Jessica's Art

Jessica Parkos-Alvarez aka Jess the Figment.......an artist, singer,  student, and mother of Briar Rose....... is a unique individual who creates the most amazing pieces of art, writes songs, makes purses, designs T-shirts, and all sorts of crafty things …..currently she was named Student of the Month.  She is also singing in her fiance's heavy metal band "The Banality of Evil" for which she designed a T-shirt.  Her local paper has run two articles about her art.  Her current art teacher, Kim Beyer, entered four pieces of her art for consideration of a $10,000 scholarship at the Nebraska Wesleyan University.   Two of them were accepted: "Her Breath of Cuteness" and "Flowers for My Rival". 

Here are the questions  asked …..

What Do You do ?

What Are Your Passions ?

What Drives You ?

Jessica is  passionate about those she loves and creates art from a very vivid imagination……..When she was little, her grandparents took her to the Children's Museum at Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she drew Clifford, the Big Red Dog.  The curators were so impressed that they hung it up for display.  She won other art contests at school so we knew that she was definitely an artist.  She also created digital art on our computer for us......usually a picture of her cousins or herself...

   

Music, writing, and art have been a way for Jess to cope with life.  She was raised by a single Mom in extreme poverty.  Often times she turned to writing songs and drawing sketches to express her angst about life.  This MEM  "The creative adult is the child who survives" certainly fits Jessie's life. Even though life was challenging,  her Mom always encouraged her and displayed her art in a prominent place.  This wasn't just refrigerator art, but art worthy of being displayed in her living room....so Jessie's Mom Teresa covered her walls with Jessie's art.

  

Even though her mom & dad never married, her dad played a big part in her life.  Her dad was an artist himself, and Jess picked up his attitude and emulated his art.   She was always close to her Nana so when junior high started and there was some bullying at the school, she came to live with her Nana and Grandpa for a year and a half.  While in Kansas with them, she auditioned and was accepted in a select choir called Chorale. She perfected her voice here.  When she entered high school, she returned to Nebraska to live with her mom there.  She met a quiet guitar player there, Alex Rawlings.  They shared an interest in music and fell in love.

Jess became pregnant and they had a baby girl, Briar Rose, when Jess was a sophomore in high school and Alex was a senior.  Being a teen mom is definitely not an easy route, but Jess went back to school six weeks after the birth of her baby girl.  She studied harder than ever.  She and Alex were devoted parents and kept up with their baby as well as school. 

Jessie's art teacher at that time, Emily Brooks, encouraged her to get involved in drama as well.  Jess had the support of Alex, her mom, and Alex's mom so she was able not only to attend her classes but also stay involved with extra-curriculars such as drama, music, and art.  After her junior year, her Nana and Grandpa sponsored her to attend the Kansas City Art Institute where she received three college credits.  Her painting teacher,Jonah Criswell, was impressed with her overall talent, especially her attention to detail and her work ethic. Her family attended her art exhibition, which featured many of her pieces.  Her favorites were one inspired by her daughter Briar Rose called "Her Breath of Cuteness", a tribute of the appreciation she has for her baby girl, and the other one is a portrait she did of her Uncle David in Viking gear.  Here is a quote from Jess about her daughter and the inspiration she had to create "Her Breath of Cuteness".  Jess says, "Briar makes

Her Breath of Cuteness

Jess crocheted this cap for her baby

One of Jessie's recent art paintings

A mural she made for the library

Flowers for My Rival

Another mural for the library

A portrait of her Uncle David in Viking gear

everything amazing. Even when you are having a bad day, she just blows cute breathiness out into the world."  Jess wants to inspire her daughter.  Briar is two now, and Jess and she do art together.  Jess says, "I do art around her a lot.  I even have a little apron for her, and I'll paint with her.  I have a little canvas that I let her add on to whenever we have time and a place that can't get destroyed." 

Jess also created two murals for her town library.

On Her Passions

“My daughter, my fiance', my art........I have a facebook page called 'Jess the Figment'. https://www.facebook.com/jessthefigmentart?ref=hl I like to share my art and ideas and other people's art that I admire....." 

On What Drives Her

“I am still figuring myself out right now and I have been experimenting with a lot of things and I've really been getting into painting right now One of my things has kinda been having a lot of swirls in my art.  I have been looking at other artists and their styles and picking out things that I like and trying to figure out my style......I want to be an entrepreneur.  I want to sell art in useful ways.  I do love painting and I want to have that basis, but I want my art on shirts and cups and things people use in everyday life.  I want to make prints and make it accessible to everyone.”  Her drive to be successful comes from her love for Briar Rose.  She talks about how important it is for Briar to have a strong female role model, as well as the support to accomplish her dreams. "I want her to see me doing well and being successful so that way she'll want to do that too, you know?  Maybe not painting, but in whatever she does, to do a good job."   

Cheers,
Pat Hays

"Life isn't about how you survive the storm, but how you dance in the rain"

Christmas Letter 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful year it was!  Last Christmas we celebrated with all the kids.  Teresa, Jess, and Briar Rose came Christmas Eve day and then left for the Holiday Home to visit Tori, Caleb, and kids for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  What fun seeing Rosie in her pretty Christmas dresses! Since her birthday is in December, she always has the cutest Christmas outfits.  Christmas Day Mandy and Chad came for an awesome dinner.  The next day we went to Holiday Island to enjoy the holiday with the rest of the kids.  Tori and Caleb had put up a huge tree and exterior lighting so it was easy to get into the Spirit of things.  Rosie started to walk so that was a highlight of the holidays last year.  New Years found us in Mulvane celebrating with David, Sherry, and boys.

Frank's birthday in February was spent with me recuperating from a cold in lovely Wichita, KS, where there was a record-breaking blizzard that snowed us in the hotel where I had accompanied Frank on his business trip.  We did manage to have a lovely dinner at the Scotch and Sirloin before the snow.  When we were able to shovel out, we headed for the Holiday Home to attend a battle of the bands show in which Caleb was drumming.  That was a fun time.

In March I enjoyed a wonderful spring break.  While Chad and Frank attended the NCAA basketball tournament, I made my way to Kimball, NE.  I stayed with Jess, Alex, and baby Briar Rose.  I spent time with Teresa too.  We always celebrate Jessie's birthday then.  She turned 18.

We were saddened by the passing of my Great Uncle Bud in March.  He was the last of the sixteen kids in my maternal grandma's family.  A great man and a pillar of his community left us.

We had an awesome Mother's Day at the Holiday Home.  We had breakfast at the Mudd Street Cafe in Eureka Springs where I received flowers from Tori.  I think that was the weekend we decided to buy the home in Holiday Island.  It's a lovely property with a panoramic view of the lovely Ozarks from our wrap around deck.  We closed on it in July.  Tori and Caleb continue to rent it.....now they just have new landlords. They continue to make improvements on their lovely home in the Woods as well so things are going well for them.  Tori continues her naturopathy practice in both Fort Smith and the Eureka Springs area.  Caleb does construction and handyman work as well as drums for various events.

My good friend, Mitzy Nattress, aunt to Tori  and Teresa, passed away in May.  We celebrated her life in June with photos and shared memories.  She was Mom's beautician for years in Sargent, NE.   The girls were close to her.  They used to stay with her in the summer.  I also feel the loss so much because Mitz was always so sweet and positive.

The summer began with one of the busiest but most amazing times of my life.  I had a family reunion on Mem. Day weekend and then a nice visit with Teresa, Jess, and Rosie.  It got hot early this summer so we set up a pool for the baby and enjoyed watching her so much.  She is a water baby, loving every minute of it.

After that weekend, I started three weeks of graduate work from Friends' University.  I'm always busy re-certifying.  I especially enjoyed the class on humor, but the classes on organization and motivation were good as well.

After my classes I picked up Rosie and Jess.  Jess took PCAL (Pre-college art lab) where she earned three college credits.  I got the privilege of watching Rosie.  She was an absolute blast!  She was a busy little toddler but so much fun.  Loved every minute of it!  The class culminated with an exhibition.  We loved Jessie's art.  Her local newspaper did a nice article about it.

Baba (the grandkids' name for Frank) took Jess, Briar Rose, and me to the Topeka zoo.  It is a grandkid tradition.  It was Rosie's first time to enjoy all the animals, train ride, & 100 year old merry-go-round that her mommy and cousins had experienced so many times.

Camp Nana was a short week at the Holiday Home with a 4th of July boat ride on Table Rock Lake, visits to the park, ice cream, and a drive in movie.

After the art class, we took Kaya on her seven-year-old trip.  Tori and Sierra went with us.  We stopped in Hannibal, MO, the home of Mark Twain, on the way to Niagara Falls.  The Falls were spectacular.  Loved seeing them again. We spent a few days there before going to Toronto.  At Toronto, we attended a musical, went to the CN tower, and met my longtime facebook friend, Cat Forsley.

Labor Day weekend found us once again in Kimball visiting Jess, Teresa, & the baby.  We watched the first NE football game of the season there.  Speaking of football, Frank and Chad bought Jayhawk season tickets so they have been enjoying the tailgate parties and fun times at the KU football stadium.

In October I picked up Mom, and we enjoyed a five-generation weekend with the Kimball folk.  We had a slumber party and treated ourselves to meals out.  It was a memorable time!

That about wraps up the year so far.  We enjoyed Thanksgiving in Kimball and plan to celebrate Christmas at Lawrence and the Holiday Home.  We will probably celebrate New Years with Dave and Sherry and their boys again.  The family is doing well.  Mandy and Teresa continue to work in health care. Mandy and Dustin moved to a new place.  Tori is expanding her naturopathic career. Chad is in his third year of coaching and teaching. Jess and Sierra are in high school.  Jess will graduate in May.  The little ones----Kaya, Samson, and Briar Rose----keep growing and becoming more special and sweet to us every day.  Frank is still instructing insurance, and I am still subbing.  Life is good.  Hope you and yours enjoy the holidays and have a wonderful new year.

Love,
Patty and Frank

Pictures:  (1) Grands: Jess, Sierra holding Briar Rose, Samson, Kaya (2) Chad and Kaya playing mini Uno at Camp Nana this summer (3) Girls at Biggs before Jessie's art exhibition: Teresa, Briar Rose, Sierra, Tori, Kaya (4) Girls at the art exhibition: Teresa, Briar Rose, Jess, Kaya, Sierra (5) Dustin and Mandy at Halloween party (6) Rosie (Thanksgiving) (7)  Frank and I (Easter)

Give Joy a Chance

"Be glad for the things you have and you will find you have far more than you thought.  Then you will not miss in the least, the things you have not.  Besides, the happier you are over what has come to you, the more and the more will come to you in the future.  This is indeed a great secret, and if universally applied would cause want to disappear from the face of the whole earth." ~ Christian D. Larson

Counting our blessings in gratitude causes awareness of our abundance.  If we have water, food, and shelter, we are indeed blessed.  If we have family and friends, we have someone with whom to share these blessings.  If we have a relationship with God, we are heirs to the kingdom and can attract all good in our lives.  Indeed we have answered the call of rejoicing and gathered where life is a song, according to the man who wrote the above quote.

Whether we believe life is a struggle or that life is an exciting adventure, our perspective either limits us or frees us.  Those of us who lived during the sixties remember being asked to give peace a chance.  We should also give joy a chance.  If we do, we open ourselves up to all kinds of good.  WE become part of the divine flow that provides everything we need.

Love, Light, and Life,
Patty

Just As I Am

It's so easy to get down on ourselves, but what we really need to do is be our own best friend.  How would we treat our best friend?  That should be our guide for how we treat ourselves.  God loves us just the way we are so we should do the same.

I am always struggling with my weight so I have to treat myself as I would if my best friend had the same challenge.  I remind myself that I have dominion over my behavior.  I can change how I feel. I don't have to have that stuffed feeling, indigestion, gas, and discomfort when I am trying to sleep--- because step by step, thought by thought, I can change how I think and how I respond to food.  I can remember that some food craving I have is not worth the body I have always craved.

However, that being said, I love myself, even in the middle of any challenge I face.  I don't have to measure up to anyone's standards, not even my own, to be loved by God.  He loves me unconditionally, and that is how I need to feel about myself as well.

I am worthy, and so are you.  God loves us just the way we are.  I remember that old hymn that used to be played at the end of Billy Graham's crusades, Just As I Am, as a reminder I don't have to change to be worthy. I am worthy of good health, happiness, success, and inner peace.  I accept the promise of John 10:10, "I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly."

I have everything I need to face every challenge in life.  I have dominion over whatever is thrown my way.  You have it too.  God blesses us every day because we are His beloved offspring.

Light and Love,
Patty

Kaya

I let go of limited thinking.  Why?  Well, seven years ago, a beautiful miracle happened.  My granddaughter Kaya was born.  She is an absolute miracle because less than two years before her birth, her mom Tori was in a very serious motorcycle accident and was told that she would not have any more children. We worried and worried about Kaya. Tori kept saying that Kaya would choose her own birthday, and she did.  She was born over a month later than her due date, and she was and is perfect in every way.  She weighed 9 lbs 1 oz so was a big, bouncing baby girl.  She is awesome.  Her name Kaya is Hopi Indian for wise child, and wise she is!  Tomorrow is her birthday, and she taught me that God is in control.  I do not have to strive in life with such intensity.  God is good and everything will work out perfectly.

Light and Love,
Patty

Good Friday Forgiveness

It's Good Friday!  It's a great day to think about forgiveness and seeing good in everyone.  It would be so difficult to forgive if we had been Jesus back in the day, and yet we know He did.  Luke 23:34 says, "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.'"  It is so cleansing, and yet not an easy thing.  It is so important, though, for our inner peace.

If you have trouble forgiving, God will help you.  He says in Isaiah 54:4, 10 and 55:9, "Fear not...My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed....For as the heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways higher than your thoughts."  So even if our human reason won't let us forgive, we have God's Spirit within that will see us through.  He will give us strength to forgive and love and see the good in people.

This Easter Sunday as we remember Christ's resurrection, we should remember that God sees us through the darkest night to the brightest day.  When we awaken Easter morning, we will joyfully go forth with the new life and knowledge that God has seen us through the darkness and brought us into the light of forgiveness, peace, and joy.

Light and Love,
Patty

Blessings Galore!

God has blessed me beyond measure, and I am grateful.  I am happy.  I have a great husband, an awesome family, a flexible, satisfying job, and a lovely home.  Yet my life has not been without its trials.  Both my girls have been in intensive care.  Thankfully, both recovered.  I have been through divorce, but I have an amazing husband now.  For all the pain and trouble I have endured, God has blessed me double.  That's how He rolls.  I give myself credit too.  I believe this quote by Jemome P. Fleishman, "It takes courage to live----courage and strength and hope and humor.  And courage and strength and hope and humor have to be bought and paid for with pain and work and prayers and tears." Not that I deserve all the blessings I receive.  I realize that had it not been for God's goodness and favor, I would not have all the blessings I do.

People may be jealous of our blessings and wonder why we are happy when they are miserable, and the best thing we can do for them is to be a smiling example of God's goodness and peace.  Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." He blesses us daily with all the abundance of all the world's beauty.  And this is available to everyone so no one needs to walk around defeated.  Joel Osteen says, "Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for the favor, the honor, the joy, the peace, the victory that God has given you."  The truth is that these blessings come from God and are free to all who choose happiness on a daily basis.  We will have pain and tears, but with work and prayer and God's grace, we can overcome anything with a positive attitude.  Every day is a gift from God.

Love and Light,

Patty    

The Voices Inside My Head

Oh, the voices! Do you hear them? "They just use your mind and they never give you credit. It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it" ~ Dolly Pardon (Nine to Five). Do they say things like, "It's a dreary day", "You are too heavy", "This job sucks", or "You are never going to get well"?

 When those kinds of voices come into my head, I know it is time to change channels. It's time to turn on "It's going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day" or "I love myself so much that I can love you so much", "Take this job and love it", or "I'm healthy, wealthy, and wise". We need to guard our minds. Joel Osteen says, "You may have to weed through a thousand negative thoughts until you hear another positive sound. The Voice of Victory channel saying, 'You can do all things through Christ. Your best days are ahead. This situation is about to turn around.' Latch onto the good."

 The more we train our minds, the easier it is to switch channels when we start to get negative. Let the negative thoughts roll off like water on a duck's back. My cousin Sandy and I love the verse in Philippians 4:8 that says, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things." Sandy's late husband Don loved that verse, and she loves it too. It is one of my favorites as well because when you program your mind this way, there is no room for negative, condemning thoughts to enter.

 WE want to live a blessed life full of happiness and joy. The best way to do this is through gratitude. For instance, lately I have been sick, but I am truly grateful that it is only temporary....some kind of little virus that has almost run its course. I truly know that God has given me a great immune system, and that my body is well able to fight it off. Every day I feel a little better, and I am grateful. I have a husband who takes good care of me, a flexible job that allows me to take time off, and a very supportive bunch of friends who encourage me all the time. When I think of all the things I have for which to be grateful, there is just no room for troubling thoughts.

 I read an analogy about keeping the negativity out of our minds the same way we keep thieves out of our house. We lock the doors. We keep our valuable positive thoughts inside and lock the door on any negativity. This positivity will cure us of what ails us too.  I'm already starting to feel better just thinking about it.

 No longer will I dwell on toxicity. Instead I will think powerful healing thoughts releasing any bitterness, unforgiveness, or disappointment that drags down my immune system. I rise above those thoughts and lock them out. There are lots of things on a daily basis that come against us: offenses, rude remarks, hurtful words. What shall we do with them? Shake them off. It's not easy, but God the Good is on our side so we just feed our mind God thoughts....thoughts of faith, hope, and encouragement.

 I read the story of Henry Winkler, the Fonz, who had severe dyslexia (not diagnosed until he was in his thirties). His father was an international businessman and his parents were very hard on him. They called him "dumm hund" which is German for "dumb dog". Academically he struggled, but in speech and drama he stood out. He dealt with his hurt by making jokes about himself. Of course, we know how that he became a very famous TV star, playing a tough high school drop out on "Happy Days". He shut out the voices of his parents and listened to his own talented voice, and we all know how that turned out.

 When it comes to the voices inside our heads, we have to think, "Who put these here?" Was it me? Was it parents? Was it God? Once we determine the source, we think about whether the voices are positive or negative. Let in the good, lock out the bad. Look out, World. My voices are predicting great things!

 Love and Light,
 (The illustration below is Jessica Parkos' original art.)
 Patty

Treasure Inside

Christian D. Larson is one of my favorite authors.  I read a little from him every day.  One of the quotes I read recently is that "it is our privilege to have abundance of all that is rich and beautiful in the visible world, but it is the wealth and the beauty of the soul that gives happiness; it is the treasures we lay up in the spiritual within that make all other treasures worthwhile."  I know from experience that we too often look to other people and outside experiences for happiness and encouragement when in truth, we need to look inside our own selves for that.

Inside we do have the strength and resolve to become exactly what we want to be.  We may have to dig deep sometimes when things look impossible, but there is real freedom in knowing that we have what it takes inside us.  Sometimes we just need to bring to mind the victories we have had in the past.  For instance, I often look at my diamond ring to remind myself that in spite of failed relationships in the past, I now have found true happiness with the man I love.

When I find myself discouraged with life, I remember to go with the flow and realize that it is in God's hands.  I am friends with several people who have no faith in God.  I honestly do not know how they keep themselves strong and positive.  If someone tells me they have no belief or faith in God, I always answer, "That's OK. God has belief and faith in you."  I truly believe that too.  "God is love," according to I John 4:16.  I find great comfort in that for them, but I am certainly relieved that I myself have faith to get me through the challenging times.

How do we pick ourselves up when we experience discouragement or depression?  We turn our thoughts to "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Phil. 4:8) Early in my facebook experience, I joined a group called "Positive People" which grew to have something like 50,000 people at one time. Cat Forsley founded the group and Agnes Napenas was one of the first people I chatted with from this group.  Agnes had her own group called "Bem Healing Connections". Then I started a group called "The Greatest of These Is Love".   It helped me connect with many other positive folk, and I still have many friends from this group that inspire me with their posts. I also often find encouragement on facebook from several pages that I have "liked".  

If someone is having a problem, I pray for them.  We lift each other up.  I receive mostly positive things in my news feed because I mark "notifications" for those people who are encouragers or I star them as close friends so I see their stuff.  This is important because facebook can be positive or negative for us depending on how we use our settings and what kind of groups and pages we peruse, like, and join.

Everyone who knows me well realizes I have very liberal leanings in my political ideas, and I am proud of that.  However, I have many conservative friends and relatives.  We have discussions sometimes, but I try to never intentionally hurt anyone's feelings.  Sometimes I am sure I do, though, just as sometimes I get my feelings hurt.  The thing I've learned is that we need to accept others and their ideas even if they differ from ours.   I'm not saying that we should keep still about the things that are important to us, but just that we should not take things as a personal affront if we disagree.

Another thing that lifts me up is exercise.  I know I need to go to the gym or walk or bike on a regular basis.  Even if I don't feel like it at the time, I know that afterwards I will feel so much better.  The body is a marvelous machine that we need to keep in working order.  That affects our mental well-being for sure.

Watch your thoughts.  Keep them positive. I have a gratitude list I take out if I become discouraged.  It is long!! Say "thank You, God" a lot.  Have faith and mentally rehearse everything working out just the way it is supposed to happen.  Don't compare yourself in a negative way to others.  When I go to the gym and see all those young, thin bodies, I try to remember that I have earned every one of my wrinkles and that I am doing something about my fat just by being there.  I leave proud instead of discouraged because I don't have their beautiful bodies.  I see my own beauty inside and know God made me perfect.  I am a victor just for going to the gym, and I am better off when I do my workout. If we keep our mind on God's goodness and have a good self-image, we will not be discouraged.

Another thing that keeps us from discouragement and depression is to let go of things we can't control and to quit trying to please everybody else or to get them to please us.  Forgive quickly and don't judge and interpret the behavior of others.  We are so much happier if we don't hold grudges or try to get people to change who they are.

Keep track of your treasures.  I've seen teachers' rooms full of positive notes written by their students.  I've kept my own positive notes and pictures students have drawn for me.  These things keep me encouraged.  Of course, I also have pictures and cards from my husband, kids, and grandkids that mean the world to me.  I just have to look at them to give myself a smile and joy.  I also know how to encourage myself with my journal.  I celebrate accomplishments.  I keep critical spirits at bay whether they come from others or myself.

Another thing that can get us down is the economy, but with faith in God, I do believe things will turn around.  I always keep the hope alive by remembering how the pioneers made it through the hard times and how my grandparents made it through the depression.  I have faith in our leaders and know that God is guiding them to make good decisions.

Leo Tolstoy tells a story of a beggar who sat on a box for years asking for money, not knowing that all the while there was gold inside the box.  Too many of us do not realize what we have.  Bob Greene tells us to "care deeply for yourself, and have the wherewithal to do what it takes to make yourself happy.  Go out and claim the life you deserve!"  Good advice.

Light and Love,

Patty  

Listening and Lifting

"It's important to listen.  Most people just want to know that they are heard," wrote Anne Meara.  It is so important to be a good listener.  So often we want to do the talking, but there are so many hurting people in this world that need a listening ear.  I remember one morning when I was spinning at the club that a woman began to cry as she left the room.  I followed her in the locker room and asked her if everything is all right.  She didn't confide in me, but we became friends after that.  She told me that she knew I cared and that she needed that compassion right then.  I was relieved that I had followed my instincts. We never know who will cross our path and need a listening ear or a healing touch.

I am so happy that I can turn to God when things get me down.  He is my healer.  He gives me peace and takes away my fear.  So many people picture God as a judgmental old man who is waiting to squish them if they make a mistake.  I couldn't worship a God like that.  I John says that God is love, and I believe that.  Furthermore, I know that He is the one person who will listen to me and to anyone who turns to Him.  We can be healers too and restore people by listening and offering kind words.

We are the containers that God fills with His love.  We can release that wherever we go and lift one another up by listening and showing compassion.  One of my favorite photos is the one of Obama comforting the woman who had been through hurricane Sandy and Governor Chris Christie was there as well.  It shows that disaster knows no walls.  No political barriers could keep these men from demonstrating their humanity.  As Jessica Winter so eloquently put it, "The capacity for uplift is part of what makes us essentially, euphorically human." Let's follow that example by listening and lifting up people who are suffering.

Love and Light,
Patty

Christmas Letter 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

It is again that time of year.  Wow!  The years go faster and faster.  We enjoyed spending a lot of our granddaughter Briar Rose's first year with her.  We were able to share most of her first holidays. She was a year old December 8. It seems hard to believe.  We are proud of  her mommy Jess for staying in school and participating in so many school activities like band, one acts, show choir, and of course art.  We flew her to Kansas City for portfolio day at the Kansas City Institute of Art where she received favorable reviews.  She is quite the artist.

The other grandkids are doing well too.  Sierra is in 8th grade this year, and Sammy and Kaya are growing taller and wiser.  Our children are still in their same careers.  Mandy and Teresa are in health care.  Teresa did the sugar beet harvest this year, and is now doing home health care.  Mandy is working for a nursing home.  Chad is in his second year of teaching math and coaching.  Tori is doing well with her naturopathy practice.

In January Frank and his brother David had a celebration for their Mom's (Alice's) life.  We shared our favorite memories of her.  Frank made a video to share photos, and we were very moved by it.  We miss her and yet we know she is at peace now.

March madness brought Frank and Chad to Omaha.  I spent one night with them before heading to Kimball to celebrate Jessie's birthday with her, Teresa, and Briar Rose.  Jess and Alex's sister Maegyn have birthdays one week apart so we celebrated them together.  I went back for Easter and took Briar Rose to her first church service.

Frank took me to St. Louis and Chicago to celebrate my birthday.  We went to a Yanni concert.  It was great until someone broke into our van and stole our computers, I-pad, and kindle.  Thankfully, we had insurance and were able to replace them.  Unfortunately, Frank's business computer was stolen though, which cost him hours of work to re-do all his stuff.

After school was out all the grandkids made it to our place for Camp Nana.  We had a good time at Worlds of Fun and other adventures.  I always love spending time with the grandkids and this year it was great to have Briar Rose join Jess, Sierra, Kaya, and Samson for the fun.  We spent part of the time in Eureka Springs.   It was awesome.

July was hot and fun.  We rented a boat and went with Tori, Caleb, and kids to Table Rock Lake. The last part of July and the first part of August we vacationed with Frank's brother and sister-in-law David and Sherry.  We camped on the north rim of the Grand Canyon where we renewed our vows after fifteen years of marriage.  The view was spectacular.  Then we headed for the lights of Vegas where the fun continued.  Above is a photos of Frank's brother David with Vegas showgirls. :) 

October we went to Eureka Springs to carve pumpkins with Kaya and Samson and then to Dallas so Frank could attend continuing ed classes.  Thus was the beginning of our Holiday season.  We went to the Bruce Springsteen concert in KC to celebrate the election results. We went to Tori's for Thanksgiving dinner and had a wonderful feast.  The first of December my brother's son Seth hosted a Christmas party in Gothenburg, NE, where Seth is activity director at the school.  It was a wonderful time.  The children in the above picture are nephews Crayton, Bailey, and Bryce Ryker, Ryan Douglass, nieces Katy Douglass & Jaden Ryker, and our precious baby Briar Rose. Then I went to Kimball for an early celebration of Briar Rose's first birthday.  She is such a sweetie.  Now we are getting ready for Christmas.  It has been a blessed year, and we are looking forward to 2013.  We hope you have an awesome year as well.

Merry Christmas!

Patty and FrankChristmas Letter 2012

Encourage One Another

Aww...the last Presidential debate was held last night.  Most people are wanting this election to be over.  Actually, I am kind of enjoying it.  I love our President.  I have noticed, though, that some of the comments this year on political posts have been polarizing.  This election does not seem to bring out the best in people. I think a healthy debate is good, but the name calling needs to stop.  The candidates are not the ones doing the name calling, but their supporters are doing plenty of it.  How do we build our candidate up without tearing the other one down?  That is the delicate balance.  I do not think I have been too good at it.

I want my candidate to win of course, but my attitude needs adjustment.  I need to get rid of some of the fear I have been harboring about the other candidate.  I am afraid he will take away my social security.  Yet as a spiritual person, I know my help comes from the Lord.  God is my source and that brings me inner peace so I need to let go of the fear.

I Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Encourage one another and build each other up."  How do we do that?  I remember going to Worlds of Fun with the grandkids on a very hot day once, and my grandson Samson (who was two at the time) became very fussy while waiting in the long lines for rides.  An older gentleman noticed this and said to him in a very kind voice, "Young man, you are doing the best you can in this heat."  That was far from what everyone else in the family was saying to him.  Instead we were using bribes, threats, etc. to try to calm him down.  None of that was working, but this man speaking words of encouragement turned Sammy's mood from fussiness into tolerance of the situation.  Someone finally understood him, and it healed his attitude. He stopped fussing and stayed calm through the rest of the line.

Now I wonder how we could apply this lesson to the last three weeks of this pre-election period.  Maybe we could see that each of us has our own set of fears, and that the only thing that will relieve them is love.  Maybe we could have confidence that everyone is doing the best we can in the heat of this election year.  Maybe instead of being a naysayer and a discourager, we can speak faith into our system that God has under control.  Maybe we can start building confidence in others instead of tearing them down.

We need to cast our vote and support our candidate by lifting them up and encouraging them, but also we need to build people up that do not think our way.  When someone is hot-tempered and foulmouthed, we can neutralize the situation by speaking in a peaceful way and building them up.

Sometimes I can't think of anything nice to say about the opposing candidate, but last night, I saw a peaceful Romney.  I think he is probably a good man at heart.  After all, he is one of God's creations.

Of course my candidate is Obama.  I have seen him go through difficult times and remain a leader.  He has faced some major issues and criticism without giving up or giving in to the pressure.  He is consistently trying to do the right thing.

I want to remember to be an encourager.  Joel Osteen says, "Your bringing out the best in others will bring out the best in you."  So while I am into this election big time, I also try to post something positive too.  I started a page on facebook called "Be Happy" to help me, and maybe others, remember not to take life so seriously that we lose our joy.

God bless!

Love and Light,

Patty

Lift Others, Lift Yourself

We are in this together!  My husband was telling me this morning that back in 1960 when Kennedy ran against Nixon, their ideologies were very close.  Kennedy won of course, but back then our country was very moderate, and we accomplished much more.  Now the Democrats are more liberal, and the Republicans are more conservative, and the country is very divided.  We need to get back to the idea of moving forward.  When we help others achieve, we start achieving ourselves.  If Congress and the President could work together, we could pass legislation that would help move our country ahead.

It's the same in the work world.  I take classes and enter them on MLP (my learning plan).  One of the items on the form says, "How will you share this information with other people in your building?"  I like that idea.  We share our knowledge with others.  If we lived in fear that maybe someone will become a better teacher than we are, we might try to keep our information to ourselves.  That not only holds them back, it also holds us back.  When we share information with others, it refreshes it in our own mind and makes us better teachers.

I remember years ago when I taught in a blue ribbon school in Fort Smith, AR, that we developed a program in which students had to read one novel on their own every month.  We had to figure out a way to  assess the students to make sure they were reading their novels.  I came up with a generic test that asked for the setting, the theme, the protagonist, the antagonist, the falling and rising action, the suspense and the conflicts, the climax and the conclusion.  I typed it up and shared it with the other English teachers.  It became our test, not my test.  It helped us all.  Many of the other teachers worked hard to increase the students' vocabularies and came up with a list of twenty "smart" words to use on a quiz every Friday.  We also set aside reading time every day called DEAR (Drop Every Thing and Read).  We had a lot of low income students, but our programs made their test scores soar. The head of the English department took all our programs and typed up an application for us to become a blue ribbon school, and we earned that designation.  If any one of us would have selfishly kept our ideas instead of sharing them, we would never have achieved our goal.  When we lift up another, we lift up ourselves at the same time.

I remember that when I was a girl, I decided to walk to our neighbor girl's (Caroline's) house for a visit.  It was in the middle of a harsh Nebraska winter, and I would have frozen to death if it had not been for Caroline.  She came to meet me and almost drug me to her house because I was too cold to walk any more.   Caroline was a good friend already, but she became my best friend for life that day.  She saved my life by helping me.  There is a saying, "No one stands taller on their climb than when he bends down to help somebody else."  I will never forget Caroline's courage and compassion that day when she came out on the coldest day of that Nebraska winter to help her friend.

My point is this:  When we lift up other people, we lift up ourselves.  When we disagree with someone politically, we should pray for that person.   Not for them to come around to our side but for them to experience peace of mind and success.  Thank God for them and do not judge them.  Visualize them in a happy space.  If we do this, we will not harbor any ill will toward them.  If we lift them up, we will feel buoyant ourselves.

Lift up the President too.  He has had a challenging four years and yet is willing to serve us for another four.  God bless him and his family.

Love and Light,

Patty

Smile! It Cures What Ails You.

"Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.  Cry, and you cry alone."  I don't know who said that, but I like it because it is true.  Everyone wants to be around a happy person.  A couple of weeks ago, I created a facebook page called "Be Happy", and it has 84 "likes".  People like to see us smile and laugh.  It relieves stress....theirs and ours.  Joel Osteen says, "If you have a sense of humor and you laugh regularly, your mind lights up.....As a result, your problem-solving skills are increased."

I've found this to be true when I am teaching my students.  I was trained back in the day by someone who told me not to smile at my students until Christmas.  Now, that is some bad advice.  Since I am retired, I sub every day so I greet my students with a smile.  When I taught full time, it took me a few years to realize that I needed to have fun with the kids and make learning fun.  Once I started doing that, I loved my job.  I wish I would have known from the get-go that smiling helps with bonding and drawing students to me.  I was taught not to be friends with my students, but guess what?  When I became friendly, I got a lot more work out of my students.  It's not good for us, or those we teach, to be serious all the time. A smile brings down the walls and makes us accessible.

My grandkids make me smile.  My little baby Rosie laughs a lot.  It's contagious.   Her mom sends me videos and I post them on face book.  It brings me such joy.  Job 8:21 says, "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter."  This is so healing.  It cures what ails me.

Love and Light,

Patty

Laughter is Good for Us

Laughter relieves stress.  There is no doubt about it.  I love to read "Pluggers", "Family Circus", and "Off the Mark" in the comic section of the paper everyday.  Then I glance around to see if there are any other cartoons that catch my eye.  My husband and I enjoy watching reruns of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Seinfeld".  We love to laugh.

I just started a page on facebook a couple of days ago called "Be Happy" with posters of inspirations and things.  We need to be optimistic and positive and laugh a lot.  This would dispel many health problems like bad digestion, edginess, headaches, sleeplessness, nervousness, and lack of energy.

Laughter is just good medicine.  It stimulates natural healing in the body.  The average child laughs 200 times a time.  Compare that to the 14 to 17 times an average adult laughs.  That is why I love to host Camp Nana.  The laughter of my grandchildren is contagious.  I learn how to play again, and it is fun!  I just read that every time we laugh, we reduce a stress hormone and increase a human growth hormone known as the "youth hormone" by as much as 87%.

I am a big Obama fan.  I've seen him age a lot in the four years he has been in office.  I'm sure the stress is causing it.  He gets criticized every time he does anything and heaven forbid, he take any time off or vacation or anything.  He is a funny, classy man, though, and I wish he would take some time to just have fun.  He works too hard.  It would reduce his blood pressure and make his immune system stronger.  But, hey, we all need to play more.  We all need to take time to have fun and laugh every day.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing." Yes, sources say that people who laugh regularly are 40% less likely to have a heart attack than those who don't.  Also people who laugh regularly develop "natural killer" cells that destroy cancer cells.   That's enough to make me want to laugh right now.  I have "Seinfeld" on, and I am enjoying it a lot.  George and Jerry are acting like juveniles mimicking each other and Kramer slides through the door in the most hilarious way.  Then Elaine comes in and acts all excited, jumping up and down, in a weird way.  It is too funny.

Well, we all need to laugh a lot.  It free and it's good for us.  Let me end with a story I just read: "Energizer bunny arrested.  Charged with battery."   LOL

Love and Light,

Patty

See with the Heart, Not the Eyes

A classroom poster read, "Acceptance is seeing with the heart, not the eyes."  So many times we judge people based on our own experiences, not really knowing what has happened to them.  We use our limited perception to interpret their appearance or behavior.  Everyone has a story.  Joel Osteen wrote, "The world is full of people who need to be understood.  We don't know what others are going through.  We don't know the hurt or the pain they've endured.....Give people a little room....When you see people through the eyes of love, eyes of compassion, and eyes of understanding, you won't be nearly so critical."

This reminds me of the story of Mary Groda-Lewis who was dyslexic.  Because no one recognized it, she was illiterate until age 16.  She was very rebellious and went to reform school.  While giving birth, she nearly died from a stroke, but through it all, she never gave up.  At age 18, she received her GED and was named Oregon's outstanding Upward Bound student.  She worked odd jobs and earned enough money to go to college and earn a degree.  She still wasn't through with her education, though, as she applied to 15 medical schools and was rejected by them all.  Finally she was accepted by Albany Medical School where she graduated with honors at the age of 35.  A movie was made about her life.  She is now a renown and respected doctor at an Idaho Clinic.

This rebellious young lady turned into a wonderful doctor.  Albany Medical School gave her the chance she needed to fulfill her dreams.  It would have been easy to write her off like the other medical schools, but this institution saw something in her that other schools had overlooked.

I think the lesson in this story is to practice acceptance and understanding so that we can be a catalyst and make a difference in someone's life.  We are all teachers, and we all can be taught.  Let us encourage family and friends who are struggling.  Make us a blessing in someone's life.

Love and Light,
Patty

A Critical Spirit

"Perception is a mirror, not a fact.  As I think, so I see." This quote from Jerry Jampolsky has meant so much to me through the years.  It reminds me look for positive things in people and in my environment so that I will live in a positive world.

This is especially true in my relationships.  My husband is a wonderful man, but everyone has faults, and he is no exception.  I really try to focus on his strengths instead of his weaknesses, and then he displays even more strengths.  Actually, my husband is not a very critical man so he is easy to love.

Sometimes, though, I encounter negative people who would rob my joy if I didn't take time to be in touch with God.  I like the story I saw in email once about the woman criticizing her neighbor's dingy wash on the clothes line only to find out that she was looking at it through her own dirty windows.  When she washed her windows, she was surprised to see that the neighbor's wash was really clean, not dingy at all.  I think I encountered this recently when someone was criticizing a member of my family and hadn't bothered to wash their own windows.

It is during times like this, though, that I realize how important forgiveness is, and how I need to stand guard over my own spirit so I do not become critical.  I need to realize when my own window is dirty and train myself to see the best in people.  Joel Osteen suggests that you have this internal conversation, "You know, I may not understand them, but I will not be a faultfinder.  I'm giving this person the benefit of the doubt."

The way other people make a living or raise their children is none of my business or none of anyone else's business, unless, of course, they are breaking a law or something.  If everyone would spend the time and energy on their own issues that they spend on other people's issues, they would have it all together themselves.  There would be no time for nosiness, only time for celebrating their own successes as well as other people's successes.

Well, I am getting out the windex today and cleaning my windows so I won't look at other people's laundry and judge it as dirty.  I need to do that in all my relationships and even get prayed up enough to not be critical this coming school year of my district's policies.  That's a big one for me.

Light and Love,

Patty

Camp Nana

Camp Nana is an annual event where all the grandkids come, and we just enjoy being together.  This summer was special because the parents came too for the first few days and took the kids to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun.  They are creating such good memories.  My hope is that Camp Nana will be a peaceful retreat in the turbulence of life, not only for the children but for the parents as well.  We all need a little break sometimes from the pressures that come into play in a family in today's economy.  The parents need time to relax and gain perspective while I need time to enjoy these precious little beings that are my legacy.

I am happy that I can have this time and hope that in some way I can help when my children feel overwhelmed with the challenge of parenting and making a living, etc.  I also gain insight from talking to the parents about their own childhood.

When I was a young parent, I was a worrier.  I must confess that I still fall into that trap sometimes as a grandparent as well.  My oldest granddaughter Jessica noticed that and her mother Teresa told her,  "Nana does a lot better at maintaining inner peace than she used to.  You should have seen what she was like when Tori and I were kids."  Well, that makes me feel good that I have made some progress in that department, lol!

I know it is my faith that has helped me make a change.  I know, without a doubt, that God is still on His throne, and that I have the Holy Spirit inside me to guide me into all peace.  When turbulence comes, it's a wonderful opportunity for God to show how really great His is!  When we face adversity, we realize that God is the One who pulled us through. He is the Light  that overcomes the darkness.  Our part is just to keep shining and smiling through it all.  Joel Osteen says, "When unexpected challenges appear, your attitude should be: This, too, shall pass.  God will help me handle this.....God did not bring you this far to fail you now."

Yep, Camp Nana is a fun place, and I hope with all my heart that it provides good memories for the grandchildren and a peaceful respite for their parents.

Love and Light,
Patty (Nana)

What Happened?

I gained twenty pounds this last year.  I have been successful so many times with losing weight, and this last time I was sure it would be the last time.  Well, guess what?  This is not over.  The twenty pounds will come off.  I am not discouraged with this temporary setback.  I am making no excuses.  This is a test that I will pass..  I am good at taking tests.  I always score well, and this will be no exception.

I am still joyful.  I still have a spring in my step.  God is still leading me, and He gives me strength.  I write the story of my life, and it will have a happy ending because I choose it.  I am committed.  I am disciplined and willing to sacrifice.  I will give up unhealthy food to have a better life.

I am willing to accept that responsibility.  There will be opposition along the way.....travel, emotional setbacks. holidays, etc.  Sometimes I won't lose weight as fast as I would like.  Sometimes it will be difficult.  I've been through this many times before, but this is a test I can pass.

Having my mind made up and being of high resolve, my victory is on its way.  I just weighed myself, and I am claiming the Word in Galatians 6:9 which says, "Let's not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."

Psalm 24:9 reads, "Lift up your heads....and the King of Glory shall come in."    I lift up my head to see God's favor.  My extra pounds are weighing me down so I'm trading them in for a new vision of myself.

I feel so light already.

Love and Light,

Patty

The Freedom of Forgiveness

"When I choose forgiveness, the path to peace, happiness and freedom is revealed.  I choose to forgive myself and others.  I choose to be happy." ~ Daily Word

When our van was vandalized and our electronics were taken about a week and a half ago, I realized that I had a choice to make.  I could cling to the hurt and resentment of being robbed and let it destroy my happiness and poison my view of humanity, or I could release it and take away the power of the criminal to hurt me.  If I held onto the hurt and allowed it to make me bitter, I would continue to hurt.  This would imprison me, not them.

No, I wanted to move forward.  I had a valid reason to be angry, but I wasn't going to dwell on it.  It was not going to consume me and be an open wound.  The only way to heal the bruise is to forgive and let it go.

Once I forgave, God restored double my joy.  Not only was all my stuff replaced by my wonderful husband, but I have better things now.

"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." ~ John 20:23

Do we really want to hold on to the wrongs someone did to us?  If we do, we remain a prisoner to it. We remain hurt when Jesus was sent "to announce release to the captives...to send forth as delivered those are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]" according to Luke 4:18.  It's frustrating trying to get back at someone who did us wrong.  We need to let go of the baggage so our happiness can be restored.  Joel Osteen says, "If you will let go of the hurts and pains and get on God's payroll, God will settle your case.  He will make your wrongs right.  He will bring justice into your life.  You will get what you deserve, and God will pay you back with double the joy, double the peace, double the favor, and double the victory."

What more could we possibly want?

Love and Light,

Patty