My walk today

I wanted to tell you about my walk in the park with the dogs today. There is a beautiful park near us where I take my grandaughter, Taylor frequently and the dogs. I didn't have Taylor today, but wanted to take the dogs for a walk. My golden retriever, Maggie Mae enjoys jumping in the lake there. My chocolate lab, Lucy, just loves the walk. They have a statue in the park called Angel of Hope that was built in memory of those who have lost children. http://www.hendricksangel.org/ I stop there often and talk to my oldest son, Chris, who passed away on New Year's Eve in 2008. Today on my walk, I thought I was ready to stop for my visit to the statue, but felt something telling me I wasn't ready yet. I walked the dogs a little further. When the dogs tongues were hanging to the ground I decided we were ready for that stop. There was a lady there placing a couple of markers near the statue. I asked her if she had lost a little one. She said her 18 month old son died from heart complications in 1991. I told her of losing Chris, and that he wasn't a child at the time of death, he was still my child. She agreed and offered condolences. We talked further. Her son had also died on New Year's Eve. She, also was an unwed mother 29 years ago. I was an unwed mother to Chris, born on my 19th birthday. We reunited on my youngest son's 7th birthday and had 14 years together before his passing. So we had a bit in common. I shared with her that today would have been Janice Lynn's 62nd birthday. Janice Lynn was my Mom's first born child, but was a still born birth. I told her I could still feel the sting in in Mom's voice today even 62 years later. She told me that she was the lady who had proposed the idea for the statue and on the back of the statue was an explanation of her inspiration for the statue. It was a book written by a man whose mother had a child that was stillborn. As a child he would see his mother cry from time to time and didn't understand why. He wrote the book, A Christmas Box. The lady said that she had several copies and she would send two of them to me, one for you and one for me. I offered to give her money, but she declined.

God works in mysterious ways, as she and I discussed. I'm sure somehow, God, Chris, and Janice Lynn put us two together today.

Unwritten

"Sometimes we regret our failure to write about things that really interest us. The reason we fail is probably that to write about them would prove embarrassing. The things that we are interested us during the past week, for example, and that we were unable or unwilling to write about (the things that stand out clear as pictures in our head) were: the look in the eye of a man whose overcoat, with the velvet collar, was held together by a bit of string; the appearance of an office after the building had shut down for the night, and the obvious futility of the litter; the head and shoulders of a woman in a lighted window, combing her hair with infinite care, making it smooth and neat so the it would attract someone who could want to muss it up; Osgood Perkins in love with Lillian Gish; a man on a bicycle on Fifth Avenue; a short eulogy of John James Audubon, who spent his life loafing around, painting birds; an entry in Art Young’s diary, about a sick farmer who didn’t know what was the matter with himself but thought it was probably biliousness; and the sudden impulse that we had (and very nearly gratified) to upend a large desk for the satisfaction of seeing everything on it slide off slowly onto the floor."
E.B. White  April 26, 1930

Written eighty years ago, this essay by E. B. White is fresh and revelant today. This short essay is taken from collected essays from Writings from the New Yorker  - 1927 - 1976.  This small book sits next to my computer.  Maybe your library has a copy of this book.

Online Surveys

Why not sit on the couch, watch tv and earn a little extra fun money...I've been taking online surveys for almost a year and have earned extra money and airline miles just by sitting on my couch and spending about an hour online. It's also beneficial as a consumer, because I am able to give my input. There are many different survey sites, but here are a few of my favorites:

www.toluna.com
www.surveyspot.com
www.erewards.com
www.valuedopinions.com
www.i-say.com

bywl (blog with ya later)
dama

Miracle Grow

"Can you create a plant? Can you create a seed that will die and grow into a tree?"
"Me neither."
"Growth is a miracle. And just like the new life we see in the plants around us this spring, Jesus can grow new life in us. During the coming five weeks, we're investigating five of the things God has put in place to create miraculous growth in our lives."
http://www.southlandchristian.org/media/series/miracle-grow/

As I grow older, I've noticed that my memory isn't as good as it used to be. Therefore, I like it when things are made simpler by allowing me to take one step at a time.
I am looking forward to the new series beginning this Sunday at my church, Southland Christian, Lexington, Ky. The title of this 5 week study is "Miracle Grow... Five Things God Uses To Grow Your Faith".
Mike Breaux, who was our senior pastor several years ago, will kick start the series with "Practical Teaching", and end it with "Personal Ministry". Jon Weece, our current senior pastor, will preach the three Sundays in between. His topics are: "Private Disciplines", "Pivotal Circumstances", and "Providential Relationships".
Each week, I will try to convey the messages via this blog, so come back each week to see what this series has to teach us.
In the meantime, I will continue to cling to one of my favorite Bible verses: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"(Heb. 11:1, NIV).
Peace and Love,
~Edie

From the heart of a friend

My Favorite Things



Thanks to Jacqueline for starting this blog. I am on the list to add to the blog this week. I have been in a flurry of activities recently and I e-mailed Jacqueline saying I had a mental block about what to write. She said to write what is in my heart.


What is in my heart is love of family. Sadly, a year ago, I lost my oldest son. I have always loved family and appreciated them greatly. With the loss of my son, I feel myself holding on to family a little tighter.


My son, Chris, blessed me with my first grandchild, Matthew, in January of 2005. In March of 2005, my daughter blessed me with my second grandchild, Taylor. At this point in my life, I discovered what I am good at being, a Grandma. To Matthew, I am Funny Grammy. To Taylor, I am Mamma. Whatever you call me, I am blessed with two grandchildren who teach me something new every day. Matthew is much like his Dad. He has a great sense of humor, is a bit mischevious and has the most infectious laugh you could ever hear. Taylor is much like her Mom, beautiful, girly, filled with song, and like her cousin, humorous and mischevious.



I have struggled with the"why's" of losing my son too early in life. I have turned to my favorite Bible verse,



Ecclesiastes 3:1-7

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

I wish this Bible verse could have comforted Matthew when he asked God to send his Daddy back. We work with him, trying to explain, but it will take time for him to learn about God and his plans.

One of many of my favorite moments with my grandaughter was when we were taking a walk. She said, I feel it in my heart. I asked her what she felt. She said, I feel the wind and the warm. Great to see a five year old appreciating life's simplest pleasures. An hour later she asked me where boogers come from. Well, she is five.

Yesterday, I found myself once again, turning to my favorite Bible verse. We all know how inquisitive five year olds can be. Taylor and I were sitting in our sun room. I looked down on the carpet to see the dreaded return of ants this Spring. I started stomping on them, retrieving the bug spray when this inquisitive five year old started asking questions....where did ants come from, how did they get here...etc. I explained that God has a purpose for every creature on this earth, that he had put them here.....well, then why are you smooshing them? Sigh, I struggle with answers sometimes. I only hope my grandchildren are with their Mom's when the question comes up about where babies come from.

May God comfort you all when you are struggling with life and the "why's". May this Bible verse be of some comfort during these times, happy and sad.

Not Usually a Cat Person...

but, I just happended to see this on yahoo buzz and thought it was cute. Click on the link and it will take you to a youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9NP-AeKX40&feature=player_embedded

Save A Little Extra

If you are looking at ways to save a little money, ebay.com is a great way to start. There are so many things available on ebay that are much cheaper to purchase online than in a retail store. For example, I recently purchased Frontline (flea & tick prevention) for Carson on ebay and saved almost 50%. I paid, $44.00 (free shipping) on ebay for a 6 month supply. On petmeds.com, the same 6-month supply costs $80.99.

I purchase all of my cosmetics, books, gift cards, Gus's video games, clothes, shoes, electronics, baby items for my nephew, etc. on ebay. I can't even begin to calculate how much money I've saved over the last couple of years. I do almost all of my Christmas shopping using ebay.

If you haven't tried it and want to, just let me know if you need any pointers.

bwyl (blog with ya later)
dama