Earth to Ali

I've been sick.



{swine flu}

Only kidding. I've been sick . . . of blogging.

So instead, I've been blogging . . . at Blessed Treehouse, and I've been working on a couple of other projects, and I've been lazy and tired and attempting to enjoy my last few months with only one child. 

I'll be back. In time. 

Until then . . . {smooches}

WIN A $1300 SLEEP NUMBER BED

Don't miss out on this opportunity to win a $1300 Sleep Number Bed. There are 4 easy ways to enter this contest. I want it SO badly! 

Enter here.

How to Make a Baby

Beth Moore and the Hairbrush

For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer of Bible studies, and is a married mother of two daughters.

This is one of her experiences:

April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you.

You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons, not the least of which is your ego.

I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.

The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport . . . an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him.

Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.

I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.

I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, 'Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up
here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!'

There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, 'Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.' Then I heard it . . . 'I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.'

The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, 'God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life.
What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man.'

Again, as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. 'That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.'

I looked up at God and quipped, 'I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?'

God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: 'I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.' (2 Timothy 3:17)

I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, 'Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'

He looked back at me and said, 'What did you say?'

'May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'

To which he responded in volume ten, 'Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.'

At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, 'SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?' At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Long Locks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, 'If you really want to.'

Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, 'Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem . . . I don't have a hairbrush.'

'I have one in my bag,' he responded.

I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two
little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull. A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.

The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.

I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knee and said, 'Sir, do you know my Jesus?'

He said, 'Yes, I do'

Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, 'I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior.' He said, 'You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride.'

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it.

Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane.. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.

I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, 'That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?'

I said, 'Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!'

And we got to share.

I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual.
Tell Him your need!

I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way . . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange.
God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.

A standing O from Simon?!

Britian's Got Talent is where it's at! 

I want to put this kid in my pocket. He is precious.

And seriously, I love the British.

Once again, I couldn't embed this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVU4IkzMNIo

It's time for a laugh.

Keep it GREEN!

I miss you, Grandpa Hollywood

Ten years ago today, my Grandpa Hollywood passed away.

He was the only Grandpa I ever had, and his grandchildren were his life. (Here he is with his brood. He is in green. I am the one curtsying - it's my signature move.)

When we lived in Los Angeles and both my parents worked, my grandparents cared for us. 

He was my buddy. 

My Grandmother likes to tell the story of how he never liked for anyone to touch his hair. One day, she walked into the living room and found my sister and I giving Grandpa a makeover. We had bows and clips in his hair, and we were getting ready to make-up his face. He was simply sitting there - patiently and enjoyably. Because it was his granddaughters, he didn't mind one bit that we were playing with his hair. 

I'll never forget how my Grandpa smelled. He had very oily skin, and it gave off a slight odor. Not a bad odor - a man odor. And he drank beer. So often I would hug him and smell the oily skin, beer drinkin' combo. I can't wait to smell him again when I get to Heaven. (This picture was taken shortly after my family left L.A. to live in Dublin, Ohio. It broke my grandparents hearts.)

I miss you, Grandpa Hollywood. I love you. 

Columbine 10-year Anniversary. We will never forget.

This brings me to tears. I cannot even begin to imagine.

Where were you when you heard the devastating news?

(Embedding disabled by request)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ13CZ4Hekg

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers

Author unknown

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

Now, said the professor as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else - the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, I'm glad you asked.

The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

Do You Believe In:

1. Yourself? Most of the time. Motherhood has a funny way of making you think, "I can't do this anymore!"
   
2. Miracles? Absolutely!
3. Heaven? You betcha - Will I see you there?
4. Santa Claus? I guess I am Santa now.
5. Angels? Indeed.

Why Everyone Needs a Dog.

5 questions. GO!

1. Hugs or kisses? Hugs!
   
2. Short or Tall? I'm short, and I'm getting used to it.
3. Old or young? Ah, well, I'm somewhere in between - it's all relative.
4. Tattoo or piercing? Definitely tattoo!
5. Sweet or sour? Both. 

Susan Boyle in the HOUSE!

My apologies. Embedding has been disabled across the board!

Oh, and this made me cry. And I'm going to start being British now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

More on Aging

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1. You believe in Santa Claus.
2. You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3. You are Santa Claus.
4. You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 17 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is . . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.

Kittens Inspired by Kittens

My friend, Alyssa, posted this on her site. It is freakin' funny.

Great truths about growing old

1. Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2. Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3. When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4. You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5. It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6. Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7. Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

*I can't quite appreciate all of these yet, but I certainly am getting there!

If this doesn't make you laugh, then you must not have a face.

Great Truths that adults have learned

1. Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree. 
2. Wrinkles don't hurt. 
3. Families are like fudge . . . mostly sweet, with a few nuts. 
4. Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground. 
5. Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside. 
6. Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

A USED child's nursery

We embraced USED in my son's nursery! Check it out.

Love to Maddie

Sweet Maddie Spohr will be celebrated and honored today amidst a purple glow.

Love and prayers to her grieving friends and family, especially her mother, who will be speaking at Maddie's funeral today.

9 great truths that children have learned:

1. No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats. 
2. When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair. 
3. If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person. 
4. Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato. 
5. You can't trust dogs to watch your food. 
6. Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair. 
7. Never hold a dust-buster and a cat at the same time. 
8. You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. 
9. Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.

Yo, Pirates: Don't Mess with The Navy Seals!

"Easter" might be over . . .

. . . but this funny and touching clip of Steve Harvey "introducing" Jesus reminds me that we should celebrate Easter everyday.

Happy Keester!

Bunny Beats

Click here for a special Easter wish!

Thank you, Jesus, for Yanni.

You might remember that I went to Blissdom back in February. 

Remember how I told you that I fell in love - with Chris Mann, and the elevator #13 victims, and many fabulous bloggers, mothers, and writers? 

Well I was recently reminded of a couple of other individuals who stole my heart that weekend. And I have Yanni to thank.

Did I just say Yanni? Yes, I did. And by Yanni, did I mean the international, multi-platinum composer and recording artist? Oh yeah, that's who I meant.

So what the H am I talking about?

You see, Yanni recently released a brand new album, and in an effort to spread the word, he offered a sneak peak to the wonderful women of Blissdom. And by sneak peak, I really mean, hubba-hubba-thank-you-Jesus-for-Yanni.

Yanni's newest release, Yanni Voices, "pairs Yanni's inspired compositions with four extraordinary young talents." 

These four individuals not only have incredible voices, but they are way hot. Usually I hate people who look good and sound good. But not in this case. Blissdom was blessed with a special appearance from two of these artists, Nathan Pacheco and Ender Thomas. These two fine gentlemen are way too good-looking for words. And then they open their mouths and sing, phew, is anyone else getting warm? 

And to top it all off, Yanni and Team Beautiful are launching a Voices tour this month! It's absolutely scrumptious!

Listen to the album, and you will experience powerful instrumentals, explosive musical talent, brilliant vocals, and over-the-top energy (seriously, Yanni is a lil' firecracker).

See them live in concert, and not only will you be immersed in a vivid and emotional musical experience, but you will fall in love and forever hold Nathan and Ender in your heart. {swoon}

Richard Simmons on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

This is a clip of Richard Simmons' guest appearance on the hilarious show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?

I will warn you, it gets very racy. You have been warned. But it did air on ABC Family, for whatever that is worth.

Final thoughts on love.

A group of children were asked, 'What does love mean?'
Here are some of their answers:

Love is when Mummy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.
Elaine, age 5

Love is when Mummy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.
Chris, age 7

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.
Mary Ann, age 4

I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.
Lauren, age 4

When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.
Karen, age 7

Love is when Mummy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.
Mark, age 6

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.
Jessica, age 8

And finally, author and lecturer, Leo Buscaglia, once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

Madeline Alice Spohr: Heaven's newest angel

The blogging community was hit hard this week by a devastating loss.

Madeline Alice Spohr, the daughter of Mike and Heather Spohr (The Spohrs Are Multiplying), went to be with Jesus on Tuesday.

Maddie was 17 months old, and her death was completely unexpected. 

I came to know Heather when we were trapped in an elevator together at Blissdom (remember this?) 

I don't have words, but I would encourage you to consider donating to Maddie's March of Dimes team. You can donate here. 

We love you, sweet Maddie.

More about love.

A group of children were asked, 'What does love mean?'
Here are some of their answers:

Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mummy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.
Emily, age 8

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.
Bobby, age 7

If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.
Nikka, age 6

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.
Noelle, age 7

Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.
Tommy, age 6

During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.
Cindy, age 8

My mummy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.
Clare, age 6

What does LOVE mean?

My mom forwarded this to me.

A group of children were asked, 'What does love mean?'
Here are some of their answers:

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.
Rebecca, age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.
Billy, age 4

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.

Karl, age 5

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.
Chrissie, age 6

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.
Terri, age 4

Love is when my mummy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.
Danny, age 7

Leg Huggers Giveaway!

Don't miss your chance to win a darling pair of Leg Huggers. And major props to my adorable niece for modeling these leg accessories so beautifully!

I'm a Guest Blogger!

My dear friend, Organizer Sandy, asked me to be a guest blogger!

Because she highlights genius ideas for organization, and because I highlight practical ways to live green, we joined forces, and I blogged about Green Organization!

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Recycling plastics at Whole Foods

Do you recycle plastic? 

We are fortunate. Our city provides curbside recycling, and they take many plastics. Unfortunately, they do not take all plastics. In fact, there are many common plastics that are not conveniently picked up by many recycling programs.

Preserve, a company that makes plastic products using recycled plastics, is teaming up with Whole Foods to provide recycling of #5 plastic. #5 plastic is used to make plastic packaging including many yogurt containers. Unfortunately, #5 plastic is not often recycled by recycling programs. But through the Preserve and Whole Foods partnership, you can take your #5 plastics to Whole Foods for easy (and free) recycling.

Unfortunately, not all Whole Foods are yet participating. If that is the case in your area, PLEASE contact your local Whole Foods and ask that they participate in this wonderful program. 

As Preserve's tag line states: Nothing wasted, Everything gained.

I love the creativity!

Embedded video from CNN Video

I love BOOB!

Check out my latest Boob review.

Much respect, Demi Moore

I get a lot of slack for tweeting and using words such as, "retweet," "twitter," "tweetdeck," and twitterverse." Many people just don't get why I use twitter.

But in never amazes me when God uses technology, even twitter, to reach people. 

Did you know that twitter played a crucial role in helping a woman who was contemplating suicide? 

Did you know that Demi Moore reached out to her nearly 400,000 twitter followers to help this same woman? 

I very much respect anyone who takes suicide seriously, and I am thanking God for the many good citizens who responded appropriately to help this hurting lady.

Read the full story here.

Now and Then

A friend tagged me on facebook.

I'm to answer a list of 100 random questions. That's too many for me to even think about, so I'll break them down.

Here are a few from the other day. And here are some more.

RIGHT NOW (It's 9:45pm on a Friday):

1. Eating? Unfortunately nothing. I want ice cream. Graeter's. Chocolate chip.
   
2. Drinking? I could use a glass of ice water. Or a milkshake. Graeter's. Chocolate chip.
3. I'm about to? Sleep for days. I only wish. Unfortunately I have to get up in the morning and finish cleaning house before our showing. Blegh.
4. Listening to? My husband start laundry. He does his own laundry. I like him for that.
5. Waiting for? Someone to rub my shoulders. It's been one of those days.

YOUR FUTURE :

1. Want kids? Well, what happens if I answer 'No'?
2. Want to get married? Again, what if I answer 'No'?
3. Careers in mind? A wife and mother {wink}

Pimp This Bum

Have you judged the homeless? I have.

Please watch this video. It might give you a different perspective on homelessness in America.

Did she just hug the Queen???

Who would have thought that a simple gesture would be so analyzed?

And I must know, would you hug the Queen?

Handy Manny, I love you.

You already know that I LOVE Yo Gabba Gabba on Noggin (Nick Jr.), but I have a favorite Disney show as well: Handy Manny. Seriously, I love that show. 

And I recently discovered that the main character, Manny, is voiced by Wilder Valderrama (aka "Fez" of That '70s Show)!

Does anyone else find that really cool? 

And in case you like looking at Wilmer want to hear what Wilmer has to say about Manny, here is a quick interview with him. 

Oh, and who else thinks that Manny and Kelly are bow-chicka-bow-bow in the storage room?

Because I'm a cheater.

One of my favorite things about cheating and republishing posts from my past (other than I'm able to squeeze out a post without actually writing one), is that I revisit memories and pictures of my son. These pics, of him at 6 months-ish, remind me of his once chubby shoulders and nearly hairless head. Now we are contemplating his first haircut (oh, the horror!), though he has yet to lose that nice roll of fat around his ankles. I kiss that fat roll daily!

A few of my firsts.

A friend tagged me on facebook.

I'm to answer a list of 100 random questions. That's too many for me to even think about, so I'll break them down.

Here are yesterday's. And here are some more.

FIRSTS

1. First surgery? Minus having my wisdom teeth pulled when I was seventeen, I have had only two other surgeries, both of which were last year (a c-section to remove a small child from my uterus, and later that fall, they sliced my leg open to insert a crap-load of metal - I broke my leg and ankle in two places when I slipped while jogging - that's what happens when you grow small children inside of you - you try to jog and lose weight and then you fall and break bones).
2. First piercing? I think my ears were pierced when I was four or something like that. Heck if I remember.
3. First tattoo? I was 19. I got angle wings tattooed on my lower back.
4. First Best Friend? Allison Kelley. She was really tall and really blond. I'm short and not blond.
5. First sport you joined? I was a dancer, thank you very much.
6. First pet? A chicken. I killed it. I'm not lying.
7. First vacation remembered? My parents lived off of food stamps when I was born. We didn't do vacations. We camped.
8. First cd? Simon & Garfunkle. I was in the sixth grade. I've always had a great taste in music.
9. First crush? I think his name was Russ. I was in second grade, and I hounded him on the playground. I wanted to kiss him bad.
10. First alcohol drink? Red Dog beer. I was in tenth grade.