Check out this Sway! "Living Springs Counseling"

Check out this Sway! "Living Springs Counseling"

There's something about this picture of Jada that just makes my heart sing.  She's such a beautiful little girl. I'm told that there was nothing in front of her, but look at the intensity in those virgin eyes. The pureness of her being.  How do they process during infancy?  I suspect: Mommy - Not Mommy is pretty close to truth.  I know our son and Monish are her constant companions always there.  She is wrapped in the security tremendous love, amazement and safety and she knows it.

I am loved, provided for and kept safe.  That is enough for now.  Well, that and please change my diaper again,  oops sorry, another please.  :)  What a treasure for this new small family to have such a blessing of this first month being just there 24/7 and learning and laying the foundation for what this phase of their lives will be.  Not many people get such an opportunity.

Jada, this is only the beginning.  There's so many more who love you and have prayed for you and your Mommy and Daddy for so long.  You get to met us and your family around the globe in time.  Please always know, that you are wrapped in the protection of our love from afar.  We are watching and celebrating your daily joys.  We'll be here for you always and you can always call on us at any time for all of lifes ups and downs.  We love you.

Grandpa and Grandma Carter

Whew! A Whole Year and NOW I'm a Grandma

I can't believe it is actually 4 days shy of being a whole year since I wrote something.  And then I remembered why.

Our oldest son was working in Honduras for the last 2 years. While there he met a wonderful young lady.  In the past year, they have had their first child, Jada. We've all been working working working to get the visa so Monish can move to the states where they want to raise this beautiful baby.  I must admit, the roadblocks our country has put into place for Honduran women wanting to come to the states is outrageous and completely infuriating.  I confess, I have NOT had a (clear the throat) Christian demeanor at times.  We are still waiting and desperately hoping the visa will come through shortly.  Apparently, our government is doing it's best to keep young Honduran girls from getting pregnant to an American just so they can move here by making the visa process unreasonably complicated and long.  At least, that's the reason we've been given when we've asked, "Why?"

This whole experience is leading me to reflect, once again, on the amazing gift/blessing my marriage with Delbert has been, is and continues to be.  This young couple, new family has so very much ahead of them.  And the success of it all will hinge on the strength of their marriage, commitment to one another and God.  I'm sure every new Grandmother has asked this question, had this desire that their child and family be happy, know deep love and commitment and keep their hearts on God through it all. 

I remember being in my twenty's.  I thought I knew what I was doing.  I was very focused on my relationship with God. My first husband was also a man of faith.  We tried, we really did and we failed.  I learned from my mistakes.  We were and still are both good people, but we grew in very different directions.  These lessons have helped make my current marriage that much better.  I couldn't possibly have known what I know now.  Oh that we could give this knowledge, whatever it might be for that person, to them when they are young.  But life is about the journey, isn't it.  It's not just about the end result.

May your journey be well lived.  May you walk and talk with God throughout.  God's wisdom is well beyond our maturity.  Trust, live, love and pray. And remember to celebrate, celebrate big and celebrate small.  Treasure each blessing along the way and share it with love.

Amazon has done a wonderful thing.  In the interest of supporting local 501c3 organizations, also known as non profits, Amazon has created a new website that is identical, including pricing, to it's regular website except every time you purchase something through this "Amazon Smiles" website 5% of your purchase goes to your chosen charity.

I'm inviting you to choose DOLPHINS to Stop Domestic Violence as your charity.  All donations from the Amazon Smiles website will go to support our local Living Waters Rx Project.  In the Upper Keys, 42% of the residents between 18 and 65 have NO health insurance.We don't know yet, how Obama Care will affect this figure, however in the meantime, we have too many neighbors who are not able to get the discharge medications they need, after a hospital stay, in order to regain their health.  This program not only helps them with funding, but also follows up with them to help them make healthier lifestyle choices, and to find programs that will make it possible for them to be able to afford any medications they need on an ongoing basis.

On the right you will see an Amazon Smiles link that will set up your Amazon charity to be DOLPHINS and help the people of the Upper Keys, Florida.  Just click the box and enjoy shopping.  Thank you for your support.

Pam

Keys Pipers with the Grinch and Rudy

at the

Upper Keys Christmas Project performance 2013

Key's Pipers Christmas Tours

Upper Keys Christmas Project Musical: Burton UMC

Keys Pipers Debut

Flyer for Keys Pipers Concert Tour

Healing the Wounds

Sorry for the delay.  Life got hectic for a bit.  I must say I'm encouraged to realize the human race is not getting worse, we're just not really getting better.  We keep doing the same things, good and bad, over and over again just differently.

We're here, now how do we get out?

So many people have been traumatized by these horrendous events.  And watching them over and over again does not help, rather it produces further damage.  We don't need to see the horror again, it's crystal clear in our memories.  Moreso, than we'd like it to be. Perhaps we'd like to be blissfully unaware of these events or to just stuff them, not think about them again, but it's impossible to fully enjoy the blessed gift of life if we are blind to the parts we don't like.  I've been struggling over this series of blogs because I know they're not flowing.  Today I realized they're rough because of my own struggle.  My blog is partly to help me heal as well as to hopefully help my readers find their way through the muck to their healing.  I keep thinking about one of my favorite stories about Jesus.

Why now?

I was under the impression that these mass killings, horrible traumas are new to the human experience.  I started to wonder how did we all go so wrong so fast?  Then I researched it.  I thought it all started w/ the World Trade Center bombings in February 1993.  Then in 1995 there was the Murrah Federal Building in

Yet another ....

According to the Washington Times, there were 7 mass shootings in 2012, which is the most in one year so far.  One week before Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, we were once again stunned with 26 or 28 deaths, depending on how you count.  And already in 2013, on January 20 a teen