LIFE IS GOOD: Marking The Important Milestones!

There is an old expression that says, "Time flys when you are having FUN!" So, so true! I have been having lots of fun in my life, and it seems like this school year has gone by in a flash! The past few weeks have been full of amazing milestones... or moments worth stopping to ponder. These are markers in my life and the lives of those I love!

PERSONAL MILESTONES:

*I continue to do the Weight Watchers Program. It truly has become a lifestyle change for me. Several weeks ago I reached a goal that made me smile...I reached the 40 lb. weight loss milestone. At this point I have actually lost 41.2 lbs. Last August when I started Weight Watchers I could hardly imagine what a HUGE difference this would make in my life!! I will lose 10 more lbs during this summer and continue to eat right and exercise more. This isn't an easy change for me, but one that is worth the effort. As I say daily...

"There are NO shortcuts to any place worth going!"

A HUGE thank you and shout out to my Weight Watcher partner Amy (who looks amazing and inspires me to do this as she goes with me), Bert (who tells me daily how great I look), Jessi (who has sent me countless cards and messages of encouragement), my buddies at school who ooooh and ahhhhh over my new clothes and new figure, and my students in my Interpersonal Communication class (who inspire me with the goals they have set and achieved)!! I am truly blessed and proud of myself for making this change and sticking with it!

*I am finishing up my 42nd year of teaching with one of the most amazing quarters ever! I LOVE my students! As I grade paper after paper, see their projects and hard work, and see them in action I realize why I say every day..."This is the BEST job in the world!!!" This Thursday I have been invited by SCC students to be the Keynote Speaker at one of their award banquets! What an honor! God really blessed me when He put it in my heart to be a teacher!

*My consulting business has been BOOMING this year! Yikes! I have been blessed to have lots of great clients who have honored me with their business! Consulting is challenging, hard work, and rewarding! I have seven full time clients that I work with every week and there is never a dull moment!

FAMILY MILESTONES FOR GRANDCHILDREN

*Oh my gosh...as I see pictures of my BEAUTIFUL and TALENTED grandchildren I am blown away! They bring so much pure JOY into my life (and Bert's too)! It seems like I have only blinked and they have all grown in leaps and bounds. Here are a few of the highlights:

*Jacob just finished kindergarten yesterday and cleaned out his "cubby" at his Montessori school. That act of "moving on" to the next adventure, first grade, seems so symbolic to me. Jacob has had an amazing year, has learned SO much, and is "King of the Castle" at his school! The children there flock to him, adore him, and see him for the WONDERFUL and GIFTED little boy that he is!! He SHINES at school!
Jacob is SO smart as he reads stories, writes stories, and does all kinds of math!
Bert and I went to his swim lesson last night and were amazed at the progress he has made! He is growing up before our eyes!

*Emma looks like she is five years older and yet she will only be five in June! She has had an AMAZING year and will be in kindergarten next year! How is that possible??
She is a talented and confident little girl who is SO bright and athletic! It was so fun to go to her soccer games this spring! She took to soccer like she does EVERYTHING...with a "Go For It!...All Out" spirit!! She will SHINE in kindergarten this next year as she goes to Brentwood and is already like the school mascot there!
She has been taking swimming lessons too!

*Zac is growing in leaps and bounds, doing well in school and sports (football, baseball and basketball)and is maturing into a WONDERFUL and fun young man. He is now taller than I am and called me "Shorty" yesterday, with a big grin on his face! He has just finished up his first year of middle school!

*Kayla is a WHIZ at school, playing soccer and is still in love with horses! She is a dedicated student, will be one of the Captains of Patrol next year, and she is almost as tall as I am! She is a beautiful young lady and it has been fun to go to her soccer games and her "Poetry Slam" contest!

*Baby Jenna is beyond wonderful! We love EVERYTHING about her...her beautiful smile, outgoing personality, speed racing crawl, and the LOVE she gives everyone every day! She is about to turn ONE...where has that year gone!! Everyday is a milestone as she gets her teeth, pulls herself up, and explores life!! She is a miracle and a daily reminder that God answers prayers!

*Other grandchildren milestones include Emmett turning 18, graduating from high school and preparing to go to...COLLEGE! That's right...COLLEGE!!! Emily loving high school and being the lead in several plays where she sings and acts! And Rosie loving school and playing baseball!

These are just a FEW of the milestones in our family! More will be mentioned in the next post! They are all a reminder of the fact that LIFE IS GOOD and that marking the milestones in my life, and the lives of those I love, is a reminder of God's abundant grace and love!! I am truly blessed!

Hugs and loves to all who read this!
God Bless! Linda

THE TWO GREATEST GIFTS GOD EVER GAVE ME!!!

Today is Mother's Day, and I feel so blessed to be a Mom. Two of the best gifts God has ever given me are Jessi and Amy! They are such amazing blessings in my life!

From day one they have both been very different people, yet totally unique in their own way.

Jessi:
Even as a baby, Jessi was active and wanting to discover and be into everything! She has always been shot out of a cannon, a go getter, fiercely independent, and very competive, especially with herself. When she was little, she used to climb to the top of door frames or scale our 12 foot tall lava fireplace. She always told me, "See what I do Mommy!"...with special emphasis on the I!! If you want to see what Jessi was like as a little girl, look at Emma. She's a carbon copy of her Mama...determined, driven, loves to be around lots of people, a perfectionist, and hard on herself when she makes a mistake! Jessi's coloring is much like her Momma's (me)....the McColm part of her heritage!

Jessi has a great laugh, and when she and Amy start to loose it...look out! She
loves to have fun, and pushes herself to excell in everything she does. She also has deep feelings about just about everything and can cry when her feelings are hurt or she sees a sad movie! She's a feeler...and she feels deeply! Jessi loves traditions and holidays...Christmas is a special favorite...and it's one of my favorites too! We love to go to the Nutcracker Ballet every year, and now we take Emma!

I have so many fun memories of the "programs" the girls put on for Bert and me and seeing Jessi play "teacher" at her preschool! Jessi always took Amy back into the closet in the middle of her performance to change this or that! :) We used to laugh ourselves silly! She always was a wonderful teacher and leader! Her students at Brentwood are so blessed to have her!

Jessi is an amazing athlete, teacher, wife and Mom. She loves Emma so completely...with her whole heart...just like I love her!...and she adores Rog! I now laugh and say to Jess (affectionately Jess Jess)...ahhhhhhhhh...may Emma do to you... everything you did to me! And I smile with a knowing smile! :)

I am amazed at all Jessi accomplishes in life...she is my role model for self discipline, getting healthy, learning new things, and getting exercise!

I love you Jess Jess! I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always and as long as I'm living my baby you'll be! God gave me a wonderful gift when He gave me YOU

AMY:
Amy, as a baby, was so sweet and easygoing. She looked into my eyes with a big knowing smile that melted my heart! She loved to snuggle, eat, sleep and be held! She had then, and has now, the most gorgeous Finnish skin (a Seppa family trait), beautiful natural blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes! Her smile and laugh stopped people everywhere and they'd say "Oh my gosh, what a gorgeous baby!" If you want to see what Amy was like as a baby ...look at precious Jenna!

In grade school Amy always had a heart for other children. She empathized with their pain and wanted to make things better for them. Her heart was then, and is now, as big as the grand canyon. She was so smart as a little girl. She could put puzzles together in an instant that I couldn't touch and get school concepts without even trying! Our family has lots of smart people in it, but I've always said that Amy is the smartest one amongst us. She's not just smart with a great IQ, but she has emotional intelligence as well. But what has always made Amy so special is what deep feelings and sensitivity she has. Amy when she was little was so much like sweet Jacob is now..really tuned into loving others!

What amazes me about Aim is that she forgives others...totally and completely! Once Amy found that God loved her, and she became a Christian...her whole life was even better! She has forgiven me completely and I am so grateful for that gift!

Amy has ALWAYS wanted to be a Mom... has always had a true Mommy's heart and glows as an amazing Mama...so, so patient and showering her children (all 4 of them) with unconditional life and yet accountability for good behavior! She told me when she was little " I will just love my little children with all of my heart". And she does! She adores her husband Ryan too!

One of the things I love most about Amy is that she is the "truth-teller" in the family! She is honest, doesn't beat around the bush, and you really know where you stand with her. She doesn't need lots of people in her world, but if you are in her inner circle she loves you passionately! She is the most unselfish person I have ever met and a role model for me about really loving others the way God wants me too!

She's an organizer (loves labels like Jessi does) and is soon to finish her Masters Degree in Organizational Communication,Leadership and Consultation at Gonzaga. How she does this is beyond me!

I love you Aim...to the moon and back! I always have and I always will! God gave me a wonderful gift when He gave me YOU!

Yes, it's Mother's Day 2008 and while I miss my own Mom terribly, I am focusing on how blessed I am to have two precious, wonderful daughters who are God's gift to my heart and soul!

May God bless each of YOU today!
Love Linda

WHAT A MIRACULOUS DAY!!...The Spring Communication Conference at SCC..."Building Bridges Through Communication!"

Oh my gosh! As I sit here, leisurely I might add, at 4:08 am on Wednesday morning...I am awestruck at what took place yesterday at the Spring Communication Conference at SCC!!! What a HUGE undertaking and what miraculous results!

Here are a few of the highlights and details:
1) The "conference crew" (25 AMAZING STUDENTS and their teacher :)) have been preparing for months and we stayed late at SCC the evening of May 5th, the night before the conference! We had to decorate a giant foyer in the Lair, several large teaching rooms, the Lair auditorium, the foyers into the building, set up and decorate 25 large tables. We had huge signs, mum plants, large trees, spring butterflys, spring banners hung from the ceiling (100 sewn spring banners). We waited until 5:30 am on Tuesday to blow up the over 1500 helium balloons!

2) At 5:30 am on Tuesday morning we were back at it! There were HUGE butterfly ballons set in gigantic ballon bouquets that were over 10 feet high! There was a"balloon parade" leading into the Lair at every entrance! The reader boards shouted out the message, and the over 1000 posters were going to bring out over 1000 people to this event.

3) The food tables were brimming over with thousands of muffins (baked by students and their families), coffee, cookies, and fruit trays. Not a small job to feed over 1000 folks!

4) The music was playing and the students were dressed in suits (and ties), dresses and "goin' someplace special attire"..had on amazing nametags...and the crowds started to appear!!

5) Over 1000 people attended and 950 went to more than one workshop!

6) The DVD I made to start the conference...with scenes from movies of bridges blowing up and bridges being built (plus pictures of people communicating) with Sheryl Crow singing her song "Peace Be Upon Us All" was a huge hit and the technology worked! Hurrah!

7) I was the MC, introduced distinguished guests, and then Scott Finnie, an amazing African American teacher and our keynote speaker! Before Scott's talk he and I had prayer time together and dedicated the conference to the Lord! We asked that we would both be a vehicle for God's love and grace to flow to all who came! What a difference that made in my heart!

8) There are no words...Scott's talk on Servant Leadership was beyond fabulous as he talked about discrimination and servant leadership! We were all spell bound!

9) After Scott's talk ...we had three workshops. I stayed in the auditorium, which was full, and did a workshop on "Don't Blow Up That Bridge: 10 Conflict Management Tips to Save Your Personal and Professional Life! It went great and the DVD clip from the movie "Must Love Dogs" was hilarious! I was amazed at how many of my former students, now out in the work world, came back and were there! What a HUGE blessing to my heart to see their faces!

10) At the 10:30 hour Scott and I did a workshop called "Building A Bridge To Racial Reconciliation: A Conversation Between An African American Brother and a Caucasian Sister". Talk about gutsy! It brought many of us to tears! It was one of the most rewarding moments in my academic life! The auditorium was packed...a sea of many colored faces! We each told about our "racial footprint"..our racial story ... got to ask each other racial questions that we had not prepared for (I was asked about my take as a caucasian with the OJ Simpson trial and the celebration in the black community and upheaval in the white community when he got off ...and had really committed the crime) ...now there's an impromptu question for you:)! Scott and I both shared that our heart for others and our bridge building journey came from our faith and love of God!

How often does that happen publically at school! Praise God!

11) Bert cancelled work and came to the entire conference! At the third session there were many members from my church, Bethel AME, primarily an African American congregation.

12) After the conference, we went to Orlandos, a restaurant on campus that is student run, for a celebration luncheon for Scott! Ah yes, another planned and decorated event!

13) This was all done on NO BUDGET and donations (and a little help from the teacher!:)

As Scott and I walked back to our cars we prayed together and thanked God for all He did at the conference! What a miraculous day!

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive about this major event! Your phone messages and love have meant so much to me!

What a miraculous day of bridge building!
Love and hugs to all!
Linda

PS. I had a consulting meeting and dinner at my home last night (5-8pm) for three consulting clients and after they left at 8pm I fell into bed!!! Yikes! What a glorious and hard working day!

What A Blessing!

I am so grateful for my family! I thank God every day for the blessing they are in my life!!

Tonight I had dinner with Amy, Jacob, and Jenna! They make my heart smile! Jacob loves to have ribs so I went to the store to get his favorite kind! Amy and I had turkey, more on the Weight Watchers menu :)

Jenna is such a hoot! She crawls at super speed, twirls on her hip, waves with a HUGE grin, says "Bye Bye!"and spins into the next crawl! She climbed our stairs over and over again,
clear to the very top floor!

Life has been super busy lately, yet I wouldn't miss these sweet moments for anything!

Loves, hugs and blessings to all who read this!
God Bless!
Linda

BLESSED IS THE FULL PLATE: Full of Infinite Grace!

I just have to laugh! I looked at my last blog post and it was on April 7th! I feel as if I have been flying around this quarter, almost on roller skates! Every minute seems full with new students, new blessings, and new adventures! So this morning, after a rousing walk at 2:30 am in the cold and the dark with only a few snowflakes as my companions, I want to sit down with a warm cup of coffee and do some catching up!

The Work Plate:
Spring quarter is always super busy! I am in charge of a giant conference at the college that serves almost 1,000 people this year! Even some of my spring "break" gets spent in preparation for this major event with food, decorations, speakers, and no budget! That's right, no budget!
So the challenge is, as it always is in public education, how do we create miracles out of nothing? God is so good all the time that He provides in miraculous ways! Once again donations are coming from everywhere!! The theme for the conference is "Building Bridges Through Communication"! I am in the middle of doing a DVD of bridges being blown up...and how we can build bridges with others and I now have a complete Practical Business Communication class, new this quarter, that is helping with the conference! What a blessing!
Lots of work to design and impliment this new college course, but very worth it!! They are the foundation for this work on the conference! The college is filled with brochures, banners, signs, balloons and pictures of Scott Finnie, our keynote speaker!

I will be doing two workshops, besides running the conference. The first is "Don't Blow up That Bridge: Conflict management Tips For Survival in Your Professional and Personal Life!" and A Workshop on "Racial Reconciliation: A Conversation Between an African American Brother and a Caucasian Sister". That workshop will be done with my dear friend Scott Finnie! Pretty gutsy to tackle that topic, but we are excited!

Besides school I have been super busy with consulting! It has all been very rewarding as I step out to help businesses communicate more effectively! Some very tough situations, so I pray unceasingly for God's guidance. The question I ask is always.."What would YOU have me do here? What is Your will for this situation? Please guide me God!"

The Spiritual Plate:
This last weekend I went to the Women of Faith Conference here in Spokane! Amy, Sharon Hartnett and I have a tradition of going to this together each year, and each year the fun and learnings are profound! I stayed at The Davenport Towers with Sharon so we had a chance to catch up and get room service, quite a treat! The theme of the conference was "Infinite Grace"...knowing, once again, that God's grace is sufficient for my every need and hurt! As we listened to the most amazing speakers and the most amazing music...we laughed until we cried and cried until tears cascaded down our cheeks...the big ugly cries where it feels like your heart will burst! Very emotional weekend ! This is such a time of spiritual renewal and education for me! Lots to share about what I learned and stories to tell!

The Home Plate:
Perhaps the greatest missing for me during this super busy time is more time, and more relaxed time, with all my loved ones! I long to just have time to sit for hours and share!! Thank goodness that summer is only weeks away! One of my goals this year has been to remember and recognize special events for my family...4 families with two daughters and two sons and our extended families! I want to remember every birthday, anniversary, and special event for these people who mean the world to me.

Since part of this goal is long distance to Puyallup (Erik's family) and Texas (Chris and his family) and Seattle (Sharon and her puppy Scout)...plus everyone her in Spokane.... this takes some extra planning to send Valentines baskets or Easter baskets out of town or remember every birthday! But so far so good in 2008! And I love the creativity of finding something special for each loved one!

Fun family events of late have been watching Kayla, Madison and Emma play soccer, going with Bert to the Poetry Slam that Madison and Kayla performed spectacularly in (loved bringing them flowers:), and having dinner with just Kayla...this last Monday night at Linnie's Thai restaurant! She and I love to have "KK and Nana Time"!

Bert and I have been trying out some new restaurants occasionally and since I am still doing Weight Watchers, and still losing weight slowly, eating healthy is now part of our daily routine!

There's more to tell, but getting ready for school awaits! Know that I send all of you loves and hugs! No matter how busy life gets, know that you are in my thoughts and prayers daily...for health, fun, peace, joy, and knowing how truly blessed you are! I know I am! My plate is full, but it is brimming over with love and blessings!

God Bless!
Love Linda

AN UPDATE: The Two Bs: Blessed and Busy!

I am amazed at how quickly the time is passing...one minute it is January, the next minute March is over! I am finally taking a minute (even though it is 3:30 am) to take a deep, exhaling breath and review the last few weeks. Two feelings prevail- I am very blessed and very busy!

What have been a few of the blessings?

* School has started again, and I have 92 new students!
* I am still going to Weight Watchers and working the program!
* I am finally feeling better after almost a month of being sick and three rounds of antibiotics
(yes... I need to take better care of myself :)
* Boppa and I had so much fun having Jessi and Emma over for dinner last Sunday:) THere's nothing more satisfying to me than having relaxed time to share! Great evening!
* Boppa and I had a fantastic time and dinner at our house on Monday with Amy, Ryan, Jacob and Jenna to celebrate Amy and Ryan's 5th anniversary! THey are an amazing couple and family!
* We had an awesome time at Amy and Ryan's Anniversary/Basketball Final Four Party this last Saturday! Go Memphis!!
* Today is our 24th Wedding Anniversary, and I love Bert more than ever!
* It may not snow today :)
* It's soccer season again with three children's games to go see! How fun!

What Has Kept Me So Busy?

* School has started again and I have 92 new students, a brand new class to plan for, and papers to grade!
* I have lots of consulting work right now! That's truly a blessing, but it also means that I am extra busy!
* Spring quarter is when we put on our annual Communications Conference. Since I am in charge of that, there are lots of extra projects!
* We have 12, that's right 12, grandchildren and my goal is to remember all of them (even the surrogate ones) for every holiday and every birthday. Super fun, but it keeps me busy!

It's all a blessing! I love my life and I'm grateful to live life with a full plate! I am busy, but I am busy doing things that satisfy me and make me happy! I am grateful to God for improved health and for giving me the strength and stamina to live my life fully!

Life is Good!
God Bless! Love and hugs to all who read this!
Linda

GIFTS OF EASTER: The Two Gs...Grace and Gratitude!

When I was growing up we used to sing a song that went like this:
"The more we get together
Together, together.
The more we get together
The happier are we.

For your friends
Are my friends
And my friends
Are your friends.

The more we get together
The happier are we."

The melody and lyrics to this little "ditty", as my Mom used to call children's songs :), kept floating back to me after everyone left our Easter celebration late Sunday afternoon.

Not only was church totally amazing in the early am with incredible music and message, a reminder of God's love...so was our family Easter Celebration a miracle of sorts.

Now we often get together, and by together I mean ALL of us. Tim and Kris often host Christmas events that Bert and I love to be included in :). We often have joint birthday get togethers. I'm not sure why this one touched my heart so deeply. My guess is because resurrections are about new beginnings! Jesus had a resurrection...and so has our family!

Ever since I was a little girl I longed for, and prayed for, a big family where everyone loved each other. I was an only child, with almost no cousins, aunts or uncles that I knew. When Tim and I got married, I fell in love with him and every member of his larger family. I love them still to this day.

Yet when most couples go through divorces, family dynamics change. People who once were close struggle with how to be with each other. I know we certainly did. Old hurts can take over. Children can get caught in the middle. Some families stay like this forever. Peace and love are never restored.

Thank God, and I mean that literally, that there has been so much healing in our family! As Bert and I pondered the wonder of our Easter gathering...with us, Tim, Kris and Anna, Jessi, Rog and Emma, Amy, Ryan, Zac Kayla, Jacob and Jenna, Gary and Nancy Gossett (Ryan's folks),
Rog Sr,(we missed Eileen whose Mom had died) and Madison ..and Madison had just spent the night with Kayla :), and Grandma Phyllis (Kris' Mom)...we were awe struck by the wonder of it all.

This wasn't a "gathering of obligation"...this was a family celebrating Easter and each other. The healing that has taken place has been facilitated by many people over time...and God's love and grace has been the biggest factor in what has happened. Most people almost fall over when they hear that Kris and Tim's daughter, Anna, refers to me as "Grandma Linda"! And you know what...she feels in my heart like one of my own grandchildren.

The lessons are huge:
There is enough love to go around.
Forgiving yourself and others changes EVERYTHING.
God's love can heal things when humans are incapable of doing that.
When children see their parents role-model forgiveness, the children learn how to forgive
others!
A "real family" stands together, even in tough times.

I remember a crucial moment in the change Bert and I made in moving toward family forgiveness. Jessi and Amy, who were both very young at the time, requested a "meeting" with Bert and me. Since we often had "family meetings" this wasn't a surprise. The "topic" of the meeting ,however, struck us like a bolt of lightening!

Jessi began first. She took a breath, found her courage and said in the sweetest voice, "I wonder if you could both be nicer to my Dad. You see I love all of you and when you are all mad at each other it hurts Amy's heart and my heart." We looked at Amy (who must have been about 5) and HUGE tears were streaming down her face. She nodded her agreement and said "Me too!"

That moment changed everything. Bert and I knew that there was so much truth and wisdom in this simple yet profound request. Out of the mouths of babes...my precious babes.

And while there have been ups and downs in the journey...we ALL work to be nice to each other. And as we do, we discover that each of us is God's child. Each of us is human. Each of us is imperfect. Each of us wants and needs to be loved.

So on Easter...we got together! We celebrated God's gift and with great gratitude I knew that my prayer uttered, so long ago, that God would find me a big family that loved each other...well that prayer had at last been answered.

They were all at my house for Easter!

God Bless!
Love and Hugs!
Linda

Say What You Need To Say: Random Thoughts on Easter Morning

I know a blog is not a diary or a journal. I also know that every time I sit down to this keyboard I have an opportunity to be authentic. It is always a choice. I can stick to safe topics or I can put myself out there for the bigger learnings. This morning I choose the latter.

Some days just are not easy. Some weeks aren't either. It is Easter morning, and my tears are flowing. I am so grateful for Jesus, for His death and resurrection. At the same time I am sad.

Not exactly sure of the reason, but I have some guesses.

In graduate school I took the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory. It measures areas of your personality and one part of the test looks at whether you are a "Thinker" or "Feeler". It doesn't mean that you don't do both, it just looks at what is your natural preference. What happens first for you. I measure off the charts as a feeler.

I feel everything, and I feel it with my whole heart. Most of the time I feel real joy...tons of JOY! I can also feel really irritated and seldom, sad.

Today, truth be told (and I am working on always telling the truth), I feel sad. I wish I felt joy, and I may feel joy in an hour, but right now...when it is dark outside, I feel sad.

What am I feeling sad about? Probably a myriad of things. Here are just a few random thoughts that may explain my feelings:

* I feel so, so sad that Eileen Thompson's Mom died. I know what it is like to lose a Mom, especially when you are an only child. I can't stop crying thinking about Eileen back at her Mom's home by herself on Easter. I feel so sad that I can't just fly back there and hold her hand. Eileen loves God and God is there holding her. But as I pulled out an old plastic Easter bunny this morning, one that my Mom always put on our Easter table, I burst into tears. I have been crying ever since. I miss my Mom every day. I miss talking to her. I miss that out of all the people in the world, she wanted to know every detail of my life. I miss her advice. I even miss the things about her that irritated me so much when she was alive. I miss the Easter basket she would have sent me on Easter morning.

* I feel sad that I sometimes take things so personally and that I haven't made more progress in growing in this area. I have been sick for three weeks, and got more sick yesterday, and I know that "colors" my view. But it hurts my feelings to write a blog post about what really matters to me and have people who really matter to me not comment on what matters to me! It may sound silly, once out in print, but do I say...well, you probably looked at it, but didn't comment...that hurts my heart? I haven't said anything because there is no "law" that they even have to look at it so I feel like a 61 year old "Wa Wa baby" as Jacob calls it. Does it make me sad? Yes it does. Do I try to comment and support them on the things that "Toot their horn" even if it isn't something that I do...I think so, but right now I'm not so sure.

* I feel sad that I have an "athletic injury". Now... I live in a family of "real athletes" that either play basketball like Michael Jordan :) or bike like Lance Armstrong :) or run like the wind. So "athletic injury" is relative for sure. I tried running yesterday for the first time since I broke my ankle. Seemed OK at the time, but my left knee got more and more sore as the day progressed, felt like it went "out" on me, and I had to go to Safeway and get an elastic knee "brace" to give it more support. No..I didn't "stretch" before running. It has been so long since I ran that I just didn't think of it? On top of being sick, I felt frustrated that this happened and mad at myself for not stretching.

* I feel sad that Amy and Ryan's cars got broken into. I feel sad for the violation that it is to them and their children. I feel sad at how sad it has made them. I feel sad for the hurting person who did this awful thing.

* I feel sad that I tried to do something nice for someone and it felt to me like it fell "flat". I may be oversensitive (probably am), but I somehow expected a reaction I didn't get and I almost felt embarrased that I did what I did.

* I feel sad that I got a nasty email last week. It came from someone in my "outer circle", but it hurt never the less. I wasn't blameless in what happened. God keeps working on me about being more kind, even to those I struggle with. This reminds me of the quote "God loves me completely, just as I am. But He loves me too much to leave me like this." I am such a "work in progress."

Just writing all of this makes me feel a bit better. Max Lucado says in Hope:

"Do yourself a favor; take your anxious moments to the cross.
Leave them there with your bad moments, sad moments, and mad moments." I think I just did.

Max Lucado also says:

"Nails didn't hold God to a cross. Love did."

That love sustains me this morning. That love and grace give me strength to face my fears and my sadness. That love and hope from God will give me courage to "Say What I Need To Say" to some of the people in my life." It may not be today...but I need to be transparent with them, no matter what the results are.

It is Easter morning. And "Christ's resurrection is an exploding flare announcing to all sincere seekers that it is safe to believe."

Thank goodness for Easter! Thank goodness for being a seeker. Thank goodness for Jesus and His resurrection!
God Bless! Happy Easter!
Love and hugs to all who read this, even if you don't comment :)
Linda

Easter Approaches: Some Of My Favorite Thoughts About God!

I love every holiday, but two of my favorites are Christmas and Easter! Certainly I relish all of the secular parts of the celebrations: Santa Claus, reindeer, gifts, Easter bunnies and hiding and finding eggs! Yet truth be told, the spiritual celebrations are what capture my heart and soul. One holiday celebrates the humble birth of a Savior, the other His resurrection and hold over death.

I look to Jesus for how to live my life. I look to Jesus for how to love others when I feel irritated and spiteful. I look to Jesus for how to forgive myself and forgive those who have hurt me.
My walk with my Lord is the core of who I am. It isn't a perfect walk, not even close. Yet what I know for sure is that without that daily walk...I would be far more selfish, far more angry, far more unloving... Far less hopeful, far less joyful, far less optimistic and far less forgiving. For me...it's a hard walk, a disappointing walk when I fall so short of what God wants me to be. It's a faith walk, it's a daily workout and daily training. It just is NOT easy. It's often a struggle. I'm often not very good at putting God in the very center of all that I am and all that I do. Sometimes this Christian faith thing is not very pretty. But the remarkable gift...is that even when, as Ann Lamot says, "Jesus must be so disgusted with me that He could drink water from a dirty cat's dish"... I am deeply and forever God's child. I am deeply and forever loved!

And that makes ALL the difference in who I am and how I love others!

I love sayings that remind me about who God is and how He works in the world and works in my life. Here are a few of my recent favorites from the marvelous book HOPE...pure and simple by Max Lucado:


Allow God's love to change the way you look at you.



Before you go anywhere else with your disappointments, go to God.



Confession is telling God you did the thing he saw you do.
He doesn't need to hear it as much as you need to say it.


God never promises to remove us from our struggles.
He does promise, however,
to change the way we look at them.


God has plenty of compassion
He doesn't think your prayers are foolish or silly.


You aren't an accident or an incident;
you are a gift to the world, a divine work of art, signed by God.


If you think God's love for you would be stronger if your faith were,
you are wrong.
If you think His love would be deeper if your thoughts were,
wrong again.


The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes.
Not so with God's love.


We forget that "impossible" is one of God's favorite words.


Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism.
Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity.


Don't measure the size of the mountain;
talk to the One who can move it.


As heaven's advertising agency, we promote God in every area of life.


Try shifting your glance from the one who has hurt you
and settling your eyes on the One who has saved you.


Having trouble putting up with ungrateful relatives or cranky neighbors?
God puts up with you when you act the same way.


Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives.
but rather than recoil in horror, He reaches out in kindness and says,
"I can clean that if you want."


When Jesus went home he left the front door open.


Any of these your favorite? I'd love to hear your response to any or all of them!

Have a blessed Easter. May your heart be open. May you see God's miracles every day in every corner of your life. May you know how deeply God loves you!

God bless! Love and hugs! Linda

IT'S FINALLY HERE: I Love This Day...I Dread This Day!

If you regularly read my blog, you know how I feel about being a teacher...God has called me to do this, and I love every minute of it! It is the hardest job in the world! It is the best job in the world! It is the most perfect job in the world for me!

I am passionate about every part of this job! I love my students. I love my classroom, I love what I teach, I love seeing my students come through the door every day! I love the halls in the school, I love the copy center and the people who work there, I love seeing a clock that says, "It's time for class to start!"

Before I enter my classroom I say this prayer every day:

"Lord, thank you for putting me here!
Thank you for every student who is here today!
help me to honor them!
help me to honor You!"

and then I say outloud..."It's SHOW TIME!! Let's give it 110%!!"

Today is the last day of winter quarter 2008. This quarter hasn't been easy. We've had lots of disruptions... bad weather, bad health, snow storms and major flu bugs! But none of those really matter, because every day I fall more and more in love with who my courageous, amazing and smart students are!

They bless me by their presence.
They honor me with their trust.
They encourage me with their support.

I am so grateful that I am often brought to tears!

And today is my last class day with all of them.

You might imagine that I am relieved. You might imagine that I am tired. You might imagine that I am still sick with this nasty, nasty bug! All of that would be true!

But what you can not imagine is how much they mean to me. I tell them over and over... you will ALWAYS be my students! Wherever you go, wherever you are...you can still count on me for love and support! I will always claim you as my own! I will always be proud that you have been in my class!

Letting go of 93 of them in one day almost always breaks my heart! I stand there and cry. They cry. We all know that these 12 weeks have changed all of us! I usually give them a "high five" every day as they leave my class! Today I give them a hug.

There just aren't words for how big a blessing God can bestow!

I have been grading much of last night! I only took a break to see Madison's Variety Show..and then I read journals far into the night! I heard in their own words about their joys, their wounds, their fears, their hopes! What an honor to be trusted in such a deep and abiding way!

I have made many mistakes in my life. I have learned some tough lessons. I have been molded, broken, loved, shunned, cared for, and encouraged! I have tried to learn from every mistake. It hurts my heart to think that I have hurt others with the mistakes I have made. What I know for sure is that I am not perfect, and God isn't done with me yet!

But one mistake I DIDN'T make was in becoming a teacher! God called me to do this, put a deep love for it in my heart, and EVERY day I give it all that I have to give!

I love this last day, and at the same time I dread saying goodbye!
But every minute of this Friday, March 14th, 2008 I am thanking God for each of these 93 blessings He brought my way!

In a few hours I will say that prayer, enter room 239 at SCC and say " It's SHOWTIME! Let's give it 110%!" How blessed can one "girl" get!

God Bless! Love and hugs to all who read this!
Linda

THE END OF THE QUARTER: "Linda, You Are An Animal !!!"

I love the African American spiritual that we sing at my church. The chorus says:

I am pressing my way
I won't turn around
I won't look back
I won't be afraid
I will move ahead
I'll rely on God
I am pressing my way!

When we sing that song the congregation jumps with energy and expectation! We dance in our seats. When we say the line "I am pressing my way!" we move our arms like we are moving an obstacle! This song is so symbolic of meeting and overcoming daily obsstacles for everyone there. It is a blessing for me to recall this song this morning! It is an anthem for the end of the quarter!

Unless you go through the end of a college quarter...you just can't understand the magnitude of it! It is like the training schedule before a big race. There is no letup! There are what feel like endless papers to grade and deadlines to meet. It is the last push with 93 students.

Unless you go through the end of the quarter with this nasty flu bug...you can't get how great it is to be able to call out for God's help and say, "Ok, Lord. I have to give this to you! I have to ask for YOUR strength to get this done, because believe me I don't have it!"

At SCC when we are ill, there are no substitute teachers. If we miss class, so do our students. This has been a very strange quarter with missed snow days and one illness after another. Students and faculty are struggling to get to the end of this in one piece.

I came down with this bug awhile back. What started as a cold became a bronchial illness etc (I'll spare you the details). If you know anyone who has this "thing" and you look at them, that is how I have felt. I rested and graded over the weekend. I even went to the doctor, got help, and made sure I wasn't contagious. Yet I have not missed one day of school! I am there, with God's help and antibiotics, motivating my students and giving them high fives as they leave the classroom!

I am telling them:

"We are pressing our way
We won't look back
We will move on
We will get this done
We are pressing our way!"

I am playing music, Tina Turner and Sheryl Crow, to get us going! We are eating healthy snacks and hydrating our brains! They are producing exceptional college-level work at every turn! I am reminding them that I am so, so proud of them, that they are a miracle, and that it is an honor for me to be their teacher!

Lots of tears have flowed recently in my classes...including mine!
I have done this for 41 years and I love this job every day, even when I am sick!

At the end of one class yesterday one of my student athletes raised his hand. Now mind you this basketball player is a bit of an introvert and usually doesn't say much. On top of that, SCC just lost a major basketball championship in the last second by one point and he was heartbroken. It was his first day back in class and we clapped when Eric came in. He looked miserable, but he was smiling again , after countless hugs from me and others, as we got close to the end of class.

At the end of the hour I always ask.."Any last questions that if you don't ask them you won't be able to sleep tonight?" I then finish by saying "How many of you learned something new in here today that you can use in your life?" When all the hand shoot up...we applaud.

Crazy you say? Is she running a pep rally you might ask? Nope...just how I teach...even when I am sick!

When I asked if there were any questions yesterday, Eric's hand came up and everyone looked at him. He said "You know Linda"...and he started to smile..."You are an animal!" And he got up and gave me a high five!

Did I say that I love this job!

Ok, I want you to know that this is a high compliment. It means, in basketball talk, that I have guts! It means that I am courageous! It means that when I expect students to show up, I don't just talk that talk...I walk that walk! It means that it is all worth it! It means that he and the rest of my students know how much they mean to me!

Did I say that I love this job!

I walked around all day with a smile! Yup, I AM an animal!!

God Bless!
Love and hugs to all who read this! Linda

LESSONS ON MARRIAGE: IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE, KINDNESS, LIGHT BULBS and PUSSY WILLOWS!

This April 7th Bert and I will have been married for 24 years. We will have been together for more than 25... a quarter of a century, the longest significant committed relationship I have ever been in.

Simply put... being with Bert, loving Bert, fighting with Bert, talking with Bert, listening to Bert, and sharing everything I am with Bert has changed me at a soul-level in my life.

I was married before. After fourteen and a half years of marriage... that marriage relationship ended. I was very young when I got married, either 19 or twenty, depending on whose memory you consult. I was in love with love. I was in love with Tim. I was in love with Tim's family. I had "known" Tim for years, but I could never truly know him because I didn't know myself.

I thought then, as so many people do, that being married would "complete" me. It would fill the hole in my heart. My relationship with my father, who hadn't been loved well enough by his own family, had left me wanting more. Surely a man would come along, love me, and make it all better.

I didn't understand that no human being could fill that deep, cavernous hole. Only my Heavenly Father could.

But since I didn't "get" that life principle, I unknowingly assigned the task of "filling the hole" to whomever happened to be there. Poor Tim. It wasn't a job description he knowingly signed on for. He had his own growing to do, and we both had to go elsewhere to find ourselves and then learn to be there in another relationship.

If I had known then what I know now...but that is life's lesson isn't it. It's all about learning the lessons, growing, and changing. Not trying to grow others, or change others, but learning to grow ourselves.

I met Bert in graduate school at Whitworth. I was somewhat jaded, as women often become. Cynical even... about men. Yet here was this unusual person. After many conversations with myself and with God...I was willing to give love another chance.

But first there was a greater task at hand...sorting out who I really was.
You see one of the slippery slopes of marriage is the "honeymoon phase" that ends in the "disillusionment phase".

The odd disparity about a marriage relationship seems to be this pattern:
*at first I thought you were perfect
*and now you are "just you"...not perfect at all.
*in fact, you are a huge disappointment on so many levels.

And it's far easier to look at how disappointing you are than to look at how disappointing I am...to myself, to you, to everyone around me.

In truth...you are just another imperfect human being, a child of God not fully formed, and you don't so perfectly fit the bill of who I made you out to be...who I made you up to be.

Before, when I was so in love I couldn't breathe, I gave you an un-doable job description..."My Perfect Husband"....and you have failed.

So...now it's "pick on you time" and "pick apart" time. The relationship often becomes unrecognizable.

Ring any bells? Sound at all familiar?

Truth told...I've been there, I've done that. It's vivious... and sad and ugly and awful. It often takes place in the hurting places of our heart...the places where we've failed to let God's love in and let His love shine and heal our own personal misery.

What I know now that I didn't know then... was that until you love your own imperfections, until you embrace your own frailties, until you learn to love, laugh at and accept the "icky part of you", and until you turn that all over to God...you will just project your own angst on to someone else. And sometimes that lesson gets learned too late.

I have several single friends who watch couples unknowingly pick each other apart, and they watch in horror. One recently said to me, "Don't you married people get what you have? You have the privilege of sharing your life with someone, and you don't seem to appreciate what a sacred honor that is." She went on to chastise all of us who are married when she said,
"You know you can go too far. You can do damage that can't be repaired. After your husband is gone, after he leaves or dies...or you leave.. you will then know what you had and what you missed."

Yup, she's right. I know that at a deep, heart level. Been there done that...and as scarey as it may seem..I am capable of not learning that lesson again.

Unless I take special care, I can focus on what is wrong about Bert instead of what is wonderful about Bert.

And that leads us to the light bulbs and pussy willows.

It has been a tough few weeks. It's Lent...no wonder. I have felt pulled and not at ease. Little things have irritated me. All of the light bulbs over the kitchen counter were out, and I was irritated that Bert had not replaced them. I was grouchy and grumpy...and not quietly so.

I am so glad that God didn't videotape me...I would no doubt be embarrased.

Bert has quietly tried to soothe my soul, bring some relief. Finally, I just started to cry. Guess I needed a good one. I asked God, "What the heck is wrong with me?"

And then yesterday when I came home from work at lunch time, Bert was still there working on the poetry for his poetry class. He looked like a little kid with a surprise. I was so exhausted that I couldn't "get" what was going on. Finally, he took me gently by the arm to the kitchen counter and with a big, child-like grin on his face...had me look up.

"I changed the light bulbs!" he said. "I thought it would make you feel better!"

And then he showed me the pussy willows. I love pussy willows since they signal that spring is right around the corner. So Bert, some years ago, planted a pussy willow tree for me so I could have pussy willows in our home.

There, in a funny little vase, were some hand-picked pussy willows. He had trudged up our snowy hill to pick pussy willows for me.

There, in that moment of kindness, lightbulbs, and pussywillows... I got what I needed to learn.
It IS a sacred honor to share your life with someone. I don't want to focus on what Bert isn't, but on what Bert is!

One little act of kindness can change everything. Changing those lightbulbs was Bert's way of showing me that he loved me. Go figure! And the pussy willows?
No bouquet picked by a child has ever meant as much!

Marriage really is about loving someone...just as they are...and seeing beyond who they are to who they could be. Marriage really is about loving someone more than you love yourself. Marriage really is about looking past your partner's "icky self" to who God meant them to be.
Marriage really is about working on my "icky self" so I can be a better wife for Bert. And marriage really is about letting God's love and light shine in my heart so I can see how blessed I am to have a life partner!

Today I am taking pussy willows to school...so I'll remember the lessons!

God Bless! Love and hugs to all who read this!
Love Linda

THE AGE OF MIRACLES...Profound New Learnings!

Sometimes life's learnings come at me in such a fast and furious fashion that it takes time to digest them!

Sometimes God has a way of getting my attention and while I can feel a bit overwhelmed, I am eternally grateful for a chance to grow, change, and learn about myself... in a deeper more meaningful way.

In short...I am in a time of profound inner change. It's as if the "inner work" I have done the past few years is starting to manifest itself clearly in my life. That inner work and wisdom has to do with embracing all of my life and all that I am! It is about seeing life more clearly. It's about taking my "Life Lessons at 61" and naming and claiming them.

It's also about acknowledging that when you "do the outer work"..the work on my body and losing 35 pounds...the inner work starts to make more sense. This may seem overly complex to some of you who read this. Yet it is part of a "New Midlife Journey" that I am taking!

It's part of having more of my life behind me than is in front of me. Sometimes there simply comes a time in our lives- not fundamentally different from the way puberty separates childhood from adulthood- when it's time for one part of ourselves to die and for something new to be born.

It's time for me to let go of some old habits that no longer serve me well!

I will try to make sense of a few of my latest learnings in this post:

LEARNING #1: Don't Take Things Personally and Offer Compassion

This past week seemed filled with people who were outwardly angry and bitter and yet were inwardly hurt and venting. One was a student, the other a college colleague. My first response is to get angry back. My second response is to get them out of my life and say "no more, you suck, I want nothing to do with you! " While my initial response was fairly familiar, it didn't take long for a new and deeper compassion to bubble forth. It is possible that after a year of working on the "Four Agreements"...an amazing book that is a life-time guide...that I am actually making progress in NOT TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY!

This is a HUGE step for me!

I could see both of these people as being so much more than their response. I didn't have to do anything but hold out care and love to them. I didn't feel so afraid that I had to make them wrong! More importantly I could look at them and ask the question..."How does what they did, in some form or another, remind me of me?"

LEARNING #2: Who Do I Need To Forgive and Reconcile With?

On Valentines Day Bert and I were a part of a charity event at the Bing Crosby Theatre. We were part of raising funds for a children's orphanage in Ruwanda. Our choir from church came to sing there! Just another item to do on the 'ol "to do list"? Truthfully it was....until the program began.

A little historical background..Ruwanda went through a massive genocide in 1994 while the world sat and watched. Over 1 million people were slaughtered. The war was between two Ruwandan tribes...Hutu and Tutsi.( See the movie Hotel Ruwanda) Even families that had intermarried between the two tribes found husbands slaughtering their wives. When the smoke cleared, how do you put a country back together where people saw a neighbor slaughter their whole family?

The Ruwandans conducted outdoor "Chochnas" , which means "on the grass". These were trials where the victims confronted those who had destroyed their lives. If the perpetrator was honest, and genuinely remorseful during this trial on the grass, he or she was forgiven (truly forgiven) and brought back into community.

Arlene Brown, the speaker at this event who gave up everything she had to go to Ruwanda to build an orphanage there, told this powerful story of reconciliation. A Tutsi woman (a wife and mother of three small children) watched a young man she knew in her village (he was 18 and a Hutu) slaughter her entire beloved family. She watched this neighbor boy take a machete' and chop up her husband and children in front of her. She was destroyed by the horror of this experience.

At their village "chochna" or trial several years later, the young man confessed his deep grief for what he had done and asked for the woman's forgiveness. Eventually, after much soul searching, she told him she could forgive him if he did one thing. "What was that?" he asked.

She wanted him to move in with her and be her son.

Whaaaaaaat you might ask? Be her son? Are you kidding me?

She told him that in letting go of all her anger, there was only love and compassion left for the hurt in him. He had taken her son, but now she offered for him to be her son.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house. After telling this story, and showing the pictures of the woman and her "new son", Arelene Brown asked these three question to the audience:

"Who have YOU not forgiven?
" Who do YOU need to reconcile with?"
"Do you know that the anger and old resentments you carry in your heart are eating you alive?
They are eating your heart, your spirit, and your soul"

The fallout from this story and those three questions has been amazing! Tears flowed as one of the choir members at church yesterday, after sharing this story with the congregation, told of the hurt and anger she has carried for white people. She wants to let go of it!

I have been crying off and on myself as I ask myself
"Who do I need to forgive?" What am I still angry about? "How can I "reconcile" with this person?" "Do I get the "cost" of anger in my own life?"

So this week, Valentine's week, has been about "heart work"...about not taking things personally and feeling compassion, even for those who are angry.

It has also been about looking at what "real forgiveness" is all about!

I am so grateful to God for all that I am learning!
I wouldn't miss this journey, and this week with all it's learnings, for anything!

God Bless! Love and hugs! Linda

OPEN HEART DAY..."Won't You Be My Valentine?"

I absolutely love holidays! I have ever since I was a little girl :)

When I was little I was filled with glee as at Christmas time I awaited the birth of a holy baby and the arrival of a jolly old man who shared presents...

I looked forward with great anticipation to the magical nature of Easter where Jesus was risen and eggs appeared in my slippers....

And then there was Valentines Day!

I knew when I got up in the morning that both my Mom and I would receive a beautiful and sentimental card from my Dad, and we would each get a dozen red roses from him with a gigantic red bow. Not only that....I would go to school on Valentines Day, put a huge homemade heart with a small envelope sized opening on my desk and await messages of friendship and caring. Many small cards, often made by hand and carefully put into the desk sized mail box, started with the words...."Won't you be my valentine?"

Getting my Valentines ready , and picking out or making just the right cards to give to those I loved, became a time-honored ritual! I could picture their smile when they opened my card and remembered that I loved them. The night before Valentines Day I could hardly sleep.

Not much has changed in all of these years!

My Dad, who came from a very difficult family background, and had his first birthday cake at age thirty that was baked by my Mom, was very sentimental about Valentines Day. His sentiments and wisdom have always stayed with me. He told me something that I will hold in my heart forever...

"Nothing compares to having someone to love who loves you back!"

And he was right! For the first time in his life he had two people who loved him to the moon and back...my Mom and me! He never, ever took that for granted. He knew what it meant to feel like he wasn't anyone's Valentine!

So for me...today isn't just a Hallmark moment. It is far greater than that! It is a reminder to live life with an open heart! It is a reminder to be kind to everyone because you do not know the battles they are fighting! It is a reminder that when you give love generously...love comes back to you tenfold!

I feel so blessed this morning! I awoke to a beautiful and sentimental card from my dear hubby Bert...and as if almost by magic...a dozen red roses with a huge bow sat waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I couldn't stop crying as it brought back memories of Valentines Days gone by. I am so grateful that the one I love... loves me back! I am so grateful that I am someone's Valentine!

God Bless! May you know today that you are dearly loved! God loves you and so do I!

Happy Valentines Day! Love Linda

SUPER TUESDAY...and my birthday too! :) TEN THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR!!!

Here are a few things I am grateful for today, February 5th, 2008:

1) I am so grateful that God loves me and that I feel that love every day!

2) I am so grateful to have had parents who adored me and challenged me to be the best "me" I could be!

3) I am so grateful that I grew up in a politically active family...and that on my birthday I lived long enough to fill out a primary ballot and could choose between a WOMAN and an AFRICAN-AMERICAN...and both are legitimate candidates for President of the United States!

4) I am so, so grateful for my special husband Bert! He is the love of my life!

5) I am so, so grateful that God blessed me with two spectacular daughters...Jessi and Amy! They bless my life every day!

6) I am so, so grateful for all of my family....sons, sons-in-law, daughters-in law, and my amazing and wonderful 12 grandchildren!!!

7) I am so grateful for God's grace and reconcilliation in my blended family and extended family!

8) I am so grateful that God has called me to be a teacher and a consultant and that I can serve others in both of these jobs that I love!

9) I am so grateful for all of my friends who have stood by me all of these years!

10) I am so, so grateful to God for my health, that my ankle has healed, and that I am so much lighter in body and spirit!

So on this SUPER TUESDAY....know that I am grateful for you!
God Bless! Love and hugs to all who read this!
Linda

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS...What A Great Weekend!

I absolutely love weekends that are filled with FUN and GRANDKIDS galore! We had Jacob overnight on Thursday night and he played with Boppa while I went to teach on Friday! He is so amazing and brings such joy to my life! Thanks Jacob for coming to stay with Boppa and me! We love you to the moon and back!

Friday late afternoon our special friend Dustin came over to talk about the upcoming charity event we are participating in...raising money for a Rumandan orphanage! Thanks Dustin for including us in this amazing project!

Then Friday night we celebrated my birthday at Bangkok Thai with Jessi, Rog and Emma! What fun to get together, share stories and my favorite is the birthday crown Emma made for me! Emma is such an amazing little girl and she blesses my life with her smile! The meal was wonderful and the dessert so creative, and appropriate to my Weight Watcher Goals...Weight Watcher Fudgesicles! So thoughtful !! Thanks you guys for such a great evening! Thanks Emma for making me a "Birthday Crown"! I can't wait to wear it to school on Tuesday!

Saturday was a fun time with Bert including getting my birthday outfit...jeans that are TWO SIZES SMALLER!!! Praise God! And he also got me a neat sweater and chocolate brown suede jacket...both one size smaller! I was so thrilled to see the results of all the hard work the past five months! Thanks honey for loving me and celebrating me every day of the year!

To top Saturday off, we met Amy , Ryan, and Jenna at Wolf Lodge in Spokane for an amazing steak dinner by a beautiful lodge fireplace! Bert and I split a dinner and I had several bites only of the dessert the restaurant brought!! It was so fun to just be together and have such great conversation! Amy asked me such a thought-provoking question...

"Mom, what are your three top goals for your 61st year?" More on that later! :)

Thanks Amy, Ryan, and Jenna for all of your love for me and for such a neat evening! I loved our time, the dinner, and the beautiful handmade card! I'll also look forward to celebrating with Zac, Kayla, and Jacob!

Today is Sunday and we came back from an amazing church service and lunch out! Bert and I split a lunch at Hogans, a favorite hamburger spot of ours, on the south hill. He had a chocolate ice cream soda and I had my famous diet coke with lemon! I came home and had a nap before the start of the Super Bowl!

It's now time to exercise and get ready for school tomorrow! I feel blessed beyond measure to be surrounded by family that I adore! What a super fun weekend! I feel so blessed and so celebrated!!!

I look forward to being 61! God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

God Bless! Love and hugs to all who read this! Love Linda

NO SNOW...NO SLEET...NO HAIL...Can Keep Me from Weight Watchers!

The day started out with a semi-blizzard at 3:00am when I got up to exercise! My first thought was a chuckle..."well, getting to my Thursday Weight Watchers meeting may be tough, but I AM going!"

School was cancelled, Bert cleared the driveway, and I knew I needed to go.

What I know for sure is that this just isn't a time when I can afford to start a pattern of not being there and not holding myself accountable to a public weigh in.

I lost 2.4 lbs! The hard work I put in this week paid off!

My birthday is next Tuesday and the gift I am giving to me as I turn 61 is a new body, new spirit and new healthy lifestyle!

Losing 35 pounds is in sight by Valentines Day or before and then forty will follow!

I am jazzed and ready to take it on!

God Bless! Love and hugs to all who read this! Love Linda

AN UPDATE ON MY "GETTING HEALTHY GOALS" FOR 2008!...Attitude, Weight Loss, Exercise, and Drinking Water!

WOW! What a week! Super busy, super stressful with some very tough consulting situations, and super packed with blessings and kindness! You know you are truly alive when all of that is on your plate! :)

I have been mindful, intentional, and purposeful about my attitude and self-talk in 2008. Bert and I are rereading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren! It is a great reminder about God's grace and support and what happens when we are intentional about how we look at what happens to us in life!

We watched the movie Facing The Giants and I was brought to tears by the reminder "Do Not Fear! I am with you ALWAYS!" That sounds like an attitude adjustment to me. So...prayerfully and intentionally I am watching how I frame tough situations and my self talk!

All of this is progress for me!

On top of that I am continuing to go to Weight Watchers EVERY WEEK!!...and I am continuing to lose weight! Slowly but surely is my motto! I lost another .8 lbs. this week and I am closing in on my goal of 35 lbs by Valentines Day! What a heart gift to myself and those I love!

In the "exercise corner" I am continuing to walk at SCC first thing in the morning and "Do the stairs" four times during the day! That's a brisk, heart-moving walk up the stairs! I am less breathless than before!

On the "water front" I am hydrating my brain and drinking eight (yes, eight) large containers daily of H20 and crystal light! If there is a world-wide water shortage I may be in part to blame!

This is tough work for me...VERY tough work! My schedule at work has been slammed as I try to catch up from Christmas. Yet with God's power, God's encouragement, and the encouragement of my family and friends...I press on!

There is a black spiritual we sing at church that brings me to tears every time we sing it...
The chorus is..."I am pressing my way...I won't look back...I won't turn around...I will let God rule...I will be His servant..I am pressing my way!"

Well, can I just say a loud "Amen!" to that! I am pressing my way to get healthy!! :)

God Bless! Love and Hugs to all who read this! Linda

FACING MY FEAR- Today's Lesson In Faith!

Yesterday was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Simply put, he is one of my heroes. Talk about stepping up to the plate for what is right. Talk about not just talking the talk, but walking the walk.

I often wonder how, when he was faced with what must have seemed like insurmountable odds, that he chose to take the high road, the hard road to do what was right at great personal jeopardy. How did Martin face such hatred. Did he wake up in the middle of the night full of fear? Did he call out to God asking..."Lord, why is this so hard?" "Why me God?" "What would you have me do Lord?" I imagine he did. I know that I do.

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King is:

Faith is taking the first step
Even when you don't see the whole staircase.

And I imagine that even with Dr. King's faith came a certain amount of fear. It's part of the human condition.

Last night I felt called to watch a movie I haven't seen before. I was cleaning the basement and stumbled upon it. It's called "Facing the Giants." It's about a Christian high school football team and their coach. Long story short, almost every part of the coach's life falls apart. His faith is tested. But instead of turning toward the fear, He turns toward God. Like Job in the Old Testament, the coach crys out to his Lord. The coach feels so afraid. Life is not turning out as he had hoped and planned. He is racked with fear and self-doubt.

An old friend and former coach comes to see him and tells him this. In the Bible, 365 times, God says these profound words,

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you." 365 times...one reminder for every day of the year!

As I heard these words I started to weep. Mind you that's not the quiet easy-to-be-around kind of cry. That's the, as Oprah Winfrey says, "the big, ugly cry" where you can't see and your nose runs. It's the kind of cry that opens up your heart and soul. I felt as if that reminder was there just for me. "Do not be afraid" "Do not be afraid!"

What am I so afraid of? Well there's a long list. Now most of these are well disguised under my very professional exterior :), yet those fears, large and small, can erode my peace of mind and serenity. What if I don't lose weight this week? What if this very hard consultation can't help the people who need help? What should I do to help student X. Y, or Z? How can I make more time for God? What if a family member really doesn't like me? The list of small, soul-eroding doubts can sap my energy.

Yet the message was plain and the message was simple. The message came in neon lights and big block letters!

"Do not be afraid for I am with you."

My God is a God who does not sound the trumpet to retreat when things get tough or doubts surface. My God is a God who stands by me in any illness, in any storm, in any time of hurt, and in times of triumph!

So today I will listen to God and I will listen to Dr. King. I will go on faith, even when I don't see the whole staircase! I will believe that even in the hardest moments this week, and some big ones are coming, I will look to my Lord for the strength I need!

I will remember that there is HOPE for every day....Do not be afraid for I am with you.And you know what?...I believe Him!

God Bless! Love and Hugs to all who read this! Linda

NOTES TO MYSELF....Learnings From This Week!

Some weeks flow smoothly and balance delicately, almost like seeing a juggler at the circus magically balance multiple plates on sticks. When one starts to slow down the juggler gently spins it and all the plates stay in motion.

Other weeks look like plates spinning out of control and crashing here and there while the juggler trys to hold up the few remaining plates.

Much of my week felt like the spinning, crashing, all- over-the-place kind of week.

When Grandma Elaine had her stroke and was so ill I went to Seattle, and I am so glad I did. No regrets there and I would make that same choice again. However, I had MANY appointments scheduled for that time and put people on hold until January. I am in the "catch up mode" and it isn't pretty at times.

I know God's desire for my life is to have it balanced in every area...work, play, spiritual, exercise, family, friends...an endless list. If new things are added to the already full list it can be pretty breathtaking in how to balance it all!

NOTE TO MYSELF: Remember to say "no". While I would love to see everyone and do everything, at times it won't all fit in.

I weighed in this week and lost close to another pound, yet health and exercise hardly made my list of prioroties.

NOTE TO MYSELF: This is a trend that cannot continue! My priorities for getting healthy cannot take a back seat to work!

As the weekend approached, I almost felt giddy. I could hardly wait to breathe and have a moment to smile and not take life so seriously. So on Friday I brought up a singing balloon and cookies for Jessi's class to celebrate their classroom blog, and brought coffee to Jess and Tiffany! What fun! What a relief!
Just seeing their faces made me feel better.

Friday night Bert and I went to see The Kite Runner, an amazing movie. We had some great couples time and my soul felt refreshed.

Saturday morning Amy and Ryan invited us to their home to have lunch and watch the Seahawks game. Just being around those wonderful family members restored my soul. I had fun watching Kayla and Jacob play the Wii, playing with precious Jenna, and commenting on the troubled Seahawks with Bert and Ryan!

NOTE TO MYSELF: Being around those people who love me just as I am, forgive my mistakes, and like me
without reservation heals my heart! Spend more time with these people and less time with those who are critical!
There are some folks who are "joy suckers" and almost suck joy out of the air. Bless their hearts, but when I am tired and need refueling myself, I need to not spend time with them.

Today is Sunday. We will head to church and then pick up Emma for a play date! I can hardly wait! When I talked to her on the phone she was "so escited" to come to our house and play "castle". That's a game I made up for her where she is the princess and a naughty fellow trys to "smooch-a-roo" her. The King (Daddy) always says, "You may NOT smooch-a-roo my daughter"...at which point Emma breaks into waves of laughter! Her love, energy, and fun sparkle will be a positive bookend to this busy week!

I am grateful for every day! I love my life, but it is my responsibility to restore balance to my schedule,

NOTE TO MYSELF: Playing with my grandchildren is the best medicine for my heart!

As this next week approaches I am going to be more intentional and mindful about attending to my spirit, having time with God, having time with those I love, and keeping life in balance!

Love and Hugs to all who read this!
God bless! Love Linda