tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67839336698210424892024-03-14T00:03:11.287-07:00Lather Rinse Repeatknuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-64571674058821507362013-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:002013-07-04T13:45:02.341-07:00The Great American Nail Salon 4th of July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disney World, Photo by Olivia Knutson </span></div>
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Since we are an entire family are "Pyros" and reside in one the few cities in LA County that allow "Safe and Sane" fireworks; the 4th of July around the Knutson Manor is unrestrained, sticky, dangerous and LOUD.<br />
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Every year Mr. K grills the perennial hot dogs and hamburgers and for dessert he makes homemade, from scratch, peppermint ice cream. Playing the role of Mrs. K, I plan to make the Jello three layer red, white and blue "Jiggler" dessert or the sheet cake with cream cheese frosting, blueberries and strawberries decorated like a flag. I have made this every year since I can remember...the plans... not the actual food items. The actual dessert is probably never going to happen, but it is a my festive holiday ritual and I'm nothing if not traditional. I usually end up opening the chips and putting them in a bowl. We do have standards, you know.<br />
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My job is to sit in the lawn chair out front and yell at the children, as they race past me into the house, to not bother Mr. K as he's working <strike>cooking/cursing</strike> on the ice cream. He spends hours in the kitchen grumbling to himself about temperatures, ice to salt ratios and running to the store for stuff he forgot. He tries not to hit the dozens of children that run amuck on our cul-de-sac, as he races to Ralphs and then Vons, because Ralphs never has what he needs. This is his festive holiday ritual.<br />
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The kids run in and out of the house all day; bringing out toys, games, peppermint candy stolen from Mr. K in the kitchen and Barbies. Barbies seem to reproduce asexually, like starfish, in our home in the bathtub and under the girls' beds. They are always partially clothed, topless or bottomless and have wet hair. I have no idea why.<br />
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The children's job is to complete three tasks to signal the lighting of the fireworks.<br />
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<li>Task number one is run in and out of the house as many times possible while being screamed at to "GET OUT"! </li>
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<li>Number two is as I explained earlier, to drag outside as many toys as possible and get them all sticky and grassy. </li>
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<li>The final task usually takes all day, but having the neighborhood children and friends with large families is helpful. They must make sure the floors inside especially the bathroom floors are sufficiently moist with a special holiday spritzer of.....</li>
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"Barbie hair"- Water<br />
"Red soda" (a holiday miracle since we stopped serving red soda/punch years ago)<br />
"I half washed my hands and the dirt and soap dripped down from the counters"- Water<br />
And lastly, "little boy I can't aim" Pee Pee.<br />
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It takes all day for this cocktail to ferment in to slightly reddish brown trail marking a pathway throughout the house. But then and only then can the real fun begin. The Lighting/ Jumping of the fireworks!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Guys go back in the house and spill some more soda on the floor, it's not quite sticky enough"</span></div>
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I have a favorite nail salon "Happy Nails" it's located in my local shopping mall. Like most nail salons in the Los Angeles area it is staffed by Vietnamese women. I have been going there regularly for years. I began getting my pedicures there when I came back from Haiti the first time.<br />
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Some of you know, but in case you don't, our youngest daughter is adopted from Haiti. It took much longer than expected, four years in fact and in that time she was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor, which lengthened the adoption process. Needless to say I ended up visiting Haiti a lot, over twenty times. While I hated waiting for our daughter to come home, I found myself falling in love with Haiti. I'm so thankful for the time I was able to spend there. I love the noise, the food, Haitian church worship, the artwork, the bumpy roads, the pigs, the roosters and the people. I love the Haitian people.<br />
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One of the few things I didn't enjoy there were the mosquitoes, although they enjoyed me, a little too much. I was always spraying my feet and ankles as they are a know mosquito delicacy. Only the truly caustic stuff worked to keep them away, but it would take a toll on my feet. The spray would always melt my toenail polish and slightly burn the soles of my feet. I would always come home with nasty looking trotters. This is why I began to visit Happy Nails.<br />
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I remember the first visit to the salon I explained why my feet were so disgusting, the ladies seem nonplussed and began to chatter away in Vietnamese to one another. Perhaps they were talking about the chubby lady with Haitian Trench Foot, but I doubt it. Anyway, I would just sit back and let them scrub away while I longed for my daughter and Haiti. Going to the nail salon became part of my Haiti ritual. I would return home, cry for a day, have my nails done and then plan for the next visit. <br />
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I became a regular at Happy Nails. I even started learning the ladies names in English and Vietnamese. I had to stick to English though, because I'm so Caucasian it makes me butcher name pronunciations other than those used in the Mid-Western United States from 1940-1965. The ladies also got to know my story and that of our daughter in Haiti. I learned that most of the ladies lived in Little Saigon in Orange County, traveled a distance over 30 miles for work, were American citizens and many of them supported their families on their income alone. Finally after four years our daughter came home in late summer 2008 and my visits to the salon stopped.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yverline in Haiti July 4th 2008. One month before emigrating</span><br />
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In Ancient Greece on the Island of Crete a fresco was created in the Palace of Knossos. It is of a man leaping over a bull to celebrate an archaic holiday. It's a lot like that here at the Knutson Manor on our country's birthday. Of course this is always done with utmost attention to safety, this is America after all, not Greece! Did they have "Safe and Sane" bulls? No! I should think not. But we on the other hand DO have "Safe and Sane" fireworks. We also work up to our daring feats against the gods of gunpowder, we don't just leap on in. <br />
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First we begin with a few sparklers waving them around discreetly and cautiously. Then someone decides they need to write their name in the air, then another tops that and writes theirs on the sidewalk in burning sparkler soot. After that the kids kind of whip themselves in a frenzy running up and down the street ala "Statue of Liberty" crying out occasionally when a spark lands on bare skin. Soon one of the sassy older kids pretends to smoke the sparklers like they're Cruella de Ville sashaying all about. This causes the parents to feign shock and yell, "Knock it off, you're setting a bad example". They do this while trying to stifle a snort, which is a skill in of itself. <br />
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After the sparklers are all gone and one of the smaller kids has a melt down, out come the Snaps. These come in a tiny matchbox packed with sawdust and look like little twists of toilet paper with black powder inside, because, basically that's what they are. These require no supervision so the <strike>adults</strike> big kids can set up the REAL fireworks. Typically there are a few minor injuries, mostly from throwing the whole pack into the wind and a piece of sawdust gets into an eye, or one of the bigger children has hoarded a whole handful and thrown them at an unsuspecting barefoot sibling, culminating in loud crackles followed by screaming. Which coincidentally is the signal for the jumping to begin.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cruella De Ville</span></div>
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Almost a year after our daughter came home I took her to Happy Nails for a 4th of July "Mommy and Me" pedicure. The ladies were glad to see me and I introduced them to my girl, Yverline. There were quite a few new women working that day who didn't know our story. Some of the veteran employees were filling in the others in Vietnamese. I had a new girl working with me and she asked about the adoption and why my daughter was in a wheelchair. I explained how her adoption took a long time and how she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and that since she had come home to us she has had one surgery and treatment after another, but was doing well. She then excused herself and began going around the salon asking the other ladies something in Vietnamese.<br />
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She was collecting money.<br />
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She returned and asked if my daughter would like a free manicure with flowers and jewels. I was moved as I know these ladies work so hard for a living. If you have ever been to a nail salon you will know <b>everything</b> is extra, especially jewels and flowers; so to have them pool their tip money to make a little girl's day special was especially poignant. Yverline beamed with her hands and toes freshly painted. <br />
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As we were finishing up I causally asked what she was doing to celebrate the 4th. She answered, "We always go to the movies, all of us." As she said this she gestured to all the other women. "Oh, why is that, do you ever go to see the fireworks in the park?, I said. She then began to explain that as children growing up in Vietnam during the war, that the sound of fireworks gave them flashbacks. To avoid the the noise they would go in a large group to the theater.<br />
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I was stunned and my eyes began to fill with tears.<br />
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I gave her a huge hug and thanked her and the rest of the women over and over again. We then headed home.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Blurry photo of Yverline's hand painted flowers and jewels</span></div>
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After the signal the big kids jump first, their grace and timing are flawless. Then the middle kids who are nearly as elegant are up; usually there is a shy child who through <strike>taunting</strike> gentle encouragement by older siblings overcome their fears and graduate to firework leaper. The younger ones run and stop about 10 feet away and kick in the direction of the pyrotechnic display in an act of defiance to the firework demons. Then the adults try their luck, which is similar to Ancient Greece; except we are the bulls, sweating, snorting and out of breath; barley clearing the sparks. Then sadly it's over too soon only the mess remains<br />
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...oh and the smell of smoke in our hair<br />
...and the half melted ice cream and leftovers that need to go in the fridge<br />
...and all the sticky grassy Barbies<br />
...and the floors (sigh)<br />
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So this year will be no different and no less dysfunctional at the Knutson Manor. But before it all gets going I will stop and think about all the immigrants who made and are making this country great.<br />
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My grandparents and great grandparents.<br />
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My beautiful daughter.<br />
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And the generous women at Happy Nails who live with the pain of the past and the promise of the future .<br />
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God Bless You and God Bless America<br />
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<br />knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-30982159225111024072011-04-27T13:50:00.000-07:002011-04-27T14:16:20.116-07:00Wordless Wednesday (well, almost)<span style="font-weight: bold;">U2 </span>Rose Bowl Pasadena, California<br />10/29/2009<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Set List:</span><br />Breathe<br />Get On Your Boots<br />Magnificent<br />Mysterious Ways<br />Beautiful Day (with a few lines from In God’s Country)<br />I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, with coda of Stand By Me,<br />Stuck In A Moment (acoustic guitar version)<br />No Line On The Horizon,<br />Elevation,<br />In A Little While (last verse spoken by an astronaut in the International Space Station),<br />Unknown Caller,<br />Until the End of the World<br />The Unforgettable Fire<br />City of Blinding Lights,<br />Vertigo,<br />I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight<br />Sunday Bloody Sunday,<br />MLK (Martin Luther King tribute),<br />Walk On (Aung San Suu Kyi tribute) with Never Walk Alone snippet<br /><br />Desmond Tutu recorded message<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Encore:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />One<br />Amazing Grace<br />Where the Streets Have No Name<br />Ultraviolet (Light My Way)<br />With or Without You<br />Moment of Surrender<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sM7ZsIJXds/TbiEps8MceI/AAAAAAAAATs/HC_n0nqNi-g/s1600/IMG_5669.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sM7ZsIJXds/TbiEps8MceI/AAAAAAAAATs/HC_n0nqNi-g/s400/IMG_5669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600371988608348642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsMUntD0s8Y/TbiGIAavfdI/AAAAAAAAAT0/6DqUjKeo04Q/s1600/IMG_5677_2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsMUntD0s8Y/TbiGIAavfdI/AAAAAAAAAT0/6DqUjKeo04Q/s400/IMG_5677_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600373608744451538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gO9fIqRHwsM/TbiDzrEwO9I/AAAAAAAAATc/MVA9uwcrEZw/s1600/IMG_5676.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gO9fIqRHwsM/TbiDzrEwO9I/AAAAAAAAATc/MVA9uwcrEZw/s400/IMG_5676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600371060394441682" border="0" /></a>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-46241295102450908202011-04-19T10:52:00.008-07:002019-04-07T17:33:02.527-07:00Films for Easter<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTWon9n5CVE&t=8s">The Miracle Maker</a><span style="font-style: italic;">All links were updated on 4/2/2012</span><br />
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It seems as though Christmas gets all the good inspirational holiday family movies. From the ever favorite "It's a Wonderful Life", "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", "Charlie Brown Christmas" and the many incarnations of "A Christmas Carol" there are no shortage of films.<br />
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But poor Easter is sorely lacking in the inspirational family movie department. I know there is Mel Gibson's "Passion" and we own a copy, but that is not something we would ever sit down to watch as a family, especially since some of my children are still young. It is more of an event to be viewed sparingly and by older children only.<br />
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I really wish there were more family films about Easter, Christ, the Resurrection and the early church. But that doesn't mean that there are not some real gems that can be used to convey the message of sacrifice and redemption; in the same way parables are used to teach us more about the Kingdom of God.<br />
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Christ often taught His followers with parables. He told earthly stories with Heavenly meanings. John and I have always used stories to convey our love and the Father's love to our children; some of these are found in the Bible, in family accounts, in fiction and non-fiction books and in films.<br />
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So I decided to share some of our favorites to inspire you this Easter season. I hope you watch with your family and have meaningful discussions and draw inferences to our Lord and the Easter story while being emotionally engaged and entertained. I listed them by age group starting with films that can be watched with younger children and ending with late Jr. High/adult.<br />
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Enjoy and Happy Easter.<br />
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1. The Miracle Maker:<br />
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This is my favorite movie about the Ministry of Jesus hands down. If I wanted to share the Gospel in movie form with anyone, regardless of their age or background I would show them this movie. Why? Because it is the SIMPLE retelling of the ministry, passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Don't let the fact that it is made in stop-motion animation fool you, this movie packs a punch and is bibilicaly sound without being preachy or watering down the message. It also has a stellar voice cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Ian Holm, Julie Christie, Alfred Molina, William Hurt and Miranda Richardson.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTWon9n5CVE&t=8s" width="459"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">You can see from this clip how compelling this version is</span><br />
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You can purchase "The Miracle Maker" <a href="http://www.lionsgateshop.com/product.asp?Id=24895&TitleParentId=2262">Here</a><br />
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2. City Lights:<br />
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This is Charlie Chaplin's masterpiece. It follows the misadventures of his iconic movie character <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Tramp</span>, think homeless person, as he tries to assist a beautiful blind girl he meets on the streets. The genius of this film is the juxtaposition of slapstick comedy and some thoughtful commentary on society, homelessness, hopelessness, the rich, judging others and mercy. Without giving too much away there is also a subtext of being falsely accused so others can benefit and having to pay a debt to society that wasn't deserved. The ending of this movie is one of the most beautifully filmed scenes in all of cinema. While this is technically a "Silent Film" there are sound effects and the music was written by Chaplin himself. Please note there is some alcohol use/abuse and a comical suicide attempt (only Chaplin could get away with it) so I don't recommend it for small children.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WivhDJRXCU4?fs=1" width="480"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the entire restored film on Youtube</span><br />
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3. Captains Courageous:<br />
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They just don't make films like this anymore. This film has everything: Its' story was written by Rudyard Kipling and stars Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew, Mickey Rooney, Melvyn Douglas, John Carradine and Lionel Barrymore. It was directed by Victor Fleming, who also directed Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz. The story follows Harvey Cheyne a young, trust fund brat who falls off his father's ocean liner and picked up by a fishing boat. He is transformed by the love and discipline of Manuel a Portuguese fisherman. The Biblical analogies are woven throughout this film. Harvey is nearly dead when he comes out of the water (baptism). He is also separated emotionally and physically from his father who loves him and is restored by the love and sacrifice of (Im)<span style="font-weight: bold;">Manuel</span>. This is just a beautiful story of redemption.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vFWZmSuJ5-8" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">You can rent it on <a href="http://www.netflix.com/">Netflix</a> or purchase it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=dvd+captains+courageous&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3266021925&ref=pd_sl_43bluiqomq_b">Amazon</a></span><br />
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4. The Dollmaker:<br />
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This film haunts me. It reminds me of a Steinbeck novel but with a redemptive ending. It is heartbreaking, powerful and a stunning portrayal of sacrifice. The main character is Gertie Nevels who uproots her children from the hills of Kentucky to follow her husband to a company town in Detroit. They suffer one hardship after another and the entire family is brought to the brink when they finally realize they were better off back at home. There is no money for them to return and that's when a sacrifice must be made. The characters are very "real" and are flawed, stubborn, at times cruel, unforgiving and despairing. Jane Fonda is a revelation, even if you don't like her as an actress, she will blow you away. The themes of this film are, forgiveness, bitterness, despair and redemption. Be prepared, you will cry. This is recommended only for mature children, 8th grade and older.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EDbJTDSOiwA" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">This trailer is really poorly produced but the film is stunning.</span><br />
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This is an impossible film to find but you can buy "The Dollmaker" Hereknuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-63179214500090191952011-02-09T08:53:00.000-08:002011-02-09T09:03:18.474-08:00Wordless WednesdaySanta Barbara Zoo<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLH2Ug-JgI/AAAAAAAAATA/CywdFQrvLgA/s1600/IMG_5497.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLH2Ug-JgI/AAAAAAAAATA/CywdFQrvLgA/s400/IMG_5497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571735425044588034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHt7NepOI/AAAAAAAAAS4/lbwTtV4Le4g/s1600/IMG_5514.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHt7NepOI/AAAAAAAAAS4/lbwTtV4Le4g/s400/IMG_5514.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571735280812991714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHh13qFSI/AAAAAAAAASw/9U71aYsmETs/s1600/IMG_5530.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHh13qFSI/AAAAAAAAASw/9U71aYsmETs/s400/IMG_5530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571735073220859170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHWCBaiQI/AAAAAAAAASo/LjWJnjMR2vw/s1600/IMG_5536.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHWCBaiQI/AAAAAAAAASo/LjWJnjMR2vw/s400/IMG_5536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571734870324578562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHNK1PkkI/AAAAAAAAASg/ughHfy6-v40/s1600/IMG_5551.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLHNK1PkkI/AAAAAAAAASg/ughHfy6-v40/s400/IMG_5551.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571734718070624834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLG7h4owuI/AAAAAAAAASY/uvkaBsmqfCI/s1600/IMG_5556.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TVLG7h4owuI/AAAAAAAAASY/uvkaBsmqfCI/s400/IMG_5556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571734415021228770" border="0" /></a>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-20857758314968647332011-02-07T15:56:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:08:35.182-08:00Music MondaysHarry Nilsson - June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994<br /><br />Was a great cover artist whose own songs were also covered by the likes of, <span style="font-style: italic;">Frank Sinatra</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Glen</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Campbell</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fred Astaire</span>,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Little Richard</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Yardbirds</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Shangri-Las</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Three Dog Night</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ringo Starr</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Stevie Nicks</span> and so many others.<br /><br />When John Lennon was asked who his favorite American Artist was he simply said, "Nilsson".<br /><br />I chose three of Harrry's best.<br /><br />One original and two covers. " <span style="font-weight: bold;">Everybody's Talkin</span>' ", written by Fred Neil, covered by Harry and made famous when played in 1969's Academy Award winner for Best Picture, <span style="font-style: italic;">Midnight Cowboy</span>. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">One</span>" written by and performed by Nilsson and later a hit for <span style="font-style: italic;">Three Dog Night</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Tommy James and the Shondells</span>. And finally "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Without You</span>" a cover of a <span style="font-style: italic;">Badfinger </span>song that is linked so strongly to Nilsson that many don't know he never wrote it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2AzEY6ZqkuE" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="480"></iframe><br />"Everybody's Talkin'" 1969<br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/haT8g7oKnns" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="480"></iframe><br />"One" 1968<br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IwMrNDVzy_A" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="480"></iframe><br />"Without You" 1971knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-57221320027501084762011-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:002011-02-02T09:01:44.776-08:00Wordless WednesdayFireworks, Disneyworld<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo Credit: The Diva (OMK)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUmLECbN5-I/AAAAAAAAAR4/MA7Jdz3UhDk/s1600/100_0340.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 382px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUmLECbN5-I/AAAAAAAAAR4/MA7Jdz3UhDk/s400/100_0340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569135315707095010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUmLws3jpsI/AAAAAAAAASA/boia8owfJJA/s1600/100_0364.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUmLws3jpsI/AAAAAAAAASA/boia8owfJJA/s400/100_0364.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569136083014493890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUmMNqPQ4QI/AAAAAAAAASI/5uSX-mTFyak/s1600/100_0397.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUmMNqPQ4QI/AAAAAAAAASI/5uSX-mTFyak/s400/100_0397.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569136580524826882" border="0" /></a>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-84899588367673408852011-01-31T10:46:00.001-08:002011-02-01T07:39:51.233-08:00Music MondaysI've decided to present songs that are meaningful to me on Mondays.<br /><br />Since this is the *First* post, I wanted to start with a song about *Finishing*.<br /><br />So I chose "Finish Well" by my dear friend Julia Schmidt.<br /><br />I picked this particular song because, as a (uh-hum) middle-aged Christian woman I remember thinking while I was in my my 20's, why are so many of the older women in church so burned out and crabby? What happened?<br /><br />I remember saying to myself, " I'm not going to let that happen to me."<br /><br />So, now years later <strike>my family and friends are</strike> (I am) constantly reminding myself to "Finish Well" in life. With everything that life throws at us and all the business that we all let creep in, we can forget our first love.<br /><br />At the end of our lives we want to hear the encouraging words spoken by our Savior to the Church of <span class="woj" style="">Thyatira.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Revelation 2:19</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> "</span><span class="woj" style="font-style: italic;">I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first."</span><br /><br />We don't want to hear the rebuke of The Church of Ephesus.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Revelation 2:4 "</span><span class="woj" style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first."</span><br /><br />So we need to be reminded to Finish Well.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Hebrews 12: 1(b) - 2(a) "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."</span><br /><br /><br />I don't want this as my epitaph.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUdUoejdf3I/AAAAAAAAARc/IXz3ZjQ6M4k/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-01-31%2Bat%2B3.17.48%2BPM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUdUoejdf3I/AAAAAAAAARc/IXz3ZjQ6M4k/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-01-31%2Bat%2B3.17.48%2BPM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568512518640205682" border="0" /></a><br />or this<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUdVkwfUAtI/AAAAAAAAARk/yrcP2j341Lc/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-01-31%2Bat%2B4.20.39%2BPM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 243px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUdVkwfUAtI/AAAAAAAAARk/yrcP2j341Lc/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-01-31%2Bat%2B4.20.39%2BPM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568513554246795986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Definitely NOT this<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUdWABGXLcI/AAAAAAAAARs/Lrw-JGeseF4/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-01-31%2Bat%2B4.29.16%2BPM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TUdWABGXLcI/AAAAAAAAARs/Lrw-JGeseF4/s400/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-01-31%2Bat%2B4.29.16%2BPM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568514022562016706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Julia is a dear friend and I've had the pleasure of hearing her perform at such diverse venues as a Womens Shelter on skid row, Several coffee houses, and Retreats. Often I find myself humming and singing her tunes especially when I'm alone. I think her unique gift is that she pairs complex challenging themes with simple singable melodies. Her bio is as follows:<br /><br />"Julia has been performing original songs both nationally and internationally for over 30 years. Her songs have been called refreshing and honest and cover topics from God’s grace and compassion, to our struggles with sin, to living authentically. Her sense of humor sometimes shines through in songs that are tongue-in-cheek, yet pull no punches. She uses music as a way to talk about emotions and topics that people tend to avoid discussing and desires to encourage people to look honestly at themselves and turn to Christ with the areas in which they struggle.<br /><br />As a young adult, Julia toured the U.S. and Canada with Youth With a Mission and subsequently performed private concerts in North America and Europe. Today she lives in the Greater Los Angeles area with her husband and four children and continues writing songs from a Biblical worldview out of her experiences as a wife and mother."<br /><br />She had this to say about "Finish Well"<br /><br />"When I was in my pre-teens, there was an older couple at church, Mr. & Mrs. Willis. It was a fairly young church, so they were our token "gray-hairs." They must have been in their 80s, and whenever either of them spoke, everyone would stop and listen. They had been in full-time ministry together for their entire adult lives, and even though they were "retired," showed no signs of slowing down. When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say, "Mrs. Willis." It's still true today -- I want to hit the finish line at full pelt, sprinting for the end, not looking to the left or right but keeping my eyes fixed not on the finish but on the prize that waits on the other side."<br /><br />Listen Below:<br /><img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI5NjQ5OTM5NzA3MCZwdD*xMjk2NDk5NTc1MTE5JnA9MjcwODEmZD1wcm9fcGxheWVyX2ZpcnN*X2dlbiZuPWJsb2dnZXIm/Zz*xJm89ZWE4NTJkYWE1ZTdlNDVmNzhhNWU4ZWE5MWExOGE5ZjMmb2Y9MA==.gif" border="0" height="0" width="0" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://cache.reverbnation.com/widgets/swf/40/pro_widget.swf" bgcolor="#ffffff" loop="false" wmode="opaque" quality="best" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" allowfullscreen="true" seamlesstabbing="false" flashvars="id=artist_161103&background_color=EEEEEE&font_color=333333&border_color=000000&auto_play=false&shuffle=false&song_ids=954758" align="top" height="200" width="262"></embed><br /><img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://www.reverbnation.com/widgets/trk/40/artist_161103//t.gif" border="0" height="0" width="0" /><br /><br />You can listen to more of Julia's songs <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/juliaschmidt">HERE</a> and purchase them by sending an e-mail <a href="http://www.finishwellmusic.com/contact.html">HERE</a><br /><br />I would love to hear about what you are listening to. What is on your iPod, radio, or CD that means something to you? Or has encouraged you in the past? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below, with a brief explanation of why you love it. Perhaps it will turn up in an up-coming Monday.knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-75680916428622611922011-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:36:18.748-08:00Wordless Wednesday<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Carmel, California</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeCkoWf-JI/AAAAAAAAARU/IvmjKi0XJPg/s1600/IMG_6935.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeCkoWf-JI/AAAAAAAAARU/IvmjKi0XJPg/s400/IMG_6935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564059430458226834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeCO_Flc3I/AAAAAAAAARM/LZOQGN2llKE/s1600/IMG_6941.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeCO_Flc3I/AAAAAAAAARM/LZOQGN2llKE/s400/IMG_6941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564059058604176242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeCBLPCmqI/AAAAAAAAARE/KFxymQXvMcE/s1600/IMG_6946.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeCBLPCmqI/AAAAAAAAARE/KFxymQXvMcE/s400/IMG_6946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564058821346892450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeBuj08ilI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/P-0r4MMZats/s1600/IMG_6942.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeBuj08ilI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/P-0r4MMZats/s400/IMG_6942.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564058501530815058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeBVbm4uLI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/0pF4CSnxWdU/s1600/IMG_6944.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeBVbm4uLI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/0pF4CSnxWdU/s400/IMG_6944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564058069827631282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeA8T2CdBI/AAAAAAAAAQs/IdFHtZ6E_sk/s1600/IMG_6939.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeAhh218xI/AAAAAAAAAQk/Wpi2cuvRUg0/s1600/IMG_6935.JPG"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TTeADiA2mRI/AAAAAAAAAQc/vT2ANBsGAdY/s1600/IMG_6935.JPG"><br /></a>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-55229242515153219892011-01-01T10:56:00.000-08:002011-02-02T09:14:48.762-08:00Top 10 Videos of 2010Enjoy <a href="http://19thnervousbreakdown.com/adoptionhaitijesuswashrinserepeat/?p=147"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"THIS CRAZINESS</span></a>" on my other blog. Happy New Year!knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-53257171235206931382010-12-06T11:52:00.000-08:002010-12-16T15:28:38.435-08:00And A Little Child Will Lead Them<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Christmas, my child, is love in action."</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Dale Evans</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;" ></span></div><br /><br />Last November Olivia, our then 14 year old, approached John and I and said,<br /><br />" For Christmas I want <span style="font-weight: bold;">ALL</span> the money you would spend on me to go to sick kids in the hospital. I mean, there are parents and kids who have nothing and I have everything. Please?!"<br /><br />After John and I picked our jaws off the floor and made her wait a day to make SURE she really wanted to do this. I made a phone call.<br /><br />Stephanie is the Child-life Specialist at Kaiser Hospital Sunset. She helps both parents and children cope when they are in the hospital. She has helped us numerous times while Yverline, our other daughter ( <a href="http://www.finishwellmusic.com/Yverline_history.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">story here</span></a> ) was hospitalized. She told us they were making a FREE to the parents Christmas store at the hospital.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Toys from 2009 Christmas Shop</span>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQp8at3CeaI/AAAAAAAAAN0/8Tzmc92OjRg/s1600/IMG_5884.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQp8at3CeaI/AAAAAAAAAN0/8Tzmc92OjRg/s320/IMG_5884.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551386289116445090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We knew from past experiences with Yverline in the hospital at Christmas time that going Christmas shopping for your sick child and other children just isn't a top priority. The result is parents and kids are alone and without presents on Christmas morning.<br /><br />Stephanie and her co-workers set up a a store and wrapping station. Parents come into a special room in the hospital that is FILLED with toys and *shop* for their children. They can then choose to either give the presents to their children themselves or have a live Santa delver them on Christmas morning.<br /><br />Having a sick child in the hospital at anytime makes you feel powerless, depressed, exhausted and bored. We <span style="font-weight: bold;">know</span> this from experience. The Christmas store provides parents a dignified way to shop without having to leave their sick child alone in the hospital and gives them much needed <span style="font-weight: bold;">control</span>, even if it is just in the area of choosing a gift. Besides being a fun distraction, it preserves an important cultural tradition. It also helps parents feel a little less guilty about money that may need to be spent on hospital bills rather than Christmas gifts.<br /><br />I had Olivia and Stephanie work out the details and they came up with a plan.<br /><br />Stephanie asked Olivia if she would be in charge of the teen section of the store. Knowing what teens want for Christmas was hard and usually the donations that came in for the Christmas store focused on younger kids.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Teen girls section Shop 2009 collected by Olivia</span>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQp84UUQH8I/AAAAAAAAAN8/ItRURFS2s_o/s1600/IMG_5885.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQp84UUQH8I/AAAAAAAAAN8/ItRURFS2s_o/s320/IMG_5885.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551386797655728066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />So off to the mall Olivia and her friend Rachel went. Bath and Body Works in the Galleria Mall found out what Olivia was doing and helped her by giving her discounts, which made her money go further. Then their employees got involved and made a donation box and collected items for both boy and girl teens. They even donated shopping bags! NICE!!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bags donated by Bath and Body Works:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqAgWmZsbI/AAAAAAAAAOE/-akVavm6FHU/s1600/IMG_5897.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqAgWmZsbI/AAAAAAAAAOE/-akVavm6FHU/s320/IMG_5897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551390783998374322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Only once throughout this process did Olivia waiver. As we walked through the mall she turned to me and said " Holding all this money and shopping is making me feel tempted to want to buy stuff for me. You hold it Mom and let's hurry up and finish" I took the cash and we finished the last of the Christmas shopping as fast as we could.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rachel and Olivia with toys from 2009 Shop:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqBS6iiIPI/AAAAAAAAAOM/xPjyF-XVKSk/s1600/IMG_5887.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqBS6iiIPI/AAAAAAAAAOM/xPjyF-XVKSk/s320/IMG_5887.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551391652639285490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We then drove all the donations up to the hospital on the 23rd to set up the Free Store. Olivia , Rachel and the staff at Kaiser began organizing the gifts by age and sex to make shopping for the parents easier.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Olivia and Jessica the Social Worker 2009:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqDCX5JlxI/AAAAAAAAAOU/Tl_H-Mrz0Ow/s1600/IMG_5896.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqDCX5JlxI/AAAAAAAAAOU/Tl_H-Mrz0Ow/s320/IMG_5896.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551393567484253970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Shopping for the parents was private and we didn't stay for the the store's opening. Olivia was so happy to have participated and the only people that she told were her brothers and a few close friends.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Olivia, Stephanie and Rachel after setting up the Christmas shop 2009:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqDfWb2mGI/AAAAAAAAAOc/LZ7PAn_T3pY/s1600/IMG_5901.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqDfWb2mGI/AAAAAAAAAOc/LZ7PAn_T3pY/s320/IMG_5901.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551394065309145186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In fact she inspired her brothers to donate their Christmas gifts as well.<br /><br />James gave his money to help buy an ambulance in Haiti to transport pregnant women to the hospital through our friends at Heartline's Ministries (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-s7jsA7aE&feature=player_embedded"><span style="font-weight: bold;">see here</span></a>) It was also used to help transport earthquake victims to the hospital they set up to meet the overwhelming need post-earthquake.<br /><br />Peter gave his Christmas gift money to a family in the Dominican Republic whose daughter has a heart condition.(<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Hearts-Company/155036276640#%21/pages/Big-Hearts-Company/155036276640?v=info"><span style="font-weight: bold;">see here</span></a>)<br /><br />On Christmas morning we kept the tradition of stockings, this was the one small concession to gift giving. They contained the usual ornaments for each child and candy. We had our "Happy Birthday Jesus Coffee Cake" and watched little Yverline open her gifts , after all she was only nine and this was her second Christmas with us since she came home from Haiti. That night we all went to the movies.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yverline and Olivia Christmas morning 2009:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqD9aXpOSI/AAAAAAAAAOk/mGsyQNmFO48/s1600/IMG_5907.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqD9aXpOSI/AAAAAAAAAOk/mGsyQNmFO48/s320/IMG_5907.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551394581761308962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />It was one of the most relaxing and worship-filled Christmases we have ever spent as a family.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">James, Yverline, Olivia and Peter Christmas morning 2009:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqEkdWPqKI/AAAAAAAAAOs/rD7Wlq50lEs/s1600/IMG_5909.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqEkdWPqKI/AAAAAAAAAOs/rD7Wlq50lEs/s320/IMG_5909.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551395252575643810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This year Olivia approached her youth leaders Kelly and Rocky at our Church, <a href="http://www.kingsharbor.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=67672">Kings Harbor</a>, and asked if they and the students wanted to help provide some of the gifts to this year's store. The response was overwhelming as over 75 gifts were collected.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A small portion of the toys collected by the youth of Kings Harbor Church 2010: </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqHfPnVIGI/AAAAAAAAAO0/oEhCeWtoAg8/s1600/IMG_6898.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TQqHfPnVIGI/AAAAAAAAAO0/oEhCeWtoAg8/s320/IMG_6898.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551398461524746338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Seventy-Five teenagers and two adult brothers giving of themselves as a response to what one girl started the year before. "A Little Child shall Lead Them." Isaiah 11:6<br /><br />Merry Christmasknuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-74663660243214579862010-11-09T20:12:00.000-08:002010-11-13T19:51:59.704-08:00Hiding from God<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TNoc8IHxPmI/AAAAAAAAANg/2cpa01Bg3vw/s1600/IMG_6121_2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TNoc8IHxPmI/AAAAAAAAANg/2cpa01Bg3vw/s320/IMG_6121_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537770511103245922" border="0" /></a><br />Every night since Yverline has come home to our family she lies in bed and wants us to come find her while she laughs and squeals. We kiss her goodnight and say prayers while she smiles, giggles and snuggles with us. EVERY night for 2 1/2 years.<br /><br />I think about Adam and Eve hiding from God in the garden not wanting to be found; not wanting to be close and intimate. Shamed by their misdeeds and hiding.<br /><br />Then I think about Yverline and all she wants is to be found.<br /><br /> God help me not to hide from your love even when I'm shamed, but to delight and run to you.<br /><br />Psalm 119:76, 77<br />Let your steadfast love comfort me<br />according to your promise to your servant.<br />Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;<br />for your law is my delight.knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-80790707398082607472010-08-03T20:44:00.001-07:002010-08-12T17:19:57.132-07:00Finding God at a Time-Share Part 3<span style="font-style: italic;">Click <a href="http://llrknuscru.blogspot.com/2010/07/finding-god-at-time-share-part-1_2955.html">here</a></span> for Part 1<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Click <a href="http://llrknuscru.blogspot.com/2010/07/finding-god-at-time-share-part-2_22.html">here</a></span> for Part 2<br /><br />There was your brother’s accident and the exhaustion from talking care of him. And your sister’s brain tumor and her three surgeries since January, followed by her daily radiation treatments. But I think at the top of my list, or scorecard, was watching both of them suffer and struggle in pain. Seeing anyone suffer is difficult, but even more so when it is your very own precious children. All parents want to protect their children and I’m no different, so this was very, very, very painful.<br /><br />After watching the film and spending time alone with God I didn't have any real answers other than I knew I wasn't alone in this. I’m not the only person who has felt like everything was wrong and would always be wrong. <span style=""> </span>There are very few situations in life that others haven’t felt almost the same feelings you have or they have gone through something similar . I also took comfort in knowing Jesus shared similar feelings on the worst night of his life.<br /><br />He was facing torture, separation from His Father, betrayal of friends and death. All He wanted was His closest friends to stay up with Him while He prayed for help, release and ultimately surrender. <span style=""> </span>But more then once He was disappointed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Matthew 26:36-38,40</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."........</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. </span><br /><br /><br /><br />Even though I didn’t know what to do with everything that had happen in the last nine months. I knew what NOT to do and how NOT to act. Perhaps when you are stuck sometimes it’s enough to stop what you are currently doing. I think this bought me enough time to think what I could do to make it better.<br /><br />It really isn’t that complicated. Often in life you know what to do, but you lack the will or motivation to do it. Like I said I was in shut down mode. It was almost if the accident was system crash that God allowed so I could re-boot .<br /><br />I knew the first thing was I had to start re-engaging life. I needed to get up and read my Bible, even if it was just a verse or two. Like I said earlier it isn’t Bible reading that helps in itself, but the act of listening to God and putting myself in a position to hear His voice and think about the things that matter to Him. Prayer is the same thing; this is the part that is always harder for me. I guess because when I’m feeling guarded the last thing I want to do is share my deepest longings and hurts.<br /><br />I also knew I need to ask for forgiveness.<br /><br />I’m sorry I’ve been shut down or angry. I’m sorry I set a bad example by trying to go it alone and “handle” this on my own. It wasn’t working. (Duh) ! I know that there were times when I wasn’t there for you and that makes me sad. I hope in the future should times become difficult you will remember what not to do. Remember that when life is complicated and out of control the simple things are best. Rely on God, Family and Friends to get you through. And you can always, always turn around even if you have gone way off course.<br /><br />I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned, or really re-learned in the last 9 months. I’m even thankful for my accident and the opportunity to start over, because IT IS a Wonderful Life.<br /><br /><br />I love you, Mom<br /><br /><br /><br />I never finished my letter to my children while I was at the time-share. <span style=""> </span>I prayed, read my Bible and tried to be quiet and listen. I also watched more movies. I finished the last 1/3 while writing this post. <span style=""> </span>I decided to finish the letter and make it my first blog to honor them. <span style=""> </span>Along the way I discovered that I liked writing, even if I wasn’t that good at it and that has been a gift, to me anyways.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When I came home I kinda looked like this this:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFjjGF0zVYI/AAAAAAAAANQ/Ki_94FFUTZA/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+12.02.17+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFjjGF0zVYI/AAAAAAAAANQ/Ki_94FFUTZA/s320/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+12.02.17+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501396638615426434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Or maybe like this:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFji5MNeo1I/AAAAAAAAANI/e1imM7r09Ms/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+12.39.50+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFji5MNeo1I/AAAAAAAAANI/e1imM7r09Ms/s320/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+12.39.50+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501396416991241042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But really like this:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFjitZCbmiI/AAAAAAAAANA/gxJz8fJuq8A/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-23+at+5.05.23+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 280px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFjitZCbmiI/AAAAAAAAANA/gxJz8fJuq8A/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-23+at+5.05.23+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501396214276135458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />It has been 2 months since I’ve been home from the time-share and God was definitely there. I have tried to implement all the things in this letter with the additions of, exercising and blogging. So far it’s going pretty good, not perfect but good.<br /><br />I often think of the man I hit in my car that day. I’m praying there are no lasting effects from the accident. I’m praying that he is healed and finds peace.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I hope that even now he looks like this:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFjiaFRCawI/AAAAAAAAAM4/mDloLMxdYmM/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+12.47.27+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 185px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TFjiaFRCawI/AAAAAAAAAM4/mDloLMxdYmM/s320/Screen+shot+2010-08-03+at+12.47.27+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501395882551175938" border="0" /></a>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-79243107535187016362010-07-26T16:24:00.000-07:002010-07-26T16:29:22.991-07:00Blogging while A.D.D.Why would anyone need two Blogs?<br /><br />I blame A.D.D.<br /><br /><br />Click <a href="http://19thnervousbreakdown.com/adoptionhaitijesuswashrinserepeat/?p=46">here</a> to find out and see my other Blog.knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-15618900534765172922010-07-22T14:25:00.000-07:002010-08-12T17:17:17.198-07:00Finding God at a Time-Share Part 2<span style="font-style: italic;">Click <a href="http://llrknuscru.blogspot.com/2010/07/finding-god-at-time-share-part-1_2955.html">Here</a> For Part 1</span><br /><br /><br />I had pulled out of the driveway, thankful to be leaving and wanting God so desperately to show me the way. Not unlike George when he prayed in the bar.<br /><br />As I backed the car up I prayed “ God please meet me at the time share and help me. Help me comeback better then when I left”.<br /><br />I stopped at a red light about a block from our house, when BAM………..I ran into the car in front of me that was also stopped. I was distracted and when the left hand turn lane next to me went I accelerated into the car in front of me. Since I was already stopped I would guess I was going about 5 miles an hour when I hit them.<br /><br />I turned the car off, jumped out and I approached the car in front of me. I saw there was no damage to their car, maybe some small scratches from my license plate. A women and a man immediately got out of the car and the man started to scream at me. As I was apologizing he yelled<br /><br />“How could you be so stupid. I have cancer, I HAVE CANCER. !!!!!! “<br /><br />“”I need an ambulance!!!! I want the police!!!.<br /><br />“ Of course you are sorry , YOU HIT ME!!!! I have Cancer and you hit me!!!” <br /><br />The woman was also upset and angry, but I don’t remember what she said as I was astounded by the man in front of me.<br /><br />He was waving his arms and holding his neck and moaning in pain. Thankfully across the street was a police car and she came over and asked us to pull aside and exchange information in the parking lot. When we pulled over the man kept insisting he needed an ambulance that he was injured. The paramedics and the fire department were called. While we waited for them to show up I began to cry.<br /><br />I felt terrible. I did feel stupid and sorry and sad. I felt bad for the man and woman and I also felt something else…….. Anger.<br /><br />I was angry that this man was SO freaked out.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />He kinda looked like this:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi3v0zmsHI/AAAAAAAAALg/m3RSTd4hoLg/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-22+at+1.50.21+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 232px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi3v0zmsHI/AAAAAAAAALg/m3RSTd4hoLg/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-22+at+1.50.21+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496845377462513778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Or maybe like this:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi4o0-Fa8I/AAAAAAAAALo/s2pJ3mgOUxQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-22+at+1.54.43+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 177px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi4o0-Fa8I/AAAAAAAAALo/s2pJ3mgOUxQ/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-22+at+1.54.43+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496846356759014338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />But really like this:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi5kP1ysNI/AAAAAAAAALw/9j9KHaQGOOY/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-22+at+1.52.24+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 285px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi5kP1ysNI/AAAAAAAAALw/9j9KHaQGOOY/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-22+at+1.52.24+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496847377584271570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A month before the exact same accident happened to your sister and me. We were stopped at a red light and the car behind us went when the left hand turn lane went. I got out, and looked at my bumper, no damage just some small scratches, practically identical to the ones on the car I hit, and your sister was fine. I just waved at the driver got back in my car and drove off.<br /><br />I’m not trying to minimize the man’s pain. I believe he really was hurt. I don’t think you react that way if you are not in pain. But I kept thinking, why was he was telling each new police officer that arrived on the scene he had Cancer?<br /><br />Was he angry he had been hit? Obviously! Scared? Probably! One moment he’s sitting at the light and then BAM …..hit from behind. <br /><br />Finally the paramedics showed up. As they spoke to the man I overheard two police officers asking why the paramedics were called in the first place. They looked at the man and then the non-existence damage on the cars and then each other. Then one said to the other “He has Cancer”, they nodded at each other and shrugged their shoulders.<br /><br />In the end the man didn’t go with the paramedics and the police suggested that both the other driver and myself try and work this out. In their opinion there was no damage to either vehicle and the man had declined treatment at the scene. I was still crying and feeling somewhat attacked and angry.<br /><br />I felt like George Bailey in the bar. I had prayed and the result was I got in a car accident leaving for my week away.<br /><br />I thought “Really God?”<br />“ Are you kidding? “<br /><br />I felt like I was drowning and was thrown a stone. <br /><br />Although shaken I drove to the time-share so graciously donated to me so I could retreat and re-group. But the accident and the man’s reaction kept playing over and over in my mind. I fluctuated from being angry that he so overreacted to feeling sorry that I had put him through this.<br /><br />Something kept nagging at me but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I slept fitfully the first night.<br /><br />In the morning I read and prayed and then decided to catch up with e-mails. After I finished I decided to head over to YouTube and for some reason I clicked on a link to “It’s a Wonderful Life”<br /><br />There was the whole movie in HD in 14 chapters. Did you know YouTube has whole movies on there? I didn’t. Anyway about halfway through things became clearer to me and the nagging went away.<br /><br />I realized I was the man in the accident., that I had been acting and reacting the same way for the past 9 months.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Which means I looked like this:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi9I2wuClI/AAAAAAAAAL4/c6SLMVqt0SA/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-20+at+7.14.16+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 215px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi9I2wuClI/AAAAAAAAAL4/c6SLMVqt0SA/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-20+at+7.14.16+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496851305042152018" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Or maybe like this:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi9nfY0JJI/AAAAAAAAAMA/jcSAx67gLIU/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-20+at+7.06.27+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi9nfY0JJI/AAAAAAAAAMA/jcSAx67gLIU/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-20+at+7.06.27+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496851831343817874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />But really like this:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi-HyWkWWI/AAAAAAAAAMI/yMNM2-Hw9mY/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-20+at+7.03.16+PM.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W9UOXj461qI/TEi-HyWkWWI/AAAAAAAAAMI/yMNM2-Hw9mY/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-20+at+7.03.16+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496852386190481762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I hadn’t seen it before because I felt morally superior because I hadn’t reacted when I had been hit from behind. I reasoned that if your sister who has a brain tumor didn’t care and I didn’t care; what was this guy so flipped out about? I kept thinking of the similarities to all three of us. George Bailey, the man I hit and myself.<br /><br />We all were at our limit. George after of all the good he’d done at the expense of his dreams. All the things he’s sacrificed and how instead of being rewarded his life continued to get harder. George had a list, a scorecard if you will, a scorecard of all the reasons why he shouldn’t have to suffer one more thing. <br /><br />I thought of the man in the car and while I didn’t know his story, I do know his list had Cancer at the top. If you have Cancer then you shouldn’t have to suffer one more thing. You should be able to drive and run errands without being worried about being hit from behind.<br /><br />Then I thought of my scorecard and I began to cry.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Be Continued:<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6783933669821042489.post-238875766308910952010-07-20T16:10:00.000-07:002010-07-20T16:27:14.266-07:00Finding God at a Time-Share Part 1<span style="font-style:italic;">This was originally a letter meant for my children. The past 9 months had been, in a word…. difficult. I wrote it to help them understand why their mother had been melting down so much. And why she needed to get away for a few days. <br /><br /> If you are unfamiliar with our family’s story, below is a quick synopsis of the last nine months. <br /><br />My eldest son was in a motorcycle accident and broke his femur in two places, shattered his arm and broke his neck in three places. He moved back home for four months and I became his home health aide. Miraculously he survived with no lasting injuries.<br /><br />We almost lost our 9 year-old daughter because the cyst from her brain tumor was filling up with fluid unchecked. Then she needed multiple surgeries followed by six weeks of daily radiation treatments. <br /><br />Thankfully the women in our church stepped in and sent me ALONE to a time-share for a week. By the time I left I was angry, tired, burnt-out, emotionally numb and feeling guilty about feeling that way.</span><br /><br />My Darlings, <br /><br />You know how much I enjoy old Movies. One of my favorites is “It’s a Wonderful Life” I love the story of George Bailey a good man who has become burdened by life and has become burnt out and bitter. The Bible says “hope deferred makes the heart sick” and George is sick from putting his hope and dreams aside to constantly do the right thing. From boyhood he wants to get away and travel and “See” the world but life kept George at home in his small town with small town doings and small town views. George is a “Big” plan guy and he has “Big” dreams and wants so much to see “Big “ vistas and landscapes. <br /><br /><object style="background-image:url(http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/EJHpBCyTTi0/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EJHpBCyTTi0&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EJHpBCyTTi0&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Disclaimer: I HATE Colorized films, but YouTube didn't have this in B&W</span><br /><br />George gaining a new perspective, a heavenly perspective, solves the dilemma in the movie, being stuck in the small while dreaming of the big. Through the intervention of Clarence a bumbling angel sent by God he is shown all the ways his life matters to others. He is given the opportunity to finally see the “BIG” picture, to travel to a place where no one else in that small town has ever been able to go, to a place outside of time and history. Finally: George’ gets his “Big “adventure.<br /><br /> Some of it astounds him and some of it is painful. Especially when he sees what his small town would have been like without him. In the end all George wants is his small town life. Even with all his looming problems and burdens. By the way George’s problems are real as he is facing embezzlement charges and jail, but George realizes his small life is wonderful, hence the title of the film.<br /><br /><object style="background-image:url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/0k_Vsmqf6X8/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0k_Vsmqf6X8&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0k_Vsmqf6X8&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br /><br />It is no secret that Mommy has been feeling much like George Bailey lately. Burnt out and bitter, angry and frustrated. Being a mother and wife is such an honor and privilege; more like a calling and vocation. But I too have let the things that have happened lately and the resulting burnout turn it into a source of hurting and pain. I also think I let the pace of life become too fast for me. Much like a swift moving current. Instead of heading to shore when I could for breaks, I let my pride fool me into thinking I could tough it out on my own and I ended up nearly drowning. I had given up praying, reading my Bible and being honest with others and myself as to how much help I really needed. And how much pain I was truly in. <br /><br />As an aside I hope you know reading the Bible and praying are not the end of your relationship with God they are just the beginning. They are there to help you draw closer to God. Much like spending time alone with your husband or wife, listening to each other, loving each other. It is called being intimate. I pushed away all intimacy from my life as I began to shut down. This was done to try and protect myself from pain, but really it made things worse and my heart grew angrier and bitter. You can never run or hide from yourself, others or God, at least not if you want to remain healthy and whole. It is just not possible. <br /><br />That brings me to my trip away. Some of the women in our church knew I needed to get a way in order to be able to think and pray through things. So I could draw near to God instead of pushing Him away and to rest. This is different from running away, in fact it is more like running to something. I think about Jesus and how He went away and prayed, not to “GET AWAY” but to get something from His Father so He could go back and do the things He was called to do. I’m praying and believing that God will help me so when I come back I can do the things He has called me to do. I’m asking Him to show me a better way to deal with the stress that comes from this life and from being in our particular family. We really do seem to do the hard things in life back to back. I’m praying that not only will I hear His voice but do what He says. If you are praying for me it is helping and if you are not please do. I need all the help I can get. <br /><br />In “It’s a Wonderful Life’ George has a break down and takes out his anger on his Uncle, his wife, his own children and even a teacher who calls to check on one of his sick kids. He feels trapped in a serious situation and can’t see a way out. In the past he’s always been able to fix and make right whatever has come his way. Even if it meant giving up his own dreams, he could fix it. Now he sees no hope and no one can help him. In fact the one person he turns to in desperation mocks him and calls the police to have him arrested. He drives to the local bar and begins to drink heavily. He feels like a failure as he realizes he has hurt those around him. In final desperation he prays: “God if you are there? Show me the way”. Moments later he gets punched in the face by a fellow bar patron who is angry because he is the husband of the teacher George yelled at earlier. As his friends pick him up off the floor one of them notices that George is bleeding. “That’s what I get for praying”, he groans as he stumbles out of the bar on his way to take his life. <br /><br /><br /><object style="background-image:url(http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/vfPn1kDQxuI/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vfPn1kDQxuI&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vfPn1kDQxuI&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowScriptAccess="never" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><br /><br />Normally I don’t base my theology on movies. But I do know that you can find truth anywhere, a piece of music, a painting, and the words of a friend and in nature. Truth is all around us, lies are too but that is not my point here. <br /><br />Do you know what truth is? It is that which corresponds to reality as filtered through the lens of scripture. <br /><br />Anyway what got me to thinking about “it’s a Wonderful Life” was what happened when I left on Monday for my 5-day get away. <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />To Be Continued....</span>knuscruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00694222210482320766noreply@blogger.com1