River
This is a metaphorical poem Taylor wrote for her dad in English.. she's SOOO smart.

River

My Dad is the river
The soft smooth flow
Of calm and alming
That makes one smile

The vigorous rush
Determined to be somewhere
Faster and faster
Never stopping

A current that pushes you
Places where you don't kow you could go
And you scream because it's hard to swim
But all of a sudden you arrive and you're happy

A river that is hard to swim against
And will never change it's direction
A river that knows it's purpose
And never stops flowing

A river that gets frozen over
And you think it's only ice
But there is so much life and activity underneath
It's just hidden for a while

A river that makes sure
If your arms are tired
All you have to do is float
And let it's current carry you

Notes from Nehemiah

Don'tcha' Love, Love, Love mornings when it's still dark outside, everyone else is still sleeping, the coffee is hot and a new day is about to begin. I love the thought of fresh starts, new beginnings, and morning is my favorite time of day... when I can get my sorry fat butt out of the sack! Anyhow, morning it is and another day is upon us. Last night at Bible Study (we are studying Nehemiah), we were talking about what makes an influential person. The question was posed... Think of someone in your life who has a positive influence on you... why? what characteristics do they have that make them influential. Of course the group was pretty quiet, those are some pretty heavy questions, but I am intrieged by the different responses.. and so I put it out to the blogsphere... What qualities make someone influential in your life? I came up with consistency (fleeting friendships come easy... are you in it for the long haul... even when it gets tough???), honesty - they tell it like it is (usually without being hurtfull, although sometimes the truth hurts a bit), kindness, and compassion, they see your needs and come along side, and also vulnerability - the flip side, they allow me to be there for them, being honest about where they need me as well ... a gal always needs to be needed right??? Anyhow, it was really an interesting study, we then discussed how we can be influential in other people's lives putting into practice prayer AND action. How often do we say "if there is anything i can do....." or "i'll pray for you....". These are some thoughts to ponder for all of you out there, how do you influence people???? Hmmmm... I'm pretty sure I drive them to drink, but... I'm workin' on that :-) Hope your day is as full of promise as mine appears to be, I'm off to shower... always good to start the day clean :-) Don't forget to weigh in..

The Big Dunk!

My all time favorite baptism story is this:
A young friend of our family went home the Sunday after Jamie was baptised and was having a discussion about the morning's service with her mom, who had not attended. Her mother asked her how the service was, and if anything memorable had happened. To this her daughter promptly replied : "Well mom, it was really weird. Jamie got up and said some stuff, and I think he must've said something wrong because after he was done, they stuck his head under the water!" When we heard this story we began laughing, and I don't think we've stopped yet, it was hilarious! Nevertheless, on a more serious note I am sooooo excited that Carol is getting baptised! I find it absolutely fantastic to see the way that God is working in her life! She is a woman of incredible strength and I am extremely proud of her for all that she has come through and the amazing woman she is! So, I found this poem for her, and I thought I'd share it all around!
It takes a lot of courage

To be baptized in His name

To die to the old self

And be forever changed

May God bless your life

For stepping out for Him

Proclaiming unto others

The faith you have within.

© By M.S.Lowndes
Carol - I love you and I'm proud of you! I know it won't be easy always, and sometimes life in general seems like God is completely absent, but he promises that he will never leave us or forsake us, and I'll stop now lest I begin to sound trite. I think baptism is important for Christians because it is a public confession of what we believe and a visible step of obedience to God, proclaiming that you intend to die to all of your old self and sinful nature, and try - try - and try again to follow him. Good Luck and God Bless you and Gladys on Sunday. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and I really wish I could be there!

Good Reminder!

"Don't sweat the small stuff; what doesn't matter just doesn't matter. Laugh every day even if it is at yourself. And love like there is no tomorrow! "

Author Unknown (but God Bless them!)