Finally have contact....

Well, after a long week I heard from Ryan. If anyone knows him well, his email was short and sweet. He has been enjoying the hot weather, taking pictures of fish and having a case of the well shall I say it......."the runs"!!!! I am sure he will appreciate me sharing that with all of you. We have sure missed him being around but know that he is experiencing things that will change him forever.
I think there have been a few sick this journey, so continue to pray for them and their health.
Can't wait to here all the stories from the trip!!!!!!

Don't Worry, Be Happy........

5 Things Happy People Do.....

They find their most golden self: Picture happiness. What do you see? A peaceful soul sitting in a field of daisies appreciating the moment?

They design their lives to bring joy: It may seem obvious, but "people don't devote enough time to thinking seriously about how they spend their life and how much of it they actually enjoy," says David Schkade ( a psychologist)

They avoid "if only" fantasies: If only I get a better job...find a man....lose the weight...life will be perfect.

They put best friends first: It's no surprise that social engagement is one of the most important contributors to happiness. What's new is that the nature of the relationship counts. Compared with dashing around chatting with acquaintances, you get more joy from spending longer periods of time with a close friend......

They allow themselves to be happy: As much as we all think we all want it, many of us are convinced, deep down, that it's wrong to be happy(or too happy). ....just think of how much more you can help the world if you allow a little happiness into your life.

** excerpt from Oprah's magazine, article written by Gabrielle Leblanc.

I thought I would look up the word "HAPPY" it means, enjoying pleasure or good, successful, prosperous, living in concord; satisfied, propitious, felicitous.

Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Life Lessons are Priceless.....

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. If you agree, pass it on. If you can read this - Thank a teacher! If you are reading it in English - Thank a soldier

Moments in Time.....

Well, this is a milestone for me. The first time Ryan has been away for any length of time. He has done well, 19 and this will be his first time flying and on a missions trip. Ryan has had it in his heart for the last couple of years to go to the Philippines. He has a missions heart that is for sure, I have a feeling though that this may be just the beginning for him.

Needless to say, I was up often wondering how he was and where they would all be. He was funny though, anytime I would ask him about anything, he would just say, "it's fine, I'll be fine". I was hovering soooooo bad!! I am still on that journey, it's not an easy one. One child is going across the world and the other is getting married!!! No wonder my grey hair is growing in faster, HELP!!!! I am not old enough for this.

Well, all I can say is bless you to the ones who are coming behind, I will do my best to encourage and help you along the journey.

It's a sweet ride!!!!!