Today Kinsley had a pink hat that Fiona insisted belonged to her. They both actually have the same hat because I tend to buy things in twos because they are so close in age, etc. Every time the girls have something (toys, dolls, etc.) that have been hiding for months on end.. all of a sudden it seems amazing and new to them and they fight over the item. Well, Fiona had to have the pink hat. So she proceeded to try and get Kinsley to give her the pink hat. Kinsley wouldn’t do it. After trying bribery and everything else she could think of to try and coax Kinsley into giving her the hat (including imaginary candy lol)… Kinsley still would not budge. So Fiona got super mad at Kinsley and screamed as loud as she could…
“You’re a mean little sister! I think we should trade you in for a boy!”
These are the topics that came up in the months of May and June that you guys noticed the most. (Assuming that the number of comments left actually means something?)
What a fantastic sermon at church today on Salvation. Luke 13:22-30 – Love It! Worked out at the gym. Ran 2.0 miles and then worked on strength training. I’m gonna flip those two around next time and do strength training first after my warm up and then run. I’d be interested to know if anybody out there has tried the slim-in-6 workout tapes? Watched The Incredible Mr. Limpet tonight with the girls. Fun Stuff!
So yeah, the sermon at church rocked! Our Pastor put up a quote by Oprah Winfrey that talked about how she says there are many paths to God – Not! The day that I realized that Oprah really does believe that there is more than one way to get to heaven was the day that I stopped paying attention to what she had to say.
The sermon today was on Salvation and it covered Luke 13:22-30
The Narrow Door
22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24″Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26″Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27″But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28″There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
The door in verse 24 is Jesus. You can Not work your way to heaven on your own terms. We are all sinners. Nobody is perfect.
10As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[a]
Seriously you guys…you can’t get to heaven on your own. You can’t do it yourselves. The only way to heaven is through Jesus.
9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
That’s how you can be saved.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
God, I am thankful that you sent your son to be my savior!
(Those were my notes at church today)
It was a great sermon. It was nice to be reminded that there is Nothing I can do to earn my way to heaven. A lot of folks out there think that if they are a good person that is nice and always does good things for other people, that they will be saved.
Then you have people like Oprah Winfrey that say there are many paths that lead to God. That’s just not true. There is only one way and that way is through Jesus Christ.
Congress, with the passing of “Cap & Trade”, has openly declared war against the will and needs of the American people. I mean, who in their right mind believes we should be DOUBLING our electricity and gas bills in this economy?
My memories of Michael Jackson begin in the 70’s. I was born in 1970 and by the time I was between the ages of 5 and 7 I already knew who he was.
It’s the classic songs that get to me: I Want You Back, ABC, Ben, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, The Girl Is Mine, etc. Then came the 80’s with Billie Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, P.Y.T. Thriller.
Oh my goodness… THRILLER was mind blowing for me. Back when MTV used to play videos I can remember waiting on pins and needles for the Thriller video debut. They used to work us up to it by promoting it for what seemed like MONTHS. I thought it was spectacular. The dance moves, the voice, the beat of the music. It was fantastic.
Back to the 70’s… I don’t think ANYBODY but me remembers Fat Albert. Is there anybody out there that remembers the Saturday morning cartoon called Fat Albert? It was one of my favorite cartoons to watch. If I’m not mistaken I think a lot of the music on that cartoon was done by the Jackson 5… right? Or am I wrong? My Dad used to buy me Fat Albert coloring books and my cousin used to lecture me about my coloring because I was using black crayons instead of brown crayons. I didn’t understand what she was trying to tell me until I was much older and then I kept thinking to myself “duh Angela… what on earth were you thinking!?” I just knew I liked the music and that cartoon.
I was entranced with the movie Ben. I admit it! I can’t help it! If it wasn’t for Michael Jackson singing that beautiful song I would have never given the movie Ben the time of day. I just wanted to hear Michael Jackson sing the song. It’s what kept me watching that movie.
Fast forward back to the 80’s…. me and Christine used to sit at the park and swing on the swings with our little boom boxes listening to Def Leppard, Michael Jackson, and yeah… Rick Springfield too. But Michael Jackson was the shit! (Excuse my french…but you know that word fits when you’re looking for emphasis.)
Those music award shows gave me goosebumps. Me and my Mom and brother used to sit up late waiting to see Michael Jackson win another award. Watching him dance gave us goosebumps. His moves, his voice, the dress, the MOON WALK… it was all revolutionary and unforgettable. The moment just made you feel good to be in it. He was terrific.
When I see the title to that song “Rock With You” I had to laugh because today they would have called it “Rock Which You.” But not Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was a class act ALWAYS.
So then the 90’s came around and things got a little weird. So what. We all have a little bit of weirdness in us. We’ve all done things that we look back on and thought “what on EARTH was I thinking” .. right? You know what I’m talking about.
So the 90’s stuff I’m thinking isn’t as good as the 80’s and doesn’t even touch the 70’s… but there are a few that I really like… like Bad (But I can only listen to that one about once every couple of months, etc.), Leave Me Alone, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror (SO Truthful!!!), Smooth Criminal, Black Or White (LOVED that one!!!), Remember The Time…. Michael Jackson had THE BEST music videos. His music videos can NOT be touched or repeated or copied. Simply the best, that Michael Jackson. There are so many more songs that I loved.
I went NUTS when he collaborated with his sister Janet Jackson but I can’t remember for the life of me what the name of that song is. I am picturing the music video though… in black and white. I think they were in outer space or something… anyway.
Michael Jackson is gone.
I can’t even believe it.
The entire situation doesn’t seem real, you know?
When I heard that he was having heart problems and rushed to the hospital I kept thinking to myself, “oh he’s gonna be ok…he’s Michael Jackson.” Then I was listening to Mark Levin on the radio and that’s when the news broke that Michael Jackson had died. I didn’t believe it. I had to turn on the news.
Then I started wonderring what my brother was doing and what my best friends were doing. I knew that Faithe was at work because she’s on the west coast time zone so I couldn’t call her. I called my brother and talked to Heather for a bit to find out what they were doing and if they had heard the news about Michael Jackson. We talked about being stunned that we have lost 3 really nice celebrities this week and how Michael Jackson’s passing was just too unreal. Then I called Christine. You know… Christine and I have been friends since we were 12 so I guess I wanted to connect with her because she was there when I was enjoying Michael Jackson’s artistry in the 80’s. It was comforting to me to know that people might ask me, “what were you doing when you found out Michael Jackson had died?” Then I could tell them.. I was talking to my best friend Christine on the telephone. (big sigh here)
Then my 17 year old called me to ask me if I had heard the news. She was out with her friends and they were all sitting around talking about what a big deal this is. And you know what? It really is a big deal. That’s when I got emotional. Yes, I cried. I had to suck it up though because I wanted to have a halfway decent conversation with her. We’ll probably sit down later on this week and talk about it.
Growing up listening to the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, and even Janet Jackson… their music for me, made it ok to be me. For some strange reason their style, their music, their voices, their music videos made it ok for me to be me… the white girl. I know that doesn’t make sense to all of you that don’t really know me… but there are other things swirling around that date back to Fort Dix, N.J. My parents used to send me to the back door neighbors house for a birthday party. I was the only white girl in the house and let me tell you… at that age I was afraid. I don’t know why… but I was. One time I was over there and you know what got me to chill out? The kids invited me to come and play with them in the bedroom. They were listening to the Jackson 5 on a 45 record. We had the best time. It’s the only time I felt like I could be me in a room full of black people and it was OK. (I know I’m going off on a tangent so back to Michael Jackson lol)
I am setting aside all the weirdness, the allegations, the innuendos, the brunt of many hollywood insider articles. I’m setting it aside. Like a dear friend of mine said… it’s not for us to say or to judge. He was not convicted of anything. Some will say that it’s because of his celebrity. Whatever.. I know a lot of celebrities in jail doing time for their crimes. Michael Jackson was never convicted of anything. Were there some weird moments in the media? Sure there were weird moments. I can remember Michael’s hair being caught on fire when he was shooting the Pepsi, or was it Coke, commercial. There was weirdness when he married Elvis Presley’s daughter. THAT was strange. But… I can set it aside. It’s ok… only God knows what was really happening in those moments and everybody involved will be judged when the time comes.
Michael Jackson to me was brilliant, thoughtful, he Loved children. He was quite generous with his money and always did whatever he could to help those that were terminally ill. I felt sorry for Michael that he couldn’t live an every day life like the rest of us and it did seem that he was out of sorts at times. But wouldn’t you be if you had paparazzi stalking you 24/7 ?? I know I would.
Ok… so I had to pick up a few things at Super Target tonight. I had some pictures and odds and ends I needed to buy. I kept thinking about my Thriller LP that I used to have wonderring why on earth I ever let that thing go. Had I known record players were going to come back into the picture I would have saved it ALL. I had Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson’s Control, Pat Benetar and Joan Jett, etc… all in those big LP record albums. All GONE!
So I found myself drifting into the CD isle wonderring if there was a chance there would be any Michael Jackson stuff in there. Not! I must have walked the isles 3 or 4 times as quietly as possible. I didn’t want to ask anybody about it because I didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that I was looking for something by Michael Jackson just to have, to blast in my van, on the way home… to sort of honor him in some way.
There was a guy doing the same thing I was. He looked at me kinda funny because I think he saw me running the isles the same way that he was. So I saw him go over to a display area. He picked something up, looked at me, looked back at the display and I was over there in no time flat! There was a bunch of CD’s for great music artists like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, etc… right next to the Elvis Presley one was “The Essential Michael Jackson.” – Limited Edition 3.0 — I snatched that puppy up quicker than flies on poop and headed toward the register.
On the way home I BLASTED the 1st CD.. “I Want You Back.” I’ll probably grab my favorites and make a play list for the gym this weekend. Gotta put some Michael Jackson on my play list next to the BOOM BOOM POW by the Black Eyed Peas. That’s just the way it is. Now you know if I go there tomorrow the isle will be empty and there will be no Michael Jackson songs. They will get snatched right up and for good reason.
Now he can rest in heaven. He can finally have peace and play for as long as he wants to. I still can’t believe he is gone and so young too. Dying at the age of 50 is just wrong. Rest in Peace Michael Jackson. God bless everybody that was moved by this man in some positive way. Please give his family peace to carry on. Please let the healing be quick because there will be tons of heartache over this I’m sure. Michael Jackson has his own children and now they are without a father. May the Lord bless and keep them strong. I hope the media will be nicer to Michael Jackson in his death than they were in his life. Ya think? I hope so.
So if you’re reading this I would love it if you would tell me what you were doing and thinking when you heard the news that Michael Jackson died. What are you memories of him like? It’s ok if you’re feeling a bit corny about it because the life and times of this great man goes all the way back. The world is different today as compared to the 70’s and 80’s… so tell me… what are you thinking?
When I think of Father’s Day I am picturing You and what a Great Dad you are. You are surrounded by girls and you still know what to do with all of them. When we first met Lauren used to pray every night to God that He would make You her Dad. She probably doesn’t remember that today because we tend to forget those requests when we are teenagers. In any case, you dived right in from the beginning making sure that she knew you loved her.
When I think of Father’s Day I always picture in the back of my mind’s eye my own Father. I always wonder how he is doing and if he remembers Me and my brother Chris on Father’s Day.
When I think of Father’s Day I always wonder how my Heavenly Father up there manages to take care of all his Children. What an Awesome responsibility and He does it with the greatest care. He knows exactly what to do to comfort us, to care for us, to provide us with our every need. When we are feeling sad and lonely he carries us and makes each day of life possible. He gives us the desires of our hearts so that we can go on no matter how sad or impossible life seems.
We waited for this day to come for a long time. You made the decision to go back to school before Kinsley was born. You included me in that decision. Remember when we got a hotel room just the two of us down in the Old Market? The kids stayed at your Mom’s and we got to have a nice weekend night out. The following morning we went and had breakfast at Perkins or Village Inn. We must have sat there for at least an hour talking about you going back to school. You had made up your mind and then with my support and encouragement you took action.
I am a HUGE fan of yours you know. I knew you could do it. I knew it would be hard. Your job is not a normal 40 hour weekly job. Your work hours are insane yet you managed to squeeze in all those papers that you had to write. Most of your schooling took place in the air or on the ground in an airport. There were times you were logging in from far away countries yet you still managed to do your homework and finish school. When I look back I think to myself… how did he do it? How did he discipline himself to get it done and finished once and for all? It takes A LOT of discipline and determination to finish school. When I think about it I still have to shake my head in wonderment that my husband finished school.
I love you. I’m not going to stop taking pictures so if you keep making funny faces at me (and you know I love it) I will make sure they are put on your cakes always. It was fun having our close friends over to help you celebrate all that you have accomplished academically. I’m looking forward to our Old Market fun some time this summer to finish up our celebration. Next stop — paying off that $30k+ school loan.
I’m trying to help these ladies out by posting what’s going on. I’m pretty sure Jane and Laura could use our support because their cause is great! So be sure and copy the information I’m about to share and use it on your blog too. I don’t care to have a hat tip or a credit link. I just want their story out there so people will know it, hear about it, and report on it. These ladies have been forgotten, the incident long gone, but their sacrifice is great.
We held signs that say “I Regret My Abortion”. We also gave our testimonies and prayed the Rosary with other Catholics who supported us.
We are two Catholic women who reside in the State of Colorado. We made tragic mistakes in our younger years by having abortions. We came to the University of Notre Dame Friday, May 8, to witness to the harm caused to us by our “choice”.
Their Case:
After being held in St. Joseph County jail in South Bend Indiana for several hours we each posted a $250 Bond. We have been informed that we must be present for arraignment on July 16th. We understand a misdemeanor offense of trespassing in this county could mean a fine of up to $5000.00 and/or one year in prison.
The Beach
English 101
Static Description
Jan. 29 1990
The beach is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon during the hot summer months between June and August. It leaves me feeling peaceful, lazy, attentive, excited, and very carefree.
On a busy afternoon you can witness an array of colorful beach towels ranging from bright yellow to luminous black. Rainbow-colored umbrellas are everywhere. Hundreds of dark, tanned bodies, shiny from the sun’s natural rays hitting the coconut tanning oil, lay lifeless for hours. Before the day comes to an end, some lucky sex-pot will walk away from the beach with the ultimate tan.
I love to watch innocent little children run and play with a cheerful look of determination. To some, learning to swim is a joyful experience as they splash around and pretend to be sharks with their orange flotation devices keeping them afloat. Before the day is finished however, half a dozen castles will be constructed by creative little hands. A group of children approximately six years of age pretend a heroic, armored soldier will rescue a beautiful princess helplessly trapped in a muddy dungeon. Sooner or later, a wave abruptly disrupts the story and washes the castle away. The children start over once again with a new castle and different story. Watching them play reminds me of how lucky I was, in such a stressful world; not to have a single worry when I was that age.
The salty mist rising in the air from the cool and clear ocean seems to draw me towards the shore line every time I come. Walking along the seashore is heaven for my ankles. The soothing waves seem to make my feet sink every time the water washes up on the shore. It is a wonderful feeling. Walking among the slippery rocks there is a slight stench of tiny fish and washed up seaweed. My nose does not always agree with this aroma, but exploring the rocks with a good friend is always fun.
The beach is definitely a good place for finding valuable sea treasures. Sea shells, for instance, are colorful and some are sturdy to have survived all the years in the deep waters. I appreciate them because they give me the opportunity to listen and hear the ancient echo of the ocean floor.
As the day draws closer to an end, exhausted people gather their belongings and leave. The combers make their way out to rake and pick up trash from the sandy mass. I like to be the last soul to depart from the scene. Everything is much more quiet and peaceful. The waves of the ocean crash against the moist sand as the deep-orange sun slowly feels its way towards the mystic never-ending horizon.
