Hanging By a Thread

Crossing the Line: To Train Up a Child

A Different Point of View

Isn't it funny how time and age and experience change the way we see our favorite books and movies from our childhoods?

The other day some friends and I were discussing reading the Little House on the Prairie series to our own children. The series was a favorite of ours as children and aside from the nostalgia of reading these books there is a different perspective now; that of a parent.

We were musing over how well behaved the children were and how well they listened to their parents and followed directions; carrying out many difficult chores day in and day out; and all with just a few handmade toys and no DVDs. What made these children so hard-working and obedient?

Of course, times have changed...a lot. But for one thing, there was corporal punishment; and the kids knew this and expected it. There was a certain amount of fear mixed with respect when it came to their parents.

Today, as I discussed in yesterday's post, there are many different schools of thought about the best way to discipline and raise a fine, upstanding, well-behaved child. However, there is a point where so-called discipline crosses the line and becomes abuse; even murder. There is a book that has been the cause of concern for parents, social workers and prosecutors in the last several years.

Excuse to Abuse

This book advocates for using spankings on children as young as 6 months old to train them to submit to authority; to essentially break children in the same style that the Amish break their stubborn mules. Michael Pearl self-published his book, To Train Up a Child, and it has become popular in ultra-conservative homes, especially in Christian homeschooling households.

This book, which suggests using a switch for spanking a child in one example, describes how to use a quarter-inch flexible plumbing line for hitting the arms, legs or back and even advocates for periodic fasting for children, has now been linked to the deaths of several children. These children all died at the hands of their parents after being systematically beaten, most with the plumbing tubing mentioned by Pearl, having food withheld from them and subjected to other means of "discipline" supported by Pearl. Pearl's book was found in the homes of each of these children.

When Discipline Becomes Abuse

This is not to say that the book is to blame for these parents lashing out and killing their kids in an attempt to train them to submit to their authority. The parents are to blame. However, these parents had been led to believe that such behavior is acceptable. It is not.

Pearl has said it's not his fault if delusional, mentally ill parents took the wrong idea from his book. I think they understood his general principles and they just took it a step further, which resulted in the death of their children.

I would say it is never, not even once, acceptable to hit your child on the arms, back and legs with a switch, rubber tubing or any other instrument. This is abusive behavior that will only teach your child to fear and hate you.

The parents who followed Pearl's book, albeit extreme cases of following his teachings, were indicted for murder and are serving prison sentences now. Their discipline was most certainly actually physical and mental abuse. Their praying during or in between beatings does not make it alright either.

The Scoop

There is a wide expanse between parents who use spankings as a way to discipline their children and parents who withhold food and use various instruments to hit their children in the name of discipline. If you feel that you need clarification of where the line is drawn between discipline and abuse, see this link to the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.

Abuse in the name of discipline is still abuse. Abuse is a criminal offense. Abuse hurts everyone.

Teaching respect, trust and reason makes for a stronger, kinder, more confident child and adult. Over and out...

Anna

DOG|GOD: Reflections on a Loss

It helps to talk about him often; even in the ordinary, everyday kind of conversation. His loss has been hard on us. Just when you think the deep grief has passed one of us has a sudden moment of sadness. I wasn't sure how much his death would affect our Darling Boys.

After all, they are just 5 and half and 3 and a half; how much would they understand about death and loss? Their responses have been varied and different.

Darling 1 has always been very matter-of-fact about all issues surrounding God and heaven. So, he has easily accepted that our beloved Saint, Ben, is in heaven with God, but refuses to talk about memories of Ben because it makes him too sad. He more openly grieved at the time of Ben's death, unlike his brother.

Darling 2 was exceedingly angry at the moment of Ben's death and in the months since. This was heartbreaking to watch. Darling 2 even asked for a little stuffed St. Bernard puppy for Christmas.

But recently as I was working on my computer with my ear buds in and Pandora station blaring and Darling 2 was sitting next to me watching a children's program on TV, I happened to look at him and saw that his big lower lip was stuck out and he was on the brink of tears. Even with my ear buds in I quickly figured out what was happening.

In the cartoon he was watching a character's pet caterpillar had "died" or so the character and her friends thought. Of course, this pet had not died, but came out of the cocoon as a butterfly. I realized what Darling 2 was thinking about and reassured him that this pet caterpillar was fine.

He told me he was very sad about Ben and cried. He remained in this state for several hours holding on to his little stuffed St. Bernard, finally openly grieving Ben's death. Since that time, he has been able to talk about Ben without getting upset.

Darling 2 even helped me put the photo in the personalized memorial marker that Aunt Dodie gave us for Ben; smiling and laughing at Ben's Christmas photo with a wreath around his neck, taken years before Darling 2 was born. Darling 1 helped me place it under Ben's favorite tree in the back yard, asking me if he could sit next to the marker and talk to Ben. I assured him he certainly could.

Ben's {heavy} box of ashes sits on the desk in our bedroom in a velvet drawstring bag; his favorite room in the house; the room he slept in; the room he died in. We are somehow comforted by the presence of this velvet drawstring bag.

I test myself with his memory every so often; recalling the thickness of his huge ears; letting myself feel how it felt to hug his tremendous neck and bury my face in his soft fur; thinking of the loud thump, thump, thumping of his powerful tail, the flip flapping of his large jowls and the resonance of his low snore; and envision the sweeter than molasses look in his deep brown eyes.

Loss in a family is difficult no matter who or what it is. We all have to mourn in our own ways. It takes time to move on; which we will, but we won't forget one of the greatest of God's creatures. And we all feel certain we will see our gentle giant again.

Darling 1 says that Ben is with Papa K, Will's grandfather who passed away last August. He says it like he knows it to be true. I don't doubt him. Papa K loved dogs and always asked about Ben even though he never got to meet him. I like to picture them together, both happy as a lark together in the eternal light. Over and out...

Benjamin: A DOG Among Dogs (An Obituary)

Anna

A Holy War: When Women’s Health Care Becomes Collateral Damage

Narrow-Minded Fools

There are a few things that make my blood boil; one being the stupidity of narrow-minded buffoons. Many such people also go by the title Senator, Representative, Governor or Presidential Candidate and associate themselves with the Republican Party. In this instance, I am specifically referring to the stupidity of such buffoons who hail from the Great State of Texas; my home state, I'm sorry to say.

This issue should not be politically motivated; it is. This issue certainly should not be religiously motivated; it most certainly is. This issue should be about health and humanity; sadly, it is not.

Perhaps I've missed something, but the last time I checked abortions were still legal. And yet, in Texas and other states run by narrow-minded fools, medical clinics serving women, most of which are not performing abortions, are losing funding by the millions and being forced to close all in the name of "Pro-Life."

Guilty By Association

A great number of these clinics are Planned Parenthood. These clinics screen for breast cancer and cervical cancer, perform pap smears, counsel adolescents about abstinence and provide infertility guidance, prescribe free birth control pills, and other routine care; they do not perform abortions. In Texas, clinics that perform abortions are already barred from collecting government funding.

The decision to take away funding is based purely on the fact that the conservative base is so obsessed with abortions. So, the right wing politicians continue to focus on ways to block women from access to an abortion, even if it means leaving hundreds of thousands of women without medical care for health-related issues that have nothing to do with abortions; and regardless of the fact that abortions are still legal procedures.

In a New York Times article, Wayne Christian, a Republican state representative for District 9 in East Texas, is quoted as saying, "I don't think anybody is against providing health care for women. What we're opposed to are abortions...Planned Parenthood is the main organization that does abortions. So we kind of blend being anti-abortion with being anti-Planned Parenthood."

In essence, what Mr. Christian is saying is that because they are waging a moral war against abortions, clinics closing and thousands of women being left without medical care is just collateral damage that can't be helped.

We aren't talking about a non-profit, pro-life organization taking aim at clinics or organizations that perform abortions; we're talking about elected officials of the Texas State Legislature. But I guess this most recent move shouldn't be surprising.

Since the historic 1973 Texas case of Roe v. Wade made abortion legal, the Texas legislature has passed a number of laws regarding abortions in order to make it as difficult as possible to obtain this legal procedure. But now they are trying to hit clinics that serve low-income residents where it hurts most; their budgets.

Losing Federal Funding

On Friday, the U.S. Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius announced that the Texas law cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood because some of the clinics in that network perform abortions violates federal Medicaid regulations that require women to be allowed to choose where they go for health care. Sec. Sebelius noted that Texas had been warned of the repercussions of passing this law and enforcing it. The law goes into effect this week and the federal funding for the Women's Health Program will now be withheld from Texas based on this law.

At this time, the federal government pays 90% of the cost of this Medicaid-financed program in Texas that aids about 130,000 women. Gov. Perry's office issued a statement saying that the state will somehow cover the amount lost by the federal government to enable women to get care, but was not specific about which clinics or type of care would qualify for such funding.

If the conservative base has it their way, it's going to get worse for these clinics that largely rely on government funding to serve underprivileged women. Republicans across the country are targeting Title X.

Title X is where most of the federal funding for family planning comes from. These funds provide cervical and breast cancer screening, testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, adolescent abstinence counseling, infertility counseling and other services. Title X does not fund abortions and only a small part of it covers birth control costs.

Of the $300 million Title X budget, Planned Parenthood gets about a quarter of it. The remaining three-quarters of it goes to clinics, community health centers, hospitals and state agencies across the country. If Title X is done away with, it will mean more closings of clinics that help women who have few resources for health care.

Abortion Statistics

All of this in the name of eliminating abortions because some perceive it to be a moral wrong that should be policed by the government.

It's worth mentioning that over the years, the number of abortions across the nation have been decreasing for years, including those in Texas. It's also worth noting that according to the Center for Disease Control's reports, the highest percentage of reported abortions were performed on white women under 25.

In Texas, the median age of women getting abortions is 22 with 34.2% of the total number of women between 15-44 having abortions in Texas being white women and 36.3% being Hispanic, according to a report from 2006.

The Scoop

Let me clarify that I am not in favor of abortions; I know no one who is. What I am in favor of is the right for each person to decide for himself or herself what is the best path to take based on the medical options available and one's personal set of beliefs and circumstances.

I also want to be clear that I am a Christian, and I live my life based on Biblical principles and prayer, but I am also open-minded, a free thinker; some might say liberal in my thinking. This means I view the whole picture, not a small, fractured piece of the picture before making a decision.

Where the elected Texas officials have erred is allowing their personal and religious beliefs to interfere with simply aiding people who need help. In the name of Christianity and righteousness, the leaders in Texas are leaving vulnerable women exposed and without medical care.

To those who will not and cannot separate church from state, I leave you with this question to ponder: What Would Jesus Do?

I know the answer to this question. Jesus neither feared nor despised the poor, the wretched, the criminals, the misguided or the despicable; instead Jesus helped and loved all people of all backgrounds and social classes; even politicians.

I apologize if any conservative toes were stepped on, but this is my opinion and my platform for presenting my opinion. Over and out...

Anna

Mortality and Friendship

Mortality has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. There's nothing that puts life's bumps and bruises in perspective like a real medical scare.

We go along complaining about being tired or busy or little nuisances like allergies or colds, but there are so many who must contemplate a scary, life-changing prognosis every day.

People are living longer than ever before. We have incredible modern medicine at our fingertips. Those factors should be a comfort, but it's not enough when I'm feeling afraid for a friend facing medical questions.

While she would have us, her friends, believe it's not a big deal and she's not worried and everything is going to be fine {and I believe she'll be fine too}, it's our job to hold her hand, pray for her, listen to her and worry about her. 

In fact, she would probably say I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I should by writing about it, but I love her dearly and I'm very concerned for her. I know what support there is out in the blogosphere; I know the amazing power of prayer; and I know I can count on you to pray for her and her family; sending positive energy to her in whatever way you communicate with God.

As we age, we will be faced with mortality many times over and we will continue to hold on to each other through these life events. These little hiccups make you appreciate your friends and those times you get to spend with them even more. Our friends are what make the rough patches bearable.

I had decided to stop posting on the weekends, but on Monday morning my friend will be heading to the hospital for a medical procedure that will give her more answers. So, please do say a prayer for her. And while you're at it, give one of your friends a call or send an email and say hi and let her know you care. Over and out...

Anna

 

Motherly Advice {My New Year’s Resolutions for 2012}

I can do all things through  Christ who strengthens me.

~Philippians 4:13

This shall be my mantra for 2012.

Often this, the last day of the year, is one for reflecting on the past year. I'm not doing that this year. I can no longer dwell on the sadness, the stress and the uncertainty of 2011. I'm finished with this year.

I am moving on. In 2012, I believe in me. I have infinite faith. I am stronger. I am wiser. I am full of hope. I am resourceful. I will not take "No" for an answer. I am determined. I am who I am.

At the age 37, I believe that I have the perspective that my 20 something self did not have. I believe that each experience I have, good or bad, is a learning experience. I believe in signs. I believe we should follow the leads that present themselves and seem to be the inherent answers to the questions of our souls.

I believe all I have to do is keep going; keep showing up each day. I believe I don't have to have all the answers today.

I believe that life isn't worth living if we don't follow our dreams. I believe that our dreams can change. I believe that deep down inside each of us we have everything we need to succeed, whatever that term means to you.

In 2012, I resolve:

1. to succeed on my terms;
2. to follow through;
3. to keep moving;
4. to be patient;
5. to be persistent;
6. to love without ceasing;
7. to laugh often;
8. to feel deeply;
9. to think freely; and
10. to continue following my dreams.

Who knows where those dreams will lead me. It is with excitement that I face this New Year. BRING IT ON because.... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

How do you feel about the New Year? Do you have any new year's resolutions? Over and out...

Anna

Mississippi Underestimated: Answering the Question of Personhood

Free Choice

I recently saw a quote from a conservative governor stating that he had vetoed a particular bill because he didn't want to micromanage the actions of adults. This quote struck me as odd for a number of reasons. To name one, it's conservatives who typically are trying to take away the choice of abortions for all women. Isn't this also micromanaging adult women's actions?

Let me be clear. I am not a proponent of abortions. I don't know a single soul who is. I am a proponent of free choice. Abortion is not something that I would choose, as far as I know. But then again, I've never been in a position to have to make this decision; so I can't say for certain. I am certain that I cannot make that decision for anyone else though; it's not for me to say what others do with their bodies.

I think that a woman or a man should have the choice of making decisions regarding her or his body without the state interfering with this choice because someone else living in that state may disagree with the choice that person makes. The decision to have an abortion for any reason is one of the most personal choices I can think of.

An Argument for Conservatives

I liken my argument to that of gun rights. I, personally, don't think that people should own guns for personal safety or hunting. I, personally, think that people with guns make our society less safe. However, not everyone agrees with me. There are those who think it's vitally important to have firearms in the home in order to protect the family. There are others who enjoy the sport of hunting.

I will leave them to their sport and their sense of security. I will not tell them they can't own guns, even if they are safe with them and follow all the laws regarding firearm ownership and don't threaten others or commit crimes with their firearms. That is their right.

MS 26

Well, it's also a woman's right to decide what happens to her body. Yesterday, the people of Mississippi went to the polls to vote on a number of items, one of which was Initiative 26. "MS 26" as it was termed may have been on the MS ballot, but it was an issue that could have affected all women across this country. I spent my evening watching my Twitter stream with the hashtag #MS26 {I met some lovely ladies from MS too.} and monitoring MS election results.

If MS 26 had succeeded it could have opened the flood gates rushing toward the eventual overturn of Roe v. Wade. Well, it didn't. The people of Mississippi came through in the name of women's rights.

The exact wording of MS 26 is this:

Should the term 'person' be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the equivalent thereof?

57% of the voters in MS answered this question with a resounding, "NO" despite the time and money spent by Personhood USA in hopes of a "yes" vote.

Personhood USA

Personhood USA is a Colorado based "Christian" nonprofit organization that "serves the pro-life community by assisting local groups to initiate citizen, legislative, and political action focusing on the ultimate goal of the pro-life movement: personhood rights for all innocent humans."

What this means is that a grassroots team showed up in MS and planted the idea of putting this question to the vote of the people in hopes of stirring the pot into a frenzy that could lead other ultra conservative states to do the same. The Personhood Mississippi website says if the vote was yes, a legal challenge would be set up to challenge Roe v. Wade. Of course, the website also says that the most important reason to vote yes is that it will honor God and show love to their neighbors in the law system. Clearly, Personhood USA was appealing to the conservative Christian voters of that state.

Strong Southern Women

Mississippians responded with their own grassroots fight, explaining to would-be voters that MS 26 could have more far reaching effects, such as infertility treatments, access to contraception and women's health, in general. Personhood USA thought it could appeal to the deeply conservative, Christian, low-income and uneducated citizens of MS. They were wrong. Mississippians are smarting than that.

The idea of the personhood question evolved from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's observation during Roe v. Wade oral arguments when he said, "If it were established that an unborn fetus is a person, you would have an impossible case here." Now Personhood USA is trying to do just that. 

The Scoop

There are a number of laws in place that regulate the how, when and where abortions are performed, by whom and upon whom. It's not a spur of the moment, lightly taken, frivolous decision....ever. And the laws in place protect those who for whatever reason have come to a clinic for an abortion. Without these laws, providing this right, abortions would still take place, but behind the scenes, without safeguards, without regulating the who or what or when or where.

In the past I wrote about laws with unintended results. If the voters' answer to MS 26 had been yes, this would have been one of those laws. This issue is not about choosing abortion; this issue is about choosing for one's self. The people of Mississippi have chosen for themselves. Over and out...

Anna

 

The Million Dollar Question: Pop Culture Clues

What makes an idea or an article novel or appealing? What makes a reader choose to click a link? What makes a message amazing, eye-opening or viral? What makes an online writer stand out from the hundreds and thousands of others just alike floating around, bumping into each other out in cyberspace? That is the million dollar question, isn't it?

I'm working on figuring this out. And when I do have the answer, I'll let you know. I know this much; the answer has just as much to do with what will not put you in reach of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as it does with what you should be doing to earn the gold star.

Here's what I know thus far:

1. There is no instant formula for fame and fortune in writing;
2. The more you write, the more you hear your own, true voice; and
3. The more you understand your readers, the more you know how to temper what readers want to read with what you want to write.

So, with these truisms in mind, I have a few fun questions for you, Dear Reader:

This survey is anonymous, and I would be so incredibly grateful to you if you would take just a few minutes of your time to answer the questions. The questions are completely random and whatever jumped into my head as I typed. While this is true, I do think these questions will give me great insight into how to choose topics and how my readers will perceive certain issues, etc. And I promise you know all the answers to this survey!

Thanks so much in advance for helping me get closer to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak. Over and out...

Anna

The List: About Friday #WoF

Glory Hallelujah!

This weekend I attended a Women of Faith Conference. I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not one to raise my hands in praise or call out "Amen" or "Hallelujah" or quote scripture aloud or read Christian self-help, romance or fiction books or listen to Christian radio. I'm a Christian; my faith has never wavered in all my 37 years, but I'm just not loud about it. I completely respect those who are, but I was concerned there would be no place for me, a quiet worshipper, at Women of Faith. So, it was with apprehension that I sat on a folding chair on the cold floor over the ice in the Excel Energy Center awaiting the verdict to my questions about this conference.

I received the tickets for free from the Women of Faith organization after I had a conversation with someone associated with the conference when I was in Nashville for the Blissdom Conference last January. My friend, Gussy, accepted one of my free tickets and together we dared to "Imagine" with 15,000 or so women in attendance.

For those of you not familiar with Women of Faith it's a two-day conference filled with praise, scripture, inspiring messages, laughter, tears and amazing voices that empowers, renews and ignites women. The main speaker of Imagine Women of Faith is Sheila Walsh.

Singing Praises

I had never heard of Sheila, but after just a few minutes I knew I liked her immensely. Sheila has a gift for telling stories, even stories you've heard a hundred times. She keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next line, even when you know it; she says it better than anyone else has ever told it and she's studied the story, the surrounding factors, nuances of the language and understands the translation issues, the hidden meanings, etc. But story telling is not her only gift. I was amazed and humbled when I heard the sound coming out of her mouth as she sang beautiful hymns in praise. She's also witty, intelligent, sassy and encouraging. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

All the ladies lifting up their voices in praise were phenomenal. Natalie Grant sent chills down my spine with her singing; and the Worship Team and Mary Mary were wonderful too.

Key Points

These are the most important take-aways from Friday, in my opinion:

1. There are over 3,000 promises from God in the Bible;
2. It's very difficult to hold both of these as absolute truths at the same time: 1) God is all powerful and 2) God is all loving. This is especially true when tragedy strikes;
3. Only 10% of happiness comes from anything circumstantial;
4. Live a life so compelling that everyone wants whatever it is you have in your life;
5. The Greek word for "Peace" means total wellbeing because God's presence is with his people;
6. Forgiveness is about deciding not to carry the burden (pain, jealously, anger, resentment,) anymore, laying it before God and moving on, regardless whether someone is seeking forgiveness about something;
7. Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ in spite of the trouble

And a few other observations:

1. Men really aren't necessary at a WOMEN of Faith Conference;
2. Stupid humor isn't funny, especially from a man speaker at a WOMEN of Faith Conference;
3. Everyone needs to find his or her "Monkey" aka friend who helps lower stress levels when confronted with the all the bad stuff this world has to offer;
4. It was lovely to find several of my "Monkeys" sitting there with me .  
5. Photo: Anna B. with Anna R. of Girl with Blog ;

The Scoop

So, the verdict is that Women of Faith is inspiring, thought-provoking and encouraging. I was sorry I had to miss Saturday's speakers and performers, and I was glad to find that it was a place for all kinds of worshippers at Women of Faith.

There were those who sang along, quoted scripture, raised their hands in the air or swayed. And then there were those that quietly took it all in, like me. This doesn't mean that one person understood more or saw things more clearly than another; it simply means that each person has her own way of taking in and processing information and praising God. No one judged; no one even paid attention; to each his own. What a relief.

Overall, it was well worth my time on Friday. Over and out...

Anna

 * I received these tickets free from the Women of Faith Conference. The opinions are my own.

The Luxury of Choices: Resources for a Free Meal

A Story that Stuck

Several years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Susie Larson speak on raising grateful kids. She's the kind of speaker who makes you laugh and cry and think really hard about your own life. Susie said a lot of profound, funny, interesting, thought provoking things that night, but what has stuck with me and what often comes to mind is a story she told about her family's hardships that had befallen them after a series of illnesses and incidents out of their control when her kids were young.

Susie told about a trip to the grocery store during that time with her 3 young boys in tow. She said that on such an occasion after they had gotten into their car they prayed and prayer of thankfulness that this week they had food to eat and that they had choices of what they would eat at each meal.

This is not such a profound story. This is not so utterly remarkable. And yet this is the story that I often hear in my head and share with my kids. They were thankful they had choices of what to eat for dinner. This is such a simple thing that many of us will never even contemplate our meal choices, nor consider these choices a luxury.

Economic Crisis

The truth is that the face of need is changing. Many of our neighbors have experienced the devastation of foreclosure. Many of our friends and family have suffered from job loss due to our economic crisis, including my own family. These are people who work; these are people who contribute to their communities; these people are upstanding citizens, but due to economic hardships beyond their control, they have lost their jobs, their homes and much more along the way.

Loaves & Fishes

In our community there's a nonprofit organization called Loaves & Fishes who serves free healthy meals to anyone who is hungry and in need of a free meal, no questions asked. In the Twin Cities you can go to one of the 9 dining locations throughout the Twin Cities for an evening meal. {Days and times vary with each location, so check website for schedule.} You can find out more information about meal locations, ways to help, etc. at www.loavesandfishesmn.org.

Loaves & Fishes believes: "everyone is entitled to a meal with dignity. Respect for others and self is the only requisite at our sites." A need for a warm, nutritious meal transcends socioeconomic, cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Everyone can fall on hard times and everyone must eat to survive.

Basic Resources

If you are not in the Twin Cities, there are a number of other organizations in other locations that provide the same services as Loaves & Fishes, and some are even similarly named organizations. You can find these services by running a search "loaves and fishes program" + the name of the city. The phrase "loaves and fishes" seems to turn up a good number of free meal programs in many large cities across the country, which makes sense considering the origin of the term.

Another good resource for finding information about such programs is a church. Most churches keep lists of resources for those who are looking to meet their family's basic needs regardless of religious affiliation or complete lack thereof. Again, in the Twin Cities, the Basilica of St. Mary's St. Vincent de Paul organization is an excellent place to start if in need of basic resources.

The Scoop

If you are in need of free meal, there is no shame in that. Everyone needs to eat to live. You may be in a situation where you need one free meal to get you through the week and that's it; or you may need to frequent the Loaves & Fishes dining locations often for a month or two or maybe even a year. That's alright. If you are not in need of a free meal, perhaps you can help those who are by volunteering at a free meal dining site near you. Over and out....

Anna

You might also like:

When Insurance Fails: Resources for Free Vaccines

Giving from the Heart: Tips for Raising Thoughtful, Generous Kids

Hunger Pangs: Finding Ways to Help from Around the Globe

The List: Sources of Inspiration

For me, inspiration is something that causes great excitement and joy to the core of my being; inspiration can make me dizzy with thoughts and plans. To be inspired is truly a gift. I feel as though I have won a great prize; I feel as though I can conquer all the obstacles in my way; I feel as giddy as a child on a sugar high.

It's important to be inspired in every stage of life. There are always dry patches, inspiration droughts, if you will, along the way, but then when the inspiration arrives, it's like a much needed rain shower pouring down on the parched earth.

Every person is inspired by something different. The sources of inspiration are as unique as a person's character traits. Here are some things that inspire me:

1. Creating new recipes while cooking and baking in my kitchen {this is also a great diversionary tool, while waiting to be inspired};
2. A good idea;
3. Beautiful landscapes, both natural and man-made;
4. Music {anything with a great beat, but no R & B or Heavy Metal, please}
5. Jane Eyre;
6. Bible Verses;
7. Cool, crisp fall air;
8. IKEA;
9. Art;
10. Going on an adventure with my family;
11. Meeting new people;
12. Following my dreams; and
13. Watching my kids grow into individual beings with their own ideas and inspirations.

What inspires you? Are you allowing your creative channels to be open to receiving the rain of inspiration? Did something inspire you this weekend? Talk to me, friends. Over and out...

Anna