Hello All! Just wondering if anyone is still out there? I'm here - just been in my cave for a while. Can a couple of years actually be considered a while?
Let's just say I've been busy learning in the "School of Life". Much has happened in 2 years; child in college, child with driver's license, lost business, started new job. Maybe most importantly, allowed myself to remember, allowed my self to hurt, allowed myself to heal. Some days have been bad, some good. What's important is that I pushed forward (despite momentary giant steps back), found out A LOT about myself and those around me, took off my all too often rose-colored glasses and learned how to live in the real world.
Now, I'm back. Isn't that what really matters? I made it through. I survived. I am back.
Hello World - Did you hear me? I AM BACK!
Disclaimer: Please insert all thanks is due to God the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate into each sentence above. Without HIM I would not NOT be back :-)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
"Good People"
Every once in a while you meet a family you could best describe as just "good people". Through the years I have met many families of "good people" from all parts of the world. One of those families I met many, many years ago in Hoover, Alabama when one of their six children was in my daughter's kindergaten class. Since that time, this family has been a pillar of the community, the father being a well trusted neighborhood plumber, the kids all popular and active in their schools, and a mother who is the rock of the family. But as we all know, bad things happen to good people.
A few weeks ago, I received a phone call that Sana', the rock, had lost five (5) family members in the Israeli offensive against Gaza. One sister-in-law and four cousins - all women, all rocks to their own families. On top of that, her mother was just diagnosed with terminal cancer. When you think surely these people can take no more, there was more to come............ Please read their story here: http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/news/2009/jan/27/former-sp-runner-faces-deportation/
For my friends and family in Alabama, please do what you can do. Write letters to your congressmen, call your local representative, write an editorial to the newspaper, call and check on the kids. For those of you who can do nothing else, pray for them. Pray hard.
A few weeks ago, I received a phone call that Sana', the rock, had lost five (5) family members in the Israeli offensive against Gaza. One sister-in-law and four cousins - all women, all rocks to their own families. On top of that, her mother was just diagnosed with terminal cancer. When you think surely these people can take no more, there was more to come............ Please read their story here: http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/news/2009/jan/27/former-sp-runner-faces-deportation/
For my friends and family in Alabama, please do what you can do. Write letters to your congressmen, call your local representative, write an editorial to the newspaper, call and check on the kids. For those of you who can do nothing else, pray for them. Pray hard.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
How to Help - For My Readers Outside Jordan
For those of you outside of Jordan, if you would like to donate money to help supply humanitarian aid to Gaza (money will be used for food and medical supplies), please go to your local bank and make a wire transfer to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) using the following account details.
Bank Name: Arab Bank
Location: Amman Jordan
Reciever: UNRWA
Swift Code: ARABPS22600
OR
Bank Name: HSBC
Location: Amman Jordan
REceiver: UNRWA
Swift Code: BBMEJOAX
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Color of Mourning
Following the lead of Southern Muslimah and Momma Bean, my blog will be dressed in black to mourn those who are suffering in Gaza...........
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Solidarity
UPDATE: Check out the Black Iris blog to see how you can help get food, blankets and blood to Gaza. Hurry, the food and clothes drop off is on Tuesday, Dec. 30!
First, let me say that this will most likely not be my most well written post. I am feeling too many emotions to think clearly: sadness, anger, frustration, helplessness and more sadness. For those of you living in another world than me, I am referring to the terrible atrocities that are being committed in Gaza against innocent civilians, children walking home from school, women doing their daily shopping, ambulance drivers who are simply trying to pick up the dead and dying from the middle of the roads.
I am not a dreamer. I know that many people who read this may be supporters of Israel and their policies - we will just have to agree to disagree. But, I beg you, how in God's name can you agree with the indiscriminate bombing of an entire city? First, they cut off all fuel supplies to Gaza (no heat for warmth, no fuel for cooking). Next, they cut off all food and medicine shipments (in case the lack of heat wasn't bad enough). And now, since neither of those did the job, they decide to begin killing with bombs. I know there are those who would argue that Hamas brought this on their own people by "allowing" a few Gazans to launch rockets into Israeli territory. Since when can we hold an entire people, specifically women and children, responsible for what a few people do? Aren't there at least a few people in America and Europe who do things that reflect badly on their governments? Would the world sit by and watch as Mexico or Canada dropped bombs on the entire US as revenge and expect them to do nothing? Let's think logically for a minute. How many people have been killed by rockets launched from Gaza in the past year - 4, 5 maybe? Now, how many people were killed yesterday in Gaza by Israeli bombs - at least 250 with over 400 wounded. To put that in perspective, it would take at least 60 years for Palestinian rockets to do equal damage.
Anyway, I know I am just rambling at this point. I have thought and thought about what I can do, personally, to change this situation and the answer I keep coming up with is nothing. I can pray for them, sure, but I want to be actively part of the solution. There is just nothing I can do. I feel helpless. I can do nothing to help, but I can show my solidarity.
I have decided, and I encourage all of my readers, including those not in the Middle East, to fast for at least one day - I will be fasting on Monday, Dec. 29 - from sunrise to sunset to feel the hunger that they feel. Instead of just fasting, try to imagine that you are fasting and bombs are raining down on you.
For those of you who want to take it a step further, I challenge you to live on what you have in your cabinets and refrigerator for the rest of the week. Don't go to the grocery, don't go to the bakery, don't even go to the mini-market. Now imagine that you have no choice and this is how you have to live.
Appreciate what God has given you. Be thankful. Pray for those who are suffering.
First, let me say that this will most likely not be my most well written post. I am feeling too many emotions to think clearly: sadness, anger, frustration, helplessness and more sadness. For those of you living in another world than me, I am referring to the terrible atrocities that are being committed in Gaza against innocent civilians, children walking home from school, women doing their daily shopping, ambulance drivers who are simply trying to pick up the dead and dying from the middle of the roads.
I am not a dreamer. I know that many people who read this may be supporters of Israel and their policies - we will just have to agree to disagree. But, I beg you, how in God's name can you agree with the indiscriminate bombing of an entire city? First, they cut off all fuel supplies to Gaza (no heat for warmth, no fuel for cooking). Next, they cut off all food and medicine shipments (in case the lack of heat wasn't bad enough). And now, since neither of those did the job, they decide to begin killing with bombs. I know there are those who would argue that Hamas brought this on their own people by "allowing" a few Gazans to launch rockets into Israeli territory. Since when can we hold an entire people, specifically women and children, responsible for what a few people do? Aren't there at least a few people in America and Europe who do things that reflect badly on their governments? Would the world sit by and watch as Mexico or Canada dropped bombs on the entire US as revenge and expect them to do nothing? Let's think logically for a minute. How many people have been killed by rockets launched from Gaza in the past year - 4, 5 maybe? Now, how many people were killed yesterday in Gaza by Israeli bombs - at least 250 with over 400 wounded. To put that in perspective, it would take at least 60 years for Palestinian rockets to do equal damage.
Anyway, I know I am just rambling at this point. I have thought and thought about what I can do, personally, to change this situation and the answer I keep coming up with is nothing. I can pray for them, sure, but I want to be actively part of the solution. There is just nothing I can do. I feel helpless. I can do nothing to help, but I can show my solidarity.
I have decided, and I encourage all of my readers, including those not in the Middle East, to fast for at least one day - I will be fasting on Monday, Dec. 29 - from sunrise to sunset to feel the hunger that they feel. Instead of just fasting, try to imagine that you are fasting and bombs are raining down on you.
For those of you who want to take it a step further, I challenge you to live on what you have in your cabinets and refrigerator for the rest of the week. Don't go to the grocery, don't go to the bakery, don't even go to the mini-market. Now imagine that you have no choice and this is how you have to live.
Appreciate what God has given you. Be thankful. Pray for those who are suffering.
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