During lunch today Jackson was going crazy doing wild dancing and singing in the kitchen. We were finished and were trying to wind down heading towards nap time. The following conversation ensued:
Jackson: Wow whoop whoop yay (all said while jumping in circles)
Mom: Jackson! Do you know what God is going to say to you!!
Katrina: Go to Hell!
There was silence followed by: Katrina! Don't say that about your brother. Hell is a terrible place.
We were all shocked. We do not talk like that so the silence was real. And then it started first Harold hid around the corner and giggling could be heard, next thing you know we were all laughing.
WOW! :) That cracks me up. I'm glad I wasn't there - I wouldn't even have made it as long as Harold did! :) I can't believe how big the kids are - it was really good to see y'all. :)
OK my stomach is full so I am having random thoughts...
1. Every mom should take the night off. Why? Well last night I had a migraine. It was horrible. I came home and went straight to bed. This of course through off my whole OCD routine. Come home kick off shoes, bathroom, kick kids out of bathroom (if I am lucky) take off thier shoes make sure they are put where we can find them, bath kids, kids in pjs, feed kids, homework, playtime, kids brush teeth, family prayer,bed, shower, iron all clothes for myself and said kids,tell kids quit talking, shower (yippee)tell kids to quit playing in bed, and eat dinner,tell kids to be quiet again, rerereread Twilight, go to bed with TV on sleep mode to go to sleep. That is my nightly routine. Pheww!
Well with me in bed everything changed......
Door opens Harold picked up Jonathan, Jackson feel asleep on couch with shoes on, Katrina is watching Disney, Jonathan Momma!
Momma! Git up pulls covers off head, pulls thumb to lift mother.
Harold What is wrong? Oh? For the next two hours I hear my name called at least 100 to 200 times. It is amazing how often the call my name in one evening...
Through my pain I thought how lucky I am, they were lost without ME! They survived of course, but it gave me comfort to know how much I was loved. By Harold who took care of them all by himself, by my kiddos who prayed my headache away!
What a night!!! I will not quickly forget it! Did I mention Katrina prayed last week how happy she was that we were not divorced! I couldn't believe it. She said many of her friends don't live with both of their parents. Again I feel very blessed for my family!!!!
My mother had her 70th birthday party, she rocked the place.
The event was black tie but she wore red from head to toe...
She was on her feet the entire night and was positively glowing.
It was fun being there and with my sisters. But the longer I stayed the more I realized that there was not my home. My home is here in Texas with my family and church family. It is bittersweet, because no matter how much fun we have together I know they are still lost. Please pray for them to accept the truth. Each trip I make I try to leave some impact. This time my sister let me give her the plan of salvation to share with my niece who wants to be baptized. So far I have only found one faithful congregation Airport Church of Christ. Pray for their continued faithfulness.... See ya laundry to fold.....
I thought it was OK...it was what it was...a movie version of a good book. I know Hillary Brown hated it; she thought the acting stunk. I thought the acting was OK...I am mostly hoping the next one will be better.
I plan on seeing it again, and wonder how if I will like it better the second time.
Here I am in SC for four days, no kids, no Husband, being pampered by the sisters, even though I am here for my mom's 70th birthday and all I can think about is what the kids and Harold are doing without me....
I miss them so much.....
I miss the smushed spaghetti sauce in my beige carpet
I miss Jonathan giving me hugs with his hands covered in vaseline (since he found the jar and learned how to open the lid)
I miss the sounds of Katrina and Jackson debating on everything from how walked the fasted to the bathroom to brush their teeth to who said the best prayer...
I miss seeing Christoper, dare I say tired from working at Walmart but willing to share a customer service story
I miss seeing Harold calmly pulling Jon Jon out of the contorntionist pose he gets himself in with his high chair
I got to remember to read this when I get back.....
I do not know you, but I was struck by your courage when I read your comment to markroberts post about the election. We allow too much politics into our faith at times. If I am a Christian, it is assumed that I am a Republican. I do not vote in the national election, but I supported Obama in every other way I could think of. I supported him because he is willing to look at withdrawing our troops from Iraq. This, I think is a bigger issue than abortion. I hate the evil of abortion, but no republican president has stopped it yet. Asd evil as abortion is, at least the babies will go to be with God. Our troops who do not know Jesus may meet a worse fate.
I also find it funny how many people "know" that most people voted for Obama because he is black. I wonder what "people" they were referring to. The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Any President who has not done what he can to end abortion is guilty of failing to honor life and do what government was intended to do by God (Romans 13:1ff). I do not approve of McCain's adultery (of course) and it did reflect on him personally (badly). However, I am more concerned with his POLICIES that he will enact for the country then what he is doing in his own personal life. his personal sins are not the same as advocating sin for the nation - in particular, passing laws to make it easier or legal to sin, and appointing judges who will uphold sin instead of righteousness. unfortunately, Obama's support for abortion (murder) and gay marriage means he fails this very test. how can I as a Christian support someone with my vote who will not do what God ordained government to do and who will make it just that much harder for people to do right? I cannot support someone who supports the murder of innocent babies, will make it easier to murder them, and appoint judges who will defend the murderers! and the same goes for gay marriage...
is the war in Iraq really bigger than abortion? the war in Iraq is a matter of judgment - should we commit troops, are we helping the Iraqi people, was Saddam a bad man who needed to be removed from office, should we be the ones to do that, etc.? those are all good questions - and clearly many people are not convinced that we should be in Iraq. that's fine - but how does that possibly compare to murdering babies? there is NO QUESTION that is wrong and a great blight on our country before God. to try and equate these two issues is the biggest case of apples and oranges I've ever seen.
no Republican President has stopped it yet? so that justfies voting a baby killer who won't make any effort to stop it? wow - what kind of thinking is that? maybe folks should think a little about how to get abortion stopped. it'll take a Supreme Court majority to do that - and bit by bit Republican Presidents have indeed appointed very conservative justices so the case can be won. is it Republican Presidents fault that a bunch of Justices haven't retired/died while they were President? honestly!
Hey Tulagirl! Have a great time and Happy Birthday to your mom! How great that you could go! It's good to go once in a while and then you appreciate it more when you are home!
further, Bush worked to end late-term abortions (Obama opposed this) and banned stem cell research which uses cells from aborted babies. Bush and other Republican Presidents have taken tangible and real steps against abortion. meanwhile Democrats have opposed them every step of the way ... and now we have a Democrat President who will promote abortion. Obama is already talking that one of his FIRST actions will be to reverse the Bush ban on stem cell research using aborted babies! Folks, if you voted Obama you need to face the reality that you voted for a baby murderer who advocates and will work to make sure baby murder is allowed and legal in this country. how any Christian does that is beyond me. there is no issue that even begins to compare to the abortion issue, in my estimation. if there was it'd be gay marriage ... and guess where Obama stands on that?
in conclusion, I will pray for our new President and I must support him and all governing authorities. but that doesn't mean I agree with him or will be pleased as he brings the moral climate of our country down and takes steps to allow countless more babies to die in abortion mills. I pray he will have a change of heart ... or that in the next election we can have a change of Presidents. read the Minor Prophets. God does not take kindly to those who slaughter the innocent. this nation may well know the wrath of God for this grave and terrible sin!
If you think I’m just kidding about Obama take a look at what he will do and what he has done. Robert P. George is a commentator who has examined Obama's legislative career—which has merited a 100% rating each year from the NARAL Pro-Choice America's Congressional Record on Choice—to show Obama's unmitigated commitment to abortion, even when the legislation has nothing to do with making abortion illegal. He calls Obama “pro-abortion” not “pro-choice.” For example:
1. Obama "has promised to seek repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which has for many years protected pro-life citizens from having to pay for abortions that are not necessary to save the life of the mother and are not the result of rape or incest."
2. Obama has promised that “the first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act” ( FOCA). This would make abortion a federally guaranteed right through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. Virtually every state and federal limitation on abortion that is currently on the books would be abolished (e.g., parental consent and notification laws for minors).
3. Obama opposes the ban on the heinous practice of partial-birth abortion and strongly disagreed with the Supreme Court ruling to uphold the ban.
4. Obama wishes to strip federal funding from pro-life crisis pregnancy centers that provide alternatives to abortion for pregnant women in need.
5. Obama refused to support the pro-life Democrats' “95-10” legislation (designed to reduce the number of abortions by 95% in 10 years by strengthening the social safety net for poor women). This would not have made abortion illegal; it would seek to reduce abortion.
6. Obama "opposed legislation to protect children who are born alive, either as a result of an abortionist’s unsuccessful effort to kill them in the womb, or by the deliberate delivery of the baby prior to viability." The bill contained a specific provision that ensured that the bill would not affect abortion laws (Obama and his campaign lied about this fact until it was proven in the records).
7. Obama has co-sponsored a bill authorizing the large-scale industrial production of human embryos for use in biomedical research in which they would be killed. It would require the killing of human beings in the embryonic stage that were produced by cloning, and would make it a federal crime for a woman to save an embryo by agreeing to have the tiny developing human being implanted in her womb so that he or she could be brought to term.
8. Obama was one of the few senators to oppose a bill that would have put a modest amount of federal money into research that would develop methods to produce the exact equivalent of embryonic stem cells without using (or producing) embryos. "From any rational vantage point, this is unconscionable. . . . Why create and kill human embryos when there are alternatives that do not require
Friends, are the people Jeremiah condemned? But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” (Jeremiah 22:17).
WOW, I have not seen much of this before...or at least, not laid out so succinctly before.
#4 is pretty telling, and horrific. Why? There is no reason whatsoever to take that funding away.
#s 6-8 should make us all literally sick at our stomachs...actually, all of it should pierce our hearts to get out and speak out against this horrific practice and more so, to get out and reach those women who are pregnant and scared and confused on this issue and teach them the Truth about the life they carry inside them.
Sorry Mark but I still support Obama, given the two choices. Abortion as important an issue as it is, is still a decision that I don't believe can be totally fixed on a national level-by either party although I will pray that it does end. And what of the soldiers giving their lives for a war started by a lie and in which winning will take years-if their can be a real winner. I will pray for our president elect to not make decisions that are contrary to God's Laws. Christians: republican or democrat have a job to do, and that is to pray and make vocal our opinions on any future policies. I don't see adultery as any less a sin than baby murder. They are both evil. But based on all the research you have obviously done, we must not remain silent but contact our Representatives, Senators, and President-elect and make sure as much as possible God's Laws are upheld. Right now Mr. Obama has a website asking the American people about what they want to see done. I would urge you and all who feel as you do to go to that website and let him know exactly how you and all Christians feel about abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research. I consider it a gift from God that they are finding that the most effective stem cell research comes from the person and not an aborted fetus. The bottom line is this: this country is great because in times of distress we stand together. AS Christians we see a bigger picture and play on a bigger field. The time for remaining silent has gone. We must let our government know how we feel. How many people felt that prop 8 would never be? But they fought and won. We must do the same thing. Christians are Americans and have a right to voice their opinions in a respectful manner. Let’s join together by the blood that is stronger than bulls and goats and continue with what so many have done in the past stay informed, act peacefully, and pray.
I will *never* understand support of abortion...but especially partial-birth abortion. How any person can fight so ardently to protect such a practice is absolutely beyond me. Especically when the person having the abortion could just as easily give it up for adoption.
However, it is my understanding that McCain is wishy-washy on the issue of abortion as well (it seems most Republicans are too).
But there is one party that does support the sanctity of human life AND marriage. You should give the CONSTITUTION PARTY more of your consideration.
Both Ron Paul (who ran as a Republican) and Chuck Baldwin of the Costitution Party would have done all in their power to completely abolish the horrific and evil practice of abortion, and to uphold God's laws regarding marriage...not just it's definition but the sanctity of the union and the sin of divorce.
Please research this party and these men so that when the next election comes around, you can vote with a clear conscience and confidence that you found a candidate you can support who has both moral *AND* Constitutional integrity.
Thanks I will I have never heard of them! Your advice was right about Twilight so I know this will be good too. I was serious about Christians flooding Obama's website with what we want.http://change.gov/. There is a space called open government to post ideas for the future. Wouldn't it be great if we all across the country told him exactly how we can God to not be left out!!! By the Twilight Wow I really need to call you so I can gush. I brought the first two books with me on my mini vacation just to savor it again. It really makes me want to write. I keep saying I am going to but I don't make the time. One day. Love ya!!!
tulagirl, you support of Obama mystifies me. what do you mean "it is still a decision that can be totally fixed on a national level?" that's just not true! it can be outlawed and made illegal, and those who do it prosecuted for murder? as for the soldiers there's just no comparison - as I pointed out above - to the Iraqi War and abortion. one is definitively and repeatedly condemned in Scripture. murder is just wrong. killing babies is abhorrent and awful. trying to compare that to the Iraqi War just won't fly. people who support Obama gave their support to baby murder and his total support for baby murder - how can that ever be right? I'd rather NOT vote for anybody than vote for a baby murderer! on top of all of that - what of the gay marriage issue? in Europe churches have been closed and preachers jailed who just read what the Bible says about homosexuality. what justifies supporting a man who will legalize and liberalize the laws on gay marriage? when I first saw Obama I saw his charisma and I loved all the "solutions" to every problem he spouted. I wanted to support him too - because I am very tired of the misreably poor Bush administration. but I cannot vote for a baby murderer and supporter of gay marriage -- and I strongly urge Christians who did to do some soul searching. how can it be right to support someone with the moral positions Obama takes? I hope all of Obama's supporters will think on this, and urge him to reverse the stands for evil he has taken.
^^^ this will be last post on this issue. the election is over. all I can do is hope people will give more consideration to moral issues in the next election.
I have enjoyed discussing this with you and I too don't support any views on abortion or gay marriage. I plan to blow up his website and urge all others to voice their opinions strongly against any policy that would weaken God's Laws. Love you guys and love the football views on your blog. Also I am a BIG druma and bugle corp fan, let me know the new time there is a big competition I am looking for an excuse to get back to Irving when there is not a hurricane. Please give all our love to our Irving family and a big hug to Miss Judy!!!!
again. i will say it #6. there was already a bill in Illinios passed that would protect the new born. Therefore to save money, why vote for another one
This was a historical election. I can not ignore saying something. I did not know exactly how to express it until of all people I heard Whoopi Goldberg say," I can finally put my suitcase down." I know in the church we are careful, very careful to now mention race, political, social, etc. We keep everyone equal. The problem is outside the church I face racism and prejudice. Yes today, in Beaumont, Lumberton, and other parts of Texas I have been followed, denied service, or treated rudely because I have brown eyes, oh yeah and probably because of my brown skin too. So I how do I feel now. My suitcase is down . What does that mean.
My ancestors weren't invited here. Weren't expected to share in the land of opportunity just to work on it. Weren't expected to feel, live, love, or work and earn a wage freely. My geneaology is lost. I can only trace my family history to my grand parents. Little is known beyond that. My culture is not indigenous to my land or history. Do I research African customs, or American one's what do I claim as my own.
And what of civil rights and equality? It looks good on paper. But in reality we are still segregated in many ways. One example my school is falling apart. The air conditioning has been out for 4 days, the food is inedible. It is as if no one cares. Because many of my parents are deceased, incarcerated those in charge don't see fit to demand that my students deserve the same as other schools across town. It is a shame. And that is in 2008.
I have to leave in a few minutes to go speak at a board meeting to fight for a new school that was voted on to be built. It's crazy my building was first built in 1923 and yet there are people who want to keep it.
It's so unfair!!!! Some schools have UIL classes. And we are suppose to compete fairly with them. We are equal but my school does not have one computer lab. Other schools have 3 or 4. I could go on about the rats, mold, and termites, but it would be the PMS talking!!!
So what does the Obama election mean to me. That finally instead of feeling as unwelcome guest to the great American melting pot, I can feel as if I AM welcomed. That maybe just maybe there are more people out there that wont notice my eye color and only see the color of my heart. And that maybe just maybe by time Katrina, Jackson, and Jonathan are old enough to vote color, race, and all the baggage that goes with may me a thing of the past. In short President Obama gives me hope.
I will end on one sad note. Please if you are not an Obama supportor becareful what you say in front of your children. Katrina has suffered hurt feelings over "sour grape" comments from her class mates. She is in second grade. That is a shame.
Romans 13 teaches us to respect the authority in the land. That includes OUR president.
Presiden elect Barak Obama " We will no longer be the red states or the blues states, but the United States of America! God Bless you and God Bless America!"
I'm out, my suitcase has been set down, and now is the time to do the real work of unpacking... I pledge to do more than just cast a vote. I pledge to do more for my family, community and country. I hope you pledge the same....
I will never, never know what it feels like to be a black person living in America. I will never, no matter how hard I might try, understand fully all that you and your ancestors have endured through the years.
I didn't vote for Obama. I didn't vote for McCain, either. I voted based on my principles, on who I felt represented what I felt was needed in America. I voted for who I thought would do the best job.
If I had thought that person was Obama, I would have voted for him no matter what color his skin.
I have always been all for a black President, just not that one.
I know a lot of black people voted for Obama simply *because* of his skin color, and not necessarily based on real principles. (Please note, I am not saying you voted this way.) And that *does* upset me.
But either way, it is done and he is going to be our next President and I hope to be pleasantly surprised by Obama.
I think that if we are going to demand respect for Obama, and be careful of what we say about him in front of our children, then the same principle applies to our *current* President. Many people don't want Obama treated with disrespect, but openly go around degrading President Bush in front of their children. No matter how any President lines up with our beliefs, the nature of their office demands respect.
I am happy for our country's black Americans. And I am especially glad that for Trina and Ryan (and maybe even Ethan and Tessa) it will be hard for them to ever know a time when it was abnormal to have a President of color.
Good points. And for the record I and many others of my pigment chose Obama for his views not color. I would hope no would ever pick race over the issues. As for President Bush, I kept my comments good or bad for the adults not for the kids. I too hope that since this happen during my lifetime that maybe the next generation will have even less to deal with as more and more diversity is seen throughout the country. I an imagine what it is to be white. I can only see from my eyes and I know I am a minority from the TV, movies, books, every where I look I can't see an equal repesentation of diversity. Maybe that will change as I have NEVER seen so many people of color on national news programs until Pres. Elect Obama began his campaign. That goes for women commentators too. I too hope that all who did not support Obama will grow to accept, and be surprised by him. If he does not it will be a major missed opportunity. Even though the democrats hold the majority, it is long overdue for the American people to have a congress that works together to get things done. So I too hope. Hugs back at ya!
Well, it remains to be seen for both his supporters and his non-supporters what kind of job he will do. I hope (trying to be optimistic here, and trying not to think about how I will be taxed nearly to death, among other things) that I will be pleasantly surprised at his presidency.
But it could go the other way around too. His supporters could be unpleasantly surprised too. It's hard to say just what his presidency will be like since he has virtually no leadership experience to speak of.
That bothers me, yes. But I think of other presidents (most notably, Abraham Lincoln) who did not possess a stellar record going into his presidency. If I had been a voter then, would I have voted on him based on his leadership resume?
I can't really say with confidence that I would, I only think I would based on the clarity of hindsight and history.
"Hope" keeps getting mentioned everywhere in conjunction with Obama, as well as the word "change". One change I hope to see in all minorities is the importance of education and how it can make a difference. I hope his story will inspire minorities everywhere to believe that it could be them in the White House or some other form of office and then change their lives and way of thinking to get out there and bust it like everyone else and work hard and learn hard and see that you can go anywhere in life if you choose to work hard and live a good education.
Since you posted this online, then I feel confident you don't mind getting responses online. It really upsets me to hear that you can only now feel at home here in America. There are a lot of great African Americans who have accomplished far more than Obama has. Condaleeza Rice, Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas to name a few. But what really gets me is that you express no gratitude for the opportunities God has given you in your life in this country. You accomplished a lot as a single mom, a chemical engineering degree and career that you brought you to Beaumont where you heard the Gospel. Not only that, but then you were able to change careers and get a second degree or certification to become a teacher. You live a great neighborhood, in a nice house. You drive nice cars. Your kids go to good schools. As for the school issues you bring up, are you really arguing that the lack of funding for your school is based on race? Surely not, since the BISD superintendent is Carroll Thomas, who as I recall at least in the last photograph I saw of him is black.
The comments about the church keeping things equal is equally upsetting. It seems to me that you are implying that there is actually a race problem in the church but we try really hard to cover it up and make things look equal.
You are my friend, and I love you dearly. I'm sure you do experience some issues with race out in the world, and I'm sorry for that. But it's very hard for me looking at your life to see that you've been denied any opportunities. I disagree with your vote for Obama, but respect your right to choose your candidate.
Bottom line, I'm disappointed that you can only now feel like you are welcome in America. It's a sad commentary on your view of the blessings and opportunities God has given to all of us in this great country.
I read and re-read this statement, "I know in the church we are careful, very careful to now mention race, political, social, etc. We keep everyone equal. The problem is outside the church I face racism and prejudice."
are you saying the church ignores racial issues or are you saying there aren't racial issues in the church?
just trying to understand what you mean...
What I've noticed is that there was a great opportunity in the 1970s, but that it was missed by most African Americans. Mr. Obama, obviously, took advantage of it, as did many others, but it was missed by a great many. There was grant money available for college (I got plenty of it!), and jobs (at least in the Port Arthur refineries) were truly equal-opportunity. When I started at Lamar in 1978, the campus didn't seem to have a majority population. Yet today, poverty is worse overall than it was then. How did this happen? Although I did not vote for either major-party candidate because I don't agree with their politics, I take encouragement in the fact that we have elected an African-American to our highest office, and (more importantly) that his race simply wasn't an issue. Looking at the list of former Presidents, there are three who were of Dutch descent, two Scottish, one Irish, and zero whose ancestors were from France, Spain, or any other place one might have previously expected. None from Eastern Eurpoe, none from Asia... and no Native Americans! Most Americans aren't concerned about their ancestry, anyway. I do not claim French customs as my own. (In fact, my family ran from France and spent 100 years in Germany before moving to the "New World"). On my mother's side, my great-grandparents were immigrants, and they refused to teach their children their native language, saying "we're in America... we'll speak 'American'". Besides having our heritage in Heaven, I truly believe that our heritage is in the United States, not in the land of our ancestors whom we know nothing about, and whose traditions we have not retained. I appreciate your perspective: Thanks for posting this, Petula.
Wow so many issues here is what I meant about race and the church. It's is not that we have racism in the church, which if we do I have not felt it. It is that it is hard to explain what I faced in becoming a chemical engineer that is hard speak about because it was an experience unique to me in being african american. Yes I made it as a chemical engineer because of education. Yes I believe education was the great equalizer to my success. But it was at a price. I had to fight for just a little piece of respect and at the end of my career I was told I was being held back to keep diversity in the unit. About the schools being unfairly distributed when it comes to resources. Dr. Thomas does have an influence and yes I noticed he was black that does not mean he does not have his own prejudice even against his own race. It is one thing to say there is an equal opportunity for all but in the education world it is the parents with the power. And the bottom line is that those schools whose parents are the most vocal usually get the majority of the programs and resources. That being said our parents finally spoke out so dare I say it "hopefully" now that we are getting a new school that will change. I speaking strictly from observation if you visit the schools and look at the programs offered it is simply unfair. And yes I fighting it tooth and nail, but without parental support it is hard. However we are working hard to keep the parents that spoke out together. Dr. Thomas listens to those who make noise color and equality does not seem to be a priority. I am blessed that my kids attend a school where the parents will not settle for anything less. But at South Park it is hard when the parents are not as easitly available and the home situation is bleak. It is race based but also economically based as well. I will also say in the African american community as in any race not all are viewed or treated fairly by their own members. It is like a caste system. I am just frustrated that simple things like working air conditioning and pencil sharpeners are hard to come by. But he (Dr. Thomas) listens to parents. Is this a racial bias on his part, that is in his heart and mind, I don't now. But I do know our school has be ignored for years. Let me see I agree that minorities and non minorities can see in President Elect Obama the value of an education. I use is example daily as I compete with my space and BET for my students attention. As far as his leadership skills. I have no problem with his reported lack of experience, looking at past presidents I think he will do just fine.
Of course I am grateful for all God has blessed me with and I am grateful not to be born during slavery times. I am also graetful and blessed to born in America. But it is hard to say this is the land of equal opportunity for all. It is simply not true. It can be and I think with the election of Obama many Americans are willing to say they are willing to try and see merit and not color. Good Discussion but I got to give a test tomorrow. Love you all!!! Oh that original post was written after the town hall meeting I was very full with emotion, after an equally emotional election. So I was somewhat happy, frustrated, angry, numb. But I still have love for God, my family, my school and my country ((( hugs)))
