Quotes From a Grateful Nation: Day Two

THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO WIN. YET THEY DID, AND IN DOING SO THEY CHANGED THE COURSE OF A WAR...EVEN AGAINST THE GREATEST OF ODDS, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT - A MAGIC BLEND OF SKILL, FAITH AND VALOR - THAT CAN LIFT MEN FROM CERTAIN DEFEAT TO INCREDIBLE VICTORY.
BATTLE OF MIDWAY, JUNE 4-7, 1942
Walter Lord, Author


P.S. Today I was told in my Sunday School Class that Peter was in jail because he stole a car.... :) Kids, ya gotta love 'em!

Quotes From a Grateful Nation: Day One

Next Sunday is a day that many people have forgotten about. It's sad really, and I think it's also one of the reasons our country is the way it is today. Now I have you wondering, don't I? It's December 7th - Pearl Harbor Day. I think the saddest part is that even saying "it's Pearl Harbor Day" gets a puzzled glance more often than not. It's tragic really, our generation has little to no interest in history. It seems people don't want to learn from history anymore, and it scares me to death. You know what they say - History repeats itself - and it's been proven time and again. We most likely will encounter things as a country in the coming years that could have been avoided if someone had just payed attention in History class. December 7th, 1941 proved that it can happen. We were "a nation asleep" and we payed heavily for it.
And so today I want to thank the approximately 16 million men and women who answered the call 67 years ago to defend their homeland. They truly "came to liberate, not to conquer, to restore freedom and to end tyranny".
I also want to thank all the history teachers (and those who are working to become one, Becci!) out there who have made history come alive for their students. You didn't have to choose the field you are in, but you did, and for that I'm grateful. For those of you who have children, or have contact with children, teach them to love history! They are the hope for our future, if you want them to live in a better world, this is the place to start.

So, in honor of December 7th I want to post a famous quote from WWII each day. These are from the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. If they don't make you feel proud, awestruck, and thankful, nothing will.

HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN, ONE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FATHER AND THE OTHER THE NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESERVER OF OUR NATION, WE HONOR THOSE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICANS WHO TOOK UP THE STRUGGLE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES TO PERPETUATE THE GIFT OUR FOREFATHERS ENTRUSTED TO US:
A NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.

From the Announcement Stone at the entrance of the memorial.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Just want to wish ya'll a very happy Turkey Day!! Eat lots, Enjoy your families, Don't forget to relax ladies, But most of all.... Take time out to thank God for the things He has blessed you with! And then, tell someone else you're thankful for them and what they have done for you this year.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Patience

PATIENT
1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3: not hasty or impetuous
4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5 a: able or willing to bear

It is what this blog is supposed to be about, right? :) I've been learning that I have none. None at all. I used to pride myself on my patience...I know, Pride goeth before destruction.... But, I am learning that although I exhibit many of the traits mentioned in the definition of patience, I only have them when there is a specified time that my "trial" will come to an end. I tend to count down the days. Ok, I admit it, I have a calendar at work with the big stinky marker to mark off the days until my next vacation, and a countdown widget on my computer....
I've just started to realize these things, and it's kinda disturbing! :) I mean, I count down the hours in 15 minute increments at work 'til the day is over, count down the days 'til the weekend, weeks until the next vacation or holiday, you get the point!
So I guess the point of this post is to encourage everybody to live in the moment! I'm working on it, I promise! So to quote one of the ladies from the Jubilee last month "Don't wish for what isn't- embrace what is!" and as my mom has become fond of saying the past few weeks "Life isn't about the destination, it's about the journey"
So when you're stuck behind a school bus, or in line at the store, or just find yourself wishing the day was over, just remember that these are the moments that truly shape you. Use them wisely. Make a memory. Enjoy the quiet. Pray. Listen, you'll be surprised what you hear! (yeah... that one has a tendency to backfire in certain circumstances.....)

Thank You!

So, a few weeks back, I posted about not having any books left in my to be read pile. Rare, I know! But, the next day in the comment section, one of my favorite new writers - whose blog I just happen to read every day - left a note for me! Think of it... she read my blog!!! :) But, anyway, back to the story! She told me to email her my mailing address and she would send me a book!! So to make a very long, very gushy story short, she sent me a signed copy of her new book Captive Dreams. I have read the first two in this series and they were fantastic! Especially to someone who is very nit-picky about historical accuracy in books. (I hate it when people add modern slang to historical books, or think just because something is old or from the general era that they can throw it or a reference to it in! )This one didn't disappoint! I think Anna and Sid were my favorite couple from the series. The whole series is set in Nebraska in WWII. Great portrayal of life on the home front during the war. Believe me, I've done the research! WWII is probably my favorite era in history, and I love reading and talking to people about that time.

So I want to encourage all of you to go out and read a new author this week! If you don't already have one in mind, may I recommend one?? :) The first two books in the series are Canteen Dreams and Sandhill Dreams. Oh yeah, did I mention the author's name??

Cara Putman!

Get to reading...

Jess

Impulse Buys...

We all do it right??? That feeling comes over us, and we just can't help ourselves! We have to have it, and have it now! Well, Monday night I had that sort of night. I saw this belt on clearance (for $4!) and I just couldn't decide which color I wanted it in. I knew whatever color I got, I would want the other color when I got home. So I did the only logical thing I could think of - I bought both! "Now Jess", you may say, "That's not impulsive!" But for me it really is! I tend to talk myself out of any purchase at all, or take a whole year to decide I can afford it. (as was the case in buying my car, and my wool coat) So here I was, so proud of myself for being so impulsive, and thinking that Becci would be so proud! (She thinks nothing of dropping everything and heading of to Disney on 10 days notice, me? Ack! I don't have a month to pack??)

So, back to being proud of myself.... Mom and I leave Target, did I mention she was with me? So we leave Target and head next door to Petsmart to get my cat some food. Everything is going good, we find what we came for, and we are ready to leave when Mom says " Sweet Pea was so good at the vet today! Let's get her a toy!" So we go to the cat toy aisle, and what do you suppose is on the endcap?? That's right!

Parakeets

A look I have never seen crossed my mom's face. She made a sharp left hand turn, and started filling her cart with birdseed and various bird toys. "Mom", I say, "shouldn't we ask Dad?" Once again, that look! She asks the sales clerk "Which cage is a good size?" The clerk points to a little one. Mom says "How about with 2 birds??" Clerk points to the same cage. My mom says "Wouldn't they be so much happier in this one??" as she points to the birdy condo next to it. So in goes the birdy condo, and off to pick out the birdies - yeah, you read right, we are now at 2 birdies. (because "You can't just have one... it will get lonely."

I don't know what was funnier, the sales clerk who was on his first week of the job trying to catch these birds while all the other employees are watching like some kind of initiation, saying "Not that one, they wanted that one over there!" Or, the look on my dad's face when my mom walked in the front door with a birdcage in one hand, and 2 birds in the other!

So, the above picture is of the newest members of the Senn family. My mom has now outdone anything I have ever called impulsive! I will have to elope with a total stranger to upstage her! Just Kidding! She is trying to justify the purchase as a toy for the cat.... exactly what she went into the store for! We're not buying it. :)

BTW at work we were audited on Tuesday, and we got a 7! Yay! 10 is perfect, but a 7 is perfectly acceptable. Pressure is off for the rest of the year- we met our sales goals already and passed our audit! Now I just have to stay difference free for the rest of the year. :)

What I did this weekend

I ate out with the folks

I saw the Constitution

I visited the WWII memorial- fitting for Veterans Day!

I looked at old photo albums... wonder who that is?? :)

More photo albums.... Anyone want to guess who those two girls are??

And for all you women who voted last Tuesday- this piece of paper made it possible! The Right of Suffrage

Can you tell by now that I was in DC?? :) That's the Capitol for those of you who don't recognize the building.

Hope you enjoyed the glimpse into my rare 2 days in a row off! :)

Confessions...

I have a confession to make. I listened to Christmas music today.... and I liked it! For those of you who truly know me, ya'll know I'm one of THOSE people. I am very strict about Christmas music not being played until Thanksgiving day, so it came as quite a shock that I enjoyed it so much! I should have seen the signs though. I have been Christmas shopping already, have been preparing my cookie making stash, playing Christmas music on the piano (that one doesn't really count though, because it's for Cantata practice with the choir, and I'm forced to play it!) :) And the one thing that really should have tipped me off was taking the Christmas music survey last night! We have the best Christmas music station ever up here, and their playlist is completely listener selected and regulated! We even got to rate the songs on a scale of 1-5! So we the listeners got to pick when the infamous day was, and in my defense I picked Thanksgiving! Honestly! But apparently more people picked now, because I got a text in the middle of work today from my mom saying "the Jolly has begun", and sure enough, as soon as I turned on the radio there it was and I didn't have the willpower to turn the station. Ack! :) So now I am going to struggle to keep the radio off until the fateful day.....

Praying for the President

Yeah, yeah, yeah! I know, it's been awhile! I wanted to wait to blog until I could get calmed down. It was a rough election for me. None of my co-workers share my political views, and have made it miserable for me at work. I also know someone running for office locally, and his opponent ran a vicious campaign. That race ended in a recount, and he lost. :( So here I was, praying for God's will, but not quite prepared for His answer. (even though in my head I was ready, it was still a rough Wednesday!) It took a little while, but I'm ready now to get behind our President-Elect and support him thru prayer.
So now I'm joining Michael Hyatt in his Four Commitments to Obama.

1. I will pray for him and our country.
2. I will assume his motives are good, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
3. I will not speak ill of him, even if I don’t always agree with him.
4. I will cast off the spirit of cynicism, and be a positive force for good.

I may not agree with Obama on almost any issue, but the Bible is clear on how I need to respond to this! So I've taken it to heart, done some serious Bible time, and I'm ready. Are you?

GO VOTE!

Just a friendly reminder to exercise your right to vote! Just remember, you have no right to complain if you don't vote! People died to give you this right-exercise it! Okay, rant over! :) Now get out there and VOTE!