Mans Best Friend

How can an animal wrap itself so tight around my heart. I have always had a special place in my heart for animals especially dogs. Joel even tells me that I love Benson more than I love him.

Benson is now a whopping 15 lbs. and is probably 12 inches if not taller. This dog can make me feel all sorts of emotion. Sometimes I love him and sometimes I have to punish him. Sometimes he is the smartest dog around and others well lets just say that he loses his brains.

He is a wide open little man. If we don't keep a close eye on him he can get himself into mischief. The toys that he has have been punctured and the stuffing ripped out. The stuffing is usually spread all over the house. If I start to pick it up when he is around I usually get a fussing at. He seems very proud of his work.

One thing is for sure the love I have for Benson does not even come close to the love that my Heavenly Father has for me. And that is something to rest in.

Trip to Kentucky

On July 21, Elise, Terra,(Elise's best buddy)and I left for Kentucky. Terra had never been to Kentucky and Elise had asked for years for her to join us on one of our trips. We made good time and arrived in Ky around 4:00. Little did I know that we were in for a trip of a lifetime. We had things and events planned for the whole week. I don't think that there was hardly any time to be bored. We went to movies, homearoma,a trip to Mammoth Cave, country clubs and spa treatments. I do believe that a good time was had by all.



As the days passed by quickly, I began to realize that our family has missed out on so much time with our extended family. It truly saddens my heart. Even as I crossed the board of KY to Tenn I was asking God why? I guess I will not ever know that answer. I think I even sent up a prayer for God to return us to KY. Like God always does he responded back to me that it is not in His will. He brought these things to my mind. We have made true friends that are like our family. People that encourage us, that invite us to their holiday celebrations, people that we call on in the time of need. As I reflected over our week at home, I realized that I have changed as a person. I no longer need some of the "things" that 13 or 14 years ago I thought were important. I am not sure sometimes if I have changed for the better or just the fact that I have change. The most important change of all is that I live life for the Lord.

However, for those of you who are readers of this blog,and have family close by please please value the time you have with your family. Really concentrating on your extended family. Those that come over when they are not invited, those that do things for us that we didn't ask them too. Count yourself lucky if you don't ever have to pay for a babysitter because you can call your mom or mother-in-law. Families are a resource for knowledge and wisdom. Count your blessings. I only wish I had family that was close. Oh, I know that mine would drop everything at a call to come but they are still 8 long hours away. I can't just call and expect them to be over here for a jog. I sometimes think that God orchestrated the whole institution for family so that we can only glimpse how He loves us. Show His love to your family each time you are together.

Thanks mom and dad for a great week. We enjoyed ourselves greatly. We appreciate everything you did and do for us. Love ya, See ya. Bye

How sweet it is to get away with family

Living away from family is often the hardest choice that I have ever made. It is hard to miss the good times together and not to be able to be there to give support during the hard times too. However, I know that the Lord called us to move. He has sustained us through not having family close by. He has uplifted our family like no other. I may never understand the reason that He called us out of KY, but I know that it was because of Him that we left. So when your inlaws get on your nerves because they are at your house when you get back from a trip don't be so quick to send them away.

Our family took a long weekend to spend time with my parents and some of our cousins in Gatlinburg. It was fun to be together and have uninterrupted time with my nephews. God grants us time with those we hold close to us.

LA and back

Yes Dorothy we really are in the United States









It has been almost a month since we have returned from LA. I am still at a loss for words. I am not sure that words will ever communicate what we saw. Of course we had a few good laughs at the expense of some of the youth but the biggest one being Robbie meeting someone from another planet.

With all the memories rolling around in my mind it is still hard to imagine what we really experienced. It does make one realize how fortunate we are and yet how easily everything can be lost. I am not necessarily talking about material things but things such as security and the very basics like dignity. But with all that being said, the one thing I learned was the fact that our time, I mean our day to day time is soo valuable. Not only to the ones that are closest to us but also the Lord himself.

It is so hard to understand the layout of LA. It is amazing to be in the city that has so many financial connections but two blocks from the financial district there are people sleeping in the streets, people who do have anything to call their own. In parts of LA you can look around and see not one word in English. And the gang tags-- that is a whole different story.

Some gang tags that we saw would have peoples names xed out with a smile beside it. I do not claim to interrupt the tags but could it be that there was a "hit" on the person and it had been accomplished noted by the smile. The price of human life is not worth a lot in LA.

My first reaction to LA was that I wondered ..still wonder how the problem of homelessness can be erased. Did you know that there are security officers in LA that keep people in the area of skid row. However, the people that live on skid row leave every morning at 6:00 so that the businesses can open. The people wonder the streets just like you and me. Some of them nap in the parks,eat at McDonalds, and push their babies in strollers. Research states that if a women lives on Skid Row within two weeks she will be raped. The research said nothing about female children I can only imagine ... no I really don't want to imagine.

I guess the one thing that keeps come back to me almost haunts me at night is the fact that those females are people. Breathing, loving, God fearing people... could that be me one day. Lord I pray not but in reality they are people like us.

I know that this experience has changed the way I view our country, how I will spend my money, the way I pray and the way I live life. I pray that I will not take things for granted and I pray that all of us will join together to pray for those that don't have even the little we do have, and who have faced sufferings that we can not imagine. God is with the poor and He is with us if we are with them.
Matthew 25:31-46