Baby Steps on a Cold Winter's Day

It didn't snow today, but it's not getting past twenty-something, so a frosty pic seemed appropro. For the South, this is hibernating weather. What does that have to do with resolutions and keeping them?

It would be easy to vegetate near our new radiant heater and play on the computer. I could polish off the Christmas cookies or make a big dent in the dark chocolate I received as gifts. And I admit, I didn't blog yesterday, we ate unhealthy holiday food for dinner, and I slept in this morning.

However, making changes in my life is not about punishing myself when I don't strictly stick to my goals. It's about baby steps. Making one little change at a time.

One thing I like about today is going through some memorabilia my hubby found during our Saturday purge. I started a box (leftover from gifts) for each of the kids and told our son he might try sifting through and picking out one to three items he treasures most. Then when we come to another container of oldies but goodies, he can do the same with that. I read somewhere long ago to keep only one receptacle for memories. Then sort it each year, saving only a few items and discarding the rest. You keep the most meaningful objects and don't take up valuable real estate in your home. And it's easy to find and get out from time to time and remember what's important to you.

Samples of what we found: a letter, full of funny misspellings. our daughter wrote in second grade to our son; our son's drawings based on the movie, The Mask; tickets to Knott's Berry Farm and postcards of Hollywood.

This reminds me we need to get a scanner so we can lose the numerous boxes of photos that I will never get into scrapbooks. If I put these on CDs or DVDs, think what space we'll gain. I can do it one picture, one box at a time.

Do you have a place to store a few special memories?

Celebrating Dads and Grandads

The one and only real dad of mine recently completed chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer. At 80, he's a trooper--still working part-time and constantly on the quest for something to eat. He's probably the one I inherited my sense of adventure from, and he's still vitally interested in all the ongoings in the world, be it news, financial, cultural, or culinary (NOT that he cooks, my mom's area of expertise). He cultivated my thirst for travel by planning the most extraordinary sightseeing vacations for our family. His faith in the Lord has not wavered as he's faced the diagnosis of his cancer, the difficult surgery and recovery, and the grueling routine of chemo. I am probably my dad's second greatest admirer, the first being my mom (even when he exhibits curmudgeonly behavior, which happens more often than he'd like to admit).

My grandfathers were great dads in their own ways. Dad's dad served as county court clerk, inspiring and encouraging my dad to work hard and fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. "Pop" worried about me reading too much, afraid it would warp me.

Mom's dad was a gentle man, very handy and most attentive to my grandmother, my mom (an only child), and my brother and me. "Grangie" was always creating new ways for us to play, learn, and enjoy ourselves at his home, such as hanging the amazing "Tarzan" rope swing in their gigantic willow tree, pointing out the crawdads in their holes in the wet side yard, and driving us to the airport simply to watch planes land and take off.

My great-grandad, Papa, (Mom's grandad) who lived with "Ma and Grangie," brought my brother and me surprises from Woolworth's 5 and 10 when we spent the night on Fridays. He served as a local mail carrier for years. I remember clearly the ride he gave us in the back of his musty truck with a wooden tailgate and heavy canvas flap. After he retired, Papa took the bus downtown frequently to visit various businesses where he knew everyone and loved to talk politics with them.

I met David Phillips while dating his son, Steve. From the time Steve and I became engaged, David and Steve's mom accepted me as their daughter. He made everyone feel welcome, shooing them into the house with a grin and the words, "Get in this house." A handy fellow, he repaired lawn mowers as a hobby and built bookshelves into the wall in our son's room--still standing--as well as various toys for our kids, even a sandbox and a wooden structure with a ladder, monkey bars, and a slide. His pleasant disposition made David one of the easiest people to be around I've ever known, and that part of him definitely rubbed off on his son.

A young woman named Cherie came into our life through Key Club, the high school service organization for which my husband volunteers. At a transitional time in her life, she lived with us and became like a daughter to Steve and me and like a big sister to our young children. The man she married, Tim, ironically shares our last name. We know he's a great dad by the unspoiled and unselfish behavior of their four children, who adore him and follow in his footsteps as he follows Jesus.

No matter how mad they might get at their parents at times, our kids know they have the best of all possible dads. Steve is the voice of reason and the sense of humor in our home. He points out the pros, cons, and possible consequences of every important choice, maintaining an even temper no matter how he may feel about the situation. The kids still indulge him by laughing at--and shaking their heads over-- his corny old jokes. He's the Sunday School teacher example, but with a mischievous streak--for example, the time we sought a lost tooth for a visiting child in our pool area and he couldn't resist the sight of my kneeling figure to push me in with a splash. I see the respect Eric and Emily hold for him, yet no one can make them burst into such irreverent laughter. I praise God for giving me Steve to be the father of our children.

Thank you, Lord, for the dads in my life, the ones I've mentioned and the others too numerous to name, for the positive influence in making me the woman I am today. Guys, I couldn't have done it without you!

GIVE JOY WITH HANDS OF HOPE

Give the gift of life this Christmas.

Hands of Hope, a charity of Women Helping Women A World Away, is announcing that their Holiday Gift Cards are available for purchase. These cards provide food, income and water for impoverished women and children in Zambia, Uganda, and Southern Sudan. They can be purchased on the Hands of Hope website http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/ for $15.00, $30.00 and $50.00. Purchasing these cards will provide goats, chickens or wells to help change lives. What could be a more meaningful gift for holiday giving for family, friends, and customer appreciation?

Hands of Hope helps mobilize communities to respond to the needs of women and children
around the world. With an ever-expanding support base in the Chicago area, Hands of Hope
works to raise community awareness regarding poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa and its relevance globally. We are confident in the integrity of the channels we have established so that
contributions provide the highest possible impact for the most critical needs.

A Chicken Card will purchase a gift of twelve chicks and be given to an impoverished family in
Africa. As the flock multiplies, a struggling family will be given the hope to survive. Your gift will
help those in need for generations to come.

A Goat Card represents an actual goat being purchased for a needy family. Beyond providing
much needed milk, a few goats can quickly become a herd, providing sustenance and additional
income that can make the difference between whether a child goes to school or not.

A Well Card will go toward funding a well in the Western Province of Zambia. Statistics show that nearly half of all people in developing countries suffer from health related problems caused by unsafe water. In addition, African women and children spend several hours every day collecting water.

Links: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/
The cards: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/goat.asp
Purchase cards: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/goat.asp#purchase
How HOH got their start: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/history.asp
Current Projects: http://www.handsofhopeonline.org/ourwork.asp

Contact at Hands of Hope:

VickyWauterlek, Hands of Hope
VWAU@aol.com, 847-381-7367

THE POWER OF ONE--YOUR VOTE

Does one person really matter? Can one person bring change? Watch this video,
and see what you think:


http://www.onenewsnow.com/valuesvoters.aspx

20 REASONS WHY I SPENT MY WEEKEND WITH 6 HIGH-SCHOOLERS
(AND 3 OTHER SEMI-SANE ADULTS)

1. My husband works with the world's largest high school service organization, Key Club, as his avocation

2. He planned a retreat in a 3-story cabin out of town for students in the local club

2. I love being with my husband

3. I love being with the high-schoolers and getting to know them

4. I love being with the other adults and getting to know them better than before

5. Seeing my husband interact with these students and teach them leadership skills, as well as model the Christian walk, is an amazing experience

6. Going to the mountains is fun

7. Spending 12 hours in a warm building with non-working air conditioning is character-building

8. Getting the air conditioning fixed by 10 a.m. on a blazing-hot August Saturday is a great relief

9. Participating in non-threatening question sessions is funny, poignant, and embarrassing
Examples: What was your most embarrassing moment?
What's your favorite book?
What was your happiest moment thus far?
What's your favorite movie?
What person, living or dead, would you most want to meet, and why?

10. Grocery-shopping for the retreat with my husband is a hoot

11. Watching the kids, with their eyes closed, try to escape from our hand-held rope "corral" makes me laugh

12. When you're hungry, nothing tastes like cold Crystal Lite and a fresh tomato turkey sandwich

13. Hiding scavenger hunt envelopes with business owners or clerks or hostesses refines my people skills--My hat's off to the Harley Davidson store, the parking lot at the intersection of 321 and that other highway (up the hill), the Gatlinburg Hard Rock, Aunt Mahalia's Candies, the Pepper Palace, and Ripley's Aquarium for hanging onto the envelopes and joining in the spirit of the hunt!

14. Walking the streets of Gatlinburg while hiding clues keeps me fit and burns off those two Oreos, a peanut butter cup, and the sausage biscuit (among other things) I scarf over the weekend

15. Writing scavenger hunt clues challenges my poetic skills

16. When I'm finished with the hunt prep, hanging out in an air-conditioned bookstore (and making a few purchases for the family) is an unbeatable perk

17. Eating dinner with our group of 10 at Applebee's brings out new zaniness in the kids as they practice fake-slapping one another and one girl acts (convincingly) as if she's stung and crying

18. Watching the weekend's object lessons sink in with the kids gives me a magical feeling
Example: When they were corraled by the rope, held up by the other adults, my husband instructed them to close their eyes and try to find a way out. The rules--they couldn't go over or under or overpower anyone to get out, and they couldn't look. If they needed help, they were to raise their hands. My husband kept talking to them the entire time, repeating these instructions. When only one student was left inside, he stopped the exercise. He explained to them that in life, as in their Key Club experience, we all need to ask for help and often. Some students were quick to catch on to the trick. When they asked for help, an adult would lift the rope and pull them outside the boundaries of the rope.

19. Before and after the retreat began, I enjoyed dining out alone with my husband

20. The feeling of having an impact on the lives of others is priceless

Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture

by Mary E. DeMuth

Harvest House, July 1, 2007

Mary guides parents through her ongoing postmodern parenting journey, encouraging readers as they travel the same road, in three parts:

Foundations, What Does Postmodern Parenting Look Like? and Releasing Children, Embracing Culture. She includes group discussion questions and a resource section.

You can purchase your autographed copy directly from Mary at the links below.

Read more about Mary and her books at

her website Relevant Prose. Sign up for her ezine.


Learn about Mary's faith and writing on her blog.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Gazing upward at the jelly-bean-colored assortment of balloons, a group of fifteen to twenty of us watched them soar into the crystal blue. We stood entranced for twenty minutes, until the bright orbs became specks of confetti high above us. The 292 balloons--black, red, yellow, blue, white--represented families in our North Georgia county whose lives felt the impact of abuse or neglect during 2006. On that flawless spring evening, April 30, 2007, something so heinous seemed impossible.

Kim, the organizer of this event, directs our county's Family and Children's Services. The statistics she shared startled us from our complacency. More children, Kim told us, die from neglect than from abuse. Eighty-five children from our county affected by abuse or neglect last year were under the age of one. Statewide, this number leaped to 8,461 infants. One hundred six children of various ages were investigated last year in our county for an alleged repeat episode of maltreatment.

Just as the participants released those commemorative balloons, we often want to let go of an issue too painful to comprehend. We think, "I'm one person; what can I do to change what's happening here?" Paul and Silas were only two men, yet the religious leaders of Thessalonica accused them of turning the world upside down. Did these two followers of Christ hesitate to speak truth and right wrongs?

May we take that one small but bold step today to "right-side up" the world.

Make a difference; pray for our nation, Thursday, May 3, and every day!
National Day of Prayer Task Force Home Home Page

TIME IN A BOTTLE

If you're younger than I am, you may not remember this song by Jim Croce. Time in a Bottle describes a love relationship in which the lover wishes he could save moments of time to spend with the one he loves.

If I could put time in a bottle,
the first thing that I'd like to do
is to save every day till eternity passes away,
just to spend them with you.
But there never seems to be enough time
to do the things you wanna do,
once you find them.

This month I celebrate a milestone birthday--mainly meaning, now I can get a senior plate for a bargain price at my husband's favorite pancake house. Lately, with no particular age or birthday in mind, but rather aging in general, I diagnosed myself with Time in a Bottle Syndrome. In other words, similarly to the new TV show Twenty Good Years, I want to cram everything possible into my remaining days. There are things I want to do. Things I need to do. Things I love to do. Things I am afraid to do.

The question is, what does God want me to do with the rest of my life? I believe He wants me to enjoy it. Look at the amazing things He created for us to enjoy. He even gave us our capacity for enjoyment. This doesn't mean I'm devoting the rest of my life to seeking pleasure. For its own sake, pleasure is empty. Appreciating and relishing Him and the beauty of all the wonders He created, including our fellow humans. Seeking to give ourselves and our gifts away to others in some manner that is joyful and meaningful to us. That's what I'm talking about.

Sand slips through the hourglass, minutes tick off the timer. Am I making those moments count? Do I squeeze out all the life I can from what life I have left? Is time spilling out of the bottle, or am I spending it on the things that count?

Show me, O Lord, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before You.
Each man's life is but a breath.
--Psalm 39:4 & 5

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom. . .
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us--
yes, establish the work of our hands.
--Psalm 90:12 & 17

THE CROCODILE HUNTER

My son, ever vigilant for new entertainment media, first put me on to the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Together, our family oohed and ahhed over the outlandish stunts he pulled with the unusual and often dangerous creatures he pursued before the camera. Yesterday I saw footage of that tenacious small snake latched onto his arm. It occurs to me that the Crocodile Hunter, too, held on to his dreams and beliefs just as tenaciously.

Steve Irwin believed that unloved animals such as crocodiles, snakes, and sharks deserve to live and to thrive, as much as any others. His behavior, foolhardy to most of us viewers, signaled, nonetheless, the need to conserve both wildlife and its habitats. He wanted to draw attention to zoological and ecological issues, and in that, he was a great success.

Viewing the footage of the birth of his son, I recalled the softer side of Steve Irwin: that he was human, that he could be conquered--by love for his wife and his children. Sure, he died doing something he loved, but he leaves behind a grieving family. His daughter will barely remember him, perhaps his little son, not at all.

The bright spot in the Croc Hunter's tragic death? He leaves behind a legacy. In his own words, his father's encouragement and work with animals greatly influenced how Steve chose to spend his life. Now the choices that he made will affect perhaps how his wife carries on their work. Someday, his children may also choose a similar path because of their dad's legacy.

I don't know what Steve Irwin believed about Jesus Christ, or whether he knew Him personally. I do know that all of us, whether or not we claim that Name Above All Names, will leave some kind of legacy behind. We're making those tracks today, just as certainly as the Crocodile Hunter followed the tracks of the animals he so valued. We're imprinting what (and Whom) we value on our co-workers, our neighbors, our fellow students, our friends, and, yes, on our families. What will we leave behind, and how will it change our world?

[Jesus speaking] My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You love Me.
-- John 17:20-23, New International Version

'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dead - Sep 4, 2006
Irwin's last moments caught on videotape - Sep 5, 2006