Okay. So I sewed a couple of dresses! Big deal!

Actually, it was a big deal for me. I have only sewn a few things in my life, and the patterns usually say "EASY" on the front.
Christine's choir is sponsoring a "Lover's Feast" where they dress up as 16th century personas and wait on tables in character. A 7 course meal and entertainment is the order of the day.
Well, Christine's costume for the event was falling apart. She asked me if I would make her a new one. "Okay," I said. "Of course!"
Well, the pattern didn't make sense, so I altered it so it would.
They turned out pretty well if I do say so myself. (They look even better on the girls.)

I made one for Christine and one for her friend who also needed a dress. The instructions from the teacher was that they have alternating materials which matched each other.

So... the moral of the story is... Only say "yes" if you are willing to bomb.
Only say "no" if you are too afraid to try.

Water for Haiti = Living Water for Us

What a glorious day! We just got word that all of the supplies for the people of Haiti to have 200 million gallons of clean water will be shipped this week! We have been working with congressmen, military generals, international charitable organizations, Church Humanitarian Services, the United Nations and the Red Cross to get the supplies gathered, paid for, and shipped. With the help of the Lord, we were able to find the connections to make this happen.

What started out last week as a small idea, blossomed into an amazing garden with a spring of clear, living water.

Dave has worked tirelessly on this project. Our friends have been invaluable. We now have connections wherein we might be able to help others with desperate need for clean water.

Educating people about clean water has been a project of ours for 5 years. Now the Lord has made that knowledge and drive help serve His purposes.
To be continued. . .

Life and Death: Portals of Heaven

Live.
Life is short. Too short to waste a minute in bitterness or anger. Too short to hold grudges or spend any time reliving bad memories. Too short to do anything but love, serve and grow in faith, in testimony and in spirit.

Dave's mom, my mother-in-law, and grandmother to our children, passed away peacefully in her daughter's arms on January 7th. Ironically, Dave's mother's death-day was the same as my mother's birthday.

Life and death: portals of heaven.

It was wonderful to see so many of our children and Dave's sisters, though. Even Barbie and Yilka came from Kosovo. What a treat!

Here are some of the pictures:

Okay. So it's the new year. . .

Okay, so it's the new year, and I am sitting here thinking about things; you know, like you are supposed to do this time of year.
I am looking back on all of the great moments, and not-so-great moments of 2009. I am remembering the four new grandbabies, two new sons-in-law and one new daughter-in-law. I am thinking of the foreign friends we have made and how they have changed our lives. I am remembering all of our efforts to prepare the house to sell. . . (It is still for sale.) I am feeling some regrets for the lost moments which I could have lived the gospel a little better, loved my family a little deeper, and shared my heart a little more often.

Stephen Covey said we should pattern our lives after the following five areas:
Live
Laugh
Love
Learn
Leave a Legacy.

Live ~ I plan to spend more time and effort improving my health. Yes, that means exercise, healthy eating, etc. I plan to take better care of my physical, spiritual, mental and emotional self. I want to really live!

Laugh ~ I don't usually have trouble smiling or chuckling at life's situations. Sometimes things are so rediculous that you have to laugh or cry. I usually choose to laugh. What I will try to improve is that perpetual smile that comes from being happy; inwardly cheerful. I would rather have laugh lines, than a furrowed brow from frowning.

Love ~ I feel love freely. I need to show it more often. Not only that, but I would like to be filled with the Pure Love of Christ.

Learn ~ I don't know if pursuing a B.S. Degree in Business/Marketing counts as learning. So often, I am simply "getting through the class." The things I would really like to learn are found in the scriptures. That is the topic of my true interest. I plan to study more the words of the Lord.

Leave a Legacy ~ Someday I will not be able to sing, write music, or play musical instruments. Dave and I will be recording what we can. We will be preserving memories for the future. I have more poetry and music to write! I have a legacy to leave.

Okay, So it's the new year and I'm sitting here thinking about things. . .