Camp Quality 2011

This summer, my company had an opportunity to volunteer our time for a day to serve at a camp about an hour from Kansas City called "Camp Quality".

The camp has been around for 26 years and has the express purpose of ministering to kids from 4 yrs old to 17 yrs old who are currently in treatment or remission for cancer. The vision of the camp is to enable all children with cancer and their families a way to find joy and hope through shared experiences and an ongoing support system.

It was such an amazing time - none of us could have ever imagined the impact one Sunday afternoon would have on our lives.

As the children arrive on Sunday afternoon for a week of fun, they are greeted by many companions and hundreds of volunteers whose goal is to make this one of the funnest times of their summer. It begins with a carnival on the common area of the grounds where they can play games, win prizes and earn tickets to be used for special awards later in the week.

"We" volunteers arrived ready to get cracking and busied ourselves, getting our booth ready for the arrival of the kids wanting to play ring toss and a glider plane toss through a hoola hoop.

We had a ball getting to know the campers and it was great fun watching my husband get bamboozled into giving each player more than his fair share of play! The company donated some trucks that had been used for advertising in the past and we loaded the back end with bracelets, rings and toys of all kinds.

Ryan is a now part of the staff at Camp Quality. He originally started out as a camper, then graduated to a companion, pairing up with a camper - and finally made it to a role of Camp Staff. It was great to see him again this year but with a heavy heart, Ryan shared that his brain cancer had returned last December. He was quick to state that he's determined to beat it and I believe him!

One of my dear friends volunteered to be a cabin mom for the entire week and before we left camp that day, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting the boys in "Peace Haven South". Each young boy managed to capture my heart in that short span of time on Sunday afternoon and I know Donna's life is changed forever. Special activities were planned each day from horseback riding, swimming, archery, Goop Wars and Bubble Pools to variety shows, costume parties and even Prom for the graduating campers!

I will share some pictures that have touched my heart and I sure hope they touch yours as well.

Working with these kids and this camp made such a major impression on my husband and myself that next year, we have decided that we are going to volunteer to work at the camp for the entire week. I want to be a cabin mom and Darrell wants to assist the camp "handyman" Dennis, who does everything from unplugging toilets to making sure every aspect of the camp runs as it should behind the scenes.

Sounds perfect, and I know neither of us can wait!

Thank you for Serving and Sacrificing -

Their silent wounds have speech
More eloquent than men;
Their tones can deeper reach
Than human voice or pen.
~William Woodman


Remembering all who have given so much for our freedoms

- we give great honor to you today!

We held a memorial service for my aunt this past weekend - she is pictured here (L) shopping with her girlfriend arounnd 1941.

She was always such a fun loving person who lived life to the fullest - I looked up to her so much and she was my lifeline after my mom passed away.

And oh... could we all laugh together at family gatherings! There were many photo's and scrapbooks that she had compiled when she was a teenager and as I was looking through them, I stumbled upon the following poem:

He gripped me by my slender neck

I could not call or scream

He dragged me to his dirty room

Where he could not be seen

He tore away my flimsy wraps

And gazed upon my form

I was cold and damp and scared

And he was hot and warm

He pressed his lips against mine

I gave him every drop

He drained me of myself

I could not make him stop

He made me what I am today

that is why you find me here

Just an empty bottle

That once was full of BEER

thank you Lord....

My Pastor read the following in service this morning and it hit me right between the eyes:

We are world Christians.
We put God's love for all people first.
No race is superior to another; no government is more loved than another; no country dearer than another.
We don't put our nation's economy before God's economy. He tells us to seek first His Kingdom. He will meet our needs.
We are driven to action daily with the knowledge that three billion people do not know our Savior. Our passion in life, our unquenchable desire, is to take God's love to them.
No task is too small for us. All that limits us is our unwillingness to believe that God can enable us to do it.
We are sold out to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Nothing less. We understand following Him means absolute death to ourselves.
It costs everything to be His disciple.

Don't give us blessings-give us grace to be unquestionably obedient to Your every last command and desire.
Don't give us status-give us a place to serve.
Don't give us things for our use-use us.
Don't give us good jobs-put us to work.
Don't give us comfort-command us.
Don't give us pleasure-give us perspective.
Don't give us satisfaction-teach us sacrifice.
Don't give us entertainment-enable us.
Don't give us good salaries-give us strength to do your will.

Our great joy in life is in pleasing our Lord-and there is no other joy comparable.
We are tired of playing religion, tired of seminaries and Bible schools that pump out thinkers who don't act, tired of a church life that consists of a few regular functions and sermons that sound good-as if they were being rated as speeches-but have no consequence except complacency.
Life is not some 70-year stretch we endure until Christ returns or takes us home, nor is it a time to seek personal fulfillment.
We don't seek self-actualization-rather, we pursue the actualization of God's love in all hearts.
We don't seek our personal rights-we seek to see all people set free.
We make no plans-we take orders.
We have no complaints-except our thankless hearts.
We have no excuses-they limit God.
We don't ask for reasons-we ask for responsibilities.
We don't give ten percent of our income to God-we give it all.
We don't work for Him from 8 to 5-we are His 24 hours of each day.
We are not stoics-we hurt and cry when loved ones leave us. But we hurt all the more for people who pass into eternity without making Jesus Christ their Lord.
We are not drop outs because we don't hold "respectable, secure" jobs-we're "sold outs."
We are not cynics. Although there are unanswered questions, we know Christ has all the answers.
We are not bitter. Although we have been hurt, Christ is our healer.
We are not disillusioned. Although we sin constantly, Christ forgives us and makes us strong in our weakness.
We don't spend endless hours squabbling over sideline issues such as pre-, mid- or post-tribulation or charismatic gifts. We don't take pride in acquiring things-no, hoarding shames us.
We say it's senseless to talk of availability or willingness. We would rather obey and do the job, not talk about it.

by Gordon Aescliman

On the TDIPT Mercantile

Just a quick note to share my newest creations.

Both of these will be featured on the TDIPT Mercantile for April -

Please drop by and check out all of the amazing offerings! You wont be disappointed ♥

Magic You Can Buy With a Dollar!

Who knew the benefits that come in that $1.00 package of coffee filters at the Dollar Tree? They are better than paper towels and a lot less expensive. I thought this was worth passing on! It may have you thinking the next time you have a job to do...

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10 Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS TOO!

Set Your Alarm Clocks!

The amazingly talented ladies of TDIPT are hosting a Spring Launch ...

~ Coming to Ebay beginning March 27th ~

DREAMS WORK WHILE YOU SLEEP

The following article was sent out in a recent Wellness Newsletter in my company and I thought it was quite interesting... enough to share here ♥
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we remember them, our dreams can seem bizarre – with impossible physical feats,
disconnected people and sudden changes in place. We wake up and think, “What was that about?”

For thousands of years humans have been fascinated with dreams, but we still don’t know as much as we’d like about them. We do know that the vast majority of humans dream every night. Sometimes dreams can be traced to our recent activities, as though our minds are trying to organize our experiences. Some people repeat the same
themes over and over in their dreams, and many of us share the same themes – such as flying like a bird or forgetting to attend a class until the final exam.

In 1953, the phenomenon of rapid eye movement (REM) was discovered. People who were awakened during REM sleep usually remembered vivid dreams, but when awakened during
non-REM sleep, they seldom remembered dreaming. This proved that our brains are
active during sleep.

Researchers also discovered that if they waked people just as they began dreaming,
these people exhibited increased tension, anxiety and irritability; along with difficulty concentrating. These results indicate that dreaming is important, and
that dream deprivation can have serious consequences.

We still don’t know exactly why we dream, but we do know that our brains are, and
should be, working while we sleep.

Be Still My Heart

I dont think I need to say one word for you to know what I feel in my heart.....

Pray for Japan

There is a movement going on across the nation today called "Red Friday" to honor of our troops - I think it's an amazing way to support and pray!

But I propose we also use this opportunity to remind us to pray for Japan.

There is so much devestation and sorrow ...

Japan needs our help and our prayers.

Will you join in?

One way to help is very simple - over at RIPT,
they have a very special tee design running for one day only.

With every t-shirt sold, RIPT is donating $5.00; in conjunction, the artist is also donating $1.00, so for every t-shirt sold today - a grand total of $6.00 will be donated to the Red Cross to help Japan. I respect and admire the Red Cross and their humanitarian efforts so very much and think we could all do something
(no matter how small or large) to send help to the people of Japan.

Please, take a moment to check it out...

Sully Turns One!!

Our Sully Bear turned one year old on March 10th, and mom and dad planned a birthday party to beat the band! What fun it turned out to be, too.

Cheyenne decorated the party area in a "Cowboy and Indian" theme, complete with cupcakes and headdress for both Sully and her!

One little indian, happy as a lark!

His Grandma Betty made these magnificent mocassins for Sully ... aren't they wonderful?

Cheyenne, with the help of two friends who love to bake made the cupcakes and Sully's birthday cake. There were s'more cupcakes, peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, and birthday cake cupcakes!

His grand throne and cowboy bib awaited him...

The anticipation was building.... little did he know what was about to happen!

Did I mention the paparazzi was out in force?

I dont know how Chey will top his first birthday party celebration ... but she has a whole year to work on it ♥

There is a little creature that lives in my house,
small and quiet as a mouse,
sneaks into my bedroom, past all the locks,
opens my drawers, and steals my socks.
He's not greedy, just one at a time,
I had eighteen, now I've nine.
Christmas, birthdays, you can bet,
socks and socks are all I get.
From Aunties, Uncles the occasional Niece.
this makes the day of the one sock thief.
Why does he takes just the one!
Perverted pleasure or just for fun?
Why he takes them is beyond belief,
the dirty rotten one sock thief

John Wathen