Why I love my mom

Her contagious positive attitude, smile, bright eyes, and laughter!

Her corny-ness!

Her ability to NOT meddle and to love unconditionally!

The way she lives for today!

The way she spoils her grandchildren (and daughter)!

How she protects myself and others from unnecessary negativity!

   How she makes ice box lemon pie, lemonade, and lemon cookies out of lemons!

Sometimes I wish I had more good qualities from my mom, but I am grateful for the ones I did acquire!  Hopefully Rebecca and Christian can extract my best attributes as they grow and mature!  And hopefully they will be able to find a long list of 'why I love my mom' to write one day!

   I love you, Mom!    Love,  Your 1st Angel

Application

What do you think of when I say application?  To apply makeup, to fill out an application, . . .   I am striving, really striving to apply some recently learned skills to achieve a more peaceful, Christ-centered home and family.  It ain't easy.  My approach is to start small (with little changes) and build, but I'm afraid that I will lose my steam and regress or stop all together.  I don't like to fail (who does?), but I have nothing to lose, right?  Only good can prevail.  Anyway, I wanted to document that I am on a mission, a mission of application so I will be accountable.  Lots of 'a' words in this blog, huh!  Things that make you go, hmmmm!

Dark room and shadows = fun and laughter WHAT?

My biggest thrill and enjoyment on July 4th was . . .

   after putting Christian to bed, Rebecca invited David and I into her room to watch her twirl her glow in the dark necklace.  Cool, but even cooler was when we broke out the flashlight and made finger shadows on the wall. 

  The funniest was when David told Rebecca to look at the wall and don't turn around, then in front of the flashlight he put one of her small dog stuffed animals.  She kept looking at the shadow on the wall and said, 'Wow, Dad, how did you do that?'.  He hid the stuffed animal and kept saying, 'oh, ow, man that was hard'.  Then he told her to look at the wall again and don't turn around and made it obvious by saying let me try a teddy bear and used one of her big teddy bears and she said, 'Daaadd!'

I love family time in a dark room with shadows!

What is important to me?

Is what's important to me lining up with what's important to God?  Hmmmm!  I wonder??  My kids . . . well, of course.  My husband, well, definitely.  My job, hmmm?  Food, uh, yea!  Dove dark chocolate, . . . . unfortunately, no : (    My neighbors and neighborhood, . . . yes.  My parents, . . . absolutely!  A stranger, well, indeed they are important.  The very thing I try to avoid when I'm asking myself these questions is . . . how about my attitude . . . ugh . . . very, very important to God!

   I have the hardest time with this!  This is an area I feel like a failure the most!  It is so easy to attempt to act proper in public . . . whether at work, grocery, chatting with a neighbor or friend . . . but when no one is looking or when I'm behind the confines of the walls of our home . . . my attitude doesn't always get the seal of approval with God.  And it's funny, well not really, how the people who mean the most to me and know me the best get the raw end of the deal.  So here's to all of my loved ones who get to know, see and hear the garbage that escapes me from time to time. 

    I'm sorry . . . I dislike this aspect of myself . . . I greatly appreciate that you love me even though you've seen the good, bad, and oh so ugly . . . and I pray that when I meet up with trials in my life that I can approach and go through them knowing that . . . you will be with me, God will be with me, and that trials shape and mold us into something even more refined that hopefully pleases the Lord by our faith in His goodness.

Don't quite know how these blogs turn into what they do, but I just type and this is what comes out!

  Anyway, I feel a strong urge to type how my heart swells with love and joy when I think of my kids!

Life

Life . . . yes, it is a board game . . . don't think I've ever played . . . life is hard enough, I don't think the board game would be that easy . . . guess there aren't as many factors in the board game as there is in 'real' life. 

I like life . . . no, I LOVE life.  So short though!  Just when you realize not to take it for granted, it seems to speed up!  For instance, this morning I had an urge to grab Rebecca and pull her on top of me so I could let her rest on me like she did when she was a baby with her ear resting near my heart and I could smell her hair right under my chin.  Well, I did it and my chin rested on her head as her feet touched my ankles!  Not a baby any more!

I'm very happy with the family God has put me into and just as pleased with the friends He's brought into my life!  Some just for a while and a couple for a lifetime . . . all special to me!  I'm very interested in things I don't understand or will never comprehend, such as the big why's, what if's, how's of life, but I'm starting to understand that it's not for me to figure out which means I must trust God with those things in my life.  Some of those things use to and sometimes does cause me anxiety.  This is when I need to remind myself that I cannot control everything and ultimately, I'm not in control.

I also find myself letting others determine my happiness.  I do think it is hard to work/live side by side with others that are negative and try to be Mrs. Happy all the time.  I also know that I cannot account for others' actions, just my own. 

I often wish that life (meaning the junk in life) would not block my ability to get close to, communicate with, and maintain strong, lasting relationships with the ones I love.

What stuff/junk stops me (I'm asking myself)?  Rejection, competitiveness, immaturity, stubbornness, childishness, differences, personality conflicts, lack of time, and on.
 
What reasons should I make this a priority?  #1 God wants us to love one another, put others before ourselves, treat others as I want to be treated, connection with our earthly friends and family is important, I want others to know without a doubt that I love them and would do more than they could imagine for them.

How can I accomplish a closer connection with the ones I love?  Live life more openly, express my love in ways I haven't before, don't be ashamed/shy when communicating with others, spend more time connecting with God, appreciating others more and letting them know, stop thinking that other's know what I'm thinking or others have the same opinion as me, listen (really listen)

These are my thoughts / answers . . . could you do anything different to make your life more fulfilling or God pleasing?

Gooch's: Milestones, celebration, and changes

It's good to know that people who love me actually read my blog and are excited to see into the Gooch's lives!  Some updates . . .

  my precious baby girl turned 7 on Friday and also got glasses last week!

The glasses are to help her focus when

she is doing any thing that requires near vision.  She likes them and picked purple frames, because there were no pink ones to fit her face.

    Her birthday started amazingly!  Dry marker messages on the mirrors in the house, streamers hanging from her door, and more streamers throughout the house!  7 presents lined the hallway!  Off to work and school the family went, I pull into the parking garage near work . . . and a phone call from Rebecca's school!  The office staff asks, "Is Rebecca allergic to guinea pigs?"  I say, "Not that I know of, why?"  She says, "Well, Rebecca went with Julia to a class where she was playing with the guinea pig and she has hives all over her face, one of her eyes is swollen and she has more hives on her arm, so could you please get some benadryl here as soon as possible?"  My heart was broken . . . I didn't want Rebecca to remember her 7th birthday this way, but she did get to leave school, visit me at work, didn't have to get a shot, and returned back to school to celebrate her birthday with ice cream, oreo sprinkles, and gummies!  We also celebrated her birthday at home that evening.  Dave even stayed home from pool!

  Back to the 1st sentence about people that love me . . . I'm so thankful for people that truly have me and my family at the center of their hearts and often in their thoughts!  Those people have an unselfish way of expressing their love and thoughtfulness that I hope I can extend more often to others!

  So summer's here . . .end of school for Rebecca, summer camp will be starting, VBS around the corner, quick weekend at the beach for Father's day planned (Dave is to play in a pool playoff or something), sprinklers and fun water items come out of hiding, hopefully a garage sale will come together, and possibly another neighborhood bbq before hurricane season.  The one thing I wasn't expecting to deal with is my boss resigning . . . but change is inevitable . . . so best foot forward, positive attitude, and again, 'Do my best and forget the rest!'

  Oh, yes, Christian started a new daycare . . . we love it!  Teachers are amazing and a great curriculum!  Having to put together a lunch everyday for him is a bummer though, but at least I know exactly what he is eating.

   We redid the front gardens and put rocks around the back of the garage and side of the house!  Looks very nice!  No zucchini, wax beans, or watermelon yet, but we have a SUNFLOWER!

Priceless Precious Perspective

    So I'm at work and my phone rings (not suppose to answer cell phone at work), it's my grandmother.  She has just picked Rebecca up that morning to spend a couple of days with her while she's on Easter break.  My grandmother lives on the Northshore.  I figure if she really needs me, she will call work.  2 seconds later . . . 'Jennifer, Line 1!'  Oh no . . . something is wrong, I think!  I excuse myself from my patient and answer the phone.
    Mawmaw says, 'Rebecca's OK, she got a candy stuck in her throat and the paramedics are here!  She's breathing fine!'
    I asked, 'Did she stop breathing or lose consciousness'.  Thankfully the answer was 'no'!

   Long story short . . . no one, even now, was sure whether the butterscotch candy was stuck in her windpipe (trachea) or her esophagus.  David picked up Christian from nursey and he headed toward the Northshore as I left work and headed over as well.  We meet Mawmaw, Aunt Cheryl and Rebecca at the hospital ER . . . Rebecca thinks the candy came up in the car while pulling into the ER parking lot.  But just to make sure we admitted her and a CAT scan was done to confirm the candy was gone.

    Does this not put everything in PERSPECTIVE for you?  Our children are PRECIOUS and should never be taken for granted.  God gave us these children.  Trials like these really build character, these trials can also bring out your fears and pessimistic qualities.  I am so undescribably thankful and grateful that our God was protecting Rebecca and gave us many more days with 'my present from God' (phrase I used to explain how special she is when she was a little girl).  I can't imagine how expensive that little butterscotch candy will be, but to me my daughter is PRICELESS!

...to the death by a Poncho

This is how my last couple of weeks have gone!  I will set the story up for you . . . so the BIG storm is coming with wind and rain . . . I have no gutters at the moment because they were being replaced . . . my PRECIOUS new seedlings sit right under the roof line . . . I get home at 6 pm . . . it's starting to drizzle already . . . I search the garage for a tarp and all I come up with is a poncho . . . I arm myself with scissors, the poncho, electrical tape and more stakes . . . I manage to cover my zucchini, wax bean and sunflower seedlings with the poncho cut just right which is taped to the stakes.  The gusts are so bad that David sends me and the kids to the bathroom during the tornado warning/watch.  We use are time wisely . . . Christian gets bathed and Rebecca gets her toenails clipped.  The next morning, I creep to the backyard with apprehension at what I may find and to my dismay . . . the downpour of rain off the roof has not affected my PRECIOUS plants, but . . . the dreaded poncho has come loose and whipped my wax beans to their death. 

Well, at least the poncho thought it had won, but no . . . I never give up on PRECIOUS life . . . I stand those puppies up and pile dirt around the weak stems that are nearly severed, in hope that they will mend themselves back to wholeness.  Low and behold, 2 of my wax beans plants, out of the 4 left for dead, are surviving.  Praise God!

This goes to show . . . even when you put a lot of effort into something you think is the right thing to do and it doesn't turn out the way you want or thought it should be . . . it probably was not God's will to begin with.  So be careful what you focus all of your time and energy on, pray and ask God if what you are doing is what He wants you to do.  If I would have really thought about it a little more, instead of becoming frantic about covering the plants, I would have realized that my PRECIOUS seedlings had been well rooted for 2 wks and the downpour would have soaked them heavily, but would not have beheaded them like the evil poncho.

Happy Spring!  Death turned into Life!!!!

It's happening . . .

 . . . the inevitable is happening . . . the day I never thought would come . . . the one I could never picture in my mind . . . well it's been happening all a long but I tried to ignore the fact that my children are growing and maturing and becoming more independent . . . aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

   I've always told Dave I can see myself the mother of a baby, but never a mother of a child who is a toddler much less a child that barely needs your hand when you cross the street together.  Now look at me the mom of a toddler and a 6, almost 7, year old who lost her 1st tooth today, writes I love Justin Bieber on her bookmarks, and kinda has a boyfriend at school . . . Mason (she's known him since she was 2, in fact he was at her 2nd birthday party).  So at least she's known him for a while before she kinda makes him her boyfriend.

  I'm scared in all honesty . . . am I guiding them in the right directions, leading them like I should, correcting them correctly.  I feel so absent from my family because of my full time job, but this is my life, this is our life, so I must make the best of it.  I wonder sometimes, though, 'Am I making the best of it?' 

  Rebecca even wants to go to a slumber birthday party this weekend and is talking on the phone to her classmate more than I remember talking on the phone in 1st grade.  Of course, she is reading a lot more and a lot better than I ever read in 1st grade.  Truthfully she is very intelligent and I pray that she will have more common sense that I had as a child.

  Christian is communicating wonderfully, interacting well with others, loves his one on one time, and doing some unwanted 2 yr old things!  But this is normal, I know!

  So this is my life and I'm LOVING IT!   

P.S.  Look out for the Tooth Fairy tonight!

Get rid of it!

Don't you just wish you could get rid of it!  You know that stinky, weigh-you-down, smelly, pile-up-on-you, rotten garbage!  Lately, I've been feeling bogged down by junk, not physical junk, but thoughtlessness, other's bad moods, negativity, budgetting, needless worries junk!  You  know what I mean?

So I ask myself, 'Self, how am I going to get rid of this garbage?'  And I realized there is one and only one solution . . . Give it to God, Let Go and Let God, Stop try to do it in my power!  Yes, I know that was 3, but it was 3-n-1(hahaha).

So I must focus on goodness, kindness, love, and peace.  Rebecca and I made a list to put on the fridge tonight after we had a lengthy discussion at dinner.  The discussion was about trying to act like God wants us to act.  I reminded her something she knows by heart . . . "If mom or dad tells you 'no', it's not to be mean, but to" . . . and I say, 'to what Rebecca?' and she says, 'it's to keep me safe'!  I also told her a story . . . before she was born I prayed if God gave us another child that I would do my best to help him/her live like God wants him/her to live and that I would do my best as a parent to raise my child with Him.

I've been noticing a lot of whining, yelling, and things God wouldn't be proud of in our home lately and so here is the list Rebecca and I made:

     Respecting One Another

Listen
Obey
Speak nicely
Put others 1st
Treat others as you want to be treated*

The last (we agreed) was the most important and Rebecca said she thinks obey is the next important.

I HATE, yes, HATE taking things, opportunities, people, experiences for granted.  I pray that God guides me to take every opportunity I can to be a better role model and parent for my children, better wife for my husband and to treat others as I want to be treated.

Already March, wow, where does the time go?  It goes here and there, but I definitely don't want to waste it on garbage!

95 and counting . . .

I'm blessed to have so many memories with my grandparents!  Mawmaw Cook turned 95 years young on Feb. 11 this year (only 60 yrs older than me, actually 59 yrs 360 days older than me)!  I am amazed at how much family relationships make a difference in one's life . . . they actually are your life.

Think about it . . . without your specific parents you would be a different person, without children you are a different person (well, at least our values/responsiblities/priorities are different, which in turn, ultimately makes us different). 

I always like to thank my mom when my birthday arrives because who would I be without her . . . or would I even BE?  So thank you MOM, thank you for making me who I am and thank you for even making ME! 

Oh and I noticed something else about my great-grandmother's 95th birthday . . . I don't even know if anyone else noticed, but . . . my mom put together the party (invitations, decorations, food, etc.), one of my aunt's opened her house for the celebration (also made food, supplied the drinks, and was very hospitable), and my other aunt, although causing the birthday guest to be late, made the most wonderful photo video with great music of my great grandmother.  They worked together to make my great-grandmother's 95th birthday extra special!  And though her memory isn't as sharp as it use to be, the love these three sisters put into their efforts was and still is being seen and felt.

I love my family . . . Thank you God for my family!

P90 Ouch!

Yes, David and I started P90X, or P90 Ouch as I like to call it, on Monday, Feb 7.  The day after my 35th birthday!  How appropriate!  I'm excited, feeling changes, expecting great things, and actually seeing changes in David.  He started portion controlling his meals and has lost 5 - 10 lbs in the last 3 wks.  This year David and I have committed to budgeting our finances better, as well as getting in shape to keep up with our children.  I hope we can continue to reach for our difficult, but rewarding goals with both our money and fitness.

Look out spring and summer . . . David and I are going to putting on a gun show with our P90 Ouch friends!  Yeah, you know who you are!  Do your best and forget the rest!

Fresh start February

OK February, here we come!  David and I spent 1/2 of the weekend hacking at our monthly financial budget (down to the dollar).  It was rough, it's still in progress which means more roughness to follow, but all for great reason/s. 

Rebecca and Christian got there rewards of $1.80 and $1 respectively for task / good behaviors.  Hopefully they will realize that it takes hard work to receive rewards, earn money. 

Good things happen in February . . .

my birthday
my great-grandmother's birthday
Valentine's Day (don't forget Dove Dark Chocolate and lots of love)
the start of parades and king cakes which the kids and kids at heart love
short month so need a little less money to make the budget work, I think

So, here's to a more time efficient, money wise, proper prioritized, family fun February!!!

I'm baaack!

Nice to be back, but I think I may have lost something while I was gone . . . oh, here, here it is . . . my sanity!  Lots has happened while I was away . . . let's see!  Dave and I are taking a Financial Peace University course learning how to budget, save and prosper financially and in our marriage . . . this is a plus/positive.  Rebecca learned how to ride a 2 wheel bike WITHOUT training wheels . . . YEA!  We've established a reward chart for the kids . . . for Rebecca - no talking back, no whining, no throwing fits, emptying room garbages, emptying silverware from dishwasher, cleaning room nightly, piano lessons, picking up her items around the house nightly, and folding clothes are on her task list, with each sticker comes a different amount all added and paid on Sundays . . . for Christian - brushing teeth, no time outs, picking up, and emptying silverware from the dishwasher with his sister are on his task list.  So far, Rebecca is trying to do what she can to get the most stickers which means the most $ on Sunday and Christian wants to brush his teeth to put a sticker on his chart.

On to the stuff that made me realize that I am not exempt from trials . . . Friday night as Rebecca was having her first classmate sleepover I was trying to view examples of chore charts and  my computer obtained several viruses, Saturday morning after Dave went to work I discovered that our hot water heater busted, working short handed at work all week,  finally receiving a medical report on Dave's shoulder from 2 yrs ago saying that he probably should have had surgery in 2008 to repair his really messed up and painful shoulder, and to top it off . . . still unknowingly my dad upset me.  Still working on resolving my bad feelings with this last one!

But I have to say through all of the other situations, Dave and I seemed to have glided through semi-gracefully with more appreciation for those who find themselves in these situations without the peace of God.

In closing please pray for healing in Dave's shoulder and in his mom's hip!

And thank you for encouragement and thoughtfulness from the friends and family who constantly remind us that relationships are important and to be cherished!

When life gives you leaves . . .

make a big ol' leaf pile that you can jump in and have fun like a kid!  Well, something like that!  I was thinking, (I know, oh oh, Jen was thinking) I hope my children enjoy themselves growing up.  I called my dad today and asked him if he remembered his 35th birthday because I'm turning 35 in a couple of weeks and I distinctly remember him saying, 'Well, half my life is over'.  I want my children to remember and speak kind words about me when they are older.  I want to give them good memories.  If they were to critique me now, I would be in big trouble.  Mom doesn't play with me, mom is always busy, mom works a lot, mom doesn't let me _______ (fill in the blank) . . . so I'm going to figure out how I can change some things to make mom be the best mom she can be!

  My mom was and is a very good friend to me, but I didn't know how to respect her properly.  Hopefully, I can be good friends with my children and teach them to respect not only David and I but also others.  I started this year by reminding Rebecca to 'treat others as she would want to be treated'.  I think I'm going to focus on that for a while, because after all . . . that is the Golden Rule!

   So when life gives you leaves, make a big ol' leaf pile and let everyone jump in it and act like a kid!

  Strange how a big mound of dead, decaying plant matter can make humans so happy and playful! (deep thought for the day)!

1/11/11

Cool, huh!  It was neat to write the date today, it won't be that neat until Nov. 11, 2011! 

Anyway, some this and that's!

My friend got good news today . . . her medical report showed her suspicious area as non-cancerous!!

Actor Michael Douglas was said to overcome his throat cancer on the news today!!!!

My annual gyn exam reported as 'normal'!!!!!

My antibiotics have kicked in . . . no more sore throat or swollen tonsils!!!!

Rebecca and Dave went to Airline Park Skate night, while Christian and I went to the grocery!! Yea!!!

I was told that the city's atty was coming to speak to me in a couple of wks regarding something I do at work!  Great!!!  No worries, I was just doing my job!

It's fffrrrrreeeeezzzzziiiiinnnnngggg outside!

Thank you, God, for listening to my prayers! 

In fact, 2 things I pointed out today to my friend, were not coincidences, they were put in place by a God who has a plan and we help Him put His plan in motion by acting as a disciple and with simple acts of kindness!

Blessings y'all!

Still holiday time to me . . .

   Even though the tree and decorations are put away, I still like to savor the holiday time!  Don't you?  Friends and family together, yummy food, unexpected gifts, the joy of giving, watching the children's excitement, and remembering the true meaning!

   That being said, let me update you on the end of the week!  Wednesday as soon as I walked to the front door, Rebecca opens it and says, 'Mom, you're gonna be mad at me.  I was doing cartwheels and handstands in the living room like you told me not to do and my gum flew out my mouth and now I can't find it!'
So after much looking, no gum!  So I said, 'Well, wherever it is let's hope it gets hard and it comes right up when we do find it'.  Later that evening, I took a bath with Christian and as Dave was dressing Christian, Rebecca got in and I was washing her hair.  I said, 'Dave, look at this' and there was the gum.  Thankfully, it slid right out of her hair!

   Thursday night someone gave us tickets to the Hornets game.  So I went to my first Hornets game!  I like it a lot, but the kids (mainly Christian) were getting restless and sleepy.  Rebecca woke up during the night with a stomach bug, too!

   Friday, I was feeling really bad at work, chills, sore throat, heart racing, and had to come home early.  Saturday (today), Dave is picking up antibiotics for me, cause I've been running fever and my tonsils are so inflammed that they are touching.  Yuck!

   So I'm gonna see how long I can keep my Christmas / New Year's spirit!  How 'bout you?

Do you see Christian?

  Pictures usually inspire me to write or bring back memories!  I can't believe this was taken 2 1/2 yrs ago.  Look at how small Rebecca was!  Now she's up to my shoulders.  My great-grandma, who is soon to be 95, tells me 'enjoy them while they're young, they grow up so fast' everytime she sees us!  And boy is she right!  I love being a mom!!!!!  Little miracles made by you and your spouse, nurtured until delivery by mom, and given the breathe of life by God!  What more can you ask for?  So thank you, Mom, Mawmaw, and Mawmaw Cook for making it possible for me to experience these miracles! 

Oh, and do you see Christian, hahahaha :)

Everyone should have a 'Dave'!

So it's hard to fit this blog into busy weeknights but here a little tidbit!

EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A 'DAVE'!  Yes, I said it!

While cooking tomorrow night's dinner tonight, the kids were playing with noisy putty at the kitchen counter!  This is good, they were occupied, playing nicely (sort of), and I was cooking!  Dave gets off the sofa and starts pretending the noisy putty is coming out of his nose (the kids think he is hysterial), making unibrows with the putty on all of their faces, as well as, mustaches like Senior on American Chopper!  Then Dave precedes into the kitchen and asked if he could help, so he was just about to cut sausage up for me when I told Rebecca, 'Watch you don't get that putty in your hair'!  And . . . well, Dave spent the next 1/2 hr getting putty out of Rebecca's hair while I halted cooking, assisted in this procedure, and contemplated giving Rebecca bangs!  So Dave saved the day and to top it off, he gave the kids a bath so I could finish dinner! 

Like I said, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A 'DAVE' . . . JUST NOT MINE!!

What makes me happy!

I always have so many things going on in my head (to do list most of the time)!  So I decided to think of the things that make me happy and type them here on this blog.  No whiskers on kitten or soft woolen mittens or brown paper packages tied up in string (although this last one does have potential to make me happy)!  I like rainbows, fireworks, Dove dark chocolate, long baths, cooking, my children, my husband, days off of work, sleeping 'til after 8:30am, perfectly taken xrays and pictures, luxurious homes, Las Vegas lobbies, buffets, pedicures, holding puppies, the feeling of accomplishment, unconditional love, holding hands, symphonies, giving, making others happy, worshipping God, getting a paycheck, finding money in a place I thought I'd remember, a great hug, kisses from my 2 yr old, smiling faces, a full stomach, comfortable shoes, heat in the winter, A/C in the summer, autumn, watching other's accomplishments, my mom, my grandma, butterflies, being healthy, God's grace, God's mercy, God's love, God's provision, being re-united, sunset, watching people get baptized, children's creative minds, children's honesty, . . .

The list can go on, but you get the picture!  I'm just wandering if I could cram these experiences / things all into one day . . . that would be AWESOME!  Then again, I would probably be in heaven!

If we are His body . . .

  There's a song that goes,
'if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way'

  This image above brings to mind the job we are sent here on earth to do.  We are to bring love, healing, teaching, and go above and beyond to fulfill our purposes.  In our daily life, we need to constantly remind ourselves of this so we can be a blessing to others here on earth.  And not just our family, friends and neighbors, but to everyone (just as Jesus did).  Jesus is and was not prejudice to race, ethnicity, political views, religion, social status, or sexual orientation.  He loves everyone and so must we!

If we work collectively, we can bring a piece of heaven to earth, everytime we attempt to do what Jesus was doing before he unselfishly died for our sins.  Have a blessed new year and be a blessing!