, it was just that, a book. Don't get me wrong. If I read a book it's because I enjoyed it. However, now, those same words take on a different meaning for me. When put together just right, they can seem like they are poetry to our … [Read more...]
Feeling Un-hopeless
Un-hopeless. Nope. Not a word. However, I think it's obvious what it mean. In life we have those times where it seems like whatever is going on we feel hopeless or we can't control what's going on around us. But when we think about it do we really ever control anything? On the surface, it may appear that we are in control. But what if our carefully laid plans all of a sudden take an unexpected turn. Do we feel hopeless? Is all lost because it didn't go the way we wanted? The answer is no. When … [Read more...]
Reflecting Back on the A to Z Challenge in April
It’s hard to believe that the month of April is already over as well as the A to Z Challenge for 2013. I remember finding out about the challenge toward the end of March and thought it was a pretty kewl idea to take a letter from the alphabet for each day of the month. I knew right from the get go that I’d be doing it about my daughter. However, I had to come up with what each letter for would signify. Here were all the words I used this month: Amazing beautiful caring dare-devil energy … [Read more...]
T is for Time
Mari's time may not have been long on this earth but the impression she made on those around her will last forever. When we think about a young child dying, the first thought that naturally comes to mind is they're too young too dye or they're time was too short or they aren't supposed to die before me. We are human and in our brains we can't wrap it around how not just a child, but any child for that matter, could die. Our hearts break any time we hear of one passing. Mari was no … [Read more...]
C is for caring
When you learn that caring about someone else is more important than anything you could do for yourself. Sometimes it can be hard to put someone before ourselves. We are human and we are innately selfish. It takes a conscientious effort to put others before ourselves. But when a women gets pregnant, there is shift. We now have a growing little one we carry inside our bellies. Our focus shifts from ourselves to the little one. I remember the day I was walking through Wal-Mart with my … [Read more...]
Day 4: Choosing Story Over Relatives
Today's topic sounds strange to me. It almost sounds selfish. I think this strikes me funny because I think family is the most important thing there is. Some people haven't been blessed with a loving and caring family. So to put a story before their family is a no brainer. However, if your family is close, turning your story over them may make you take pause. I know I would never write something to intentionally hurt my family. No matter how screwdriver up we all are they are still MY … [Read more...]
Sitting here thinking…
I sit here thinking about Mari. I think I always think about her just sometimes more than others. But right now I am really missing her. I was talking to my dad a couple of days ago. His cell decided to call me out of the blue. When I answered all you could hear in the background was rustling around. So you knew right then that he did not call and the cell phone had a mind of its own. So I called him back just in case. He said that he must of accidently pushed the speed dial button … [Read more...]
Tangible Things
The only thing tangible left are pictures (and a couple of videos) taken of Mari from the time she was born until the day she died (literally). We have them of her while she was in the hospital when she was first born and we have them of her in the hospital when she was dying. It’s almost like it represents the cycle of life everyone goes through. We all are born and we all must die someday when our time is up on this earth. But with Mari, her time just seemed so short. It seems like that … [Read more...]
The Start of a New Day
Today is the start of a new day. It’s a day I have not had to do in many years (eight, almost nine, years to be precise). It’s a day I have not been ready for before now. In the past it would have been a day I dreaded but now I am really looking forward to it. It’s a day where I take the first step, of what I am sure are going to be many, in getting a job on post (Fort Knox). Before Mari died, as most of you know by now I was a stay at home mom taking caring of our one and only child. … [Read more...]
