Update

first of all i want to thank you all so much for all the encouragement, kind words and prayers. losing david's dad has taken its toll, but God has been so good and has given much peace during this time.

i suppose if i had to make any conclusions on what i have learned it would be..don't wait on bad news to appreciate your life. what possible value could there be in waiting to apprecite and enjoy the life God has given to you? instead of postponing your experience of gratitude until you are forced to do so by some form of bad news, why not instead begin to treasure your life and those around you, right now? Life itself is a miracle.

on saturday, the girls were in a martial arts tournament. it was alot of fun and they did very well. at age four, faith begged us to take karate. our older girls were playing fastpitch softball at that time, and i really wanted faith to consider ballet, jazz or something along those lines. we took those classes and she tried and did alright, but just didn't seem to have the desire that it would take to continue.

so finally, last fall, at age 7, we all decided to take martial arts. david and i had taken previously so we knew it was great for exercise and discipline. as you can imagine, faith was thrilled. she learned her forms, began sparring very quickly and has advanced by leaps and bounds. karate is something that she does from her heart. there's no other way to see it.

at her age, they integrate the girls and boys together. but she never bats an eye when she has to spar one of the boys. it's just another "fight" to win for her. this tournament she placed 1st in forms and 1st in fighting out of 19. that's her most competition so far.

maegan also placed 1st in forms and first in fighting. tarah placed 1st in fighting but botched the forms by forgetting her first kick.

the really funny thing is that my girls are "girlie-girls" and to see them you would never think about them "winning a fight". guess that goes along with what my dad taught me..."never judge a book by its cover"!

have a blessed day!

A Tribute

Parenthood is a partnership with God...you are working with the Creator of the universe in shaping human character and determining destiny.

Columnist Abigail Van Buren published a Paren'ts Prayer in her "Dear Abby" column. It read, in part: "Oh, heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them to be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power."

"Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness. Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. And when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. May I ever be mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgement of adults."

"Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions. Bless me with the bigness to give them all their reasonable requests, and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm...And fit me, O Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children. Amen."

As many of you already know, David's dad passed from this life, and entered eternal life on Friday. This prayer must have been his because only by the grace of God could anyone be so close to perfect, as he was.

I know when we lose those we love, we tend to only remember the good things, but honestly, in the 24 years that I've been his "daughter by love", I never heard him say a cross word to anyone or about anyone. He's probably the only person I can say that about. If ever there was a tense moment he would simply walk away.

I am so thankful for him and the wonderful life of honor that he leaves behind. And while his life ended on Friday, his life of courage and honor will live on through his children and grandchildren.

Thank you JL, for the legend you leave with us. May you rest in God's care until we see you again.

*note: these pictures were taken on JL's last fishing trip with David and the girls in July 05.

The Mom You Gave Me

I Want To Thank You Lord

For The Mom You Gave To Me

I Know She's The One You Chose

That Would Be Just Right For Me

She Taught Me All About The Lord

And Showed Me Right From Wrong

She Was With Me Day By Day

And Helped My Faith Grow Strong

If Not For Her I Would Not Be

The Woman I Am Today

She Taught Me How To Humble Myself

And How To Kneel And Pray

I Want To Thank You Lord

For The Mom You Gave To Me

If Not For Her What I Am

I Would Never Be

We Love you Mom,

Your 3 "Turbos"
Maegan, Tarah, & Faith

Preparing for Success

My mission was pretty simple: Emphasize the fundamentals. Teach them over and over again until the desire to achieve was flawless. Perfection. I knew I had to embed the notion into their minds so that it would stay forever. I didn't expect anything less than 100 percent effort and attitude with every breath. If they can't give that, they couldn't be successful.

This was my thoughts as I taught my girls about school, softball, and karate. As I reflect back over my "mission", it becomes more and more clear that really I was just teaching them about their journey of life. And even more their spiritual Life! Maybe I'm reaching here, but how much of this actually applies to our spiritual journeys?....

Perfection isn't achievable every time - not for anyone. Mistakes are part of the game/journey. They are what seperates the winners from losers. The winners are the ones who learn from the losing.

It's that easy.

Winning is about sacrifice, self-respect, courage, endurance and making adjustments. If your mind is not in the game/journey you cannot succeed. Winners will tell you that losing occurs when your mind fails to concentrate.

Trying to do well an trying to beat others are two different things. Excellence and victory are conceptually distant...and are experienced differently. Excellence doesn't mean good. It means all-out-superior. Having a postitive attitude is not for when things are good, it is for when times are challenging. This is where the true test of excellence lies.

As a parent, all you can do is help your children understand that success in in the effort. And while you may not always win, knowing that you gave it your all is how you will be measured.

Important to know:

1. I am a great team player.

2. I must understand the lessons from both winning and losing-everyone loses; it's what you learn from losing that make you better.

3. Being afraid of failure is a blessing because it is the only way we learn.

4. Surround yourself with successful people.

5. Courage-we may not be born with it, but we can achieve it.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccesful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world if full of educated derelicts. Perisistence and determination alone are omnipotent." -Calvin Coolidge

Is This True?

*note: the girls are just now learning to work with the bow (stick) in their martial arts. these pictures were just taken in the front yard while they were practicing...anyway, now to my thoughts for today...

every man wants a battle to fight. it's the whole thing with boys and weapons.

and look at the movies men love--braveheart, gladiator, legends of the fall. men are made for battle. (and ladies, don't you love the heroes of those movies? you might not want to fight in a war, but don't you long for a man who will fight for you? to have daniel day lewis look you in the eyes adn say, "no matter how long it takes, no matter how far, i will find you"? women don't fear a man's strength if he is a good man.)

men also long for adventure. adventure is a deeply spiritual longing in the heart of every man. adventure requires something of us, puts us to the test. though we may fear the test, at the same time we yearn to be tested, to discover that we have what it takes.

finally, every man longs for a beauty to rescue. he really does. where would robin hood be without marian, or king arthur without guinevere? lonely men fighting lonely battles. you see, it's not just that a man needs a battle to fight. he needs someone to fight for. there is nothing that inspires a man to courage so much as the woman he loves. most of the daring (and okay, sometimes ridiculous) things young men do are to impress the girls. men go to war carrying photos of their sweethearts in their wallets--that is a metaphor of this deeper longing to fight for the beauty. this is not to say that a woman is a "helpless creature" who can't live her life without a man. i'm saying that men long to offer their strength on behalf of a woman.

now--can you see how the desires of a man's heart and the desires of a woman's heart were at least meant to fit beautifully together? a woman in the presence of a good man, a real man, loves being a woman. his strength allows her feminine heart to flourish. his pursuit draws our her beauty. and a man in the presence of a real woman loves being a man. her beauty arouses him to play the man; it draws out his strength. she inspires him to be a hero.

"the ransomed heart"-j. eldredge