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Hard Times Come Again No More....
Let us pause in life's pleasures
 and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger
 forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.
Chorus: Tis the song,
the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times,
come again no more
 Many days you have lingered
 around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty
and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent,
their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.
(Chorus) There's a pale drooping maiden
 who toils her life away,
With a worn heart
 whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry,
'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.
 (Chorus)
Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more. (Chorus)

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The waters keep rising!!!

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Friends and Neighbors are Loosing EVERYTHING

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But we are coming together to bring hope......

 
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Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.
 


I lost 2 more pounds today!!! 

That makes 32lbs lost total!!!
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My dad has always taught me, it's the little things!   Any time there is someone who needs a hug, a smile, a little gift, my dad is always there.   I had a tough day today.  But when I walked in my office there was a vitamin water and a way-to-go from my co-worker Courtney.   THANK YOU COURTNEY.   You have no idea how much I needed that today. 
 
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Those aren't my legs :) but they will be soon.   People are starting to notice that I am shrinking.   It feels good.  I feel like I am past the point of no return.  There is no going back!! I am on my way to being a normal weight.  I am pushing away from being over weight and the real me.  I know you might be saying... aren't you already the "real you".  I am not so sure of that.   I am following several people who are also on this journey of change and one of the ladies had a very cute picture of a tee shirt someone bought for her that said there was a skinny person inside her.   I think that is true.  There is a skinny person in me.  She's in there.  She is making her way out.  It feels good to start to see her coming back.   I realized today I can start to shop at New York and Company becasue I am down to the sizes they carry.  I can't wait! 

Here are  a few things I am looking at :)   What do you think???
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meek (mk) adj. meek·er, meek·est 1. Showing patience and humility; gentle.


"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." The men above helping sandbag are from "tent city" in Paducah. My heart swells!!  I planned on doing a blog about lossing power today and the wind damage but after I saw this it seemed much more important.  


Lay ´em Down Lyrics

Come down to the river
Come and let yourself in
Make good on a promise
To never hurt again
If you're lost and lonely
You're Broken down

Bring all of your troubles come lay 'em down
All you sinners
And the weak at heart
All you helpless
On the boulevards
Wherever you are now
Whatever evil you've found

Bring all of your troubles
And come lay 'em down
We're all tied to the same old failings
Finding shelter in things we know
We're all dirty like corrupted small towns

We'll bring our troubles
We'll bring our troubles lay 'em down
All you rich men
And the high above

All those with And without love
All you burdened Broken down
Bring all of your troubles
Come lay 'em down



 
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There is a line in the movie Jaws where the guy says, "You're gunna need a bigger boat."  I feel like that right now.  I feel like we are on the edge of something very bad for the Four Rivers region.  It worries me for friends and family.   I think Spicer and I are pretty safe where we are.  I was talking to a nieghbor and she said she had never seen our creek get up to the houses and the many years she has lived here so that made me feel better.  I have been checking it and although it is full it is no where near the top.  But I will keep checking.  I dont want to be one of these people on the news standing in 3 feet of water saying, "We never saw it coming."  I worry about the flood wall and my parents and where I work.  I hope it is all for nothing but I can't help but be worried when I hear words from NOAA like "catastrophic".  It worries me.   I hope we can make it through this with little loss of property and no loss of life.  

BEFORE.........

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AFTER............

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The prhrase "dare alla luce, " means to give to the light.    In the song The Holy City, a favortive Easter tune of mine, the most moving lines say:

And once again the scene was changed;
New earth there seemed to be;
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter,
And no one was denied.

I love those lyrics.   Every time I hear them it makes me cry.  We all have different perceptions of God and what heaven is like.  I like to think this describes it perfectly.  I don't think anyone is denied.  All are welcome and all are loved and forgiven.   What a wonderful thought on this Easter.   "The light of God was on its streets..."  Happy Easter!!  "Dare alla luce" ... may we all give to the light.  
                  

The Holy City

Last night I lay a-sleeping
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
Me thought the voice of angels
From heaven in answer rang.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!

And then me thought my dream was changed,
The streets no longer rang,
Hushed were the glad Hosannas
The little children sang.
The sun grew dark with mystery,
The morn was cold and chill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Hark! How the angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna to your King!

And once again the scene was changed;
New earth there seemed to be;
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter,
And no one was denied.
No need of moon or stars by night,
Or sun to shine by day;
It was the new Jerusalem
That would not pass away.

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Sing for the night is o'er!
Hosanna in the highest!
Hosanna for evermore!


 
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One Hundred Years From Now.....
It won't matter
What kind of car I drove
What kind of house I lived in
How much money I had in the bank
Nor what my clothes looked like
BUT
The world may be a little better
Because, I was important
In the life of a child.



Yesterday was just a great day!  It was one of those days where you think if I could ground hog a day, this would be it.   I was off yesterday so I didn't have any of the strain of work weighing me down.  Yesterday was also a very special day for a little girl and one of my foster families.   I was able to be a small part in the amazing journey of this family.  It is one of the parts of my job that makes it all worthwhile.  Spicer also had his Easter Party yesterday.  I made it back just in time from the adoption to help with his Easter Egg Hunt and his Party.   I was so glad to be able to be there.   Spicer got his big prize yesterday from his dad.  He was so proud.  He got a youth gutiar.  He loves it.  He sang me a song last night with it.  I spent some time with my mom and dad last night helping them with thier computer.  They showed me all the work they have been doing on thier house and garden.  They were so proud of it.  Tommy and I had a nice night at our favorite spot Mother Ducans and had a wonderful meal.  I hit 30lbs lost yesterday too!   It was just really was a great day!!!!


 
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As of my weigh in today I have lost 30lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
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For me the greatest beauty always lies in the greatest clarity.
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing