Is there more to their story...

Moments With You - August 18 included a quote that struck me when I first read it.  

When people disappoint you, be patient. There may be more going on underneath the surface than you realize.

This quote probably struck me with such force because of my lack of patience and lack of understanding in recent days and weeks.  Especially a few weeks ago on Sunday.  While stopping for a bathroom break on the way back from Concord, NC we stopped at a fast food place.  When I went into the bathroom I was immediately appalled by someone who was taking his relief in a urinal.  He was essentially turned backwards and doing the business best suited for an actual regular toilet.  The stench was terrible, the thought of someone abusing the urinal was enough to make me angry.  I thought what sense does that make, why are they doing this, don't they no better.  I thought, here is a grown adult, I could see if it were a child.  Why?

Rushing to judgment and anger I began to chastise and criticize them, in my mind, until the rest of the story unfolded.  As it turns out the man was mentally handicapped, his stomach was violently opposing him.  He was quiet ill.  As a co-worker once said, "violent and heinous" described the state of turmoil he was in.  Not to mention the fact that as I reflected on the scene all of the stalls were full.  It also turned out to be the case that truthfully - he didn't know better.  His elderly father came in to discover his mistake - his face astonished and flush with color.  Unlike my impatience and poor attitude, this father comforted his son, held his hand and assured him that it would be okay.  Then carefully the older man began the task of cleaning things up as I made my way, with great embarrassment, to my car.

Lately, I am learning and re-learning time and time again that the rest of the story can be a major difference maker. What is underneath the surface may be everything that makes the foolish seem wise, the sickening make sense, the harsh seem loving, and the cause for anger a reason to give thanks and seek peace.  No wonder Jesus said, "Do not judge..." We don't have all the facts, see all the details, comprehend all the choices, or understand completely with our limited understanding.

I am praying today, when patience is short and opportunities for anger are frequent that I will remember grace, patience, mercy, love and the truth that there is often more to the story.  As my granddaddy in Alabama says, "If you live long enough, you'll see it all from a different perspective."

May God grant us all grace and patience, and having granted our petition, may we return the same to all that we come in contact with.  Amen.



With love (& in triumph),
Cassius

Welcome to Friday - 8.22.14

Welcome to Friday!

Sometimes the week seems to fly by so quickly that you wonder where did the time go and how come its Friday already!  Or maybe we feel like the week has flown by and thank God it is Friday!  

This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. -- Psalm 118:24

How are you doing this week?  How are things going for you and your family?  How was your weekend and the start of the new week?  What was the best part of your week?  Were there any great stories, moments, or delights that you can share?  I hope that you had a marvelous week filled with joy, hope, love, rest, and moments that delighted you beyond what you could have ever imagined.  I hope that you had moments of great triumph and quiet moments of deep and sincere gratitude.  Most of all I hope that you continue to do well and enjoy your journey.

Our week was outstanding:

• A great weekend getaway before school
• Back to school shopping
• A short work week with the smallest of fires
• Back to school and back to school stories
• Misc. appointments for the girls
• The completion of the 1st round of physical therapy
• Adjusting to homework, early bedtimes and early wake up calls

I had a great weekend followed up by a short work week and a home life filled with the sights and sounds of a new school year.  This weekend we took a back to school retreat to Charlotte to enjoy time away before school started.  It was a multi-purpose trip featuring family Bible study time, goal and expectation setting for the school year, a back to school dinner and shopping.  The girls loved the weekend trip and wished we could have stayed even longer.  Time at Alex's house was high on the list with the little kids, and time in the mall for back to school clothes was tops for the older two.

The mall shopping on Saturday and Sunday was really interesting.  I didn't realize that Paige was such particular little shopper.  She went to work on Sunday picking out tops and pants, jackets, t-shirts and all kinds of items.  Out of all of the girls she probably won the most expensive taste award.  While Cassarra, Gabbi and Sydney shopped with savvy to find deals, bargains and clearance items that were still in style, Paige never met a full priced item she didn't love.  It was pretty funny to watch her work.  

I also learned that the mall, with all of its food stands, ice cream shops, Cinnabon stops, train rides, candy stands, food courts, coffee shops and etc is a really bad place to take Ava.  At one point, with ice cream in hand she began to ask for another treat.  Every gum stand became a cue to cry for money and gum.  Every ice cream shop elicited the plea "I'm hungry."  Don't get me started on the soda machines and the popcorn place.  Just the smell of popcorn floated through the corridors of the mall sent Ava into overdrive.  She couldn't see it, but she started asking for it, "I wan't hopcorn."  Yes, she calls it "hopcorn."  Not sure why.

All in all the weekend was a great time to finish he summer.  I wish we could have visited with more friends and family while we were there.

Monday was back to work for me and the last day at home before school started for the girls.  Monday night featured early bedtimes, jokes about back to school clothes, teachers, and the first day.  Ava and Emma were still suffering from trip lag on Monday night.  They wanted to stay up late like they did over the weekend, and they also decided to get up early like they did over the weekend.  Needless to say, it made for an interesting day at work and an interesting night.

The girls went back to school on Tuesday.  It was fun to see them get all dressed up for their first day.  They were all excited about teachers, friends and their individual fashion statements.  Other than Sydney I don't recall anyone mentioning academics and learning as a reason for excitement.  I took all the girls to school on the first day.  Cassarra and Gabbi were like rock stars at the Elementary school as we walked Sydney and Paige to their classes.  All of their former teachers were lauding their days at DFES and admiring how much they had grown.  I'm glad they got a chance to hear the teacher's compliments.  I could see their confidence build and each of them were happy to see and hear from these teachers.  Sydney and Paige barely said goodbye to any of us.  Once they got to class and saw a few friends we became invisible.  I had to practically beg Sydney to take a picture.

Cassarra got off with no problem to the high school and Gabbi made it without incident to and from the new high school where she is attending.  Cassarra is still hoping for a car to go with her parking pass.  Gabbi is lobbying for Cassarra's car as well, and as a backup to ride the bus instead of going by car

Ava and Emma were quite interesting on Tuesday.  Since I took the day off, I got to see their handling of back to school as well.  Let's just say they didn't take it too well.  Ava said she missed her sisters, and Emma seemed to continually find ways to get into stuff.  I'm pretty sure that having Paige play, chase, and wrestle with them is what they were looking for all day.  I tried, but I don't have the energy that Paige has.  Those two never stopped going.  I was happy when the girls got home to give me a distraction.  

The rest of the week went really well.  We finished up the round of physical therapy for Trish's shoulder, survived the onslaught of paper work from the schools, and enjoyed the multiple first day of school stories.  It was great to hear about enjoying friends, math, being at a new school, and all the unique thoughts and experiences from the girls.  We are almost finished getting back to school supplies and nearly done paying fees.  I'm surprised and amazed by the growing list of supplies and increasing cost for school.  I wonder each day how did my parents do it.  

Well, I hope you are well.  I pray that you will have an amazing weekend and a great rest of the day!

Welcome to Friday!

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion. —Psalm 112:4

May God be full of grace and compassion towards you and your family.

May God bless you and shine the light of His love and mercy on you.

May God direct your steps to bring you joy, peace and unending hope.

Quotes on Wealth

Wealth is the substance in you, it's the people that care for you and that you care for, it is experiences had and perspective acquired. - Andy Dunn

I came across this quote while reading a set of blogs in preparation for work today.  In addition the quote above, the author, Andy Dunn included a number of other interesting reflection points.  

On true wealth:

Dunn discussed how easy it was to miss the reality of true wealth when placed up against the backdrop of a society concerned with getting, having and keeping.  The quote above stood out for me as I continue to wrestle, cry, pray, daydream, and struggle against the constant threat of debt, the lure of wealth, and the lusts of worldly treasures and trappings of life.

Earlier today I began to pray that I could escape the trap of equating happiness, security, and joy with being debt free.  I also prayed that I would begin making and taking the small steps towards victory by praying instead of daydreaming, quoting scripture instead of trying to put together some impossible scenario of stock quotes, windfalls and settlements.  The quote and blog were refreshing affirmations of my morning prayer to trust in God and not material wealth.

As I write, I am also trying desperately to crystallize the rest of the blog with my own thoughts and mark down insights that will help me in my journey of victory.  So far, here is what I was able to come away with; a couple of quotes and new points of thought.

On stability (passing on dreams for stable income):

Stability gives you a constant paycheck, health insurance, a house, food, clothes, a car, and perhaps a conversation piece about where you work, but it costs you much more.  In order to gain stability we are often forced to give up our dreams, and sometimes even our faith in God.  We stop short of starting our own company, or loose trust in our Eternal Provider in exchange for the routine and "certainty" of payroll on the 1st and 15th.  Sometimes we give up the opportunity to see and experience new and exciting miracles and adventures.

The truth is these things only masquerade as provision and stability.

Stability's real cost isn't financial loss, but spiritual. - Andy Dunn

On risks not taken:
Dunn mentions that the true risk is not in taking the risk, but in not taking one.  

The risk not taken is more dangerous than the risk taken. - Andy Dunn

If we took a risk and failed it is learning.  We can go forward with more insight and wisdom, or make a wise choice to abandon that idea due to new learning and insight.  If we fail at "it" we are not failures, but learners who now have a better chance for success and a new opportunity to do it all over again, right!

However, when we fail to try, fail to take a risk then we are really on dangerous ground.  When we fail to take a risk at all, then we loose out on learning, adventure, opportunity and a moment in which God may do what we never could have imagined.  If we fail to even dare to try then we gain despair, disappointment and grief over what could have been - even more than if we had tried and failed.

More and more I realized that what this blog said resonated with me because it brought back the words that I have been studying for the last few days.  It brought back to my mind the verses that I was led to use to combat my enemy and progress towards victory over ignorance and unfaithfulness.

What Dunn brings to mind are the words of Jesus as he teaches about treasures on earth versus those in heaven.  

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God, help me to remember that the true loss is not in losing our possessions, wealth, home, or status.  Instead, the true loss is in keeping, having and fighting for these earthly things and having nothing else of value in eternity.  The true loss in life is not in the losing or giving up of wealth.  Instead the real tragedy and loss in life lies in giving up true and abundant life for a few trinkets of 'now' that will be marked down and 3 for $1 at a next year's yard sale.

So, what risk am I not taking?  How will this change my definition of wealth and what it means to live?

What risk are you not taking?  How will this change your definition of wealth and what it means for you to live?

With love (& in triumph),

Cassius

Welcome to Friday! - 8.15.14

 Welcome to Friday!

      

I just wanted to check in again to say Welcome to another Friday, and another weekend.  I hope that you have had blessed and productive week.  If not, well, we will get it next week.  I have been praying for you and thinking of you all week and hoping that things are going well.  So, how are you doing today?  I hope you are doing well today, and that your family and friends are doing well also.  What were the best parts of your week?  What has been the best part of your day so far?  I'd love to hear how things are going in your neck of the woods and with you and your loved ones.

I am doing fantastic today.  It has been a really good week as we wind down and get ready to gear up for the new school year.  It is so hard to believe that this is the last week before the kids go back to school after their summer break.  The summer has gone by so fast.  This week has gone by very fast also and has been filled with so many blessings.  Since I have the day off I've been able to write a lot more than normal.  The cliff notes are:

Highlights

• Fun at the trampoline park and CiCi's pizza
• A host of laughs and fun spending time with my nephews
• Birthday parties and school send offs over the weekend
• Successful planning for the next project phase at work
• Registration and planning for school starting on Tuesday
• Two high school students, and one with a parking pass
• The last run of "Midnight pancakes" for the summer
• Breakfast with Sydney and Paige
• A weekend of last things for the summer
• A prayer for you and your family to have an amazing weekend.

This weekend was wonderful with a mixture of different back to school events.  We had such a blessing on Saturday.  Gabbi, Cassarra and a few of the youths from church planned and executed an amazing pool party.  God blessed them so much by sending an early morning rain.  Due to the rain the pool was nearly empty all day.  The rain ended in time for the girls to decorate and get things set up.  They kids had the pool to themselves almost all afternoon.  This was truly amazing considering the number of families that live in our neighborhood and usually crowd the pool.  I am so proud of Gabbi and Cassarra for their hard work alongside their peers.  

Sunday was a wonderful dinner/celebration for Joshua and Emily.  We celebrated Joshua's birthday (early) and Emily and Joshua's college send off.  The time with family was magical and the dinner was fantastic.  I can't believe how quickly time flies.  I can remember when they were both little babies like my Emma and now they are young adults headed off to college.  I nearly cried thinking about how much time has passed by and how this last chapter has ended and a new chapter is beginning.  I can only imagine how it felt for everyone else.  Thankfully, God will see them through every chapter.

The rest of the week went well also.  Monday we had our planning sessions go mostly according to plan, a first in nearly 3 months.  That night night the youth from the church enjoyed the trampoline park and I was happy to jump for a while and come away without breaking anything.  Cassarra, Gabbi and Jaziah (my nephew) really enjoyed the trampoline park.  Jaziah has a trampoline at home and he was fearless with the back flips and front flips.  It was fun to watch the kids all enjoying themselves and having fun.  I was happy to jump for a while and get back home with no aches, pains or injuries.

Tuesday and Wednesday were mostly absorbed at work by catching up on planning ideas and planning session requirements.  My team kicks off the last round of projects this month before a software release in October.  This will be our second release since I took over as manager and I'm hoping to learn from the lessons on the previous release.  I'm also hoping that my engineering team will also learn from the past and create the best release to date for our company.  Thursday was the last day of the work week for me.  It was such a blessing.  Short work weeks are always a blessing for me, and probably for my team as well.

The girls are all doing well.  We are almost ready for school.  Gabbi and Paige have to spend part of their weekend finishing up summer reading.  In the case of Gabbi it is not all her fault.  The schools have decided to make summer assignments via a web portal with expectation that students actual check them during the summer.  However, since Gabbi is changing schools and transitioning from middle school to high school she didn't get her log on information until last week.  Paige on the other hand kept procrastinating.  Cassarra and Sydney are both done with time to spare.  Gabbi plans to finish her work on Friday and Saturday.  Paige will probably stretch all the way to Monday, especially after her teacher gave her the "Don't worry about it, we will have time to complete it during the first week."  

We will probably spend this weekend finishing the back to school shopping for the girls and getting in our usual pre-school dinner.  We also want to set some higher expectations this year.  All of the girls will be stepping up to new and more challenging experiences.  Cassarra will be a junior in the honors and advanced honors (AP) programs.  Gabbi will be in high school attending the magnet school for performing arts and entertainment.  Sydney will be her last year of middle school (5th grade) and she is also stepping up to the Advanced Gifted and Talented Program.  Paige will be in the 3rd grade and finally receiving letter grades.

Trish and I have been celebrating little things with the girls all week.  We did pancakes at midnight with the older two on Wednesday.  Unfortunately the new crowd that comes at midnight might necessitate us picking a new location.  We did breakfast with the middle two this morning.  We will probably do breakfast or lunch with the youngest two on the first day of school - when they realize summer is over.

Trish and I are doing well.  We are trying to use these next few days to map out a game plan for getting the girls to three different schools with three different drop off times.  We are also trying to finish up the summer with some fun and laughter.  Trish's should is doing better.  The exercises are helping and she has been doing them faithfully despite the pain.  

I hope that you have an amazing weekend.  I pray that all of God's best will be shared with you in showers of blessings, rays of joy and moments of love that take your breath away.  Have a happy Friday and an amazing weekend.

Welcome to Friday!

Love is irresistible, irrefutable, undeniable. Nothing rises to it. The dark side of our character has no weapon against it. It's our trump card. - Jim Daly

With love (& in triumph),
Cassius 

A note on drifting - Don't drift

I was reading a morning devotional from BibleGateway featuring a snippet and set of quotes from C.S. Lewis.  The article provided an interesting reminder and warning for life and relationships.  The truth is, we drift apart in relationships, not together!

That is why daily prayers and religious readings and church going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed. We must work to move to another or else we will just drift away.  C.S. Lewis

After reading this article I was immediately reminded of how true it can be and how easily the drift in our married lives can occur.  Truthfully, Trish and I are constantly reminded that we are battling the cultural drift.  We know all to well that work, children, church, friends, family and a host of causes can easily crowd our schedules and cause us to drift away from each other.  It doesn't take long before carpooling to after school activities and taking on extra projects at work can turn to lovers into live in strangers.  We have seen the parade of good intentions and excellent opportunities push and pull us in different directions.  "Will you host this..." or "Will you help with that..." are all such easy and innocent requests that we feel guilty for saying no.  Until we realize that without constant focus we are miles apart.

It is not just activities that pull us away.  We also get pulled away by the natural current of selfishness.  Without focus and attention to our schedules and attitudes we are prone to drift apart.  The same is true in matters of faith, as Lewis also suggests.  In fact, lately, I've even seen the truth that C.S. Lewis mentions in my own faith life.  

For the last couple of Sundays I have been in and out of different churches and visiting different places. In some cases I was the visiting speaker, in other cases I just opted to attend a different service.  In any regard, I have been absent from my church for a couple of Sundays.  During this absence I discovered that without being active in a faith community, we drift away from service, outreach, devotion, love and prayer.  If we don't regularly attend church, we are not actively engaging with the pastor or friends.  And once we disengage with the pastor and members, we easily miss major milestones, forget to comfort the grieving, neglect the poor and the widows, stop caring about the wounded world around us, and ultimately we drift away from all those who care about us.  Not to mention, we also stop responding to those who need us to care about them.  In the drift we loose our active faith muscles which causes prayers to go unspoken and the the gift of fellowship to be left unopened.  

So, what should we do?

Pray!  Pray!  Pray! and...

Pray!

Pray that you will not drift.  Pray that you will recognize the drift if it has already started.  Pray and then take the action of moving towards fellowship with each other and away from isolation.  Pray that you will have the strength to go against the current, even when you are tired.  Pray that you will do your best to not drift.  Pray that you will not surrender to your own selfishness, but trust God's faithfulness and power.


God, please help me remember to take time to serve, worship, pray and fellowship with others.  Love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and fellowship is the food that will keep me well fed and moving closer together with other believers.  God, please help me in my marriage to not drift.  I know that culture, work, activities and other good intentions are always opportunities to pull us apart.  In marriage and in faith help me so that I will not drift.  Teach me, empower me and give me strength to build relationships and live on purpose.

Welcome to Friday - 8.8.14

I will praise you, O LORD with my whole heart; I will show forth all of your marvelous works.  Psalm 9:1

Welcome to Friday!

Happy Friday!  How are you doing?  How was your week!  I wanted to check on you and see how were things going for you and your family?  Did you accomplish the great things you set out to accomplish this week?  Were you able to do what you needed to do and get done?  I hope your week was successful and that you were prosperous in all the good things that you set out to do.  

Do you have any big plans for the coming weekend?  Are you traveling out of town or just taking some time to relax and refresh?  I hope you are able to spend some great time with your family, loved ones and friends during the upcoming weekend.

I had a great start to my day today.  Ava, Emma and I took a walk this morning through the neighborhood.  They were up early and I was in the mood to walk outside in the cool, crisp morning air.  We went up "the mountains," which is Ava's description of the hills in the neighborhood and through the sprinklers that were running early this morning.  Ava was very observant of all of the sounds and sights in the neighborhood, especially the crickets and bees.  She loves to go outside, but in the words of one of the older girls, "She is no nature person!"  It was a nice stroll and a good bit of exercise pushing the two of them up the hills as we went along.  The walk was a little longer than I planned, but a great way to start the day.

Overall, this was a good week.  I'm still recovering from the trip to Florida.  My body seems to be reclaiming all of the sleep I lost during the previous week with the early mornings and late nights at the conference.  At work I have finally caught up on all of my email and most of the things that have gone on while I was out.  My desk is still a total mess of receipts, papers, conference flyers, business cards that need to be filed, notes and note cards from various speakers, and new books to read.  At home I'm unpacked from the trip and starting to get back into the summer routine, just in time for school to start back.

The girls are all doing well.  They were so excited to see me when I got back home last Friday.  Trish let them stay up long enough to see me before they all went to bed.  Of course they immediately asked about souvenirs.  I was able to bring back a few things from Florida and the Disney store.  I managed to bring back something for everyone.  I wasn't quite able to get everyone exactly what they wanted.  Out of the six, Emma and Sydney were the ones who were unhappy.  Emma wanted nothing to do with her stuffed Mickey Mouse, and Sydney wasn't thrilled that she didn't get a cup like Gabbi.  Thankfully, some of their disappointment was cleared up by the candy tins I brought home and the selection of conference giveaways and t-shifts.  We spent several hours just catching up on stories last Friday night.  They told me about who was doing what while I was gone and who got in trouble.  

We went to breakfast on Saturday and had our usual monthly breakfast routine.  It was fun to hear them laugh and continue telling stories about the week with mom.  I am really proud of the way the older girls stepped up and helped out.  The rest of their week has been spent with doctor's appointments, check-ups, registration, volunteering, school tours, schedule pickups, and planning for back to school.  The countdown is on and three out of the four school age girls are excited.  Sydney said she is ready to get back to learning.  Gabbi is excited about her first year in high school - gasp!  Cassarra will be a junior and she is excited to get back to her friends and crew.  She is also excited because this year she will have a parking pass - just in case she gets to drive herself to school.  That of course leaves Paige who does not want to have summer end.  She was asked if she was ready to go back to school and her blunt answer was "No!"  

After all of the newness of my return wore off, Trish and I went out on a date on Saturday.  We had a babysitter and we were able to take a long leisurely dinner date.  We caught up on things that she had done while I was gone.  We were also about to talk about some new things she learned about the girls when I was away, especially how challenging they can be to wake up early in the morning.  We took a lot of time just chatting, laughing, talking, catching up and giving her time to rest and unwind.  We also managed to work on some new ideas for our family to put in practice over the course of the coming school year.  Trish's physical therapy for her shoulder is progressing pretty well.  She is gaining some range of motion and strength.  She tells me that it is often quite painful, and I believe her.  It is even more amazing to think about how much she does for us all, and for others, given the amount of trouble she was having with her shoulder.

Well, that's all for now.  I am praying with and for your family today as always.  I hope you have a great day and a wonderful week.  

Welcome to Friday!

May God Almighty, Everlasting and Eternal, bless you and your family.  

May the goodness and grace of God open up to you and present you with

 abundant and everlasting life.  May the mercy and peace of God abide in 

your home and over your family.  And in all things may you know and 

believe that you are truly and unconditionally loved and deeply so.  

Now and forever - blessings to you and yours! 

Too cute for words

Ava as an experienced shopper

Welcome to Friday - 8.1.2014

Welcome to Friday!

Today is Friday!  Welcome to the end of an amazing week and the start of an even more amazing weekend!  How was your week?  How did things go this week and how have you been?  I hope that you had a great week and that you were able to accomplish everything you needed to do.  

A sampling of the dessert sampling.

I have had a good week.  I have been down in Florida at a conference for work.  It has been quite an adventure full of learning, new experiences and some great food.  I've met a lot of great industry experts, IT leaders, professional coaches, and mentors.  I've learned a lot of new techniques to use on my job, with the team that I work on and with our products.  

I discovered that being a volunteer was a lot of hard work; even more work than I expected.  There was a lot of running around through the halls, between meeting rooms, and back and forth to fetch supplies.  The hotel that the conference was at was amazing.  It included an alligator exhibit and several restaurants.  I stayed at airport and caught a shuttle each day.  I met folks on the shuttle from NY, Haiti, Jamaica, and one of the drivers was from Kingstree, SC.  It was too funny to hear a SC accent down in Florida and then connect the dots back to Williamsburg County.  Aside from one incident the shuttle service was great.  One driver helped me network at the conference, another began to pick me up on his inbound route every morning.  I also got to ride in a luxury town car one night because the shuttle forgot to pick me up, and in a luxury coach (E-150 with leather bucket seats) when the other shuttle was late.  

Holding a gator at the banquet.

One of the biggest things I learned from the conference was how good it is to have family.  Florida was nice, but I really can't wait to get back home!  Talking to Trish and the girls over the phone is not the same as having the conversations over pizza, or doing things in the house.  Google's "Hangout" is awesome, but some nights the Wi-Fi crashed and it didn't work.  

Trish has had the girls all by herself all week.  I am so thankful that she was able to keep the girls and give me an opportunity to go to the conference.  When I get into town I am definitely going to look for her cape, have it photographed, framed and then take her out for dinner.  The big girls seem to have been helping out and when I talked to Trish the only hiccup seemed to be a standoff with Emma at bedtime.  

Well, I am so glad that today is Friday.  I am praying for you today and wishing you a great day to finish the week and to kick start your weekend.  May God bless you to be prosperous, successful, and highly favored in all that you are and will do.  

Welcome to Friday!

May God be your refuge, shield and your protection. 

Let the sun, rain, and all that God sends your way make you and your life fruitful.
May God give you hope for today and all of your tomorrows.

May he hold you, care for you and give you the fullness off his grace

and love.