An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."

The banker then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a nap with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I play guitar and sing with my friends. I have a full and busy life."

The banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big city where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the banker replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then?"

The banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions...Then what?"

The banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play your guitar and sing with your friends."

I am thankful and it is not even thanksgiving yet!

Jessica my oldest daughter was in a serious car accident Wednesday evening. She was hurt, -- minor injuries. She has a black eye, bruised neck, leg and hand and is sore all over. A car rear ended her, they tried to miss her, but caught her right rear, that sent her into oncoming traffic, where she was hit by a oncoming car in the passenger side. He husband said the door was pushed up to the center console, The policeman who witnessed the accident said if anyone would have been in the passenger seat, they would probably have been killed. I am thankful that Jessica was not hurt any worse, or killed.
She is very sore today and is missing work, which I understand the insurance of the person who hit her will pay her for missed work.
Every day I pray for a hedge of protection around my living children. (Physically as well as spiritually and emotionally,) I pray I will not have to bury another one of my children. Some may say that Wednesday God didn't answer my prayer because Jessica was in a car accident, I say it was answered because she is still with us and her injuries were minor. I do not expect my children to not have to survive tough times be they spiritual, physical, or emotional. We grow closer to God when life is tough. Life here on earth is tough, but God will help us through whatever we are going through if we let Him. I pray that I will never have to bury another one of my children, I ask that of Jesus every day. That is MY selfish prayer. I know that. If one of my 3 living children die before me. I will still trust in Jesus, Isaiah 55:9
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts"
God is in control, I am not. I never was, I never will be. But I love Jesus and know he will never leave me nor forsake me as the bible states several times. I chose to use this reference Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

I am thankful I will continue to be thankful. Thank you Jesus.

I am thankful, and it is not even thanksgiving yet!

Food for thought

A student walked into my office one day to tell me he no longer believed in God. How long had he been shacking up whit his girlfriend, I asked. Angry at first, he eventually admitted that, yes he was sleeping with his girlfriend, although he said he couldn't see what that had to do with his intellectual doubts about the existence of God. I pointed out that the God he believes in dosen't allow him to exploit women sexually; and because he enjoys that behavior, he is attempting to jettison the God who would condemn his behavior. This student's doubt is not the result of intellectual reflection, but of disobeying the norms of his beliefs.
-Tony Compolo
Exerpt from Adventures in missing the point pg 252

SURVIVOR

10 years ago today my oldest son Shaun went to see Jesus and stayed. Around 3:00 on a beautiful friday afternoon---Just like Jesus!

I too was changed forever on that day.

I am thankful that Jessica was allowed to stay here on earth for a while yet.

I am not the same person I was before he died,

I am different now, I no longer think everything will be OK.

I know that awful things happen to faithful Christian people.

I know that Jesus is real beyond any doubt

I know He held my broken heart in his nail scared hands until it was mended back together.. ..He has never let go of me!

I know there will always be a scar from that Broken heart, I will never be the same.

I know the power of others peoples prayers.

I know that my wonderful living children are partially who they are because of the death of their older brother.

I know who my real friends are.... the ones who are not afraid to mention Shauns name, or give me a hug when they don't know what else to do or say--even now 10 years after his death, they remember him. THANK YOU

I am thankful for my faithful friends who walked this awful path with me.

I am thankful for my husband and living children. They're all awesome.

I love them all, You have all helped me to become the new wife and mom I am today.

I had a hard time learning to like the new me.. I was ok with the before Shauns death mom/wife/Julie.. I didn't want to be who I am now.

I Thank you for supporting me and loving the new me.

I will never be satisfied with any reason that anyone gives for why Shaun died.... No reason is good enough for me

I will however love my living children in ways they would never be loved had Shaun not died.

I know that my children are a gift form God!

I know that they are not my children,

I now that they are on loan to me from God.

I will Love them while I can.

I know I will see Shaun when I too get to go to Heaven

I will trust Jesus EVEN when I don't understand.

I will never be the same again.

I am a survivor.

college class of 2012 mindset

Since my youngest is starting college I found this info interesting hope you do too..


BELOIT COLLEGE CLASS OF 2012 MINDSET LIST

This month, almost 2 million first-year students will head off to college campuses around the country. Most of them will be about 18 years old, born in 1990 when headlines sounded oddly familiar to those of today: Rising fuel costs were causing airlines to cut staff and flight schedules; Big Three car companies were facing declining sales and profits; and a president named Bush was increasing the number of troops in the Middle East in the hopes of securing peace. However, the mindset of this new generation of college students is quite different from that of the faculty about to prepare them to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Each August for the past 11 years, Beloit College in Beloit, Wis., has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college. It is the creation of Beloit's Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and Public Affairs Director Ron Nief. The List is shared with faculty and with thousands who request it each year as the school year begins, as a reminder of the rapidly changing frame of reference for this new generation.

The class of 2012 has grown up in an era where computers and rapid communication are the norm, and colleges no longer trumpet the fact that residence halls are "wired" and equipped with the latest hardware. These students will hardly recognize the availability of telephones in their rooms since they have seldom utilized landlines during their adolescence. They will continue to live on their cell phones and communicate via texting. Roommates, few of whom have ever shared a bedroom, have already checked out each other on Facebook where they have shared their most personal thoughts with the whole world.

It is a multicultural, politically correct and “green” generation that has hardly noticed the threats to their privacy and has never feared the Russians and the Warsaw Pact.

Students entering college for the first time this fall were generally born in 1990.

For these students, Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Henson, Ryan White, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddy Krueger have always been dead.

1. Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.
2. Since they were in diapers, karaoke machines have been annoying people at parties.
3. They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.
4. GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.
5. Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.
6. Shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle.
7. Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.
8. Their parents may have dropped them in shock when they heard George Bush announce "tax revenue increases."
9. Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.
10. Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.
11. All have had a relative--or known about a friend's relative--who died comfortably at home with Hospice.
12. As a precursor to "whatever," they have recognized that some people "just don’t get it."
13. Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.
14. Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.
15. Martha Stewart Living has always been setting the style.
16. Haagen-Dazs ice cream has always come in quarts.
17. Club Med resorts have always been places to take the whole family.
18. WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.
19. Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.
20. The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.
21. Students have always been "Rocking the Vote.”
22. Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.
23. Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.
24. We have always known that "All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."
25. There have always been gay rabbis.
26. Wayne Newton has never had a mustache.
27. College grads have always been able to Teach for America.
28. IBM has never made typewriters.
29. Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.
30. McDonald's and Burger King have always used vegetable oil for cooking french fries.
31. They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.
32. There has always been Pearl Jam.
33. The "Tonight Show" has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.
34. Pee-Wee has never been in his playhouse during the day.
35. They never tasted Benefit Cereal with psyllium.
36. They may have been given a Nintendo Game Boy to play with in the crib.
37. Authorities have always been building a wall across the Mexican border.
38. Lenin's name has never been on a major city in Russia.
39. Employers have always been able to do credit checks on employees.
40. Balsamic vinegar has always been available in the U.S.
41. Macaulay Culkin has always been "Home Alone."
42. Their parents may have watched "The American Gladiators" on TV the day they were born.
43. Personal privacy has always been threatened.
44. Caller ID has always been available on phones.
45. Living wills have always been asked for at hospital check-ins.
46. The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback.
47. They never heard an attendant ask "Want me to check under the hood?"
48. Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.
49. Soft drink refills have always been free.
50. They have never known life without Seinfeld references from a show about "nothing."
51. Windows 3.0 operating system made IBM PCs user-friendly the year they were born.
52. Muscovites have always been able to buy Big Macs.
53. The Royal New Zealand Navy has never been permitted a daily ration of rum.
54. The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.
55. 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.
56. Michael Milken has always been a philanthropist promoting prostate cancer research.
57. Off-shore oil drilling in the United States has always been prohibited.
58. Radio stations have never been required to present both sides of public issues.
59. There have always been charter schools.
60. Students always had "Goosebumps."

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2012.php

Dogs letters to God

Brooke wanted me to update my blog, but I just don't have time right now, maybe next week in the meantime enjoy ---

DOGS' LETTERS TO GOD:

Dear God,
When we get to heaven can we sit on your couch? Or is it the same old story?

Dear God,
Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We dogs love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the Chrysler Eagle the Chrysler Beagle?

Dear God,
If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God,
Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another? Where are their priorities?

Dear God,
More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God,
When we get to the Pearly Gates, do we have to shake hands to get in?

Dear God,
Are there dogs on other planets or are we alone? I have been howling at the moon and stars for a long time, but all I ever hear back is the Schnauzer across the street.

Dear God,
Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God,
We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID's, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Enjoying Life and adjusting to death

I remember that in my first post of the new year, I was writing about all that we are looking forward to this year. Many of those things have come to pass. This past weekend Brooke graduated from High school and had a wonderful celebration. She is loved by so many and it was obvious by the great turn out to her party. Because it was memorial weekend many family members from farther away were able to come, so we celebrated her graduation with a house full of people too!! During the ceremony a speaker was sharing about this class being a movie. She said Brooke and another classmate, would be the "good guys" always standing up for what they believe in. I think that is an awesome way for her classmates to see her. You do not know how people perceive you. Obviously Brooke's classmates see that she is genuine. What an honor. I am sure that they have observed her through her struggles and tough times. They were watching to see how she would respond, when life sucks. She passed that test too!
Because of the her graduation party we realized there is something wrong with the wiring in my moms shop where the party was held. Brooke wanted taco soup, so I put everything in the roasters, My nephews wife, Lisa and my nieces husband Ryan planned on staying at our house so the little ones could nap. Lisa was going to work on getting things ready while most of the rest of us went to the graduation, I went up to show her around, the roasters were cold! So I showed her where the pans and crock pots were, and headed off to graduation, came back to find that my crock pot had almost started a fire! It had melted the cord and the bottom was so hot that the plastic legs were melted and had melted the tablecloth is was on and the wood it was setting on was black! The Lord provided one of those staying back to walk outside the shop to smell it. The crock pot had only been on about 5 minutes He(Mike)smelled something hot and this is what he found. So things changed and they had to make even different arrangements but it all worked out. Lisa and Natasha did an excellent job serving the food, and keeping things running smooth so most of the guests had no idea of the problems! An electrician is coming to look at it tomorrow! I am just frustrated with myself for forgetting the shredded cheese to put on top of the soup, all 10 pounds were still in my fridge when the party was over!! :-(

Brooke is planning on leaving on Sunday evening (after her last piano recital) to begin her summer job at camp Luz. Because of some of what she will be doing she is going early for 2 weeks of training. She is so excited. She had such a good experience last year. I hope this year is even better for her.
Brooke and I went to register for college. She is so excited for that too, -- I am scared! Christian Colleges have messed up so many young people lately with their liberal off the wall theology and values. It seems to me they are becoming to secular and taking there focus off the Bible and on to other books and theory's One of the college staff their even said "we will change your values" --that scares me!!! College did change Calebs values, and not for the better! We parents put our lives. love and values into our children and the Christian colleges can screw them up in such a short time! Sometimes I wonder if a secular college would be a better choice for our young adults, they don't expect them to teach Christianity, so our christian youth don't have as hard of a time dealing with it, But on the other hand most secular colleges think Christianity is not real anyway. tough.. tough.. (Didn't know I was going to go there!)

Caleb is now in Diamond Louisiana with Mennonite disaster service-- until July 30. He was not excited to go since he had a poor experience with this organization last summer. My Prayer is that he will have a good experience this year and not loose his faith because of those that act unchristian who call themselves Christians!! (see previous post) He graduated from Hesston College May 4. We enjoyed having him home for a few weeks, although he did head west for a week to visit a special friend. He is hoping to find a job and live in Fort Wayne Indiana with a college friend in late summer. I hope that works out for him too. He needs some positive things to happen in his life, unfortunately he has had too many negatives the last couple years.

In my New years blog I also wondered who would have their lives forever changed by death... Our neighbor and her mother were killed in a car accident in Pa on there way home from a funeral on April 17. She was in her early 60s and her mom was 90, Her Husband has not been able to go back to their place and live yet, He is staying with their daughter. They were looking at a different house because theirs was in poor condition, now he has lost his desire to pursue that, and doesn't know what he is going to do. Dave said the house would not be livable another winter. On that same day (April 17) there was another car accident just a few miles from here. Charlies (My moms late husband) daughter-in-law was in, she also died a few days later. This is a difficult situation for my family because Charlies kids are not happy with his will and trust that he made before his death, and are suing my mom and our church (mom is to have the rights to his property until her death, then it is to go to the church.) Charlies kids had little to do with him when he was alive, his daughter didn't even want her name in the obituary! Anyway I keep praying for these men as they adjust to their wives living with Jesus.

Just over a week ago our nephew Kyle who lives near Houston was in a motorcycle accident, he had road rash over most of his body, broke a toes and dislocated his shoulder. He is home but his mom went out to help him as he recuperates, He is in a wheelchair and sounds like the road rash is healing but he is very sore

This year is not even half over yet and there are good and bad things that have happened again I wonder what lies ahead for the rest of the year..
Dave is still planning on going to Mexico for a mission trip it will probably be in the fall, We have a niece getting married in Iowa October 18. We are excited for her. Dave and I will once again be great aunt and uncle. (We always new we were great:-))

I know we (Dave and I) will have some major adjustments to once again conquer. Even though the kids have been gone the last 2 summers, no one will be returning home in the fall. They are going to be moving ahead with their lives and needing their parents less and less.:-( Yes that is what we raise out kids to do, But I still love it when Jessica calls and asks me something:-). All of this is easier then burying them! I will adjust in a much shorter time. And I can still talk to them and visit them it will be great! The way life should be!! When Jessica moved out on her own she was so excited that it was hard not to be excited with her. I hope that is the way it is with the other 2 also.
Who would ever think we would pay $4.00 for gasoline? wonder what we will be paying by the end of the year?

We may not understand all His ways, but we can know Him whose ways are unfathomable! (Chuck Swindoll)

May the rest of your 2008 be great!