Uphill idealist

I have been working on a benefit concert for my local soup kitchen and have had a great deal of help with getting this graphic and project together. Thanks to Audio Closet for working so flawlessly on the booking and planning for the OOTC Tour. Thanks to Jamie for listening to me dream and rant on and on about it. Thanks to Michael and Tim Johnson for the finishing touches on the flyer. Thanks to Westminster for sponsoring the event and having the vision to see the opportunity for such projects as this concert. Thanks to God for putting all the pieces together with the venue ( Reg Lenna Studio/Tonic Production), WRFA in Jamestown and St. Susan Center. Please try to make it to this event, but if you can't come to this event, I hope you will be willing to pray for us and the hearts of the people that will be with us on December 4th. I hope that you're holiday season is cheery and bright and that you will be kept out of the cold physically, emotionally and spirtually as well. Peac

So if Monday is to be SWB day, Tuesday can be Quiz day. I was hoping I'd end up being like Amelie! I love this film. Amelie: a Definitive Character Quiz You are Amelie Poulain! At least, you should be. You have a whole movie named after you and apparently, you like green and red. Most likely, you are quiet, shy, but into helping people. It starts off with Bretodeau and heads into helping more people. But, what about you, petite Amelie? Live. It is a difficult time for dreamers. And you most likely will find your soul mate in people like, Nino. Quinze, indeed. Take this quiz ! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

For what am I most grateful? Least grateful? Most grateful: I am grateful for the air in my lungs. I am grateful for the love of my ones. I am grateful for the grace that you give. I am grateful for the life that I live. I'm not grateful for the sadness I feel, or the conflicts I face. I'm not grateful for the anger I sense or the rat-racedness of my pace. Help me to breathe deep, Help me to experience the love and grace you pour into my life. Help me to to remember to be grateful and to trust you with all my strife. Help me to remember you've felt all I feel, and that you too are grateful for my life. Tara Lamont

A blogging friend of mine started this exercise in August of this year. I was fascinated as a fellow blogger, but never quite got around to the practice of it until now. In light of the fact that I'm writing about being an "uphill idealist" and the balance of life and the hope to carry on in the midst of everything - I think "Sleeping with Bread"'s time has come for me. Please see Mary's excellent explination below. Bread to come soon! "During the bombing raids of WWII, thousands of children were orphaned and left to starve. The fortunate ones were rescued and placed in refugee camps where they received food and good care. But many of these children who had lost so much could not sleep at night. They feared waking up to find themselves once again homeless and without food. Nothing seemed to reassure them. Finally, someone hit upon the idea of giving each child a piece of bread to hold at bedtime. Holding their bread, these children could finally sle

I had a plan today. We all worked together to make it happen. It didnt' happen. At least not the way I had thought. I had an important person coming to help me with some home projects, so I made red beans and rice. Prepared tilaipia and breaded flounder. My hubby helped me put away the clothes that had taken over the dining room and he also helped me to make brownies. (This is the first time he's baked to my knowledge - so you know this must have been important). The person arrived on time, observed the project I was finishing. I told them that dinner would be ready as soon as I finished, but they said, "Sorry, if I had known I wouldn't have eaten at Wendys." I responded, "Well, we made brownies - I'll make coffee and you can relax for a few minutes." "No thanks, I have Iced Tea in the car." he responded. As you can imagine I was rather stunned. In fact I figured that I could set the food out as they worked on the least involved project on

I've been greatly frustrated lately by situations that I have no power to change. I've tried to express my thoughts and feelings, but all the response I get is "Be patient, pray about it, try to understand where that person is coming from..." I've had it. I was discussing the importance of community and how the church could access so many more connections if it were willing to adapt it's approach by being relationship/people centered instead of building centered. In the midst of this conversation, I was derailed by a phone call. On my way to address the call an individual said to me, "It's about time you got up and did something." At first I was ticked. Every day it seems this person has to comment on the why, how, and what I could be doing to be "working". It became apparent that this person has no clue of what my kind of work is, so that takes the sting away from all the sarcastic remarks. In fact, I have no issue with this person at

(Artwork by T.L.Eastman) I'm missing the sand between my toes. I'm missing the faces I used to know. I'm longing for the heat of the summer sun. I'm longing for peace - not the undone. Why does the spinning never pause? When the seasons are lost without cause? Where can I find what I'd like like to be- How can the future be so clear to you, but not me? I'm missing the hands the held me so tight. I'm missing the dreams that just fellout of sight. I'm longing for happiness and the light of day. I'm longing for shadows to to run far, far away. Who can I call in in wind and in rain? How you know my loss and my pain? When can you stop and take so much time? Where is love that is beautiful, patient and kind. Spinning lives and racing places - remold my time, my heart and my paces. Stand close to me and hold me upright. You alone understand both my dark and my light - and you hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on so tight.

My children are getting older. About a month ago my kids had their school pictures taken. The photos came back to me last week and I was amazed at the enormous changes that had taken place in the last year. My daughter has grown at least six inches in height since last fall and now thinks it's great that we share the same shoe size. (Great for her as the arch in my left foot is falling, so I have to kiss all my cute flats goodbye- to her.) My son had grown in height and in his imagination as well. By the looks of things at present, my daughter could become a shoe designer or basketball pro and my son could become an artist or a stand up comic. Votes are out on both of them for now, but in ten or twenty years it would be fun to look back on my motherly predictions and most likely be off on both guesses. But I will still keep guessing. It is in the way that we mark time that we find our perspectives on life so changeable. When recalling the days of diaper and high chairs, I may roma