For Kelli

Boo Mama is hosting a fund-raiser for Kelli, go here to see what it is all about. The donation amount is very small, is thru paypal and will help Kelli, who desperately needs a kidney transplant, pay for cobra insurance. Blogdom can be such a sweet place!

update!!
as of Wednesday, January 17th, the amount raised was somewhere around $8,799.00 ! What a lot of love going Kelli's way! Kelli posted a response on her blog, go here to read it. Please be praying now that she gets a transplant.

You say it's your birthday...it's my birthday too

Today is my birthday, and so far I am celebrating with a bagel breakfast sandwich from the bagel shop, a diet coke, and a quiet house. Things are pretty much going my way! We are planning on ending the day with dinner out with some friends. It's sad, but the splurges I look forward to all involve food. Not sure what to do with the middle of my day, I am torn between the choices of
a) go to a yoga class b) stay home and do laundry and work on video clips for memorial service c) waste time in my un-ability to make a decision and putter around the house or or course
d) go to a favorite restuarant for lunch (there's the food thing again! )-and take along some good ficiton and read and eat...what could get more blissful?!

thought I would leave you with some Zen Hen wisdom...

Outside In

One day a zen hen stood outside the slaughter-house door.

The farmer called to her, "chicken, chicken, why do you not enter?"

The Hen replied, "I do not see myself as outside, why enter?"

(from Harriet the zen hen by Debbie Keller)

"Thirty-five is a very attractive age; London society is full of women who have of their own free choice remained thirty-five for years." -Oscar Wilde

Cutting edge blogging stuff...by Jenny the late

Because I am so up-to-date on everything, or not...I just discovered that Sheryl declared January 8-12 the official week of De-lurking. So, enjoy the cute button...and comment. I know you are there...hello?

Barb posted on this and put me in the know. We are all about sharing the knowledge. (and it's late and I have nothing to blog about...)

Next in cutting-edge news: I finally moved to new blogger. Because, as Barb pointed out; we don't want to be known as an old blooger. I have to confess that I was dragging my feet only because

a) I am a procrastinator by nature (hubby says I work best under pressure, bless his heart for finding a positive in that somewhere!)

b)I was afraid of losing my blog, or at least losing my sitemeter or photobucket feed and techno-challenged that I am..I would not be able to fix it.

So, I badgered (uh,sweetly queried) husband to copy my template into a word document for safe keeping, tho what I would do with it after my blog crashed is questionable...probably beg Susie at bluebird blogs to help me!
And then we clicked the magic "switch now" button that has been beckoning for months now, the siren song of "new" blogger-strategically placed right where you might accidently click it.
Then I held my breath as the bloger wheel spun round and round...
then, congratulations! It's a blog! And it is all there, every bit!

I do feel silly that I put that off so long, it really was no big deal.

Abiding; a hymn I am enjoying

These days I am spending alot of time sitting with my dear father-in-law. During the day he is in and out, so we just sit to be with him, to hold his hand, to get him something...to let him know he is not alone. I find myself reading alot more of my bible these days, and sometimes just sitting with my hymn book singing along in my mind. Here is one that has meant alot to me lately...

1.O Jesus, Jesus, dearest Lord! Forgive me if I say,
For very love, Thy sacred name A thousand times a day.

O Jesus, Lord, with me abide;
I rest in Thee, whate'er betide;
Thy gracious smile is my reward;
I love, I love Thee, Lord!

2.I love Thee so I know not how My transport to control;
Thy love is like a burning fire Within my very soul.

3.For Thou to me art all in all; My honor and my wealth;
My heart's desire, my body's strength, My soul's eternal health.

4.Burn, burn, O love, within my heart,
Burn fiercely night and day, Till all the dross of earthly loves
Is burned, and burned away.

5.O light in darkness, joy in grief, O heaven's life on earth;
Jesus, my love, my treasure, who Can tell what Thou art worth?

6.What limit is there to this love? Thy flight, where wilt Thou stay?
On, on! our Lord is sweeter far Today than yesterday.

101 in 1001 a truly inspired idea

I first saw a 101 in 1001 list on Lindsey's blog . I really liked the idea and so when Susie designed my blog, I had her place a box on my sidebar so I could do a list too.
Check it out, towards the bottom...you will notice that all it says is "place link here". I know, I know, gotta get mine done! Maybe that should be my first item on the list, -do a 101 in 1001 list.
I really am itching to do my list, things are just really crazy here right now. Actually things are always a little crazy here! In the fall I was trying to get into a groove with homeschooling, so I told myself I would do one before the Christmas season started, then that got all crazy and we had guests...I told myself I would do one for the new year, but that got all crazy too. I am still riding a crest of craziness.

The list is really a nice idea, I like that the time frame is long enough to be doable, but not so vague that you could just forget about it.

Let me know if you start a list, I would love to see it.

Sharing my Wondertime enjoyment

Sugar on Snow- my Wondertime Feb/March issue arrived this week, and several articles tickled my fancy. I remember reading The Little House books as a child, and how her detailed descriptions made me feel like I could get right out there in the wilderness or prairie and smoke that hog/churn that butter/maple those trees...you get the picture. One such description I always wanted to try was the maple- syrup- on- snow candy she wrote about. Alas, I live in So. California and have no snow-and so have never had the fun of trying this. An 'aha' moment for me was the article in Wondertime, page 62 "Life with little ones" feature. Given is a recipe that is easy to do and suggestions for the "snow", for those of us lacking that essential ingredient.

Great indoor forts- page 75 was also good. I have four kids 11 and under, you do the math on how many forts and fort/sheet variations I have endured. This article test-drove some creations and shared some very innovative ideas. Foam noodles to support sheets- happy thought!! It seems so obvious to me now, looking at the photos..we have endured many a bonked head from books and other heavy items, used to secure sheets, falling.

This issure was really a good one, "Adopting Helen", by Melissa Fay Greene page 66 was very sweet, the photos just spellbinding.

go on over and take a look, or better yet go get the issue and take it to your favorite hiding- from- the- kids- spot, like I do.

New Year's meditation

Laurel Wreath is hosting a new year's meditation event. Go here to see other blogs who are participating.

This was rather a hard post for me, as you can see I have put it off till the last day. Laurel was looking for something deeper than resolutions.

I think for the year 2007 the two things I want to focus on in becoming are abiding more in Christ, and showing or telling those I care for-in a tangible way-how much I love them and how much they mean to me.

This road we are traveling right now with my father in law has made me really think about love, and the things that are unsaid, and the things that need to be said. We have been so fortunate to have these last days with him to spend time with him, to love and care for him, and most important for many of us was time alone with him to open our hearts to him and say the things we felt, but-for me-didn't verbalize much. I have had to think about what it would have been like to have been robbed of this time, what regrets I would have had.

This year I desire to love much and to make sure I share that love in words and deeds.

"Abide in Me, and I in you." John 15:4

This year I would like to focus on abiding in Christ. My understanding at this point, is that abiding in Christ is more than 'walking with Christ' or 'being with Christ', 'following Christ' or even 'dwelling with Christ'. John 14:23 says "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him." If we are walking with the Lord, than we are with Him. If we are with Him then we dwell with Him, if we dwell with Him, we live with Him, and if we live with Him we abide in Him.

I would like to be aware throughout my day, that I abide in Christ, and He in me...from sunrise to sunset, to the big and little things, in my conversations, in my dealings inside and outside of my home, I would like to desire for all my living, all my actions, all my expression to be abiding in Christ.

A tall order for this soulish vessel, I know. In tangible ways, I will seek this abiding through more prayer, more time spent reading the Bible, through praise and thanksgiving and through simply being still and knowing that He is God (and that I am not..)

I think this all goes hand in hand with the thought of dying to self, to live is Christ...

So, these are my two major goals for 2007, beyond the usual eat better, have more fun with the kids, be more organized.

May 2007 be a blessed year for you, and one in which we are all growing into God's fullness.