"Too Late for Biggie Fries"

The ever-clever guys from our church band did this (very tongue-in-cheek) video recently.... our pastor was giving a message about taking care of your body physically...(you know.... good nutrition, exercise); and they couldn't RESIST making a funny video to tie in to Kevin's message. :-)

Prepare to laugh. :-)

A Game of Tag

The lovely, deep-thinking, wonderful Karen has tagged me.
I'm supposed to come up with 7 scintillating things about me..... hmmmm....
OK, here goes:

1. I have a degree in History, which I absolutely never use (unless I happen to be playing Trivial Pursuit).

2. I am not afraid of most creatures, except for maggots. I have an irrational fear of maggots.

3. I'm licensed to sell insurance products in the State of Georgia (fascinating, I know.)

4. There's a height difference of almost a foot and a half between me and my husband (I'm 5'1" and he's 6'5")

5. I lived in Portugal (the Azores) for 3 years.

6. Fresh blueberries are my absolute, all time favorite food.

7. I am double jointed and can do certain things that, for most people, would cause extreme pain.

The Awakening

My church, 12Stone, actively supports the arts.

We recently commissioned an Israeli artist to do a massive original work for us which now fills our lobby. It's absolutely magnificent and one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and I wanted to share it with you.
It's called "The Awakening". I met the artist several weeks ago, late one evening when I was doing some work at the church, and while he was working on the piece. He's a fascinating individual and lives with his wife in the Judaean Wilderness. (Obviously, he spent a substantial amount of time here in Atlanta to do this piece for our church.)

The Awakening is based on the story of Gideon in the Old Testament (a wonderful story which underscores how God's strength makes the impossible..... POSSIBLE...)

Below is a YouTube clip on the piece, narrated by the artist himself. Enjoy.

Just For You..... Just Because....

Because there's SO much stress and negativity and FEAR in the world right now, these are just for YOU.

So take them, place them in your heart, put a smile on your face, and go enjoy the day.

OK? OK. :-)

Gas Tide is Turning..... More Is Coming... Soon!

This is good news!

http://www.wsbtv.com/automotive/17597733/detail.html

Curious How Your Taxes will be Affected by The Election?

See this site and plug in your income, estimated deductions, etc. to see how your taxes will be affected.

Thanks to Boquinha for this neat little site!

Atlanta's Gas Shortage

If you don't have a gasoline shortage like we do in Atlanta, be thankful!! :-)

Fistfights are breaking out at gas pumps.... most stations don't even HAVE gas (those that do have lines that stretch around the block... people sometimes wait over an hour to fill up) and today a local police jurisdiction busted two low-lifes for siphoning gasoline from a daycare van. (Now that is LOW....)

Amazing what people will stoop to!

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/17583751/detail.html

Beautiful Michele Needs Our Prayers....

One of our fellow bloggers needs prayers, my friends....

Michele from Rocky Mountain Retreat Photography suffered two grand mal seizures and is in ICU. She was alone when she had the seizures and when she was found she was unconscious.

Michele is a gifted photographer and also an amazing woman.... I've gotten to know her and she has an incredible well of strength that I find so inspirational and moving. She's wonderful, and I'm heartbroken that she's in the hospital.

Please pray for her, and for her husband Marcel, as they go through this difficult time.

Thank you.

Paul Newman (Jan. 26, 1925 - Sept. 26, 2008)

Goodbye to a fabulously talented, funny, smart, philanthropic, and yes, INCREDIBLY SEXY man.

Paul Newman, you were a REAL man and will be terribly missed.

Today's crop of spoiled-brat actors could definitely learn a thing or two from you.

Thank you for the wonderful movies you left us with.

May you rest in peace.

Something TRULY Newsworthy

Courtesy of Gustav from 9Worlds....

(who always has wonderful, profound thoughts...)

http://9worlds.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-is-news-to-you.html

Thank you, Gustav!

Tired of Bad News? Need Some Optimism?

Have you guys noticed that we're SURROUNDED by bad news lately? It seems to be pressing in on all sides, doesn't it?

I tried escaping it by crawling into bed and pulling my flannel sheets up over my head. It was nice for about 5 minutes and then I remembered I was a "grown up" and needed to come out of hiding and deal with LIFE. (Darn.)

So, to follow that, here are some great quotes to keep us all optimistic during this difficult time:

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

“May the love hidden deep inside your heart find the love waiting in your dreams. May the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays.”

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

“Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done.”

“What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise”

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”

Cool Optical Illusion

Look at the graphic above. Find the 4 dots near the center of the design. Relax and concentrate on those 4 dots - count to 30 as you gaze at them.

Now take your eyes away from this image and focus on a blank wall, or a blank white computer screen...

What do you see? (Or, more interestingly, Who do you see?)

Pretty cool, huh?

Good Stuff, Day 3 (We're on a Roll Now...)

Today was The Day: I had the meeting with the batallion of teachers at J's school today.

And it went..... GREAT!

The teachers thanked me for being a "proactive Mom" and for really caring about my son (it didn't dawn on me that there are parents who truly don't care, and who truly don't want to be bothered..... but that's for another post, and another day. )

Each of the 5 teachers present (the Art teacher couldn't come) told me, quite clearly...

"J is a GOOD KID. Lots of kids just starting 6th grade are going through these 'adjustment woes', and it's reflected in their grades. The majority of these problems are due to poor study skills, lack of organization, and being overwhelmed due to the massive transition from elementary school to middle school." (Those weren't the exact words of course, but that's the gist of the meeting....)

We came up with several specifics to help him (which I won't detail here), but suffice it to say, we worked together as a TEAM and I feel MUCH better. Everyone is VERY positive about J., and about his ability to succeed.

I left the meeting feeling even more positive than I did when I went in (which was already pretty positive.)

I was ready to jump up, click my heels together, go into the cafeteria and order a round of Chocolate Milk for everyone! :-)

Smaller Government, Lower Taxes, More Freedom

These are wonderful principles, wouldn't you agree?
Did you know these are the "cornerstones" of the Libertarian party?

I'm giving serious thought to casting my vote - as a PROTEST vote - for the Libertarian candidate.

(Yes, I've already been told... it would be a "wasted vote"... blah, blah, blah....)

And yes, if you're curious, I DO have that scene from "Borat" playing in my head with Bob Barr sampling the "breastmilk cheese" that Borat brought him from his homeland... (if you haven't seen the movie, this won't make any sense.... )

But seriously.
I'm about OVER the two main parties. And OVER the spin, and the HYPE.
Both parties are so BUSY pursuing power (and being courted by lobbyists) that they have forgotten that they are public servants.

This country's political system needs a major overhaul.

I'm thinking of having my own Boston Tea Party, by voting Libertarian.
Check it out.
I like what they stand for.

Smaller Government. I Approve.

Lower Taxes. I definitely approve.

More Freedom. Without a doubt, I approve.

It's definitely something to consider.

Good Things to Focus On, Part II

1. The economy IS going to improve, sooner rather than later. I really have no doubt about this.

2. Don't stress about your 401K balance, and your investments. Do you know how much the stock market has returned, on average, if you average every year since the inception of the stock market (in the late 1800's) to now? 11%. There's nowhere else that you'll get those kind of returns. So, just quit looking at your 401K statements, and keep quietly making your contributions and wait it out. It will turn around. It ALWAYS does. (No sense joining Brian Williams and the other nightly news anchors as they recruit members into the "Chicken Little" club.)

3. Despite the looks on the faces of every national news anchor in the country, the sky is NOT falling. Armageddon has NOT arrived. The end of the world is NOT here. Turn off your TV. Read a book. DON'T watch the national news. (If you must watch TV, watch a Seinfeld re-run.... ) (Remember the motto of the national news: "If it doesn't bleed, it doesn't lead." They're really a bunch of Drama Queens...)

4. SOON we'll have a new president. Fresh starts = FRESH HOPE = FRESH OPTIMISM.