Dogs

Poor guy...

Sudan in the news today

(CNN) -- Sudan's president was seen smiling, dancing and speaking to a huge crowd of supporters Thursday, a day after a warrant was issued for his arrest on war crimes charges.

Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir waves to supporters in Khartoum on Wednesday.

The display of defiance came as international aid agencies were being ordered to leave the country in retaliation for the move by the International Criminal Court over six years of bloodshed in the country's Darfur region.

The streets of the capital, Khartoum, were filled with people who raised their hands in the air to cheer President Omar al-Bashir, who raised both fists defiantly in the air.

The crowd was filled with posters and banners featuring al-Bashir's face or the flag of Sudan. The one banner written in English read, "We are all with al-Bashir."

Al-Bashir gave a fervent speech to the crowd, denouncing the United States, its Western allies and Israel. At one point, the crowd repeated in English, "Down, down, USA!"

Music before and after the speech got everyone moving, including the president, who smiled broadly and raised his walking stick in the air. A camouflaged helicopter swooped over the crowd.

Government air and ground forces conducted what the United Nations called a "show of force" in parts of Darfur, where the situation was "calm but unpredictable."

The International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands, issued the warrant Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It accuses al-Bashir of complicity in a campaign of violence against the people of Darfur, in the west of the country.

The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict in western Sudan's Darfur region, and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes.


Sudan has angrily rejected the accusations and the indictment. Kamal Obaid, Sudan's state minister of information and communications, called the ICC a "white man's tribunal" and the arrest warrant "an insult."

It has told as many as 10 humanitarian groups to leave the country, and seized the agencies' assets, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

Where is God in Darfur?

For some reason, I've looked away when the news has highlighted Darfur. I know fully well what is going on there. At least, as much as one can know via the American and British media (CNN/BBC). But until seeing this video, I've never felt compelled to do something. Now, I find myself asking, where is God in Darfur? Surely He is there. This week in Bible study we had a segment that talked about how we sometimes have to experience the storm to feel God's presence. Surely that storm wouldn't have to be this...

Tomorrow, I will look into this more. How can we help Darfur? When I worked at the Red Cross I taught International Humanitarian Law, but I didn't do a lot with it. I saved all of my books and do use them from time to time. It's so complicated... government, IHL, criminal courts, ethnic groups... but surely there is something we can do?

Anyone know more? (Other than the George Clooney/Brad Pitt ads on TV...)

The Explaination...

Between the new sewing machine and my obsession with Etsy, I've been feeling a little crafty lately. I have some fabric with which I plan to make a quilt, but I just haven't found the time to decide which colors and patterns match up. I also have some fleece that I've been planning to tie up for Nola (as if she needs yet another), but haven't done that either. Neither project excites me.

So... I thought I'd make a doll. That should be fun. And sort of easy. I started with some left over canvas from the bed I'd made for Nola's crate. It was thick, durable, and would be perfect for a rag doll. The body looked a bit like a snowman, and I goofed and sewed the head and body together before I'd stuffed the legs to sew into the bottom of the body. No problem... I'll just stitch them on afterwards. Well, by the time this all panned out, I realized that my "doll" looked so hideous that there was no way I could keep working on it. Its pieces still sit on my desk.

Since I had so much fleece, I decided to make a plush doll. Same concept, but this time I'd cut out the entire body, head, arms, and legs in one piece. I carefully picked out a pretty blue felt for the background of the eyes and matching light blue buttons. Then I realized I didn't have thick thread for the nose or mouth. I went back to my stash of felt and found some pink. First I cut a lip shaped piece. It looked ridiculous. Then I tried a simple crescent piece. Still didn't cut it. Finally I just tried different shapes and settled on a triangle.

Well, when I sewed the eyes on and then made my way to the sewing machine for the mouth, I realized that my "doll" was certainly going to be a little different. No problem, rag dolls are supposed to be a little "homemade." (Boy did that take on a new meaning...)

I'd made zigzag triangles on top of my doll's head when I cut her out because I thought it would be an easy way to make "hair." I had everything ready to flip her inside out. Except for the fact that I was in no way ready for what I'd end up with...

That's right. This creature thing is my "doll." Oh, I was laughing soooo hard. D thought I'd been drinking, which I rarely if ever do, because I couldn't stop laughing! This had to have been, by far, the funniest thing I've ever seen... especially considering what it was supposed to have been!

After seeing my doll creature I thought it would be fun to make all sorts of fun shaped creatures, but now I can't stop making them! Here's the current creature family, minus one that I gave someone at work.I called mom, because she teaches kindergarten, to see if she could use some creatures but she wasn't really sure what I was talking about. Ha! I'm going to attempt some smaller, mini sized creatures later. That should be fun! If anyone would like a creature, let me know. I obviously have plenty to go around, and they could use some love. :P

And that's the story of the creatures.

Chicken Little?

We've all heard the phrase, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling," but today I heard, "my hair is falling, my hair is falling!" I couldn't help myself... I'm still laughing!!! See, a couple months ago, I had a lesson on black hair. And I learned a lot!


My friend from work, K, changes her hair almost daily. But she's trying to give her hair a break so she had some other hair braided in (I am almost sure that's the correct way to explain the way her hair looks).... so she has micro braids (right?).


This morning she was in my office to pull up a video from American Idol last night. We were just discussing the fact that "Lil Round's" real name is Lilian Round and so she goes by "Lil Round" as a double name like "Mary Beth."


It was then when I heard, "my hair is falling, my hair is falling." I suppose I should offer a bit more background as to why this was as hilarious as it was... when I saw her hair this way on Monday we had a lengthy converation about how expensive it was, how much time it took, and then of course, the fact that I sorta wanted to cut one off. (Don't ask, they are braided really tightly and look sorta like velcro the way they're braided, sorry for the velcro analogy K!) She of course flipped out that I would want to cut them, but I was sure to specify that I'd only want to cut them off if they were on my head. Secretly, I sorta wanted to cut one off though. It just looks like they'd stick back on (I really do know that they wouldn't).


As it turned out the entire braid had come unbraided and so it wasn't just a few pieces of hair as we'd previously thought... I tried to help but wasn't allowed. I don't braid the right way. Hmmm.... I'm sensing a little hair snob here.


I only wish I could figure out a way to get pictures off of my phone because it really is priceless.

When God Speaks

This morning at work, I was talking to a friend and shared with her part of my weekend. I had debated writing about it here, mainly because I am just so grateful and humbled that I've had a hard time imagining how someone could be so kind and generous!

Ultimately, I feel that not sharing this story would be like not sharing a wonderful gift from God - and why wouldn't I want to share that?!

My Saturday started with a list of errands.

-Walmart

-Fabric store

-Post Office

-Dollar Store

-Ann Taylor (donate your old pants, get $15 off new pants, even sale ones!)

-Petsmart

I started with Petsmart, hit up the Dollar store, and headed to the post office. I don't check that box too often and there's usually a pile of circulars and other random pieces of mail. When I opened the box, I had a couple of regular envelopes, a small padded envelope, and a package pick-up notice. I tossed the circulars in the trash bin and walked out the door with the regular mail. When I got to my car I realized I still had the package pick-up notice in my hand. Classic "me" thing to do... I ran back in and handed it to the clerk, fully thinking that we'd gotten something from Uganda. When I saw the box though, it wasn't from Uganda at all. It was from Amazon.

My first thought was that the package pick-up slip had been placed in the wrong box (despite clearly having my Box# written across the front). Second thought was I didn't order anything... then, I immediately knew what it was. When I was looking for my Bible study workbook I'd found one on Amazon. I swear I cancelled that order! Err... they sent it anyway. Sigh. I told the clerk I didn't order that and cancelled the order... we cracked the box, thinking surely it would be sent back. But when we peered in, there was what appeared to be a big book. Wrapped. A present?

It was a perfect rectangle in smooth, blue paper, with a thick, white ribbon. The clerk encouraged me to open it. (We're still peeking into the brown box at this point...) Now, I have been browsing for a particular book for a week or two and this was the exact same shape as that book. I told the clerk I might have an idea of what it was. Again, she encouraged me to open it. I couldn't. I told her I would probably cry if it was what I thought it could be.

I walked out of the post office and hopped in the car. I stared at the brown box, then carefully took the gift and studied it for a minute, completely baffled. This has to be... I opened it. It was! Not only was it, but it was leather. It was beautiful. Someone sent me a Bible. And not just any Bible, a Bible that I have been looking at for a while thinking that I needed so that I could better understand what was going on in the scripture that often goes above my comprehension. Who would have done such a thing? The note was signed simply, in Easter code. ;) I stared at that Bible for the longest time, practically sobbing by now.

There is only a small group of people from whom this could have come -- I would have to do a little research! I immediately called my sister. Still sobbing, mind you... I was, and still am, so shocked (and so touched!) that someone would do such a thing! When I was in Walmart, I called D to tell him... and of course, started crying again. I did manage to keep things a little more controlled this time - I didn't want to completely lose it in Walmart!

When I got home, it's silly, but all I could think was, "Jesus loves me."

The thing is, my special friend (later I found out, friends!), is someone that has never met me face to face. This amazing gift was from a person that lived far, far away. And at that, someone that has only known me for a short period of time. How amazing is our God to bring such kind, caring, and generous people together?!

This Bible, my wonderful gift, came at a time in my life when I have been eagerly searching for God. I know He didn't leave me. But I need Him. Oddly enough, in Bible study this last week, hunger and thirst was discussed. We were to compare that with the feeling of hunger for God. What feeling is that? Oh, I can tell you. It's what I had in me until only recently. I joined Bible study at a time that couldn't have been more perfect. Now, mind you, I am a bit immature in my relationship with and knowledge of God, but I am learning. Dare I admit that I didn't even know it was "permissible" to write in a Bible!? I'm Episcopal we we don't really use the Bible as a book in church. We have a Lesson that is printed for us, but no one really brings a Bible. At least, I've never seen anyone with one. Except the big one that stays at the front of the church (and has no marks in it, by the way!). I love being Episcopal! I was born and raised that way. But... my church doesn't really have a lot for people like me, i.e. young, single, professional. The only groups at church are for couples, older people, or moms. I am none of those. Well, Nola might argue but... let's be frank.

I even went so far as to look into going to other churches. But a little part of me felt like I was "cheating" on my own church. That's another post though...

This Bible, this new, beautiful, gorgeous Bible means SO much to me -- it is from two beautiful, kind, caring, generous people who have humbled me and have inspired me. Each and every time I look at or open this Bible, I will be reminded of those two special people. Inside, I taped the card that accompanied my Bible. I saved the ribbon that had been tied around that smooth, blue paper, and cut it into two pieces making it into a bookmark that will forever stay in my Bible.

There is another ribbon. The one that serves as a page marker in all Bibles. The ribbon in my Bible just happened to be placed in the book of Ezekiel. I decided to read those pages... on the left hand page was the middle and end of chapter 36. So I started reading chapter 37, on the right hand page.

How much more loudly could God speak?!

Ezekiel 37: 1-6

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Soverign Lord, you alone know."

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendones to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin, I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'"

Now, if this isn't God speaking then I really have a lot to learn... but I'm pretty sure He knew exactly what He was doing when He marked this page.

Because my Bible is the amazing study Bible that it is... I am able to read further into this scripture.

"The dry bones represented the people's spiritually dead condition. Your church may seem like a heap of dry bones to you, spiritually dead with no hope of vitality. But just as God promised to restore his nation, he can restore any church, no matter how dry or dead it may be. Rather than give up, pray for renewal, for God can restore it to life. The hope and prayer of every church should be that God will put his Spirit into it..."

I'm not saying that I was "spiritually dead" nor do I think that my church is "spiritually dead," but this Bible has arrived at a time when I needed rejuvenation in my personal relationship with God. I need personal renewal from church - from God.

How great is He to show these words to me? And how great is He to bless me with friends who care so much about me and my spiritual growth with God? I can only hope that one day, I too, will be able to help lead someone closer to God in the way the my kind, remarkable friends have done for me.

On Sunday, I had to work my second job for a few hours, and I found myself wanting to take my Bible with me - fully knowing I would have no time whatsoever to read it! Today, I took it to work with me. I didn't have time to read it, but I did take it out to look at it! My Bible makes me excited to read God's word and eager to learn more about Him! It also reminds me of His love for me through the most wonderfully, incredible friends!

Part of me is still boggled, speechless, overwhelmed, and just amazed that someone would do such a thing for me ... but I know that He is bigger than what I can perceive.

I am blessed, truly blessed, to have such amazing friends. Thank you.

If only I'd have thought of this...

(Is that wagging tail not the cutest thing?! Talk about a happy little dog!)