Some important events coming up....... this month..

7/20/2005 Andrew Paul Blankinship (Born 2001) Birthday

7/29/2005 Paul Robert Blankinship (Born 1970) Birthday

7/31/2005 Jonathan and Randi Moffat (Wed 1999)Anniversary
 

Daddy... where do flowers come from, or, the lifecycle of a trumpet flower... kinda shows it all... Heather is doing ok this am. She has a new kind of soreness, the old feeling yucky and hurting is gone, but she is also still on pain medication, too. Ann is going up this afternoon to help her with her hair, and all, after showering. Yes, they told her to walk this am and she did, and she gets to shower this afternoon. She is available for phone calls too. Her number is 405 742 5513. I think Paul is heading home for a bit while Ann is there. Jake went to mow Grandma Moffat's yard this am, but quickly found it toooooo wet with dew.. so will do it this evening.. and fish some he said. I was to take photos at an auction for a client this morning, but been fightning a nasty bug in my computer. Think I got that critter!! Phil came by for a bit last night. He said he was pleased with his pottery firing. He will have some pics on line before long and I will try to get the rest online including some video of the pieces and them doing the firing the 'OLE FASHIONED WAY'. Jon called and he is mowing his yard this am, and true to the Moffat tradition, he is having some problems with equipment!! But he will get it done. I could hear Kaitlyn in the background playing with her Mom. Madison Ann is sleeping this am. We sent an email to Ann's brother Ward last evening regarding his ... birthday! Melanie wrote back that he was "too busy" watching a movie to respond.. hey... sounds like us.. haha... anyway, a very happy birthday to Ward and Happy belated anniversarys to David and Terry Shaklee and Jade and Julia Shaklee on the 12th of July. Sorry we missed them too. 

Flowers for me lady....  

Can you smell the dirt... this 11 year old boy was trying to get the field west of our home worked before it showered.. sure brings back memories.. that age and working.. course, we didn't have tractors with cabs half this size.. haha... but I do remember at 9 years old, farming the Mulvey place and Kouba's next to us on the south one summer, back of my hands bled from being sunburned but I was tough... haha... such is life.. don't mean to bore folks.. but ... this just made me remember... 

interesting shot looking up at sky yesterday afternoon. I had been to see H and had feed on the back of my flatbed, so I ran home.. it poured in Stillwater Downtown, but no where else! Just thought this was cool.... 

Our lady made it....

Thanks to the many wishes and prayers from lots of you guys!!! She is out of recovery and has been in her room now for about 2 hours.. She is sleeping and the Drs. said she will be very sore for about three days... she is on lots of pain killers.. to make it easier....

She is pale.. but she made it!!! Ann just drove in with Madison... I will be watching her this evening while Ann runs back to hospital and sets with Heather so Paul can run home and check on Andrew, and stretch his legs a bit...

Later.. Stan

Thanks to everyone... lots of family with her in waiting room too... She knows she is loved... darn.. I thought I had kept that from her all these years.. haha... thanks again all....

Here are a couple of photos of the things Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda received on their 60th Wedding Anniversary. The tea pot in the middle with balloon is what Jake, Ann and I sent them. There is quite a story behind it, but will have to wait for another time. Thanks Uncle Ivan for the photos.... we really appreciate very much.  

Phil's update..

Check out Phillip's latest creation...!! Cool Phil!!

Heather...

Update...

Just talked with Heather. She is in decent spirits. Very anxious, as I would be too... Her Mom is there and Paul and she is waiting for them to come and get her and take her to the surgery wing of Hospital.

Stillwater Medical Center phone is 405 372 1480, the main switchboard. There is a surgery waiting room, Ann said, so if you want information, Ann will be there along with others waiting.

I have to run and get feed for the fatting calves and then will be there as well.

This is truly a testing time! No one seems to know exactly what the outcome will be, or exactly what they will do. But they and Heather are prepared for whatever they do.

It will be this evening before I update this again.

As a point of information... The surgery Heather had on Tuesday afternoon simply determined there was a much bigger problem than they thought. Therefore, this surgery will be a bigger task. She will be in surgery starting at noon they hope and it will last at least two hours, and probably more they have been told. Then she will be in recovery for a time afterwards, then back to her room which is 513. The phone in her room is 405 742 5513 and this number rings directly to her room. It will probably be this evening before she is back to her room.

All I know for now... Again, Heather says thanks thanks thanks... for all the prayers and calls and flowers...

Love to all.. Stan

Andrew Paul and Madison Ann Blankinship, July 14, 2005, at SMC 

Heather and Madison Ann last night at SMC, the day before her major surgery... more pics ... find the link below about last nights visit and click on the first link that is bold, it's a link to take you to the photo album of the trip.... enjoy... 

Welcome - Have not talked with Heather this am...

YET!! haha...

But I will.... Ann is feeding Madison Ann, who slept like a trooper last night. We will call her here in a bit and post a report...

hope all is well with everyone else....?

Enjoy the day... s

From Randi Moffat..... Run Through the Rain!

Run Through the Rain!

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in
Target. She must have been 6 years old, this
beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of
innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain
that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in
a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down
the spout. We all stood there under the awning and
just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because
nature messed up their hurried day. I am always
mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and
sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust
of the world. Memories of running, splashing so
carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome
reprieve from the worries of my day. The little
voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance
we were all caught in "Mom, let's run through the
rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked. "Let's run
through the rain!" She repeated. "No, honey. We'll
wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied. This
young child waited about another minute and
repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain." "We'll
get soaked if we do," Mom said. "No, we won't, Mom.
That's not what you said this morning," the young
girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm. "This
morning? When did I say we could run through the
rain and not get wet?" "Don't you remember?"
"When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer,
you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can
get us through anything."

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you
couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood
silently. No one came or left in the next few
minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she
would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her
for being silly. Some might even ignore what was
said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a
young child's life. A time when innocent trust can
be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through
the rain. If GOD lets us get wet, well maybe we just
needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling
and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes,
through the puddles. They held their shopping bags
over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But
they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed
like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
Circumstances or people can take away your material
possessions, they can take away your money, and they
can take away your health. But no one can ever take
away your precious memories... So, don't forget to
make time and take the opportunities to make
memories everyday. To everything there is a season
and a time to every purpose under heaven.

I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE
RAIN.

Heather... Update.. this night...

Here are some pics from Ann and I taking Madison Ann into see her mom in the hospital this evening...

The Dr. came by while we were there. Heather is very low on blood and they are going to give her 3 units tonight. She has a really bad infection in her pelvic area, they are not sure where. She will have surgery tomorrow if all is going according to plans. The Dr. told her and Paul they would have 3 very long days after surgery, those will be the critical hours.. since she has so much infection in her, but they truly need to get it out along with whatever is causing the problems.... they are very concerned and welcome your prayers.. The Dr. was trying to find folks to assist him tonight. It is very serious, and needs to be dealt with quickly, before it spreads into other areas. She was very excited... and told me several times that "Aunt Freda" called her... She was so excited about her Aunt Freda calling... Thanks Aunt Freda.... YOU MADE HER DAY!!!!!

She mentioned Jon called and several others and that she was too sick to talk very long... and she was very sorry...

Anyway.. Mrs. Moffat's baby girl (Heather) is feeling tough, it's gonna get tougher, and she needs your prayers..... for her and the doctor and their family to get through these tough times ahead.

Jon thanks for all the web help... Phil was going to take pics of the last night of his pottery class tonight... Randi and Kaitlyn went with her mom to Falls Creek tonight... Andrew spent day in Ponca City with Paul's brother Chris and his wife and their daughter in the Water Park there.. he was super excited...!!!

The folks in the pics are Roy and Joan Blankinship, Heather's wonderful in laws. They are very dear friends too... and have been good friends of ours for a long time. They farm, and Roy has devoted his life to law enforcement, retiring from the Stillwater Police Dept and is now a Dep. Sheriff for Payne County. Joan has spent her life in the health field, being a nurse, she has seen it all around the hospital, so she helps out bunches.... and knows the ropes too, which is wonderful.

All I know for know.. Enjoy the day.. S

Well, here we go again... haha.. lots of money in raising wheat, so we are adding acres to Grandma Moffat's wheat program. She is worried she is going to starve to death and we want to help see to it that she does not. Thought you might enjoy seeing this ground being turned this afternoon. Ken Judge is leasing it. We have added 60 acres to his 110 that he is leasing, so he now has a bit more to raise. They are thinking of stopping the wheat land and just running cattle... and this may happen to all of us... Anyway, this is the patch west of our home.. the tractor is headed west towards the highway along Mehan Road, 68th, Street. If you look real close you can see the diesel smoke bellowing out of the exhaust, and the dirt rising up behind the 30' offset disk. It has two drivers in it. One is Ken and Lesile's older son, opening up the field, then he will leave and go to working cattle, while the 11 year old son stays and finishes up the field. Have a great day... think what it cost per minute to operate this machine .... haha.. diesel along... 500 gallon's every 7 to 8 hours... times 2.37 a gallon... hummmmmm whew....  

Here she is wanting photo like the one on the movie Titanitc.... haha.. she was posing like "the Rose"..... except she has on her clothes...  

Madison Ann was putting on quite a show last night for Grandpa... she was really smiling and giggling... there are more pics.. but kinda blurry, as she was really moving around.. haha.. or was that just gas... ???? haha.. enjoy... 

looking towards okc this am... a big ole thunderhead popped up.. was really brighter than this about 10 mins earlier... haha.. 

Can You Love Your Neighbor If You Hate Yourself?

Can You Love Your Neighbor If You Hate Yourself?
The ability to love ourselves is the foundation of loving others and God.
By Brennan Manning
Excerpted from 'The Importance of Being Foolish' with permission from HarperSanFrancisco.

Two curious phenomena dapple Christian life in America today. The first is our tendency to criticize more than compliment. Listen in on conversations in coffee shops, living rooms, and churches. Pay attention to the pundits and the newsmakers. We tend not only to begrudge the value of others but to appear downright sad when a person is praised. Many hypercritical Christians quickly deny the presence of any value anywhere and overemphasize the dark and ugly aspects of a person, situation, or institution at the expense of their noble and valuable facets. They delight in exposing the flaws and imperfections of others and glory in the absence of goodness. Senator William Fulbright of Arkansas once commented on this insidious tendency in the news media: "That Puritan self-righteousness which is never far below the surface of American life has broken through the frail barriers of civility and restraint, and the press has been in the vanguard of the new aggressiveness."

The target may be the national government, the local police force, or the coffee shop waitress. It matters little. The focus is on the limits of reality, on what a person or institution is not. Shortcomings and character defects are cause for celebration because they allow us to feel superior and even noble. On the day of my ordination my father said to me, "Remember that it's impossible to overestimate the worth of anyone." His words fly in the face of our tendency to underestimate the worth of everyone.

The second phenomenon is not unrelated to the first. It is what might be called the preponderance of the negative self-esteem. Self-esteem consists of how we see ourselves reflected in the eyes of others. This in turn conditions our perception of the world and our interaction with the community. As Christians, those of us with negative self-esteem see ourselves as basically unlovable. We negate our own worth, are haunted by feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and close ourselves off from the value of others because they threaten our existence. The exaltation of another is experienced as a personal attack. When a colleague is appreciated, we become upset and irritable, belittle their motives as vainglorious, and decry the perniciousness of personality cults. We say to ourselves in effect: "I am a clod, a wrong person; I'm in the way, nobody cares." In group gatherings we feel like intruders. We sigh, "Nobody loves me."

Negative self-esteem would not be so damaging except for the fact that we interact with others in terms consistent with our own self-image. We select from reality only those aspects that confirm our own dim view of ourselves. We single out the dimension of a situation that points to rejection. In a simple conversation with someone close to us, their lack of enthusiasm confirms what we already suspect: "I am a bore." On the street we pass a person whom we value. He ignores us. That night when we go to bed we ignore the pleasant, even beautiful experiences of the day and instead go to sleep dwelling on the one incident that enhanced our negative self-portrait. Consequently, every such encounter becomes a total proof or disproof of our entire being. Every incident becomes a blanket condemnation of self and a reaffirmation of worthlessness.
In order to love our neighbors as ourselves we must come to recognize our intrinsic worth and dignity and to love ourselves in the wholesome, appreciative way that Jesus commanded when he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." The tendency to continually berate ourselves for real or imaginary failures, to belittle ourselves and underestimate our worth, to dwell exclusively on our dishonesty, self-centeredness, and lack of personal discipline, is the influence of our negative self-esteem. Reinforced by the critical feedback of our peers and the reproofs and humiliations of our community, we seem radically incapable of accepting, forgiving, or loving ourselves. In his opening address at the regional charismatic conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Father Francis McNutt touched an exposed nerve when he said, "If Jesus Christ has forgiven you all your sins and washed you in his own blood, what right do you have not to forgive yourself?

The ability to love oneself is the root and foundation of our ability to love others and to love God. I can tolerate in others only what I can accept in myself. Van Kaam writes, "Gentleness toward my fragile precious self as called forth uniquely by God constitutes the core of gentleness with others and with the manifold created appearances of the Divine in my surroundings. It is also a main condition for my presence to God."

Ironically, our self-loathing too often leads us to damage the self-esteem of others. Andrew Greeley writes:



God's mission in the world and his mission in his relationship with the individual believer is essentially a mission of overcoming self-hatred. For self-hatred is a barrier to love. We hate other people not because we love ourselves too much but because we are not able to love ourselves enough. We fear and distrust them because we feel inadequate in our relationships to them; we hide behind anger and hatred because in some deep recess of our personality we do not think we are good enough for them.

Heather This AM....

Talked with Heather about an hour ago. She is up and running.. well sort of. She is in room 513 at SMC. 405 742 5513 is the number to her room direct.
She is feeling tough. They have had her up and walking this am, and have taken her cathater out.. however it is spelled... sorry, mom!!
Paul is tired. The chairs they put in the rooms can be used to sleep in if you want and from spending many nights with Dad I learned you could throw a sheet or towel on the floor next to the wall and it sleeps better than a chair that does not lay flat.. haha.. but anyway... She will be there for sure through today and maybe get to go home tomorrow... or Saturday. Ann took Madison to work her day care this am and by to see Heather... Madison slept most of the night. She might have done better if Grandpa and Grandma would have let her alone, but we kept getting up to check on her.. haha.. finally about 4:30am Grandma got up and she woke up... and it was ON from then on.... haha...
Andrew is off to OKC with Chris and Jen to water park there for the day....
Don't know what else.. but for now.. this is it.. haha... enjoy the day... s