I blog today with a heavy heart for some family members and a hopeful heart for a dear friend. 

Please pray for the Turner family:

My husband's Aunt Susie just called to tell me her son-in-law James' mother passed away.  James is married to Aunt Susie's daughter Amanda.  Amanda just lost her Mamaw (my hubby's Mamaw, too) in December.  In addition, Aunt Susie said they have lost two other close family friends since Mamaw's death (and her Aunt Freda had also passed away in December as you know, my husband's mother).  She has asked for prayer for James and Amanda as well as James' familiy.  She said Amanda really needs our prayers right now to get through this.  Aunt Susie is very burdened for her son-in-law and his family.  Please lift this family up in prayer.  They are the Turner family.

NOW I want to tell you about Holly:

Pictured above is Holly, age 25 and her hubby Tony.  This is their Christmas 2009 picture I took from her facebook page.  I thought the pic was adorable!

I taught sunday school for 12 years at my home church.  The group was ages 9 and 10 years old.  Because of this class, so many kids became close to my heart!  I have told my husband that although I was not able to have children biologically, God blessed me many times over by placing other people's children in my life through the years.  I count it an honor and a blessing to have taught all these kids.  OF COURSE they are no longer kids.  They are all out of high school now, most married and many with their own children. 

I received terrible news on Monday, February 15, that one of these precious young ladies I often think of as "one of my kids" had a head-on collision on her way to work.  Her name is Holly.  She is 25 years old and is married.  She is a beautiful young lady both inside and out.  She sings like you would imagine angels singing (she inherited this trait from her mother!).  She has such a wonderful bubbly personality and she loves to joke and have fun, too.  She is just such a sweetie pie AND she loves THE LORD!

She was rushed to the hospital and had broken her leg and pelvis.  She was non-responsive so they could not do the much needed surgery on monday.  The doctors said Holly had a brain bleed which may be causing the non-responsiveness.  They even had put a screw in her head to help relieve it.  My former pastor, now retired, visited and prayed scripture over her to stop the bleeding.  IT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND SHE WAS STABILIZED!  Praise GOD!   

Just imagine how it must have impacted the staff when the bleeding stopped after the scripture reading and faith praying...because nothing they had done could stop it!  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose!  ROMANS 8:28  God can bring good out of any situation that is bad.  It is to HIS GLORY that she was stabilized and no one else!

Many have started praying for a miracle as soon as they heard of the wreck and God is HEARING THESE PRAYERS!

My mom and I visited the next day, tuesday.  As we arrived, I immediately went to her mother (one of my dearest friends) Peggy.  The visiting room was packed with family and friends from church.  She said they had a circle of prayer that morning and ALL FAMILIES in the TICU (trauma intensive care unit) joined in.  Their current Pastor Toby led the prayer and included all families with loved ones in the unit.  THEN the doctors told Holly's husband and parents that Holly was stable and could have the surgery!  ANOTHER MIRACLE!!! While we were there, they started the surgery.  

The damage to her leg had been worse than anticipated, so the surgery lasted from about 1:30 to 6 pm.  Her femur was shattered, but they expect her pelvic bones to grow back together.  They put a rod in her leg.  They also said she has a deep lasceration in  her neck and during surgery realized she also has a cracked vertebrae.  They decided to leave a collar on her for now to help with the cracked vertebrae.  Her ICP (intracranial pressure) was up following surgery, so visits have since been limited to only viewing her, but not touching her or talking to her.  She needs to be as still as possible because if she moves the pressure increases. 

As of the latest update, her ICP was within normal range all night!  The family is still limited to visiting her without talking or touching her.  She has been put into a coma with medicines to encourage optimal healing. 

I spoke with her mother on the phone one night and told her of a facebook prayer group that someone had started.  She had not heard of it.  I told her it already had about 350 people committed to PRAY FOR HOLLY!  Peggy was so excited to hear this news.  I checked the site today and it had grown to 697 people committed to pray for Holly!  This is just through facebook, not including others!  God is hearing these prayers and HE has instructed us to pray for our brothers and sisters in need. 

Given all the tragedies in our immediate family lately, I know how it feels to have MANY people praying for you when you are at the point where you are not even sure what to pray yourself.  Holly is not able to pray for herself right now, so we must do it for her.

I now ask my blogging Christian familiy to pray for Holly and her family.  If you want to leave a comment, I will be glad to pass this along to her mother.  I will keep you updated as God continues to heal her.  I know HE has perfect timing and A REASON FOR EVERYTHING. 

As a friend of mine at church posts on his wife's Caring Bridge Journal on EVERY entry:

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

I grabbed a copy of "The Real George Washington" by Jay A. Perry at the library a few weeks ago.  Glenn Beck had recommended it as a good look into the man and the founding of our country.  When I first saw it I thought:  "There's no way I'm going to finish this.  It's huge!"  It is a thick book, but about a quarter of it at the end is just a compilation of his writings and quotes from him.  I did end up finishing it.

It was an excellent book and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about Washington.  The book was detailed, but not overly so, and did not dwell for too long on any one aspect of his life.  It also took particular attention to describe what he was feeling personally during certain times of his life by quoting his many letters to friends and family.  In addition, especially in regard to the Revolutionary War, it did an excellent job of summarizing the other battles that Washington was not involved in, but ultimately played an important role in his decisions.

Here are some interesting things (at least to me) that I learned while reading this book:

- Washington was a very pious, religious man.  He did not seem to get hung up on religious practice, but had a very deep faith that colored his every thought.  He prayed almost constantly and made concerted efforts to provide and encourage church services for his men during the war.  He also never ceased to thank God for their victories and express his view that God personally had a hand in seeing America to success.

- He was anti-slavery, but owned slaves.  He considered it a necessary evil that he wanted to see eventually abolished, but he could not seem to figure out how America (and particularly his plantation) would be able to survive and prosper without it.  Poor excuse for owning slaves, maybe, but he showed unique affection for them and his regard for their humanity was clearly evident.  He refused to sell or buy any slaves.  He simply maintained the group he inherited.  He believed trafficking in humans, and particularly the separation of slave families, to be immoral.  He also made a provision in his will that all his slaves were to be set free upon his wife's death, that the old and infirm slaves be provided for until their deaths, and that the younger freed slaves be given an education.

- He loved agriculture and the slow rural life.  He wanted nothing more than to farm his lands for the rest of his life after the French and Indian War.  However, his love of his country and its cause outweighed this desire.  He reluctantly accepted command of the American army, which kept him away from Mount Vernon for 8 years.  He then reluctantly accepted his election as the first President, which kept him away for a further 8 years.  During all this time he constantly wrote of his longing to retire back to the rural life, but his duty could not permit him to desert his country when it called on him to serve.

- He was incredibly humble.  Everytime he was given an important position, from commander of the army, to the head of the Constitutional Convention, to two terms as President, he expressed his belief that he was unequal to the task, but that for the sake of his country he would do his best.  He never sought out these appointments.  They were always thrust upon him.

- He was a very charitable man.  He took in and raised two of his grandchildren, paid for the education of some family members, and always made sure a food bin in town (near Mt. Vernon) was always stocked with food for the destitute in the area.  He also gave instructions that ANY revolutionary war veteran that came calling was to be admitted, fed a good meal, and given a few dollars before he departed.  All this charity was given while his plantation was constantly beset by poor crops and struggling finances.  He was never really able to make it profitable.

There are many other attributes about George Washington that make him my favorite President.  I've read about several others I admired, be he stands far above the rest.

I just love taking pictures. Wish I was a professional. LOL

Have a good weekend.

Nancy

I am currently reading a book about George Washington and the founding of our country, and discovered something that made me think.  When the Declaration of Independence was signed, the founders formed the Articles of Confederation.  This was an agreement on the part of the states to provide certain funds to the federal government to fight the war, and to provide troops from their militias for the common defense of the new nation.  When the Constitutional Convention met in 1787, they devised a new constitution that would give the federal government more power in order to better provide for the administration of the whole Union. 

The Constitution had to be ratified by 9 states before it could take effect, but it only applied to those states that ratified it.  If a state chose to ratify the Constitution, they were agreeing to join the new Union and abide by its mandates.  There was no expectation that a state must ratify the Constitution and join the Union.  In fact, several states dragged their feet.  It took almost a full year for nine of the thirteen states to ratify it and bring it into action.  It wasn't until almost three years after it was submitted to the states for ratification that the last state, Rhode Island, finally joined the Union.  If joining the Union was completely voluntary on the part of the states and the new constitution said nothing barring those states from leaving the Union, then how can it be argued that Southern secession was illegal? 

In fact, another historical event of Washington's time further supports this assertion.  When Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, was devising a plan to deal with the nation's war debt, he proposed a plan for the federal government to assume the states' individual war debts and levy taxes to pay them off.  The idea was that the burden of war was borne by all the states, therefore, paying off the war debt should be as well.  President Washington agreed.  Some states, like Virginia were livid.  They had almost completely paid their own debt by this time and did not want to assume the debt of other states.  They even threatened secession should the plan be inacted.  Did anyone claim the secession of Virginia would be illegal?  No.  They voluntarily joined the Union.  If they chose to leave it, that was their business.  On the other hand, South Carolina and Massechusetts threatened to secede if their debts were not assumed, claiming they had endured more devestation than most from the war.  Did anyone claim their secession would be illegal?  Did the federal government raise men and arms for an invasion to stop this traitorous action?  No.  Washington's first thought was compromise.  He proposed that the new federal capital be built in Virginia in exchange for them assuming the debt of other states.  It worked.

I tried looking up some arguements FOR the idea that secession was illegal.  What I found surprised me.  Not only was there very little out there arguing its illegality, but the arguements themselves are poor.  Most of the arguements centered around the constitution's limitations on the states entering "treaties, alliances, or confederations", but this article (Article 1, Section 10) is dealing with relations with foreign countries, not other states.  In addition, it applies to states within the Union.  It has nothing to do with a state's right to secede, only the conduct of states that belong to the Union.  

It seems that almost everyone ignores the issue of whether the South had a right to secede because the moral outcome of the war (ending slavery) was so admirable.  It didn't seem to matter that the arguements for invading the Southern states were poor.  Slavery was ended and that's all that matters.  In essence, the ends justify the means. The catch is that the Union did not claim the cause of ending slavery to be their reason for invasion.  They claimed the preservation of the Union was the reason.  They did not talk of ending slavery until later in the war, and then it was just an additional motivator for winning, not the cause of the initial invasion.

You can not argue that slavery is not a moral issue.  The idea of one person owning another flies in the face of every freedom we hold dear.  Some would claim that ending slavery was worth whatever cost.  That's dangerous thinking.  If we're willing to trample those freedoms we hold dear in order to end a moral injustice, we're simply fighting one injustice with another.  As I often tell my children, two wrongs don't make a right.  Was it worth the 620,000 dead men, women and children? 

Less people died in the dropping of the atomic bomb.

I am now entering on my third iteration of the "Body for Life" program, which is a weightloss and fitness program created by Bill Phillips.  Almost every library in America has the "Body for Life" book, so if you get the chance you should check it out.  It is really more of a lifestyle change, not a temporary diet.  My past problem is that I have approached it as a temporary diet.  I would do it when I was away from home for work for a significant time, lose some weight, and then forget about it when I got home.  This time I decided to start it at home and stick with it for life.

However, I came across a very good piece of advice out there about diets.  If you want to make healthy eating and exercise a lifetime habit, you have to come up with something that is sustainable for you.  If you can't see yourself eating this way or exercising this way forever, you're likely to get burned out on it and go back to your old bad habits.  So, I decided to tweak the Body for Life program to make it sustainable for me.

EXERCISE

This program makes exercising a priority, as an active body is a healthier body.  However, many may find it too intense for them.  It requires working out 6 days a week doing 3 weightlifting workouts and 3 cardio workouts over the course of those 6 days.  This is a lot of exercise for some people, and they may not have time for that many workouts.  Although the workouts are fairly short (20-40 min), it's still a lot for some people to find that time or maybe even the motivation to workout that much.  For women, they might not want to lift weights that much, for fear that they will get big muscles.  For skinny guys, they might not want to run that much and might want to spend more time in the weight room.  Some people might not have access to a gym and would have to do body weight-type exercises like pushups, situps, and lunges.  Whatever tweak is made, it is fine as long as:

1.  It's sustainable for that person.

2.  The person recognizes the effects that the tweak is going to have on their overall fitness and are ok with it.

Working out some is better than not at all.  For me, I am expected in my job to be fit both cardiovascularly and in strength.  I'm also expected to have a reasonable waist size.  That being the case, I need to lift weights and do cardio.  But 6 days a week?  I covet my weekends too much to workout on Saturday or Sunday.  I want to spend time with my family and get projects done.  I also want to be able to go on trips and not feel guilty for skipping a workout.  For me, 5 days a week is sustainable.  I just think about it as part of work because my employer expects me to be fit anyway.  One week I'll weightlift two days and run 3 days, then the next week I'll weightlift for 3 and run for 2.  I can handle that.

EATING

This is a big one.  Eighty percent of weightloss and health is how you eat, with the other 20% being your activity level.  Body for Life calls for 6 meals a day (eating more frequently supposedly boosts your metabolism).  At each meal you have 1 serving of protein (about the size of your palm and as thick as a deck of cards) and one serving of carbs (about the size of your fist).  Add two veggie servings a day and plenty of water.  One day a week is your "free day" when you can eat whatever you want.

I tweaked it a little to make it sustainable for me.  I eat 3 meals a day.  I just prefer it and I don't think eating 6 smaller meals per day really helps that much.  At each meal I eat 2 servings of protein and 2 servings of carbs.  Instead of one "free day" I take two "free meals" per week.  I like having the option to choose two things for a meal I wouldn't normally eat on this diet during the week if something I want happens to be available.  I allow myself two desserts a week as well, if something should come along that I want.  However, neither the free meals or desserts HAVE to be eaten.  If I don't encounter something that week that I REALLY want, then it's not worth it to eat it.  It's more of a limit, not a minimum requirement.

The important thing is that it's sustainable.  It's something I can live with and not drag myself begrudgingly through, so I'm more likely to stick with it.  I'd rather stick with a SLIGHTLY less effective version of a diet/exercise program than continue yo-yoing between fads trying to do them perfectly.

It works for me.

IT'S SNOWING!

Update:  It looks like a Winter Wonderland.  A wet, sticky 3 1/2" of snow all over everything.  It is beautiful!!!

Daisy, our Lab / Cocker Spaniel is having so much fun out there,  gamboling like an excited child. 

We put out extra bird seed for our feathered friends.  Not used to such weather, my yard looks like a bird sanctuary.

Gonna enjoy this rarity while it is here.  Soon it will be gone.

Sorry, my camera is not working