Dear daughter, This picture is my very favorite of all the prom pictures that were taken. This picture is one of those that just speaks a story as soon as I see it. Even though it didn’t make it onto Facebook for the world to see, it is one I hope you will learn to treasure. Let me explain why this picture is so beautiful in case you don’t see it yet. THIS is a picture of what a right spiritual relationship looks like. By spiritual relationship, I mean in the sense that the Bible uses when it speaks of the church being the bride of Christ and how marriage on Earth mirrors that relationship with Christ. This is what it looks like for a godly man to cherish a godly woman. He leads her gently and carefully. He guides her in a way that keeps her safe both physically and spiritually. He goes before her and is able to point out anything that might cause her to stumble. He leads her from darkness into light. He loves her enough to lead her and guide her without forcing her to go where she shouldn’t go. She has spent time in preparation for this. She has prepared herself to follow him and to take his hand. She trusts where he is leading because she knows how much he loves her. She has kept herself pure. She has made herself beautiful, but not only on the outside but on the inside. She has prepared her heart to be ready to go where he leads. She is a shining beauty made even more beautiful by the love in her heart that finds its way to show on her face. She respects him with all of her heart.

THIS is what I pray for you. This kind of relationship with God where you follow HIS lead. This kind of relationship that other people can see as strong and beautiful. This kind of relationship with a man that will bring you closer to God, to lead you without pushing you and to honor the fact that you belong to God first. THIS picture is what I want for you spiritually as well as in a marriage relationship one day. I pray this for you every day. I pray for both of you actually, every day. I pray that no matter who you both end up married to, that you both can be THIS kind of person in your marriage. I realize you are only in high school right now and marriage is probably not even on your radar at this point. One day, years from now, when you decide who to marry (or decide to remain single), just remember I’ve been praying for you all along. I love you!

You know the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? Well I don’t have a picture I can post, but I do have a picture in my mind. I will describe it to you and hope it is less than 1000 words, because the picture is the jumping off point for what I really want to say.

Last week we took our German exchange student to the airport to return home. It was a 17 day visit, but those 17 days were packed with fun and love and laughter. Walking from the car to the terminal my two daughters and our German daughter were quiet and sad. I noticed that the German girl reached out and held the hand of my oldest daughter and then invited my youngest daughter to hold her other hand. The three of them held hands as they walked to the airport doors, marking the end of a fantastic trip. Then a bit later, as we met the entire German student group, our own German daughter and a German boy (who was good friends with my girls) flanked my oldest daughter and all three of them held hands to walk to the security gates where we had to say goodbye and leave. Again it was quiet and a bit solemn. I want you to picture those two similar scenes and let me briefly talk about what that meant to me as a mom.

First in the parking garage, my two girls were offering support and encouragement simply by walking alongside and holding hands with our German girl. It was as if they were saying with their actions that they loved her and they were going to help her face something really difficult. They were guiding her by gently holding her hand and leading her to the doors. They spoke in actions that gave courage and strength and value. Yes value. They were saying (without even using words) that her time with us in our family was one of great value. Then when the two exchange students reached out to my oldest and walked to the security lines together, they were once again speaking volumes without using words. They were offering comfort to her. They were acting and behaving like their time together mattered and that SHE mattered to them. They were giving her strength to say goodbye and letting her know that she could let them leave. Their combined strength and courage was shared with out a word. A simple gesture of holding hands in a difficult emotional time.

Now to the whole idea of encouragement. I’ve been told many times that this is something I excel at doing. Maybe it is true. Maybe it is just because I practice it often. Encouragement is to offer courage. To validate someone or something. To show the real value when it would be easier to just ignore or take for granted. Encouragement is something that all of us are capable of handing out and all of us are in need of receiving. Look around you, look in the mirror. Can you see the need for encouragement? I have found that the more I encourage others, the more I feel encouraged myself. That is a pretty amazing phenomenon.

A brief tutorial for those of you that may think this is a foreign concept. Encouragement needs to be honest, sincere and from the heart. It doesn’t have to be elaborate (although it can be if you choose). Encouragement sometimes speaks to the potential instead of to the present. To be a person of encouragement, you first need to open your eyes. Be aware and notice people and things around you. Notice when someone serves you (at the grocery store or the coffee shop) and just be aware of what they are doing. Then, take a breath and SAY what you noticed. “You have a cheerful smile today.” “Thanks for getting my order done for me.” “Have a _________ day” Pick a word besides “nice” since most of us just automatically say and ignore that sentence. Flex your vocabulary a little. Stupendous, excellent, extraordinary, wonderful, etc are some suggestions. It may be easier to begin to encourage those outside of your home, but please don’t stop there. The people you know and love the most are also the ones that will soak up your encouragement so much faster. Like a withered flower, a little encouragement will bring life and make them bloom! What a lovely thing to start this Spring. Make your family bloom. Again, be sincere and specific. Don’t just say “Nice job at school, honey” say “I like the effort you put into doing that report on the Civil War. We are so proud of all you have learned.” Say “Thank you for organizing and paying the bills each month. It takes a load off of my mind.” instead of saying “Thanks for working on stuff.”

Sometimes, you just need to reach out and hold someone’s hand and be there for them without saying a word. That is just as powerful and just as meaningful. You can do this!!! Go out there and encourage people. I believe we can all change the world, one kind word or action at a time.

I’m sitting here in my office at the computer after having watched …………. oh………… HOURS of youtube videos as part of some research I’m doing. I need to write a presentation based on the videos I’ve watched and the articles I’ve read in addition to the actual content I need to present. So, naturally, I’m posting here on Xanga instead of doing that work. I have only a few days to write, edit, polish and finally present this. This seems like a good use of my time.

On a totally unrelated topic, parenthood has been a challenge lately. Child number one had a friend at school go missing and then have his body found this week. She is coping but honestly struggling with the idea that a 17 year old boy could go missing and then be found dead. Too many details missing, so she is just having a hard time. Helping her learn how to grieve the loss of a friend, resist the urge to partake in the gossip that surrounds the lack of details and to continue to live each day as it comes is not as easy as you might think.

Child number two was sick and stayed home from school one day this week. While she was absent, someone at her school vandalized a high pressure water pipe in the boys bathroom thus resulting in a flood in the hallways and classrooms where she would have been. The damage was fairly significant. They are having to re-tile the floors and put in new walls up to about a foot high off the floor. Meanwhile all the classes in that hall have been displaced. Some meet in the library or computer lab and some have had to meet outside on the field till they can be in the rooms again. It has been good that the weather has been nice enough to meet outside. Hopefully it will be good enough to use the classrooms by Monday. Parenting against joining that gossip as well as teaching property values as well and no being a vandal has been what we are teaching this child. Yeah.. parenting! WOW!!!

Child number 3 (that I have never mention because he is newish to the family by way of moving in (with my in-laws) to escape a bad home life) has encountered discipline. He is not a fan and has let us know he doesn’t want to be disciplined. Um…. if we are going to act in every way as his parents, that WILL include discipline for poor behavior whether he likes it or not. Love is always kind, but not always pleasant. That is a foreign concept to him, so we are trying to teach and model that love is love even when it means you get in trouble for something.

Also, I got socks in the mail from a friend of mine. I was a happy camper. I now have holiday socks for all holidays (except Thanksgiving unless I count the generic pumpkin ones as Thanksgiving) and most every season. How fun is that? I might wear my 3 pairs of Halloween socks this week. Actually, I have on a pair right now. YAY for fun socks!!!

Have a super happy day!

I have been MIA a lot recently from Xanga. Mostly because I don’t feel like I have ENOUGH to say to warrant writing a whole post about it when a simple status update is plenty. Also, I’ve been trying to get a job. Let me just share a few things about that process.

There is no more face to face meetings with people to see if there is a job available at their place of business. It is all done online. I can understand how this is more efficient as far as sorting out the people that qualify or do not qualify, but honestly, I miss the personal interaction.

Because things are done online instead of in person, everything becomes black and white instead of being able to expand on the answer. For example “Are you certified in early childhood education” is a yes or no answer. If I answer yes, that is the truth, but if I answer no, that is also the truth. There is no way to give a yes or no answer that is both accurate and fully explained why both answers are true. THAT is frustrating.

I have not yet figured out how to follow up on an online application. There typically is not a link or email to a person to follow up. I applied for several jobs at one place. I think there were 7 job openings that I qualified for. I never heard a word. I eventually found a phone number to call to see if they needed anything else from me. Turns out that they never got my application in the first place because of a computer glitch. Meanwhile all 7 jobs were already filled. I’m not a pest, but I want a way to follow up with places to make sure I’ve done all I can do.

There is a screening process many places go through to find new employees. They have a computer run an algorithm to screen out people and leave only a certain group. However, when I’ve been screened out, there is never a reason why. It is totally possible I have whatever it is they are looking for, but I didn’t know they were looking for that and therefore it wasn’t on the application.

My thoughts are these. Computers and screening probably work for some companies or some job seekers. Good for them. But for me and many many others, it does not work. It is frustrating and tiring to continue to look for work and not find it because you don’t know the secret words in the algorithm that will get you noticed. I just want the opportunity to work and provide basic needs for my family such as shelter, food and medical care when needed. It shouldn’t be this hard to get a job. *sigh

However, I still continue to look for a job both in education and outside of education. I have a family to feed and could really use the job and insurance benefits. God continues to meet our needs both physical and emotional. I am so grateful that in spite of the hard times, I am still God’s child and He still loves me. Somehow and someway, God always works things out. I have faith in Him.

Have a happy day!

It is no secret that I love words.  I love to read books full of words.  I like to read books that tell me what words mean.  I like to read books that tell me what other words mean the same thing as the word I’m thinking about.  WORDS!  I love them. 

My children have recently begun playing a game (to them it’s a game, to me it is a challenge.. like brain exercises!) wherein they say a word and I define it.  They think it is astounding that I know so many words.  They both ask why I know so many words.  I answer simply, I like to read.   I have read non-fiction books, fiction books, cookbooks, dictionaries, the thesaurus, story books, phone books, encyclopedias, cartoon books and all variety of books.  Why.. because the written word has power over imagination and language.  With words I can travel across the ocean or to a distant planet or even to a place where they know what to do with a tiny little ball-ish thing called a caper.  (Caper is both a food item and a happy little dance move). 

Recently, I am learning new words such as “pro se litigants” and “notary” and “retainer” as well as other such legal type words.  I’m learning a lot and THAT, my friends is why I love words.  You can learn all sorts of stuff if you pay attention to words.  Plus it makes you a force to be reckoned with in the game of Taboo.  (which happens to be my all time favorite game ever!!!)

Have a happy  day! 

Do you all remember that song from childhood that goes like this?

The B I B L E
Yes, that’s the book for me
I stand alone on the word of God
The B I B L E.

Well, as a child I thought that might have been the most ridiculous song ever.  Really.. who is going to stand on the Bible and OF COURSE you have to stand alone, you couldn’t fit more than one at a time on a Bible anyway.  The surface area is fairly small when you start filling it up with feet.  I sang it anyway because it was a short song and it involved spelling so that was cool.  Didn’t understand it at all. 

Then I grew up a little and started to understand it meant to “take a stand” or “place your beliefs” in God’s word ONLY.  Well THAT makes so much more sense and I can totally get behind that message.  I wonder why that wasn’t taught to me better when I was a child?  I get it now, so it’s all good.

I still love to sing worship songs.  Currently my favorite might be “The Great I Am” by Phillips, Craig & Dean.   What is your favorite song?

Have a happy day!!

My last blog entry was in October 2012.  Now it is August 2013.  That is quite a long time.  Long enough to have a baby…… which I did not do.    HAHAHA!! 

In fact it was long enough that I didn’t even remember my screen name and had to ask someone what it was, and then try to remember my password.  But here I am again.  It seems that there was a bit of a scare and hullaballoo about Xanga shutting down.   Scary!  Even though I haven’t been around for a while, I still have some pretty important stories on here I would hate to lose.  Yet, if they did get lost, that doesn’t erase them from my memory or from happening. 

I’m not so sure what I will say here in the next few days.  I’m going to have to marinate on a few thoughts and see if any of them become blog worthy.  Meanwhile, I hope all of you are having a great experience and happy days! 

WOW!  I haven’t been here since March.  I suspect a lot has happened since then.  I’ve been busy with life in general and raising kids.   I also totaled a car, got another car, cut my hair and donated 16 inches, managed fruit off of three trees, did a LOT of canning, avoided sunburn for the most part, missed a high school reunion and watched a movie or two since I was last here.  Otherwise, nothing much. 

Hope all of you are doing great!  Have a happy day.

Hi everyone!  I know, I know.  I’m hardly here anymore.  I’m just too busy with life to sit down and write a blog.  Here are a few quick updates on my life

1.  I’m donating my hair to Locks of Love in April.  In the mean time, I’m trying to round up sponsors to raise money to donate along with my hair.  The money goes to a local kids charity that helps children with all sorts of medical needs, not just hair loss.  So, some lucky kid is going to get my red, curly hair for a wig and some other lucky kids will benefit because of the money I’m raising.  YAY!!!  If you want to help, click on this link and put Donna Cole as the participant.  That would be super amazing.   

https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=f09ec1

2.  I’m busy driving big sister to rehearsals at TWO places because she is in two plays.  She is in one at school called “Left in the Wicker Basket, or Under the Boarding House Steps”  it is a melodrama.  hahaha  The other one is “Wind in the Willows”.  That is with the local youth theatre group.  She is loving both of them. 

3.  Little sister is playing the cello and doing a great job!  It is fun to hear music in the house often.

4.  Hubby is searching for a job.  That is no fun, but it is the reality.  So far he is still looking.  He had an inteview yesterday.  We will see how that all goes.

Have a happy day!

It is winter here.  Well.. the calendar says it is winter, but the weather seems to not have been notified.  Bummer.  I miss snow.

Big sister has a boyfriend.  He is super nice. 

Little sister is doing well at playing cello.  It onlymakes me cringe every once in a while instead of constantly.  Got to love beginning orchestra. 

Hubby is working.

I am trying to keep up with the mom/wife duties around here.

Having fun all the while.

Have a happy day!