To Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out is to risk involvement,

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and
dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return,

To live is to risk dying,

To hope is to risk despair,

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because
the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

By: William Arthur Ward

Christian One Liners

Don't let your worries get the
best of you; remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.
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Some people are kind, polite, and
sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
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Many folks want to serve God,
but only as advisors.
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It is easier to preach ten sermons
than it is to live one.
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The good Lord didn't create anything
without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
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When you get to your wit's end,
you'll find God lives there.
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People are funny; they want the front
of the bus, the middle of the road, and
the back of the church.
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Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.
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Quit griping about your church;
if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
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If the church wants a better preacher,
it only needs to pray for the one it has.
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God Himself does not propose to judge
a man until he is dead. So why should you?
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Some minds are like concrete
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
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Peace starts with a smile.
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I don't know why some people
change churches; what difference does
it make which one you stay home from?
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A lot of church members who are singing
'Standing on the Promises'
are just sitting on the premises.
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We were called to be witnesses,
not lawyers or judges.
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Be ye fishers of men. You catch
them - He'll clean them.
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Coincidence is when God
chooses to remain anonymous.
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Don't put a question mark
where God put a period.
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Don't wait for 6 strong men
to take you to church.
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Forbidden fruits create many jams.
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God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.
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God grades on the cross, not the curve.
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God loves everyone, but probably prefers
'fruit of the spirit' over a 'religious nut!' *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
God promises a safe landing,
not a calm passage.
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He who angers you, controls you!
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If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
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Prayer:
Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!
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The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.
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The Will of God never takes you to
where the Grace of God will not protect you.
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We don't change the message,
the message changes us.
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You can tell how big a person is
by what it takes to discourage him.
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The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

Quote Me on That...

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.

Worst excuse for not turning in homework: I couldn't find anyone to copy it from.

The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Live every moment out loud

42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

That she can even say the word "college" is an indictment against the whole institution.
-Haley Graham-

If you can't take the rips - go play ball. -Gymnastics quote-

Football players get cramps... Gymnasts get rips -Sergei-

Never take life seriously... Nobody gets out alive anyways :-)

Now with GUSTO!

Hello!

On June 16, I wrote an email titled "Qualified to Lead", detailing my reasons for voting for John McCain.

My email, sent to perhaps two dozen people, has "gone viral". I have lost track of the number of people who have contacted me - at least 300 by now, and those are just the folks who read it and decided to see if I was for real. It has been posted on hundreds of forums, blogs, and websites, and has now been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people. Google "Joe Porter" "John McCain" and you'll see what I mean.

The reason for this message is that today I became aware that another version of my letter is making the rounds, but my name has been changed to Dan Frost, supposedly of Kokomo, Indiana. I appreciate the sentiment and the endorsement; but with the large number of people who have asked permission to print or publish my letter, I don't want anyone to think I am a plagiarist.

I am, in absolute fact, the author. They are my thoughts and my words, and I can document this truth.

I am searching websites where the Dan Frost version has been posted, because I have been contacted by the Republican Party and asked if they can distribute my letter at the convention next week - that's how I found it on your blog.

If you could please replace it, I would be most grateful.

The original version I wrote on June 16, which is secured on a mail server at the Federal Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois, is below:

With best regards,

Joe Porter

p.s. I LOVE YOUR BLOG! :)

**************************

Dear Friends:

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign, Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are "two Americas" - but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there - and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called "news", thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.

We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it "change".

Change what?, I ask.

Well, we're going to change America, they say.

In what way?, I query.

We want someone new and fresh in the White House, they exclaim.

So, someone who's not a politician?, I press.

Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama, they state.

So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?

No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change.

And so it goes. "Change we can believe in." Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth - other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

CHANGE WHAT?

Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who are supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton, look it up on the web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.

Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6,000 meals, give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.

When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Barack Obama is fond of saying "We honor John McCain's service...BUT...", which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, "Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change."

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America, and there's a huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to Congress in 1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe "likeability" is a higher priority for them than "trust". Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, "Enough." It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President who's qualified to lead.

I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

Dreaming Big

"If you don't have a dream, how are you going to make a dream come true?"
- Anonymous

Verily...

DIETING:

The penalty for breaking the feed limit.

Seeing and Believing

Christine had this picture posted on her blog. If you look closely, you can see a baby in the photo. Can you see it? It's easier to find the feet first. Now I cannot help seeing the baby.

How very softly you tiptoed into our world.
You only stayed a moment, but what an imprint your footsteps have left upon our hearts.
--Dorothy Ferguson

Let Christ in the Messy Rooms

Good Lenten Reflection

“We want to shut the doors to the messy rooms, so the guest doesn’t see the disorder. But this is not what we should do with Christ. We must open up the messy rooms of our hearts to him, because those are the ones that need some work.”

-- Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher of the Papal Household

Full text found here, via Amy Welborn

This feels so appropriate to me as a mom to four busy kids. There's always somewhere that is messy that I want to shut out, close off, ignore. This one is worth meditation.

Found this at Maria's site: Tater Tots and Ladybug Love.

Pre-teen idea of fire

Overheard-

L: If you're running and your toes catch on fire the flames will just get bigger the faster you run.

Huh?

Fishers of Men

For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

- Lk 5:1-11


I heard this reading twice this weekend, having sung with a small group of people for both the Saturday evening and Sunday morning masses. The thing that struck me, other than the full obedience of Simon earlier in the reading (Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."), is the ending. And they left EVERYTHING and followed him.

I'm no theologian or great Bible scholar. I'm a mom with limited understanding of most things. But this IS the part that caught my mind. Imagine leaving everything today behind to follow the Lord. EVERYTHING.

No more cushy vans, no more computers, no more blogging (heaven forbid!), no more expensive lattes. Just you, the Lord, and the clothes on your back. Consider that.

When I left the mass last night, this was what stayed with me. And I think it will, for a long time. I felt God in the mass last night for the first time in a long time. I left with an uplifted feeling. His love buoyed me home.

So while it isn't feasible to leave every material thing now, I will leave my prejudices, my bad thoughts and feelings, my very human ideals and follow him now. I will continue to fish, as He commanded.

Our Lady of the Kitchen Sink

Don't you think we ought to have one? I really like this idea.

Actually, I have a very small Mary on my kitchen sink window ledge and a large, white one with baby Jesus on the back of my stove.

The Divine Office of the Kitchen

Lord of the pots and pipkins,

Since I have no time to be

A saint by doing lovely things

And vigiling with Thee,

By watching in the twilight dawn,

And storming Heaven’s gates,

Make me a saint by getting meals

And washing up the plates.

~ by Cecily R. Hallack, 1927

"Smell THIS!" Contest

Reading a snippet from an email buddy who's teenaged son decided that taking extra care of oneself in the form of exfoliating or lotioning was useless without a man to appreciate said actions, I found myself rolling with laughter. Here's what she said:

Unlike 15 yr old males who only wash when their mother refuses to have them in the car ride to school because of the odour of what can only be described as the corner of a guinea pig hutch…

She's naturally funny, of course, but with fodder like that, it's like pie!

Based upon my reading of that to my Hubbers and DD#1, the "Smell THIS!" contest began. Hubbers told L to smell his arm, to which she promptly replied:

That smells like something I ate once!

More rolling from the peanut gallery. Of course, one-ups-manship soon followed...

Whereas I live in a house where farts are funny, I won't bore you with the details. Just rest assured that, yes, it is my kid laughing at gaseous emissions in the classroom. Dainty little ladies that they are.

I tell you, it's all their father's fault.

It is, you know, International De-Lurking Week for a few more hours...

You Know You've Got a Large Family When...

Hiding in the closet seems like a good idea.

Have you read Danielle Bean's blog entry for today? You really really should. Then being in the closet won't seem like so much fun.

In the meantime, check out this cool bumper sticker I saw recently:



And another thing - it's National De-Lurking Week!! Get out there and comment, comment, comment!

On the Importance of a Dog

Feelin' the love around here lately, with my self-proclaimed "BUT MOM! I'm almost a TEENager!"

Yes, L is 9 going on 26...

"When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you."
--Nora Ephron

But I'm Not Ready to Get Up!

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."
--Mother Theresa

I think she's talking about me.

When I get tired, I get snappy and cranky and every other horrible thing you can think of to describe just downright unpleasant. And with four kids that happens more than you'd realize.

But I realized yester-weekend as I listened to my 2-1/2 yr old son play is that no matter how hard I have tried to remove all profanity from my speech, some still slips through. And it probably happens most when I'm tired.

You seen/heard that Rodney Atkins song "Watching You"? It's the words that hit home. Give a listen and you'll see what I mean.

My New Years' Resolution(s):

1. Stop swearing!
2. Help Hubby to do the same

...and more...

Thought for the Day:

Most people have seen worse things in private than they pretend to be shocked at in public.

- Edgar Watson Howe

US journalist (1853 - 1937)

Kind of makes the whole year take on a different look, doesn't it?

Happy 2007!