I had a visit today from one of my former clients. She is a beautiful girl (young woman), she is a single mother of 2. She had her second child just as she was leaving my program, by a different man than her first child. When she came to us she was facing eviction, had a young child and was taking Care of her ill mother. She did not graduate from high school. It took us several months to convince her to get into a GED program...she was sure she would fail. She had no confidence. She had been abused. By step father, by husband. She was sure she was not worthy to succeed. She got into a GED program, she completed the program, she received her GED. She went on to Jr. college, she was sure she would fail. She graduated from the Jr. college with a combined 3.5 GPA. She is now a full time student at a 4 year college here in Lincoln working towards her bachelors in Social work. She is getting A's and B's. She is single still. She has begun to understand that she is in control of her life and she needs to make good decisions to continue her forward momentum. She is successful. She is happy, she is a good and loving mother. She makes me proud.
After she left I was talking to my wonderful co-worker, Elizabeth. I told her that I was happy that this former client was a success, but wished there were more of them. Many of my clients do not do as well. Elizabeth told me about the good thief. The thief who was crucified with Jesus. He professed his faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus told him, "This day thou shalt be with me in paradise." Elizabeth said Jesus would have died for just that thief. Jesus died for each one of us. One of us.
She made me realize that small successes are still successes. All the sacrifice in the world is worth it if someone "gets it".
Thanks to Elizabeth. She sees the world through the Lord's eyes. She very often opens my eyes as well.
As we enter Holy week remember that Jesus died for each one of us. So that we may live for each other.
Have a Blessed Easter.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Yea Baby!!!!
73 degrees, sunny, 5pm. I'm shutting down the computer and going home. Front porch and a glass of wine are calling my name.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Done, done, done...
Floors are finished, furniture's all put back. We are very happy with the results. The floors are awesome. Coming soon, pics of the family room and new rug.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Not your Father's Democracy...
Pelosi: 'Once we kick through this door,' more reform will follow
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
03/16/10 1:56 AM EDT
U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during her weekly news conference March 12, 2010 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Pelosi discussed the health care reform legislation with the media. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
If you have any doubt that the Democratic leadership of the House views passing the current health care reform bill as the beginning, not the end, of the process of creating a national government health care system, just note what Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a group of bloggers on Monday. "My biggest fight has been between those who wanted to do something incremental and those who wanted to do something comprehensive," Pelosi said, according to an account by Washington Post reform advocate Ezra Klein. "We won that fight, and once we kick through this door, there'll be more legislation to follow."
But since the current bill is unpopular, and Pelosi at the moment does not have enough Democratic, much less Republican, votes to pass it, the door she will be kicking through is the back door. Pelosi told the bloggers she favors using the "self-executing rule" strategy in which the House would pass the Senate health care bill without going on the record as specifically voting for it. "I like it," Pelosi said of the scheme, "because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill." The strategy of passing the Senate bill while avoiding a direct vote, writes Klein, "is all about plausible deniability for House members who don't want to vote for the Senate bill."
In a particularly Alice-in-Wonderland moment, Pelosi argued that the debate over health care reform can begin after the bill is passed. "Pelosi said passing the bill would allow Dems to undertake a 'debate' with Republicans over 'what is the balanced role that government should have,'" writes another pro-reform blogger at the Post, Greg Sargent. According to Sargent, Pelosi explained, "We have to take it to the American people, to say, this is the choice that you have. This is the vision that they have for your health and well being, and this is the vision that we have." Again, in Pelosi's scenario, that debate would occur after the bill is passed.
Finally, Pelosi downplayed statements from her own team that she does not yet have the votes to pass the national health care measure. On "Meet the Press" Sunday, Democratic Whip Rep. James Clyburn said, "No, we don't have them as of this morning." Meeting with the bloggers, Pelosi said, "The reason [Clyburn] said that is we don’t have a bill yet." In the end, the Speaker declared, "I have no intention of not passing this bill."
-- Beltway Confidential
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Pelosi-Once-we-kick-through-this-door-more-reform-will-follow-87741467.html#ixzz0iT52U4hS
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
03/16/10 1:56 AM EDT
U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks during her weekly news conference March 12, 2010 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Pelosi discussed the health care reform legislation with the media. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
If you have any doubt that the Democratic leadership of the House views passing the current health care reform bill as the beginning, not the end, of the process of creating a national government health care system, just note what Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a group of bloggers on Monday. "My biggest fight has been between those who wanted to do something incremental and those who wanted to do something comprehensive," Pelosi said, according to an account by Washington Post reform advocate Ezra Klein. "We won that fight, and once we kick through this door, there'll be more legislation to follow."
But since the current bill is unpopular, and Pelosi at the moment does not have enough Democratic, much less Republican, votes to pass it, the door she will be kicking through is the back door. Pelosi told the bloggers she favors using the "self-executing rule" strategy in which the House would pass the Senate health care bill without going on the record as specifically voting for it. "I like it," Pelosi said of the scheme, "because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill." The strategy of passing the Senate bill while avoiding a direct vote, writes Klein, "is all about plausible deniability for House members who don't want to vote for the Senate bill."
In a particularly Alice-in-Wonderland moment, Pelosi argued that the debate over health care reform can begin after the bill is passed. "Pelosi said passing the bill would allow Dems to undertake a 'debate' with Republicans over 'what is the balanced role that government should have,'" writes another pro-reform blogger at the Post, Greg Sargent. According to Sargent, Pelosi explained, "We have to take it to the American people, to say, this is the choice that you have. This is the vision that they have for your health and well being, and this is the vision that we have." Again, in Pelosi's scenario, that debate would occur after the bill is passed.
Finally, Pelosi downplayed statements from her own team that she does not yet have the votes to pass the national health care measure. On "Meet the Press" Sunday, Democratic Whip Rep. James Clyburn said, "No, we don't have them as of this morning." Meeting with the bloggers, Pelosi said, "The reason [Clyburn] said that is we don’t have a bill yet." In the end, the Speaker declared, "I have no intention of not passing this bill."
-- Beltway Confidential
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Pelosi-Once-we-kick-through-this-door-more-reform-will-follow-87741467.html#ixzz0iT52U4hS
Monday, March 15, 2010
Beware the Ides of March...
On this day in 44B.C. Julius Caesar was murdered
by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman "gentelmen". This after he was warned to "beware the Ides of March".
Should have listened...
I'm just saying.
by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman "gentelmen". This after he was warned to "beware the Ides of March".
Should have listened...
I'm just saying.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Days 3,4 & 5
1 coat of stain and 2 coats of poly so far. Another coat of poly on Monday and then the quarter round trim goes on and then I think we are finished and we can move all our stuff back in from the garage. We have been living in the bedrooms for a week and will be ready to get back to normal.
It's been worth it so far. The floors look fantastic.
It's been worth it so far. The floors look fantastic.
New area rug
Bede and I went to 5 different stores today looking for a new area rug for the family room. We found one we liked at the 1st store, but of course had to check out what was available elsewhere. Went back to the 1st choice and ordered it. It will be shipped to our door in about a week. Can't wait.
Here's a photo. We are going for a modern feel here.
I don't know how I talked Bede into this. His taste is much more traditional and he likes patterns that are ordered, symmetrical and regimented. I really liked this one and he said he did too!
Here's a photo. We are going for a modern feel here.
I don't know how I talked Bede into this. His taste is much more traditional and he likes patterns that are ordered, symmetrical and regimented. I really liked this one and he said he did too!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Day 2 installation complete
Every day this week it has either rained or snowed. Lots of humidity, which means the stain and poly coats will take longer to dry. The contractor left a series of stains for our consideration. We ended up choosing none of these, but a custom "golden oak" shade.
The stain goes on next and then 3 coats of polyurethane. One each day. So the second coat on Friday and then the third on Monday. We're really happy with the floors so far. It totally opens up the rooms to each other and makes the house feel so much larger.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Another Adventure in home remodeling!
We have started the process of installing wood floors on the mail level of the house. We had hardwood in the entry and the kitchen, so we are adding t throughout the rest of the 1st floor. So far so good. The crew has arrived on time each day and the work looks good.
Here are some photos of day 0. We had to move all the furniture out of the house on Sat. That's the day we had help.
Here are some photos of day 0. We had to move all the furniture out of the house on Sat. That's the day we had help.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Rufus: Adventures in Texas
Bede Jr. bought a kayak and took it to Canyon Lake in Texas this weekend. Rufus came along. The plan was for Rufus to wait on shore, securely tethered to the truck while Bede paddled around the lake. Good plan! As soon as Bede got out in the water Rufus started wailing, baying, crying like he was in pain. Bede paddled back and decided Rufus could be free to hang around the shore line and wade in while Bede paddled around. No! Rufus swam out to Bede wherever he was. He tried so hard to keep up with Bede, doggy paddling as fast as his legs could go. Bede is pretty sure Rufus would not know enough to swim back towards shore when he got tired. He just kept swimming along side the kayak. Bede eventually had to cut his time on the lake short. So that was the 1st and last time Rufus will go kayaking I'm sure.
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