Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Birth Verses - Scriptures to Live By

Hebrews 4:16 NIV
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jana's - April 16

1 John 4:15 NIV
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him and he in God.
Mark's - April 15

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Marissa's - October 5

Romans 10:4 NIV
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Jessica's - October 4

Ephesians 3:12 NIV
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Justin's - March 12

Monday, September 29, 2008

Google allows pro-life ads after settling lawsuit

I received this information via an e-mail from Crosswalk Presents.

We have freedom of speech in America but until this victory Google did not allow that freedom in advertising regarding abortion. Thank you, Google, for listening to your users and adhering to our Constitutional right of freedom of speech. It is sad that it took a lawsuit for you to change your policy but you listened and did the right thing.

The link below takes you to an informational video about this victory and the history of the issue.

Google allows pro-life ads after settling lawsuit

Posted using ShareThis

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Tag...I Am It!!!

Ms. Bekki Leigh tagged me on her blog...
6 Unspectacular Facts about me.

1) I am only 5 foot 2
2) I hate sweating, especially while at church on the piano! But I seem to do it often.
3) I hate my nails, they are seriously messed up forever from the piano (and YES, I kept them short growing up)
4) I hate coconut....REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hate it!
5) I just walked a mile and then shared a frappuccino with my girls....HAHAHA
6) I have an algebra midterm tomorrow at 9 AM, ugh

I tag:
Katie , Chris , Kendra , Jacque , Erica, Random



terms & conditions:
1. link the person who tagged you
2. mention the rules on your blog
3. list 6 unspectacular things about you
4. tag 6 other bloggers

Friday, September 19, 2008

No Joy Today - Just sorrow - Time to Make Some Decisions

I received a sad call today. My cousin, Rob, who seemed to be improving from his stroke, died. He had regained consciousness last week and was severely depressed by his paralysis and prognosis. The doctors did everything they could to help him through the depression which is normal thing when faced with a situation of this magnitude. However, early this week, Rob's kidneys failed him and damaged his heart. He had a massive heart attack and was revived because he did not have DNR, Do Not Resucitate, on file. The doctors told my aunt that Rob would never come home after the kidney failure completely destroyed his kidneys. They said he would, if he recovered from the heart attack, spend the rest of his life on dialysis 24 hours a day. Well, faced with that disturbing prognosis and knowing how Rob felt about this horrible turn in his life, my aunt and her family were faced with the decision of whether to leave Rob on life support, waiting for him to recover from the heart attack and then watch him suffer the rest of his life, OR, let him go. They made the heart wrenching decision to let him go.

My aunt has now been faced with this agnonizing decision twice in her life. Now, with Rob, and years ago when she and my mom and their brothers had to decide whether to take my Grandmother off life support. She had suffered a massive aneurysm and never regained consciouness. The decision back then was the same that my aunt, uncle and their other two children made today. However, my grandmother had slipped from this world just before they went to tell the doctors of their decision.

This brings up a vital issue. Do you have a preference regarding the care you would receive in the event of a catastrophic illness or injury? My mother was going home to talk to my brother about making that decision now, signing a form that states that decision, and carrying it with him at all times. She does not want to be put in the position my aunt was in today. She told me, "Once was enough and I don't want to have to decide something like that about one of my kids!"

Mark and I recently filled out Living Wills and had them documented with a lawyer. In the will, we state our preference so that none of our family members will be faced with having to make a decision about something so tragic. Have you written out your preferences? Have you even discussed those preferences with your loved ones? If you have children, don't leave that decision up to them in the future. Also, a Living Will allows you to put into writing what you want to happen to your children should you die. Who you want them to live with, what cherished items you want them to have, etc. can be documented there as well.

Don't wait. Take care of planning for any eventuallity today! And that includes making sure you have a Living Will, signed and documented with the blood of Jesus Christ! Are you saved? Have you been baptized in Jesus' name? Don't leave that decision to fate. Ensure your future and get your name written in the Book of Life and also take care of those earthly decisions as well!

Please pray for the Fairchild family as they grieve the loss of my cousin.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Back to the Grind!

School is back in session. I am taking 12.5 units and working 30 hours a week at the college. I have had several AWESOME SI sessions in the first week! It was exciting when last Friday, most of the students day off from school, I opened a session and had 7 students attend. Talk about peer facilitated learning! We were able to use several different procedures to process the Public Speaking information we needed to learn for the first Identity Speech, which is an informative speech. I have only had two sessions where no one showed up. Last semester, my Speech 9 Interpersonal Communication class only had 4 students show up the whole semester. Two showed up for midterms and two more showed up for finals! So this year is promising to be much better!

The students in my Speech 1 Public Speaking class had their first speeches this week and it was quite interesting to hear all the different stories these students shared about who they are and what has influenced them. One student talked about his being in the Army and going to Iraq where he lost 8 of his platoon members within the first month. He also spoke about how those that survived the attack where these men died, came home with missing limbs, eyes gone, minds blown from the trauma. He also said that he is back in college to eventually become a Psychiatrist because he saw many of the wounded veterans being given anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, and pain killers to help them deal with their mental anguish and NOT receive adequate mental health care. I commend him for his service to our country and for his desire to help his fellow soldiers in the future.

Another student spoke about how her parents didn't like how she was growing up here in the U.S. and sent her to their native country the Philippines. She shared how the culture there was so different and how that as she was eating at a McDonald's each day at lunch, she would see the children begging in the streets, willing to eat her left overs. This impacted her greatly and she learned the value of money and how to appreciate everything she had. It also taught her humility and respect for other cultures, adults, and to value her education more. She had a huge picture of herself as her visual aid and it was missing a piece, like a puzzle. As she closed her speech, she said that her parents sending her to the Philippines helped her to find the missing part of who she was. It was quite impressive and powerful.

Other topics included: influence of parents, being the first to graduate from high school in their family, car wrecks, sports culture and coaches, having babies young, music and its' influences, and other topics. I would say 90% of the students did VERY well for their first speech.

Now that the ID speeches are over, it is time to start working with them on their Demonstration speeches and Chapter Seminars. So tomorrow I hope I will have students attend the sessions and we can get going on these new speeches.

OH, and I joined the Speech and Debate team! SCARY! Not really but it is something different for me. I am looking into two different Informative topics and one Persuasive topic. I also plan to do a Oral Interpretation of Prose. So, pray for me to do well. I must attend two tournaments and I want to do well.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Urgent Prayer Request

I have an urgent prayer request. My cousin, Rob, who is in his mid 30's, suffered a stroke sometime Monday night. He was found by his brother, unconcious, after they couldn't wake him and he seemed to be ignoring his alarm clock for over an hour. He is in neurological intensive care, in a drug induced "coma", with a hemorraghic bleed between his left and right hemispheres. The location of the bleed makes it impossible for the doctors to operate and repair it. They think he may be paralyzed on his right side and now his kidneys are failing. He asphyxiated when the stroke originally occured and is on a ventilator.

Since they are in Fort Worth, I called the church where Steve Pixler pastors to see if Bro. Pixler could go and pray for Rob and with my Aunt Louise and Uncle Robert. Bro. Pixler was out of town so another minister, Bro. Litke, called me for the pertinent information and went to the hospital tonight. Bro. Litke called after the visit to let me know that he was able to visit with my family and pray with them. He also said that Pastor Flowers from Mesquite was on his way to visit the family as well. Bro. Litke promised to send out an email prayer request to their church family so that there would be continued prayer for Rob's healing and salvation. I am so thankful for the body of Christ who, when notified of a need, are willing to go the extra mile and who bombard heaven with their prayers.

Please pray that God heals Rob and gives him an opportunity to come to know the Lord in a more powerful way. I appreciate you and covet your prayers for Rob's healing.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Finally....A new post

Sorry I have been so remiss here lately. It has been exactly one month since I last posted. Lots of things have happened but nothing seemed like it just HAD to be blogged about! But here I sit tonight on the brink of a new semester of college. I will be taking 12.5 units and working 30 hours as a Supplemental Instruction Leader at Riverside Community College. Fortunately, I have been privileged to be rehired for my third semester as SIL. I will be SIL for two Public Speaking classes and one Interpersonal Communications class. It will be a busy, fun, and rewarding semester.

Thanks for coming back after such a long hiatus and visiting with me. Pray for me to do well with my classes and job and more importantly, let the light of Jesus shine through me so someone will be drawn to Him.