Samantha and Grandpa

Rick who???

Our sailor guest for Thanksgiving has passed the all important parental and sibling grilling with passing colors.

Happy Birthday Gianna!

Who wins?

In the struggle of tension between good and evil.... who wins?

"Love wins.........Love always wins!!"

She's a child not a choice

My 16 year old son David is wearing a blood red arm band to school today that says choose life, which he sewed in front of the TV last night. He is not making casual conversation today but rather handing out this little card to all those who ask why he isn't talking today. I was so proud and encouraged to think that my son would have the guts to speak up for the missing generations of people in this world right now due to abortion. We worry about our Social Security payments in future years but the truth is we aborted many of those future workers that would have supported those needed Social Security benefits for the Boomer generation. When I asked David what he was doing he explained it all to me. Then he asked me what I thought about the pro life movement. I had to tell him this story----

It was more than 16 years ago that I worked as a volunteer counselor at a crisis pregnancy center in southern Vermont. Living just over the border in New Hampshire, it was a bit of a drive from Walpole down to the center, but I didn't care. My concern at the time was to give a little back to society by trying to reach out to women who needed help. Some of them may decide to give their unborn children a chance for life if my counsel spoke to their hearts. Some were the walking dead inside who had abortion in their past and were struggling to find value and worth ... and most of all.... forgiveness. God laid it on my heart to work with those women since no one helped me so many years ago as a young woman going thru a divorce. My soon to be ex convinced me it was the only way to "save the marriage" and my parents could offer me no place to live if I had the baby. All the counselors in the world at that time were not there to hold my hand when the abortion took place... or to rebuke the doctor who performed it when he got upset because I cried during the process. All the talk in the world could not erase the guilt I felt.
I struggled for years with the guilt and tried to mask or ignore it with alcohol, cigarettes and wrong relationships. Eventually I met a wonderful man, David's dad George, and we married. That was over 34 years ago and since that time I have come to know that Jesus died to pay for my sins and that I could be clean again and healed deep in my soul. And so it was I eventually found myself counseling at a crisis center. I wanted to save unborn babies and also reach out to those mothers, whether they made the right choice or not, and tell them how much God loved them.
I quit the center when I discovered I was expecting a child in my 40's that would be born in June. I was fearful as my pregnancies had not always been easy, so I decided to not travel south to the center but rather rest and prepare for the upcoming birth. That child's name was David Clay-- David means a man after God's own heart and Clay because I wanted him to always be moldable to God's will for his life. So when David asked me what I thought about pro life I had to be honest and tell him my story but I could also tell him to be sensitive because he may hand out a flier to a girl that desperately needs to know God loves her....

Generations will go before us and God promises that if they honor Him , they will rise above their forefathers. That gives me great joy and life....

Leaving on a jet plane...

Hi Everyone,
On our way to our yearly GDIT meeting in Florida, we sat next to soldiers on their way home from Iraq. I was going for this long awaited romantic Florida beach thing with Dad--and didn't expect to lose it in the airport. Sitting next to a soldier on his way home was hard because my son had left the day before for Iraq. The look of goodbye in the eyes I have seen before. This is his Dad saying goodbye to me on his way to Korea in 1973..... wish I could enlarge this picture for you so you could see the goodbye look in his big beautiful brown eyes.....

Chip off the ole block.....

If anyone of you knows our family, you realize sports is huge with us. My husband George played high school and some college football with a passion. He always regretted leaving college early and forfeiting his college football scholarship. He even had a tryout with the Patriots in his early 30's. He poured that passion into his love for his beloved Yankees and Green Bay Packers.

You all know too, that when our third son David showed the same maniacal passion to play football, my husband was beside himself with passion again. Even this here woman who loves to take a good nap during football games became this team mom with the array of correct jerseys and matching team umbrella etc. Screaming like a banchie when my son broke thru the line for a long run. I had become that which I had previously loathed. As my husband has said, "There's nothing like a good faceplant with your helmet into someone else's jersey to get the ole blood going..."

The summer built in excitement as we all anticipated football camp for David. Even the town loves to see him play.His reputation started to quietly leak the last year or so. We have had parents come up to us to thank David for the joy of watching him play.. ....Yeah--you know where I am going with this.... David's ankle therapy has not worked out and surgery is ahead of him. We didn't mean to become parents living thru our kids glory but suddenly we had to step back and catch ourselves. This is our precious tubal reversal miracle baby God granted us stewardship of thru His mercy 16 years ago. That sense of something..some ONE ... is still suppose to be born in our family. Our heritage from God......

Well it did not take us long to regroup and affirm how much we love our son and how an ankle is just another way for God to teach us things... It was disappointing for David as he had picked up his favorite jersey, number 44, from the locker room the other day thinking he could join the team mid season. So the disappointment cut deep yesterday as we talked to the therapist.
Our chip off the ole block has a set back. And so do the parents... attitude and priority adjustment time.

But joy comes in the morning today as David got up , put on his ankle brace and reminded me what he told me the other day---that the time for Rally Around the Flagpole was at 7:40..It's a time students can meet at the school flagpole to pray for their school and nation. The school announced it the other day.

As I dropped him off this morning it was a tad early and no one was there yet. I saw one boy hanging his head down sitting on a bench kind of peeking at the pole. As David got out of the car I reminded him that he is the one people follow and look up to because he has courage. If he stood there first --others would come out of the corners and pray with him.

I drove away from the school and it was sort of hard to see, as tears were welling up. Joy, victory in Christ, overwhelmed me. My miracle baby from my 40's was carrying on the heritage of our God. I had recently prayed God would revive my heart, fan the flame of faith in me...but I never imagined he would use my son.

The football field may be next year for our son but the victory is already there. He is still our chip off the ole block but you know what? He is more than that.... He is a new creation in Christ , who before the foundation of this earth, football fields and all, was created to do good works....

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10

Shopping therapy is good for your back.

Amy and I had a nice morning today. We had to go to Rutland on an errand so we combined it with D&D coffee and fruit smoothie and moved on to Shopping Therapy... you get it at the mall. We both know that after said therapy your back is less strained because your pocketbook is sooo much lighter on the way home.... It's a chick thing and it works. Combine that with a pedicure and you practically cure arthritis!!!

Nyka

Sweet Nyka found a good doggie loving home with Kylie. Jacob worked hard and found a very nice classmate and friend whose Mom loves dogs. Turns out she is the grand daughter of Bernie--the man we bought our home from years ago. So yeah!!! Nyka is super cute and deserves an appreciative home. Good work Jacob !!! Thank you to my nephew Chris who was going to post her pic on his office bulletin board if needed.

Cookies are medicinal

Went to church yesterday and my daughter in law hands David an entire bag of homemade cookes. She said it was to comfort him because he can't play football this season. Wow! I think it helped.....

Ahhh camping.....

Father and son... how cute is that!!!!

"I think we're going to have a son..."

"Mrs. Atkins, Red Cross is letting your husband know in Korea that he has a son..."
I looked in the basinette and could see his Daddy's big brown eyes. He was looking all around --I knew he'd be very smart. Long skinny legs--I knew he'd be tall like his Daddy. What I didn't know is that he would grow up and serve on some of the same Army bases around the world that his Daddy was then.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!!! WE LOVE AND MISS YOU VERY VERY MUCH.....

New York, New York!!!!

Here we are in NY to see the Yankees today. The Empire State Building is seen from out my hotel window. We are in Secaucus but New York is the view outside my hotel room and the beautiful Empire State Building is the star of the view.
Kids are in Bluefield WV on a Youth Works mission trip. No phone or email that they arrived safely so I assume all is well. Dad and I actually shopped a bit on the way down to Secaucus so that was nice too. All I can say is........

"GO YANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Boys!!

David Clay Atkins born June 19, 1991 and Jacob Benjamin Atkins born June 18, 1993 by God's gracious mercy.

Protest Songs...echoes of mercy and bravery..

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. "
Elmer Davis

It is politically correct these days, to sit around lunch rooms and parties etc and bash Bush, protest the war in Iraq. If you want to impress in the business world, you better have the politically correct thing to say around the water cooler. Candidates that spend too much money on their campaign ( because they have strong goals and visions they wish to bring to the state--such as bringing more high tec jobs here so we can keep our smart young people in Vermont with good paying jobs) are obscene. But candidates that help Vermont grow into a greater give away welfare state are humanitarian. Anyone who votes for them is concidered financially and morally discerning. It is better to give away money than work differently and harder to bring more technical jobs to Vermont. Likewise, people who sing protest songs and carry signs are also concidered merciful etc...because people die in war and that is bad of course. Let's not examine WHY the soldier sacrifices though. Then we may have to do something ourselves. It is easier to protest. Let others look outward. We only care about ourselves, right?

All these freedoms to criticize and protest were bought by others with a price. My son will likely return for his second tour of Iraq in a few precious months. As a Mom, I feel gut terror and sadness. I want the war to end and my boy to stay home. Is he messed up because he gets on a plane to go and help children and women in another country have the freedoms we take for granted? Does anyone who bashes Bush and the "war" ever care enough to list all the thousands of helpful meaningful deeds our boys have done over there for a grateful people?

I am concerned that for the bottom financial line, the political correctness of what we feel about war, and most of all, not to spill our lattes --this generation forgets what it means to stand up for something--such as helping women get the freedom to go to school. Will you just roll over and let any political force take over this country? Will you be brave and stand up for the oppressed or just run your mouth?

Jesus called me today....

Jesus called me today....in the early hours of the morning He whispered my name.

He told me to tell you that you should not be afraid....He will give you His power and love and sound mind.... that though the tears may endure the night, the joy will follow in the morning..... and that He loves you very much....

Passed By

Talked on the phone to a first class soldier the other day. Father of 4 children, great family man, done 3 overseas tours, and he got passed over for Warrant Officer. It was suppose to be a slam dunk --he had top recommendations and had "earned his stripes" so to speak. Great disappointment for his military career. He took it in stride but I could tell he was very discouraged. He mentioned also that since Warrant School wasn't in his immediate future, his second tour in Iraq would be back on the calendar in the fall. I could hear his children playing and laughing in the background as he spoke. Trying to bring some lightness in this serious conversation, I said I sort of wish the Democrats would get their way and just bring back the troops now, then he wouldn't have to go. I could hear him catch his breath and he very kindly told me that to set a time frame for troop withdrawal would play right into the hands of the insurgents and be a disaster for the Iraqi people. With his little twin girls giggling in play in the background, he was concerned for the welfare of a people far away that our country promised to help. That's the heart of a soldier---he won't pass you by without helping if he can... Take time to thank a soldier this month.... by the way---it you didn't know already, that soldier was my son Eric.

Septic-see-me-uh

Oh joy--one engineer, one health inspector (we invited over) and one excavator= equals new septic field location and new well in new location. I feel ill--good news is when all is said and done we will have our yard back better than it's ever been and things will be up to code WITH permits-something the last owner wasn't too good at.. Today I am off to see two doctors--one for Jacobs' hurt thumb (from secret rope swing Spring jump into Lake Bomoseen) and then David to Ortho for perhaps removal of old bone chip causing swelling lately. We shall see --but when you bring in the experts they all seem to want to move something or take something out!! Yikes...

Paying it Forward

Wednesdays are special because I the Nana get to spend time at my son Matt's house with the grandkids so he and Esther can go out for a few hours. This week has been something else in this area. Since the last time I babysat, a storm passed thru and Matt has lost 5 huge trees in his back yard and one lovely large pine in his front yard. Part of the roof had come off in one corner also. Not to mention days without electricity and a basement that flooded.

It's pretty devastating to look out the back window and see the trees- root end up -caving into themselves in the back yard. Monstrous trees and I wondered how Matt will remove them all. One week has seen lots of wonderful helpers show up also though. A friend, aka angel, came by to patch the roof corner in the driving rain and wind . Another angel, aka brother in law aka genius son in law came by with a generator to help Matt pump out his basement. Saturday arrived with folks giving their time to remove some of the trees for him.... more coming to help this Saturday probably.

I am sitting there last night listening to Isaac relate all the tree removal stories and wire repair electric trucks he's seen this week....contemplating how thankful I am for all the folks that reached out to each other and especially to this precious family of mine.... when I pick up one musical intrument to put on the bookshelf. It's wooden with a primitive face and metal prongs for making notes. Isaac says "that's mine from Ghana.... Dad brought it home to me this time"--"Last time he brought me the carved animals."

Wow---he is casually referring to Matt's trip to Ghana when he brought something else back too---Malaria!!--my little son Matt so fragile at birth--my BABY---who went fearlessly to a very primitive country and loved it! He got cursed by a WITCH DOCTOR for trying to share his Christian faith with a temple slave girl. He was trying to free her from the bondage she was in each day--cutting herself for the demonic temple. (I kid you not) So guess what?--he went back again!! the next year. He loves it there---he helps lots of people. The hardest part is saying goodbye because he knows the work is never done there. He had to step over very sick children just to get back on the bus to go home...

A co member for the Ghana mission team said Matt will always go back. He relates to the people in a way unexplainable. Matt admits that he fits in over there better. Selfishly I am glad he comes back and only visits that country. But I can tell you the tree, generator, roof thing was not the start of the pay it forward chain. Matt had started doing that awhile ago....

Billionaires

It was reported that Mrs. Walmart died today. Her write up says much about her philanthropy and love of family. She had 8 grandchildren. Her multi billions probably don't mean much to her 3 children as they were higher on the Forbes billionaire list than she was. But her real blessings were in her family probably not all her money. So guess what??? I am richer than Sam Walmart's widow.. I have living 6 kids and 9 ---count them---9 grandchildren. The torch is passed. Only God's merciful grace.......
Maybe that sounds like false modesty or arrogance you say but some of my friends from way back when would be shocked to hear that Ellen wound up with a stable family life etc. You see one person never gave up on me.... God... He never throws anyone away......not me and especially not you!! So turn around and make a family---NO I don't mean get busy procreating. If you are single or alone make a friend and don't give up on them no matter what!! Turn to God too. You'de be shocked how much He loves you....