Missing you Papa...

When tomorrow starts without me, and I’m not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry the way you did today,
while thinking of the many things we didn’t get to say.
I know how much you care for me, and how much I care for you,
and each time that you think of me I know you’ll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand,
that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand,
and said my place was ready in heaven far above,
and that I’d have to leave behind all those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye,
for all life, I’d always thought I didn’t want to die.
I had so much to live for and so much yet to do.
it seemed almost impossible that I was leaving you.
I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday, I thought, just for a while,
I’d say goodbye and hug you and maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realised that this could never be,
for emptiness and memories would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things that I’d miss come tomorrow.
I thought of you, and when I did, my heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through Heaven’s gates, I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me, from His great golden throne,
He said, "This is eternity and all I’ve promised you,
Today your life on earth is past but here it’s starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow, but today will always last.
and since each day’s the same, there’s no longing for the past.
But you have been so faithful, so trusting, so true.
Though there were times you did some things you knew you shouldn’t do.
And you have been forgiven and now at last you’re free.
So won’t you come and take my hand and share my life with me?"
So when tomorrow starts without me, don’t think we’re far apart,
for every time you think of me, please know I’m in your heart.
© 2004 Morgana Quinn-Jackson

Come Drip for Kip Blood Drive

Hey everyone!  I have a neighbor named Kip.  He is a very respected man in our community.  He is a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, and most importantly, a friend to anyone who has had the honor of meeting him.


Kip is dying.  He is suffering from an aggressive form of kidney cancer.  He is in a race to save his life.  Later this week, he will be undergoing an extremely risky surgery to remove a kidney that is home to a rather large tumor.  The chances of him surviving the surgery are very slim.  The chances of him beating the cancer without the surgery are non-existent.  Kip's surgery will require approximately 25 pints of blood.


On January 23, our community is having a Red Cross Blood Drive in Kip's honor.  We are calling the drive, "Come Drip for Kip!"  Any blood type can give.  You do not have to be a match for Kip.  This will simply help replenish the Red Cross' blood supply in Kip's honor.


The drive will be at the First Christian Church of Grove at 4th and Grand in the Celebration Hall.  It will run from 10 am to 2 pm.  You many contact me through this blog or message me on Facebook if you are my friend.


We need lots and lots of participants!  Many friends and family have already expressed their desire to give.  When someone we love is going through a troubling time, we all want to do our part in helping in their recovery somehow, someway.  This will allow many to contribute to the well being of Kip!


I pray that I will see you there!

A day in the life of a toddler

Today, I have the pleasure of babysitting!  My daughter was lined up to watch these sweet little ones but due to a nasty illness, I am taking her place.  It has been a while since I have had to think like a toddler!  I have forgotten just how much you have to stay one step ahead of them!  They are busy little boogers!

Today, I am with a three year old boy who immerses himself in cars, magic markers, and Mickey Mouse cartoons!  I did not raise a son so the bathroom adventures are quite the experience too!  I forget that they are just learning to "aim" at the potty and they make the funniest faces when they need to go number 2, IF they stop long enough from playing to even make it to the potty for number 2!  Bribery is everything!  I wonder if Mom and Dad have ever played "Sink the Cheerios" with him?  A game that I remember my friend who raised a son used to play.  We might give it a try this afternoon! 

Later we will go pick up big sister from kindergarten.  This will make for lots more entertainment!  They are so excited at that age as they absorb everything around them!  I love nothing more than watching a child learn!  It makes me miss my early days with mine.  Learning was so much fun and I loved trying to come up with creative things to do.  I am not ready to be called grandma anytime soon, but I know I will make a great grandparent! 


It is time for lunch so it is time to cut up things into little bites and try to get him to sit still long enough to eat!  I'm thinking hot dogs or grilled PB & J!  We may both be ready for a nap after stuffing ourselves with these toddler treats!

They grow up so fast and I can't help but reminiscing about my child getting ready to graduate next year.  It flies way too fast.......

Have a blessed day everyone!

Riding with the Guard

Showing respect in a flag line for the family

Me lining up for a procession

what we refer to as The Big Flags out front!

I have the honor of riding with the Patriot Guard Riders in a multiple state area.  These are a group of motorcycle enthusiasts, former military men and women, blue star parents, and overall great patriots who believe whole heartedly that someone who served this country in the military deserves respect shown when they have either payed the ultimate price in service or after serving this great nation!  The folks gave up time with their families and friends to stand on a battlefield to protect the freedoms that we enjoy.  The least that can be given to them by us as a country is the respect that they are owed!  They earned it!

If you see a funeral procession pass you by, and you see a long line of motorcycle riders leading the way or following close behind, just know that these are my brothers and sisters in the guard.  Pull over, remove your hat, and pay respect to the person who is going by to their final resting place. 

We take great pride in being able to do what we do.  It is such an honor to be allowed to stand watch over the families so they can mourn their loved ones in peace without fear of being harassed or Heaven forbid, PICKETED by that wack-job "church" out of Westboro. 

I love being able to ride with these fine people from all walks of life.  I will ride with the guard in life until it is time for them to ride for me when I die.  GOD BLESS THE PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS!

Winter In Oklahoma

Holy cow it is cold!  I know some of you experience much colder weather than we are right now but, I DON'T LIKE COLD!  When it drops into the 50's, I've had enough!  Since crossing over into another year of life this past week, now at the ripe ol age of 4.#*%# something something...blah. blah. blah... doesn't really matter... I find that the cold now hurts deeper in the joints!  NO LIKEY! I was the athlete! I was the cheerleader! I was the workhorse! I was the girl who would never be outdone by any boy alive!  What happened?  

Now, my shoulders pop and creak, my hips burn, my lower back feels like it has a knot in it, and my hands move like they are covered in 30lb weights!  It's not fair!  I am truly a believer in youth is wasted on the young!  

The winters here in OK are not typical.  Even though we stay above freezing most of the time, we have a very wet cold; icy cold that penetrates multiple layers of clothing and sits in your bones!  We are also blessed by brown Bermuda grass and very long, gray days.  I think our sun goes into hiding from October to March.  It makes you want to stay in bed with the covers pulled up to your chin, or it makes you want to graze in the fridge and cabinets on comfort food while still in your footie pajamas! This is how I gain my winter weight and then come lake season, I will kick myself for allowing such gluttony to take place and I will being the nasty cycle of gym classes and crash diets.  Blah.....

I think I am ready to consider becoming a snow bird!  The thought of Christmas on the white, sandy beaches of the east coast sound better and better all of the time!

Way behind on blogging!!!

What an incredibly crazy few months!  I have been working so much with the people in Joplin and once we entered the time of the holidays, it just got crazier from there!  I am going to take the time now to make my blog a bit more festive for Christmas!  Stay tuned.....

Too good not to share!!

 This was posted on my Facebook page by a friend.  I found it to be a wonderful and inspirational message.

At a WalMart store, a cashier hands this little boy some money back. The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old. The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.' ... Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him, ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?'' The old lady replied, ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.'' Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand. A lady walked toward him and asked him who he wished to give this doll to. 'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas. She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.' She replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry. But he replied back sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.' His eyes were so sad while saying this, 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Dad dy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.'' My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at the lady and said, 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.' Then he showed her a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.' 'I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.' Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. She quickly reached for her wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!'' OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' She added some of her money to his without him seeing and they started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. The little boy said, 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!' Then he looked at the lady and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me!'' 'I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.'' 'My mommy loves white roses.' A few minutes later, the boys granny returned and the lady left with her basket. She finished her shopping in a totally different state of mind from when she started. She couldn't get the little boy out of her mind. Then she remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the little boy, The woman read in the newspaper that the young woman had passed away. She couldn't stop herself as she bought a bunch of white roses and went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. She left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that her life had been changed forever. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine, and in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

Boomer Sooner!

I would just like to say: BOOMER SOONER!  I love my Sooners!  Always have and always will!  I am not a professional football fan other than a Pittsburgh Steeler fan by marriage.   Good or bad, no matter how they play, I am forever faithful to my Sooners! 

Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner,
Boomer Sooner, O-K-U!

Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, O-K-U!

I'm a Sooner born
And a Sooner bred,
And when I die
I'll be Sooner dead.

Rah, Oklahoma! Rah, Oklahoma!
Rah, Oklahoma! O-K-U!

The Knots Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father:

Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart, and my life. Remove the have nots, the cannots, and the do nots that I have in my mind.
Erase the will nots, may nots, and might nots that may find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots, would nots, and should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, Dear God. I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart, and my life all the am nots that I have allowed to hold me back.

In Jesus' name, Amen

THE SENSES OF MORNING

Good Morning!  I am thankful that I opened my eyes this morning to see the beauty of God's creation that surrounds me! 

Our cove on the lake

I am thankful that my ears can hear my daughter's feet moving on the hardwood floor causing me to reflect on those early years when the steps were smaller and softer.  These steps also remind me that the day is rapidly approaching when I will no longer hear her steps daily in my home.  She is growing up so quickly and will soon be off to make a life for herself. 


I am thankful that my nose can smell the fresh morning air and the dew on the grass to remind me that God provides all resources for renewal of our world.  The smells of baking blueberry muffins make thankful that I am able to provide food for my family.  It also reminds me that we are rapidly approaching the holiday seasons.  My favorite time of year because it turns the attentions of those who might not think of the true meaning behind thankfulness, giving, sharing, and the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  As a Christian, these are things that are so much a part of my daily life that the transition into the holidays are not much different other than some bling and bobbles in the home.  I am thankful that the rest of the world gets to focus on what we experience everyday.  Even if it is only once a year for some!


I am thankful for the feel of my warm and fluffy, favorite blanket that wraps me up on this chilly, Fall morning.  It wraps me in love and keeps me warm.  It is a reminder of the love and caring that went into each stitch. The blanket was made by my wonderful, ex-mother-in-law.  A beautiful woman who still loves me and accepts me as her "daughter" even after the heartaches and tragedies surrounding my divorce.  She is with me in my heart and surrounds me with her embrace each day through the blanket she made just for me!


Finally, I am thankful for the taste of my sweet morning coffee and a fresh baked muffin right from the oven! The tastes of things that God put on this earth to sustain life until we leave to join him for eternity.


May God's love engulf all of your senses today!  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever!  1 Chronicles 16:34


May the Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you! Numbers 6:24-25