The Graduate

Some things in life just don't even need explaining....

He got his GAME on!!!!

Today was the CD release party at the Circle Cinema. The girls were just screaming over him! The lady in the video is the one who made this possible and the guy introducing him is from Mikey B. from 106.9 K-Hits.

He's Got his Game on!

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Cause for trouble.....

These 3 grins alone are a cause for huge laughter and trouble. Especially when you sing on team together and sing songs that include funny words!!!!
I almost would venture to say this is a worship ministers call for migraine medicine.
3 of us on a couch = nothing getting accomplished = having a WHOLE LOTTA FUN!!!!

Thank You God!

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8

Oh Thank you God for giving me challanges but not crushing me. I will not despair. Thank you for not abandoning me but piercing my heart. I am strong, but you allow me to fall without destroying me. Please let those who see me, see Jesus in me.

Ice Cream!!!

After praising God...Theresa and I love to go out and "Trade our sorrows" with ice cream! It works everytime!

Laughter

Laughing is one of the greatest sounds in the world.

I hope you laugh a lot. There are days that I don't get enough of it.
So check back often....and you might read some funnies!!!

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mic, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mic cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.
After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered,"If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Praise be to God and may He bless your day with laughter!

Shining Stars!

Do you ever sit out at night and just look at the sky? Are you ever amazed at how many stars are in the sky? I love the sky. Unfortunately, where we live, there's lots of noise and lights so it's hard to see the sky. But I love to go out when the kids are in bed and lay on the trampoline and just look up at the sky.

I dream about the stars that are up there and it's such a great time of reflection.

It's a little weird how I dream, but I use that time to think of all the stars that are filling my sky each day.
My family: How they are so near and dear to me.
My friends: What they mean to me, how they care for me, pray for me, support me, love me, miss me. What would I do without my friends.
My Co-workers: He each day they shine a light into my heart and into my future.
My patients: How their faith keeps them going to fight the good fight and no matter the outcome, accept the victory they have won.

I sometimes fail to tell people how much they mean to me. Sometimes take it forgranted. I have some very bright stars that shine in a great big sky.

Are your stars shining today? Have you told them how much you love them?
Don't pass up on opportunities to tell others that you love them because your upset, or angry, or it's just uncomfortable. These days are precious and numbered. Don't let it pass you by without reaching out to the stars in your sky!

I stand amazed

I'm not one of those with a wealth of bible knowledge. I'm one of those who knows enough to do good and right by God. I'm not one to pick up the bible and just start studying. I need structure. So I was searching some sites tonight and saw that 3rd John is the smallest book in the bible. So I sat down to read and find out why there are only 294 words in this whole thing:
1The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.
9I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
13I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

Are you kidding me? This speaks volumes to me. Every sentence speaks to me:
I have brothers and sisters who are helping me to walk in the truth and reminding me of my strength.
This reminds me so much of what it is I have to be doing OUTSIDE the church and how I represent God. It reminds me that nothing is about me and it's all about Him. What my struggles are here on earth, are where I can find my riches in Heaven.

I'm so excited about this tonight. Praise be to God!

He made me cry!

All I can say is Ian made me cry today when he sang this at the school talent show!

Talent Show

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Someone did a really good job putting a video together for this song. It was really wrote for the troops but I think this video was cool.

Talent Show vs Variety Show

Are kids talent shows really talent shows or Variety Shows?

I am quiet excited that all 3 of my kids this year made the talent show. Ian squeezed in at the last moment, but let me say..that kids just blows me away in singing. I wish at age 11 I could sing like him.

Lukus will be doing the "Cupid Dance" with about 12 boys from his class
Emilie will be singing with a trio "You are my sunshine"

Most of the kids do more of a "variety" act rather than true talent. There are 45 and yes...I said 45 acts in this show on Friday and I pray it goes quickly. Some of them get up and tell a joke or two so they are pretty quick. But I love to see that kids any age are not afraid to put themselves in front of the school. I still have yet to conquer that fear totally. I'm getting better but still am not fearless like my children.

So I will make sure to take PLENTY of video that I can post so nobody misses it.

Do you ever feel like giving up? How do you cope with that?
There are many things I do...and I do wrong dealing with the guilt of disappointment. But when that disappointment is gone...I begin to get scared. My feelings of love and happiness turn to numbness and the attitude of "I don't care".

It seems like quitting on something is the much easier way out. My parents raised me to be a very independent woman. One that doesn't have to rely on anyone else for anything at all. I'm not sure that was a good move. I've been raising my kids like that I'm at the point of figuring out that it's not the best way. But then again...is there really a best way? Probably not.

I have the personality of a commander yet one that is sill able to laugh and have fun with the rest of society. On the homefront, it's not the same way. I play the role of many different faces here at home and it gets tiring. I understand my personality very well, and really...I like it. I like who I am. But when things go wrong, I doubt my self confidence and question who I am as a person.

God didn't make me to be the shy and quiet type, but rather, a go getter, a leader and a follower, a person that others look to when they need things done. God gave me a voice so that one day, I will take it out into the world and do something spectacular with it. I haven't found the cause yet, but it's out there.

I will probably do things in the future to disappoint myself, disappoint others, and disappoint God, but I'm working on making everything right in the eyes of Him, instead of the eyes of others. Again, it won't be perfect, but worth it in the end.

Mother's Day

I'm always amazed at what gifts I receive on Mother's day each year.

My absolute favorites are the things that are made by my kids. Especially the things they bring home from school that they work so hard on.

This year, Lukus made me a bowl in art class. He crafted the clay with his hands and it has his figerprints all over it. I couldn't be more happy.

Emilie wrote me a book. The teacher was a bit concerned because when she asked the kids to pick out the cover with their moms favorite color, Emilie choose black.
The teacher stopped me in the hall on Friday and asked me...and I confirmed, it is black.

Ian didn't make anything, but he didn't need too...the best gift he gave me was being wonderful in school all week! YAY!!!

Working on mother's day or any holiday isn't as bad as it seems. We just go on and it seems like another day. Besides you can celebrate mother's day...everyday.
Yesterday was an extremely hard day at work, emotionally and physically. Normally I work with 8 patients, and I had the entire floor yesterday. It was a bit overwhelming. Things were not going as planned. Well...not by our human plans...God had something different going on yesterday.
So I was in a patients room and several of the nurses come and call me out. I keep telling them I'm busy and I'll be there in a moment and they are rushing around..telling me it can't wait..I need to come now. My patient was stable so I dropped what I was doing and started to run out.
When I got out, my kids and Chad were standing there with flowers, balloons, and a gift.
It was so worth coming out of that room to see what was waiting for me. I needed those hugs and that love that could come from noone else but my family right then.

That's the kind of stuff that makes Mother's Day worth while!!!!

A day to celebrate

Ian had a really good week so we went to celebrate!!

What kids do!!!

Kids are just funny. I took apart an old desk and the drawers were still sitting in the garage. The kids decided to put them on their skateboards and well...you can see what they are doing. I guess when you won't buy more toys, they will start to make their own.

The Switch....

Today I was watching the E!True Hollywood story on Katie Couric. I was amazed and inpsired by her story of being a cancer survivor.
One clip had a relative saying:
"I never heard Katie say 'why me' or 'what did I do to deserve this'" But what she did do is became an advocate for the cancer society and urged people to go get checked. So many lives were save because of this.

I started thinking about our situation at home. I wish I could be one of those people of inspiration that you could say "Brenda never said....why me!" But in fact, I have said that. I have wondered what I did to deserve it and if it were also some cruel joke.

But I wonder where the "SWITCH" takes place. That switch where you go from being down and out, to I'm going to conquer this...and help others too.

I've realized so much this week.
I've taken time every day to go and eat lunch with Ian at school. It's certainly not about the food, but I think during our 30 minutes together, he feels that he has someone to talk to and has a way to get his feelings out and regroup for the rest of the day. He has had some really good days since I've been out of school so I will make sure that I have lunch with him until school is out this year. He deserves that from me. He has great insight into the things he loves and he just needs someone to sit and listen to him. Who better than his mom!!!

I had a great time watching Lukus and Emilie at SSBkids yesterday. (www.ssbkids.com) Their skills are really progressing and they are advancing faster than I thought they would. It's amazing what they have accomplished in 8 weeks! Lukus obviously has more talent in tumbling then I anticipated. He desires to be on a competivite team. I'm not sure he's at the right age for that. Chad was able to go with us and the kids loved him being there.

So back to my original thought here....where does the switch take place? That switch where you go from anger and denial...to acceptance and happiness?

I think I'm 3/4 of the way there now. I've really enjoyed my time with Ian over the past week and a half and I've seen some very postiive growth in him. I think he may resent me right now for going back to school. So when it starts up again in a few weeks, I'm really going to have to work hard to make sure he still feels the love and attention he is getting right now. They dynamic is so odd. I never really noticed how much my time in school is affecting him. So now I have a new set of task to work on. And I think they will work. I'm excited about it.

One Flaw in Women

Celebrating Mothers Of Special Needs Children


One Flaw in Women
By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."
"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."
And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
However, If There Is One Flaw In Women,
It Is That They Forget Their Worth.

THURSDAY'S A COMIN!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED for Thursday to get here. I can't wait for the MWS concert! Below is just one of my favorite songs!!!

National Nurses Week

May 6th thru 12th is National Nurses Week

If you know a nurse....show your apprecitaion for all they do. It's truly a rewarding yet demanding job.