Preserving the Red, White and Blue

November 11 is by tradition, the day in which we recognize Veterans of the United States military. Hopefully, we remember and express our gratitude towards these individuals on more than just one appointed day a year. I have been fortunate enough to have known some of these outstanding persons that have worked hard to defend our freedom(s) here in America. Whether having just listened to a World War II veteran speak briefly or having sat down and conversed with those that have served in Iraq recently, my appreciation for these are one and the same. I pray that we would always take time to simply say thank you to these brave men and women when we encounter them. Though thank you seems so inadequate, it means a great deal to those that deserve to be thanked.

I Have a Maker

Yesterday, we received word that after battling Pancreatic Cancer, 37 year old Dave Oellermann had went home to be with the Lord. Dave leaves behind a wife and a 12 year old daughter. While everyone rejoices that Dave is pain-free now, I cannot begin to fathom the grief that the family is experiencing in losing their loved one. In trying to write a few words of encouragement to that family, the song "I Have a Maker" came to mind. I recall hearing the song earlier this year for the very first time. My fondness towards it grew even stronger after my stroke and job loss. In times where I felt many things (anger, disappointment, sadness, fear, angst, etc.), it seemed that I would walk into church and this is the song we would do on that particular day. I had many days when I would just cry and cry - many times, no one would even know. I would hear this song and be reminded though that I was not accidental, God did form me and did so with a distinct purpose in mind. Even when the tears would fall and I would try to hide the pain, He saw every drop that ran down my face. He knew the hurt within me. There is one thing that has sustained me and that is my hope in Christ; knowing that even through my trials, He will not fail nor will He leave me. He has carried me through. I pray that even though little Haley's earthly father has been separated from her for a while, she will know the love of her Heavenly Father who will remain.

Flying Oats

Every Tuesday night, my aunt, uncle and cousin come to watch a couple of t.v. programs with us. From time to time, we will make meals for one another. I graciously volunteered to cook for everyone this evening. I determined what I would prepare and went this morning to buy the necessary ingredients to make this spectacular meal (or awful..we'll see!). When I returned home, I began to place all that I had bought in it's proper place. I opened up the pantry doors and out came the Quaker Oats. Unfortunately, the container was well on it's way to the ground before I could send it back up to safety. Within seconds, half of the oats that WERE in the container, were all over the floor. I, immediately, yelled. Those darn oats made me so angry! Knowing that I could not leave the mess on the floor, I decided I should vacuum them up. If you have never tried vacuuming oats, I would not recommend doing so. For those unaware, oats fly-especially when you try to vacuum them up. My mess that was contained to a small area of the kitchen had now reached not only the kitchen but the breakfast area and laundry area! Even worse, the oats seemed to break into smaller pieces. I did not recall us having a broom here so with fury, I set out to use newspapers to sweep up the mess. Realizing that trying to do so would take hours for the amount of oats that were all over as well as the location of the oats, I decided to search for a broom. To my relief, there was a broom in our garage. Finally, my mess was cleaned. All of that trouble because someone must not have placed the lid of the oats on tightly. I ought to beat them with a wet noodle! Actually, mid-way, I began to find the whole event very humorous. Lesson of the day for me? Should I have a mishap with oats again, I WILL NOT bring forth a vacuum cleaner near them! The picture above is after I had cleaned up some of the mess.

Trick or Treat

Halloween in the eyes of this child (well, I guess it has been a few years since my childhood) meant one thing and one thing only: lots of candy! Churches hosting alternatives on Halloween was not often heard of when I was a kid. My sister and I would dress up each year and head out to fill our bags or pillow cases full of sugar (much of which wound up under our bed only to have never been touched by the following Halloween). My parents never allowed Haley or myself to dress as anything scary (ghosts, witches, monsters, etc.). I remember being a ballerina, a princess and many other "cute" things. Unfortunately, times have changed immensely and it is not as safe as it used to be for kids to go door to door trick-or-treating. Thankfully, many churches are seeking to offer activities on Halloween night. Last year, I went with my family to take my three small cousins to our church for the Light the Night Festival. There were many different games,carnival rides, inflateables, food, candy, prizes, raffle give-away and so much more. Each child received a bag when they entered. At each game, they would receive candy and prizes. I recall Ian (my 9 year old cousin) looking at me at one point and saying, "Man, this is awesome Heather, look how much candy I have!!" I looked and there really wasn't more than three or four handfulls of candy in his bag. I laughed at I thought about how funny it was that he thought he had a ton of candy while really, he had nothing compared to our stuffed pillowcases as kids! The kids loved it last year. Sadly, my cousins are now living in KY so they were not here to go again lastnight. However, I signed up to help out at the church. I spent the night working the Baseball Ring Toss came and had much fun looking at all of the little kids in their darling costumes. I believe the most clever I saw was a homemade TinMan costume worn by a little guy. I really enjoyed myself and look forward to participating again next Halloween. I am so glad that our church offers such and is able to reach out to the community in a special way.