Athena in a Minivan

Happy Birthday to Me

Forty years ago tomorrow, my mother and father welcomed a beautiful baby girl. She was (and still is) adored by her big brother. :) The world would never be the same.

I have sad news for one friend who we promised that if neither of us were married at 40, we would marry but alas, Honey has won my heart and we have been married 7 years.

HIGHLIGHTS of my life:

September 25, 1965 at Harris Hospital (where my dad was a pharmacist) I was born.

1966 I get sick with AutoImmunity disease

October 11, 1967 My sister is born.

September 1971 I start school at Alice Carlson (and attend three elementary schools)

1971 My AutoImmunity is healed. (I may write about this sometime.)

October 31, 1974 I become a Christian

June 1975 I am baptized

June 1976 (and every June for the next 7 years)I become a Tejas at Camp Waldemar for Girls

1971-1984 AWSOME CHILDHOOD TOO GREAT TO WRITE IN ONE SENTENCE

Sept. 1980 My brother leaves for College

August 1983 Life changing trip to Europe with family

May 1984 High School Graduation

Sept 1984 I enter Oklahoma Baptist University

Spring 1987 Spiritual Renewal at state BSU Conference

May 1988 Graduation from OBU - BBA

June 1988 My first job

October 1990 Sister goes to England to Grad school

June 1989 (and every summer until 1999) I was a counselor at Camp Waldrmar for Girls

1989-1999 Teaching School (special education at different schools)

May 30, 1998 Married the best HONEY

May 1999 Master's Degree Graduation - MEd

February 10, 2000 Birth of Butch and Sundance

February 17, 2004 Birth of Baby

September 25, 2005 I TURN 40.

A Mom with a Minivan

Sometimes God places opportunity in your path and it is our job to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to heed that prompt.  Last week after dropping Butch and Sundance off at Homeschool Science, I headed to the post office to pick up a certified letter. A man was infront of me in the line and I overheard his conversation with the postal employee. He too was a USPS employee who had evacuated to our town from New Orleans. He was waiting some paperwork so he could join his family in Alabama. He completed his business and left the post office. I got my letter, strapped Baby back in his carseat and drove out of the parking lot.

I saw the gentleman walking beside the post office and he was wearing one of the [CORRECTION]yellow arem bands  YELLOW WRIST BANDS that identified him as a resident of our town's shelter. I pulled up beside him and asked if he would like a ride to the shelter. He told me he was actually trying to get to the TOC Beauty School so he could get his dread locks redone. I told him that the school was on the other side of town and it would be a  long walk. He accepted the ride and we went off in hunt of the TOC Beauty School. (now before you get on to me for picking up strangers, know this was the FIRST time I have ever had the Holy Spirit tell me to pick up a stranger. Usually, my warning system keeps me from doing this but I had a true sense of peace about it.)

As we drove, he told me about evacuating his family to Alabama; wife, children and grandchildren. He stayed behind to watch the house. He was so excited that the hurricane did very little damage to the house and he went to sleep only to wake up to the bed floating in water. He climbed into the attic, kicked out the vent and climbed on the roof. He was evacuated by boat the the SuperDome and was told they would be picked up and taken to shelters. I asked about what the media was reporting about the Dome and he said the people who were causing the trouble were the kind that cause trouble anyway no matter where they are. He finally got on a bus and found himself in our town.

Today, he had opened a bank account, been to the post office and was now wanting to get his hair fixed. We drove to the hair place and they were going to fix his hair the next morning and for free. I asked if he needed a ride anywhere else and he asked me to take him somewhere so he could send his mom some flowers for her birthday. We did this errand. Baby was asleep in the backseat and we both discovered that we were Christians. He shared how God had provided for his safety and the safety of his family in all the storm. He offered to buy me lunch but I accepted a large ice tea.

I dropped him off at the shelter and we parted. I may never see this man again this side of heaven but I know that for one small afternoon, my minivan became a way for me to meet the needs of someone who needed a little extra help and in the process, I was blessed.

How do you know you are a twin?

Today I was going through the questions that every Kindergartener should know. I asked:  What is your full name? Butch, Sundance...Correct..What is your address..Correct...What is your phone number?...correct (like you thought I was going to put my phone number on here)... What is your mother's name? What is your father's name? Then I asked the big question.

What is your birthday? Butch answered February 10th. Sundance answered February 10th. I joked with them, "Wait, his birthday is Febuary 10th. How can you have the same birthday?" Butch turned to me with the sweetest voice,"Mother, we're twins." I asked, "How do you know you are twins?" (expecting the usual, we were born on the same day) to which Butch replied, "WE HAVE THE SAME SHOES."

This puts alot into perspective.

The Link is working now..actually it is a new link. Check this out as soon as you can. (HT to the Deputy Headmistress for the new link.)

This is a link to a photo gallery of a man named Alvaro R. Morales Villa (sorry if I spelled it wrong) who lived and worked in New Orleans. He shows NO before the hurricane, after the hurricane and after the flooding began. He shows local police trying to control chaos. He shows how he and his friend had to "borrow" a vehicle to get out of town after the flooding began. He shows pictures of the people at the NO Convention Center and how many were there waiting for buses to evacuate them.

It is definitely a story in pictures and his first hand account. When I have studied history I always want to get as close to first hand sources as I can so that I do not let someone's bias get in the way. These pictures tell volumes as he shows the damage, the looting, the masses of people who were not evacuated before the storm. Maybe the Mayor of NO, the governor of LA and the President of the USA all need to take a look at this and admit they ALL messed up. It was not political, or racial or territorial. It was just a big foul up. Havn't you ever messed up just because and then regreted it and then tried to find a way to rectify it? We need to stop blaming and just admit we screwed up, appoligize and fix the problems.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/alvaromoralesimages/five_days_with_katrina?

Is the Govt. like my husband?

The idea for this post came from my sister. She began the conversation and I am going to continue it.

The garbage can at my house is full. Matter of fact, the garbage is almost overflowing and it is beginning to smell. Now, someone has to take it out and it has been the job of my husband to do so. Because he works full time and I stay at home, I do the majority of the household tasks with the exception of the yard, the garbage and some of the laundry. (that is because I hate laundry, see previous laundry posts) I have walked by the garbage pail and looked in a time or two. It really smells rank. I think there is a dirty diaper in it. After waiting a day or two, I finally take out the garbage. This has happened a time or two and I finally asked my husband why he hasn't taken out the garbage. He says, "Well you were doing such a good job, I didn't think you needed me."

This is a small picture of our government. They hold back and wait while the garbage gets stinkier and begins to pile up and the social services, churches, individuals and other loving people and agencies step in to do something about it. And when asked about it they can reply," Well, you all are doing such a great job, we didn't think you needed us."

Going Home

This happened the last time we had a major tragedy in the United States. I find myself wanting to go home. I don't mean going home for a short visit. I don't mean having my family visit me (because they visit almost weekly and I talk to them on a daily basis)I am talking about moving back to Fort Worth. Now, I know this would be a difficult thing to do since my husband would be over an hours drive away from his job but it does not stop my longing to be in Fort Worth.

One thing that makes Fort Worth wonderful is the fact that my father, sister and brother all live there. This is where I grew up. I live there from birth until I married at 32 years old. If I knew then what I know now, I would have insisted we live closer to FW. It has so many wonderful parks and places to take children. The church that I grew up in is there. I have many lifelong friends there. Real Estate in FW has gone up so much that there is no way we could afford living in FW but hey, I can dream can't I?

So You love Walmart?

What’s the matter with Wal-Mart?  Consider these facts:

• Wal-Mart fails to cover 60% of their workers with any health insurance
• 70% of Wal-Mart merchandise is from China
• When Wal-Mart comes to town, for every two jobs it creates three jobs are lost

The way Wal-Mart runs its business has accelerated the outsourcing of U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas, lowered working standards at home and shifted the burden of caring for their employees to U.S. taxpayers.  Wal-Mart’s low prices have come at a high cost:
Continue reading this at WalmartWatch.com

I still shop for some things at Walmart I will admit but I have also worked to help workers (all workers) earn a living wage. That is if a person works a 40 hour week, they should be able to afford to live off of the welfare rolls. Walmart is one of many companies who do not pay a living wage.

Pictures of our Katrina Collection Drive

On Saturday and Sunday my friend who has great vision and drive got together a collection drive for the people who have been evacuated from Louisiana. These are people who need our help now. We collected two tractor trailers of goods., water, diapers and baby items, underware and socks (new), bedding (new), food and baby items.

We all wanted to do something to help. The organizations (Red Cross/Salvation Army) want our money but like me many of us wanted to DO SOMETHING. I sent money when the Trade Towers fell, I sent money when the Tsunami hit but this was in my neighborhood.  These are my neighbors. My pastor is from LA, my husband's aunt and cousins are from LA, I have teacher friends from LA and my grandfather was from LA.

So we did something. For two days we loaded two tractor trailers with items and tomorrow they will be on their way to the people who need them.

The pics are located on the side bar. I am in the straw hat.

Personal Confession - Not for the faint of heart.

Ok here goes: I have been running this around in my mind all day and I need to get it off my chesta and out of my heart. I am the primary care giver AKA Mom to three boys (Butch 5, Sundance 5 and Baby 18 mo). This takes up most (read all) of my time. I would not have it any other way. I love being their mom. I teach them, play with them, feel them, love them. YES, they have a wonderful father but he works 8-10 hour days and then when he comes home he sometimes heads back upstairs to work again which makes me have to do the dishes, bathe them, put them to bed. I am quickly approaching my 40th birthday and my stamina just isn't what it use to be. I homeschool my kids, I teach Kids Missions at church, we attend church regularly, I take my kids to classes, etc.

I am saddened by what has happened in New Orleans. I have cried many times watching what has gone on with these poor (and I don't mean monitarily) people. I don't know what I would do if I had to fight my way out of a city that was destroyed with my husband and my three children and all we could carry with us.

Here is the confession: I feel totally overwhelmed with how to begin to help. We do not have room in our home for another family unless I knew them personally. Call me overly cautious but having worked in the psychiatric profession and public education, I am just overly cautious. Tomorrow and Sunday I will be helping with a drive for food, water and donations. I have donated extra money to our church association relief fund. I have prayed and prayed and prayed for these families, young mothers, elderly, all the refugees, those who have lost loved ones. Those who died alone, those who are injured, the rescue and relief workers providing aid. Could I do more? Maybe, but it would be at the expense of my children. I feel I should only do work that I can include them in.

And then there are the selfish feelings. I need to take care of my family. The news is reporting that we will all be paying more for our goods and resources. Is this going to send our country into another depression?

I have made it well known that I did not vote for this current administration. I do not agree with the reasons we got into this war in Iraq. I do not believe war is or was the solution that was necessary to solve the problems. I feel that our resources are overextended due to the war. I think the president was slow to respond to the tragedy though the help is now on the way. Everyone acts surprised that anarchy set in when the essential life necessities were removed. Didn't George Bush or any of the administration have to read Lord of the Flies while they were in high school or college? Haven't they read Heart of Darkness? Haven't they read the Bible? Man is evil. We need a savior.

What I need to do is to rely on my Savior when I feel overwhelmed. What I need to do is confess to my Lord when I feel selfish. What I need to do is thank the Lord for our blessings and decide where I can help. I am only one woman and I can only do a little but if I do my part and each of us do our part then the whole will be taken care of.

[added a few minutes later] John Piper has an article/sermon about  suffering and how God is above all and incharge of all. It is ok that I feel overwhelmed, it is ok that I can't do it all, it is ok that I feel inadequate. God reigns. To God be the glory.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun, does its successive journeys run, His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, til moons shall wax and wane no more.

Blessings abound where’re He reigns, the prisn’r leaps to lose his chains, the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blest. -Isaac Watts

Free Online Currriculum for Homeschool families

Once more the ladies of the Ambleside Advisory have done the unbelievable. They have put together a FREE curriculum for any families, churches, schools who need books, and things for children to do but are unable to access their books in light of this horrific hurricane.

You can access this FREE curriculum at this weblink: http://www.amblesideonline.org/HELP.shtml

Thank you ladies, from one of your fan club.