Our Families Gymnastics Champs from Puerto Rico

Charlie, Alida & Paula at Tropician Field Arena
in St. Petersburg...Feb. 27, 2009, 6:00 p.m.

Paula and I at the Gasparilla Classics for Gymnastics...
Puerto Rico had four girls in this competition at the Tropiciana Dome
and our Paula and Alayanas took many honors...
All of their family was here to cheer them on and it was
wonderful to see these young girls so trained and talented...

Little 9 yr. old Alayanas received 5 medals, top 'all around' trophy

below.....
plus 3rd place in Team Wins...

This is the 'Team' trophy...Paula & Alayans on left...

The Team and their coach...parents were wondering how
to get this on the plane for return trip to Puerto Rico...
Good job team, you make us proud....

Having a 'grateful heart' is a beautiful sight to see!
Lately I've observed some people who have this....and some who do not!
Those that do not have this.....are truly missing out on a thrilling way to live .
Even Jesus made note of the 'grateful heart' experience when he healed 10 lepers

(in Luke 17:11-19) AND ONLY ONE CAME BACK AND THANKED HIM!
Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the nine? Does only this one return to give thanks and acknowledge God?"
How in the world could anyone who has received such a blessing of life as 'healing' not be so thrilled that their heart would shout with appreciation, gratefulness and thanksgiving?
I really do not know because my humanness has to tell...

and thank the persons responsible for blessing me personally...
This is also true of the 'little things of life'.
When someone, anyone, does something 'nice' for me....my heart fills with an emotion of gladness to the degree that I want to reach out to that person and hug and kiss and hug and kiss and say, "God bless you, honey, for being so good to me"....I thank, thank, thank you sooooo much!

My heart must convey what mere words can not.....

then I go and tell 'God' how wonderful this person has been to me (as if He doesn't know) and would He please help me by blessing them Himself.

Then I look for human ways and actions to show my gratitude to this dear one.
As I write a 'thank you' note, my heart explodes with gladness and

this emotion finds it way into my words...

but this must be done quickly after the event while the heart is filled to the top with this valuable emotion called 'gratitude'.
Left neglected, gratitude slips quietly away and is soon replaced with complacency or a 'taking for granted' attitude.
Nothing sours the soul like an 'ungrateful' heart!
Saying 'thank you' is only 'manners' we learned at our 'Mother's knee'

from caring parents......
Is it really so hard to say a simple 'Thank you'?
Thank you, Dear One, for taking the time to read my 'rambling writing' page....

God Bless your heart....Today!

P.S. Joshua and his Mom and brother received a package from Linda yesterday...

As his Mom was opening it and showing him his football shirt and shorts(below) he said,

"Mom we have to call and tell her 'thank you'..."

It amazed me that no one told him to say those words...

it came from his heart...

We Love Our Country the United States...
Was presented by our Joshua's 2nd grade class tonight...
It was wonderful to see these young children's enthusiasm for the U.S.A.
They were so creative and joyful in this special presentation....
Made me proud to be...an American!

Uncle Sam said, "Florida Gets An Education"

Washington D.C. was represented

New York was onstage....

Then came Texas...and our Joshua who helped sing and dance....

See Joshua's Video Below...

The Teachers at Ballast Point Elementary School did a wonderful job with these students...American is blessed when young people are taught to say,

We Love Our Country the United States!

Mom & Nena are so proud of their 'star'...

.

Faster than the speed of.....

I am truly amazed that a laptop LCD screen replacement I ordered online from Canada at 3:00 p.m. yesterday can be carried by UPS to arrive at my door in Florida at 10:40 today the very next morning...
That is not even 24 hrs.
Yes, I paid extra (not much) for Expedite service because my computer friend, James, is leaving on vacation and I wanted my screen installed before he left.
But the speed, efficiency, organization , and cooperation of hands moving this item is phenomenal to me.
Do we take this kind of 'daily life' for granted?
Are we blase' about the way we live to such a degree that we do not even think of how things 'happen' any more?
I know I am guilty of taking my American way of life for granted.
Listening to our missionary son, Chuck & Terry, is very good for me. It provides a measuring stick to life which causes me to wonder sometime if we Americans have gone 'insane' and do not even realize it....
Having 'too much' in the land of plenty, taking it for granted, calling for 'more, more, more' and then complaining when this 'more' is not to our 'liking' sounds like a bunch of 'spoiled brats' to me. And I am one of them as well....maybe even more so ...for I am truly blessed.
Gratitude of the heart, being grateful, appreciating our life in the U.S.A. even the good, bad and ugly of it, seems like a re-focus we should take in today's thinking.
The gloom and doom will always be with us but being thankful for the hands that help us everywhere we walk daily, seeing and doing little acts of kindness, having loved ones tell us they love us, all should produce such gratitude that we get down on our knees constantly and thank God that we live in the good ole U.S.A.
Please join me in doing that....Today!

....Psalm 33:12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord...

There are times in life when reflection is necessary.
In the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning seems a good time for me as I am far removed from the 'busyness' of daily life and can concentrate and pray with clarity.
Yesterday's early morning hours was one of those times for me...
It was a joy to mentally put some pieces of the puzzle together which I have been struggling with, off and on, for a month of so....
God worked a miracle in my mind and soul as I wrote on paper my thoughts in honesty to Him. The 'heaviness of responsibility' melted away once I defined the dilemma or struggle within. It actually seemed inconsequential.
Because in the process I received a great PEACE which set everything to rest and eliminated the thoughts that were totally 'wasted energy'.
My focus became clear...crystal clear.
In 'baring my soul' I received oneness with my Heavenly Father which resulted in an answer to prayer which brought me great 'peace of mind'....
Why am I ever surprised that this happens?
Why do I wait so long at times in order to 'reflect' on life and ask for 'help' in thinking rightly?
Our son, Chuck, carved a piece of wood for me years ago that said....
Why Worry? When you can pray!
That is it in a nutshell...That is what happened yesterday early morn...
before going to church I had already had....church...

John 14:27 LB Jesus said, "I leave you peace: My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid!"
Colossians 3: 15 LB....Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking because you were called to...have peace.

Love...

You can not give it away...

It ALWAYS Comes Back to YOU!

Britt with her two sons repeat history 22 years later...

Britt & Matthew with MawMaw in 1987....Carillon Park

22 years later....Britt with her two sons,

Joshua & Dylan at same place in Carillon Park...February 18,2009

Daddy Rich with Britt & Matt 1987...Carillon Park

Britt's 'sassy' Dylan/TuTu...*Note the long curly hair...

1 day later.....TaDa...Dylan/TuTu's new haircut...

Big Brother, Joshua, getting ready to play football

on a team...he keeps his hair short...

Planting 1,000 Pine Trees...Got r Done!

Welcome to the the country, You'll!

(Click on all pictures to enlarge) Over the week-end we had a family/friends tree planting party at our brother, Dockie & Ann's place in north Florida....Dockie invited 'ALL' to come help 'replenish the earth' with pine trees on his country property...it rained the entire time the planting was being done on Sat. BUT it was all worth it in the end when we moved the party to another cousin's beautiful country home.

Toni & Ted were so gracious when around 40 people descended upon them for food, drink and fun. It became a 'family reunion' since many had not seen each other in years...

Dockie & Yvonne start 'cutting up' early!Pammy, Nancy & Coco pose for Marina and I...

Kurt, Bryce & Charlie ...having fun
Cindy was happy this is the very last tree to be planted.... Guess who gets to plant it?
Taking a break... .

Blake & Sister Joyce, bring their heavy duty tractor which was a great help....

Blake says, "What do you want moved....where?"

The majority of the trees went here...

Outdoor fire was great in the cool and wet weather

Rain or cold did not keep us from enjoying

Toni and Ted's home and hospitality...

They blessed us all with food galore and times of togetherness...

Yvonne and Wynona....

these friends go 'way back'....

we had a 'family reunion' for sure...

The ' Sweethearts' of the Day....

say...Happy Valentine's Day You'll!

May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have,

spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have.

As we value our happiness let us not forget it,

for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy

without the things we cannot or should not have.

Learning to be.....CONTENT....

Living in the Land of Plenty....

I'm reminded of a friend who was a social worker and she was telling me a tale about one of her people in need. Carmen said that after a period of time that many relatives from Central America had joined this person here in Florida.

Asking why so many had given up their home land she was told that all of the relatives were encouraged to come to.....'The Land of Plenty'....

That we are but I hear cries of 'More, More, More'.

Enough already!

Getting an e-mail from our son, Chuck, in Turkana, Kenya, Chuck said that a young teen-age son had walked 100km (60 miles) in 110%F to get medicine for his mother. It took him 2 days... then he and Terry drove the young man back with the medicine in order to aid the mother quickly.

Is it any wonder that we are called.....The Land of Plenty? Walk into any pharmacy and see...the land of plenty...

Grocery stores, Wal-Marts, Malls, Car Dealers, Banks, Churches etc. reflect this Land of Plenty.

Now we need help with a 'bail out' from this mentality. Does this mean that we are perhaps.....out of control?

I think Billy Graham's prayer for our Nation says it more clearly...

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.

Amen

The Lost Boys...Let's Laugh Now!

My dear friends: aka: Bozo#1 and Bozo#2
Kurt trying to explain to Bill why they are lost...
guess they need their GPS after all, girls!
Or do they only know their way around on water?
Ask Kurt how he lost his 'boating shoes'......
Melissa can tell you:)

Helping Others is FUN!

Let me tell you about my cousins....my 'kin'...

Ray D. and wife Betty, are some of the youngest people I know.

They are....craZy!

Do you remember my blogs written on Oct. 1-3, 2007 about our 'Diamond Hunting' expedition

in Arkansas with my cousin Ray D., Betty, brother Dockie and Annie P.?(check it out in archives)

Well, it is this cousin that I am writing about today...

Forever young are Betty and Ray D.....

Their adventures this week-end included taking one of their seven Model A's to a assisted living home in order to 'cheer up' the residents and have some fun. Of course, Betty being the extremely creative and extremely smart (remember Photo Shop Betty?) young lady that she is, dressed them in 'period attire' for the showing...

They gave the gift of Fun NOSTALGIA.

Below are Betty's words about the event....

Visit to University Pines Assisted Living....

"On Friday Feb. 6, 2009 we were invited to visit University Pines Assisted Living to show our cars. This time we took "Sweetie" our 29' Tudor Model A.

This is the one we have had the longest of our seven cars. It was a wonderful day and the Model A brought back many memories for the residents."

Wonder who had the 'most' fun?

Ray D. and Betty....Helping Others....

See Ray D.'s books at: http://ray-fortner.blogspot.com/

Our 'Lil Chuck' the IVth

I could not resist this photo...it is soooo precious of
our 'Lil Turkey'....
Thank you, MissiJo, for posting these on your blog...

Go to the link below which is my 'other' blog and read of these 'silent heroes'...Did You Know?

http://familytributetousa.blogspot.com/

Chuck & Terry's First Sunday in Africa...

Man asking for prayer...Chuck & Bro. Eddie, his Missionary friend.... e-Mail from Chuck is below...his words tell it best....

"The last few days have been an introduction to the slums of Nairobi for Terry and I.

Yesterday we attended the wedding of a Kenyan National who is a Missionary to Sudan.

It was full of customs and culture which was incredible.

Then today (Sunday) we attended Church at Kangemi BC in the Kangemi Slums.

Bro. Eddie William preached the morning message on"I Can Through Christ".

During the invitation a drunk man came crawling down crying and asking for prayer.

All pastors & missionaries present prayed over him asking the Lord to deliver him and save him. Bro. Ernie & I went to preach to all the Pastors who were in Nairobi for the wedding on Sat. I preached on Revival Fire from 1 Kings 18-Elijah on Mt. Carmel and then Bro. Eddie preached on Unity of Fellowship in the Churches.

At the invitation we saw the Lord move in the hearts of God's men with almost all in the alter and some reconciling relationships that were strained.

We have had an awesome weekend.

Please continue to pray the Lord will bless our ministry.

We will head to Eldoret on Tues. to look for a place to live and to interview language teachers. Then we will proceed to Turkana to prepare for the Mc Med Doctors.

Thanks for your love and support."

Chuck & Terry Fernandez

Chuck and Pastor William

Women of Kangeni waiting for Seminar

Terry and Pastors Wife

Beautiful Boys who know Jesus...Daniel & Moses - Friends....Kangemi Slums area