Measure of a Life

I've been thinking today about my funeral.


Not that I'm planning on needing one anytime soon.


But my man and I went to a memorial "celebration" today. And as such occasions usually do, it caused me to reflect on how my life might be summed up --- and how I would want it to be.


Let me be clear that I do not stand in judgment of anyone's relationship with God. Only God knows whether the man who died trusted Him for salvation. But the Bible does say in Matthew 7 that "by their fruit you shall know them." And while these verses are specifically addressing the issue of false prophets, the principle applies to all believers.


The man who died was clearly a "good" man by all indications given. (I did not know him personally.) He had strong work ethics and many friends and a loving family. But references to God and salvation were noticeably absent. The theme seemed to be "Eat, drink & be merry and enjoy the ride." And so, for me, this was no celebration, and I left saddened, heavy-hearted, and with a renewed resolve.


I want to be remembered for more than just good times with a beer on a boat. I want my kids to say I taught them about Jesus. I want it to be obvious that I served the Lord. I don't want my life to be summed up with a phrase from a Beatles, Jimmy Buffett, or BeeGees song. I don't want the final words at my funeral to be "Hook 'em Horns," "Gig 'Em Aggies" or any other trite slogan.


I want it to be evident to all that He is the reason for all I am and all I do, and that without Him, life has no meaning. And I want my family to be comforted by God's love and know that I am in His eternal presence, not hovering around them as some suspended, surreal, spirit.


Oh Lord, bless this grieving family. Help them to seek You as their source of true comfort. Remind us of the brevity of life and the importance of making each day count for You.


I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:20-21

Egg-zasperating!

I soooo don't have time for this.

I have a stye in my eye. I've been battling some clogged oil glands in my lower lid off and on for several months. According to the eye doctor this morning, it is now a "real stye. We don't see too many of those."

Well, don't I feel special!

(And can I just chase a little rabbit here and say that I totally don't get this decade and the last one of my life. I've had more acne in the last 10 years than I ever had in my teens. What's up with THAT?! Nothing like having zits and barnacles of old age at the same time!)

Anyway, you probably know the drill he told me: warm compresses twice a day followed by a prescription ointment.

But this blew my mind: "The best thing to use for the warm compress is a hard-boiled egg."

HUH?!

Yep, seems a boiled egg retains the heat better than a washcloth, and it's has the perfect curvature to lay it on the eye. "When you're done, set it on the counter and boil it again when it's time for the next round." (Don't eat it!)

So while the rich divas of this world go to the spa for seaweed and mud baths, I'll have my own egg-cellent little treatment.

Now I'm sure you're convinced I'm half-cracked!

So next time you have an egg salad sandwich, think of me.

I'll be the one with egg on my face.

My Mission

Let the Games begin.

My sister, an IMB missionary in South America, is on an airplane heading this way for 30 days of vacation. We will spend much of our time trying to annihilate each other in Scrabble.

This is serious business. Once when she was here years ago, we actually quit playing 2 days before she left. We were tied in the number of games we had each won, and neither wanted to risk losing bragging rights for the next several years.

She will be staying with us. And since this is just a vacation, she will have no transportation except for me, myself, and I.

As glad as I am to see her come, I'm generally just as glad to see her go! You know how sisters can be: we alternately adore each other and drive each other nuts.

I hope I didn't just burst any bubbles you had about perfect missionaries.

If so, it's not the first time:

Years ago, she was on furlough (now it's called stateside assignment) and was based in Houston since we hadn't moved my mom up here by me. I think my dad may have still been living. Anyway, a fairly new friend of hers from the church in whose missionary residence she was staying came to dinner at my folks' house. She was pretty impressed with this "real live missionary" (as opposed to a real dead one, I guess! That term always cracks me up) and had her a bit on a pedestal.

During the evening she asked me, "So Linda, what's it like to have a sister who's a missionary?" I laughed and said, "Well, I used to think missionaries were these really special perfect people, but now I know anyone can be a missionary." The friend looked shocked and a bit horrified! She hadn't lived with my sister! LOL

In all fairness, I will say that yes, missionaries ARE special, and my sister has followed God's calling on her life unswervingly. She is 7 years older than I and has been with the Board 25 years; she works tirelessly (actually, she's exhausted!) with juvenile delinquents, prostitutes, and house churches; and she has been accosted by armed men several times.

But perfect she is not. And though I love her dearly, she still makes me crazy.

And I'm gonna beat her boooo-tox off in Scrabble.

Blogging With a Purpose

Woefully inadequate.

That was my response to this award that Xandra gave me.

While I certainly desire that this be a hallmark of my blog, I never dreamed that another might have her soul stirred or her heart pricked by anything I might type.

And yet of all the awards I could receive, this one just might mean the most. Because this award, which originated here, reflects exactly what I feel about so many of the blogs I read and the precious community of which I have become a part.

So I gratefully pass this on to some dear ladies who welcomed me into the blogfold. Some are the ones who drew me to begin blogging. And they are the ones I eagerly visit daily, knowing that I will be encouraged, challenged, and convicted to better my walk. They have a heart for God that is unparalleled. I lovingly salute and pass this award on to Chris, Kelli, Lisa, Lisa (The Preacher's Wife), and Mel.

Reformed Pharisee that I am, LOL, I do indeed follow the rules, so here they are:

Rules:
1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.
2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.
3. In their post about the award they need to link back to this entry.
4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to the original site. (If anyone can help me with this, that would be great...I can't get it to show up as anything but a jpeg!)

I Heart Martha!

Martha gets a bum rap.

Yes, I'm talking about Martha the Domestic Diva.

But not the modern one.

I refer to another culinary Martha, the New Testament sister of Mary and Lazarus. Why as Christians do we so consistently remember folks for their weaknesses, failings, or rebukes instead of remembering their strengths and victories?

The watchword of today is "Be like Mary," the Queen of Worship. I'm sure you are familiar with the account in Luke 10:38-42 where Martha is distracted by all the preparations to be made when Jesus comes to visit. When she complains to Jesus that Mary is slacking off and not helping her, Jesus reminds her to refocus her priorities.

It is interesting to me that He doesn't actually rebuke her for her service, only her worry and distraction over it. In fact, later in Scripture we see Martha again serving the Lord.

But as we are apt to do, we have seized on this story and oh, how often we ladies say with self-reproach, "I'm a Martha and I need to be a Mary."

We focus on Martha's failings and not her triumphs.

In the account of Lazarus' illness, death, and subsequent raising from the dead, which is found in John 11, Martha absolutely shines. It is Martha who runs to meet Jesus upon His return, while Mary remains in the home (v. 20). And listen to her statement of faith in v. 27: "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

You don't see too many of those declarations in Scripture. Peter's similar one comes to mind in Matthew 16:15-19, upon which Jesus blesses him for receiving such a revelation from the Father in heaven.

Why don't we remember Martha for that?

But my favorite part of this whole story is a tender verse that many skip right over to get to what they consider the "main" miracle of Lazarus' resurrection. Look at verse 5.

"Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."

Wow.

How many of us have written that verse this way in our minds: "Jesus loved Mary and Lazarus and He really wished Martha would get her act together. Why can't she be more like Mary? Mary certainly knew how to worship and sat in rapt attention listening to everything Jesus said. If anyone was a model spiritual woman, that would be Mary. She has it figured out."

No, Jesus loved Martha.

Enough to be sure that HER name was mentioned this time, rather than Mary's, who usually got noticed for her extravagant acts of worship while Martha was content to serve in the background.

Because He created Martha with special gifts. And once her heart's focus was on Him instead of the to-do list, she was able to serve Him with a heart that recognized Him for Who He was: the long-awaited Messiah.

God never wanted her to be Mary. He just wanted her to be the Martha He created her to be.

Sold out, surrendered, and serving Him.

So next time someone asks me if I'm a Martha or a Mary, I'm going to hold my head up, smile, and say, "I'm a Martha, and God made me to serve Him!"

Betcha Didn't Know This!

In recognition of President's Day (just barely!) here's a little bizarre trivia on some random presidents.

Martin Van Buren, the 8th President:

• Although he was born after the Declaration of Independence was signed (and was the first American-born President), he was of Dutch ancestry and spoke Dutch at home with his wife.
• He presided over the Senate with loaded pistols.
• He had 2 tiger cubs as pets.
• Weirdest fact: His autobiography does not mention his wife once.

James K. Polk, the 11th President:

• He survived a gallstone operation at age 17 without anethesia or antiseptics.
• A week before he died, Polk was baptized a Methodist.

Franklin Pierce, the 14th President:

• He was arrested while in office for running over an old woman with his horse, but his case was dropped due to insufficient evidence in 1853.
• He had the first central heating installed in the White House.
• He was the first one to have a Christmas tree in the White House.

Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President:

• His real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. He changed it because he didn't want to enter West Point with the initials H.U.G.
• While president, he was arrested for driving his horse too fast; he was fined $20.
• He ate a cucumber soaked in vinegar every morning for breakfast.

James Garfield, the 20th President:

• He was the only President to have been a preacher.
• He could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other.
• Garfield was the second president shot in office. Doctors tried to find the bullet with a metal detector invented by Alexander Graham Bell. But the device failed because Garfield was placed on a bed with metal springs, and no one thought to move him.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President:

• A man of few words, he was so famous for saying so little that a White House dinner guest made a bet that she could get the president to say more than two words. She told the president of her wager. His reply: "You lose."
• His family spoke in sign language when they didn't want to be heard.
• He refused to use the telephone while he was in office.
• He once said, "If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it."
• He also once said, "Four-fifths of all our troubles in this life would disappear if we would only sit down and keep still."

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President:

• His right leg was 3/4 of an inch longer than his left, so he wore corrective shoes to make up for it.
• C. S. Lewis died the same day Kennedy was shot.

Richard Nixon, the 37th President:

• He suffered from motion sickness and hay fever.
• His favorite lunch was cottage cheese slathered in ketchup.

Gerald Ford, the 38th President:

• He was right-handed but wrote with his left hand.
• When he proposed to his wife, he was wearing one brown and one black shoe.
• He was the first President to be an Eagle Scout.

Source: http://fs6.depauw.edu:50080/~jkochanczyk/president/index.htm
The disgusting fact about Nixon's cottage cheese and ketchup came from
http://reference.aol.com/mf_history/_a/richard-nixon-who-resigned-from-office/20050126202109990017

Aren't some of those hilarious?! Now you can impress all your friends & family with your new knowledge!

Friday's Frazzled Fatigue

I've been steadily working the past two days getting things ready for a workshop on Sunday that I'm helping lead at church on Caregiving - stepping outside of our own busy-ness and demonstrating God's love and care to those around us who are hurting and experiencing the challenges of life. And how to do this in ways beyond the ubiquitous casserole dinner.

So since I'm pretty wiped out I thought I'd share some pithy aphorisms that a friend sent me in an email. Nothing earth-shattering, but some are amusing.

1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.

4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.

5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.

8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

9. Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.

10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.

11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.

12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. Like this: It could be a right number.

13. No one ever says "It's only a game." when their team is winning.

14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.

15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.

And now you are enlightened! In relation to #14 above, tomorrow is the first Saturday in weeks that I don't have to get up early to take someone somewhere. It's supposed to be rainy and anyone who wakes me up before 8:00 is d.e.a.d. m.e.a.t.

Have a good weekend!

The 13th - A Special Day

My man is in Houston with his mom tonight, helping with his dad whose Alzheimer's is progressing and moving him into a new care situation. But that is a post for another day.

Tonight - glad though I am for him to spend that time with his mom and provide some much needed help - I am missing him a bit more than usual, because it's February 13th.

Twenty years ago, on February 13, 1988, we got engaged.

Yeah, I know we jumped the gun on Valentine's day. But that year, Valentine's Day was on Sunday. So we went out on Saturday night. And besides, it's kinda fun having a special date that stands out from all the rest and belongs just to us. We each like to go against the grain just a bit. (Actually, he likes it more than a bit!)

And then, as dates worked out with the church and the minister and getting my sister here from Ecuador, our wedding date landed on the 13th of August.

You'll never convince me that 13 is an unlucky number! To me it represents love!

Cherish the Moment - Updated

Well, I hurriedly posted this yesterday afternoon before I got swamped with piano lessons and Powerpoint preparations for today's Bible Study. I didn't stop to think that it would appear to be such a serious, dedicated post that no one would comment on it.

It's not like dear sweet Beth has the time to go blog-visiting all of her Siestas. And even if she ever did, it wouldn't be 3 days before her daughter's wedding!

But the post on the LPM site was so touching about Keith and Beth heading off to take dancing lessons for the wedding that this sweet new song came to mind. Every day I hear men call in to KLOVE and request it, saying it makes them cry.

There's nothing sweeter to me than a big ol' hunk reduced to a puddle of tenderness by his baby girl. And oh, how quickly our sweet children grow.

The song is incredible, and the visuals in the background are so poignant.

So, even though they'll never see it, this is dedicated with love to Beth and Keith Moore and their daughter Melissa.

Steven Curtis Chapman singing his precious song "Cinderella."


And if I do say so myself, I was pretty proud that I figured out how to put a video like this on my post! A month ago I was doing good just to write the things! LOL

Don't Try This at Home

Saturday night after my girl's All-Region concert, the Choir Director took the 12 kids who placed in the top 5 chairs of their sections to Benihana, the Japanese steakhouse. My man & our boy & I also went, intending to be at a different table, but crowding and timing put us all together at 2 large tables side by side.

Not sure which was more entertaining - watching the chefs prepare the food with all their culinary tricks, or watching the 7th & 8th graders (of which 10 were girls!) react!

Food was flying, fire was flaring, knives were banging, and the chef at one of our tables was so quick that one girl was convinced he really had peppered her Coke - didn't see him flip the shaker upside down first. Took her about 10 minutes to be convinced she could drink it.

Then he flipped the shrimp tails off the end of the spatula to land on top of his chef's toque. The kids all oohed, "That's so cool!!" His reply? "I know!"

Yep, he was a pretty impressive Japanese chef. . . . . except he wasn't. He was from Guatemala. But he explained his qualifications: "I'm from the west side!"

Yeah, that side of Guatemala is a LOT closer to Japan.

But I'm not gonna argue with a guy that plays with fire and razor-sharp knives.....

Church Service, Anyone? (Part Two)

As I read in Nehemiah 9 about the Israelites confessing their sins during their lengthy worship service, I was struck with the historical depth they went into.

And it posed a bit of a dilemma.

In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul sets an example of "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

It is important for us to claim God's forgiveness, release our sins, and move on, not to continually wallow in them.

And yet, as evidenced in Nehemiah (and elsewhere in Scripture), in the process of confession and especially in praise to God for His faithfulness to us, sometimes it is appropriate to remember a little historical perspective.

Not because we haven't been freed from those sins, but to remind us not to return to that area of sin and bondage.

Some highlights from the Levites' prayer:

• "You chose Abram...You made a covenant..You have kept Your promise because You are righteous" (9:7-8)
• "You divided the sea...You led them with a pillar of cloud [and] fire...You gave them laws (9:11-13)
• "In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst You brought them water from the rock" (9:15)
• "But our forefathers did not obey...refused to listen...became stiff-necked" (9:16-17)
• "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate....abounding in love...You did not desert them even when they cast...an image of a calf... (9:17-18)
• "You gave...You sustained...You gave...You made...You subdued" (9:20-25)
• "But they were disobetient and rebelled..." (9:26)
• "When they were oppressed they cried out to You...In Your great compassion You...rescued them" (9:27)
• "They again did what was evil...and You abandoned them to their enemies." (9:28)
• "And when they cried out....You delivered them time after time." (9:28)
• "You warned them....but they became arrogant and disobeyed..." (9:29)
• "For many years You were patient with them." (9:30)
• "Yet they paid no attention so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples..." (9:30)
• "But in Your great mercy You did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God....In all that has happened to us, You have been just; You have acted faithfully, while we did wrong." (9:31-33)

I think about how flippantly we pray "Lord forgive us our sins".

I wonder if we prayed through our history if it might change our tune and cause us to treat more reverently His gifts of grace and mercy.

And what do our children know of God's faithfulness through our lives, even in the times when we were unfaithful?

Just some things to think about as we go about our days and head to church on Sunday. . . .

Church Service, Anyone? (Part One)

Remember the old Hefty commercials? The ones declaring the other bags to be "WIMPY WIMPY WIMPY!" ??

Well, I can identify with those no-name trash bags. . . .

In Nehemiah, the exiles of Judah have returned to Jerusalem and under Nehemiah's leadership have rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem under great duress. (Kelli has a great post on this.)

After the wall is completed, they assemble and Ezra brings out the Book of the Law. All the people stood up as soon as he opened it and "he read it aloud from daybreak till noon....And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law." (Nehemiah 8:3)

Daybreak. Until noon.

Sooo, does that sound like your church?! Can you imagine the announcement in the bulletin: "Next Sunday our service will begin at 6:00 a.m. and conclude at 12:00 noon. The service will be held outside; seating will not be necessary."

And actually, this was all spontaneous! He didn't tell them to stand. They could all see him because he was up on a platform. As soon as he opened the scroll, they were on their feet.

Oh, and they "had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." (Neh. 8:9) And in their response "they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground." (Neh. 8:6)

Nehemiah told them not to grieve because it was a day to rejoice and sent them off to celebrate (The Feast of Tabernacles), which they did for 7 days, like they had not celebrated it since the days of Joshua for "their joy was very great." (Neh. 8:17) Each day Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God.

So they got that out of the way - back to normal business, right?

Chapter 9 - they gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and dust on their heads. "They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God." (Neh. 9:3)

Three hours standing and reading.

Another three hours in confession and worship.

Been to prayer meetin' lately?

Now of course, the point is not to watch the clock and set our minds on doing things for a specified amount of time.

But when we are truly lost in God's Word, confronted and convicted of our sin, and overcome by His Holiness and Glory, the passage of time will be irrelevant.

I don't know about you, but my joints and marrow are feeling a little pulled apart.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Lord, forgive me when I'm more concerned with the minutes and minutiae of my life than what really matters. May it not take an exile for me to be on my feet and on my face before You.

Wondering Why. . . .

Maybe it's just me, but what IS the point??

Why does the bagger at the grocery store load up the bag with so much stuff, and then pick the whole thing up and put it in a second bag for reinforcement? Would it not use the same number of bags to divide the load in half to start with? It would certainly be easier to carry!

Just another of life's mysteries to ponder. . . .

Blog Treasure? Hunt!

For those of you who are readers, and I know I've got some kindred spirits out there, I just have to share with you about one of my favorite daily blog spots, Angela Hunt's A Life in Pages.

Angie -- oh, I feel like we're pals now! :-) -- is an incredible author of some fantastic books. She writes Christian fiction at its best - real, compelling, thought-provoking. You may have seen one of her books, The Note, as a Hallmark Channel movie in December. (I'm still crushed that I missed it since we don't have cable.)

Some of her other books are The Elevator, Doesn't She Look Natural?, Magdalene, A Time to Mend, The Novelist and many, many more award-winning books. Also among her books are The Heavenly Daze series, written with Lori Copeland. She wrote the companion novel of The Nativity Story movie. She also is the author that several folks have collaborated with to pen their autobiographies, such as Deanna Favre and Mandisa.

She updates her blog daily....sometimes just fun things from her life like the rest of us do. Other times, like the past few days, she highlights a book or a series she wrote and talk about the process she went through. Or she'll feature an author-friend's book with a guest appearance by that author. Also on her blog/website are discussion guides, writers' tips, info on all her books, etc. etc. It's a bibliophile's dream! (Hey, if I'm gonna hang out with authors, I gotta use vocabulary words! LOL)

She is fun and real, and she also just got her PhD in Theology! So drop by for a chat and tell her I sent you! (No, I'm not getting anything for it! Just love to share a good thing.)

Monday Musings

HEY GALS!! Hurry over to Vicki Courtney's Virtue Alert blog! (after you read mine! LOL!) She has a give-away going this week that just started today: spa products and a free book!


Ah, Monday. Usually it has the feel of "ugh, Monday" to it. But today it feels good to get our household back to normal.

My boy came home at the end of the day last Tuesday with chills and fever. The doctor confirmed Thursday that it was the flu. In spite of having had the vaccine.

Makes me want to run right out and buy a lottery ticket.

Apparently, this year's strain that is making the rounds is different from the one in the vaccine. Hence folks around our fair city are dropping like flies.

So we're all on Tamiflu, either for prevention or treatment.

Meanwhile, my girl has been bouncing off the walls. She had her first experience of trying out for All-Region Choir Saturday with others from her school choir.

She made it. And placed 2nd among the Altos.

On a normal day, I tell folks our kids are Eeyore and Tigger. Our boy is very staid and methodical and can definitely see the cloud in every silver lining. The girl, on the other hand, bounces through life full of vim and vigor. If I hadn't been there when they were born, I'd wonder if they were both mine.

This weekend, the difference was even more pronounced. She was barely able to contain her glee, and he was barely able to make it across the room.

But it's a new week. He went back to school today (although who knows how long it will take the cough to subside) and she floated back to school today.

And I wondered why I had a migraine after everyone left....

An Auspicious Occasion

One month. I am totally amazed. On Jan. 2 I tentatively debuted into the blog world. I had enjoyed reading some of them, and I figured it was easier to comment if I had an ID. The Preacher's Wife had encouraged me and promised she would visit if I did. I had no idea how to set it up, what buttons were, how to get all that stuff in the sidebar, etc. I had visions of writing things and having no one out there. (At what point does a woman get over the junior high fear of rejection?!? Puh-leeze!!) And besides, I've never been a journaler, so what in the world would I find to blog about?

What a difference a month makes. And of course, the best part has been the new friends I've made! I get such a smile to see your names in my inbox, and I love to go visit your blog and see what you have to say.

In honor of my one month-iversary, I'm finally going to do the meme Mel tagged me for last week. Hope you don't fall asleep....I'm not too exciting!

4 JOBS I'VE HAD
1. Sears - that was my very first one; great motivation to get a degree!
2. Temp Secretarial stuff - summers during college
3. Hospital RN - post-op
4. Home Health RN

4 MOVIES I'VE WATCHED OVER AND OVER
1. Fiddler on the Roof
2. The Sound of Music
3. Mary Poppins
4. Many, many kids movies

4 SHOWS I WATCH
Rarely watch TV & we don't have cable, but on vacation or at my in-laws I like
1. Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe
2. Cash Cab
3. Can't think of anything else.....Wheel of Fortune's usually on at the piano teacher's and I find myself trying to figure out the words!
4. NOT Lost or Idol (and the world is still on its axis!)

4 PLACES I'VE BEEN
1. Guatemala
2. The Grand Canyon
3. Williamsburg, Virginia
4. Sanibel Island, Florida

4 PEOPLE WHO EMAIL ME REGULARLY
1. My mother-in-law
2. My sister
3. The Bible Study teacher/friend I do Powerpoint for
4. AT&T, Visa, Toyota.... "Your bill is available online"

4 FAVORITE THINGS TO EAT
1. Dark chocolate - esp. with mint or nuts
2. Popcorn - in a pan on the stove, none of this microwave stuff
3. Warm chocolate chip cookies that aren't just a dream
4. A really good filet mignon and baked potato

4 PLACES I'D RATHER BE
1. A cozy lodge with a fireplace
2. England/Ireland
3. I'd love to go back to Williamsburg
4. In a room with some of you gals!

4 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR
1. My 20th wedding anniversary
2. Summer vacation with no alarm clocks!
3. San Antonio (hopefully!) - meeting some special blog buddies!!
4. My missionary sister's annual month-long visit from Ecuador (I usually look forward to when she comes AND when she leaves! LOL)

4 PEOPLE TO TAG (totally optional!)
1. You
2. and you
3. and, yes, I'm looking at you!
4. and you
5. and please you and you too! (so I can't count!)
I actually hate this part (see, I'm so insecure I don't even want to risk offending someone by tagging them! Or NOT tagging them! LOL), so I'm just gonna leave it open....I'd love to know more about any of you gals I consider my Daily Dose, so feel free to jump right in!