It is WELL... with my soul tribute to my father for his BIRTHDAY!

This morning on my brother's facebook he had something in regards to the old hymn "It is well". I remember as a child my father in a sermon telling the history of the hymn. I remember my father reading the story of Horatio Spafford as the song played in the background quietly. Now I am older and hopefully wiser I even more so realize the significance of the "story" behind the song. The song was written out of tragedy and loss. Financial, death, sickness, and tremendous loss and then he wrote
"IT IS WELL".

"when peace like a river, attendeth my way,"
Stories ring out in one's mind when thinking of my parents. Stories like Job in the Bible. Stories like the story of the hymn It is well, with my soul.
"When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul."
Through sickness, financial hardship, the fire, and now the trials of life my father has always said IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!!!
Recently my father has been faced with a path that no one would choose. A path that has been difficult and painful. He however has exhibited a peace that passes all understanding. My parents have overcome obstacles and trials and just when he should become a bitter man he becomes a BETTER man. My dad recently has been under attack by a group of people in his community. A group of people not seeking God's will. A group of people angry and mean. Individuals operating out of hatred and bitterness. I have watched my father over the last year deal with these individuals and never say a harsh word about them, to them, or around them. He just continues to seek God's will. My father when asked about the situation says I hope in the end people can see Jesus in me and know that it is well with my soul!

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Through it all my father still says "IT IS WELL IT IS WELL, IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!!!"

Today my father's 60th birthday I reflect on the impact he has had on me and the impact he has had on other's over the years. I am assured that the paths of people's lives in which my father has crossed he has left them with primary message and that is GOD'S LOVE!
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!

My father has taught me about Christ not only through his words, but through his actions and life. He has taught me that through every trial there is peace. Through every sorrow there is peace. Through every hurt there is peace. I have learned from my father that when the chaos comes to stop and listen and he will whisper PEACE to my soul.
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Recently, with the trials my father is facing and the turmoil around the world. I see pictures of tornado damaged towns and can't help but pray "LORD JESUS, COME QUICKLY!" I think of back a year ago when we stood in the rubble of my parents' burned home and my mother said "It is well, It is well with my soul!" When moment come and tragedy happens finding that peace is so difficult. My father has been an ongoing example to me though of listening for that peace and having a hope beyond the tragedy.
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

So, now as I face daily trials and see hurt and pain. I pray that I too may be able to see through and find the peace and know that it is well! I pray that until HE comes I will find PEACE.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Dad thank you for your EXAMPLE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My MOM is A SUPERHERO

The creation of Wonder Woman is derived from Greek Mythology. Hippolyta who had been appointed Queen of the Amazons came to desire a child and her prayers to the Gods were answered. By forming the body of a child out of clay, Hippolyta gave the child the name Diana, the new princess of the Amazons. She was given beauty and a kind heart from Aphrodite, wisdom from Athena, strength and power from Demeter, she became very powerful and saved the Amazons from distinction.

My mother is not Diana, her name is actually Kathleen "Vera" Sallee Scheline. Known to me as just "vera". I have called her "VERA" for as long as I can remember. Not out of disrespect for the title of mom, just always what I've called her.

Vera was given the beauty and kind heart from Aphrodite. My mother is always helping others. Everyone else ALWAYS comes before her own needs. She is sacrificial in every way. She certainly was given a kind heart and beauty. I remember as a child looking at her old bouffant hairstyle in an old photo and just thinking how beautiful my mother was. Her perfect smile. Her contagious laugh.

She was practically perfect in everyway.

The WISDOM from Athena. Generally, speaking when I talk about wisdom I speak of my father. My mother however taught me the BEST LESSON any mother could ever teach their daughters MARRY UP!!! My father was a poor rancher, not much to offer and certainly was not an improvement over the other fine lookin' fellows my mother had a courtin', but my mom had the wisdom to marry WISE. Don't marry for looks they will fade, don't marry for money he might go broke, always marry for their intelligence can then you'll at least learn something. I was gifted to be born into a family with a wise mother and father. Yes, that is where I get it from and yes I SWEAR my brother is adopted!!!! I say that with a wink and a smile!!!!

strength and power from Demeter The strength and power of my mother is something none will question. On my mother's 50th birthday we celebrated the end of her last round of chemotherapy. She had fought the good fight. My mom had surgeries, radiation, chemo-therapy, and then doctor's still said you probably won't make it more than 6 months. Oh how we celebrated when she turned 50. She never thought she would see 51 let alone her grandchildren which have become the apple of her eye. Then there was her 60th. We celebrated again with grateful hearts. We had grateful hearts because after months of being in the hospital "vera" was home. She was able to celebrate. She was even able to cut her own cake. My mother tragically a few months prior was in an accident and had the entire left side of her chest ripped open. She lay in the field next to a tractor and as we watched the blood cover the grass we thought that our SUPER HERO had met her evil demise. SHE SHOWED US!!!!! Her 60th birthday was met with jubilation and celebration. I have yet to meet an enemy that my mama couldn't conquer.

One can not discuss Wonder Woman or more importantly draw the comparison with out mentioning The Lasso of Truth. Explained by its name, it forces people to tell the truth. My mother is a woman of honesty and integrity. I "honestly" don't know if I have ever heard my mother tell a lie. Most kids hear their mother's say things like you do that again I am going to spank you and then they do it again and it's not followed by a spanking. NOT my MOM!!! She says it she does it! Do that again I will wash your mouth out with soap. OH how I hated SOAP!!! Lead by example! Teach your children that TRUTH is an essential part of life. Don't lie to your kids!

Royal Tiara
Her tiara is razor sharp and can be used so as to return to her when thrown. It is also magical and can therefore be used to injure those susceptible to magic, such as Superman. If my mama starts throwing things GET OUT OF THE WAY! I promise you if she is mad enough to throw her tiara at you you will probably DIE!!!!! She does not get angry so if she is throwing it at you; you probably deserved it and you should probably DUCK! That's ALL I have to say!

Invisible Plane
Man, I wish she had one of these!!! She doesn't! Well, maybe she does and just hasn't shared it with me, I mean after all it is INVISIBLE!!!

On this special day I want to HONOR my SUPER HERO! My very own SUPER POWER QUEEN! My mother!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERA!!!!

Your children ARISE AND CALL YOU BLESSED! YOU ARE the Proverbs 31 Queen, You are my Wonder Woman! You are the GREATEST MOTHER EVER!!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

Today is Dr. Seuss's Birthday Encourage your Child to READ and I encourage you to SPREAD a little Dr. Seuss ♥ today!!

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

Dr. Seuss would have been 107 today. He made us smile, he made us laugh, but mostly and mostly of all he just made us think!!!

“Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me NOW!
It is fun to have fun
But you have
to know how.”

Theodore Seuss Geisel, the name itself sounds like something out of one's imagination. He never recieved his Phd, but a doctor he became. They say laughter is the best medicine and it was the constant prescription from Dr. Seuss. He prescribed things like being yourself, finding love, obeying your parents, and EXPLORING YOUR WORLD!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And
you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll
decide where to go."


"You’ll get mixed up,
of course, as you
already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds
as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great
tact and remember that...


...Life’s A Great
Balancing Act."

"And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent
guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE
MOUNTAINS!"


Dr.Seuss made reading fun! He made it so we didn't want it to get done! So, today if you are a parent find one a round, an old dr. Seuss book can be found! Give it another round! You'll like the way it will SOUND!

“Do you like green
eggs and ham?”

“I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like green
eggs and ham!”


"Would you like them
here or there?"

"I would not like them
here or there.
I would not like them
anywhere."


Green Eggs and Ham


“I do so like green
eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am!”

Here's to you Theodore Seuss Geisel
"If we didn’t have birthdays,
you wouldn’t be you.
If you’d never been born,
well then what would you do?
If you’d never been born,
well then what would you be?
You might be a fish!
Or a toad in a tree!
You might be a doorknob!
Or three baked potatoes!
You might be a bag full of
hard green tomatoes."


"Or worse than all that…Why,
you might be a WASN’T!
A Wasn’t has no fun at all.
No, he doesn’t.
A Wasn’t just isn’t.
He just isn’t present.
But you…You ARE YOU!
And, now isn’t that pleasant!"

"Today you are you!
That is truer than true!
There is no one alive...

..who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, “I am lucky
to be what I am!
Thank goodness I’m not
just a clam or a ham
Or a dusty old jar of
sour gooseberry jam!
I am what I am! That’s a
great thing to be!
If I say so myself,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”

White by Vera Wang: Behind the Scenes

The entire line is beautiful, but I still stand by my previous blog. Plus she is still going to have her regular line in stores. From a sales perspective it will be nearly an impossibility to sell a Vera Wang at $6000 let alone $25000 when they can go to David's and get one for UNDER a GRAND! However, if I was still working at David's I would be drooling at the possibilities of my commission check!!!

The END of the GLORY DAYS...

VERA WANG is carried at David's Bridal :-( The GLORY no longer exists! Gone are the days of showing a bride a $15,000 silk satin beauty that fits like a glove and makes you want to roll in the fabric because the VERY FEEL of it is "LUXURY" at it's finest! Now the QUEEN, the woman whom for so many years I adored and worked tirelessly to SELL her treasured dresses now she markets "daily wear" to the masses at Kohl's and sells WEDDING GOWNS at David's! Soon the dresses will be lost in the polyester racks of $100 dresses like some of the Oleg Casini's of the past. :-( This February, FEBRUARY 2011 the bridal industry as I adored it has halted and turned around and vomitted on the fashion industry. VERA WANG has SOLD OUT! That's my vent!

In 1995 I began working in the bridal industry. Quickly, I became a fan of the artistic and amazingly talented designers such as Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier. I learned the reason for paying $5000.00 instead of $500.00 was more than just a designer name. It was quality and craftsmanship. I mastered the art of selling a dress that cost more than most bride's ever imagined spending. I would tell bride's stories of Mattel's Barbie that was wearing a Vera Wang replica with black velvet trim. I made every bride drift into a fantasy land with the very mention of the name Vera WANG! Then I worked at David's and learned the art of MASS selling. I learned to sell $100 wedding gowns to bride's who weren't even getting married. At David's however I still had an eye for quality. I took a keen liking to the Oleg Casini line. My coworkers thought I liked the line simply because it was more expensive than the other dresses which meant better commission. I actually kind of had a secret passion for OLEG, who designed for Jackie Kennedy, a fashion icon. Then one day I was at Wal-Mart and found a cheap velour sweatsuit on the rack designed by none other than Oleg Casini. I was so mortified! I NEVER sold an Oleg gown after that. I maintained my numbers, and continued to be the top sales girl in the region. I however no longer sold Oleg Casini's. The brand was cheapened. I feel the same now with Vera Wang. Now it's a brand you are purchasing. Not a quality work of Art. Your not buying the original your buying one of a million prints that are out there. David's Bridal is compromised of over 300 stores across the country and have 37% of the bridal industry. They are for all practical purposes the Wal-Mart of bridal. This new brand name addition means more and more mom and pop bridal salons struggling to make it are going to fail. To carry Vera Wang before your store had to make a minimum purchase. Some bridal salons sacrificed ALL they had just to carry Vera in their stores and be the exclusive. They struggle and struggle to compete with the large chain, David's. Similar to the corner deli that your family has gone to for years struggles to compete with the large grocery store that was just built. Free enterprise is ripped from the local store and the chain rules the industry. So, to ALL my friends and readers go for the experience. Find that mom and pop store and let there customer service MOVE you! Support local stores, support local designers, support FASHION!!! Having a Vera Wang means SQUAT!!!!!! Vera Wang use to be a household name that meant quality and talent. Now it will be made in the same sweatshop that puts out all the other thousands of dresses adorning the racks at David's. Now on your wedding day if your parading around in a Vera masterpiece don't get to HOT headed, your a peasant that looks pretty NOT a princess!

CONDEM "NATION"

If I surveyed 100 random people and asked them the most popular Bible verse in the BIBLE I bet I would get a few Psalms 23's but for the most part it would be John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Most children memorize it in sunday school. It is a critical verse for defining christianity. WHOSOEVER believeth in HIM should not perish.

I am not writing in order to convert the lost souls! I am writing because I am angry! I am ANGRY because John 3:17 has been forgotten. John 3:17 reads For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Westboro Baptist Church somehow forgot this verse. They have quickly become the most tweeted, facebooked, blogged about religious group in America. Most of it ALL negative. They are not WINNING souls for the kingdom of God. They are not living like Jesus did. They are actively judging and condemning.



WWJD? Use to be a popular movement. Quickly became a multi-denominationally cry to "better" us not only as Christians but as people. When I see the photos of Westboro Baptist I can't help but think WWJD? So cliche but yet so real in this circumstance. I can't see my Jesus, the Jesus who embraced prostitutes, I can't see him carrying a picket sign.

Westboro church has proclaimed they will protest the funeral of the little 9 year old killed in the mass shooting in Tucson, AZ. This protest is NOT what Jesus would do. When I think of Jesus and children I can't help but begin to hum "Jesus loves the little children all the children of the world..." Protesting a funeral is NOT what Jesus would do. Shouting and condemning homosexuals is not what Jesus would do. God is a God of LOVE, not HATE.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

America's Sweetheart

I am reading some of the sad stories of the shooting in Arizona. The saddest has to be that of this little Pennsylvania born cutie! Born on the most tragic day in American history Sept 11th. She was proud to be an American!
She was a 9 year old with a dream to be in politics and to be the first woman to play in the MLB. The "gifford shooting" was far more than a congresswoman down it was a sad event that took a young girl far to young!

Christina Taylor Green born as one of the "50 faces of hope". A book put together of children born on 9/11 to raise charitable donations. Christina was very proud of who she was. She wanted to change her school and her community and make them better. She was a little "AMERICAN SWEETHEART".


The other dead were identified as Federal Judge John Roll, Pastor Dorwin Stoddard, 75, Gabe Zimmerman, 30, Dorothy Morris, 76, and Phyllis Scheck, 79.