A-"Muse"-ing Thoughts

19 Things We Should Say to Our Children

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.



2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!



3. It’s all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.



4. You’ve made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It’s all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.



5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn’t easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.



6. I’m sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.



7. You can change your mind. It’s good to decide, but it is also fine to change.



8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!



9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!



10. I have a surprise for you. It’s not your birthday. It’s for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.



11. I can wait. We have time. You don’t have to hurry this time.



12. What would you like to do? It’s your turn to pick. You have great ideas. It’s important to follow your special interests.



13. Tell me about it. I’d like to hear more. And then what happened? I’ll listen.



14. I’m right here. I won’t leave without saying good-bye. I am watching you. I am listening to you.



15. Please and Thank You. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?



16. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together!



17. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it. Let’s see. I’ll help you if you need it. I think you can do it.



18. I’ll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this done. I know you can do it by yourself, but I’m glad to help since you asked.



19. What do you wish for? Even if it’s not yet time for birthday candles and we don’t have a wishbone, it’s still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about.



{*The original source for this post can be found HERE }

FREAKY

First Known Picture of Michael Phelps

LOL  LOL  LOL  

HT to Adam McLane

The Insomnia finally caught up with me!

The Bad News:  The Insomnia I've had for the past 9 days has finally caught up with me.  For the last 9 days, I have averaged about 3 1/2 hours of sleep per night, with no consistent time of being able to fall asleep, and thus no consistent time of waking up. 

The Good News:  I got 9 full hours of sleep last night, and slept hard as a rock!!!  I woke this morning feeling like a new person and almost like I had forgotten what a full-night's sleep felt like.

The additional Bad News:  I set my alarm, but must have turned it off when it went off this morning (I don't even remember that), and fell back sound asleep... so when I finally woke up I was already 40 minutes late for church.  So, by the time I would have been able to get up, shower, dress, and get to church, it probably would have just been ending. 

So.... feeling guilty about missing church (but at the same time feeling so good about having a full night's sleep), I decided to watch a sermon on my computer this morning.  YAY for technology.

The Summit - and a HUGE Blessing

I'm not even sure where to begin this blog post.  There's so much backstory - which would not only take quite a while to write, but would not make much sense without writting a little novella about it.  So, I'll spare everyone, including my fingers, the entire backstory and just share about the blessing.

It's been almost 3 years since I've been able to attend any Youth Ministry Convention - and that is not due to a lack of desire to attend, but numerous circumstances have prevented it for the past few years.  And, the truth is, 2012 was looking to be no different.  Until I had an unexpected email dialogue with a colleague and friend of mine in youth ministry.  This dialogue began out of the blue, and quickly grew.  It was definitely unexpected at the onset, and ended with my being blessed in ways that only God, working through others, can do!

So, all of that is to say, that it is just the beginning of August and I am SO excited, that due to someone whom I don't even know (and don't even know his name), I've been blessed to get to head to Atlanta, GA in November to attend "The Summit" put on by The Youth Ministry Cartel.  I cannot wait.  It looks to be an amazing conference with some amazing individuals there to teach, share, grow, and worship together. 

To the nameless individual who has blessed me in this way, if you are reading this, THANK YOU!  Thank you for making something happen that could not have otherwise happened.

If you aren't already signed up for the Summit... check it out!  It's going to be amazing... I'm so excited!

 

 

Blessings - by Laura Story

Right now, tonight, I feel like this song is speaking right into the depth of my heart and soul.

"Blessings" by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

 

 

Pavlov

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I can convert your home video tapes to DVD for you...

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I have the hardware and the software to convert these videos to DVD for you (at a cheaper rate than you can find most anywhere), including adding chapters to the DVDs for easier navigation.  Don't wait until it's too late to convert those precious memories.  Contact me via email ([email protected]) for a quote or for more information.  (References available upon request). 

And even if you don't need this service right now, please pass the information on to any friends or family who do.  Thanks!

 

Win a $5,000 Back-To-School Kick-Off Event

VIDEO: Best Olympics Commercial: Nike's Find Your Greatness Jogger

The Olympics is all about being inspired, and outside of the pool or the balance beam tonight, anyone watching got a heavy dose. It happened when a 12-year-old boy went running alone up a deserted road, staring straight in to the camera, with sweat dripping from his grey T-shirt. With all of the TV commercials trying their darndest to capture millions of viewers during the Olympic coverage, none has struck a chord the way Nike did in its true-to-form minimalist message.

via www.dietsinreview.com