Take A Risk

As June arrives tomorrow, graduation celebrations are in full swing. Kids are at the peak of summer and plans for them are already underway. But one thing remains forgotten in all of this celebration, that is the risks that loom on the horizon for our newest drivers.

Back in the day, Oh yeah, it's one of those moments again, when we grew up learning to drive our biggest distraction was the 8 track tape players or cassette players if we were fortunate to have one in our cars. We had a few close friends that we looked forward to heading to our favorite places with, along with no parents either.

Now today, our teens are more distracted than ever before. They have cell phones, laptops, Ipods, and GPS systems all intergrated into the car, along with their favorite school friends. This is where driving gets deadly. There are too many distractions for our kids to handle.

Here is my challenge to you and your families. What is the risk for you? Just how important is that phone call or latest text message? Can it wait? Until it's safe for you to receive it or check it?

What is your life worth for reading one message from your friend? I guarantee you, it's not worth the risk to lose it all over just one moment in time. So here's my challenge and even I am afraid, I too, have been guilty of this. Of taking a phone call, or reading a message or even responding to a text, although I usually wait for a red light first. If I don't set the example to my own kids, then who will.

As parents, before we send our kids out for summer vacations, take the challenge with me. Challenge your kids to take it too! In fact, the more people that can spread the word, the better our odds are.

I challenge you to take the pledge to Not Text while driving. In fact, I am taking it that much further and am not taking calls while I drive any longer. Studies show that 11 of our children are killed every single day by distracted driving. That means, texting while driving, talking while driving and just about everything else including just driving.

So what's it worth to you as a parent or even a teen reading this. Is your friends lives worth it? What about your families who will have to deal with the aftermath of knowing that your death or that of someone else could have been prevented by just waiting til you arrived at your destination to return that message? Trust me, nothing is that important. Your life means something. You were destined for greatness and not a text message.

Just this weekend, I happened to watch an episode of Extreme Home Make Over and saw the tragedy that struck the Brown family. Their daughter on the verge of graduating died one morning while she was texting and caused her pick up truck to overturn several times, ejecting her from the vehicle. Was her life worth it?

Now her family has vowed to spend their time sharing their story along with Alex's wrecked pick up to share just how real the dangers are for distracted driving for anyone. Us, parents, included.

So will you take the pledge and challenge everyone else you know to do the same???

If so, click this link and take the pledge.

If you want to know more about her story and how you can help, please click this link.

Please take the risk that could save the life of another today!!!

Remembering Those Who Serve Today

America has long been known as the melting pot of the world. Our constitution was written without a reference to any religion and thus, we are a nation built on diversity.

Here in California, being a state that borders another country, we have seen first hand the extent that people will go to, for the hope of living in America. We are a country that is known for it’s Freedom and people crave that.

They will also fight for it. All of our wars have been fought with men and women from every race, nationality, ethnic group and religion.

Since the Civil War we have – as a country, made it a tradition to honor the sacrifices of all the men and women who have fought in the military to earn our freedom that is so cherished by us and so coveted by those all over the world.

Memorial Day is a our day to say Thank You to all of our beloved soldiers – We appreciate you!

Proof Angels Do Exist!

No one could have ever prepared me for the things I would be a witness to today. No one could have seen the chain of events begin unfolding before my eyes were even awake this morning, but I intend on sharing them with you. Then you can tell me, if you believe???

My husband Steve had to leave last minute on a business trip. This meant that he wanted to take the earliest flight out so he wasn't arriving in an unknown place when it was dark outside and things can easily be confused. So being super exhausted from building me a book case the day before, we decided to turn in early.

My oldest daughter, Caitlyn, being bored like your average high school teenager with three days off before she had to work again asked if she could spend the night with her friend. So we agreed with the stipulation she needed to be home early the next day since Steve would be out of town. Just to help out if the need should arise.

The alarm went off at 4am and Steve managed to quietly creep into the bathroom to shower and get ready. Just before he left our room, he asked me to pray with him. We prayed for protection while Steve would be gone and for God to work in our lives and keep everyone safe.

After I woke up, I got all my morning stuff done and was reading an author's comment to a book review I had just completed on The Guardian Angel Diary and then the phone call every parent dreads.

It was my best friend Jacquie who calmly told me that she was at my daughter's school, and my daughter was with her friend Katie, and that Katie had run over her foot. What hospital should I take her to?

In my mind, I wonder, if she was talking to me or someone else? What was my daughter doing at school? What kind of injury did she have that required a hospital visit and why hadn't my daughter called me?

Hanging up after telling her where I would meet her, I calmly closed up my house and gathered my younger daughter and explained what happened as best as I could.

15 minutes later we pull up in the ER only to have it be one of the busiest I have seen. I was greeted by Jacquie at the door and we gathered Caitlyn and carried her into the ER. It appeared she was calm but in pain.

She propped up her foot on a chair and sat talking with Kailee and Jacquie while I waited to fill out all the paperwork. Jacquie came to me and asked if perhaps the wait might be better at Urgent Care. Not sure what to do, I waited for the line to dissipate in front on me and I asked the nurse if my daughter could be seen at Urgent Care over this. She advised that as long as they had the ability to take X-rays, it might be quicker.

We made a decision since it was only a few blocks away, to take her to Urgent Care. There was only 2 people in there, which is unusual. It's normally packed!!!! By the time I filled out the paperwork and paid our deductible, we were on our way in.

Once inside, we waited about 10 minutes for the doctor who checked her out, and sent her to X-Ray just to be sure. The longest time was for X-Rays because they had just opened back up for lunch and had 2 people in front of us.

When Caitlyn returned from her X-Ray, the doctor came in and told us that she thankfully had no broken bones and aside from some soreness, she could keep her foot elevated, wrapped and sent her home with some pain meds, anti-inflammatory pills and muscle relaxers.

When we look back at the day, there were so many things that could have cause this day to turn for the worse. We learned that her best friend was driving the car, and when my daughter was preparing to exit the car, she pulled forward, trapping Caitlyn's ankle underneath the back wheel sideways. Not only did she run over it, but stopped the car while over it, pulled forward again and backed the car up, subsequently running over it 3 times.

She could have been pulled from the car and literally ran over, but she didn't. She could have had her ankle, leg or knee broken, but aside from some overall soreness and broken skin, she was undamaged.

She could have been by herself but my best friend Jacquie was running late to drop her daughter off and happened to see the whole thing. She not only acted calmly, quickly and managed to get my daughter into her own car and drive her to the hospital.

She calmly called me and avoided causing me to panic, but kept me grounded and clear headed. She also stayed with me at the ER and Urgent Care until we were dismissed. She comforted my daughter when I couldn't be there.

We just happened to have been home instead of taking my hubby to the airport and not only that for once my youngest daughter was dressed and ready to go when the call came. Not normally the case EVER!!!

So you decide. Were angels present today? Did God dispatch just the right people to be in the perfect place where He would know they would be needed? Did God perfectly orchestrate an empty Urgent Care, and an empty Walgreens who managed to fill her prescription in 15 minutes while we waited?

Or will you chalk this up to be extremely lucky or simply a coincidence?

I chose God!

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” ~ Joshua 24:15 NIV

Be A Cheerleader!

Dream big, think big! Consider a dream you've given up pursuing because it seems out of your reach. Instead of thinking about what's not possible, think about what resources you do have to work towards your goal. I had to share this short 5 minute true story film that shows how you can rise above adversity and set your heart on your goals. This is so true of us today, that allow the negative comments people speak to us, to diminish what is in our hearts.

I say hold on to your dreams, go big, believe in yourself! We all need a few more cheerleaders in our life! Be a cheerleader for someone today! Make their day and in return the reward will truly be yours!

This is the true story of a football team that lived on a little island in the south of Thailand called "Koh Panyee". Koh Panyee is a floating village in the middle of the sea that does not have an inch of soil. The kids that lived there loved to watch football on TV, and really wanted to play for themselves. Watch this short film on how they used innovative thinking, hard work, and determination to make their dream come true.

A New Way To Say Happy Mother's Day

Just wanted to pass this along to all the beautiful yet technology challenged moms out there! Wishing you all a very blessed Mother's Day! It is the most challenging and most rewarding job there is, and one that is treasured by God above all else! So when you are doubting how much you contribute to your family, remember, you are raising children to serve our God!



Happy Mother's Day!

Friday Funnies - Don't Tease The Dog

Just a perfect way to end the day is this fun video of a talking dog. I hope you truly enjoy it and have a perfect and wonderful weekend. Make sure you celebrate the joys of Mother's Day with someone you love.