First Easter

LOVE THESE PICS OF MY GREAT NEPHEW! (What a brave boy—didn't even cry when being held by some pink furry monster!)

Check out the argyle socks. A little preppy man.

HOORAH!

The first email that I read this morning was from my friend—Buck—expressing deep pride in our military. Since I had not yet read the news, I could only infer that it had something to do with the Somali pirate situation. (I am asleep when much of the news breaks Stateside.)

I immediately went to a news link and read:

Hostage captain rescued; Navy snipers kill 3 priates.

Cargo ship Capt. Richard Phillips, right, stands with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano after Phillips' rescue Sunday.

Like Buck, I am extremely proud of the UNITED STATES MILITARY—and especially our NAVY and MARINES…HOORAH!

(Gives new meaning to Easter Seals! :) HA!)

Below is a t-shirt design to commemorate the event. LOVE IT!

Some of the most beautiful words in the Bible...

He is not here: for he has risen.

Matthew 28:12

May your Easter be as blessed as mine.

The bliss of this glorious thought!

One of my favorite hymns is H.G. Spafford’s It Is Well with my Soul—

I most love the following stanza:

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

How apropos—on Good Friday. Praise the LORD—PRAISE THE LORD, O my soul!

(I listened to the Audio Adrenaline version on my bus ride back to camp. :))

Mercy Triumphs OVER Judgment.

I have not posted much over the last week for I have not been able to get my head around all that has been happening in the United States…

Today, I set that all aside—to think of something else that I cannot fully get my head around—the anguish of my Savior—my Jesus—my GOD—who died an excruciating death to reconcile ME—a sinner—to my Heavenly Father.

Good Friday—which commemorates the day my Savior shed his blood for me.

It is impossible for me to fully grasp the suffering of my Savior—and the pain of the Father, as His beloved Son died for ME—

The picture above does not adequately depict the brutal torture Christ endured (the scourged shoulders and abdomen—the flesh ripped from his body—the bruising and bleeding face—rough iron spikes driven through his hands and feet)—

For the best human depiction will never fully capture nor can my mere mortal brain ever fully understand the agony of my Savior—the throes of pain—the bearing of not just my SIN—but the sin of all sinners throughout history—ending in His cry, “My God, my GOD, why have You forsaken ME?”

“My God, my GOD, why have You forsaken ME?”

Riding in on the bus to go to church, I listened to Pocket Full of Rocks song "At the Cross" and the following played through my head for the remainder of the day:

Oh what a glorious plan. God reaching down to fallen man. To all of us broken, lost, and undone—Hear now as Heaven bids us come—Find MERCY that triumphs over JUDGMENT—find GRACE abounding greater than our sin.

Find MERCY that triumphs over JUDGMENT—find GRACE abounding greater than our sin.

The mercy of God—for me—a despicable sinner—the mercy in Christ suffering a horrible death so I could escape the wrath of God—MERCY triumphs OVER JUDGMENT—GRACE abounding GREATER THAN MY SIN.

MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT—GRACE ABOUNDING GREATER THAN MY SIN.

Good Friday, yes, indeed, it is GOOD—thank you, my Jesus.

I divorce you...I divorce you...I divorce you.

Under Sharia, a man is able to divorce his wife simply by saying, “I divorce you” three times.

21st Century twist—a Saudi man sent his wife a text "informing her she is no longer his spouse"—and the court upheld the divorce.

The obvious question—did he have to send the text three times?


~~The only thing worse is the infamous "Post-It Note" break-up!

I do not normally do these...but I was curious...

I would have absolutely died if it had revealed that I have a SOUTHERN accent (from my years in Texas, y'all!).

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Well, there you have it—the quiz must be scientifically based for it is dead on. Michigander to the CORE. (Unfortunately, I am picking up some non-American terminology—as a matter of survival. The other day, I asked a sales clerk if he would please to direct me to the “lift” (elevator)! Yikes.)

April Fool's Day

It seems the person I “fool” the most is myself…

I refuse to see what is right before my eyes…

I rationalize behaviors (Proverbs 16:2a “All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes...”) that may not be “wrong” but they certainly are not “right”—and I would be better off not doing them. Because I rationalize all my negative behaviors, I often fail to see myself for who/what I truly am.

God's Word provides the truest reflection of what I am...and may I always see that reflection...

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my mother’s birthday.
I am thankful for my mother…
And...the older I get, the more I realize that she was not “Mommy Dearest” I thought her to be when I was younger. (After all—I am sure that it was a challenge raising such a strong-willed kid.)

I am 8,000 miles away from my mother today...

but I just wanted to wish her a

Happy Happy Birthday!

Prayer Request for Linda

The following is an excerpt from an email that I received from a dear friend. Linda is truly amazing—and her sense of humor and outlook in what many would consider dire circumstances are—to me—inspirational.

I have had my head examined many, many times in the past year. I still have that vascular glomus tumor in my right ear. It is attached to the carotid artery and so they cannot operate on it, too dangerous. I have done the radiation stuff and that is all that can be done. I am fine, though. I just have to wait and see if and when it gets to my brain. Last scan showed it pushing against the membrane, but who knows what it will do. I just go on and do my thing. I am too busy to worry about what is going on in my head. ANITA ASIDE: I laughed out loud when I read this line—maybe you have to know Linda—

All my kids are on their own, finally. I thought that I would finally get some peace and quiet.....then.....Lupe got cancer. That big 'C' keeps turning up. He's had a couple of surgeries and is pretty much staying with me so I can take care of him. He begins Chemo and radiation next week. Hopefully, he will be okay. NO, we are not back together. He just needs someone to look after him for awhile.

Please pray for Linda.

The new Travel Destination—Iraq!

During my Iraqi experience July 2004-January 2006, the conditions gradually deteriorated reaching the point where the only mode of travel allowed for civilians was military air.

However it appears that the tide has turned—the SURGE has worked—and Western tourists are again visiting Iraq.

For those adventurous spirits, contact Hinterland Travel, a “specialist adventure travel company” based in England. (Read the entire article here.)

I, on the other hand, have already visited—saw many interesting things—and may someday return (though not any time soon!).

In the picture, I am standing on a bluff overlooking the Tigris River in Tikrit, Iraq.

Si Señor

At 46-years-old, I am beginning to learn a new language (note I said BEGINNING—for I am not sure if I will actually “finish” i.e. become semi-fluent in speaking).

Those who know me know that I have been rather content in my mono-linguistic state. I have lived in three foreign countries and have had opportunity to travel to several more…and unbelievably just about everyone in service industries speaks English (after all it is the international language of business).

In those rare instances when I encounter someone who doesn’t speak English, after a few moments of me standing there dumbfounded, the person figures out that I am an Americano bobo and finds someone to translate.

~~An aside: Americo bobo is translated stupid American, and I first heard the term while hiking in Costa Rica. During this particular hike, I became stranded on a 15 foot cliff. A scrawny—approximately 5’1” and 110 pounds—yet extremely chivalrous Costa Rican man saw my dilemma and ran over to rescue me. He held up his arms coaxing me to jump from the cliff, into his arms, back to the main road. Okay, I am a big girl—5’7”—and at the time I was pushing 150 pounds. Thus it took me a moment or two to consider whether or not to jump. In the meantime, a group of about 15 Costa Rican kids gathered to watch and began dancing around, pointing at me, singing at the top of their lungs “Americano bobo! Americano bobo!” Of course all my friends, who had brilliantly decided to stay on the main road rather than follow what I perceived to be a shorter footpath, joined in the singing and pointing. The chorus of 20 made the decision for me—I had to stop the singing, so yes, I did jump…and yes, he “caught” me—though we both landed on our bottoms. And thus I earned the nickname BoBo for the remainder of the trip!~~

Sorry to digress—so why Spanish?—and why now?

No, it is not because of the influx of Mexican immigrants into the US. (Though I am sure that if I do learn to speak Spanish somewhat fluently it will benefit me greatly when I return to the US.)

Nor is it so I am able to communicate with the friend Lisa and I made while in Cozumel (he’s mute).
But rather, it is for the love of a child (actually two children)—to simply remove as many barriers as possible when I visit them. (I will be conversing with a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old, so hopefully they will not critique my Spanish speaking skills too harshly. *GRIN*)

Today, I purchased Rocket Spanish from the internet, this evening I will load it to my iPod—and we’ll see how much I am able to learn in 7 weeks.

I would appreciate your prayers that I will be able to learn this language without too much trouble.

Happy Birthday Jessica!

Happy Birthday Jessica !!!!!!!
I have one sibling, Matty—
And he and his wife Julie have one child, Jessica (born 19 March 1981).
Because I had no children of my own—and she is my ONLY niece—I think I may have spoiled her just a little—because she was so darn sweet and one of the cutest kids ever.

As a kid, she continually made me laugh (saving sesame seeds from a Big Mac bun so she could plant them at home and grow her own buns) and constantly amazed me with her problem solving skills (even though some of her solutions may not have been the best idea—she learned that, yes, even though a pork chop fits nicely into a toaster slot one should not use a toaster to reheat a pork chop).

She has matured into a remarkable young lady—and I am so proud—so incredibly proud of my niece Jessica.

Cozumel

Breezy and mild with big, bright, beautiful, blue skies.

Island fun with stunning beaches (especially the Caribbean side), plenty of shopping, and GREAT food (of course Mexican is my favourite cuisine) .

At about one-third the cost of Cabo.

Cozumel for me ANY DAY.

My friend Lisa and I en route.
The sunsets were simply spectacular.

Does it look like I am picking up a toy boat?

One last picture as we flew away.

URKELNOMICS

It’s been awhile…

I went on vacation to beautiful Cozumel…and left my cares (and my computer) behind.

Returned to Doha…fighting jet lag…and had to take my mid-term exams…

However I just had to share this: Urkelnomics

A decade of E!

Some kids just make me laugh—

E is such a kid—

He does wicked accents (I love his Italian accent)—

He is goofy—witty—and overall a really great kid.

I just love this little boy.

Today he turns 10!

Horray!

*Picture is E visiting theVirgin Islands, 2006

God Bless America

Like many conservatives, I am concerned about the future of our great country under the leadership of President Obama. However, this morning, I was reminded, once again, that OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; he turneth it withsoever he will.

~~Proverbs 21:1

Pray for President Obama and for the United States of America.

May God continue to bless America.

Honduras in May!

YEAH! My Compassion trip to Honduras is CONFIRMED!

I will be visiting the two children I sponsor. When deciding whom to sponsor, I choose children from single-parent families (because they will face more challenges than a child raised in a two-parent home). Then, of course, there is usually something that tugs at my heart which makes the final decision so easy. With Kimberly, it was the fact that she is a good student (being a former school teacher—I appreciate that).With little Eskarleth…it was her picture…she just looks so sad.

Of course, I would appreciate your prayers for these two children and for my trip. Further, you can check out Compassion’s website by clicking the button on the right of this page.

Kimberly is 9 and lives with her mother. In her home, Kimberly helps by making beds, running errands, and cleaning. She is in primary school where her performance is above average. Playing house, hide-and-seek and playing group games are her favorite activities.Eskarleth is 3 and lives with her grandmother. She is responsible for helping in the kitchen, running errands, and cleaning. Eskarleth is not attending school because she is too young. Singing, playing with dolls, and running are her favorite activities.

Happy Birthday, Matty!

Today is my brother’s birthday. Matty is exactly 51 weeks older than I. As a kid, I loved the week when my brother and I were the same age—and he hated it—for I would tell anyone and everyone, “My name’s Anita. I am 5 (6,7,8…) and my brother is 5, too!”

My brother is a great brother—and an amazing friend. I thank God everyday for MattyMatt!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

But not in some Muslim Countries:

(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In Saudi:

As Feb. 14 approaches, the police begin inspecting gift shops for items that are red or are intended as gifts to mark the holiday — a celebration of St. Valentine, a 3rd century Christian martyr — which is banned in Saudi Arabia. Such items are legal at other times of the year, but as Valentine's Day nears they become contraband.

At best, shops caught selling Valentine's gifts are ordered to get rid of them. Some salesmen have been detained for days.

The Valentine's Day prohibition is in line with the ascetic Wahhabi school of Islam that the kingdom follows. Marking Christian holidays is banned in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and a country where non-Muslims are banned from openly practicing their religion. Celebrating any holidays but the two most important for Muslims — Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitri—is taboo because they are considered "religious innovations" that Islam does not sanction. Even birthdays and Mother's Day are frowned on by the religious establishment.

In Egypt:

Egyptian Cleric Hazem Shuman Warns Muslim Youth Against Valentine's Day – More Dangerous than AIDS, Ebola, and Cholera

In Kuwait:

Committee head Waleed Al-Tabtabae said the ministries will take measures to prevent "indecent celebrations and practices", as well as any "immoral behaviour" that may happen on Valentine's Day. Islamist MPs believe Western traditions like Valentine’s Day encourage illicit relationships…

Thankfully—I was able to get my chocolate!!!!!

Fog in Doha 10 February

Fog

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

~~Carl Sandburg

Pictures taken by A. Choong from the 26th floor of the Beverly Hills Tower in Doha, Qatar.

FUN!

This Obama site is just plain FUN.

I used a picture of my dog Jordan (who turned 14 this past January).

And he is a CONSERVATIVE (like his master) or as I like to say, a CONSERVADOG!

Birthday

Today is my birthday—and I wanted to post a “birthday picture.” However, I do not have many family photos with me overseas. This is the best I could do: a picture of my brother (the goofy-smile boy) and me (across from my brother) at my Cousin Tommy’s (at the head of the table) birthday...awwwwww...look how cute.

My 45th year was one of the more challenging years I have faced for my faith was tested in a way that I never thought possible…

And I broke my ankle. I have broken bones before—toes and ribs—but nothing serious enough to limit my mobility. Breaking my ankle was a truly humbling experience—having to rely on the kindness of others because I was unable to perform even the simplest tasks (like carrying a cup of coffee) while using crutches.

My family and friends demonstrated unprecedented kindness during the time after the break—reminding me how incredibly blessed I am. (Thank you Matt, Julie, KK, John, Kristen, Lisa, Kyle, Rachelle, and Lyn!)

Today is the first day of my 46th year—and I am excited at what this year holds—I have plans to visit new places and do new things—and I am thrilled. (I will try to blog all about the new places and experiences.)

But for now, thank you to all my friends who have sent birthday wishes and made this a truly special day.

Great Bumper Sticker

Punify

To recap—I broke my ankle trail running while on vacation in California.

One of my very best friends proved the depth of our friendship by carrying me out of the park (what a friend!!!!).
After 7 weeks, I have finally begun working out and trying to increase the range of motion in my ankle (my foot is currently like a Barbie doll foot—just sticks right out there and doesn’t move much at the ankle which has produced a very UNATTRACTIVE limp).

Additionally, this entire experience has made my right leg PUNY. (I have taken the liberty to create a new word—punify: to make or become puny; to become of less than normal size and strength; to make weak.)

My leg punified rather quickly after I broke my ankle. (Okay—so maybe it is not such a great word.)

I was extremely surprised not only by how quickly punification—HA!—occurred, but also the degree of punification (though the picture may not capture it, my bad leg is about one-half the size of my good leg).
This did make me think about the many times throughout my life that I have ignored something (whether it be a relationship, my spiritual life, etc.), and then was surprised when it “became weak.” My puny leg has taught me a valuable lesson.

Scary

ROMAIN BLANQUART/Detroit Free Press

Only in Detroit....

See Obama in yourself -- and take a photo for our gallery
FREE PRESS STAFF • January 21, 2009

Tell us what part of Obama is in you and we'll add your comments to your photo.

Gratitude

This says it all. GRATITUDE.

Our Commander-In-Chief.

Though I did not vote for him...and disagree with much all of his ideology...I pray every day that God will guide President Obama as he leads our country.

Having said that, when I saw this Mad magazine cover...it made me wonder how accurately it depicts Obama (or anyone for that matter) when the reality of being the most powerful man in the free world and all the responsibility associated with that role sets in...