Greetings from Our Nation's Capital

Just wanted to stop in to say we are still in Washington DC having a wonderful time, even though the weather is not cooperating. It is cold and rainy here today. We had to buy an umbrella! And... we didn't bring enough warm clothes. I think I will end up buying a sweatshirt tomorrow just to keep warm.

Today we visited the Library of Congress. I didn't realize how beautiful it is. I will post some pictures I took when I return. I did take this one picture of Greg and the kids with my phone.

We also visited the National Air and Space Museum and the International Spy Museum. The kids had a blast at both! Especially at the Spy Museum. It was a little pricey... but worth it. We wanted to visit the National Museum of American History but it is closed until the fall. We did see the Treasures of American History Exhibit at the Air and Space Museum. Mary Lyndsey was excited about Dorothy's red ruby slippers and Spencer liked R2D2 and C3PO.

Yesterday we visited the National Museum of Natural History. Mary Lyndsey enjoyed the new butterfly exhibit. We had butterflies landing on us and took some incredible pictures. We enjoyed many of the exhibits but we had to stop every few minutes to answer questions about evolution and the Big Bang. We had to keep telling the kids... "this is not what we believe... God created everything." Of course Spencer had a 1000 questions. We saw the Hope Diamond and the dinosaur bones.

Tonight we are going to eat dinner at the ESPN Zone. I'm sure Spencer will love this because there are tons of video games! Tomorrow we visit the White House and take a four hour tour of all of the monuments.

I will try to post again before returning... but it is kind of crazy here :) We are busy seeing all the sights and riding up and down the elevators :)

Hope you guys are having a great week!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Heroes

Hi Friends!

I've missed posting the last two days but I have been really busy at our Summit for the Epilepsy Advocates in Washington DC. Today is the National Epilepsy Walk and we are having a great time. It's been incredible so far.

If you haven't been to any of the links to check out the National Walk, you probably don't know that Greg Grunberg is the National Chair for the Epilepsy Walk. He has been very involved in Epilepsy Awareness programs. Click here and here to find out more about his other activities.

Today he visited our meetings and we met him and his son Jake who has epilepsy. It was really cool to meet him. If you are not sure who he is, then you probably haven't seen the hit TV series Alias or Heroes.

I was really excited as Heroes is one of my all time favorite shows. I don't miss an episode! I will post pictures when I return back home.

Anyway, in honor of meeting Greg and since it is "Then Sings My Soul Saturday", I chose this song today!

Now while I am thrilled to meet this "Hero" and couldn't wait to tell you about it, I have another Hero who is even bigger... My Jesus! He is not only God, divine from heaven, but God made man in the flesh descended from the line of an earthly hero. He is a hero worthy to be praised.

Psalm 89:18-20 (The Message) The Message (MSG)
God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you'll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist. You own the cosmos—you made everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. You positioned the North and South Poles; the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you. With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—nobody trifles with you! The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits. Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you've been so good to us! We're walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King! 19-37 A long time ago you spoke in a vision, you spoke to your faithful beloved: "I've crowned a hero, I chose the best I could find; I found David, my servant, poured holy oil on his head, And I'll keep my hand steadily on him, yes, I'll stick with him through thick and thin. No enemy will get the best of him, no scoundrel will do him in. I'll weed out all who oppose him, 'll clean out all who hate him. I'm with him for good and I'll love him forever; I've set him on high—he's riding high! I've put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other; he'll call out, 'Oh, my Father—my God, my Rock of Salvation!' Yes, I'm setting him apart as the First of the royal line, High King over all of earth's kings. I'll preserve him eternally in my love, I'll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised. I'll guarantee his family tree and underwrite his rule. If his children refuse to do what I tell them, if they refuse to walk in the way I show them, If they spit on the directions I give them and tear up the rules I post for them— I'll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion and make them face the music. But I'll never throw them out, never abandon or disown them. Do you think I'd withdraw my holy promise? or take back words I'd already spoken? I've given my word, my whole and holy word; do you think I would lie to David? His family tree is here for good, his sovereignty as sure as the sun, Dependable as the phases of the moon, inescapable as weather."

If you didn't catch all the words to the song... here they are:

Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Where's the great white Hercules to fight the rising odds? Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what i need I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life Larger than life Somewhere after midnight In my wildest fantasies Somewhere just beyond my reach There's someone reaching back for me Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat It's gonna take a Superman to sweep me off my feet I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life Larger than life I the mountains neath the heavens above Out where the lightning strikes the sea I can swear that there's someone somewhere watching me Through the wind and the chill and the rain and the storm and the flood I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life Larger than life

Let me tell you friends... Jesus is all of these things.

He is strong:

All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong. Romans 16:25 The Message

He is fast:

Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psalm 70:5 NIV

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly " Amen Come, Lord Jesus.Revelation 22:20 NASB

He is sure:

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 The Message

He is larger than life! If you will let Him, He will be the hero that sweeps you off your feet! He is the hero I am holding out for!

Don't forget to sing Mr. Linky to add your song for this week!

Bragging on my Baby/More Epilepsy Info.

Just wanted to let you guys know about a few more great resources for people with epilepsy and their caretakers.

One is the Epilepsy Advocate Website which has tons of helpful information... and it has Spencer on there saying "Welcome to the Epilepsy Advocate Community on the World Wide Web." It is really funny so you should click on him and see. You also get to hear my extremely southern accent. You can read more about our story as well as other inpiring people's stories.

The other resource is the Epilepsy Advocate Magazine. I have been serving on the Editorial Board and it has been tons of fun. It also featured my handsome boy on the cover a while back. He has also been in an ad for the magazine in his Tae Kwon Do outfit. Isn't he just adorable... even if Ido say so myself :)

We are busy preparing to leave for the National Epilepsy Walk in Washington DC this weekend. I will try to post if I can. Pray for us as we travel and take part in this great event. If you would still like to contribute to the walk, click on the button on my sidebar.

Sweet Blessings to you,

Amy

Epilepsy Information

I wanted to take some time this week to share some information with you about epilepsy. Many people do not know very much about it. There is a great amount of misinformation and stigma attached to it. I hope you will take a few minutes to read through the links I am providing today.

Here are some facts about epilepsy:

*Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the US after Alzheimer's and stroke.

*It affects approximately 2,700,000 people in the US and 50,000,000 worldwide.

*This year another 200,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with epilepsy and and estimated 25,000 to 50,000 people will die of seizures and related causes.

*Of major chronic medical conditions, epilepsy is among the least understood even though one in three adults knows someone with the disorder.

*This information was taken from the Epilepsy Foundation. Click here for more information.

Click here to read an article in the New York Times about living with epilepsy.

Click here to see a list of famous people with epilepsy.

Spencer and I are very active in a group called Epilepsy Advocates. Last fall we filmed some webisodes for Epilepsy Awareness Month . Here is a You tube clip of the webisode I was part of. If you would like to view the entire video, go here. I am part of Webcast 3.

I hope you will find this information helpful and interesting.

Miracle Mondays

Beth over at A Mom's Life hosts Miracle Mondays each week.  She asks if you have a miracle you would like to share, to write about it and link back to her so we can all read about each other's miracles. I don't have a specific miracle to write about today, like I did when I posted a few weeks ago about Spencer's healing at birth, but I want to talk more generally about miracles.  

Sometimes my family will sit around and have discussions about politics or religion. While many people wouldn't want to discuss these controversial topics, we happen to not shy away from them. They are often very amusing conversations. Sometimes we will play a sort of Bible Trivia game where we try to stump each other with some obscure fact from the Bible. 

Recently, my mother in law asked what was the last miracle Jesus performed. Without missing a beat I answered..."He stopped Spencer's seizure this morning so we didn't have to use his rescue medication." Now I'm sure she was referring to His actual last miracle recorded in the Bible (BTW... what would you say it is... Rising from the dead or  healing Malchus' ear?)

However when I answered her, I answered in the present tense. I never considered the last miracle He performed was 2,000 years ago when He walked the earth. You see I still believe He performs miracles today... everyday. We just have to look for them and accept them as miracles, not just some random happening that can be explained away. 

On Saturday Spencer had a seizure. It was different from his normal seizure because he was actually able to come and get me and he could still talk. As he has gotten older, his seizures are beginning to change. He didn't know what to do. We called his dad to come inside and we began to time the seizure. Spencer kept asking... "What do we do? It's not stopping but I don't want to use the rescue med." This was a totally new experience for us because Spencer is usually non-responsive when he is having a seizure. Then he said something I should have said out loud. "Let's pray Mom!" 

You see I was already praying in my head but not out loud. When Spencer said it, I had a momentary knot in my stomach. A hundred thoughts ran through my mind. 

Why didn't I suggest praying out loud first? This would have been a perfect teaching opportunity about faith. But what if we pray and it doesn't stop? What will Spencer think then? Will if affect his faith? What if he thinks God isn't listening? What if he begins to think praying doesn't work? Why am I doubting that it will stop. I'm not supposed to doubt. What if the seizure doesn't stop because of my doubt. I know God's spoken word plus faith has power. Just stand on what you believe. Stand on God's promises. How do I explain to him that God is in control of this even if the outcome isn't what we want it to be?

Of course all of these thoughts plus more went through my mind in just a second. Then Spencer, Greg, Mary Lyndsey and I held hands and began to pray out loud. We prayed that the seizure would stop. We prayed that he wouldn't have any more seizures. We took turns praying scripture out loud. Then... the seizure stopped.

Spencer said something at that moment that I think is profound for an 8 year old.

"My God is bigger than epilepsy." 

Wow. If we could all only see our God as bigger than whatever problem we are facing. If we all only stopped to pray out loud first and stand on His promises. If we all only had the faith of a child. Now that would be a miracle.

To read what Dictionary.Com has to say about miracles go here.

I also found this article very interesting. *I haven't examined this site completely so read with caution.

PS... We will be attending the National Epilepsy Walk this coming weekend so I will be posting information on epilepsy and our experiences for the next few days. I hope you will check back to learn more.

Happy Easter!

Wanted to share some pics of my sweeties on this beautiful Easter Day.

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Newsong

I have had a hard time deciding what song I wanted to write about this weekend. There are so many good songs that speak to me that I want to share! After much deliberation, and since it is Easter, I've decided to go with You Can't Keep a Good Man Down by Newsong. You gotta love any song that has "Na Nas" in it.

It still amazes me that He left his home and the angels in Heaven to come to earth to save someone like me. 

He is still teaching us how to love. There is still healing in His hands. 

It's more than just a story. It's a leap of faith.

As Newsong says, I can tell you He's alive because He lives in me, but the rest is up to you. 

The choice is yours. 

If you make the choice, no one or no thing will be able to keep you down either because the same power that raised Him from the grave is available to you.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.        Ephesians 1:18-20

Why is it Good Friday?

Tonight before bed, Spencer asked me if it was Easter yet. I guess he thought it was Easter tomorrow because we are going to an Easter Egg hunt. I explained to him that it was not Easter tomorrow, but Good Friday - to which he replied... "Why isn't it called sad Friday instead of Good Friday? It makes me sad that Jesus had to die." 

We talked about the fact that it is sad that Jesus had to die, but He loved us so much He did it so we could be with Him forever in Heaven. He still wanted to know why it's called "Good Friday" so to appease him, we looked it up.

Click here to see what we found. This information was also interesting.

Now you know why it's called Good Friday.

I pray you have a blessed Easter!

The Shark and the Ship

I don't know how many of you reading this have children, but if you do... let me ask, do yours love the computer as much as mine? Spencer loves to play on the computer. If we have awarded him with computer time and we happen to be on the computer, he will stand over us in eager anticipation waiting on us to finish whatever we are working on so he can have his turn. He often reads my post or other's while he is standing over my shoulder.

He has become very interested in whatever I am posting. So interested in fact, that he has begun to give me ideas for things to write about. He is so sure there are millions of people reading my blog (site meter tells me otherwise LOL) and that it "will change the world." (That is a story for another time.) He will sometimes tell me an idea he has for what I should write about, and then he continues to ask if I have written it yet... over and over and over.... you get the point.

So this morning before school, he asked me for the umpteenth time if I had written about the shark and the ship yet.  Let me explain. He is very mature spiritually for his age. He comes up with some things that I truly marvel over sometimes. Those of you who know him personally will agree with me. He asks questions that are way beyond what most 8 year olds would ask about the Bible. Once he asked me if he had to pray for Satan since he is his enemy, and the Bible says we should pray for our enemies. He also asked if God created everything, then why did he create Satan in the first place? How would you answer those?

Anyway, a week or so ago, we were doing our morning devotions, and our conversation went something like this:

 

"Mom, is Jesus kind of like a ship and Satan kind of like a shark?" 

"I'm not sure what you mean Spencer."

"Well, you see, we really are just supposed to dive right  into the water, but sometimes we are afraid to do that because there might be a shark down there that wants to eat us. Then we need a ship to climb onto to keep us safe. So... Satan is kind of like a shark that wants to eat us and Jesus is our ship that keeps us safe when we need it."

"I guess you could look a it that way Spencer."

See what I mean. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. But as I thought some more about what he said these two these things came to mind.

I guess he is right. We are supposed to dive right in. But there is an enemy that seeks to kill, steal from and destroy us. We know there is a shark out there and we let people swim unaware anyway. But we have a ship that is big enough to keep us all safe. We need to let people know about the ship and the shark.

So today when I pick him up from school and he asks "Mom did you write about the ship and the shark yet?" I can answer "Yes son, I did. And maybe it will help change the world." 

The Promised Land Of Writing/Writer Interrupted

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My ToDay List

OK....I REALLY want to be blogging because I have several post in my head that are just dying to get out... but as I stated in an earlier post... my house is a wreck. I have family coming to town for Easter this weekend and I have to clean it. My children have no clean clothes to wear because all of the laundry is on the floor at this moment.  I also have a list of "things to do" a mile long. 

I still need to make time to play with ML and Spencer, and have quiet time and... I simply can't spend any more time on the computer typing or reading anyone else's wonderful insightful post for the day. Just about the time I was getting ready to cease cleaning and take a break by rewarding myself with a few minutes on the computer, I checked email and had this devotion from Melissa Taylor. So.... I am off to do my "Today list."  

I had hoped to post on 10 Minute Tuesdays today... but it's not going to happen. Go over to Faithful Chick though and look at her very powerful post today... that is if you don't need to be doing your "today list," if so, then quit reading this and get to work :0)

Have a great day. Be back on Thursday to post. Maybe I will be caught up by then.

Chocolate Winner

Just wanted to announce that DeeBee at Rain or Shine won the drawing for the chocolate from my blog party. DeeBee, send me your address and I will ship you a lovely assortment of chocolate just in time for Easter.

Who are you... really?

Do you ever have those days when you just wonder...why am I here and why is this life so crazy at times... and trying at times... and wonderful at times. Do you ever wonder who you really are?

I am leading a Bible study right now called "Do you think I am Beautiful?" by Angela Thomas. The first week, she has you go back through your childhood and rethink events and circumstances that helped shape who you are. She also has you describe yourself from the inside out in 10 words. Do you know how difficult that is to do? You try it sometime.

Try it now. What did you come up with? Was beautiful one of the words? That is her point. Most women do not consider themselves beautiful. It makes me think of this post by Ceci.

Anyway, in trying to determine who I am, I considered asking other people. But that kind of defeats the purpose. I have to decide who I think I am, not who other's think I am. It was kind of fun though to find out what would come up in surveying others. I didn't exactly ask others to describe me, but I did look at the google searches over the past 100 visits on my site meter to see what word searches led to my blog.

Weird I know, but if you actually ask someone to describe you... they will most likely be nice and say nice things. Looking at my google searches on my site meter was kind of a way to see what descriptive words led others to me. I try to write honestly and openly about my life, my achievements and my struggles on my blog, so hopefully it kind of reveals a picture of who I am and what is important to me.

Here are the searches that led people to my blog:

Where are the miracles and wonders?

Epilepsy Advocate

Pictures of the Glorietta Christian Writers Conference

I will lie down and sleep in peace (this was a hit 3 different times)

Christian Women walking in the reflection of God

National Epilepsy Walk

Signs He still likes you

Signs miracles wonders music

Introducing a Woman of God

I actually kind of liked these. They do kind of describe me.

A person looking for miracles and wonders in everyday life.

A person whose life if affected by epilepsy.

A Christian writer who loves pictures.

A person who is after one good night's sleep. (this one is a constant...hence three hits... LOL)

A woman wanting to reflect God.

A person desperately wanting HIM to like me.

A person who loves music.

and my favorite... something I long to hear said of me...

Introducing A Woman of God.

Many times in life, people only get to see "who you are" from a single circumstance or event. That scares me because not every encounter I have reflects who I am or who I want to be. I don't always reflect Christ like I should or like I want to. Sometimes I wish everyone could see me "in context." That they could see everything over the entire span of my life... then they would understand who I am. It's sort of like this study.

“Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Jsut amzanig huh?”

I wish sometimes people would not just read each event by itself, but my life as a whole. Then all the mess and "mess ups" in the middle would still make sense.

Upon reflecting on these things, I realized I really don't need to worry about what other's think anyway. Actually I need to determine who I think I am based on who God thinks I am. And you know what... He doesn't look at me in context either. And I am actually glad He doesn't.

He only looks at me for one single encounter or event in my life. He looks at the day I gave my life to Him. This one event, one act, one circumstance overshadows everything else... all the mess and "mess ups". It determines who I am in his eyes. I am a woman of God. And that is who I am... really.

Ultimate Blog Party Winners/Then Sings My Soul

To all of my new friends who have joined "Then Sings My Soul Saturdays," I am so glad you all enjoyed this new meme. I can't wait to read all of your post and listen to your songs. Unfortunately I have been out of town all weekend and not had access to a computer until late this afternoon. Also, my son Spencer had 2 seizures in the night last night so I did not get any sleep and drove back from SC today, so I am at this moment too tired to hang out and catch up with you guys on the computer... even though I would love to. I promise I will get to all of your post and hopefully comment. I hope you will join me again next Saturday and help spread the word.

Also, I would like to congratulate Julie at The Surrendered Scribe who won the Nicholas Sparks book and Starbucks card I gave away and Carolyn at Scrappin Servant who won the $25 Scrapbook Prize I gave at the Ultimate Blog Party. I haven't drawn for the winner of the chocolate for those who left comments on my blog party post yet, but I will do that and announce the winner tomorrow. Thanks to all of you who visited my site. I hope you will come back soon.

Please keep Spencer in your prayers. Will be back posting soon hopefully!

Sweet Blessings,
Amy

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays - Cinderella

This week has been an especially busy week. Who am I kidding... this year has been an especially busy year. It seems there is always somewhere to go or something to do. I am always late to be somewhere, or behind on housework, or behind on completing the items on my "Things To Do" list. It's what Stephen Covey calls the "Tyranny of the Urgent." If we let those things that need to be done right now, at this moment - take the place of those things that are most important, then we miss out on some pretty spectacular things in life.

There will always be laundry to do. The house will always need to be cleaned. As long as I keep saying "yes" people will continue to ask me to do things for them. Not that I shouldn't say yes to some things, but I need to keep a balance and keep my priorities in order.

As I reflected on several post I read this week, including two of people who have recently lost their small children, I couldn't help with being overwhelmed at the number of times I say to my children... "Yes, I will play in a minute... just let me finish the laundry first... or the dishes... or check email"... or fill in the blank. As I do these things, time is slipping by and I am missing opportunities that unfortunately will not last a lifetime. Time moves quickly and before I know it, my little girl will no longer be little. She will be in middle school, then high school, then college, then married. If I am lucky she will do these things. Should something tragic happen, she would still be gone quickly and I would have missed out on some pretty fabulous moments because I was too busy doing the urgent instead of the important.

I've had a great time this week playing hopscotch, flying kites, fingerpainting, playing playdough and losing at every board game we own to my 4 and 8 year olds. I've read more books and said more prayers and watched more cartoons and danced more dances in princess tiaras than I have in a long time. And I loved every minute of it, even if my house is a wreck right now.

I hope I can maintain my sense of balance. The next time my kids say "Mom, will you play with me?", I hope I will stop what I am doing and dance and play and enjoy my children before are gone. There won't be many more days that my little girl dresses up like Cinderella and begs to play princess and dance.

The Ultimate Blog Party - Sticky Post

For my regular readers, please scroll down for my current post. This sticky is at the top for the UBP.


OK girls…This week has been pretty rough, but as I stated in an earlier post, when life isn't always going great… find something to celebrate anyway. So… I am celebrating with 5 minutes for Mom and the Ultimate Blog Party. It is a week long party taking place March 7-14, that will give you the opportunity to make a lot of new "bloggy" friends and maybe win some cool prizes.

I'm giving away an assortment of scrapbooking supplies valued at $25. It includes a hot pink, canvas 8x8 album and various stickers and embellishments.

I also happen to be giving away an autographed copy of True Believer by Nicholas Sparks and a $5 Starbucks gift card. Nick is a personal friend of our family and we knew him before he wrote The Notebook. He was my husband's partner at work. BTW… we also knew Hootie and Blowfish before they were famous (they used to play our band parties at USC), so chances are if you hang out with me… you might become famous too - for something like writing or singing. LOL

Too bad it hasn't rubbed off on me yet… but I do have two great friends… one who writes (Carol) and one who sings (Janet) and I hope to work my magic again sometime soon. I'm just waiting for both of them to strike it big and they are both just talented enough to do it. You'll have to keep checking their sites too to see when it happens.

Anyway… for those of you visiting for the first time… welcome to my blog. The most recent posts have been fairly deep, but I promise it isn't always this way. We are just hitting a rough patch. I do write about cute, fun things too.

If you can't tell by looking around…the #1 thing in my life is my love for Jesus. He is everything to me. And He has performed some pretty amazing miracles in the lives of my family…hence the name Signs, Miracles and Wonders. If you would like to learn more about why I chose this name for my site…go here.

I am a full time mom of two incredible children and really do have Mr. Incredible for my hubby. I am also a speaker for the Epilepsy Advocate LIVE Program, which stands for Learning from Inspiring Voices with Epilepsy. My 8-year old son has epilepsy as a result of a stroke he suffered at birth.

Some of my posts are about our struggles of living life everyday with epilepsy. Most of my posts are about whatever God is teaching me at the moment through everyday life experiences. He constantly amazes me.

I hope you will come back and visit again. Oh, and please leave comments so I can come visit you too. Let's get this party started.

By the way, scroll down to learn more about a new meme called Then Sings My Soul Saturdays.
It's going to be really cool. I hope you will join me and help spread the word.

And... CWO is celebrating 2 years. They are also participating in the UBP. Be sure to go visit their party too and thank Art Bookbindery for the fabulous prize they are donating. If you have never visited their site... you simply must. It is wonderful. Be sure to check out my recent interview there too.

Oh, I almost forgot… go here to see a list of the fabulous prizes being offered. While there are many great prizes to be won...the one I would like to win most is #50 the set of bows from MommyMandy.com. After that, I'm easy. Any prize is a good prize.

Especially since I was just informed that I already won another of my first choices... a blog make over from Amy at Design 139. Be sure to check out her site too. And check here for my new look coming soon!

The Umbrella, The Sword and the Magic Glass

Today the weather was absolutely beautiful. It got up to 74 degrees, so the kids played outside all afternoon. It was a great day for so many reasons. I have lots to share about some of the things that have happened this week, but I want to wait until I have more information and details to share a few of them. Just know that you must keep checking back for some exciting news I hope to tell soon. Also, God is speaking to me in themes this week. I haven't quite connected all the dots yet though, so I don' t have a complete picture of what God is trying to teach me... but I know it is coming. The event below just illustrates one of the things God has shown me this week.

Today, as I watched Mary Lyndsey playing outside, I noticed she had three things in her hands... treasures she had found in the garage also known as the "cave of wonders." The first was an umbrella. The second was a sword constructed of silver sprayed wooden paint sticks... an art project from a Vacation Bible School several years ago. In black letters along the side were the words "Sword of the Spirit". The third was a plastic toy she had gotten in a kid's meal. The toy was a sort of "magic glass." It came with some paper with secret messages and pictures on it you could only see by looking through the "magic glass."

Now at first glance you might consider this a hodge podge of toys. You may not think these three things had anything in common. Neither did I at first, but as I watched her run and play in the front yard, I felt the Spirit speak to my heart. 

"Look at her," He seemed to say. "You see those things she's carrying... You need those things too."

" What?" I shook my head. I didn't quite understand. 

"Those things she's carrying... you could use those things too."

 

As I looked at her selection of toys again, the message seemed to sink into my heart. 

You see I had only read a few post today. It was a really busy day so I only went some of my closest friend's blogs. I read Janet at Living Oak and she talked about the umbrella of God's protection. Then I read Kimberly at A Planting of the Lord and she talked about the importance of knowing God's Word to be able to fight our battle's against our enemy. And, I had been reminded of one some of my previous post on the Battle and the Battle continuing. 

As I considered these messages fresh in my mind, I began to understand what the Spirit was saying. 

I should never venture out without my umbrella... the umbrella of God's protection.

 

Psalm 5:11-12 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those you love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD,  you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (NIV)

I should pray my eyes are opened to see the battle that is going on around me, the battle that may be hidden to to others. I need my "magic glass" to see the army the Lord has on my side.

2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army of horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (NIV)

And I should always be armed with God's Word, the Sword of the Spirit, my only defensive weapon against my enemy.

Ephesians 6:13-17 Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," (NIV)

"So," I thought, "the Umbrella, the Sword and the Magic Glass... don't leave home without them."

I am a Friend of God

Friends... I have to tell you I have just returned a little while ago from the Spring Musical Program at my daughter's preschool. Of course everyone thinks their own child is wonderful, but I have to say that mine was pretty adorable up there on that stage :0)

The program was great with the children singing lots of cute songs... but the part that got me most was the last song. The children sang "I am a friend of God" and they raised their hands on the part of the song where it slows down and says "God Almighty, Lord of Glory, You have called me friend."

Seeing my precious little girl up on that stage praising Jesus was almost more than this mama's heart could stand. The tears were flowing.

I would have included a video of her actually singing... but my video camera battery was dead when I got there, even though I had charged it so I am really bumbed. Maybe I can get some pictures up once I get them downloaded.

Since I don't have the video of her, enjoy this one of the music instead.

I'm In the Spotlight at CWO

Hey friends,
I'm so excited. I'm in the spotlight at CWO. Come on over and check out my interview. Oh, and if you have never visited Christian Women Online before, be sure to hang out there for a while and check out all of the uplifting and helpful information they have on their site. I love it and I know you will too.
Sweet Blessings,
Amy

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays... The Inaugural Edition

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*****Update:  If you are visiting for the first time, please link your TSMS post to the current edition of TSMS, so everyone can see your post. You can find the current edition every Saturday here.****

Welcome to the very first edition of "Then Sings My Soul Saturdays."

I think you are going to love this! The instructions are easy. Just write a post on your blog about a song. It can be a song that has spoken to your heart during a difficult time... a song that brings back a special memory... a song that makes you want to sing along to the top of your lungs... a song that makes you glad... a song that makes you want to dance... a song that has inspired you... a song that makes you feel like the words were written just for you... a song that makes your soul sing. 

You can include the lyrics or maybe include the You Tube video. After you write the post, come back here and link your post to Mr. Linky at the bottom of the page. Then you can come back and read about all the other songs and stories that are posted.

I'm sure many of you love to worship through music and feel like God speaks to you through the words of songs just like I do. I can't wait to hear all of your stories about it :)

I would like to tell you today about a song I love - "I Will Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns. Storms are a theme I use often to tell people about some of the events that have transpired in my life. 

When I was a little girl, I was afraid of storms. I would always get really nervous and upset and worried whenever one was looming on the horizon. When I began to hear the thunder and see lightning through the window, I would sometimes cry or hide somewhere. I remember my grandmother always comforted me. She would scoop me up into her lap and rock me. She would say, "Be still. Be quiet. It's OK,  it's just God doing His work."

When the storm was over, I loved to go outside and smell the fresh air. The rain would have washed everything clean. My cousins and I would begin to look for a rainbow... and when we found one, we set off on our quest to find the pot of gold at the end of it. My grandmother would always say to us..."The storm had to happen for the rainbow to come."

I didn't totally understand that statement as a child... but do I ever as an adult.

God sometimes brings storms to wash us clean... or to bring us to something more valuable than gold on the other side of the storm. He is just "doing His work." He is always faithful. He knows what He is doing. He has the perfect plan for our lives and even when we feel like we are facing a Level 5 Hurricane, He is still in control. And we should praise Him. Praise Him even in the midst of our storm. He is still a great, powerful, wonderful, loving God, no matter what our circumstances.

Instead of being afraid of storms now, I am a "storm chaser"... you know like one of those crazy people in the movie "Twister" who waits for a storm to learn all they can from it. I want to learn everything God has to teach me through whatever storms in life I have to face, and I want to remember to praise Him in the middle of it.

Update on Spencer/Experiencing my Amazing God

For those of you checking in today to see how Spencer is... PTL he is fine. He came home from the hospital yesterday morning and just hung out on the couch most of the day. He is a little groggy from the medication increase but he returned to school today. Thanks for all of your support and emails and prayers!!  And please keep praying for him. We haven't given up on complete healing.

I also wanted to share that God completely overwhelms me at times. It is truly amazing how He speaks to us through all kinds of things.  As Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God, "He speaks to us through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways."

You won't even believe it if I told you how He spoke to me yesterday. For those of you who wonder if God can speak to you through a blog post... check out this one from my friend Carol at Sheep to the Right.  And... check out this one from me just so you know what my state of mind was yesterday morning. Then you will understand why this post meant so much.

Anyone who knows Carol and me won't believe that we didn't talk to each other prior to these post...but we didn't. When we finally spoke on the phone, we were both amazed and in shock.  Though we shouldn't be. That is just the way God works. He will use anyone who is willing to be used by Him.  Read here to learn more about what happened.

God speaks to us through songs sometimes too. I will be posting more on this soon with a fun new meme to come.

If you haven't joined the Ultimate Blog Party yet, scroll down to join us.

 

The Battle continues

It's 5:15 a.m. We have been up since 3 a.m. Spencer was congested and coughing so I went to check on him. It was like the Holy Spirit tapped me on my shoulder and said... "A storm is coming. Board up your windows. Get your supplies. Be ready." I decided to move Spencer to my bed. I gave him some OTC cold medicine. He quickly went back to sleep in my bed.

3:52 a.m. I wake up to Spencer seizing. Once again... we are not sure how long but I'm sure it would have been longer had he not been laying beside me. No way I would have known if he had been in his own bed. We turn on the lights and wash his face and try to talk him out of it. We pray. It doesn't stop. We administer his rescue medication. It doesn't stop. We call 911.

The person on the line rubs me the wrong way. She is asking questions like "Is he diabetic?" "Has he recently had surgery?" I know it is her job, but I started the call by saying that he has epilepsy and he is having a status seizure... that we had already administered his rescue medication. You would think she could tell that I have been through this a few times. I say to her... "no he is not diabetic... he has epilepsy." I guess I snapped at her because she retorts something like, "Mam, answering questions that way won't stop his seizure." No kidding lady.

At this moment I feel bad for speaking to her with a sharp tone. At that moment I didn't. 

The ambulance arrives and Spencer is taken to the hospital. Greg went with him. This is the first time I have been left at home. I am usually the one to take the hospital trip. I don't like the waiting. I am trying to listen to the voice of the Father and not the voice of the accuser.  I don't know what to do other than pray and right now I'm prayed out... so I am posting this to fill the time. 

I've been maintaining contact with Greg through texting. The seizure has stopped and Spencer is awake. He is talking to the nurses about his school, his teacher and getting a seizure dog. That is definitely at the top of our priority list now. At least the prayer about direction on getting a dog has been answered. We will apply and leave it in God's hands.

I am trying to remember and pray my scripture from two nights ago. I've had to go back to read this post to remind myself. I quickly begin to think about the day ahead. Our plans have changed. No school. Greg will probably not work. I'll cancel my training probably. 

I think about the fact that our  plans have changed for just one day. What about people tonight who are facing a situation where their plans have changed for the rest of their lives. What about the people whose situations tonight have changed their eternity. I try to lift them up in prayer too.

I wonder if I should even be posting this. What will people think about me posting on a blog while my child is at the hospital?  Then I think to myself... maybe God has allowed you to be able to think and write about this now, at this exact moment, because something you say will make a difference for someone in my kingdom... someone  who is fighting a battle of their own... so I am getting ready to hit "publish."

Yes, there is a battle going on all around us. It is a spiritual battle as much as a physical and mental one. But we who belong to Christ know that the battle has already been won.

Revelation 12:10-11

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Christ. 

For the accuser of our brothers, 

who accuses them before God day and night,

has been hurled down.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony."

For more on spiritual warfare go here.

Or here.

Mathetes Award

I have been neglectful. I was reading through some old posts and realized my friend Stephanie at Notes from the Soul had awarded me with the Mathetes Award back in October of last year... and I never passed in on. Now in my defense, I was fairly new to blogging at the time, and didn't totally "get" the whole award thing; and she also gave it to me right before I left to go to the Glorietta Christian Writers Conference, so things were just a little hectic.

To correct my over site I would like to talk a little about this award and pass it on now. Better late than never :)

The Mathetes Award was originated at Management by God by Dan King. Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) is to make more disciples. Dan created this award to recognize those acting as a disciple of Christ in their blogging. When you receive the award, you are asked to pass it along to at least five other bloggers who you feel are fulfilling this role and then to link back to Management by God.

I would like to pass this on to:

Melissa at Mel's World... I love her insight.

Kimberly at A Planting of the Lord... a new friend who sloshes out Christ when she writes.

Cheri at Pass the Salt, Please... a real life friend who has moved away :(

Elizabeth at Embracing Life... someone I have just met in the blogging world but who I am excited to read more from.

Janet at Living Oak Ministries... a real life friend who truly disciples me.

Beloved MaMa... another new friend in the blogging world.

and Sue at Praise and Coffee... She always challenges me and gets me to thinking.

Ladies... Please pass on this award and link back to Dan.

You guys truly bless me.

This is the prayer Dan prayed for the bloggers who receive this award on his post and I couldn't have said it better myself.

Lord,

I pray a blessing over the bloggers that receive this award, and ask that the Holy Spirit use them mightily as they share the Word of God with the world around them. May all of their efforts be fruitful, and their words carry the anointing of the Spirit of God. In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen

The King's Highway

When I was growing up, I lived in the house with my grandmother and my great-grandparents. They were “old-timey” Christians you might say. They took me to church from the time I was born. I remember an 8 track tape player that sat at the end of the couch on an end table. My grandmother would play gospel music all the time.

Great gospel classics like: Because He Lives, He Touched Me, Old Time Religion, What a Friend We Have In Jesus, Turn Your Radio On, His Name Is Wonderful… I could go on and on listing them. (BTW, if you don’t know, and are interested in what some of these songs sound like… go here to hear excerpts.)

As a matter of fact, not long ago, my friend Janet and I spent hours just talking about how much we loved the old music we grew up listening to. We took turns coming up with these awesome songs and laughing about how much fun it was to go to a “singin’” or a “tent revival.”

I am so thankful for those seeds being planted in my life at an early age. The words to those songs are incredible. My Father in Law and I drive our family crazy if we are ever flipping channels together and the Gaithers are on TV because if they are… that’s the channel we stop on. I usually know all the words which surprises some because it’s not really music from my generation.

Anyway, several of these songs have been on my mind lately. One is Hallelujah Square which I thought about when I posted on Spencer’s seizure a few days ago. The other is The King’s Highway.

I was reading my Bible and came across this:

Isaiah 35: 8-10 (NIV)
And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

I like the way The Message puts it too:
There will be a highway called the Holy Road. No one rude or rebellious is permitted on this road. It's for God's people exclusively— impossible to get lost on this road. Not even fools can get lost on it. No lions on this road, no dangerous wild animals—Nothing and no one dangerous or threatening. Only the redeemed will walk on it. The people God has ransomed will come back on this road. They'll sing as they make their way home to Zion, unfading halos of joy encircling their heads, Welcomed home with gifts of joy and gladness as all sorrows and sighs scurry into the night.

The NIV Life Application Bible says “This highway, the “Way of Holiness” is the way that righteous pilgrims will take from the desert of suffering to Zion. It is found only by following God. Only the redeemed will travel God’s highway; they will be protected from wicked travelers and harmful animals. God is preparing a way for His people to travel to His home, and He will walk with us. God never stops at simply pointing the way; he is always beside us as we go.”


God is walking on our road with us, protecting us, leading us to His heavenly home He is preparing for us. And when we finally arrive, there will be no more sorrows, no more tears, no more pain…only singing and joy.

I don’t know about you… but I am walking up the King’s Highway. Don’t you want to join me?




Doesn't this remind you of what it will be like in Heaven one day, when we are all in white washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, praising and singing to Him for eternity.

Thank you Lord for not just pointing the way, but walking with me on the Way of Holiness... The King's Highway.

Miracle Mondays

I am so excited to share with you a new meme hosted by Beth at A Mom's Life. Beloved Mama let me know about this... so thank you. Miracle Mondays is a chance for you to write about a miracle that you may have experienced or witnessed in your life. You can go to Beth's Site and sign up on Mr. Linky. Post your story with a link back to Beth so we can all hear about the amazing things God can do. 

I couldn't believe it when I read Beth's post. I shared with her that God has just been dealing with me about starting this same thing! I really feel God wants us to know He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That means He is in the miracle working business today, just like He was when He created the earth and when He walked upon it.

Instead of writing about my miracle experience here, I am going to link you to my recent post about it. It is a little long but worth it to hear about how awesome God is. You may be able to just scroll down. I was just able to share this story last Wednesday through "In Other Words" when Beloved Mama hosted it. You can even go to her site and read her post from Feb. 26 to link to other miracle stories.

Please go here and read about the awesome miracle God performed in our son's life. Please know that as I share this with you, I feel led to say that even if the outcome had been different for us during our storm, we would still believe that God is a great God and He is in control. 

He is with us on our mountain tops and in our valleys. 

I just can't praise Him enough!!

Had to share this too! One of my favorite songs.

The Battle

Fear. I've fought the battle with it many times before. It is a battle – spiritual warfare. The enemy is quick and sly and he knows what my buttons are. He knows which ones to push to start me down the path of worry. My heart beats fast in my chest. It feels tight like I can't breathe.

I run down the checklist wondering why. Did we give him his medication? Did he watch too much T.V. or play too many video games today? Is he overtired? Is he anxious or worried about something… if so what?

Spencer has just had a seizure. He was already in bed asleep. When I went in to check on him, I found him seizing. I'm not sure how long. He has had incontinence. When I turn on the light and arouse him he comes out of it. He is upset. He always worries because he thinks he has scared us. He has such a tender heart. He is always more concerned about others than about himself.

We assure him it's not his fault. We change his PJ's, clean him up, change the sheets, pray over him, put him back to bed, snuggle with him for awhile and hold our breath. Will it happen again tonight? Will we have to call 911… make hospital trip? We lay out the rescue medication just in case. It will be a long night. There won't be much sleep. I will watch him.

When I begin to focus on the problem…my mind goes all kinds of places. I won't even give the enemy the satisfaction of listing the worries. The enemy wants me to be afraid and worry. Sometimes he wins and I am afraid. I worry. Tonight…I will try very hard not to. I will stand on the promises God has given me.

When I focus on Him, the problem doesn't disappear, but He promises He will walk through my valley with me. He reminds me that He is in control. I will stand on His word.

"Do not be afraid. I am your shield, your very great reward. " Genesis 15:1

"Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there". Genesis 21:17

"Do not be afraid; the LORD your God himself will fight for you".
Deuteronomy 3:22

"News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them." Matthew 4:24

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". Romans 8:28

"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed". Isaiah 53:5

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26

There are so many more promises. He cannot go back on His promises. He is faithful. He is praying for Spencer and me. He sees us. He loves us. He was wounded and beaten for our healing. He died for us. He is coming back for us one day… and when He does and we reach our heavenly home… we will no longer have to deal with the seizures.

"They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way,say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." Isaiah 35:1-6

Are We Getting Old?

In honor of my husband's 39th birthday which is tomorrow... I thought I would share my thoughts on getting older.

Lately when I have been traveling, I notice young people on the plane or in the airport.  When I see them I think to myself, this person is too young to be traveling alone... and shouldn't they be in school or something. The problem is, they are NOT too young to be traveling alone.  I usually find out by striking up a conversation with them they are in college or recently graduated. Which means they are the age I was when I got married. What does that say about how old they must think I look?... not to mention the fact they call me "Mam". I'm all about manners, but... you know... it does make you feel old sometimes.

And... this really pushed me over the edge. My step sister is in college.  She is in a sorority. Tonight they are having an 80's mixer. That means they think my generation is so old they can dress up like we did for 70's mixers and poke fun at our clothes, hair and makeup. Hey... I still like big hair and I still have some clothes from the 80's, I just can't fit in them anymore. 

Then I received this email from a friend a while back.

"The Spoiled Under 30 Crowd

As a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning... uphill BOTH ways, in the snow... yadda, yadda, yadda.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of junk like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that...

I am over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a dang Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

1. When I was a kid, we didn't have the internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the dang library and look it up ourselves... in the card catalog!! (Do you even know what a card catalog is? Didn't think so!)

2. There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter...with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

3. There were no MP3's or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the dang record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up!

4. We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting! If you were on the p hone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!

5. And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!! You had to pick it up and take your chances mister!

6. We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like Space Invaders and Asteroids and the graphics were horrible. Your guys was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

7. When you went to the movie theater, there was no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat or big hair sat in front of you and your couldn't see that was your tough luck!

8. Sure, we had cable television, but back then it was only like 15 channels and there was no onscreen menu! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on!

And there was no Cartoon Network or Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I am saying?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons!

9. And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove or go build a fire... imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid JiffyPop thing or a pan with HOT oil and Real popcorn kernels and shake it all over the stove forever like an idiot.

10. When we were on the phone with our friends and our parents walked in, we were stuck to the wall with a cord, a 7 foot cord that ran to the phone - not to the phone base, the actual phone. We barely had enough length to sit on the floor and still be able to twirl the phone cord in our fingers. If you suddenly had to go to the bathroom - guess what we had to do - ha ng up and talk to them later.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy! You're spoiled!!

You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!"

Now I pose the question to you guys... Are we getting old?

I would love to have your comments on other funny things that make today different from the 80's.

Oh...  And Happy Birthday Sweetie!!! I love you!!