Since I didn't get to cards this year, I'll use this venue for my wishes.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes

for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress,

non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice

holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of religious

persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the

religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their

choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and

medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally

accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the

calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society

have helped make America great (not to imply that America is

necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "America" in

the western hemisphere) and without regard to the race, creed, color,

age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the

wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This

greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely

transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies

no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for

her/himself or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is

revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted

to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings

for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday

greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to

replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole

discretion of the wisher.

In other words,

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Disclaimer: "no trees were harmed in the sending of this message

however, a significant number of electrons were slightly

inconvenienced."

I found this years ago and loved it!!

My first book from NavPress Blogger Review Program was a winner!

I’ve read enough financial help books to know what I was in for, but having one written so recently, I knew it’s relevance to current economic conditions would be valuable. What made this one different was the way Matt Bell truly encouraged the reader that it is possible to be successful and to think big. What will life look like when you are free from the current troubles? What will you be able to do for God? It really set the stage to dig in and do the work. The chart referenced throughout the book is daunting at first, but Bell applies it’s uses in stages. He also doesn’t load the book up with easily referenced resources, choosing to direct the reader to internet sites of reputable organizations and ministries. He wraps up all the practical advice with a healthy dose of matters of the heart and that the way out of your troubles must be intentional. As you reach your goals, Bell has you be conscious of community. 2 Tim 2:2 tells us as we are entrusted with these truths so we can “teach others also.” I truly enjoyed this book and will read other titles by Matt Bell.

Check it out!

Been frustrated lately with Dom's aug comm device. A Dynavox VMax. It is supposed to be the end all of devices, but it keeps crashing. It has all the communication software as well as being a computer running XP. I have had many problems with it and had to send it in for more memory first and then for repairs. Makes me want the new touch screen mac to hurry up and get here.
I am going to Prescott Valley for a training with the Special Touch Ministry training team for Chapters . It will be local groups that can meet for fellowship and ministry. Summer Getaway is only once a year and this will help to keep the ministry flowing.

And in two weeks Frank and I get to fly away without the short one. Again, for a Special Touch event. Frank is thrilled to drive through the fall colors as we make our way from Milwaukee to Waupaca. We also get to see Gracey, Zach and whoever else tracks us down. I will stop at my brother's new house, too.

Women's Ministry is starting up again at Living Faith Assembly of God! We have a bible study and we will also meet once a month for fellowship.

So, lately I've been trying to find a bible study by someone who actually believes the bible alone without embellishments. Crossed two names off my list: one I haven't looked at before and one I had ready to use. I think the selfist, selfish, self-first, self-love, self-aggrandizement, self-protective, self-etc. attitude of america has left us with a self-created god. If we truley believed who God is and Jesus is and the Holy Spirit is, and who we are and where we came from and being loved before we knew we needed it, we would be much less self centered and more humbled and grateful.

If morals and standards are "rules". What are they for. Are we taking them on ourselves and our life styles because we need unmoving boundaries? And why? Are they an entity unto themselves that we look to to have an excuse to behave? Hmmm. Just some ramblings and musings. I should come to some conclusions soon.

Okay, so I've been thinking on a subject that I will attempt to put into coherent prose. Morals, standards and judging. I know, big subject. If Christ fulfilled the law, what are morals and standards. And what are people really trying to do when they judge.

I found the book "The Shack" at a recent thrift store forage and thought I would find out what the hullabaloo is about. I did get me thinking. I never like imagery of the sort used in the story. I don't mind fiction if it's based on reality, but not total fantasy trying to be real. (Now, fantasy stories that are allegorical I like. ) Any way, it's just some thinking I'm doing and I will cover it slowly as I mull. Feel free to step in and add to the flow - concise thoughts please, so as not to lose my attention.

I've also just finished my first book for review from NavPress. I need to write a 200 word review. Then I get to chose another book. Fun!

Okay, life is speeding up again. Had a great birthday and anniversary. Now it's time to get busy again. I have my office back in the room, but far from settled. I can get to my desk, that's about it. I have a trip to Phoenix with Dom tomorrow, a concert I want to attend next week, Memphis trip to St. Jude's the 2nd week in Aug, Special Touch Chapter meeting the 3rd weekend. I need to hold a rummage sale at the church for the rest of WM's retreat registration monies, and the only time is the 8th, and that's not far away. We camp out with the church Labor Day weekend and the end of that same week is Wm's retreat! Alicia Chole, what a treat, can't wait. Then at the end of the month/beginning of Oct is a Special Touch Coordinator training in WI, and Gracey graduates in December. Frank and I haven't decided who goes to that. I would love for him to get away, but I would love to be there, too. We'll see. Then already already looking at next year, in March I have a trip back to Waupaca for Exposé. We could possibly put off the rummage sale. I'll have to check on what we have in the WM's account. Amazing what just thinking I have some level of adjustment in the schedule can alleviate some of the stress.
I'm almost done with the first book from NavPress. I signed up to review books and get to keep all the books I read. I will finish today and write and post maybe by the end of the week.

The way things appear

My mind/emotions most of my life were formed by unhealthy people and environments. I waited a long time to develop the "self" that I needed before I could grow and mature. I used others personalities and tastes to portrait myself to the world. Now that I kind of know that I am wonderfully made by my creator and have purpose and a future, I don't have to worry that someone will find out that I may have been "bs-ing" them with a made-up person. I can just be me and let people like me or not. Well, lately, I guess the "me" that people see is someone who is competent enough to take on some pretty big positions. I travelled to Phoenix on Tuesday to attend the AZ District Council of the Assemblies of God. I went to a women's missions brunch because the Women's Ministry chooses a focus mission for the year and take pledges for that mission and raise funds all year. This year the focus is Special Touch Ministry, Inc. What a blessing to know there will be a large donation coming to this ministry which has captured my heart. I sat at the table with the coordinators for the Arizona Getaway as well as key people who put a lot of time and energy in and watched their thrill when the pledges of $44,750 was announced of which we will get about 43% of this time next year.
Later I was able to mingle in the open lobby where we had a booth set up to talk to interested people, I was acknowledged by several top people in the district. It was amazing that people recognized me and seem to have beeen seeking me out with intentions of connecting me to other key people. I met a mother of a teen with disabilities. Her husband is executive vice president of American Indian College In Phoenix. We had quite a lengthy conversation, but the thing that surprised me was that several people had sought me out to introduce us because they thought I had something to offer. That same day, the Women's Department Director asked if I would take on a Seconal leadership position. Regretfully, I declined, but offered her my cooperation should she need me for projects from time to time. I really felt my focus should be single right now and special touch is it. Then to finish off this astounding day, I was asked to take on a new position at our Arizona Getaway this June as Team Leader. This is a stepping stone, as the Arizona Coordinator wants to hand off their reins to me in the next couple of years! Who is this person that others see and where did she come from. I know where I started and with what few tools I had. Keeping this in mind, I can trust that who others see is someone purposely fitted into the body of Christ to further the kingdom. Fearfully, I advance in that direction and take on more than I think I am capable of only to see it accomplished to His glory. So, maybe I'll be able to call the Women's Department Director at a later time and take her up on her offer, after some of the fear and trembling has subsided.

Well, I finished and came home a week early. I could have stayed the full time and just relaxed the last week, but it would have been eating out and I didn't want to do a lot of that. As it is, I didn't lose one pound the whole time I was there. I am really disappointed in the dieting and working my butt off. I know that it was also a way to get off wheat, though so in that sense it was worth it. I can back off on the intake here at home and see if it kick starts again. I have lost some weight since I started at the end of January and I knew it would be a long trek, so I'm not giving up yet.
I took my keyboard with me, on the basis of time I had doing nothing the last trip, but found that it was non-stop work this time and not even being able to get online for very long without falling asleep at the end of days. So I didn't even get the keyboard out til the last week!
I am glad that my part of this is done. Now it's just selling the house. The dumpster leaves tomorrow and I hope everything is in it. There is still furniture to sell and Judy's sale with some more stuff after which it will all go to the sparrow's nest.
Sorry to Vickie to still have loose ends, but at least she's only an hour away and not 1800 miles.
I have several projects here to start so I will be busy.

Well, it's March already. I am preparing to be gone a month again. Hopefully for the last time. My next trip needs to be total pleasure. I leave the 15th and return a month and a day later. I am taking my keyboard with me this time. It was a long time without playing last time and I had other things with me that I never touched.

I'm attending the Special Touch Exposé in Waupaca. This ministry is what I really want to become involved in. I am pressing in, but with trepidation. I know that the fear is not God, it's just my flesh not wanting to be stretched and demanded upon.

I am reading a book on thinning out my lifestyle. I'm having a garage sale this weekend to rid myself of more things. I want to make enough for Women's retreat this fall and also give a tithe to Special Touch.

Arizona is really abdicating it's responsibility to those who are the most vulnerable. They are making immoral cuts in funding for services to the disabled, leaving some with no services seemingly overnight.

I'm almost done with our taxes, but will file an extension anyway to not have it on my list before I leave. Along that same route is getting out of debt. I have a couple of Dave Ramsey books to read on my trip.

I'm also on a body thinning route. I have gotten back down to my old friend, plateau. I am going to have to stick the induction out til I start to really lose. I will make a friend of hunger.

So that's it. My disjointed, chaotic life.