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By: Alvina,
on 12/28/2015
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| Greg Taylor (1975-2015) |
My beloved husband, Greg Taylor, passed away on December 25, 2015, Christmas afternoon, around 2:30 pm.
I would like to share our love story.
We met on Craigslist (yes, Craigslist--they have a dating site). On a Sunday afternoon, September 23, 2007, I answered his personal ad and we exchanged our first emails. His personals posting had the heading as simply "hi" and the post was a list of funny and random things about him, including "I'm taller than you, even if you're tall."
I responded with "hi back" and a corresponding list, including "I'm shorter than you, even if you're short. But most people say I don't 'look' short."
We met for the first time on a Friday night, September 28, after work in front of the (now gone) Virgin Megastore in Union Square. I arrived first, and was listening to my iPod. As he approached, I removed my headphones, got flustered because he was so handsome, and my earbuds got tangled. I handed them to him to hold for a second, a gesture he for some reason found endearing and would mention for years later. We decided to walk and find a place to eat, and ended up at Yaffa Cafe on St. Mark's Street (also now gone). For many years later, on September 28 we would go back and meet in front of the Virgin Megastore, which eventually was turned into a Duane Reade drugstore (of course).
We sat in the back courtyard and talked and talked and talked. He was a fifth-grade teacher, I was a children's book editor, he was studying history in grad school, I was always thirsty to learn more about everything. I liked sushi, he didn't eat raw meat. I had gone skydiving, he preferred his feet on the ground. But we couldn't stop looking into each other's eyes. His eyes were the most beautiful blue-gray. He told me they changed colors in the light, and I later discovered that they were sometimes flecked with green.
I had a birthday party to attend later that night in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, and asked him if he wanted to come with me. When he agreed, I knew he liked me. (He had told me earlier that he hated Williamsburg.) He told me later that when I asked him to come with me, he knew I liked him, too.
Now here's the "falling in love" montage. Kissing like there was no tomorrow. Going for walks--he showed me his neighborhood in Brooklyn and we walked to the Brooklyn museum and watched a dog frolic in the jumping fountain. It was there that we took our first picture together:
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| This is also the hat he wore when we first met. |
Meeting each other's friends. House and dog sitting out in New Jersey (he LOVED dogs). Teaching me to play golf (he LOVED golf). Drinking a lot of wine (he LOVED wine). Introducing me to opera. Going to parties and weddings together, going to lots and lots of diners. (Later, when we briefly were looking to buy an apartment, it was important to us that the neighborhood have a diner.) Emails, texts, phone calls. Making each other laugh. Holidays. Supporting each other's careers. |
| Dog sitting Maggie, Roxie, and Caesar |
He would share the books I edited with his students, especially Grace Lin's Year of the Dog, and he would proudly tell his students that he was friends with the real-life Melody who was a character in the book. When I attended his school's holiday concert, he introduced me as Melody and I was a celebrity. I later spoke to his school about being a children's book editor.
We took a trip out to Iowa together, where he spent his summers as a kid. Showing off, he took us down a backroad where we promptly got stuck in the mud and he had to call his uncle for help--they laughed and said he was a city boy now.
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| Not a smart thing to do in a rental PT Cruiser |
He started flying out to my parents' home in Southern California with me and ended up falling in love with California, and especially my parents' backyard. (He wanted to live there. In my parents' basement.) We played a lot of tennis and golf.
His mother was diagnosed with cancer, and he flew out to stay with her for six months to care for her. I went to visit him while he was there and spent Thanksgiving with his family and stayed in his childhood home.
We moved in together into his tiny 5th-floor walk-up apartment in Park Slope. The two of us and his two cats, Venus and Serena, made a nice family. And then in October 2011 he proposed, on the same rock in Central Park where my parents got engaged.
We were married less than a year later on July 21, 2012, in my parents backyard.
It was a glorious day, and we were excited to start a life together as husband and wife.
And then he was diagnosed with cancer, synovial sarcoma, about six months after our wedding. You can read about that initial journey here. Major surgery, long recover, chemo, and then another long recovery.
Just as Greg was starting to regain his strength, we found out that his cancer had recurred in January 2014. We knew that with Greg's type of cancer, once it came back, there was no cure. At first, Greg didn't want any treatment--he didn't want to go through chemo again. We decided to travel--to Rome, and then Paris. Greg left the US for the first time (aside from Mexico) in February 2014 and we went to Rome and had a glorious week. Before he died, Greg wanted to walk where Augustus walked.
On the night before we were to leave for Paris, he was struck by excruciating tumor pain. We stayed in Rome for another week while we stabilized the pain, and then flew back to NY where he agreed to try a pill form of chemo. We were told that if the chemo worked, it would probably only work for 3-4 months. That pill ended up working for 18 months, and although he wasn't feeling great all the time, we were able to still have a relatively stable life. The chemo turned his facial pigmentation and hair snow white. He hated how his face looked and so he covered it with facial hair. Kids especially would stare at him--either thinking he was a pirate, or Santa, or, as we joked, a pirate Santa. Twice, once in our apartment lobby, and once at the Brooklyn Museum, he had a kid point to him and say, "Look! It's a pirate!" |
| Right before pirate Santa decided to shave his beard off. |
We went to the US Open, a few hockey games and baseball games, and took a trip down to Atlantic City to see Bob Dylan perform.
Through it all, Greg handled his illness with courage and grace. It wasn't easy by any means, but I was eternally grateful to him for how he accepted and dealt with his situation. He knew this cancer would probably kill him, and although he was terrified of dying, his goal was to get as many good days out of life as possible. He had always been loving and attentive and romantic, but these past three years, he became even more so.
For my 40th birthday last year, because he knew he didn't have the energy to take me out or throw me a party, he threw me a cyber party instead. He got over 100 T-shirts made in our wedding colors (fuchsia and purple) with the Chinese character for "love" on the back, and my last name in Chinese "Ling" on the front, to match the tattoo on my shoulder. He sent them to friends and families all around the US, and asked them to take pictures of themselves in the shirts and email, Tweet, and Facebook the pictures to me on my birthday. Here are just a few:
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He told me he needed to make sure to tell me how much he loved me as much as he could in the time he had left. He told me that I should feel comforted in knowing how much I made his life better. He told me how in awe he was that he had met me, that I had responded to that one Craigslist ad so many years ago. He left me love notes around the apartment, on my computer, in my wallet. We had so many silly inside jokes, and I'm mourning the passing of what was known only between us. And of the children we never had (he was SO GREAT with kids, and would have made an amazing father), of our future that has been cut short.
But, I'm also so so so grateful for the time we had together. I loved him unconditionally. I loved his all-enveloping hugs, his sweet kisses in the middle of the night. I think we probably laughed even more together in these past three years--it became almost a competition to make the other laugh. We made up funny dances and funny voices. He got more and more into music, especially Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and John Lennon (he admired the great love between John and Yoko), and also discovered a love for Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, Motown. But, Bob Dylan above all.
Gradually, the chemo stopped working, and Greg started having more and more pain. We tried one last chemo, which worked for two months, and we knew that we were running out of options. A few months ago, we found out that Greg had a spot in an immunotherapy trial at Sloan Kettering, and we jumped at the chance. It was a Phase 1 trial, never tested on humans, but we knew if there was someday going to be a cure, it was probably going to be through immunotherapy. But on the day he was due to start, they discovered that his liver levels were high, which disqualified him from the trial, and the doctor sent him over to the hospital to see if they could solve the problem so that he could start the trial.
He had a procedure done to help drain the bile from the liver (which they thought was causing the high levels). Unfortunately, his liver levels didn't improve, and other liver levels were starting to get high as well. We knew that he had at least one tumor in the liver, and that once the liver starts to go, it can end quickly.
Every night after I left the hospital to go home, he sent me a text. "I love you sweetheart. More than anything. You are such a superhero." His last text to me was, "You are the best thing to ever happen to me." He was the best thing to ever happen to me, too.
Eventually, they started Greg on chemo while in the hospital, and he was released on December 23rd--we were thrilled to have him home for the holidays! This is the last picture we took together, in his hospital room while waiting for our ride home:
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| As my mother told Greg the last time she saw him, "You're still very handsome!" |
After one night at home (Venus was ecstatic to have us both home again!), we ended up calling 911 and going to the ER in an ambulance on Christmas Eve. Greg had been struggling with nausea and ended up vomiting blood and fainting a few times. He was admitted into the ICU for observation, as they suspected internal bleeding. But, he appeared stable after getting fluids, with no symptoms aside from some weakness and dizziness.
But on Friday morning he suddenly started having seizures, and then started bleeding profusely internally. The doctors were able to stabilize him with a breathing tube and blood transfusions, but we knew there wasn't hope for a full recovery, and I knew Greg didn't want any drastic measures taken just to keep him alive. They removed the breathing tube and Greg rested peacefully for a few hours before passing on while I held his hand.
Over the two-week hospital stay, we knew that the end was coming--Greg said he didn't know if he had days, or weeks, or months, so he was going to focus on enjoying each minute with me. I'm going to focus on each minute at a time. And breathing. This last year especially, Greg was struggling, and his bad days were outnumbering his good days. Recently, he said that the pain and complications he was having were making it easier to let go. I know he is at peace now.
Greg did not want to have a funeral, but he will be buried in Iowa where he spent his summers. He wanted his body to rest under open skies.
Greg started his care at Mt. Sinai with Dr. Robert Maki and Nurse Practitioner Linda Ahn (who is now at Sloan Kettering). They made the whole process more comforting for both of us, and even though I wish we had never had to meet them, I'm thankful they were in our lives.
I'm grateful to his many doctors and nurses--at Mt. Sinai, at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and at New York Methodist. They have such a tough, important job, and see suffering and death every day.
I'm also so blessed to have such loving friends and family and colleagues, including the authors and illustrators I work with, who have supported us over the years and are mourning the loss of Greg, too. This isn't a unique journey that we traveled on--what's devastating is that so many people are touched by tragedy.
I know Greg didn't want a big deal made of his death. But, for my own healing, I wanted to acknowledge publicly what an extraordinary man he was. He was full of passions--whether it was golf, wine, watches, jewelry, opera, American history, Chinese history, Andy Kaufman, dogs, cats, lacrosse, soccer...or me!--when he loved something, he loved it with all of himself, and learned everything he could. He was supremely moral, had a kind heart, and was sometimes loyal to a fault. He was sardonic, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and silly. He could put kids at ease in seconds. He had a deep voice that got higher and lighter when he was in pain--I knew he was feeling strong when his voice was deep. He was ticklish, and especially hated when I touched his feet. He watched the same movies over and over again, memorized the best lines, and would constantly call me to watch funny scenes. He also loved pointing out continuity errors. When he was in pain, he told me it helped him when I held his hand.
His favorite books were The Plague by Albert Camus, and Sophie's Choice by William Styron. His favorite song was "Love Minus Zero" by Bob Dylan. His favorite movie was "Deer Hunter."
People loved to tease him--he had the kind of personality that made people feel like he could take it. But he was sometimes sensitive about it. Sometimes he just wanted people to be nice to him. He was ferocious (but nice!) when dealing with customer service, and usually got what he wanted. He hated being told what to do, but I knew he took everything in, even when he was arguing (and when he was arguing, he always sounded angrier than he really was), and was able to keep an open mind. He was always so proud of me and my career, and embarrassed me by boasting about me to everyone he knew. And he was an astonishingly good teacher--so many of his students stayed in touch with him, and I feel lucky to have met so many of them. He made a difference in their lives. He made a difference in the world.
Although he was an introvert at heart, he was the mayor of his old block. He knew everyone and they knew him. He was buddies with all of the shop keepers--one of them helped him get up the stairs of his apartment when he came home after his surgery. They always asked me how he was doing after his surgery. He made Brooklyn into a small town. Although his time was cut short, he had a rich, fulfilling life, and so many people who loved him.
The day after his death, I remembered that he had wanted to make me a music mix before he died, and I was feeling bereft that he hadn't been able to do it. But I checked my computer just in case, and there it was, a playlist called "For Alvina" and it was like he was giving me a hug and a message from the great beyond. The last two songs on the mix are "Shelter from the Storm" and "Across the Universe."
For those of you who have read this far, thank you for bearing with me. My mother is with me now, and I've been surrounded by friends, both virtually and in person. Greg and my dear friends Donna and Daniel were with me at the hospital when he died, and took care of me that night and the next day.
And just to leave this on a note of levity, albeit one that I'm finding profound right now, this is a silly email Greg sent me while I was at work and then out to dinner about a month ago. Venus is our one remaining cat (Serena also passed away from cancer about a year ago). Warning, there is cursing ahead!:
I'm very lonely. Venus is also lonely. The two of us are acting like our worlds have been destroyed.
While we cuddled - more like held on to one another as the universe battered us - she said, "Dad?"
I said, "What is it, sweetie?"
"I miss Alvina."
I said, "I do to, Venus. I miss her too."
She asked, "Is it always going to be like this? Is it always going to hurt this much?"
I explained to her that it will always hurt but that we will get better at dealing with it. Eventually the wound will heal and a scar will grow in its place, making us stronger.
She said, "What?"
"Ugh," I said. "Right now we hurt because the wound is so new. As time passes the wound will close and a scar will form."
She replied, "What are you talking about? I don't have any open wounds. I said I miss Alvina."
"It's a metaphor," I said. "We are wounded EMOTIONALLY. We will develop EMOTIONAL scars."
She said, "I have no idea what a metaphor is. A metaphor? What the fuck is a metaphor! I'm a fucking cat. Stop treating me like a human being, because I'm not a human being. Also, STOP TOUCHING ME!"
Then she swatted at me and jumped off the bed and ran into the other room.
Venus and I both miss Greg. I wait for the wound to close and the scars to form.
On behalf of the co-author team, I’d like to thank you for your dedication to the writers you teach. As the eight of us know, the work of a teacher of writers is… Continue reading →
By: Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski,
on 11/25/2015
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What are the books that have shaped you as a teacher of writing? Reflecting today, in thanks, for the authors and books that have influenced my life as a teacher. 
Hi folks, I'm continuing my Uplift series. A short one this week but full of riches!
One way to cause your work to soar is to be thankful. We choke on our successes when we don't take the time to thank others for their helpfulness. Acknowledging others is a way of sharing your success; it's a trans-formative process. It acknowledges you did not create work in a vacuum. You are interconnected with all around you; without the spokes to your wheel, you never go far.
Some keep a gratitude journal to remember all the great things that they wants to give thanks about. Others take time every day to be thankful. There is no best way. Thankfulness helps lift me from a depressed state and gives me hope. It helps me avoid stifling my imagination, choking my growth, and losing my joy. Being thankful makes the ties that bind to be much stronger.
Thankfulness is getting above the waves of life and surfing over a turbulent ocean. You will find your way, day by day. Complexity does not equal better. Thankfulness simplifies you and puts you in touch with the better parts of yourself. It sweetens hard work. It helps you approach work in a way is not "crazy making."
Giving thanks makes you strong, so difficult to knock over. It makes you a better person. The act of thankfulness leads you to right choices and will move you closer to wherever you want to be. A thankful heart is better than a pain reliever; it can cure what ails you.
Finally, if you want your work to sing? Sing the praises of others. Giving honor and acknowledgement to those people who have helped you along the way. Enrich your life.
We live in troubled times; it's comforting to know that one simple act can do so much for everyone.
I will be back next week with more Uplift.
Here is the week's doodle, The Peace Monument, Bamako, Mali.
A quote for your pocket.
Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life. Robert Louis Stevenson
By: Elizabeth Moore (@BethMooreTCRWP),
on 11/28/2014
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When you share your gratitude for someone's support, you give them energy and inspiration to keep on going.
By: Elizabeth Moore (@BethMooreTCRWP),
on 11/28/2014
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When you share your gratitude for someone's support, you give them energy and inspiration to keep on going.
I’m posting over on the Emblazoners site today. Come on over to see what I’m thankful for this holiday season :) http://emblazoners.com/thank-your-lucky-stars Tagged: lucky stars, shooting stars, thankful, thanksgiving
Lord on this Labor Day,
we celebrate the work we do,
and we thank You for the blessing of our jobs.
We ask for those seeking employment that
You guide them in their search for work.
We ask for guidance when we are confused.
We ask for patience when working through conflicts.
We ask for strength to complete each day.
We ask for rest when we are weary.
We ask that You be with those whose faces
we might never see but who work tirelessly
each day for the good of us all.
'Lord, support us all day long until shadows lengthen,
evening comes, the busy world hushed, the fever of life
is over and our life's work is done.
Then, in Thy tender mercy, give us safe lodging, holy
rest and everlasting peace at your side for eternity.'
Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,Donna M. McDineMulti Award-winning Children's Author
Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewPowder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewHockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Farvorite Five Star ReviewThe Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist 
Thinking about writing a poem? A poem full of Thanksgiving is a great place to start.
Looking for a pre-Thanksgiving lesson to do with your students? Consider having them write gratitude poems or songs of thanks. Katherine Paterson and Pamela Dalton's new book, Giving Thanks: Poems, Prayers, and Praise Songs, can be used to inspire their writing. Leave a comment on this post if you'd like to be entered in a drawing for a copy of this book.
As an instructional coach, a key part of my job is to encourage and inspire teachers. This is one of my favorite things about my job. It isn’t easy to be the person… Read More →
Digital greeting card made with Smilebox
Digital greeting card made with Smilebox
I think God has been trying to get something through to me.
It's in books I'm reading, sermons I'm hearing, video ads I'm viewing, conversations I'm having, counsel I am receiving. I am beginning to get the message, I think, although it has a ways to go to sink down from head to heart. I'm not even certain of all the implications. But I think God is telling me I'm looking at myself the wrong way.
I'm not a sinner, in need of God's mercy and grace. I'm a sinner, already saved by grace.
The distinction is subtle, but critical. The first perspective puts the burden on me, the sinner, to come to God, to repent, to ask for what I need. The second viewpoint puts the emphasis on God, on what He has already done, and not just for me, but for all sinners who have put their trust in Him. It's not even something that "I just need to embrace," as I wanted to write just now. It's already embracing me. If there is anything I need to do, it's just to be thankful.
As Brennan Manning says in The Ragamuffin Gospel:
The saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise. He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven. It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness. Thus the sequence of forgiveness and then repentance, rather than repentance and then forgiveness, is crucial for understanding the gospel of grace.
Growing up in a tradition that didn't emphasize regular repentance, there was something about weekly confession in the liturgical service that appealed to me, that felt right and good. I'd like to say that it was an expression of gratitude, as Manning says, but in hindsight, I'm thinking it appealed more to the "good girl" in me, looking for ways to please God and earn his approval...and my own.
I'm not sure what it is in me that thinks I must earn what I could just have...or thinks I need to judge whether I deserve it or not. But it's been a revelation to discover that in fact, that's what I've been doing...when I could just delight in what is already mine.
For those who feel their lives are a grave disappointment to God, it requires enormous trust and reckless, raging confidence to accept that the love of Christ knows no shadow of alteration or change. (Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel)
More pleasing to Me than all your prayers, works and penances is that you would believe I love you. ~Jesus' words to Marjory Kempe in 1667 (quoted by Manning, TRG)
Preoccupation with self is always a major component of unhealthy guilt and recrimination. It stirs our emotions, churning in self-destructive ways, closes us in upon the mighty citadel of self, leads to depression and despair, and preempts the presence of a compassionate God. The language of unhealthy guilt is harsh. It is demanding, abusing, criticizing, rejecting, accusing, blaming, condemning, reproaching, and scolding. It is one of impatience and chastisement. Christians are shocked and horrified because they have failed. (Manning, TRG)
That's me...so upset with myself because I fail on a daily basis. I fail to be the wife, the mother, the daughter, the neighbor, the pastor's wife, the parent, the teacher I feel I could and should be. And how else am I going to be any better, I think, if I don't reproach and scold myself about the way
Well, she's all moved in. With a little help from her fam!
There actually was enough room in the closet for her all her clothes. We were surprised.
Since this picture was taken, she and her roommate have bought matching shower curtains to cover their closets, so all the clothes aren't exposed to view. I forgot to ask what color.
She took a page from "Legally Blonde" with her room decor--all hot pink!
And here's how she feels about college so far....
And how is Mom? Everyone keeps asking me that, and honestly, I'm just so happy for her, that I haven't even begun to really feel much sadness. I think it will sink in eventually. But considering how close she came to going a completely different route and missing out on this entirely, I am just so relieved and thrilled and happy to be back to Plan A! As we left her on Saturday, I barely had room for any emotion other than overwhelming thankfulness for this opportunity for her.
And God is doing a work in her heart. I wish I could share some of the things she's learned from going through all the heartbreak, pain, anger and confusion, and finally moved on to acceptance and thankfulness. We've had so many good conversations, and she's continuing, even in these first whirlwind days of orientation and activities, to lean into God and to rediscover her self.
Her Facebook status today is "God is so GOOD." For an 18-year-old girl who's had to change her Facebook profile from "engaged" to "in a relationship" to "single" in the last two months, that's a pretty huge statement.
I am so proud of her. And so thankful!
We're back--and we had a great time on a 7-night Caribbean cruise!
It all came together so fast. We knew we had a big anniversary this year, so it was in the back of our minds that we really ought to make sure we did something special. With a December 20 anniversary, it's easy to let anniversary plans get lost in the busyness of the holidays.
Then I heard about a website that had last-minute cruise deals and a monthly e-newsletter, so I subscribed. My parents had taken a cruise last year--their first time--and had loved it, and it sounded appealing to us in several ways. In the first place, we were both too tired to make decisions about where to go, how to get there, what to do when we arrived, etc. A cruise sounded like a trip with few, if any, decisions to make beyond picking the date and the boat! It also sounded appealing from a budget standpoint. With food, accommodations and transportation all included in the discounted prices, it was a great deal.
As the winter wore on and B15 and Blondechick were making plans to go California with their choir in early March, we started having cabin fever. Then our bishop's wife prescribed some time away for just the two of us, and that clinched it! We looked at a calendar and settled on a good week--Blondechick and B15's spring break, so that they would be around to help Grandma and Grandpa Rooster with the younger kids. We picked out a Holland America ship, the Westerdam, which sounded like it was going to some nice places, leaving Ft. Lauderdale and stopping at Grand Turk in the Caicos Islands, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Philipsburg on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, and finally at Half Moon Cay, a nearly untouched island owned by several cruise companies.
And we couldn't have had a better experience. We had beautiful weather, a quiet room, fabulous food, super entertainment and incredible service. We got to go snorkeling and horseback riding in the ocean. We enjoyed the water, the sand, the shops, the history and the people everywhere we went. At meals, we sat with interesting folks from all over the world, most of them older than ourselves and with fascinating stories to tell. (Many of them were Canadians--apparently they are even more desperate than we Midwesterners to get out of the cold!) The crew also was a multicultural group, with huge smiles and delightful lilting accents surrounding us at all times.
Papa Rooster took hundreds of pictures, and I'll be posting more about our trip soon. But for now, I am thankful to be back with our kids, thankful for health and safety for us all while we were gone, thankful that we got the time away together...and that it was such a perfect trip!
By: At A Hen's Pace,
on 3/17/2011
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It's hard to imagine a situation such as the one in Japan right now. My life goes on as usual, and the many needs, distractions, choices and decisions of the day occupy my mind to the point that I can't even remember to pray consistently for those people on the other side of the globe who are suffering so much.
Yesterday I read a letter from the Anglican Archbishop of Japan, describing efforts made to communicate with the churches in the devastated areas. No one knows if these churches or their congregations still exist or not. He described relief efforts they are trying to organize. They sound nearly as helpless as I feel, but he ended with this paragraph:
What we can do right now, however, is pray. Prayer has power. I hope and request that you pray for the people who are affected, for those who have died and for their families. Pray for the people involved with the rescue efforts, and in particular pray for Tohoku and Kita Kanto dioceses and their priests and parishioners during this time of Lent.
After I read this, I asked B12 and Chicklet8 to stop and join me to pray for the people in Japan. We got on our knees and took turns praying earnestly out loud for families who don't know if their relatives are alive, for children who have lost parents and parents who have lost children, for families who have no homes, for relief workers trying to rescue people, for people who need rescuing and have not been found yet. After the last "Amen," the children didn't move. They stayed on their knees.
After a few moments, C8 got a pencil and went to the refrigerator, where I had hung a large sheet of paper with the title "We are thankful for...." I had hung it weeks ago, meaning to have a family meeting to invite the kids, as part of Lent, to cover it with words and phrases. But life has been too busy, or I forgot to seize the moment, and I had begun to wonder if anyone would just...begin to write on it. The title did explain it all.
Deliberately, Chicklet wrote, "My family, my friends, my home!"
Her instinct, in the midst of intercession, was to give thanks. And she was exactly right.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil. 4:6)
~For the survivors being pulled from the devastation in Japan, this is for you.~
photo taken at Carmel Mission, CA.
This poem was November's winner on my Monthly Poetry Contest for kids at www.joe-sottile.com. The poem that wins has to simply be good and say something about our lives. This one is both, written by an 8th grader.
I Am Thankful
By MatthewJoseph Feyh
I am thankful for everything given tome.
I am thankfulfor a place to stay.
I am thankfulfor warmth every night.
I am thankfulfor friends that care.
I am thankfulfor food to spare.
I am thankfulfor grandparents that love.
By:
Marley Gibson,
on 11/24/2010
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Books, Boys, Buzz
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As I write this from the passenger seat of my RV, we are about two hours east of Santa Monica which will conclude our coast-to-coast trip that began in Baltimore on November 5th. We're pulling into SoCal just in time to be included in a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and celebration with our friends The Wilsons.
Having just come cross-country, over 3,000 miles, there is much thankfulness. I'm thankful for the love and support of my sweetheart, Patrick, who not only did his share of driving us out here, he also took care of pumping the gas, dumping the water tanks (don't make me go into too much detail! LOL!), and taking care of any needed repairs here and there.
I'm also very thankful to the many friends and family we stayed with (called "boondocking" in RV vernacular) along the way from Baltimore to Chicago to St. Louis to Joplin, across Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, to Arizona and finally to California.
And I'm thankful for this beautiful country that we live in. I am truly in awe of her beauty...literally, from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans. We watched the leaves turn colors on the east coast and then saw the flat plains of the midwest change into the deserts of the southwest and into the mountains. I'm a writer, yet I have no words to describe the things we've seen except...wow.
The beautiful mountains of western Arizona along Old Route 66
The Petrified Forest in eastern Arizona
The Painted Desert in eastern Arizona
The world's largest rocking chair in Cuba, MO
I will be most thankful on Thursday when I sit down to a wonderful dinner with friends who were kind enough to bring us into their fold for the holiday. And, I will be most thankful on Saturday if my beloved Crimson Tide and completely mess up the Auburn Tigers' "perfect" record with a win in the Iron Bowl. LOL! What...I can't be grateful for my football team?
Shout out and thanks to the wonderful people at RTBookReview.com for their amazing support of the Buzz Blog Girls and featuring us to give advice to aspiring writers of young adult fiction. If you haven't already done it, check out the article here.
And in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday and the upcoming Christmas holiday season, I am giving away a copy of my book, CHRISTMAS MIRACLES. To be eligible to win, please post in the comment trail what you're most grateful and thankful for...from the most sincere and heartfelt...to the most quirky. One (1) winner* will receive an autographed copy fo CHRISTMAS MIRACLES.
Happy Thanksgiving and Roll Tide!
Hugs,
Marley = )
Ghosts don't hang up their sheets after Halloween!
GHOST HUNTRESS series - The Awakening, The Guidance,
The Reason, The Counseling - available now!
*Contest is open to US and Canadian residents.
My family has never been one of those that goes around the Thanksgiving table and has everyone say what they're thankful for. It always seemed a little cheesy to me. But since I'm now a cheese-free vegan I think I can go for it with feeling dorky.
 |
| Tasty ginger cookies. |
Besides, it's always a good idea to keep perspective on the good things that are happening, because sometimes it's too easy to dwell on the bad. Here goes. My list of things that I'm thankful for in 2010.
- my parents (for being here and healthy and always supportive)
- my friends (for same and for letting me whine and keeping me going)
- my agent (for always being ready with a hooray)
- my editor (for helping make those hoorays possible)
- my dog (for always wiggling when I get home)
- the opportunities life has given me
- the opportunities I've made in life
- the infinite resource the internet
- warm blankets on a cold night
- the beautiful blue sky outside my window
Wow, pretty amazing list when I look at it all lined up.
As a bonus item for today, I'm thankful for the fabulous
RT Book Reviews because they asked us Buzz girls for some advice on how to write YA books and they're posting it on their blog today. (FYI, they have
a really great collection of YA news, interviews, and guest posts.)
Now, for the contest. I'm giving away a signed copy of
Forgive My Fins.
* To enter,
comment with your favorite meat-free Thanksgiving dish. (Double points if you include a recipe or a link to one.) I'm going to give
this one a try.
Hugs,
TLC
teralynnchilds.com@teralynnchilds* US/Canada only, winners to be announced Monday
I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with clients all over the world from my home here in Norway! The photo is from a Norwegian exhibition for illustrators this month, where I exhibited one of my illustrations for Highlights High Five Magazine.
By:
Roberta Baird,
on 11/15/2010
Blog:
A Mouse in the House
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By: At A Hen's Pace,
on 11/1/2010
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No, we don't "celebrate" Halloween. But we do allow our children to play dress-up and go door-to-door begging for treats. It's the annual costume parade!
Resale shops are a costumer's paradise in October. We used to have a helmet, shield and breastplate like this when B19 was about B5's age; it fell into disrepair with two more younger brothers. It was nice to find that same set for B5!
By: At A Hen's Pace,
on 8/12/2010
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We're back! I didn't mean to leave my blog unattended for so long but was faced with the blogger's dilemma: Do I let people know that we're out of town for two weeks? Or just let them guess? Not only did we spend 5 days in Washington DC, but we stopped at my parents' home in Ohio on the way out, and again on the way back.
I hope to post lots of pictures soon, but for now, I just want to pour
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So true! Three things I've learned in seven years as an Anglican:
Every week, when we pray,
"Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspirations of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord."
my mind would be deluged with the most inappropriate thoughts you can imagine. If I had been raised Pentecostal, I would have thought it was a demonic attack. (Sometimes I wondered anyway.) Given my upbringing, I immediately began wrestling with my own mind. The harder I pushed those thoughts away, the deeper and heavier they pressed in on me. One Sunday, after several years of this struggle, I realized this prayer was not God commanding me to clean up my act; it was me asking Him to do something I couldn't.
It always puzzled me that the Confession comes after the Prayers of the People. I was taught that unless my heart is first pure, God can't hear me. Only recently did I realize that His mercy (and only in mercy can He hear our prayers) is not contingent on our performance, or even our confession. Our confession is a response to His mercy, and not the other way around.
The church I grew up in was always asking, "Are you saved? If you died tonight..." We were very concerned with who was in or out *at that particular moment.* Salvation was like a light switch that could be turned on or off instantly. It took me years to realize that the God who was preparing me for His kingdom could not be taken by surprise at the timing of my arrival. I have been saved, I am being saved, I shall be saved.
Dan,
Great thoughts. Thanks for sharing your own journey along a similar path!
Jeanne
thank you, J. i was just telling Steve last night in bed that I was tired of trying so hard. that all I do is try try try ( and beat myself up) for all the things I don't do, and also wonder why i don't get out what i put in (in regards to relationships especially)...
i watched this little video and it really spoke to me in ways that I was surprised by: http://youtu.be/YX3FIBS7LRM
rambling thoughts, have to keep thinking (not far on the road either) but i am grateful for your sharing. comes at the right time for me.
Sarah
That's beautiful. It's pretty much what I try to make my ministry all about, but I still need to be reminded too. I have that book on my shelf upstairs--time to get it down and read it!
One of my favorite hymns expresses it beautifully, and this applies not just to our salvation, but to daily life------Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,--Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured--There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, Grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within, Grace, Grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. I rest in this truth, and He knows I'm human with failings and loves me anyway, and did from the beginning, before I came to Him...Pianomum
Thanks for writing this. Definitely something I need to hear again.
I'm sending all three of my blog readers over. :)