Free the Bunnies!

We have been taking care of Natasha's bunnies while she's out of town for a while. They are usually kept in this small cage in a small apartment because they don't behave themselves very well. Various methods of behavior modification have been used with them, but they still chew on all the electrical cords, eat the carpet and the moldings, and hide Natasha's jewelry in their cage.

Natasha warned me not to let the bunnies out without direct supervision, but I felt so sorry for them being all cooped up in that tiny cage, so Joshua and I devised a plan to free the bunnies! Our kitchen, breakfast nook, and hallway are all tiled, so we thought they couldn't hurt the floor there much, even if they weren't litter boxed trained. We don't have any electrical cords on the floor in this area, but we do have moldings. There are five doorways or openings to this rather large area, so we had to be very creative in finding things to effectively block the doorways, but still allow us to be able to get in and out. After several tries, we had a built-in, indoor pen for the bunnies.

We couldn't wait to let them go free! We opened the door to their cage and waited for them to go run and hide in a corner somewhere, as animals often do when they are in a strange place. But they didn't budge. They just sat there. And sat there. What was wrong with them? They had their freedom, but they just stayed in their cage.

After a while, the more adventurous spotted bunny came out to explore her new world. She took everything in very slowly, sniffing around here and there, and cautiously proceeding around her new habitat. She climbed into the fruit baskets and sniffed all the fruit. She poked around in the grocery bags in the laundry room. She explored the bottom shelf of the pantry. She checked out all the litter boxes. There was so much to do!

The fuzzy bunny would poke her head out once in a while, and then pull herself quickly back in. She just wouldn't come out of that cage. After about an hour, we finally had to remove the bunny from her cage. She had no desire to go out into the real world. She was perfectly satisfied right where she was. But eventually, she too explored the world around her.

We quickly saw that the bunnies were most interested in finding something to chew on, and they didn't want their wooden carrots! Remembering that I used to solve the chewing problem with puppies by giving them raw turkey necks and raw bones to gnaw on, we decided to give the bunnies carrots -- real ones. They sniffed them for a while, trying to decide if they would like them or not, but it didn't take long before they were devouring them. And we have had no problems with the bunnies chewing on inappropriate things ever since.

But it's been several days now since the bunnies have had their freedom and the spotted bunny decided that she would like much more freedom, so she made her escape from her already enlarged world. In fact, she escaped several times today, so tomorrow we will have to enforce her boundaries a little stronger.

As I observed the bunnies, I couldn't help but think how much they mirrored my own spiritual walk lately. A year ago, I was in a small little cage called Legalism. The walls and doors were locked very tight and I didn't leave that cage for many years. In fact, that cage seemed to grow smaller and smaller throughout the years.

And then one day, a retired pastor named Mike came along and opened the door for me; he taught me from the Scriptures that I was deep in bondage. I couldn't see it though -- not for a long time. But the door was open, waiting for me to step out into freedom. I didn't want that freedom. Even after I understood that I was no longer under the Law, I was afraid to step out into the real world. I would poke my head out once in a while to look at the real world, but it was a scary place.

I remember when I finally took that first step out of legalism. I was so surprised! It wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be like. God didn't strike me dead after all! And after I took one step, it was a little easier to take another and another, exploring my new world around me.

But sometimes that new world gets scary, like when my disabled daughter wants to pick up the bunnies, and they go running back into the safety and security of their cage again. Sometimes freedom from the Law is scary for me and I just want to run back into the safety of my legalism again.

But something prevents me from doing that. Something prevents those bunnies from staying in their old cage very long either anymore -- carrots. Now that the bunnies have the right food, they don't need to go looking for a substitute to chew on. And when I have the right spiritual food -- God's Word in all its truth -- I don't need to look for substitutes to chew on either.

I've tried the substitute of patriarchy. It was hard to swallow. I've tried the substitute of Gothardism. It was a heavy burden. I've tried the substitute of legalism, but that pushed me away from the two Greatest Commandments. I've tried the substitute of theonomy, but that put a veil over my heart and I couldn't find the truth of God's Word. I've tried the substitute of Messianic Judaism, but God called me to be a Christian, not an Israelite.

Along the way, I've tested my wings of freedom and found that I overstepped my boundaries now and then. Others have been kind enough to help show me my biblical boundaries again.

Being in bondage was safe and easy, but God has so much more for us in the freedom of His grace. The bunnies haven't learned any spiritual lessons while they are here, but I'm so glad that God can use the natural things of this world to teach us what He wants us to learn. After a while, the bunnies will both enjoy their freedom and their carrots and be content with their boundaries. I hope I can say the same for myself.

California Wildfires

We have a lot of family who lives in the area of the wildfires right now, especially in San Diego. My niece and her family lost their home yesterday, but they are all safe. My sister-in-law lost some rental property as well, but she is safe. I have other in-laws whose homes are very close to the fires, so I am praying for them as well. My sister lives farther north, but the heavy smoke is a great health concern for her, as she already has some significant health issues.

On another note, my husband, Mark, has been called up to help with the wildfires. He is currently spending very long hours coordinating the communications between fifteen or so government agencies. When Katrina went down, probably the number one issue was the lack of communication between government entities. I am glad that Mark has consistently excelled at his work in homeland security so that he now has the opportunity to do something of great importance in real life. With Mark's unusual ability to see the big picture, I'm sure his bird's eye view of these coordinations will help speed up the government's response times in this disaster. I'm very proud of him and know that he will excel in this opportunity to serve his country.

I'm in Love With My Lord

My son just returned from a dinosaur dig with Joe Taylor, a renowned Christian field paleontologist, and his team, the Mt. Blanco dig team. Joe's buddy, Henry Johnson, was like a father to Joshua for ten days. What a blessing these two older men were in the life of my son for a few days. They taught him about digging for dinosaurs and petrified trees, about roughing it like real men, about creation science, singing around the campfire in the evening, and about real life. But mostly they taught him about loving the Lord. When Joshua was telling me all about his trip out west, he kept saying that Henry would just talk to the Lord in the middle of whatever they were doing, and God would just answer. Or he would tell about the sermons they listened to. Or the music they sang. Or how they would just naturally talk about God or creation science.

On the way home, we were listening to some of Joe Taylor's music. Joe wrote and recorded, "I'm in Love With My Lord." At the end of the song, I turned to Joshua and asked him, "Do you think Joe and Henry are in love with their Lord?"

With a wide grin spreading across his 14-year-old face, he answered, "Oh, yeah!" What a testimony! If that was the only thing Joshua learned on this trip, it would be time well spent. I thank God for friends who are in love with the Lord and are willing to share that with us.

Henry, Joshua, Joe Taylor

"I'm in Love With My Lord" was written and recorded in 1972 when Joe lived in Hollywood. The girl singing with Joe is Terri Ketchum, now Reiser. They did lots of concerts in LA area Christian coffee houses. Terri has worked for a pro-life group for a long time and she and her medical doctor husband have written books on health.

If anyone is interested in a CD, you can e-mail Joe Taylor at mtblanco1@aol.com. CDs are $9.00 plus $1.00 shipping.

I Have a Lot to be Thankful For

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

A Whole New "Look"

Most of you who know me have probably never seen me without glasses, since I've worn glasses nearly my whole life. I wore contacts for a few years and I had RK (radial keratatomy surgery - before LASIK) done once, which only served to greatly worsen my vision in the long run. I recently found out about Gentle Eye Molding, though, which gave me new hope!

My daughter and I went in for an exam and although she was found to be an ideal candidate, I was not (due to the surgery). I convinced them to experiment on my eyes, however, and would like to share this (new-to-me) procedure with you.

Gentle Molding is similar to hard contacts, but they actually reshape the eye. Most people wear them only at night, being able to see 20/20 from the first morning. After wearing them every night for a few weeks, most people can taper off to every other night, and so on. Since my eyes were worse than any they had ever done this procedure on, I did not expect that kind of a miracle! However, for someone who couldn't even find the eye chart before, I could see 20/40 the first morning! Reading is all right, but still a little strained. It has been 4 days now, and each day when I remove the molding lenses, they are a little better than the day before. I have chosen to wear the molding lenses during the day for right now, until I can see well enough without them to function, but my daughter just wears hers at night.

For those of my friends in San Antonio, I am going to the only doctor in town that does this: Dr. Gary White at the GMVC. If you go to one of his open houses, you will get a 10% discount, which is quite significant.

This non-invasive procedure is preventative as well, keeping one's eyes from ever getting any worse. If you start when your children are still in school, you can help protect their eyes all their lives.

I can see better now than I have in many years, which means that the dirt stands out just as much as the beautiful grain in the wood! There's a whole new world out there!

Control Freak Quiz

You Are 12% Control Freak
There's no way you're a control freak. You're totally laid back - and able to take life as it comes.While you definitely have a healthy mental attitude, don't get suckered into letting someone control you.

Take the Control Freak quiz yourself!

And Having Done All, To Stand

I was just reflecting that the last four churches which we have left were all for pretty much the same reasons: I will not back down from the truth of the Word of God. We are certainly not church butterflies, flitting about from place to place, never staying long enough to develop relationships. Far from it. I learned from Henry Blackaby long ago that we should never leave a church unless God directs us to and there are really only two reasons God usually directs in that way: moving and violations of God's Word in either word or deed, after having done all to gently restore the church to the Bible.

Here is a summary of our leaving the last four churches:

Church #1 ~ Stayed 6 years and then moved far away. However, about 2 weeks before we left, I was fired as the adult Sunday School teacher because I taught that wives should obey their husbands and that one of the reasons God was judging America is because of our national sin in this area. There weren't any real harsh feelings, and although there was a definite chasm, there is still respect both ways. We still have some incredibly great relationships from that church.

I would not change my position. I will stand on what the Bible says.

So, in looking for a new church, we made sure we included this in our list of important areas to look for.

Church #2 ~ Although it was very often preached from the pulpit that we should live soberly and righteously in this present age, that we would never have entertainment in this church, at the very same time, the children's and youth programs were being run by none other than worldly entertainment. At one point, the children's church "praise and worship" was led by a local non-Christian TV show! After teaching the children that LIFE means:
L - Love
I - Integrity
F - Friendship
E - Encouragement
~ and that if you have those things you will have true life, I said that my Bible says that he who has the Son has life. When they started singing (during "praise and worship!") "I Love Rock and Roll," I had had enough. Suffice it to say that God's Word was not in any way being taught to any of the youth in that church. After several meetings with the pastors, we were asked to find another church more to our liking. We still have friends from that church and the pastor is still friendly.

I would stand fast on God's Word.

We then abandoned youth and children's programs and looked for a church that didn't separate the family every time we walked in the doors.

Church #3 ~ After attending for 5 years, we began to see this church lean in an extreme right direction (as compared to the left leanings of most American churches). We feel that any extreme is extra-biblical, and therefore, unbiblical. When I realized this church was taking a position that we cannot help but sin (every 10 minutes!), I took God's position that we are no longer slaves to sin, that God has promised that we will never be under more temptation than we can bear, and that Jesus expects us to obey Him. I was excommunicated for this position and all those friends I spent hours each week developing relationships with now turn their backs on us in public.

I still stand on God's Word alone.

Church #4 ~ Although we had major doctrinal disagreements when we agreed to attend this church for six months, the love of Christ that permeates that church was what drew us there. However, when they started a series on how you can lose your salvation, we had to draw the line. Eternal security is a major doctrinal issue, but we still have many good friends from this church.

We will stand on only what God's Word says.

Should doctrinal differences divide us? Yes, if they compromise the truth of the gospel of God's Word. Yes, when it comes to choosing a church, if a doctrinal error is consistently being taught from the pulpit and it is enough to cause either confusion or irritation.

Should doctrinal differences divide friends? I say never. I have friends of all different doctrinal persuasions and we can still love each other in the Lord. I am grateful for the friendships that are so solid that we can discuss our doctrinal differences rationally and search the Scriptures together to see if these things be so.

I am saddened that some would think that turning their backs on a five-year relationship is the best way to handle a doctrinal difference. Even so, and having done all, I will stand, stand on God's Word, and His Word alone.

Heat! Heat!

It is currently 99 degrees outside so we just turned on the heat! Stay tuned!

(Several hours later) The A/C quit working on Saturday, so the repairman came out today to take a look, which is really all he could do - just look. He looked at that big block of ice totally encasing our air conditioning unit, even though it is upstairs in our attic, at well over 100 degrees, and hasn't been used for 3 days now.

So he decided to we needed to turn the heat on to max so that the furnace would blow hot air on the block of ice. After leaving the house for several hours, we returned with great hopes of finding it totally melted (he assured us it would only take 30-60 minutes). However, we returned home to a very warm house and a still solid block of ice.

I hope it melts soon! He can't begin to look at the a/c until it's completely melted!

You know, sometimes I think God allows situations like these to happen in our lives just so we are truly grateful for what we have. I will be truly grateful for air conditioning soon, I hope! And I am very grateful for trained, professional workmen who do the dirty work I can't, and don't really want to, do.

Day 4: No a/c. The block of ice is still frozen solid and very thick, so we turn on the heat again early this morning. The thermostat only goes up to 90 degrees for the furnace, and since it is already that hot in the house, we have to open all the windows and turn on all the fans to cool it down enough for the furnace to come on. I so enjoy heating up the outside on such a nice, hot day!

Several hours later, the repairman comes and, still finding a solid block of ice, proceeds to hose down the compressor which, although HOT to the touch, is completely emtombed in more than 1 inch of solid ice. Finally, the block in the attic begins to melt.

We change the filter and look for the cause. Nothing wrong! Probable cause: dirty air filter.

Lesson learned: It is cheaper and less hassle in the long run to keep up with routine maintenance, so I signed up for a routine maintenance program for both the a/c and the furnace with the company who came out today. They were a small company, been in business for a long time, and sent a real good worker. I hope to stave off these problems next time!

Anticipating needs.

My Stressbuster Lists

Here are 3 lists that directly relate to my energy levels.

List of Things I Enjoy Doing
(These things increase my energy, so I will continue to do them.)

Starting my day with 30 minutes in God's Word
Sing
Family devotions
Homeschooling my children
Taking field trips
Playing games
Fresh air
Exercise
Sunshine
Being with my family
Working with family/friends
Fellowshipping with a group of like-minded believers
Reading a good book
Sewing
Cooking (usually)
Baking
Studying God's Word
Studying Nutrition
Studying our Christian Hebrew foundation
Studying parenting
Studying homeschooling
Healthy "junk" food from Whole Foods (or should that be "healthy" junk food?!!!)
Relationships with people who know how to both give and take
Answering questions from people who are honestly seeking answers
Sharing what God has taught me
Organization
Blogging a small amount
Reading e-mail a few minutes per day
Reading the news a few minutes per day
Play piano
Play clarinet
Listening to teaching tapes while driving
A rare telephone conversation with a good friend

Things I Must Do
(If I do these with a good attitude, they will not rob my energy.)

Keep a clean home
Pay bills/taxes
Forgive
Errands that are of a necessary nature for this 21st century
Business telephone calls
Repair and maintenance of cars, home, and appliances
Eat a salad every day

Things I Neither Enjoy Nor Must Do
(Energy robbers that I need to remove from my life)

Watching movies in the evening
Relationships with people who do all the talking
Relationships with people who undermine my parenting
Relationships with people who question my every move
Relationships with people who falsely accuse me
Relationships with people who are easily offended
Relationships with petty people
Relationships with pessimists
Spending money on unnecessary items
Junk food
Spam
Window shopping (even online)
Reading print that is grammatically incorrect or spelled incorrectly
Talking to telemarketers


This is not a list with which to tag people. This is a challenge to anyone who wants to identify what is important in your life. This will be a working post, so there may be changes at later dates.

I Am, I Can

I have been tagged, but the name of the post is changed to protect the grammar!

I am - saved by grace, through faith.
I want - to be holy, even as God is holy.
I pray - that my children would do great and mighty things for the Lord.
I hate - sin in my own life.
I miss - true friends.
I hear - frogs courting in my pool at night! What beautiful praise music!
I wonder - if Alicia understands all those sermons she listens to.
I regret - not knowing 20 years ago what I know now.
I am not - creative.
I dance - to Messianic Jewish music with my children, as we dance before the Lord like David did.
I sing - as many different styles of music as possible that still truly glorify the Lord.
I cry - when watching nearly every Michael Landon production.
I am not always - full of enough energy to get up and do anything except sit.
I make - almost everything from scratch, including grinding my own grains, preparing LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies daily, and even making totally healthy, delicious desserts.
I write - what I wish I had known when I was younger.
I confuse - plants, animals, insects, flowers, trees.
I need - lose weight and get back into shape.
I should - read more.
I start - sewing projects, organization projects, crafts, gardening, and probably other projects that are on my "to do" list for years and years and years.
I finish - almost everything by a deadline (so-and-so is coming over).

I liked this list a lot, so I added a few more:
I forget - my friends' names; or rather, I panic when I am in public and I see someone I know because I am afraid I will forget their name as soon as I start to say it.
I dream - of being a missionary some day.
I hope - that my everyday life is pleasing to Lord.
I read - more magazines than books, at the moment, probably all Christian.
I practice - improving my handwriting daily.
I study - our Jewish heritage as Christians.
I love - to work side by side with my children.
I expect - nothing from others (outside of my children); that way I'm never disappointed.
I fear - God's wrath, yet I know He has saved me from it. I fear it for those who don't trust in Him.
I yearn for - more time, more energy, more fresh air, more sunshine, more exercise!

I tag - Mark, Natasha, those who tagged me can add some extras, and anyone who reads this is tagged! Feel free to post here if you don't have your own blog, or better yet, start your own blog!

Seven Sevens

7 Things I Hope to Do Before I Die

1. Read ALL the books in my library – and then some!
2. Be so filled with the love of Jesus that it just overflows out of me onto those around me
3. Write several books
4. Be a naturopath/cranial sacral therapist
5. Be a wonderful grandma
6. Go to Israel
7. Go on a missions trip to India

7 Things I Cannot Do Well

1. Get dinner on the table before my family calls Pizza Hut
2. Identify anything in nature – trees, birds, flowers, stars, bugs, etc.
3. Plumbing/electrical work
4. Remember names
5. Recall dates in history
6. Keep the lead out of my foot
7. Write timely thank-you notes

7 Of My Favorite Movies

1. Rough Riders
2. The Day Lincoln Was Shot
3. Roughing It
4. March of the Penguins
5. Fiddler on the Roof
6. My Fair Lady
7. What the Deaf Man Heard

7 Things I Say Often

1. What does that have to do with the price of rice in China?
2. Sweetie Pie
3. Sit your buns down
4. OK
5. I have learned to be content in whatever state I am in. (Texas)
6. Yeah huh is not a word.
7. It bombed right out.

7 Things I Love About My Husband

1. Is able to integrate all the pieces of the puzzle in the bigger scheme of life
2. Is extremely intelligent
3. Has a great sense of humor
4. Loves the Lord with all his heart
5. Works hard to be a peacemaker at work
6. Has a strong work ethic
7. Has an extensive vocabulary

7 Of My Favorite Books

1. The Scarlet Pimpernel
2. Fit For Life, by Harvey Diamond
3. What to Do About Your Brain-Injured Child, by Glenn Doman
4. The Original Home Schooling Series, by Charlotte Mason
5. Child Training Tips, by Reb Bradley
6. A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays, by Robin Sampson
7. What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, by Rex Russell, MD

If you read this, I tag you!

List of Fours

I’ve been tagged (but I borrowed a slightly different version from another blog!).

Four jobs you have had in your life:

1. Bookkeeper and computers at the Crisis Pregnancy Center
2. Data-entry clerk for Oregon Dept of Transportation (driver’s licenses and tickets, too!)
3. Tax collector (gasoline taxes for Oregon)
4. Nuclear, Chemical, Biological Specialist – US Army

Four movies that made an impression in some way:

1. Fiddler on the Roof: the story of my husband’s ancestors
2. Harvest of Fire: an Amish shunning
3. Saint Maybe: forgiveness doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences
4. Rough Riders: a great way to learn history; why being rich and important is meaningless

Four places you have lived:

1. Scotland, twice briefly
2. Germany – 10 years
3. Oregon – most of my growing up years
4. Colorado Springs

Four TV shows you like to watch:
(So they’re all the DVD version really!)

1. Little House on the Prairie
2. Highway to Heaven
3. Road to Avonlea
4. I Love Lucy

Four places you have been on vacation:

1. Orlando, FL – highly recommend The Holy Land Experience and RC Sproul’s church
2. every place Jennifer W. has lived
3. Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and historic Virginia
4. Italy

Four websites you visit daily:

1. Friends’ Blogs
2. Earthlink
3. Google
4. Bank

Four of your favorite foods:

1. homemade healthy pizza
2. cottage cheese
3. cooked cabbage
4. turkey bacon

Four cars you have owned:

1. Toyota Tundra
2. Mercury Villager
3. Chrysler LeBaron
4. Jeep Cherokee

Four places you'd rather be right now:

1. In bed where I belong!
2. Should have been camping in Corpus this weekend, but sickness rules
3. In a good church
4. Fellowshiping with good friends

Four things your friends don't know about you:
(Hey! WYSIWYG) I don’t have many secrets, so you may already know these.

1. I used to always want to be a race car driver, until I decided that was irresponsible as a mom.
2. You would have to work VERY HARD to offend me these days.
3. I was a true "wallflower" growing up, almost never speaking to anyone, having very few friends. I didn't even begin to learn about being a friend until I taught a Bible study by Gary Smalley and John Trent about personalities about 10 years ago.
4. I memorized thousands of verses in the Bible BEFORE I became a Christian; but God's Word never returns to Him void, and He continually used those passages to bring my mind back to Him, and eventually my heart.

If you read this, you're tagged!

Child Abuse?

We had several friends over for a big garage sale last weekend. Joshua locked himself into the dog cage, which was on top of the refrigerator, with the cat, to keep her from running away. While he was up there, he would surreptiously drop items on customers. People starting looking at him sorrowfully, especially when I came out, opened up the cage door, and hurriedly gave him a plate of food. There were whispers of "Should we call CPS?"

All in all, it was a great garage sale, even though Windcrest "forgot" to advertise in the papers! Thanks to all the friends who came over to help and to sell and to have fun! 

Red, White, and Blue Onions?

I was in the middle of making spaghetti sauce the other day, when I got interrupted. I had already put fresh onions and garlic in the crockpot and then I poured fresh tomatoes on top, but hadn't stirred them in yet. When I returned an hour later, the onions had turned TURQUOISE! They tasted just fine. I am guessing it was a chemical reaction, but can't find any info about it. Does anyone know what this is?

Jammin'!

These are really just industrial-strength hearing protection that Alicia usually wears to help control her panic attacks. I don't know if it just helps filter the background noise out or whether the pressure on her head is comforting to her, but they sure do help calm her down when she is not capable of controlling her emotions. I'd be interested in seeing if this would help other moderately to severely disabled children. 

Experimenting with the Camera

Good Clean Fun!

For my birthday, a good friend came over and taught me how to make cold-process soap!

What a great gift!

First, we added lye to room temperature rain water and stirred and stirred as the temperate quickly rose to almost boiling!

Michelle warmed up all the oils.

When they were all EXACTLY the same temperature, we mixed them together and stirred (and stirred and stirred!) for about an hour, until saponification took place.

Saponification!

Good Clean Fun Part 2

Adding essential oils. The house smells wonderful!



Pouring it into the mold, where it sits covered and, hopefully, undisturbed, for 24 hours.



Joshua helping cut and remove the bars of soap. Alicia thinks it's cheese and tries to eat it.



Natasha putting the bars in the dehydrator, where they will cure as we turn them each day.
In six weeks, they will be ready.

 

Picture

 

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

You know the old saying, "Everything but the kitchen sink." Well, this week it was the kitchen sink - that is, it was the kitchen sink that didn't work, for 8 LONG days! We had the plumber come out last Friday to fix our kitchen sink, which had literally fallen apart into pieces recently but, Master Plumber though he was, after spending 5 hours under our kitchen sink, he just couldn't fix it! Several tries and several trips to Home Depot later, we FINALLY have a kitchen sink again! We thanked God for indoor plumbing tonight. Sometimes we don't realize our blessings until we have to lose them for a while.

As much of a blessing as indoor plumbing truly is (even though it costs a LOT sometimes), people are our truest blessings from the Lord. We are created for two purposes:

• To love the Lord our God
• To love others

I thank God for each person He has put in my life to teach me how to love. Some are easy to love and some take a little more work, but each person in my life was put there by the Almighty for His purpose: to love. I thank my God always upon each remembrance of all those God has put into my life to love. Lord, help me to love others in a way they can perceive today.