Amber's Poem

mi madre
bonita y fuerte
duerme y ama y rie
mi heroe
mi madre

There's No Place Like Home by G. MacDonald

From page 3:
There's no place like home when the people who live there are making "building one another" their highest priority."

From page 21:

How could it be, God,
That at one moment
I could confidently express
What I believe to be the principles of genius
In raising children,
Of being an affective father?
But at another time
Fall so utterly impotent
So as to suspect
That I know nothing
That it all amounts to nothing?
After having poured
The treasures of heaven
Into this life of mine,
Are you often hurt like this?
Are there strange divine moments
When you also feel this futility,
This "powerlessness"
When those called by your
Family name are out of control
And ruin your celebration?

Do you ever share this feeling
That cuts tonight so deeply into my spirit?
If you do,
I, too, am sorry.

From page 70:
"I ask myself if there is any theme more wonderous, more mysterious, and maybe more underestimated in human experience than the story of what happens when one person chooses to impart his or her life-forming love upon one another."

From pare 71:
"How, I wonder, could anyone conclude that there is a greater task [referring to the pursuit of a career or achievement] than providing one's generation with a son, a daughter, or a disciple/protege who has chosen to live life as a giver and not a taker!"

From Page 303:
There's no place like a home, where you can look back upon treasured memories that were given as a gift by the kindness of God.

Jonas Brothers Concert

The pic above was entered into the 104.5 The Cat radio stations "Best Jo Bro Fan" contest. The girls won and each got a sound check pass, front row tickets, and more.

Amber is singing on stage at Rupp Arena with the Jonas Brothers!! Nick invited them up when the girls gave them a dress tey had made out of Jo Bro posters. At some point during the song, Joe shared his microphone with Amber for a verse. The girls played musical chairs with the Jo Bros -Amber won!

Meet & Greet with Jordan Sparks!

Amber is enjoying her front row seats!!

The girls decided that a sharpie wouldn't get the attention KY wanted to have to show the boys some love, so they made a banner and had help from the Jo Bro Team in putting it on the Fan Bus. It says, "KY [hearts] JB".

The crowd gathered out side to welcome

the Jo Bros! They were getting out to go play ball in the parking lot. So, it was cool to see the Bros playing their game while the crowd watched...

(From left to right) Carsen, Grace, Hannah, Summer: Signing THE BUS and taking pics :)

The background: The tickets went on sale in the early springtime of this year...The girls had been persistent with making sure Robbie knew the details of when then tickets went on sale. They somehow convinced him that he had to have our tickets in his hands (or at least a receipt) THE DAY OF the sale. They were determined to NOT be left behind because of a sale out.

When the time finally arrived to buy them, I had a very busy day at the office and I remember getting frequent phone calls from Robbie that day most of all. It wasn't until it was almost time for me to go home that I got the call I had been waiting for. After many many attempts, Robbie had bought the tickets! Here are the numbers: Membership to the Jo Bros fan club -$50.00 (this got us early purchasing oportunities), Four tickets for our Mother/Daughter Blast -$398.??, Time it took to get the tickets: 8+ hours, Time to wait for the "Event of the Year"-5+ months, Smiles/hugs/moments of gratitude -immeasureable. Such fun we had anticipating the big day.

I commend Amber, Hannah and Grace with admiration for their interest in music/JB that is free of bad language or any other inappropriate content. Way to go girls!

Nic's Limerick about the Civil War

A Limerick about the Civil War

By: Nic Hume, 8th Grade

Once there was a war,

It was filled with gore,

when they fought back,

we gave them no slack,

and there were slaves no more.

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. ~ Psalm 23:1


MyHotComments

Being at peace, content with Now

Book Study Notes:"If you are not in the state of acceptance, enjoyment or enthusiasm, look closely and you will find that you are creating suffering for yourself and others.
Whatever you cannot enjoy doing, you can least accept that this is what you have to do. Acceptance means: For now, this is what the situation, this moment, requires me to do, so I do it willingly. That peace is a subtle energy vibration which then flows into what you do. If you can neither enjoy nor bring acceptance to what you do—stop. Otherwise you are not taking responsibility for the only thing you can really take responsibility for, thus, you are not taking responsibility for life.
The peace that comes with surrendered actions turns to a sense of aliveness when you actually enjoy what you are doing. Enjoyment is the beginning to enjoy what you are doing now.
Make a list of a number of everyday routine activities that you may consider uninteresting, tedious, irritating, boring or stressful. This is a spiritual practice that will bring empowerment and creative expansion into your life. Then, whenever you are engaged in those activities, let them be a vehicle for alertness. You will find that what you do in such a state of heightened awareness, instead of being stressful or tedious, or irritating is actually becoming enjoyable. “I am a hole in a flute that the Christ’s breath moves though. Listen to the music.” Hafiz
Enthusiasm means there is a deep enjoyment in what you do plus the added element of a goal or a vision that you work toward. You will feel like an arrow that is moving toward the target—and enjoying the journey. The word enthusiasm comes from ancheint Greek—en and theos, meaning God. The word enthousiazein means “to be possessed by a God.” "Nothing great has ever been achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sustained enthusiasm brings into existence a wave of creative energy, and all you have to do then is “ride the wave”. Enthusiasm brings an enormous empowerment into what you do, so that all those who have not accessed that power would look upon “your” achievements in awe and may equate them with who you are. You, however, know the truth that Jesus pointed to when he said, “I can of my own self do nothing.” Chapter 10

Snow Days in January

Nic and Hunter made an igloo for us. When they were working on it, I thought it would be half this size. We were all impressed with how BIG and how cool it is!!!

These are a few pics of the snow storm of Jan. 09...I can't help but comment about the beauty of snow, especially when I imagine its beauty through the eyes of my children. When snow is falling, the world seems to be at peace; children are unified in their amazement and curiosity as though with the snow comes magic. A magic that transforms our busy home into the most cozy & comfortingly warm haven where all who dwell there will safe, sound, AND adventerous.

The Lord is close to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. ~ Psalm 145:18