Free Flowers!

FTD® Good Neighbor Day® 2008

Friendship & Goodwill
FTD Good Neighbor Day The 14th Annual FTD® Good Neighbor Day® holiday will take place on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. Hundreds of FTD florists across the U.S. and Canada are planning exciting local events, gathering sponsors, making philanthropic relationships and helping to spread friendship and kindness to their neighbors through the distribution of free floral bouquets. Find a participating FTD Good Neighbor Day florist from the list below!

Gift of Flowers
FTD florists have celebrated FTD® Good Neighbor Day® since 1994, encouraging all neighbors to help create a friendlier, more caring and compassionate world through the gift of flowers. That's why customers are encouraged to keep one flower for themselves and give the others away — brightening the day of many other people.

Participating FTD Florists
This year, be a good neighbor and visit a local participating FTD florist. Pick up a free bouquet — and celebrate FTD® Good Neighbor Day® by sharing flowers with your community!

I thought I would let some of you in on this little fun thing. Those of you that live in Newberg, or surrounding areas if you call the florist listed below...on Sept. 3rd, you can pick up a bouquet of flowers and doll one out to each of your neighbors! It's a good way to get to know people around you that you haven't met yet.

Showcase Of Flowers
215 Villa Rd.
Newberg, OR 97132
(503) 538-4311 (800) 606-5075

Here are some pictures of our trip to the Wilsonville water feature. It was a blast on a really hot day!

Book Club Entry #2

I just finished a new book, and it was really, really good. Thought I'd share it with you all. It is fiction, but really in the end exemplified the sacrifice that the Lord has made for each and every one of us, and how quickly we are to be skeptical of His grace. It warmed my heart so many times, and reminded me of the times I have gone astray, yet how quickly the Lord picked me right back up!

Anyway, it's available at the Library, because I just returned it. ;) I hope my blog fans...hahaha...are not getting bored of me reviewing books. I just am loving reading! You'd think I had never picked up a book before; but seriously, I haven't really read anything but the Bible in years, (thanks to children). I also liked this author because she said that 7 years ago she vowed never to write anything that didn't glorify God. I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, that's my review for this time, catch you next time on "Laura's Book Club" ;)

I just had to share this really funny set of the many sides of Carmel. Such a ham! I call her my little wierdo, I know, not that endearing of a term; but she really is such a different character from the rest of us. She runs on her own batteries, that's for sure. She gives us life that we otherwise wouldn't have!

What Do You Do Now?

Recently, the Lord has been speaking to me through circumstances in my own life, and the lives of others, about death. It's been very weird, sparked first by the sudden passing of my own father, and then in the passing of Stephen Curtis Chapman's daughter and now Greg Laurie's son. All the books I have been reading, that just happened in my lap have been about death and tragedy.

So, needless to say, I have been thinking a lot about death and what it means to me, and my fears related to it. I almost never want to think about it. Not that I fear going to heaven...just the way that I might end up there. I know that it is a fear that, in my mind is totally unfounded, but in my heart...I feel anyway. I have been struggling with it for the past couple of months, trying to give it away to the Lord.

He really has been doing a work in me. Teaching me to trust in His ultimate sovereignty and love. I know that He has a time for me here on Earth, and that no matter how long I live, even if it's 80 years, will be ultimately short. I have always had this feeling that I am young, and through High School, felt like time just dragged on. But, now that I have hit the 30's, I can't believe how quickly those years flashed before my eyes.

My job, during what time I have here, is to give my life as a living sacrifice to the Lord. I now realize that it is that which will quell my fear. If I live my life for the Lord, as unto the Lord, using the days as if each were my last, then I will have peace in knowing when it's time to go, I'll be ready.

All, that to say, I just listened to Jon Courson's teaching at Harvest Christian Fellowship down in California after Christopher Laurie's passing. It was very touching, and helped me to bring all that the Lord has been showing me to light in a really awesome way. I know I will never be immune from pain, I know I will never be immune from tragedy; because of sin, it's inevitable to us all. But, I can be immune to the doubt and fear that tries to creep in after something like that happens. I hope you watch the video and are touched in a great way!

Jon's Teaching

Books!

I love reading! I had forgotten this age-old art after I had my first child 7 years ago. ;) But, since my littlest is now 3, I have decided to kill my TV and go back to expanding my mind the old fashioned way...with words! I found this great website for Christian Fiction reviews. I have really been enjoying a few books, and I'll share some with you when I finish!

Christian Fiction Review

Ok, so I am almost finished reading The Shack. I at first thought it was a true story, because of the forward...but after doing some searching on the author's blog, I have realized that it is a work of fiction. It's a funny thing, I have heard some differing opinions on this book, but for myself, I was intrigued. I don't really agree with the way that He chooses to portray God in the book, but I definitely get the feeling that it's not the way the author thinks about God.

So, all to say...it's a thought provoking book that I feel has caused me to think more about my own response to tragedy and God's kindness in it. If any of you have read it, I'd be interested to hear your opinion. We tend to be sceptical of anything that comes along; it's good at times, and yet can be detrimental to God speaking to us in different ways. It's important to check everything through the sieve of the Word, and to ask for wisdom in everything we do. That's been my stance in reading this book. So, I am recommending this book...but do your searching first. I don't want you to come back and be offended! ;)