HOPE ???

Why?  

Why celebrate with such evil, such destruction all around us?   What's there to celebrate? 

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. 

When I celebrate, when I see Him, I realize I'm not just a speck of dust, an insignificant sod, or a guilt ridden failure. 

    When I see Him, I suddenly feel the immensity of my value. God- the one who made it all, loves me! He loves you! He came down and became one of us because of our immense worth.  He suffered, so that we would know He does care. 

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease. 

This God is not the author of evil, He is the author of love.  If I try to figure it out, I'm left with screaming pain. If I trust that He is one who cares, who loves, and enter into that comfort, I'm left with HOPE.

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! 

He, God, actually cared so much that He was became weak and felt our need and saw our evil. He came to be our friend!!

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. 

And hope springs up. A  hope that defies life's circumstance. A hope that says, "Yes, there IS something more than this!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, 
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. 

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born; 

When I listen with my heart instead of my head, I fall, in gratitude and awe at the thought of that night!

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

And out of that HOPE, when I embrace Him, welcome Him, as the angels did that divine night,  in praise, JOY springs up.  A joy that defies the circumstances, that causes all other  forms of happiness  to be tinsel on a magnificent tree.  

  

May you, as I have, find the hope, comfort, peace and joy that is the message of this beautiful Christmas carol. 

Italicized words from "O Holy Night" song by Adolphe Adam

Come, Emmanuel, Come

Having written this in the morning, not knowing of the massacre happening in that Conneticut school, I have decided to dedicate it to all of those affected by this tragedy. Let's all pray for them...

Just thinking of losses and of all the loves that burden some of us this season.  And thinking of the heart of Christmas; the  world shaking event long before foretold, that brought Emmanuel, which means "God with us."

 Just thinking of the sky invaded by countless swarms of angelic beings the night that Jesus was born.
What would cause such an outpouring of heaven into earth's domain, but the answer to countless prayers, "Come, Emmanuel."

This song,  "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," has been going through my mind whenever I've had time to stop and meditate on God this season.  Although it's been a good season, and I'm in a relatively good place, I see and feel the pain of so many losses and struggles for myself and those around me.  The deaths, the cancers, the parents who with Alzheimer's, divorce, etc.

And when I think about the words to this song, I again feel the rising of hope, of a desire to live and to give out that hope to others.  And most of all to pass on the comfort  and peace that defy all hell's hell in our lives.  In it all, He is there.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  That's my prayer for you all.

I suggest you think in terms of Israel being, not just a place on the map-a war torn place on the map- but the name of all who long for a real encounter with a God who would not just be somewhere out there, but WITH US.  After all, don't so many of us feel war torn in so many ways?
   
Emmanuel, the One, the only One, who has defeated the Grave.
The one whose presence brings hope in despair, light in our darkness,
And peace.

I love you Dad, Rose Anne, Odee and John, Cathy and Mary Ann,  Helene and mi amiga, Nancy, and all my friends and family in each of your struggles.

I just copied the middle 3 verses. May they bless you as they have me.

"O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel."

Gratitude

I read this today and felt it belonged here:
"Gratitude keeps the path clear. Thankfulness alone for the saving Mercy of Jesus keeps our hearts free for His purposes in spite of all that sets itself above Him. Gratitude torpedoes every obstacle to Divine Mercy."   by Andy Cominsky
It's worth thinking about.  

Thanksgiving Was Here.

      I'm doing something I rarely do.  I'm writing without knowing really what I'm going to say.  The last post burned on my heart and was written and re-written several times.  Some posts are inspirational thoughts that are born out of my times with God.  And others are things I've thought about, observed, appreciated.
       And then there's the ones that make me laugh and I just want to share the joke.
      Tonight I had a great time feeding a bunch of people. I love that.  The more people that came in, the happier I got.  I am so blessed to have amazing friends who give of their lives to let others know how much God loves them.  People who love to see others set free by the truths of the Good News of Christ's Words life.  And amazing, beautiful young ladies  and men, who come to sing and play instruments, leading us all in worship to this God of Love.
       I had one of my girls and family here for Thanksgiving. Sarah and Josh and the 4 kids. It was very fun and we cooked a lot.  I love them all so much.  I love my son-in-law for speaking some tough truth to me in a very kind way.   I am truly thankful for him.
       I'm grateful I have Umpie, my  Dad, here another year and that I got to help in making his special stuffing- the best ever in my book!
       And I'm grateful that I'll get to see my other daughter and kids for Christmas, even if it feels too far away.
       But it's a bittersweet joy I have.  I miss some.  Some on the other side now.  I have had a saying of late, it's really sort of a tongue-in-cheek type of thing. I will now quote myself for you, "The older I get the younger everybody around me is."   Yeah, no, really!~)
       You can see why I have to quote myself. Who else would, eh?
       But the other reality is that the older we get, the more loved ones we lose.
       So how do I give thanks in the midst of this pang of pain.  I can because of Him who died and rose, and  who IS the resurrection and the life.  Because I know that  whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.  Because of the cross- buying for us a gift of forgiveness which  plunges us into a river of that Love- that never ending, always believing, ever flowing no-holds-barred Love.
      Because of Christ in me- the Hope of Glory I can be thankful, even in the midst of it.
     I love you, Lord!
                       

I'm Taking Courage

I am taking courage, knowing that to stand for heterosexual marriage is to be labeled, name called, and attacked.  The truth is that many who stand for marriage between a man and woman are indeed bigots and homo phobias.  As one who loves my gay family members and who has close friends who are or have come out of a gay lifestyle, I would like to preface this with the truth  that I am neither a bigot or homophobic.  

  

I am a teacher, a Child Development major, and a parent.  

I have  served as a small group leader for a group that brings Christ's restoration to the brokenness to people  who have suffered relationally and/ or sexually in the formation of their self-esteem and gender identity.

 And as such, my heart aches for the generation of hurting people from the lack, abandonment, or  abuse ( be it sexual, emotional or physical) from fathers and/or mothers. ( Although not the only factor, or the only sources of abuse, these tend to be the biggest and most painful for most.) 

I have experienced and seen God restore and heal individuals in  the deep places of pain due to  lacks in their relationships with both  Father and  Mother. But it is a deep, painful wound that takes much therapy, prayer, and support to find true freedom and peace. It also takes the power of the Cross and Christ's resurrection to bring life where parts of the personality have been so damaged or even killed. 

To say that children don't need  the good of a male as father and a female as mother is to deny the reality of the deep woundedness that either of these lacks creates. It is also to deny decades of scientific research and studies in Child Development in which the role of both the  Father and of the Mother at various stages of development helps the child to understand who he or she is as a male or female.

This field had been so thoroughly researched as to show the effects of both  the Mother and of the Father on the boy and of the girl at various stages of her/his development in relating to the same and to opposite gender parents establishing his/ her identity.

The fact that none of us had perfect parents doesn't mean we condemn a generation to a lack by denying that these needs exist!

I'm tired of the argument that says children are better off in a gay couple's home than in an abusive home. Indeed that  would  be the case. They are also better off in the Grandmother's home, without a man at all, than in an abusive home.  

That does not deny the reality that they suffer from the effects of the brokenness of their biological parents, or lack of a male or female parent in their formative years.

That is  throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Marriage as the establishment of the father and mother  is the foundational unit upon which what is needed for a child to have what they need to develop in their understanding of who they are in their gender, as persons and in their sense of esteem and belonging.  We can't change that just because so many have screwed it up without setting up a generation of children for even more brokenness and confusion than we have now.

There. I've said it.  Think of what's best for the kids.

Another Miles-stone!

Talked to my very proud little grandson the other day. Sarah had just informed me of his newest accomplishment, and told him to talk to me because I would be so very proud of him.
 It went like this:
Miles:  Nanny, you know what? I went poop in the potty!!!!
Me:  Miles, you did? What a big boy you are!
Miles: Nanny, when you come over, I will go poop  for you! You will see it!!!
Me:  Wow, Miles, thank you- I can't wait!
That's Miles!

 I am so grateful for the wonderful evening we had last night and for the way that God, through the prayers of His people, met individuals.  I am so lucky to be able to host such a thing, to share food, friendship and the Love of God to people who come.
Yesterday I was reading Psalm 68 and it kept getting richer and richer for me in meaning.
Starting with a call to sing to God and extol Him who rides upon the clouds, and moving into what He does, I believe, in response to that praise:
He sets the solitary in families.
 He marches through our wildernesses- those places in life where we keep feeling like we haven't yet arrived, those unsettled times.
 And He shakes Sinai itself when His presence comes.  I remembered mount Sinai, and mountains, it struck me, can be those seemingly insurmountable obstacles that block our progress.
 And He sends His rains- "You, O God, sent a plentiful rain .... " Rains of refreshing, rains of His Holy Spirit.
Also, repeatedly in this psalm is His promise to give His people strength.
V.28 says, "Your God has commanded your strength.  Strengthen, O God, what you have done for us.
V.32 says to "Ascribe strength to God.  HIs excellence is over Israel and His strength is in the clouds.
And as we do so, as we join in the Psalm and declare , "O God You are more awesome..! and tell HIm of His goodness, then He releases HIs rains, His strength back to us, His freedom, and a deeper understanding of His love and acceptance for us.
 Plus it has one of my favorite verse:
v. 5  "He is  a father to the fatherless, and defender to the widows."
I say all this to say that that is pretty much what He did last night.  As we entered into wholehearted worship, we began to feel HIs presence. And it all flowed from that point. I'm so grateful to provide a place where this can take place. And for the God who does it all.

Well, I went to France and it was amazing!  God's people there are hungry for His love and excited about what He does. They therefore are full of His love- gracious, kind, quick to pray and appreciative of what He says and does.  The wholehearted worship resounded throughout  every place we went, whether a home church, little outdoor cafe, or the stone chapel in the country. And every place that His people lifted up their hearts with their voices,  He came. "God inhabits the praises of His people."
And where He came, Love was poured out, to us and through us to to each other.  And as God is love, that love went out of the doors of the church as we went- sharing prayers, blessings, His word, and salvation.
 I'm feeling frustrated over the  photos I haven't yet been able to download, and was waiting for that to write.  But as my school year began at break-neck pace 2 days after my return and hasn't let up, I felt a need to follow up and not let my blog die.
Just to say, I never thought I would love France, but I saw the beauty of it this time. The beauty in the fields and gardens and little local bakeries.  And most of all in the  people I met.   I'm sure I will always carry  them in my heart.

I'm going to France for a Missions trip. Just sayin...
Really, I know that just saying there doesn't make any sense, I just wanted to say it.
I'd like to report that  I had a serious for real attack, I believe, over going to France.  I was going to a prayer conference with some friends where I was going to ask for prayer for the upcoming trip.  We went to dinner nearby 1st. At the end of a meal, I started getting itching and mouth burning, and a few more symptoms related to allergic attacks.  Took some Benedryl and had friends pray for me and we went to the conference site.  But I never got inside. Got pains in my lower extremity that kept growing worse and worse.  The cool thing is that it was a prayer conference, so I got lots of it.  Then the paramedics came, and the blessed gift of pain meds as I had my first joy ride in an ambulance.  Thankfully, I had a wonderful paramedic taking care of me who asked the driver to slow down as the bumps were a killer.  Turns out I had a cyst on my ovary.  Mystery, why did it start with allergy symptoms  and I would then have the other.
Best news of all is that the pain was virtually gone in 3 hours.  It seems that the cyst didn't burst from Sonogram, which I think is also good news.
But I went back to that conference the next afternoon, and got my prayer,( awesome prayers at that) and a wonderful spiritual refueling.
I figured if the enemy didn't want me to get prayer there that badly, the prayer must be very important for me to get.  And if the enemy was at work, what a silly thing to do to attack me right in front of a conference with hundreds of people there for the purpose of praying!
"The gates of Hell will not prevail against us."
"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
I could go on, but I think you get the point.  Just sayin'

It's Spring.  Sometimes it feels like something wants to spring up in me, but is stuck. Or maybe buried under so many other concerns.  This week there were 2 deaths.  An old friend and a long lost nephew.
The birds are singing, my plants in pots are waiting to be transplanted, the sun is shining relentlessly, late into the evening.  There's even a refreshing breeze bringing a sway to the leafy branches.
I feel called to move on.  Yet the reality of ongoing death tries to pull me back down.
How do we move out in Joy, in Spring, in the midst of this reality?

Today I pulled out my journal, read stuff from the end of April. This is just a deposit.
The reality, the Truth that sets free, is that we can bring those hard questions to our Maker, and He graciously spins an answer. In this case, the answer is found by putting together the puzzle pieces of scriptures given.


"For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,"
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you."
Isaiah 54:10

"He has put a new song in my mouth-
Praise to our God,
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord."
so
"Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise from the ends of the earth."
Isaiah 42:10


Maybe He gave us a new song, but until we sing it the reality of our blessings, our deliverance isn't felt, seen or heard. 
"Let the inhabitants of Sela sing,
Let the shout Your joy from the top of the mountains,
Let them give glory to the Lord,
And declare His praise in the coast lands."
42:11
Just do it.

Deep calls to Deep

I want to fall in love with You. I need God. Desperation is the seed of my faith. I feel like I did so little today, so much mismanaged time, so many intentions and no follow through.

I find in me dwells no good thing, but Christ in me, then I can sing.

I want to fall in love with you. You who make all things beautiful in their time.

I want to fall in love with You.

I want to know You more. I want to hear Your voice. I want to move in rhythm with your tempo.

I want Your heartbeat to drum in me. To keep step with You.

I miss my kids. I miss my grand kids.

They are my joy and delight.

Sometimes the quietness brings a serene peace and Your presence is blowing over me like a gentle breeze.

Sometimes the low call of the train as it runs through town soothes me, and delights my heart.

But other times, in the silence, my heart cries like a train's howl, echoing through nothing and not returning.

And so I cry, I need You, I want You, I love Your presence. Don't leave me, Lord, as I cannot do this without you!

And desperation is the seed I sow.

Holy Week

Just came off a week's vacation, Holy Week. Did some( not all) catch up, and I spent part of the week, including the anniversary of my Mom's death, at a vacation house with my 2 daughters and 7, (count 'em, 7 !) grand kids, ages 8 and under.

The fact is that this last week was both exhilarating and exhausting. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I learned some very important things.

Like, you know how people say, "Don't pray for patience..." As in, patience is developed in the furnace of trials.

Well, I might add, "Don't pray the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi."

This is the prayer printed on her memorial card, and which she seemed to embody in so much of her dealings.

You know, "Make me a channel of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow Your Love...

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood, as to understand, to be loved, as to love...."

I found myself doing things my mom had done, with joy, Like emptying the dishwasher 1st thing in the morning.

Always a joy to be with my grand babies, this time we went through 3 being sick, all on different days. Because their Mama just had a baby, 7 weeks old, I stayed with her 2 older ones as they barfed through the night or day. ( Thank God it was a relatively short, if not violent, bug)

I felt for them, but more importantly, I felt like I could really help, and I got some precious one on one time that I don't think I'd have gotten otherwise. To change, clean, hold and love them. To pray for them in my arms. To really give them comfort. I love them so much!

Didn't make a Good Friday service. But somehow, this felt like that.

Love is the best motivator. The sense of fulfillment and closeness I now feel with my family is awesome.

Sometimes you just need to pray it and go there.

A Waist is a Terrible Thing to Mind

In the spirit of mixin' it up, I've been thinking about this blog since summer. It all started when I'd lost my last 15 lbs. and had been doing this great Pilates class for about a year. I'd put my hand on my waist and felt something hard on the side and toward the back. Got worried, started feeling for the lump and if/ where it might hurt if I pressed it. It was then that I discovered that I'd either uncovered or developed this odd apparition called, you got it- MUSCLE!!!

I think it had something to do with the oblique muscle that the gym coach said we were working when twisting body and holding leg at odd angles.

(Which caused me to look up oblique. But all the meanings are really another blog in and of themselves!!!)

Okay, I'm a far cry from Atlas, but I began to get a little impressed with myself.

So then, I was going to the library, and decided to try something a little- riskee!

I tried tying my T-shirt into one of those knots at the waist that skinny girls look so cute in.

That didn't work, as I'm not really That skinny, and way too short waisted- yeah, really, I know- I took pictures of myself!!!!

I also had to catch a shot of my side view just for the sake of knowing I'd really achieved a curve at the very short waist. This was something I didn't even have in high school, as I had a straighter waistline before I had kids. (thanks to Sarah and Rosie!!)

And then, I decided on the before and after shots, as you see in the last 2. Before I hold in my stomach, and after I let it out!

God in his infinite wisdom & mercy caused them to post in this reverse order to humble me and my narcissistic self-viewing.

So yeah, why would anyone want to post that last vulgar image of self? To remind myself what a terrible thing it is to waste your mind on your waist!

Interestingly, the word "obliquity" can mean "deviation from moral rectitude or sound thinking." from a 1961 Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary.

Maybe I should've called this one the Oblique Obliquity...

With Greater Responsibility comes Greater Privilege

In talking about my grand kids, and kids in general, I recently told someone, "With greater responsibility should come greater privilege."

They asked, "Do you really believe that?"

I said yes, but then really began to evaluate why I said it, and if I did believe it.

These are some of my thoughts:.

First of all, in saying this I was actually referring to kids, and the greater responsibility put on older ones at times. So, for example, if big brother has to be responsible for little ones and their safety outside or their jobs inside, a privilege might be that big brother gets to stay up later, or do something that the little ones can't. It evens out in the end, as when the little one is their age, they then get to stay up later. If the kid is saddled with more responsibility and no privilege, they can give up.

Also, in behavior modification, ( part of my Child Development training)

they teach that in the beginning rewards need to be small and immediate, like training a dog. (Yes kids and dogs have much in common.) But to really be effective, it has to move from constant to random (only sometimes), and from concrete (candy, sticker) to abstract ( praise, encouragement) until it is finally intrinsic. ( I do it because it is right and good. The reward is peace with myself and my God, and satisfaction over my own behavior.)

Most of us adults go to our jobs for the extrinsic- money. And for the extrinsic, but very taken for granted privilege of putting food on the table, having hot water, and home, a car, etc.

Raising kids is a huge responsibility, but having that blessing- that of having a son or daughter- is also one of the greatest privileges in life!

(Another gift we can so easily take for granted, and one to which many who can't have kids can attest.)

But then, becoming an adult means that we now do the right thing, not for praise, but because of the intrinsic reward of being a good and right person.

And finally, to do for others, as Jesus calls,"If you want to be great, you must serve."

I think that this is actually the highest privilege, as it is the highest form of Love.

"No greater love has a man than this, that he lay down his life for another."

When Jesus called Peter, He told him," When you were young, you went where you wanted, but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you.."

This he spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. John 21:18-19

While I'm grateful that Jesus didn't speak that to me, am I mature enough to see self- sacrifice as the greatest privilege, and a means to glorify God?

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.....And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:12

Beauty can be found at fabulous and famous international sites.

Or in one's own backyard.

To the left shows why I call one of my granddaughters Dewdrop.

Beauty that enhances, beauty that inspires;

Brings a sparkle, a freshness and the aura of perfection to all that receive it's gentle touch.

Beauty so pure it must come from God!

The Heavens do declare the Glory of God, but so too, does the gift of a little child!

Glory to you, Lord, for your beauty and love given to us in such gifts!

I'm going for a week to see my new baby, Galilee Light! I love Rosie & Justin's pick of names!

I'm actually pretty lucky, as a grandma with no say on names, to have 7 grandkids with pretty cool names. Names have meaning, and I pray and prayed for the right names to be given.

I think my kids and kids-in-law did a great job of listening to God's heartbeat for their kid's names.

I admit it, I'm so, totally rambling! Valley girl that I am.

Gotta pack, have a good one, all!

Oh, the great names: Bowden David, Lucy Gates, Selah Paix, John Fox (alias Jack), Miles Bradley, Isai Leal, and last, but far from least: Galilee Light!!!!!

(I'm withholding the last names, which really add such character to the first, to provide what little shreds of privacy from the vast Internet world that still might exist.)

Happy Birth- Day Galilee Light!!

I woke up to a wonderful treat- at 6 am!

Today a new member of the Fusano-Paulson- Wentzell clan was born.Galilee Light Paulson-Wentzell!! She is beautiful= weighing in at 7 lbs. 9 oz.

She's round and healthy and beautiful!!!

Sarah got to be with them, thanks to generous loan by Tates and Josh's giant-bed parenting expertise. (see my son-in-law's blog for that feat.)

A new baby with 2 great grandpas. I will let all know when I get the pictures posted on my Nanny site, but I suspect it'll hit the wires before I do so.

I got home and did my fight with technology- these newfangled-DEE-vices and lost, trying to get the text picture of Galilee to you all in e-mail. But I found these pictures.

And the song, "Sunrise, sunset," keeps flowing over my mind like the waves of the ocean.

God gives the wonderful gift of children- new life comes and brings new joy, new hope, new beginnings. ( not to mention new poop, new cries, and, well, you get the picture)

WE are very blessed to have these 2 quality men in our lives, as our heritage. I just saw videos of Nana and Papanan.( My Italian grandparents) The latter I never knew, but feel like I did. I was happy to see him moving, and alive. Galilee is surrounded by those of us who are her gift as she is ours. Shine baby Galilee, with the sunrise you bring! I love you so much already!!!

1st photo: Miles talking with his Great Grandpa- Poppy Paulson, 94 years old. 2nd, Bowden and Miles driving in electric boat with their Great Grandpa- Umpie Fusano. Tomorrow he'll be 86.

Vervain

Vervain: (verbena officinalis) original flower essence.

I got this little bottle of vervain, which is one of those Holistic remedies they have for just about anything that ails ya. This one is for naturally occurring nervous tension. It's supposed to "help you relax when you are over enthusiastic or strongly driven." Worth a try, I thought a few years ago when I purchased it.

But here's the rub. The directions say, "Take 2 drops in water and sip at intervals... take a minimum of 4 drops 4 times a day." First of all, I don't sip water. I guzzle it. Mostly because if I wanted to sip something, it would be hot and tasty, like coffee. Not water. Water is to hydrate. And water only satisfies me when it's really flowing into my dry, parched mouth and throat. It's functional, not tea-time stuff.

Maybe the truth is, I am too over enthusiastic and strongly driven to sip a glass of water 16 times a day!

Well, today my Vervain-ian dilemma ended when I over enthusiastically grabbed something off the shelf and knocked said calming potion down, causing the calming fluids to flow all over my floor.

And the bottle was good til Dec. 2014! I had another 2 years before I had to throw it away.

Oh, Vervain, you were all in vain!!!

Courage

I got to read Bible stories to the grandkids this week. This, by the way, is a great way to start a New Year!

In the Bible, God called Joshua to fill in for Moses and to take a new land full of wild animals and huge enemies. Reading it this year, I was reminded of the paraphrased, kid-friendly version we did of what God said in Josh. 1:9

"DON'T BE AFRAID, AND NEVER GIVE UP; THE LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO." Joshua 1:9

Well, it seems that little Miles (2 year old) was listening. On leaving a restaurant, we ran into a very big sheepdog of some variety. The owner was insisting that it was friendly, as almost all owners do, but Miles was convinced of 2 things. This was a wolf, and it wanted to eat him. Miles was afraid of that with Shorty, Umpa's little dog, as well, but, well, I won't go there.

Anyway, this dog stands up and it's pretty much nose to nose with little Mi-Mi. It IS a big dog! Then Miles went toe to toe, nose to nose, with that hairy beast. Wagging his finger in it's face, Miles firmly said, "NO EAT ME, WOLF!"

You go, Miles!

TAKE COURAGE, DON'T BE AFRAID, AND NEVER GIVE UP, THE LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU, WHEREVER YOU GO!