God's Steadfast Love

By Deborah Weidnaar (this article is adapted from a testimony given at the memorial service for Rachel, Deb and Jim's unborn daughter)

This pregnancy from the beginning was a spiritual struggle for me. I was just finishing up 1.5 years of physical therapy for chronic back pain. When my husband Jim convinced me to take a pregnancy test, I did it for his sake. The test confirmed that after 17 years of marriage, and the adoption of our daughter, I was to carry a child. I was not only dumb-founded; I was struck with deep fear at what God was doing.

Those were the darkest days for me. Losing weight, dehydrated, unable to exercise or get to physical therapy, I could only lie still, so I would not vomit. I was on the edge of despair. My Bible study had been focused on the Psalms, and I had been struck with the recurring theme, "his steadfast love endures forever." Feeling now as if I was in free fall and that my faith was small and weak. I reminded myself over and over that God was clinging to me; he was steadfast. I certainly had no strength to cling to him.

The first trip to the ER, I was bleeding and a miscarriage seemed very probable. God sent a compassionate Christian nurse to care for me. She silently prayed while we waited for the tests to be done. "His steadfast love" was all around us. In the ultrasound room, I saw Rachael for the first time. So small, she lay curled up withher little heart pulsing rapidly. My heart was moved with compassion. This was my calling, to hear her vulnerable growing life. I was able to accept and receive that burden then. I was God's vessel to do with as He pleased. My life was His to orchestrate in very mysterious and fearful ways, but I had peace.

It was this first trip to ER, though God used the struggle I had the previous weeks, which prepared me for what lay ahead. At the first scheduled ultrasound, heart tissues and multiple other problems were revealed. I knew the chances of bad news for Rachael were high, but God's steadfast love was carrying us. During the MRI, anxieties began to come again. Focusing on Psalm 23, the verse "his rod and his staff they comfort me" anchored my mind. Initially it seemed strange. After pondering it for awhile, I considered the truths that 1) God "disciplines those he loves," 2) that Christ learned obedience from what he suffered, and 3) God had complete control of this pregnancy--these thoughts convinced me that He was not letting me wander off away from him. His rod and staff kept me near him and ensured I was under His vigilant eye. Again peace flowed in my soul and I was comforted.

God continued to carry me and reveal his "steadfast love". After the prognosis of almost certain death for Rachael, God surrounded us with His care through the Body of Christ with cards, emails and phone calls of encouragement. The diversity of the Body was displayed -- one member dropped off a loaf of homemade bread, another called to watch Abby so Jim and I could have some time together, others called to drop off a meal, some cared for Abby while we made doctor appointments, some came to pray with us, and one suffering saint called to weep with me on the phone. The list could go on. God's people were His hands and feet to us. He was very near.

And now God has taken Rachael. We are left with the final gift of being able to grieve for her without despair, without regrets. It is hard to describe how peaceful and soothing such simple grief is. But I know it is only because of God's steadfast love toward me that I am able to cry without anguish of heart or failing faith.

Praise be to God, his steadfast love endures forever.....

Recipe Puppy, an ingredient based recipe search engine

Recipe Puppy, an ingredient based recipe search engine

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D-Day 65 Years, June 6, 1944 - Never Forget!

SAINTE MERE EGLISE, France (Army News Service, June 4, 2009) – Although sun and waves come together to create a serene picture of Sainte Mere Eglise today, sixty-five years ago Saturday it was the site of one of the bloodiest battles in history.

On June 6, 1944, French, U. S. and other allied forces stood together on D-Day to fight the German occupiers of France. During the battle for the beaches of Normandy, paratroopers from American, British and Canadian forces landed along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast.

It was largest single-day amphibious invasion in history, with 160,000 troops landing. Each year since the liberation of Normandy, allied forces have come here to honor those who fought here that day.

Sgt. 1st Class Steve Selvage, said he has waited 22 years to see the Normandy beaches and participate in commemoration ceremonies here.

"I have wanted to get here since my first year here in Germany. I just never had the chance," said the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment Soldier stationed in Vilseck, Germany. "It is a great honor."

Although Selvage's role here escorting distinguished visitors to the ceremony is a busy one, he has some time to take in the local sights. And when Selvage packed his gear for the week, he added a book by Stephen Ambrose he's had more than 10 years.

"I brought the book, 'D-Day,' which I have read at least three times," said the 23-year veteran. "I brought it strictly for reference when seeing some of the sights."

On one trip into Sainte Mere Eglise, Selvage, a father of three – including one son serving in Iraq - spotted an older gentleman in a leather bomber jacket passing by and overheard a couple British soldiers say, "There goes Ralph Manley." He immediately set out to meet the 91-year-old D-Day veteran.

Without knowing what to say, he approached Manley, book in hand, hoping to hear the first-hand tale of a surviving D-Day veteran.

"These guys are legends. They accomplished something I could never imagine," said Selvage. "I think it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

It was also his last chance. Selvage is retiring from in the Army in a couple of months and many of the survivors are now in their 80s or older. Of the more than 154,000 allied forces that landed on Normandy, an estimated 10,000 were killed, wounded, missing or captured, and as the years have passed, more and more of the survivors have passed away or are now too elderly for a trip here.

While listening to Manley's story, Selvage said, the veteran noticed the D-Day book in the sergeant's hand. He reached for the book, opened its cover and signed a small memo inside.

"It was really enough that he would just sit and share his experiences with us," said Selvage. "He really didn't have to sign it for the experience to mean any more to me."

Although Manley is not mentioned in the book, that didn't lessen the experience for those who listened to his story. "Some people may say that just because he wasn't mentioned by name in a book that he was just an average GI," said Selvage’s buddy, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Martin. "But to me, these guys are legends."

Later at his tent before lights-out, as Selvage took time to rest and reflect, he looked back through the book and pointed out the autograph to other Soldier friends, sharing his experience.

"You really just could not imagine what it was like until you stand on that beach or talk to one of the original veterans of that day in person," he said. "These guys always will be heroes in my book."
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Selvage of the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gets an autograph from 91-year-old D-Day survivor Ralph Manley in Sainte Mere Eglise, France, June 1. The two met while Selvage was in town to participate in events commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.

An excerpt from "The Reagan Diaries"

Wednesday, June 6, 1984 "The 40th anniversary of the landing on D.Day. We helicoptered across the channel. First stop was Pointe du Hoc where 40 yrs. ago our Rangers - 225 of them climbed the 100 foot sheer cliff to establish a position. Only 90 were still comatable by the 2nd day. We met 62 who had returned for this anniversary. I addressed them & the large crowd. It was an emotional experience for everyone. Nancy and I went into the massive concrete pill box from which the Germans had 1st seen at daybreak the 5000 ships in the invasion fleet.....my speech contained many quotes from a letter I'd received a few days before the trip from a young lady whose father landed on D.Day. All her life she had heard his stories of what the day had meant to him. A few years ago he died of cancer. He'd always said one day he would return to Omaha Beach. She promised her Dad she'd do it for him. We made it possible for the family to be there. I had difficulty getting through my speech. From there is was on to Utah beach. This was the biggest affair. The crowd was tremendous in size. We are forever grateful for being a part of the 40th anniversary of D.Day."

Remember Them - Faith, Hope & Love on Memorial Day

Stand beside the stretcher where a young Marine lies, his lower face blown off by an IED just exploded down the road in Anbar Province. ........

"That day" was Sept. 7, 1944, when 23 year old Army 2nd Lt. Edward Treski descended into a war experience so hellish he could only be saved by a torpedo and a grenade. For two years, three months and 15 days he survived as a prisoner in three Japanese interment camps spread around the Philippines--places where the punished found themselves hanging by their arms at the camp gate or beaten with electric cattle prods while standing in water. Then in late summer of 1944 the men were tethered by ropes to hundreds of other emaciated prisoners. The guards gave the order for the men to march the death march tied together at their necks. After several hours, when one soldier would drop, their captor cut his rope off and threw his body into the ditch and sometimes stick him with the bayonet before moving on. There is so much more to this story and can be read in "World Magazine", May 22nd issue. It is the story of more courage and fire and passion than I can do justice on this blog. Edward's grandson writes "Could it be that God allowed Papa's peaceful, generous life--that somehow managed to flow out of those horrific experiences--to stand as a tribute to His grace?

What draws us each Memorial Day to examine this special kind of sacrifice, this peculiar sadness? Faith, hope, and love. First the test of faith. The family friend of young Army Cpl. Matthew Wallace told reporter Mindy Belz how he was "torn between confidence in Christ and his mssion, and the horrors of his daily life". We read of faith under fire this year from Commander Donovan Campbell's book "Joker One". Hope? The horrors of war can only point us to the hope of resurrected life. Jesus knew this, making plain in Matthew 24 that war is a sign of the close of the age. And hope is made alive in war survivors - men like Edward Treski who faced the worst of World War II suffering yet came home, married, went to work every day, and left a lasting legacy, a still more excellent way.

But what of love? What can a soldier's duty teach us of love? When faith and hope left him, and he despaired writes Campbell ("Joker One") he realized that love remained. "Love was expressed in the only currency that mattered in combat: Action--a consistent pattern running throughout the large and the small, a pattern of sacrifice that reinforced the idea that we all cared more for the other than we did for ourselves." Love was why one of his men walked backward on patrol, he said. Love allowed them to love their enemies. And to lay down their lives.

And there is a final reason we need a day to remember their sacrifice....We forget.


Memorial Day is not about hamburgers, hot dogs and swimming. It is not "just the beginning of summer". It is the moment to recognize the men and women who are fighting the wars, the battles and standing guard in other countries. It is about the injured fighters without limbs, eyes, strengh to eat independtly but when asked about their "injustice", they say with a resounding exclamation "I must return to my Unit....I must help them continue to fight for freedom".

What can you do on Monday to honor these men and women? What can you do to keep your children understanding and recognizing Memorial Day? Take your family to the parade in your town or neighboring town and stand in front of their memorial, hold a flag, say a prayer and teach your children about the magnatude of their sacrifice.

Please, honor our fighters, our injured, our dead and our Veterans on Monday, Memorial Day.



Article quoted: Remember Them by Mindy Belz. Article quoted: Humbled through Warfare by Donovan Campbell. Article quoted: To Hell and Back by: Edward Lee Pitts

Rebekah

I just had to take a moment and post these pictures of Rebekah Anna Sinclair Syverson. She is so full of life and so beautiful that I wanted to share it on my post.

Rebekah was born on 11/27, the day after Thanksgiving. She was 11 lbs. 6 ozs. and 22" long. Rebekah was our first triumph, she was the prettiest baby and she was born to accomplish great things.

I can't talk about her without thanking God for the blessing of her life to me and her Dad.

Thank you Rebekah for living your life with devotion to your Savior, the passion for your beloved Thane and the commitment and devotion to your five boys. Thank you for your love and caring for Dad and me and your sister and brother. You are a blessing to me that I cannot begin to express. I love you.....
Your MOM!

Trying to figure out what 60 years old looks like?

So, I was driving down the highway in my convertible the other day with my sunglasses on and visor. The sun and cool breeze made the ride glorious. I looked into the rear view mirror and
started thinking about my age as I was driving. I honestly wondered if there was a mistake and I'm not really 60 years old. Of course, that's not the case so I wondered what 60 years old felt like? I remember while teaching Sunday school at church, a friend of mine turned 60 years old. I was early 50's then and really thought she looked old. She got cranky and didn't smile much and I thought "well, I've got several years until that time and we might not even be here by then".

I needed to rethink my age. Do I need to give up my convertible? Stop riding the motorcycle? Walking/skipping (note I do not mention running) with the two yorkies? Playing with the grandchildren? Going to dinner with our friends and enjoying a glass or two of wine? The thought came to me that I needed a darker hair color. I went to Lou and said "I know you'll have a difficult time adjusting to my decision, but I want the hair color that I had in high school" I showed him the color on the palate and he gently, and I mean gently said "Carol, that is too dark, your skin is pale, you will look awful". Well, I thought about it for a moment and said....I still want to try it. I think it will match my eyebrows and I will look uniform. So.....Lou gave me the color I asked for. I went home, Glenn took one look at me and after 42 years of marriage knew how to respond. "Your hair looks different, hon"...."I think I like it"....

Several days went by and friends did a double take. But when I started doing the double take every morning when I looked in the mirror, I thought, this isn't how I should wear 60. Five days later after washing my hair with Dawn dish detergent twice a day, I called Lou and asked for help. After he finished laughing he told me to come over and he would do what he could do.

The highlights look great and it will continue to lighten....I still have my visor and sunglasses and it's supposed to be a great weekend for riding. I still haven't gotten the fit for 60 years old. I sure don't feel like I'm 60 but I know that I am thankful and grateful to my Lord and Savior for giving me 60 years of life, every day waking up with air to breathe and the ability to be active for the day. My Lord gave me strength, wisdom, character and a deep love for my family and friends. By the way, He gave me children, 4 beautiful children with many grandchildren to bless me every day of my life. Most importantly, He gave me my best friend, soul mate, motorcycle buddy, convertible dude and enduring and endearing husband that any woman could only dream about. I guess that's the new look of 60. I was thinking of leather chaps?

A Day At The Office (Offices)

Gotta get my laptop, supplies, paper into my bag so I can get the leashes for my dogs, Emmett and Louise. We are going to the Corporate office today to work. I yell to the dogs..."Let's go...road trip...to camp Karmae for you two". They think it's camp and have a friend named Tanzi waiting for them. She is a lovely old girl, not playful, but watchful and mindful of Emmett and Louise's behavior during their stay at camp. In the car for my drive to the Corporate office to work with my partner, Karmae. She meets me at the door and we get the dogs settled, say hello to Mom and Dad and take my working tools to the "conference table". The "conference table" provides a diverse use for many activities. It is a queen size bed with a crisp comforter, matching shams and bedskirt. My stool is on one side and Karmae has a chair on the other side with her phone, headset, files, printer and enormous smile and BIG personality for such a tiny, delicate CEO. We have an abundance of snacks to keep us sharp like almonds, walnuts, cheese wedges, triscuits, rice cakes and water. I get comfortable on my stool with my computer aligned neatly on the "conference table". Karmae is working hard on the other side with her equipment. Ahhhhh, the work begins.....but wait....Tanzi sauntered into the room with a bark or two...."What is it Tanzi?" Emmet is bounding into the room as well to confirm that Tanzi needs to go outside. We put our business on hold, take the dogs to the back yard and let them take care of things and have a short run together. If it's raining, we dry them very carefully and lovingly before taking them into the house. Back to our "conference table" for more work......Karmae is marketing (she is so talented) and I am learning the business and how to be effective in areas that I have not attempted before. We continue to work, taking the dogs for air and exercise while we snack on nuts and crackers and we enjoy the opportunity to be together at the "conference table" as a team growing this business.

Another day, we meet at the Medford office. We have two desks in this office and two phones. We have a large window with a perch for Emmett to guard the parking lot and let us know if anyone is approaching the building, getting out of the car or getting into the car. He is especially keen on any dogs that are leashed and walked by the window with their owner. He growls and barks loudly encouraging Louise to bark and fly around the room confirming that a dog is within feet of the window. Karmae quickly puts her headset on MUTE, waits for the all clear and proceeds with marketing. I work on my class that will make me a certified career coach and then resume writer. We have walnuts, almonds, triscuits and water at this office as well.

Karmae and I have been good friends for 5 years, we've been GREAT friends for 3 years, and now we are business partners because GREAT friends need to love and support each other in reaching goals and dreams. The two of us are unremarkable in and of ourselves. We are ordinary women who make each day extraordinary because the one true God whom we worship is great, mighty, glorous, and awesome. He refines us like silver and redeems us through the work of an extraordinary Savior - His divine Son - and he conforms us to His image. We pray for blessings not only on our business, but on the many ministries that we want to provide for some of their needs....we love that opportunity...Karmae calls it the "vision of provision". I agree.

We pray that our business will grow so that through this business we can help others in need and help our families as well. So, each day we alternate and both of us end up in the Corporate office or the Medford office to work together, pray together, encourage each other and grow the business. God recognizes the importance and virtues of women and encourages their partnering together to ennoble their roles in society and family and to acknowlege the importance of their influence on people in the business world and the home.

We are a work in progress and we have specific goals.....we cherish the time that we spend together refining our vision and defining our goals. I am honored to work with Karme and to grow with her as well with our Lord and Saviour.

I like our "conference table" at the Corporate office. I like our snacks at the Medford office...I think the dogs prefer Karmae camp....after all it is jus a day at the office.

0-60

I remember when I was a child in the early 50's and hearing a car commercial that stated their car could go from 0-60 in 30 seconds. I may not have it completely accurate but at the time I thought that was really fast. Well, I just shot from 0-60 years old in about the same time. I just know if I turn around and focus I will see me at six years old living with my dear grandmother and grandfather in Norristown, PA. Neither adult spoke english, grandmother said some broken words that got the message to you but grandfather spoke Italian. I was in an orphanage when I was 5 years old and grandmother went to the orphanage and took me to her house. I really belonged to her oldest son, Robert. My dear mother, Ruth, was only 16 years old when I was born and I really didn't know where she was when I was taken from St. Vincent's orphanage to grandmother's home. So, I became proficient in speaking and reading Italian. I read the paper to grandfather, took the grocery list to the store, ran errands for both of them, often to the rectory and convent to deliver alter cloths so my Italian was up to speed. My mother, Ruth, was living on 18th and Chestnut in Philadelphia and at 6 years old, I walked one mile to the train station in Norristown with 85 cents in my pocket for the train. The conductor helped me onto the ladder and I would give the money to him when he walked down the aisle. I counted the stops memorizing each one until we reached the Reading Terminal....last stop and my stop. The conductor helped me down the ladder and I took the steps up to street level and walked from the train station to 18th and Chestnut to spend two days with my mother. My dear, dear Mother was a waif of a girl, lonely, hurt and wanting so much more than she had in her life. I would get to her little apartment, hand her $13.00 cash that grandmother sent with me and then I took care of her for two days. Combing her hair, getting a few groceriers, doing errands....stoking her head as she cried quietly about her life. After all, I was the ripe old age of 6 years old. Often, Ruth left at night and I stayed in the little apartment alone.....sitting on a window seat, watching the lights, the people, the couples strolling Chestnut Street to enter the movie theaters that were beneath my window. Restaurants with delicious aromas waffing up to the window. I usually slept on the window seat until morning. It was ok....my mother was sad and needed to find herself. I on the other hand was full of purpose....task oriented...needed to get the jobs done that grownups were giving me. Sunday came and I took the train to Norristown, reversing the process. I walked the one mile to get home and usually ate a meatball on italian bread with sauce that grandmother had waiting for me when I arrived.

The years that I spent with grandmother and grandfather and their grown children were designed by God as He prepared me for my life as His child. We were Catholic and one day during the summer a small girl walked down my street who had just attended the Presbyterian Church on the hill. Grandmother told me that I couldn't speak to her or play with her because she attended the "devil's church". As she walked by, I greeted her and asked her what she was carrying. It was a coloring page of Jesus knocking at the door. I held it in my hand and looked at Jesus's face, closely, intently....I looked at His hand and how He was knocking....Finally, I looked very closely at the door. Where was that door and why was Jesus knocking? The young girl gave me the picture to keep and I folded it so carefully and kept it with me for years and years. Carefully opening the creases to look at the picture and ask the questions that I asked each time I looked at it. It was my personal Bible, it was my personal relationship with Jesus....It was my very own picture. Years later, I knew the full meaning of the picture and what it meant to me, but God gave me the picture early in my life so I could reflect, question and be ready for the answer.

The rest of my 0-15 yrs is interesting but not ready for print. When I was 15 I went to Collingswood, NJ to live with my Mother because my grandmother died. My Mother moved to that little town to work and take care of me, she hoped. However, my dear Mother was still very young and so broken of spirit and will that she had little emotional resources to help a young girl like me. Well, I started 9th grade in Junior High School and always the happy, comic, I integrated as quickly as I could careful not to reveal my living circumstances. I met a young boy who was looking for a "girl friend" in the sweetest sense of the word. It was a perfect combination for both of us. We truly enjoyed each other's company, went places together at school and had no expectations of each other. This young boy worked at Mom's Pizza and was afraid to call me at my apartment because my Mother may just answer the phone. So he had his co-worker Glenn call me and then he would take the phone and talk to me. Well, Glenn was a bit of a flirt and enjoyed talking to me so phone time was limited to talking to Glenn. So, one day, Glenn asked if we could meet each other....we did, down at Newton Creek. Glenn was tall and very thin and I just thought he was beautiful. He had brilliant blue eyes with long eyelashes that waved away the birds as he blinked his eyes. And his voice.....WOW, what a tender but strong voice. Glenn was gentle, kind and I knew I was smitten with him right then! I guess I was kind of cute myself. Dark hair, small build, big brown eyes. And our love began. Our love and friendship began that day and has continued for 46 years (42 married).....My love for my Savior was cultivated during my early years and I knew why I carried my special picture of Jesus knocking on the door.

To say that this is the end of the story and life continued on in a nice neat package would not do justice to all of the wisdom, experience, love, courage and relaltionships that I have acquired and been blessed with during the remainder of my 0-60. Because along with this life, I've experienced tremendous fear, loneliness and sense of isolation that would come over me like a clouid covering the sky and starless night. And I learned through the years that my experiences and trials were part of the process of growing in the Lord Jesus. Struggle, fear, loss are all part of the hedge with which God has enclosed those who suffer...so we must learn not to be dismayed in the face of darkness. When light seems to be denied us, we find ourselves crying out with the writer of Psalm 77. Joni writes in her book about Asaph, the author of this psalm. Was he being persecuted? Was he fighting a lingering illness that wracked his body with pain? Was he grieving over a wayward child or maybe the death of his wife of may years? The Bible doesn't tell us. But most of us, at one time or another in our lives could have written the words he penned in the deep crisis of heart.

I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I musted and myu spirit grew faint.
You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak...

Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailinglove vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
(Psalm 77:1-4, 7-9)

In the same psalm, perhaps brushing away his tears, Asaph put it this way:

I call to rememberance my song in the night.
I meditate within my heart...
I will remember the works of the LORD;
Surly I will remember Your wonders of old
I will also meditate on all Your work
And talk of Your deeds. (Psalm 77:6, 11-12 NKJV)

You see, the psalmist realized that his darkness lay in his own infirmity, not in his God. The loneliness and sense of isolation would come over him like a cloud. When it did, he would remember, he would meditate, and he would tak out loud of all God had done for him.

During the times of adversity, severe pain and fear of loss, I would think of the words that God gave me throughout my life. The times that I was hedged in as I walked the streets of Philadelphia at 6 years old. The picture given to me by the little girl that spoke to me for many years as I suffered through lonliness until I opened the picture and felt the love.....

Jesus, you were the one to give Glenn the last opportunity to hold our dear son as he lay dying on his last day on earth. You gave Glenn a moment to speak to Jeffrey and to tell Jeffrey and his Mom and Dad loved him very much and we would see him again in Heaven. You were with Sarah as she sat in the waiting room alone and listened to the Dr. tell the nurse that he had to go into the room and tell that young girl (Sarah) that she had cancer. That cancer woke up Sarah's marriage and relationship with her beloved husband and gave her the opportunity to have three beautuful children to share with her Michael.....Sarah didn't want to quit, she wanted to declare her love for you and her faithfulness. I too, needed you and you were there guiding me to get her into the hospital when she had a terrible infection.

Cancer has visited us many times.....each time feeding poison into the body and richness and glory into the soul. Death arrived as well....death for two little boys...Jeffrey Scott Sinclair and Glenn Stewart Sinclair III......angels on earth, having left us far to soon for our human understanding but their legacy is still felt and used today.......

60 years of life and I was a little distressed to wake up on that 60th birthday.....Then, as God would have it....I woke up, got dressed, helped my beloved, best friend, Glenn to the hospital for a heart procedure and was surprised by my oldest daughter who flew in to be with me for my 60th birthday.....Rebekah.....she is God's messenger, a prayer warrior, loving wife, loving mother and my dearest friend. She is a blessing that I am unworthy but I am so thankful for her life.

Along side Rebekah came our Sarah.....who has looked cancer in the eye on two occasions and she puts her fists up and says "you want a piece of me?", "you'll have to fight me first!"......she is my breath......how can I describe the gift of her life on earth with us for this amount of time.....Yes, I ask for another day, another year, but I will praise my God for the life and love we have had with Sarah and the impact she has had on those around her......

Standing next to Sarah is our Glenn, Jr. Every woman should have a son like Glenn. He is a man's man and a Mother's heart. He is my boy, he is Dad's son and friend. He has been through trial and tribuation and terrible loss but has come accross the pond with the joy of the Lord.

On my 60th birthday, we were together, the five of us, praying over Glenn before his procedure. The five of us...together...holding hands....Thank you Lord for seeing me from 0-60....Thank you for the blessings and the honor.......that I may continue to glorify You in my life each and every day......thank you.....

Do you know Michael Steele?

"Remember that this man was three years into seminary to become a priest when he felt God leading him into a life of civil service. Lord knows we need articulate courageous leaders to fight in the arena of public opinion and ideas against the ever increasing "hideous strength" that threatens our national character, culture, and spiritual heritage. I for one commit to pray for him daily." quote from Mommy Life

Michael Steele's Biography

Michael Steele was born on October 19, 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County and was raised in Washington, DC. He graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School, earned his bachelor's degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University in 1981 and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991. Mr. Steele also spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood.

In 2003, Lt. Governor Steele earned a place in history when he became the first African American elected to statewide office in Maryland. Currently he's the nation's highest-ranking African American Republican elected official and the only sitting African American Lt. Governor in the country.

In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Steele to serve a term on the Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy. Other affiliations include the State House Trust, the East Baltimore Development Corporation, the Export-Import Bank Advisory Committee and the Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP.

Among the distinguished awards and honors received by Lt. Governor Steele, he has been named a 2005 Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership and was awarded a Bethune-DuBois Institute 2005 Award for his work in the ongoing development of quality education in Maryland.

Lt. Governor Steele is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Landover Hills, MD, where he attends mass regularly with his wife Andrea and their two sons, Michael and Drew.

An excerpt from his column in Townhall.com, February 7, 2008....

Let's remind America once again that its promise is the promise of endless possibilities. Let's define for America those values we hold dear: the value to the soul of religious faith, complete integrity, loyalty and truthfulness. Let's honor America with incorruptible public service, a respect for economy in government, self-reliance, thrift and individual liberty. Let's stand firm in our patriotism, real love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it as those who have gone before us.

The Republican Party is the party of ideas and leadership that have made and will continue to make this nation great. Republicans must now gather strength from within as we enter a critical period in America's history. We must work to restore faith in our party by standing on those principles that not only unite us as Republicans, but as Americans. Republicans need to stop looking for Reagan and start acting like Republicans.

It is still a long and bumpy road to the White House this November, but I am confident that Republicans and the conservative movement they inspired will regain in strength if we stick to those values that have long-united our party and stirred a generation to join our cause. These are the values that continue to empower, uplift and remind us that America will always be the one place on earth where possibility meets opportunity — a place we call the "American Dream."

Please pray for Michael Steele daily as he is pro-life, pro-America and has the integrity and courage to stand tall.

Handbags, Shoes, Coats

I spent the day on Saturday with my dear friend, Karmae and her husband (also a very dear friend), Frank. We went to PA to pack, sort and clear out a small apartment that belonged to a single, older woman that Karmae knows through Karmae's sister's marriage. This lady knew Karmae, well, through the years and would have trusted our arrival with boxes, tape, bags and resolve to clear the apartment for the mover's to remove the furniture on Tuesday. This little lady passed away, suddenly, about two weeks ago. So, in order to help her family, we four older Americans went into the apartment to work. I've never met the women who lived there but we share the same first name. I know a little about her through Karmae....I knew that she lived completely alone and just purchased this condo in a planned adult community just a few months ago. She purchased the condo without looking at it first, and she was a little stubborn when her few friends and small family advised her not to make this hasty decision. However, the move was made and I believe that she became deeply depressed afterward.

I went into her bedroom, Karmae started in the kitchen and Glenn & Frank packed smaller items of furniture on a flat bed that was going somewhere other than storage. As I continued to spend time, alone, in her bedroom, open drawers, move clothing from one drawer, sort nicely, and place in a bag or box, I started to get to know this lady. Sweaters were neatly folded and often there were multiple colors of the same style of sweater if she liked that one that much. Gloves, hankies, headscarves in abundance, gently removed from the drawer (of course, the item was already carefully folded) and placed in the box.

Several times, I wandered out into the living room with a headscarve on my head that lightened the room. Several winter fur hats did not go in the box until I modeled them and felt the warmth of the fur. But each time, I would carefully fold the item and pack it neatly.

When I got to the closet, the top shelf was filled with nice handbags that were the style in the day, clutch purses for evening wear and leather for day time shopping. All handbags stored neatly in their bags. Ahh, shoes. Each pair of shoes, like sweaters, were purchased in many colors if the shoes were her liking.

Winter coats, rain jackets, blazers.....the list is endless. As I touched each piece of clothing, or matching accessory, I honestly took a moment to wonder about the little lady who was so depressed in her new little home and how these cloths and accessories must have meant nothing to her.

I did not locate a Bible or a book of any kind. I understand that part of her illness was narcolepsy but not even an audio book or something to play the book, or to play music to soothe her or encourage her. I realized that all of the "things" that surrounded her gave her absolutely NO joy. It is almost painful for me to believe that this little woman could wake up sometime throughout the day and have NO joy. Her possessions did not relieve her depression. Her possessions did not make her smile.

We worked swiftly and efficiently, and throughout the day, my heart was so very sad and heavy. Even tonight, as I tried to sleep, I want to know more about the little lady who lived so alone, so isolated and left all of her belongings because she passed away.........

I know from her family, that they tried without success to help her with decisions, always including her in holiday dinners and always speaking to her on the phone. But even though her family did all of the "right" things, this little lady was profoundly alone...profoundly depressed.

We gave her clothes to a charitable organization that will make sure women will receive coats and gloves, hats and scarves.....matching casual wear, skirts, dresses', handbags and most of all shoes. Glenn and Frank took the items to the organization on Saturday while Karmae and I finished the memories around the apartment. A young woman that I know, now enjoys a beautiful, warm winter coat and some sweaters and items to keep her warm this winter. Thank you little lady in the apartment.

I think about this over and over for one reason....this verse:

"Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds thej.
Are you not much more valuable than they?" --Matthew 6:26

So, I decided to clean out my closets.....today, I took all of the handbags down from the shelf, brushed them off and stuffed them to keep their form and placed them in a box. Tomorrow, I will remove all of the sweaters that I don't need to wear and gently launder and fold them with tissue to move them along to someone else.

When I die, I want my friends (or maybe a person who never knew me) to enter into my house and look in the closets to find the bare basics.

I want my friends to enter into my library and read the plaque on the wall that reads: All these books and Bibles belong to you, my friend....take them, read them....love them...and pass them along. I want to always be remembered for the love of my Bible and the knowledge that I hunger for from the books I read. I want people to leave my home with items that will sustain them in their personal walk with our Lord and Savior....and I want them to share that knowledge with everyone else they meet. Reading "To Live is Christ" by Beth Moore, I was greatly affected by the study of Paul's life in may ways. Paul's humanity, not so unlike me, or you....proof that God will use any of us if we are fully available and readily cooperative. I learned though the life of Paul, that our life has a purpose. Every life.....this little lady's life....has a purpose.

So, my friend, Kim will take the handbags to our ministry in Camden and the clothes will go to Good Will. But my Bibles and books will remain close to me until the time comes for them to be shared with others. I will rejoice when that moment arrives.

"the god of our many understandings"

Please make sure you note the title of this blog. You will hear that sentence at President-elect Mr. O.'s preliminary prayer at the mass event at the Lincoln Memorial by Bishop Robinson. "The Idol of our many understandings" the openly-homosexual Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire will open the event with prayer so Mr. O. can continue to be politically correct and appease his many activists and their allies by supporting Proposition 8 in California. Mr. O's committee expressed concern that many were angry that Rick Warren will deliver the invocation at the ceremony and "at the same time, we understand that people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgenders community have been somewhat wounded by this choice, and it's our hope that our selection will go a long way to heal these divides." The event at Lincoln Center will be a huge opening rally featuring major entertainment figures and a mass gathering on the mall. Bishop Robinson is one of the most controversial figures in the entire history of the Episcopal Church. Bishop Robinson is quoted in The New York Times:

Bishop Robinson said that he had been reading inaugural prayers through history and was "horrified" at how "specifically and aggressively Christian they were" "I am very clear," he said "that this will not be a Christian prayer, and I won't be quoting Scripture or anything like that. The texts that I hold as sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer". Bishop Robinson said he might address the prayer to "the God of many understandings" language that he said he learned from a 12-step program he attended for his alcohol addition.

Besides the PC of prayer deliverance, Mr. O's estimated inaugural expense will topple $150M, the largest, most extravagant inauguration in history. If you ask any person in your church, office, grocery store how they feel about the new President, their answer is usually "history in the making" or "I hope he is successful". My answer is this: Don't close your eyes, stay educated about Mr. O's policies....please, pray as you feel led, but stay awake and don't let him fool you.

By the way, you can now announce that you are gay, openly when you join the military. My son called his Dad tonight to say that what this will do is weaken the military as we know it. There is no turning back to change this new law now. Glenn also said something very interesting. He said that in order to take our country into socialism you must socialize the military first. The first two things that Mr. O. will do is (1) close "Gitmo" (2) neutralize the gay military issue. Closing "Gitmo" is a slap to the military who work in that prison, protect the terrorists in that prison and ensure that those terrorists are not free to plan another attack. Gay military? Will we need to build new barracks specifically for openly gay military, men and women? How do we address this issue on the battlefield? Sexual harrassment issues when that individual thinks their "rights" have not been met?

I can't watch the inaugural, I just can't. I will continue to watch "What Not to Wear" on TLC, Mystery Diagnosis or Baby Story....I'll read my newest book by Beth Moore and I will stay in prayer most of the day about our great United States of America.

Happy New Year 2009

Saying Happy New Year to celebrate the beginning of 2009 causes me to reflect on 2008. I think it is natural to reflect on 2008 to gain momentum for 2009.
From our personal view, our dear Sarah is still doing "well" and entering her third year of "stable" in her fight with brain cancer. She is an active young woman who sings beautifully, is a joyous Mother to her children, loving each experience with them and savoring memories. There is something to be said for the passion that becomes an active component of mothering when your "normal" has become so fragile. Sarah is a moment of my breath, each time I speak with her and visit with her. She is my heart. Glenn Jr. and family...Amanda, Jeff and Jackson are arriving to NJ in February so Glenn can attend school for a new position that takes their family to another country. I'm not permitted to say where he is going for schooling or to what country but Glenn is looking forward to the challenge and the continuing success in his career. We are loving the opportunity to host his family for the time that he is at school. Grandmother and grandboys....what a combination!
Rebekah is working very hard at her new position in the OR. Her wonderful boys are progressing through school; Brey is 14 years old and over 6' tall. He is handsome, just like his Dad. Speaking of Dad, Thane is enjoying the new forest that he takes charge of from an engineering standpoint. Rebakah is truly a talented nurse. She has the courage to tackle the difficult cases and stands alongside the surgeons, fearless, even when she is unsure of herself in a new situation. She calls it a "God thing". I do too. She is my child, she is my friend.....we are bound together by the love for our Lord and the love for each other.
Glenn and I are doing well and continue to manage the Community Center in Medford, NJ. We are married 41 years now and think we'll try for another 40 years, we enjoyed the first 40 so much. Glenn is the greatest gift that God gave me on this earth. God sent Glenn to me at a time when I was young (14 years old), alone, frightened and little family to help me. Glenn led me to the Lord and helped me understand that my father is my Heavenly Father and He will never abandon me. Glenn has been my rock and strength all of my adult life. He is as precious as gold to me.....in fact, when he tries to buy me a gift, I tell him that he is all of the gift I want or need. The year, 2009, brings my survival of breast cancer to the 10 year anniversary. 2009 also gives me my 60th birthday. God will give me blessings in 2009 to enjoy both of those moments in time and I will give Him the Glory. I resigned from my position at an engineering firm after 8 1/2 years. Every morning as I walk my two dogs, Emmett and Louise, I thank God for helping me with the decision to resign. I look up to the sky and thank Him that I have the strength and stamina to walk my dogs every morning and afternoon and not be encumbered with a job.

2008 gave me tremendous pause after the outcome of the election of the next president of the United States. The outcome was a shock to me but not to God. During my devotions that next morning, God spoke to me and said "what are you going to do about this next four years?". I prayed and promised that I would write about the reasons that God will not bless people who lead or set standards that are NOT based on God's principles. There are many things that will take place when Obama takes office that must be recognized as standards that are against God's principles. My prayer is that we understand what is wrong and stand together as solid, follower's of our Lord and Savior and work to change the course for this four years and change the course for the next election. I've quoted Albert Mohler (I have a link to his blog on my blog) about the inaugration prayer that Rick Warren will deliver. Also, a thought about 2008 regarding abortion. Please read them. Please continue to pray, research Obama's agenda and take issue with decisions that are NOT based on God's principles. We can pray for the office of the president, I am dedicated to pray for all of our leaders, however, we must hold them accountable and let them hear our concern as we progress on new territory with a president that is the most liberal on record. Just know that President-elect Obama has pledged to sign legislaltion including the Freedom of Choice Act, which would affect a pro-abortion revolution in this nation. He has also pledged to sign executive orders within hours of taking office that will lead directly to a vast increase in the destruction of human life. In particular, he has promised to reverse the Bush administration's policy limiting federal funding of human embryonic stem-cell research.

The world takes note of a demographic downturn -- Where are the babies? Citizens of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania learned in 2008 that deaths now outnumbered births within the city. In most of Europe, a "demographic winter" took shape as birthrates had fallen well below population replacement. Leaders of the Russian Army informed national leaders that the strength of the armed services was endangered by a lack of young males of military age. In the United States, the birthrate is stable mostly because of immigrant and minority communities. Once again, worldviews are seen to matter.

Thank you for reading this blog today. Share Dr. Mohler's blog with your friends. Let's enjoy 2009 together, write to each other, pray for each other, love and respect each other. What a wonderful gift to have friends and family that care enough to pray for each other.

My Christmas Letter

Every year the average American receives a Christmas letter in their mailbox. Usually in a Christmas card, the letter gives valuable information about all the events that took place in that family's life for the last year. Uncle Ted shot a buck, vacation to several different states went well, little Johnny got his braces and Aunt Dot planted her garden in plenty of time before the ground froze solid. The Christmas letter has been the subject of jokes by comedians, sitcoms (Everybody Loves Raymond) and telephone calls to sisters and brothers asking if they got the dreaded letter. So, I decided to write my Christmas letter on my blog. I don't garden, can't shoot the side of a barn and all my kids are finished with their braces. For Christmas, I want to share joy. John Calvin wrote in a comment on Psalm 47:1-2..."The Holy Spirit has exhorted the faithful to continue clapping their hands for joy until the advent of the promised Redeemer". Paul would heartily concur! Writing from a prison cell from which he had no certain knowledge of escaping other than to his execution, joy is what came to mind. Joy is what the epistle to the Philippians is all about. So much is Philippians about joy that George B. Duncan once referred to it as "the life of continual rejoicing." The opposite of joy is misery, and miserable is something we are not meant to be. The Reformers caught the centrality of joy in the affections of Christians when they insisted that our chief goal in life is to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (WSC.Q.1). We're tempted to be discouraged and depressed by the force of overwhelming circumstances...but in such circumstances, we must tell ourselves that we have no right to feel the way we do! Paul, who knew what it was to be in prison, to be beaten and spat upon, to be cold shouldered and ignored, commands us to rejoice, despite what we may feel: "Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4).

I rejoice first for my salvation and the gift, true gift of eternal life. My gratitude is multiplied as I am assured that each of my children and their spouses will be with me and Glenn in Heaven. Another gift that I have been given is 11 magnificent, Godly, loving grandchildren. My cup is full and I am worthy of nothing. The season of Christmas is the pure definition of joy. The joy of baby Jesus born to become our Savior. Our joy is portrayed, our joy is incarnate and our joy is commanded in the Bible....

I do enjoy receiving a Christmas letter every year. I enjoy reading about the family and sharing in their experiences. So for me, my wish for you for Christmas is to experience the joy of your family, your faith, your community of believers and to know that in every circumstance, if we are the Lord's people, we are assured of God's care and providence. He is working out every detail. Every moment of our existence is cause enough for joy: the good and the bad together should integrate to form a hallelujah symphony to the praise of Almighty God.

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

The Wonderous Cross-(Picture of crosses brought to Ellis Island by immigrants)

Today,I followed through with a decision that I made several weeks ago. I finalized the decision and now I've changed my life. My best friend, love of my life, Glenn, is still with me. My two yorkies are alive and well. My kids are doing well. My best friend is still Karmae. I followed through with the decision because I really did personal reflection and soul searching after Mr. O was elected to President of the best country in the World. I promised God that I would speak to others about God' principles, lead by example, learn more scripture and prepare to defend my country in any way possible. Some of that defense rests in education and re-committing our lives to our Savior.

I read "The Wondrous Cross" by Keith A. Mathison recently and want to share it with you. Keith says, "I sometimes wonder how many Christians stop to think about how incredibly odd it is that crucifixes are used as works of art. Crucifixes adorn church architecture, classic paintings, sculpture, and even jewelry. But consider for a moment what the crucifix was originally. It was a means of execution. In fact, it was and is one of the most ghastly means of execution ever devised by man. So horrible was it that it was reserved for the lowest of the low: slaves, pirates and rebels. Roman citizens were exempt. What happened, then, to account for the change? We know Jesus was put to death on a Roman cross, but what was it about His death that transformed this symbol of horror into a symbol of hope? In the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion we read, for the most part, about what any observer on the hill that day would have seen. We do not read as much about the interpretation of what any observer on the hill that day would have seen. We do not read as much about the interpretation of what was going on until we get to the book of Acts and the Epistles. Where would Paul have gone in the Old Testament to prove that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer? There are a number of texts to which he could have turned but one of the most likely and most significant Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12."
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is one of Isaiah's "Servant Songs" In the first Servant Song (42:1-9), Isaiah describes the Servant's mission to establish justice and a kingdom across the earth. The second Servant Song (49:1-6 describes the Servant's mission to restore Israel. The third Servant Song (50:4-9) reveals the obedience of the Servant and the suffering he endures as a result. The fourth and final Servant Song then reveals how the Servant will redeem his people. It reveals that his suffering will be the means by which he delivers his people from sin. It reveals that he will take their sin upon himself. Isaiah writes (53:5):
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
This is what happened on the cross as Jesus was crucified. He was God's Servant. He was the one whom God revealed to Isaiah eight centuries before His death. On the cross, He took our sins upon Himself and bore God's wrath. His death was the atonement for all of our sins. We who have placed our faith in Jesus have forgiveness of sins and peace with God because of what was accomplished on the cross. Is it any wonder that Paul declares to the Corinthian church: "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (I Cor. 2:2)
Think on this. Let it sink in. Christ suffered and died on the cross because of sin. YOUR sin, MY sin. Since the fall, sin has been the problem in the world. WE do not think much of sin in our day and age. We are beyond such things and sin is an old fashioned and outdated concept, or so we think. If you want to know the true perspective on the seriousness of sin, however, look to the cross. Look at the extreme nature of the solution to this problem. If sin were "no big deal" would God have sent His only begotten Son to die a shameful death on a cross to deal with it? And what kind of love is this? What kind of love is displayed when God sends His only begotten Son to die for the sins we commit against Him? This is love of a kind and degree that we can hardly fathom. This is what changed the cross from a symbol of fear to a symbol of faith. This is what led Isaac Watts to write:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His Blood.
See from His head, His Hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands myh soul, my life, my all.

What does this have to do with our commitment to stay strong in the "change" that is about to take place in our Country? We need to review our understanding of sin. We need to get our heart back into the reason God sent His son to sacrifice His life for sinners. We need to be bold, don't compromise on the Scripture and provide our love for our Lord and Savior in everything we do. Mr. O wants change and he wants to water down the word "SIN". Mr. O wants to ignore the screaming of unborn children that are set to die. We must never lose sight of our responsibility and always be ready to share God's word. It is vital at this time in our change, I mean lives.

Who are You? What do you Believe?

Stand up, square your shoulders, walk with peace and joy in your hearts but find out what you believe in and then tell people. Barak Obama won the election in our Christian nation because there are evangelical christians sitting in the pew right next to you in church that voted for him. Please, I'm not as eloquent as I should be, but what are we doing in church? What are are churches teaching? There are two churches in my neighborhood - Moorestown Bible and Calvery Bible that changed their names. They took BIBLE out of their name. Now Morrestown Bible is Hope Community, Calvery Bible is New Beginnings. What are they hiding? Fear that their future pew sitters will not attend if they take a stand on the word Bible???? I must tell you that this election is a wake up call to Christians. Re-evaluate your church....is your Pastor afraid to discuss God's Principles??? Are you afraid to hear God's Principles? Did you want your church to change their name and remove BIBLE from the title? Do you really think that Barak Obama has God's love and expectation foremost in the leading of our country? Where do you think our Supreme Court will go now? Two justices will now retire so that this administration can direct the hard left into the court.
I started this piece by saying, stand up and square your shoulders. What I mean is stand up and start talking. Listen to podcasts by teaching pastors, RC Sproul and his ministry Renewing the Mind. I have a link on this site. Listen to his podcasts, please, educate yourself, you will need to fully understand God's priinciples and you may be surprised that you didn't hear it in your church. Talk to your friends and neighbors about God and His love for us and for our country. I believe that God ordained this election because He gave us a wake up call. You better heed the call. I am rethinking my church, my pastor and my role in this election. We as Christians don't talk because we are comfortable being quiet. I speak for myself when I say, I'm talking now. I'm talking about the responsibility that God gave to me when I accepted His gift of eternal life. His gift carries responsibility and I'm energized to make a difference now. Stand up with me. Stand up and make a difference now. Read the following books to begin your education. "The 5000 Year Leap", a must read to educate yourself about the constitution. "The Forgotten Man" - this book will help you understand our past economic situation and failure and the repeat that will happen in the future. And lastly, "Liberal Fascism", this book is huge. Please educate yourself and read these books.

Our Vote

By the time anyone reads this blog, voting in America for our next President, will be over. I don't know how to gather my thoughts to explain my heart at this critical time for our country, for our children, for our God. I know that God knows the outcome, right now, as I write, but I know that children of God need to feel the responsibility of their vote and how their vote reflects God's love, respect and teaching of His word. 1.6 MIL unborn babies wantonly killed each year in our country with no regard for the murder and mutilation of the unborn and all done for the rights of women. As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we need to understand what God expects from us. Voting God's principles represents an opportunity and expectation for us to step in the front of the line and vote to the glory of God. There are many things people consider when choosing a leader but the prioritizing of these issues should not be determined through the media or banners....is justice and righteousness on the ballot this year? Dr. R.C.Sproul discusses our responsibility of bibilical principles that are going to last regardless of the economy, party affiliation or national interest. I want to share it with you. What should really determine our vote? We should vote according to the principles of choosing a leader given to us by God. Mr. Sproul speaks about the missionary journey and how the missionary would enter the synagogue or public square and express their belief openly and always dissenters stood up and the missionaries withstood death treats, stoning, riots taking the stones and throwing them at Paul's head and then he was dragged out of the city and left for dead. You can't read that and think that we are not impacted to this day for standing on the principles of God. The sport of the public in those arenas were to put the missionary to the lion and watched him torn apart. Those who bodly stood on that ground knew that they would be met with hostility, violence and persecution. All we do is walk into a voting booth and pull a lever. When we return from the drawn curtain, we are not stoned, dragged out to the street so we have become complaisant about our roots and history that carried on before us. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for but some reasons why you should vote. When you vote, you are not there to vote for what is going to benefit you. You only have the duty to vote for what is right and just according to God's purpose. The plague of abortion is the most serious ethical issue that this Country ever faced. This is not about private choice, not when abortion is murder. God hates abortion, if you know anything about the character of God. It is not the number one issue in this campaign but it should be our #1 responsibility to protect our unborn children and our society. When you enter the voting box tomorrow, please don't leave your Christianity in the parking lot. We must vote according to righteousness based on our teachings and understanding of God's word.

The Syversons

We had a wonderful visit with our daughter, Rebekah and her family. They live on the West Coast and their visit to NJ was part of a whirlwind week of family and West Point reunion for our son in law, Thane. He graduated from West Point 15 years ago. Hard to believe. We had four of the five boys with us and Becky and Thane took Brehon on their long weekend for the West Point festivities. We are blessed beyond measure to have such wonderful, Godly, loving grandsons that reflect their parent's love for their Lord and Savior and for each other. We took the four boys to New York to see Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero.

I Carry A Little Book

I carry a little book in my bag. Everytime I want to focus on me, I open my tiny book and read a page or two. My little book is called "What on Earth am I Here For"? by Rick Warren. Today I read the following: "It's all for God. Not only were you created by God; you were created for Him too. The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. It is the reason for everything that exists, including you (including me). God made it all for his glory. Without God's glory, there would be nothing. What is the glory of God? It is who God is. It is his nature, his character, and his power."
We walk this walk on the faith that God sustains us. If we never know why things happen to us, for what purpose, will we still trust God? Will we still love God? That is our faith, the faith that fills our soul, our spirit, our life. I love this song by Jeremy Camp because it talks about faith and Jeremy's walk with faith.

Happy Birthday Glenn Stewart Sinclair III

I remember when Glenn and I lost our son Jeffrey Scott in 1979. During the grief process, I asked Glenn if my thoughts about Jeffrey would ever end. Glenn said "do you think about our other children every day?"......that answer sustained me because I realized that it's ok to think about all of my children, every day. That's how it is for our grandson, Glennie.

Today is Glennie's birthday. He would be six years old and in Kindergarten. I know because he is two days older than Evelyn. Glennie was born to be a big brother. He would be the big brother to Jeff and Jack and keep them in line. Glennie had the same sense of quirky humor, just like his Dad. I know because even though Glennie couldn't speak, he was totally aware and involved with his surroundings at all times. One evening, I was visiting and caring for him during a long stay at CHOP. It was a Friday evening, I got there after work, relieved Amanda and Glenn so they could get dinner and relax and asked Glennie if he wanted to watch Sponge Bob. Well, Glennie LOVED Sponge Bob. His face would "move" to the music and he smiled when Sponge Bob got into trouble usually grilling crabby patties at the grill. Glenn Jr. always packed the play station so we could play the DVD's at the hospital. The parents left, I put the disc in the play station and the preview started playing. I sat on the stool right by Glennie's side, leafing through a magazine. My body and face was right next to Glennie so I could smile with him, stroke his hand (and look at my magazine at the same time). The music was playing, all is well in the world and I looked over at Glennie to give him that "grandmotherly" smile....smooch...smooch and I note this FROWN and furring of his eyebrows with daggers shooting out of his eyeballs staring right at me. I said...."Glennie, what is the problem?.....oh my goodness, what can I do to help you....." Frown, frown, frown....suddenly his eyes move toward the TV and I realized that the preview was repeating itself over and over because his Grandmother has a mental and physical limitation when it comes to using electronics. I jumped off of the stool, Glennie followed me with his eyes...to say "it's about time....how is that magazine?"...and called Glenn Jr., frantic and laughing so hard to get the instructions, step by step to work the play station. Glenn Jr., gave me "play station 101" and the cartoon started playing. Glennie's body relaxed, I sat down at the side of his bed and said "hey, big guy....I'm sorry!" He looked at me out of the side of his face and focused on the cartoon. That was how we knew that Glennie was communicating with us every day, every hour, every minute.....he was the best of all of us. He was the reason that when you were angry, or jealous, or cranky...you re-evaluated your core and realized the blessings of your own life. Glennie reminded all of us how to live....I pray that we never forget those lessons. I know I will never forget and I know that I need to wish Glennie Happy Birthday.....Love, Granddad, Grandma, Dad, Mom, Jeff, Jack, Sponge Bob and Patrick. Have a crabby patty on us!!!!! We love you...always and forever....
If you are reading my blog, please read Amanda's blog about Glennie.....it's beautiful....

http://wife-usmc.blogspot.com/

Remember September 11, 2001

Video or audio of the September 11, 2001 are rarely seen now. But, if you ask any of your friends or family where they were at 8:46 AM on that beautiful fall morning (a morning much like today's weather), they will most assuredly tell you exactly where they were standing and what they were doing. I jumped out of bed this morning to turn on the TV to watch the news and reflections on this horrific anniversary. The tragedy of overwhelming proportions, the loss of innocent lives, the agony of watching normal people who went to work, jump out of 110 story buildings....But, there was NOTHING on any major channel to reflect this anniversary. NOTHING. So, I decided to reflect on my blog and share my thoughts about that day.

Skip forward to December, 2001, Glenn Jr. took Amanda, Sarah, Glenn Sr., Jim W., and me to New York for a matinee of Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. It was an early Christmas present. We drove into NY, walked the streets near Broadway, attended the matinee and as dusk fell, we wanted to try to see Ground Zero any way possible. We drove our car toward Battery Park and as we got closer, it got quieter, almost breathless. No one spoke in our car....just three months from the attack, we were driving into the neighborhood that used to bustle with people, vendors, trucks, cars and now.....

We parked in front of a condo/apartment building and started to walk toward Ground Zero. Enormous lighting attached to cranes lined the streets offering light into the vast hole in the ground. The only sound were giant trucks filled with debris driving away from the site and empty giant truck driving toward the site. Make shift fence surrounded the scared ground and guards were standing around the parameter. Glenn Jr. is an active duty Marine so he walked up to a guard, we stood several feet behind him and the guard checked his ID and gave the "ok" to move forward. We quietly walked with Glenn Jr. around a building toward the actual open, vast, hole but before we could walk further, we met another guard. Again, that guard chatted with Glenn Jr., checked his ID and waved his hand for us to proceed. Now we walked past an office building that was still standing that had a coffee shop on the ground floor. The windows were dirty and water stained but the visual was intense. The tables still had different things that normal, innocent people were eating and drinking just minutes before we were attacked. Plants still stood inside the windows, with brown leaves, begging for water with their long leaves pressed against the window with the obvious look of neglect and as if they were weeping for the time that was different in that little coffee shop. Juice glasses, silverware, napkins....a plate with a danish that had a bite out of it. I stood at the window like my shoes were glued to the pavement. I could not move because the first wave of sorrow enveloped me in front of that window. Glenn Sr. took my hand and we continued to one more guard that stood in front of our destination. In front of us was a wooden deck with two railings and four steps that took you right over Ground Zero. Glenn Jr. spoke to the guard and he waved us over. We gathered together, not speaking a word and placed our hands on the rail to climb the steps. I placed my hand on the rail and felt the indentation of ink marks into wood. Looking down and lifting my hand, I read messages, hundreds of messages that were signed into the wood by children, Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Husbands and Wives.....the survivors who could only look into the hole and wonder if their beloved family member was in that hole. As I walked up each step, every area of wood, on the rail, under my feet, to my right and to my left had a message. "I miss you Daddy", "We're here, Mommy, to make sure you are cared for"......"Mommy, where are you?".....Getting to the top of the deck revealed a picture that is burnt in my mind for the rest of my life. The lights were bright, smoke and steam from the machines wafted up through the hole and quietly, I mean, quietly, men were working to remove debris and recover the missing people whose loved ones left messages that I was standing on. I could write pages about the hour or two that we stood in that hallowed ground. I wish that every American could have had the opportunity to visit and stand where I stood. We were speechless. We cried quietly and my heart and my chest where my heart resides actually hurt. I wanted to get down into that hole and help those brave men move all of the steel; I wanted to find the little girl who left her picture along with her Mother and hug her, love her.

So, when I turned on the TV this morning and saw NOTHING except trite conversation, election and political details that mean little to any of us, just the liberal media. I started crying. I was alone standing in the room, crying. I was praying for the hundreds and hundreds of family members, friends and neighbors who got out of bed this morning, put their feet on the floor to make themselves move forward when this day 7 years ago changed their lives forever. The Mothers sending their children to school today, still without their Dad, still alone and broken hearted. Or did they keep their children home today to reflect?

Please don't ever leave this day tucked away in your history book. Please educate your little children and reflect with your older children who remember. Pray for families, fire fighters, police and our government for all of the reasons that pertain to their experience and their role in the protection of our country.

I still feel the pen indentation in the wood on the rail. I still see the messages left for Mom and Dad. I pray that I will never lose that sensation in my hand. I pray that I will never lose the sorrow of September 11, 2001.