Merry Christmas and Happy New Years

It has been quite a while since I've updated my blog...facebook has changed the way I communicate with family and friends since most of them are there and not many people are looking at my xanga! We have made it through Sarah's first quarter of public school...and although she didn't get the grades I had hoped for moving into public from private I think she did ok...she is a scattered soul and has had some difficulty in handing in things on time, which has affected her grades. Hopefully we will get this under control soon!
Tracy and the boys are doing well with their new company and I'm hoping they will continue into the New Year. He is off visiting his dad in Oregon this week and will come back tonight for a New Years Eve with just Sarah and I. We got an invitation to go to a party on Wednesday but I'd already been hoping it would just be us together since we've missed each other all week...I'm such a party pooper! We did have the guys and their families over for Christmas dinner along with my folks. It was quite lovely though stressful to cook for 13, I have to say I enjoyed it.
I think we all enjoyed our Christmas. Sarah got a cell phone for Christmas...something I had said we wouldn't do but we've got it locked down pretty well - only calls to family and approved friends, 1 text a day, and I can monitor it all on the computer. I got the best gift! I was given by my wonderful family, a notebook computer! (Mine had died a few months back and I had no hopes of being able to get another one any time soon!) Tracy got his new GPS to replace the one that died a few months ago....life is good! Oh, I received a lovely poem from my friend Laury on facebook that I wanted to share.

"I Am God"

Today, I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution. Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.
Be happy with what you have.
Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight, just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.
Should you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair: There are people in this world for which driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone badly, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance, think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes he had hair to examine
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking, "What is my purpose?" be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember: things could be worse. You could be them!

The meditation I will always remember

This was done in Oct, 2009...but I can't let it go. It was and amazing meditation that really says what I needed to hear.

He was born in a small town the child of a peasant woman. Until he was thirty years old He worked as a carpenter and then for three years He was a preacher. He wrote no books, He held no office, He owned no home. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place that He was born. He never did any of the traditional things that accompany greatness.

The authorities condemned His teachings and He was arrested. His friends deserted Him. One said He never knew Him, while another betrayed Him with a kiss. He was ridiculed and mocked in a trial, and then He was killed in public along with two criminals. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He owned on Earth, His coat, and when He was dead, His body was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.

Two thousand years have come and gone, yet today He remains the crowning glory of the human race; because all the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, and all the governments that have ever existed, put together, haven’t even come close to impacting the life of mankind upon our planet so profoundly as this one single life.

He wrote no music, yet Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn wrote hymns, symphonies and concertos to praise Him. He painted no paintings, yet Raphael, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo spent their lives portraying His, on canvases and walls that have become the world’s master pieces, worth more than the combined wealth of entire nations. He wrote no poetry, yet Dante, Byron, Keats, Tennyson, Tolkein, and Lewis wrote flurries of linguistical torrents in an attempt to encapsulate His ideas.

If I were an eternal being jealous for the worlds worship I might have to do something about Jesus. If I wanted the worlds worship, I might have to murder Jesus. If I wanted the worlds worship and I couldn’t keep Jesus dead, I might have to erase Jesus from all of human history. If I couldn’t completely erase Him, I might have to so confuse history that people could no longer tell fact from fiction, truth from lies. If I wanted the worlds worship, I might have to foster systems that keep people so busy and so distracted that they could never find the time to unravel it all.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He sat in a large upper room with His disciples and said, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to glorified, to die on a cross for the forgiveness of the sins of the world.” He took bread and wine and said to them, “this is my body and blood given and shed for you.” “From this point forward whenever you consume these… remember me.” As if to say there is something in your world that does not want you to remember me. As if to say to His disciples then and now, there is something in the world that does not want us to remember the cross.

As the Church I have always loved that we are the rebels, the defiant, who are saying in this moment “O no no no no devil, we are going to unravel history, and we is going to remember Jesus.”


“So go on now child and remember…”

Let’s remember that because of Jesus shame, is our history, not our future.
Let’s remember that because of Jesus fear, is an acquaintance, not a companion.
Let’s remember that because of Jesus the underdog, can win.
Let’s remember that because of Jesus, anything and anyone can change.
Let’s remember that because of Jesus, war, hunger, greed, disease, and death are temporary.
Let’s remember that because of Jesus those who mourn will be comforted, and we will embrace our loved ones, again.

In our economic uncertainty.
Let’s remember that our investment in Heaven is secure and growing, and real estate in the Kingdom of God has never been more valuable.
Let’s remember that the house built on the rock, will, stand!
Let’s remember that although we may live in poverty, poverty will never live in us.
Let’s remember that this too shall pass.
Let’s remember that peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but the presence of hope, and because of Jesus hope is realistic.

In our relationships.
Let’s remember that love crucified, can rise, again.
Let’s remember that Jesus showed us that he who forgives first, wins!

In the work of reconciliation,
Let’s remember that the narrow road less traveled does, make all the difference.

On the mission field.
Let’s remember that with the faith of a mustard seed we can throw mountains into seas.
Let’s remember that Jesus taught us that a family united will thrive, and a world divided, can be conquered.
Let’s remember, that it doesn’t take a majority vote or adequate funding to change the world. It takes twelve ragamuffin disciples who have encountered God, to set forest fires in people’s hearts one opportunity at a time.

And finally,
Let’s remember, that at the cross sincerity is known by its actions, and to Jesus we are something more than our job descriptions or portfolios, something more than our trophies or wrap sheets. To Jesus we are something worth dieing for, and I pray we all instead may forget those things that are encumbering our stride, and rise from this moment with audacity to dream better dreams; for ourselves, and those who are waiting on us to dream them,

because you my Church, are the light, of the world.

Amen.

Celebrating 14 years of marriage

I still like this man…we are best friends.I still love this man….I can’t imagine a day without him in my life.I miss him during the day when we aren’t together.We’ve been blessed.He handles my craziness with calm.He brings home “gifts” for reason or not…just because he loves me.How can I even think of life without him?I don’t.Easy as that really, I refuse to imagine a day that we can’t be together in some way.I can’t watch a sunset without thinking about the nights we sat on the beach watching it go down when we were dating.There are been many changes from then and now, but I’ve been blessed to have him in my life….just sharing

Let's Meet the Czars

Read this list of Obama's CZAR advisors and wonder where America is headed for. Where are the checks and balances? Who voted these folks in?

1. Afghanistan Czar: Richard Holbrooke- Ultra liberal anti gun former Gov.of New Mexico . Pro Abortion and legal drug use.
2. AIDS Czar: Jeffrey Crowley Homosexual. A Gay Rights activist. Believes in Gay Marriage and Special Status, including free health care for gays.
3. Auto recovery Czar: Ed Montgomery- Black radical anti business activist. Affirmative Action and Job Preference for blacks. Univ of Maryland Business School Dean teaches US business has caused world poverty. ACORN board member. Communist DuBois Club member.
4. Border Czar: Alan Bersin- former failed superintendent of San Diego . Ultra Liberal friend of Hilary Clinton. Served as Border Czar under Janet Reno – to keep borders open to illegals
5. California Water http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26779.html## Czar: David J. Hayes Sr. Fellow of radical environmentalist group, “Progress Policy”. No training or experience in water management.
6. Car Czar: Ron Bloom- Auto Union worker. Anti business & anti nuclear. Has worked hard to force US auto makers out of 20 business. Sits on the Board of Chrysler which is now Auto Union owned. How did this happen?
7. Central Region Czar: Dennis Ross- Believes US policy has caused Mid East wars. Obama apologist to the world. Anti gun and pro abortion.
8. Domestic Violence Czar: Lynn Rosenthal- Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Vicious anti male feminist. Supported male castration.
9. Drug Czar: Gil Kerlikowske- devoted lobbyist for every restrictive gun law proposal, Former Chief of Police in Liberal Seattle . Believes no American should own a firearm. Supports legalization of drugs.
10. Economic http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26779.html## Czar: Paul Volcker -Head of Fed Reserve under Jimmy Carter when US economy nearly failed. Obama appointed head of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board which engineered the Obama economic disaster to US economy. Member of anti business “Progressive Policy” organization.
11. Energy and Environment Czar: Carol Brower- Political Radical-Former head of EPA -- known for anti-business activism. Strong anti-gun ownership.
12. Faith-Based Czar: Joshua DuBois Political Black activist-Degree in Black Nationalism. Anti gun ownership lobbyist.
13. Great Lakes Czar: Cameron Davis- Chicago radical anti business environmentalist. Blames George Bush for “Poisoning the water that minorities have to drink.” No experience or training in water management. Former ACORN Board member
14. (GONE) Green Jobs Czar: Van Jones- (since resigned). Black activist Member of American communist Party and San Francisco Communist Party who said Geo Bush caused the 911 attack and wanted Bush investigated by the World Court for war crimes. Black activist with strong anti-white views.
15. Guantanamo Closure Czar: Daniel Fried –Rights activist for Foreign Terrorists. Believes America has caused the war on terrorism.
16. Health Czar: Nancy-Ann DeParle. Former head of Medicare/Medicaid. Strong Health Care Rationing proponent. She is married to a reporter for The New York Times http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times.
17. Information Czar: Vivek Kundra- born in New Delhi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi , India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India . Controls all public information, including labels and news releases. Monitors all private Internet emails.
18. International Climate Czar: Todd Stern- Anti business former White House chief of Staff- Strong supportrer of the Kyoto Accord. Pushing hard for Cap and Trade. Blames US business for Global warming.
19. Intelligence Czar: Dennis Blair- Ret Navy. Stopped US guided missile program as “provocative”. Chair of ultra liberal “Council on Foreign Relations” which blames American organizations for regional wars.
20. Mideast Peace Czar: George Mitchell Fmr. Sen from Maine- Left wing radical. Has said Israel should be split up into “2 or 3 “ smaller more manageable plots”. Anti-nuclear anti-gun & pro homosexual.
21. Pay Czar: Kenneth Feinberg- Chief of Staff to TED KENNEDY. Lawyer who got rich off the 911 victims payoffs.
22. Regulatory Czar: Cass Sunstein- Liberal activist judge-believes free speech needs to be limited for the “common good”. Rules against personal freedoms many times –like private gun ownership.
23. Science Czar: John Holdren- Fierce ideological environmentalist, Sierra Club, Anti business activist. Claims US business has caused world poverty. No Science training.
24. Stimulus Accountability Czar: Earl Devaney- spent career trying to take guns away from American citizens. Believes in Open Borders to Mexico . Author of statement blaming US gun stores for drug war in Mexico.
25. Sudan Czar: J. Scott Gration- Native of Democratic Republic of Congo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_Congo . Believes US does little to help Third World countries. Council of foreign relations, asking for higher US taxes to support United Nations.
26. TARP Czar: Herb Allison- Fannie May CEO responsible for the US recession by using real estate mortgages to back up the US stock market. Caused millions of people to lose their life savings.
27. Terrorism Czar: John Brennan- Anti CIA activist. No training in diplomatic or gov. affairs. Believes Open Borders to Mexico and a dialog with terrorists and has suggested Obama disband US military.
28. Technology Czar: Aneesh Chopra- http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26779.html## No Technology training. Worked for the Advisory Board Company, a health care think tank for hospitals. Anti doctor activist. Supports Obama Health care Rationing and salaried doctors working exclusively for the Gov. health care plan.
29. Urban Affairs Czar: Adolfo Carrion Jr.- Puerto Rican. Anti American activist and leftist group member in Latin America. Millionaire “slum lord” of the Bronx , NY. Owns many lavish homes and condos which he got from “sweetheart” deals with labor unions. Wants higher taxes to pay for minority housing and health care.
30. Weapons Czar: Ashton Carter- Leftist. Wants all private weapons in US destroyed. Supports UN ban on firearms ownership in America . No Other “policy”
31. WMD Policy Czar: Gary Samore- Former US Communist. Wants US to destroy all WMD unilaterally as a show of good faith. Has no other “policy”

The Nine Principals

Thanks to my cousin Erika I signed up for http://asamom.ning.com/ that posted these.  I am going to, to the best of my ability, live these and believe in them...I hope you will join me!

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

...life, school, small group....life keeps going on

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog.  I guess it has something to do with my fears for Sarah starting public school from our tiny little Christian school.  She showed no fear and claims she wasn't worried at all.  I think in some ways it is a release from having my daily intrusions on her life - with me not knowing all her teachers.  She seems freed.  The first three weeks of school she came home with absolutely no homework and told me it was all being done in class.  I did email the teachers with my concerns but most just ignored me or wrote back that most everything was just learning how to be in middle school.  Last week, however, Sarah was home sick for 2 days and upon return I found out she had 5 assignments due in math that I had heard nothing about!  (She was gone from school during Obama's speech but that wasn't a plan just a happy coincidence) So much for believing it is only class work.  I think we have the one class under control now, but I worry that there is more I'm not up on.  I may have to be intrusive once again!  I have found that a parent cannot and should not back down thinking that at such and such and age they can do more...sometimes we have to back up and lead more slowly. 
The puppy is doing well now.  He is almost potty trained except for that occasional problem.  He is a happy little soul and has added a lot of fun to our household.  I'm not sure Buster is totally convinced when he's trying to rest and the little monster is biting at his lip, but overall he has taken to this play thing rather well.  I'm hoping to get his second set of shots soon so we can try to take him to the dog park to see how that works out.  Although we do have acreage I think the visit with a few other dogs might be fun for him. 
Lets see....what else is going on in life right now?  Well, we start back to our bible study/small group today.  We have quite a few new prospects coming to check us out tonight so it will be 12-14 people.  I look forward to meeting some other people of like minds.  Not saying that we all believe the same things at all, because we are definitely a diverse group.  Merely, that I love have people to bounce of thoughts and ideas as well as just being in a community of Christians where I don't have to temper that out of my conversations.  It should be fun.
Got to get work.  Somebody in Vegas is thinking about you today!

Time Marching On

Sarah turned 11 last week.  We decided it was time to let her have that puppy she's been working on us for since we think she may be able to help out a bit now.  She's been pretty awesome. We ended up searching all of Vegas for the perfect puppy only to find a family in Craigslist that had boxer puppies.  We walked in and there were only 3 of the 6 puppies left and one came right up and looked up at us....our puppy found us!  He's a cute little guy.  I didn't anticipate getting another male dog but when we saw him there was no option.  It seems you can't plan the sex of your family members .  I had forgotten how much work a little puppy can be!  He's sweet but at 7 weeks now, is not potty trained and is not necessarily always interested in going outside...good thing we have slate floors in the living room and kitchen!  Tracy and I are sharing the night duty but sleeping out on the couch and taking him out every couple of hours or so, so that the other can have a good nights sleep.  It's almost like having a new baby.  I'm not complaining.  Flash is a good puppy and is starting to even get Buster to deal with him a little bit .  I even found Buster teasing the puppy a little bit this morning so I guess they are finally becoming friends.  I should get to work but wanted to share a few pictures of our new addition!

It Isn't Always What It Seems....

It’s funny how people build up things in their minds where there isn’t anything.

Did you know the girls that had to fight when three of them got together or the boys that ultimately had to find a fight when they were together?  I tended to avoid those people as a kid...and I still do.  Recently we were hanging out with some friends and mentioned that we were going to a party given by one of Tracy’s ex-girlfriends.One of the people there was very surprised that I would “let” Tracy go, given that there had been a relationship.

I have to admit to being surprised.I thought it funny that anyone thought I should worry after over 20 years.  I suppose some people have to worry but it never occurred to me to give it a thought.   Tracy and I have an incredible relationship…better than the fairy tales.  We have a real life great friendship love that will last a lifetime.  I can’t imagine a life without him.I don’t think he can imagine one without me either.

Getting back to my confusion….his ex is a lovely lady.  She’s really a kind and open person willing to help anyone in need from what I can figure out.  She’s not evil…she has no designs on my husband and in fact has a wonderful family of her own.  It wasn’t always so easy on me but the years have definitely made it clear.  When we first met I think her friends were confused with how they were supposed to deal with us and weren’t at their friendliest but it evolved the way things do given time.  I don’t even blame them.In fact I actually get it.I feel protective of my friend’s feelings and I would probably be unsettled by the friendship thinking maybe there were residual feelings but it was never that way.

Everyone was so friendly! We went to the party – a 5 hour drive there and had a wonderful time.  I hadn’t been to one of these annual parties although I had tried to make it a couple of times.I think the ex must have thought I had some issue with her but I think that’s only because we have really never got to know each other.  Anyone who knows me realizes I just don’t have it in me to deal with jealousy.It just seems crazy to me.  If I wasn’t in a place where I believed in this man we would never have been married let alone gone to a party.I hope she knows now that everything is wonderful and we are good.I’m kind of funny that way.

We slept that night in their little boy’s room and went home the next morning.I don’t know that I will go every year but it was a lovely time and we really enjoyed the visit.

I've moved!

I used to have my blog here if you wonder what it was all about before :) 
http://tishtay.xanga.com/