I am always interested in seeing people who find their purpose in life, and then how they share that passion with those around them to make the world a better place.
The other night Jeff and I watched a program about Alexander Graham Bell. I thought it interesting that his Mother and his wife were both deaf...so that is what profoundly influenced his life.
Isn't that true about all of us, if we find our purpose and then move in the direction to make a difference in the world is truly the way to find and spread happiness. Isn't that what life is all about? Making a difference?
Good Night dear friends!
Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922)[4] was a Scottish-born scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.[N 3]
Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech, and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work.[7] His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876.[N 4] Bell considered his most famous invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.[8][N 5]
Ok, I was anxious for awhile about today. Because today was the first time that we video taped my classes. This wasn't for anyone to see but us. We just needed to see how the cameras would work and how the sound was. I was worried how I would do. Jeff and Amy both came and did the video taping and they said I did ok...but when I looked at it for just a few seconds, I had to turn it off! To be honest ...it was tough to watch. I hopefully will get better at this!
I am a work in progress and I need to remember that I have to take this one step at a time, this is a huge step out of my comfort zone.
But we did it, so this day is over and I survived!
Hope this gets easier as it goes on!
I just need to remember that I can do this, I am so excited to have my family behind me, or I should say beside me all the way!
It was a great Sabbath Day! But it is the day that I miss my kids and grandkids the most. Sundays were always our family days along with Monday Nights. Now they are all grown up and so I tried to make sure that I fill my days with good things and of course Jeff and I are grateful for the time we have together.
Tonight we went out and saw the rare Total Lunar Eclipse or Blood Moon tonight.
That was really neat to see, we drove away from the neighborhood and all the lights so that we could see it better. Still my camera didn't do it justice. But that really neat to see.
On Sunday nights Jeff and I like to watch Turning Point you can watch it HERE
It is small short TV programs about people who have made such a great difference in life. They share their talents and passion with helping others. It is interesting to see why they got to this point in their lives and it shows the huge healing process these people go through! I love that there are so many people out there that put all there energies in making a huge difference in the world! Love it!
She remembered the pastor's bare feet above all else.
Anika Rogers arrived at the Magdalene recovery community when she finished her jail time on her 87th arrest. After being repeatedly sexually assaulted, after nearly being killed in an alley, after being homeless and hopeless, Rogers was ready for something different.
The Rev. Becca Stevens, Magdalene's founder, was there to meet Rogers when she arrived. And Rogers was dumbfounded.
"I think I was expecting somebody with a tight collar telling you what you should and shouldn't do," she said. "I remember the bare feet.
"She hugged me and she said, 'Welcome.' She was very humble. No show, no nothing. It was awesome. I felt love."
For those efforts and countless others, Stevens will receive the lifetime humanitarian award at the T.J. Martell Foundation Honors Gala on March 30.
Stevens insists that the women she helps — like Rogers — actually help her more than she helps them.
"I will always be indebted to Anika," she said.
Rogers first remembers being sexually abused in her hometown of Detroit when she was 4, though she wouldn't know it was wrong until several years later.
Her mother was a drug addict and her father disappeared early. Rogers ended up in seven foster homes in four years — and she was molested in each one.
"I was feeling scared and alone," she said. "I did what I was told to do."
Rogers finally got adopted when she was 8, and her new family moved her to Nashville. Soon thereafter, her adoptive mother moved two male relatives into the home, and Rogers said they molested her, too.
The girl started lashing out, getting in fights in school, and that landed her in special education classes in a Tusculum area middle school. There, Rogers finally learned about sexual assault and found out it was wrong. But she wasn't angry.
"It was a relief," Rogers said. "I grew up feeling like something was wrong with me because it happened all the time."
Still, Rogers continued to be abused, and she eventually struck out on her own on the streets, often trading sex for money, food, shelter — and eventually crack cocaine.
When she was high, "all the pain and sadness I was feeling went away," Rogers said.
The 2004 attack in the East Nashville alley happened while Rogers was carrying drugs for a dealer. Multiple stabbings left her unable to walk or talk for several days. But the attack didn't stop her from turning tricks or selling drugs.
"I hustled from the ICU back to the streets."
Eventually she finally surrendered: "I got sick and tired of being sick and tired."
In jail after her 87th arrest, Rogers went to a counselor in Metro Jail to ask for help. That's when Rogers found out about the Magdalene project.
Pastor Stevens is glad Rogers did. Abused and beaten, Rogers arrived at Magdalene with a smile on her face.
"There's so much light and life in her," Stevens said. "It's easy to be friends with Anika."
After therapy, parenting classes, computer classes, recovery meetings, Rogers started to work at Thistle Farms. That's where she discovered she was a pretty good salesperson.
After a few months, Stevens discovered Rogers also was good at telling her story and telling the story of Magdalene. So Stevens took Rogers on a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyo., to push Thistle Farms and its products.
It was Rogers' first airplane ride.
"I felt so close to God up in the sky," she said. "It's how I grasped the idea of my higher power. When you're way up in the sky, everything looks perfect down there. That's when I realized that's how God looks at me. Perfect."
In January, Stevens took Rogers to the beach for the first time after a trip to promote Thistle Farms in Jacksonville, Fla.
"The very first thing Anika did was bend down and start picking up seashells," Stevens said.
"You can beat Anika, you can jail her, you can call her an orphan, you can do whatever you want. You can go through all that and still, the wonder of the beach makes her bend down and pick up seashells," Stevens said.
"It reminds me that I'm still loved and I've got wonder in me," the pastor said. "That's a big gift."
What: Two-year recovery program for women coming out of prostitution, trafficking and addiction. Residents receive free housing, food, medical care, therapy, education job training and other services.
Who: 36 women are enrolled in the program, with 80-100 on a waiting list.
What: An umbrella of not-for-profit businesses — including a bath and body care company and the Thistle Stop Cafe (5128 Charlotte Ave.) — created in 2001 to provide jobs for the women in the Magdalene program.
Who: 40 Magdalene residents and graduates work there.
After another tough night, the morning came and we had another wonderful Owl Baby Shower! There is just something about celebrating these little ones, that is the best feeling in the world. Every little baby should have someone that is exited for happy about their upcoming birth!
Look at this cute diaper cake that my friend made and she made sweet lanterns too!
Then our other friend made these too cute little birds in their nests! What talented ladies!
Then Amy and Angie came over for dinner, after that we went to the a World Wide Women's Conference at church. It was wonderful, here are some of my notes ...
"The 2 most important days of a women's life are the day she was born and the day she realizes why!"
We are daughters of God. What will you do each day to live as a child of God?
Because you are His child, He knows you and who you will become.
Phillipines 4:13
The trials and problems in life, have things to teach us. We need to trust in Him. And pray to Him for strength an understanding.
Remember the Holy Ghost will help you hear the message that is right for you.
There is enough that doesn't go right in life that's sad, meloncholy, so we should focus on the bright, happy things in life and be cheerful.
Faith leads to Hope.
You need to realize you have a choice each day to be said and discouraged or to have faith and be hopeful.
Open your eyes to the happiness in each day.
Remember Eternity is made up of NOWS! Everything leads to LOVE! When we serve others wer are happy and feel the Pure love of Christ.
Then we decided to go to Michaels for a bit! ( isn't there always something you need at Michaels?) :)
I was trying to tell our friend that I don't smile until you count to 3 .... you can tell by the top photo, she didn't count to 3! :)
Fun to have Angie come with us, the night would have been totally complete if my daughter Lauren and daughter in law Krystal was with us. At least we know they got to watch Women's Conference in Idaho and Texas at the same time...that was sorta like we were together.
Anyway it was a wonderful day and it was a blessing!
Good Night dear friends!
Twenty Seven years ago... a 2 year old Brad and a 5 year old Amy and I flew from Huntington, West Virginia... to Seatlle, Washington to meet Jeff. He had moved to Seattle just 2 months earlier. We waited until he found a job before we moved here with him. I remember it was the longest 2 months of our marriage. So grateful that we decided to come here. It truly was one of the best decisons of our lives! We love Seattle and have never looked back. Living here has changed our lives forever!
I think that because we moved here and raised our children here...that all our lives have been changed for the better!
Lee and Lauren were born here... so they are Seattlites!
We love Seattle and have been grateful for that for the last 27 years!
I have heard all kinds of stories about how wonderful and strong the bond is among Sisters! Having 4 brothers, I could only imagine what that would have been like. I think I have come as close as I can to knowing,.. from the relationship I have with my sister-in-law Shirley; and also from the sweet relationships I have with my dear dear friends. I can't imagine I could love them any more if they were my sisters. Then there are my close, close friends who I call my daughters and daughter in law! So I can't complain really for not having any sisters...because I think the truth is... I do have many many sisters that the Lord has blessed me with.
Yesterday I was visiting a friend of mine in the Nursing Home, while I was there 3 sisters came in and introduced themselves to me. They said that their 92 year old Mother was being transferred to this Nursing Home in a couple of hours, and that she was going to be my friend's new roommate. They were very sweet and very kind to me and to my friend. They were sorry that it was a bit loud and busy but they wanted everything to be in place before their Mother arrived. I was so impressed with their love, respect and concern for their Mom. They wanted every picture up, every thing that meant something to her, to be in plain sight so that she would feel comfortable and at home as much as possible.
I was very impressed with how kind and considerate they were with each other. You could tell they were stressed with having to have all of her things unpacked and in place before she got there. Even under these stressful conditions, I never heard a complaint or argument with one another, they all were there to make sure that their Mom felt safe and loved! It was a great insight to me of what type of Mother they must have, to honor her in this way.
Today my granddaugthers were off of school and they came and spent the day with Nana! ( me ). I have to say as I watch them play, fight, and then play some more together, it did my heart good to know that they will always have each other to count on. They will always be Sisters...that is a pretty special thing!
This was the picture of them at their Aunt Lauren's wedding reception, just one year ago! Wow, how time flies!
Here they are last week when Jenny got to go on the bus with Angie for the first time. Audrey was there hoping that they might let her on the bus too!
"Sisters, they always have your back!" " I had that greatest friends when I was a kid, and I got to keep them for my whole life!"
Today I got to teach in church. I always love preparing to teach, because in the process of studying for the lesson or talk... I learn sooo much!
I felt like this was a tough lesson, because there was sooo much to it and so I tried to come up in a way to make it something that everyone could understand and something that applied to their lives.
I started out with some of these quotes by Ezra Taft Benson, he was the United States Secretary of Agriculture and he was a prophet of God. Those who knew him said that he was a very humble man and did not allow the applause of the world or the harsh criticism ring in his ears. Instead, he was true to a reminder he frequently received from his wife, Flora: " Don't worry about the world's opinion of you as long as you're right with the Lord. "
"Pride does not look up to God and care about what is right. It looks sideways to man and argues who is right...
"Pride is characterized by "What do I want out of life? rather than by 'What would God have me do with my life? ' It is self-will as opposed to God's will. It is the fear of man over the fear of God. " Humility responds to God's will- to the fear of His judgements and to the needs of those around us. To the proud, the applause of the world rings in their ears; to the humble, the applause of heaven warms their hearts. "
In the scriptures we read over and over about the warning of Pride.
Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance. The lesson goes on to say that most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arragance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin,, but the heart, or core, is still missing.
Pride is competitive in nature. The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. They pit their perceptions of truth against God's great knowledge, their abilities versus God's priesthood power, their accomplishments against His might works. Many times the proud... wish God would agree with them. They aren't interested in changing their opinions to agree with God's.
The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others. In the words of C. S. Lewis: " Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man...It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone."
I also compared Pride like an Octopus... I am always trying to think of visual ways to teach my lessons ( guess you can tell that I am used to teaching kids ). When I studied up on the Octopus, I thouht how fitting. Here is what I found when studying how an Octopus captures its prey. - First of all they are very intelligent -Then do not have an external or internal skeleton, therefore they can squeeze in small places to hide and protect themselves from their predators. -They use their many armms to catch and ensnare their prey. -They can spray ink out of their bodies, clouding the waters so that they either attack their prey or to get away from danger. -They are fast. -They have poisionus saliva and with one bite, can seriously injure or kill their prey - They can camouflage themselves, so that they can sneak up on their prey or hide from their predators.
I thought Pride is a lot like an Octopus, many times people with knowledge and wealth often forget about being humble and teachable. As you look at this Octopus and all the things that are considered prideful by the Lord, then you can also see that like the ink that the Octopus sprays to cloud the waters, the world tries to cloud the issues or the facts so as to ensnare us to have less choices. The world tries to make it seem as if the Commandments are optional! Or we have to do it just because everyone else is... Like his poisonous saliva, there are many prideful things out in the world that are poisonious to our souls, if we let them take ahold of our lives and our families. And like the octopus can camouflage itself, so can bad things of the world, try to disguise it's self as something good. And last but not least, like the many arms of the octopus that can catch and ensare their prey. There are many things out there that tempt us to be prideful in. Things that can harm us physically, emotionally and spiritually!
I also shared this poem, it was a great way to remind us that we are all human, and do sometimes make mistakes and make judgements about others.
The Cookie Thief A woman was waiting at the airport one night, With several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shop, Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see, That the man beside her, as bold as could be, Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between, Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene. She read, munched cookie, and watched the clock, As the gutsy “cookie thief” diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, Thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I’d blacken his eye!” With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he’d do. With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, He took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, and he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, “Oh brother, This guy has some nerve, and he’s also so rude, Why, he didn’t even show any gratitude!” She had never known when she had been so galled, And sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate, Refusing to look at the “thieving ingrate”. She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, Then sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise. There were her bag of cookies in front of her eyes! “If mine are here,” she moaned with despair, “Then the others were his and he tried to share!” Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!!!
Then near the end we talked about the Antidote for Pride ...which is HUMILITY!
If we are humble, meek, submissive and come to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit then we will be more teachable. Rudyard Kipling put it well: The tumult and the shouting dies; The captains and the kings depart. Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forget.... We can choose to be humble, obedient, forgiving, serve others and obeying God!
There was a ton more about my lesson and if you want you can read the rest of it HERE:
Hope you all had a wonderful Sabbath.
Good Night dear friends!
14 years ago when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer for the 1st time, my family participated in the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Race. Jeff and I decided that we should do that for a couple of reasons, One... because it was a Cause that we now dealing with, and we wanted to be a part of helping to find a cure. Second... because our kids were still young, and we wanted to show them how many other families were dealing with this disease. We wanted them to feel the power of so many people getting together and DOING something, not burying their heads and hoping it would go away. It was a great experience.
Today as I was going to do some errands, I saw all these PINK shirts and outfits on people as they were walking. I realized it was the Susan Komen 3 Day Cancer Walk ( how I wished I could have gone home and put something PINK on!
I honked and waved at each one with tears in my eyes. How grateful I was to them for making a difference, for trying to help and honor all of us that have battled Breast Cancer. Silently I said a prayer of thanks for each of them!
Then when I was out I got a call from a friend of mine that I met on my way to Austin. She and I sat beside of each other on the airplane ride and almost before it took off...were Best Friends. We found out that we both were survivors of Cancer and many other trials in life. What an honor it was to sit and get to know her and her son on that long flight to Austin. Sure made the time fly by faster!
Anyway, she was at the Race as one of the Cheering Sections, and wondered if we could get together. I immediately went to see her ( only 10 mins away from where I was at the time)! What a wonderful and unexpected treat! It totally made my day!
I was grateful to stop what I was doing... to cheer on these amazing people, and to say Thanks personally to them.
It was neat and then to spend some time with my NEW DEAR FRIEND, was icing on the cake!
I am truly blessed!
I was thinking about this quote today... " What you allow is what will continue "
So many times in our lives, we feel like we can't do anything about the situations that come our way. We sometimes think that we don't have any choice but the truth is, we always have choices. We need to get up each day and be grateful for what we have. Then decide what we really want to do each day and not allow the things that stop us from doing that! If we want to change then we have to make different choices. It is all up to us...and what a blessing that is!
Last night was one of my worst nights of no sleeping, because of my hot flashes and cold chills. I have been taking herbs to help me out. It worked for awhile and then as my hormones continue to drop off... I find myself back in the same place of no sleep, because of the hot flashes and cold chills.
As I was looking up more remindies for menopause I found these funny sayings, Jeff is still laughing after we read them....why am I not laughing???
Here some of them are in case you need a good laugh tonight.
HOT FLASHES: Has there been a sharp increase in your electric bill along with a decrease in the temperature of your home? Is everyone in your family wearing sweaters at the dinner table while you’re fanning yourself and using a rag to wipe your sweaty brow? Then you might be menopausal.
WEIGHT GAIN: Have you broken into your savings account for a new wardrobe that includes stretch fabric pants and knee-length muumuus that are wildly popular at Walmart? When you squeeze into a bathing suit, do strangers try to rub your Buddha belly for good luck? If you feel like an over-inflated balloon ready to burst, you might be menopausal.
MOOD SWINGS: If you feel like Mother Theresa one minute and Attila the Hun the next, you might be menopausal.
NIGHT SWEATS: Do you wake in the middle of the night in a warm, sticky puddle that was once your bed? If solar flares spark your sleep and leave you melting into the bed sheets, you might be menopausal.
HAIR LOSS: Have you lost enough hair to open a wig shop? If you suddenly find hairless cats and shaved chihuahuas adorable, you might be menopausal.
MEMORY LOSS: Have you wallpapered your house in Post-it Notes to remind yourself to turn off the stove and flush the toilet?
INDIGESTION: Do you feel as though someone lit Roman candles in your throat or cannons in your stomach after dinner at the local Mexican restaurant? If you have the urge to yell, “FIRE IN THE HOLE!”….you might be menopausal.
FREQUENT URINATION: Have you recently bought an adult diaper bag masked as a purse to hide your supply of Poise Pads? If your road trips are mapped out according to how many pit stops there are between your driveway and your vacation destination, you might be menopausal.
ANXIETY: Do you grind your teeth like an agitated badger in your sleep? If your fingernails look like they’ve been dipped in a piranha pool, you might be menopausal.
INSOMNIA: Do you like to play mind games in the middle of the night like Name That Tune or Workplace Trivial Pursuit? Do you find the inner workings of a glowing, digital clock fascinating at 2:00 a.m.?.
Guess I should print out this quote and put it on my forehead!!!! :)
Good Night dear friends, well at least I hope it is! :)
Our son Bradley served a mission for our church in the Phillipines after he graduated from High School. He was our first to serve a mission, and sending him clear across the world was some times worriesome for his Mom :)
I remember well when we would miss a weekly email from him ( it didn't happen often but when it did, it was hard. We waited all week to get his emails and hear about his life. Those letters was something that were priceless to me, they showed me how much he loved the Lord. And it showed me how selfless he was becoming as he served and loved the people in the Phillipines.
So when I read this article HERE: by Jason F. Wright about his daughter on her mission and how the he believes the Lord is in the details of our life... I totally agree with that. Many times He has answered my small and maybe even silly prayers, but it just reminds me that I matter, my life matters and my family matters to Him! And that is a really blessing in my life! Hope you enjoy the article.Good Night dear friends!
Brad Schmitt
