Alas! We received the long-anticipated news late this afternoon that our loan has been fully processed and we’re set to close Monday at 3 PM on the house in Beecher. Below is a pic of the front of the house or go here to take a tour of the inside.

Thanks to all who’ve prayed and supported us through this interesting saga in our lives. More details to come…

Ryan

We arrived safely in Beecher around 6:30 PM last night!  Here’s how Day 2 [always a more serious, focused experience] unfolded:

8:45 AM Left Springfield, MO

11:45 AM Lunch break in St. Louis, MO

12:50 PM Mississippi River/Illinois state line crossing

4:30 PM Nap time on the road [Lexie and Cali alternated between these two positions for about an hour. When Cali rose up, so did Lexie. When Cali went down, Lexie followed. It was comical to watch.]

6:30 PM Beecher arrival

8:30 Sloppy Joes at Aunt Phyllis’

Lexie road shotgun with me/Cali the entire time which inspired some interesting road games. We found 25 states in the ever-popular License Plate game. 25! Wildest finds included Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho…and two trucks from Ontario, Canada. Lexie also introduced me to a game she called “categories.” Basically, one person thinks up a color/food/animal/etc. and the other person tries to guess it. A ruthless ‘categories’ expert, Lexie annihilated me. When we did colors, for instance, I choose orange and she got it on the second guess. Her turn. I guessed every color in the 256 color palette and she giggled ‘No’ every time.  Finally, I gave in. Her color? Copper! Copper? When we did animals, I took a mental tour of the Fort Worth Zoo and guessed every animal in the house. “Not it.” Her animal? A 3-toed sloth. We did websites and I went with sites I thought she knew and a few extras. No go. Her choice?  johndeere.com

One other item of note. A neat perk of traveling cross-country with a dog is the ready-made excuse for any/all odors that waft through the cabin. “Cali did it” was mentioned more than thrice.

Many THANKS to all who continue to track our story and pester Jesus on our behalf. Things to PRAY about in the weeks ahead…

1] The closing documents for the Alexanders’ house were delayed. They will have to do the paperwork via overnight mail, hopefully early this week.

2] Our house situation here to move forward in short order. We still have several hoops to jump through and we need to close on/before 11/12/09. More details to come.

3] The continuing discussions with Leadership Resources International. Shannon and I were invited to attend their yearly banquet next Friday, 11/13/09 to learn more about the ministry.

Have a GREAT week,

Ryan

The final week of the Class A Coaches Poll is out and little has changed up top.  Beecher ends the regular season ranked IL#1 on the boys side, looking strong heading into the state meet.  On the girls side, Freeburg remains atop the poll, capturing seven of eight first place votes, with Eureka capturing the other first place vote.

Boys (1st place votes in parentheses)

1. Beecher (9)

2. Sterling Newman Catholic

3. Elmwood coop

4. Westmont

5. Carlinville

6. Monticello

7. St. Joe-Ogden

8. Sparta

9. Urbana Uni High

10. Rock Island Alleman

11. Eureka

12. tie Canton and Bureau Valley

14. Robinson

15. Knoxville

Honorable Mention (in order of votes): Winnebago, Rock Falls, Ottawa Marquette, Spring Valley Hall, Byron and Rochester

Girls (1st place votes in parentheses)

1. Freeburg (7)

2. Elmwood Coop

3. Decatur St. Teresa

4. St. Joe-Ogden

5. Winnebago

6. Eureka (1)

7. PORTA

8. Bloomington Central Catholic

9. Rock Island Alleman

10. Oregon

11. Aurora Christian

12. Byron

13. Sparta

14. Kankakee Bishop McNamara

15. Westmont

Honorable Mention (in order of votes): Monmouth-Rosevile, Shelbyvile, Monticello, Rock Falls, Tremont, Columbia and Pleasant Plains

Meagan shares her profound insight on Beecher Lady Bobcat basketball and pot-bellied referees [sincere apologies to Jeffrey in advance!]…

Also, we did take some footage the other night and plan to post video of some actual competition soon…

God has gifted Lexie with a growing passion for all things pretty, creepy-crawly, and outdoors. Cut Lexie loose in a small patch of His handiwork and she’s good to go…indefinitely! She loves to hunt for fossils, chase ladybugs and locusts, and dive for minnows [blaring shout out here to Lou's good buddy and fellow-explorer Emmalouski back in Texas!].  So when we landed in Beecher and five minutes from the Plum Creek Nature Center, Lexie Lou was set. We spent some time there this AM and Lexie shares some of her deep insights about her newfound paradise.

Come out to our Neighborhood Planning Unit Meeting tomorrow (Sept 9th at 7PM)

1191 Donnelly Ave, 30310 Salvation Army Boys& Girls Club

NPU-T will also be giving away tickets to our community residents & their friends for the Sept 15th Braves vs Mets game- thanks to Turner Broadcasting and the Beltline!! I and other community leaders will ensure each of our residents have a ticket so we can represent large in numbers . We’re a strong  Beltline community.

Come learn about your community, get involved and help us developer cleaner, safer neighborhoods.

For more information about NPU-T please give me a call.

Nia Knowles, NPU-T Chair 404-414-3289 or niaknowles@gmail.com

Please Please Please !!!

Support the northern Michigan Earth Keeper Initiative & Zaagkii Project by voting through August 30, 2009

Story to vote:

Week Ending Apr 05, 09
Creating numerous environment projects that bring together diverse groups, students, American Indians

Please vote for Rev. Jon Magnuson’s environment projects in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
You can vote daily.
Even 1 vote is appreciated.

Find this story of click on this link:

Week Ending Apr 05, 09
Creating numerous environment projects that bring together diverse groups, students, American Indians

To vote you will have to register the first time
We realize this is asking a lot – thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Greg Peterson, news reporter and volunteer media advisor for the EarthKeepers & Zaagkii Project

Call if you have questions – anytime day or night:

1-906-401-0109

The EarthKeepers:

The interfaith EarthKeepers planted twelve thousand (12,000) trees across northern Michigan for Earth Day 2009 thanks to over 100 churches/temples from 12 religions.

During past Earth Day projects, the EarthKeepers have recycled or properly disposed over nearly 400 tons of waste including cellphones, computers (and related equipment), printers, car batteries, poisons, pesticides, oil-based paint, pharmaceuticals and much more.

The Zaagkii Project:

Jan Schultz of the U.S. Forest Service discusses Zaagkii Project with Native American college student.

This summer Native American youth and at-risk teens are repairing the ecosystem along a Lake Superior beach, built dozens of Mason Bee houses including some to be placed at the U.S. National Gardens in D.C., Native American teens this month are helping build a greenhouse for native species plants on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community reservation.

Last summer the teens built dozens of butterfly houses for migrating Monarchs.

EarthKeepers were featured in inside front cover of Tikkun Magazine:

Find this story or click on this link:

Week Ending Apr 05, 09
Creating numerous environment projects that bring together diverse groups, students, American Indians

Please Please Please !!!

Support the northern Michigan Earth Keeper Initiative & Zaagkii Project by voting through August 30, 2009

Story to vote:

Week Ending Apr 05, 09
Creating numerous environment projects that bring together diverse groups, students, American Indians

Please vote for Rev. Jon Magnuson’s environment projects in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
You can vote daily.
Even 1 vote is appreciated.

Find this story of click on this link:

Week Ending Apr 05, 09
Creating numerous environment projects that bring together diverse groups, students, American Indians

To vote you will have to register the first time
We realize this is asking a lot – thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Greg Peterson, news reporter and volunteer media advisor for the EarthKeepers & Zaagkii Project

Call if you have questions – anytime day or night:

1-906-401-0109

The EarthKeepers:

The interfaith EarthKeepers planted twelve thousand (12,000) trees across northern Michigan for Earth Day 2009 thanks to over 100 churches/temples from 12 religions.

During past Earth Day projects, the EarthKeepers have recycled or properly disposed over nearly 400 tons of waste including cellphones, computers (and related equipment), printers, car batteries, poisons, pesticides, oil-based paint, pharmaceuticals and much more.

The Zaagkii Project:

Jan Schultz of the U.S. Forest Service discusses Zaagkii Project with Native American college student.

This summer Native American youth and at-risk teens are repairing the ecosystem along a Lake Superior beach, built dozens of Mason Bee houses including some to be placed at the U.S. National Gardens in D.C., Native American teens this month are helping build a greenhouse for native species plants on the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community reservation.

Last summer the teens built dozens of butterfly houses for migrating Monarchs.

EarthKeepers were featured in inside front cover of Tikkun Magazine:

Find this story or click on this link:

Week Ending Apr 05, 09
Creating numerous environment projects that bring together diverse groups, students, American Indians

We’re taking the plunge into the blogging underworld, unsure where this will take us or the 2.4 people who will likely reorient their lives around our occasional updates.

Frankly, I’ve always been a little creeped out by blogs [and a few bloggers] because they seem [on the surface anyway] to be inherently narcissistic. After nearly 40 years, I feel quite adept at centering the known universe around my peevish oddities…and this just seems to fuel that.  Maybe not. Hopefully not. Lord willing, it will provide a view into our new world that some of our close family and friends could not see otherwise. And maybe, just maybe, He will use this forum to foster deeper relationships and more intentional prayers, all for His glory.

I’ve been in the Beecher area since Sunday night.  Shan and the girls will make the almost-on-the-dot 1,000 mile trek this Saturday [prayer item #1]. In the past few days, the Lord has been pleased to open some doors and steer me toward several dedicated Christ-followers who have a genuine desire to assist us in our employment search. I have made key contacts with staffers at two churches, Parkview Christian and Faith Church, and met several business guys who hit the golf ball. Beautiful.

Speaking of golf, I did play the world-renown Cardinal Creek Golf Course in downtown Beecher on my first afternoon in the area. Priorities. $18 secured the green fees, cart, and a bottle of water. Snazzy. I’d describe it as a family-friendly course that will make a great outing for us on these comfy mid-70 degree evenings. The nearest stud course is Balmoral, right across the street from the racetrack. I hope to sneak onto that one [the golf course!] in the next week or so.

If you feel prompted to PRAY for us, here are a few ideas…

1] safe travel for Shan and the girls this weekend

2] adequate provision for us via the right job

3] both houses in Texas to sell in a timely manner

4] our house situation here to become peacefully obvious.  We lost the house we had hoped to make a run at early on [a foreclosure] to another buyer.  We learned today that the contract fell through and the house is back on the market.  We’ll have to get creative to make another go of it, so please ask the Lord to clarify His will in the coming days.

Thanks so much for your friendship and prayers!

Ryan

Call me crazy but when this show first came out I thought it was a cross between a circus and a gay drama. I never saw the show but the name gave me that impression. Don’t ask..maybe I should seek psychiatric help. I don’t have a problem with anything gay but I’m a young female with only a few precious hours allowed for television watching. No one told me I was missing out…and I was severely missing out on some of the best television around. If you love The Wire, 6 Feet Under, Weeds and The Sopranos this is RIGHT up your alley.

Oswald state penetentiary is where it all goes down. One experiemental cell block in the middle of hell on earth has been nicknamed “Emerald City”. Tim McManus is heading up the Emerald City unit hoping to rehabilitate the inmates and reform the prison system. Good freaking luck! The difference of the unit compared to most? Glass/clear walls….everyone can see everything. It’s a giant fishbowl and therefore EVERYTHING starts seeping to the surface.

The characters are the BEST characters I have seen on a television show hands down- besides The Sopranos. Edie Falco did “Oz” while doing The Sopranos because the script was so good and she’s a better actress for it. The situations and drama are riveting, brutal, realistic and shocking. The writing is on point and masterful. I cannot stop watching the show.

Ryan O’ Riley has been a favorite character along with Beecher, the nerdy ex-lawyer, in for killing a young girl while intoxicated. Beecher becomes the man he never was on the outside and even takes a shit on another inmates face. Don’t worry…by this point you WANT him to do it. The real heart of the show is how the writers show you his deterioration and humiliation, his renewed ability to survive and change his ways and the sadness that unveils the loss of his family and career.

The show chronicles the pace of prison life, the rules, the guards, the budgets, the politics, the reformation, finding God, not finding God, solitary confinement, race wars, religious wars, murder, why people kill each other, psychology of prisons…..you name it, you will get it in this show. Yes, you’ll also see some gay action and hear the word “tits” which means = drugs in prison.  It has to be there if you want a legitimate show.  HBO holds nothing back.

The unique prison narrator sitting in a glass box on the ceiling…where ONLY the audience can see him is a really unique twist on the show. It helps smooth over the general morality of each episode coming from one inmate in particular who is in a wheel chair.  In addition the show drives you to want to find out what each main character did to be thrown in jail and each situation is realistic and unique.

What I cannot believe is how inmates get into the cracks and crevices of the prison building (hallways, back kitchen cupboards, mail room baskets, etc)  and commit murders, mutilate a rival gang members body…or manipulate 30 other people with one conversation in 5 minutes. I think some of that has to be ONLY for HBO value and not real life.

At the end of the day what keeps you downloading episodes is the heart of Tim McManus, the desire for some of these people to change their lives and the desire to seek revenge and root on your favorite characters.  Pick it up today- you will NOT be sorry.

Here is my favorite review from another site called improbableoptimisms.blogspot.com:

“I agree with him that Oz’s body count makes Vietnam look like Club Med, and some of the plot twists were more than a little contrived. But at the same time, the show did a wonderful job of depicting all of its characters as complicated, three-dimensional people. I especially admired the treatment of Vern Schillinger, the Aryan leader whom we loathe one moment and pity the next. Schillinger’s capable of truly operatic acts of villainy, but we grieve with him when his sons die, and in the final season, when his hero Mayor Loewen insults and dismisses him, the wounded-child look on his face is heart-breaking.

All of Oz’s characters, even the most seemingly despicable, struggle with hard questions. Witness Claire Howell, the sadistic C.O. who uses her power to coerce inmates into having sex with her. She’s one of the most loathesome people in Oz right up until the last episode, when she discovers that she’s pregnant and delivers a rueful, moving monologue to Father Mukada. She doesn’t believe in abortion, and since she’s pretty certain her baby will be mixed-race (“golden-brown and marinated in salsa,” as she says with typical bluntness), she doesn’t want to raise the child in her redneck neighborhood. But on a C.O.’s salary, especially as an about-to-be-single mother, she can’t afford to move.

What I liked most about the series, though — what kept me watching through the endless shankings, betrayals, and ever-more-convoluted iterations of the Beecher-Schillinger-Keller triangle — was its treatment of faith. The show takes faith and spirituality seriously. Father Mukada, the prison chaplain and Catholic priest, is neither a caricature nor a cardboard cutout. He does a very difficult job as well as he can, often struggling alongside the prisoners with doubt and despair. Sister Peter Marie, Catholic nun and prison psychologist, is similarly complex.

Take the episode “Capital 1″ in the first season. Mukada and Sister Pete both follow the teachings of the Catholic Church in opposing the death penalty, and they’re torn about how to respond when it’s reinstituted. Father Mukada decides that he has to stay in the prison to provide pastoral care to prisoners on death row. Sister Pete takes a very different approach, quitting her job — albeit briefly — to join the anti-death-penalty picketers outside the prison. Neither character arrives easily or automatically at a course of action. They aren’t saints; they’re frail, fallible humans.

We also see the prisoners, especially Muslim leader Said and his followers, struggling with the meaning and consequences of religious faith. Almost every character on Oz, even those who aren’t formally religious, runs head-on into conflicts involving redemption, salvation, and forgiveness. On Oz, these aren’t just pretty words. They’re very literally matters of life and death. This is a show where questions about the soul have the driving urgency of countdowns to thermo-nuclear explosion in superhero movies. That makes sense, of course, since the action takes place in confined spaces. In Oz, theology replaces car chases.

Grade: Solid A

	Ernie Hudson	…	Warden Leo Glynn (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Harold Perrineau	…	Augustus Hill (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Lee Tergesen	…	Tobias ‘Toby’ Beecher (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
	J.K. Simmons	…	Vernon ‘Vern’ Schillinger (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Dean Winters	…	Ryan O’Reily (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Terry Kinney	…	Tim McManus (55 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Rita Moreno	…	Sister Peter Marie Reimondo (52 episodes, 1997-2003)
	George Morfogen	…	Robert ‘Bob’ Rebadow (51 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Eamonn Walker	…	Kareem Said (50 episodes, 1997-2003)
	B.D. Wong	…	Father Ray Mukada (47 episodes, 1997-2003)
	Kirk Acevedo	…	Miguel Alvarez (46 episodes, 1997-2003)

Edie Falco

…

Officer Diane Whittlesey / … (23 episodes, 1997-2000)

We hauled ourselves out of bed this morning and piled on the snow gear for a day of glorious snowboarding at Solitude. The snow was nearly fresh. While the sky was mostly cloudy, it was not too cold. Beecher, Truman, Anna & Patrick (Shawn’s kids) and Brock & Taylor) were in the party. I realized I was getting old for all it takes to get kids on the slopes (gear, passes, etc) and the snowboard legs were a little shaky too. Still, I love the feeling of the cold and the quiet and the speed. My friend Tony Johnson also joined us for half day.

The day ended with a trip tp Brigham City to meet Gina’s parents, Kay and Gene. Beecher and Truman were happy to see their grandparents and looking forward to more snow in Malad, ID, lots of food, the library and  late nights watching videos and playing cards. Tony made the trip with me, which was greatly appreciated. We stopped in to see Todd Wetsel and his kids on the way home. I have to get up early and hit the road to wish my darling wife Happy Birthday tomorrow. Thanks to Anna and Truman for photos.

My brother Shawn and family were kind enough to provide food and shelter while we were in Salt Lake as well as a nice sledding adventure not far from their house.

With a couple of plastic sleds in hand we climbed a hill leading to a ravine in the golf course and the fun began. Karen, Patrick, Anna and Beecher, Truman and I all took a turn down the hill on the sled. Karen attempted to take a safer route than the main hill but ended up catching the most air over the jump at the bottom of the hill.

We had a great view of the snow covered Salt Lake Valley to the west and the Wasatch Mountains to the east. Truman took great photos with the camera he got for Christmas. Anna was behind the lens for the following photos.

“We must accept finite disappointment
but never lose infinite hope.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
(each setback could prove to be a step forward)
~=~=-=~=-=-=-=~=-=~=~
“Rigid beliefs make disappointments seem unbearable, whereas realistic beliefs help us to accept disappointment and go on from there.”
— Eileen Kennedy-Moore —
~=~=-=~=-=-=-=~=-=~=~
“True hope dwells on the possible, even when life seems to be a plot written by someone who wants to see how much adversity we can overcome. True hope responds to the real world, to real life; it is an active effort.”
— Walter Anderson —

We all make plans, have dreams, and set goals. Will our plans materialize or end in complete failure? The only thing certain about life is uncertainty. So, our frail attempts may end in glorious victory or frustrating defeat. Such is the nature of life. We are destined to engage in a series of celebrations interspersed with a series of disappointments. Because of this, it is important to learn how to deal with disappointment. Martin Luther King, Jr. suggests one way of coping; mainly, by accepting it. After all, disappointment occurs in just one moment of time. And hope, or the understanding that future successes will follow, lightens its burden.

The word disappointment is made up of DIS and APPOINTMENT. DIS means separate, apart, or asunder. So, disappointment describes a feeling of dissatisfaction or anguish, which is experienced when we are torn apart from our expected appointment with fate. Yet, we don’t have to experience pain when things don’t go our way. The negativity surrounding disappointment exists not in the real world, but only in our mind. It is not the event, but our interpretation of it that causes pain.

Every time I take a walk with a friend, Will, regardless where we go, he always finds coins in the street and on the sidewalk. Mainly pennies, but sometimes nickels, dimes, and quarters. Hundreds of people walk by unaware of the change beneath their feet. So why is it that Will, who could use the extra money, always seems to find it? There’s no mysterious force at work here. Just common sense. Will finds the money because he’s looking for it! This is just a simple illustration of an important principle of life, which is WE FIND WHAT WE LOOK FOR. When things don’t go as I had hoped they would, is that bad? It is if I look for something bad. If I am slammed on the head by disappointment, is that good? Yes, it is, if I look for something good. We find what we look for.

…
“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.” — Joseph Addison

~Chuck Gallozzi in “Dealing With Disappointment”

I think it is possible to have a positive approach to disappointment. I don’t mean that it is a pleasant experience, but that disappointment can provide us with valuable information that we can learn from. … The best expression of this positive approach that I know is by Joanna Macy, a Buddhist social activist. Her approach is that disappointment is valuable because, “When you are disappointed you are not pretending.” (my paraphrase) This is true (though it applies to any other experience or emotion that we don’t withdraw from).

If, instead of avoiding our experiences, we embrace them, we find that we keep living and develop a resilience and sense of who we are. This gives us the sense that we are not any of our particular experiences — a sense of detachment from them. … If we can welcome, or at least acknowledge, our disappointment we gain a softness, a sense of our vulnerability (which is a good antidote to any ideas that we are ‘above’ suffering, or any grandiose thoughts that we may have). By welcoming our disappointment we can expand our compassion.

Here are some ideas I have that may help in times of disappointment, so that you can move to making disappointment a part of your experience and not something that overwhelms who you are — to gain some sense of detachment from it. I hope you find them useful.

1. Talk to your friends or family about your disappointment.
2. Find what the disappointment means to you.
3. Find the healthy desire.
4. Express your disappointment with all of you.
5. With a big disappointment, moving on means living differently.

~Evan Hadkins in “Disappointment”
[click thru for examples of the ideas]

~=~=-=~=-=-=~=-=~=-=-=~=-=~=~
“One’s best success comes after their greatest disappointments.”
— Henry Ward Beecher —
~=~=-=~=-=-=~=-=~=-=-=~=-=~=~

Triple ta, Dorian aka coffeesister |_|)
~=~=-=~=-=-=-=~=-=~=~
Take a moment to Drink Deeply @ coffeesister.net
Freshly brewed warmth & wisdom poured into every post..

PS: Getting these via e-mail yet?! Request it here!? Rest assured your address won’t be used for anything else & there’s only one e-mail each day so try it out.

I am a little slow getting these photos up of Dylan starting his frehsman year at University of Santa Barbara. He actually started at the end of Spetmeber and the family dropped him off and helped him move in.

Beecher, Dylan and Truman at UCSB.

Dylan with Gina and Hal in Dylan’s dorm room.

When things seem to be souring in the ministry, sometimes it is good to take an objective step back and evaluate the things for which we can be thankful.  Even before November rolls around.  How would you rate the week spiritually for yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10?

What could you do today to ensure a better “grade” for the coming week? Now is the time for resolve to change, not just resolutions. The former is a fixed frame of mind, a determination (Ps. 57:7); the latter can simply be good ideas, goals or promises made to ourselves as we lean upon our own understanding (Prov. 3:5). David said “I will sing and give praise” in the passage mentioned above. A thankful heart is fundamental to a living faith and victorious Christian walk:

1. A grateful person is a humble person, while ingratitude reveals a proud heart.

•  A grateful person feels a great sense of unworthiness–”I have so much more than I deserve.” But the ungrateful person feels, “I deserve so much more than I have.”
•  Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grows. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. Henry Ward Beecher

2. A grateful heart is a full heart, while an unthankful heart is an empty one.

3. People with grateful hearts are easily contented, while ungrateful people are subject to bitterness and discontent.

• Thanksgiving has great curative power. The heart that is constantly overflowing with gratitude will be safe from those attacks of resentfulness and gloom that bother so many religious persons. A.W. Tozer
• Thanksgiving is a proper answer to dark and disquieting thoughts, and may be an effectual means to silence. them. Songs of praise are sovereign cordials to drooping souls, and will help to cure melancholy. When we have no other answer to the suggestions of grief and fear, we may have recourse to this, “I thank thee, O Father.” Matthew Henry
•  Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic. John Henry Jowett

4. A grateful heart will be revealed and expressed by thankful words, while an unthankful heart will manifest itself in murmuring and complaining.

• Matthew Henry, after being robbed, said, “Let me be thankful, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although the took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed!”

5. Thankful people are refreshing, life-giving springs, while unthankful people pull others down with them into the stagnant pools of their selfish, demanding, miserable ways.

 From time to time, I find it helpful to stop and take stock of my “gratitude accounts.” I ask myself:

•  Is there any circumstance in my life for which I have never given thanks?
•  Is there some blessing I have received for which I have not expressed gratitude?
•  Is there an individual (family member, friend, acquaintance, associate, teacher, pastor) who has in some way touched or benefited my life, to whom I have not yet paid my debt by saying, “Thank you”? ~Nancy Leigh DeMoss

6. To give thanks to Him for all things, is, indeed, a very difficult duty; for it includes giving thanks for trials of all kinds; for suffering and pain; for reproaches; for loneliness. Yet those who have learned submission will not find it a hard duty. Priscilla Maurice

If there are events from this past year about which you have struggled, felt resentful, or not embraced as being from the hand of your heavenly Father, remember that His mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great. Go to Him now and review last week, and then lay next week at His feet with a thankful heart that, “tomorrow [and the rest of today!] is fresh, with no mistakes in it”.

Beecher & Truman Brea Bengals Football 2008

Beecher and Truman play Pop Warner football for the Brea Bengals in the Orange Empire Conference. Beecher plays fullback and linebacker on the junior pee wee green team (3-2-1) and Truman plays defensive tackle for the Midget team (4-2). Truman has one game remaining before the playoffs and Beecher’s playoff game is Saturday.

We drove south yesterday to spend an evening with the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets. I scored some

Truman and Beecher before Chargers vs. Jets game Brett Favre vs Chargers on MNF

tickets on Ebay for the Monday Night Football game. Beecher has kept an eye out for games that we could attend. So, he and Truman saw their first NFL game.

We left early enough beat the traffic on I-5 and got to the stadium exit by 4:00 pm. Kick-off was 5:30 pm. We picked up a sandwich at Quizno’s and decided that we would park and take the light rail system to the game. We had been warned about the crowds and long lines for the train after the game but we decided to give it a try. It was fun being on the train with all the fans. We got to our seats by 5:00 and saw the the teams warming up. We were on the 20 yard line and not far from the top but the seats were great and we had a good view of the game.

The thing about Steve Spurrier is that he is willing to pull a QB if the QB is not playing well.

I know there are some people that believe this hurts the QB confidence. The point that is made is that the QB is always looking over his shoulder afraid to make a mistake. This in turn hinders the QBs’ development and takes power and confidence from a team’s central position on offense.

I tend to disagree. I just don’t think the QB’s confidence is shaken by being benched because he should know he is just as likely to be place back in. This keeps the three QBs on your depth chart motivated to keep trying to get better. They are not relaxing until next season – they are thinking they better pay attention to what going on because they could be going right back in.

Smelley and Beecher are pretty close right now. If Beecher ws not sick or injured, I would not be surprised to see them alternating series and/or plays against UGA.

As it is Smelley will start this week and we will definitely see Garcia (unless Smelley is on fire and the game is still close late).

Have you seen our new community Urban Farm on Atwood and Beecher? I was inspired, but my backyard is the pits so I’m doing a container garden.

A few weeks ago I learned that I have a nectarine tree (which is being debated. My mother said it’s a plum tree but they’re NOT!- after extensive research at Krogers-LOL- I have concluded that they are nectarines. Only a bit smaller because no chemicals or growth hormones were added) Now the battle is between the squirrels, and birds…. between the two of them, I’m losing, because I don’t have enough time to pick them before they’re bitten.

Also, the lack of rain is not helping; I need some advice on self watering plants/vegetables..any idea’s?