Buy Me Some Peanuts!

Anybody know what this is?

(World Series champs, baby!)

And this lovely view?

Straight from my seat at the ball game yesterday.

AT&T Park rocks...even from the nosebleed section!

(And my nose was definitely bleeding up there...)

But it sure wasn't out of joint!

How could it be?

This place is gorgeous.

And the fans are happy.

And plentiful.

(Sold out, every night!)

Even when we lose.

(Which we, admittedly, did.)

Sure, we took an early lead...

But those dang Padres caught up with us.

They tied it up.

Then had the audacity to pull ahead.

We almost caught 'em, though.

We rallied.

And rallied.

And rallied some more...

But we couldn't quite pull it off.

Our Giants left the bases loaded in the 9th inning. "/

Afterwards, the seagulls swooped in.

(They're hungry, win or lose.)

Can you see all those little white dots flying around?

(Maybe this cropped shot will make it easier.)

It's like a scene from a Hitchcock movie: The Birds.

Pretty neat.

We enjoyed the view from outside, too.

(This is one COOL COLD place to be.)

Even in the midst of a San Francisco summer!

=)

Biker Boys

I don't know how you see it...

but for me, there's somethin' about a young man in uniform.

(Grandma is kinda partial to the one on the right.)

PHOTOS BY TENDERSHOOTZ

click below for more happiness

America the Beautiful

In the land of the brave and the home of the free,

across rivers and lakes, above sparkling sea,

from the bright boulevard to the old country lane,

on a breeze that waves flags over changing terrain

floats a spirit of freedom so bold and so strong

that it stirs every heart with old liberty's song.

May God bless America. May she stand tall.

And may goodness and honor prevail over all.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

=)

Reverie

With 4th of July just around the corner, Jenny's tipping her Saturday Centus hat to the national anthem this week. We're back to our hundred-word limit; the prompt is in red.

∞§∞

Reverie

©2011 Susan Noyes Anderson

His voice was what won her...strong and deep, warm enough to fill a woman’s heart. She loved it soft and low in the dark, raised and raucous across a football field, slow and sure as he spoke of things that mattered to him.

Everything mattered to him, not least of all his country. She smiled because his “most of all” was her. That went both ways, and she was glad of it…even as she gazed upon the gleaming box she’d chosen for its lines. Clean, like him.

His voice wasn’t lost, could not be lost. She heard it rising clear above the flag that graced the coffin, now his own.

“Oh, say can you see…”

∞§∞

For my Friend

Our very dear friend is in surgery this morning, having recently been diagnosed with cancer for the third time. My mind can't seem to go anywhere else today, and that's as it should be.

I keep looking at this picture, which feels like an answer to prayer.

(It's exactly what I wish I could give him.)

It's exactly what the Lord has already given him.

Not just the tree of life, but the Living Water to nourish it.

"...the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water

springing up into everlasting life."

John 4:14

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:7

Drink deeply, my friend.

I know you do...and will.

Kids Do the Darnedest Things

When my youngest son was in kindergarten, I got a phone call from his teacher expressing serious concerns about his mental health. Needless to say, finding out that the principal wanted a joint conference with the two of us aroused my concerns, too.

I arrived in the classroom only to be shown a picture my son had drawn of himself at the teacher's request. He'd created a pretty reasonable facsimile, as had the other children. The only difference was this: After drawing the picture, he had taken a black crayon and scribbled all over it, as dark as he could. Basically, he had crossed himself out.

I don't think I need to tell you that the implications of this were not good. Still, I'd seen no signs of the depression (or worse) that his teacher and principal were suggesting, and I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea. The whole thing was disturbing, though; and when I got home, I asked my little boy why he had used a black crayon to scribble all over the self-portrait he had drawn. His answer surprised me.

"I want to be black, like Michael Cooper," he answered matter-of-factly. (Michael Cooper was his then-favorite basketball player on the Lakers.) In other words, his "depression" was actually hero worship!

I tell this story for two reasons. One, because it's kinda funny. His answer really tickled me at the time, and I think the teacher was pretty amused too...well, equal parts of relieved and amused.

The second reason I tell this story is because it's a good one for parents to hear. Things are not always what they seem, and while it's important to investigate any red flags or warning bells that we see (or hear of) in regard to our children, it's also best not to jump to conclusions. Sometimes there are logical explanations for seemingly illogical things.

Just something to think about vis a vis the parenting process...

;)

for more K posts, click below

Neglect Not the Gift!

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee."

1 Timothy 4:14

Recently, I led a Relief Society discussion at church on the subject of talents. I opened that discussion by sharing my experiences teaching an exceptional group of adolescent girls several years ago. A phrase I heard far too often from these young women, in response to the concept of God-given gifts, was this: “I don’t have any.” Time and time again, these lovely and accomplished young women insisted that they had no special talents at all…or at least, none worth mentioning. “How can that be?” I would challenge. If God is no respecter of persons, if Father in Heaven loves each of us equally, then why would He favor one child over another, especially when it comes to the gifts and attributes that make us who we are...and make possible the person we can become? The Lord uses our talents to bless us and to bless others, and He promises that “there are many gifts, and to every man [and woman] is given a gift by the Spirit of God” (D&C 46:11).

In other words, God does not play favorites. Some gifts are more visible than others, but that doesn't mean they are more valuable. Neither does it mean we have less obligation to use them.

Talents are meant to be shared, which is why the Lord spreads them around a bit. They’re also intended to be developed. (No-brainer, right?) But there is one catch: In order to share talents…in order to develop them…we must first be able to see them. In ourselves. And if we can’t or won’t see them, we need to believe the Lord when He tells us they are there and resolve to find them.

How do we do this? First, we open our minds. Then we make a comprehensive list of things we like to do, including every dimension of our lives—spiritual, musical, dramatic, academic, athletic, and so on. Consulting family members, trusted friends, teachers, religious leaders, etc. is an excellent way to gather information, because others see in us what we might overlook in ourselves. (Of course, we have to be willing to listen to what they say!) We can also listen to what the Lord has to say, seeking additional insight through prayer.

One thing is certain. We need to make it our business to know what our talents are, because if we can’t name 'em, we can’t claim 'em. And if we can’t claim 'em, we can’t develop, share, or consecrate them to the Lord. Every gift we’ve been given, whether we are magnifying it or not, is a sacred responsibility, and God has expectations about what we do with it.

God-given talents should be acknowledged, like good friends, and introduced to others. It wasn’t until about 15 years ago that I began to understand that it wasn't prideful to "own up" to a talent...because if you couldn't own up to it, you couldn't own it, either. (And by “own” I mean take responsibility for…be a good steward over.) Remember the parable of the talents in the New Testament? The talent that was carefully placed underground (to languish there, unused) was taken away and given to someone willing to give it life and make the most of it.

Of course, in order to give a talent life, we must be courageous enough to embrace the risk inherent in admitting that it’s there in the first place. After all, if we never admit it exists, then we don't have to experience the growing pains of developing it...the trial and error of putting it out there and accepting the feedback (sometimes positive and sometimes negative) that makes it ready for prime time. Quite simply, we must create an open space for our talents to grow, or they will not grow at all. They may even wither away completely.

The Lord likes a go-getter. He’s made it clear that it is not good enough for us simply to return to Him the talents He has given us. We are to improve upon and add to our talents. He has promised that if we multiply our talents, our joy will be eternal.

"Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Timothy 4:14).

Short and sweet, right?

But it definitely packs a punch.

For every gift must have its time and place

or be forgotten…and the Giver, too.

Come, let us dedicate ourselves anew.

Receive and magnify each gift with grace.

{AND COURAGE}