Recipe: White Chili

Yesterday was our last cool day before summer. :) I decided to try this soup recipe and it was delicious! I served it with hot cheesy tuna sandwiches. It has a wonderful Southwest flavor. Try it on your next rainy day!

White Chili

*I actually forget to put in the sour cream so we just added a dollop when we served it and it was yummy! Don't worry about the salsa if you don't have it. The soup has enough "heat" as is. I used 2 cans of green chilies but if you want it less spicy, use one. I have 3 little ones and they ate it just fine with 2.

Ingredients:

• 3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 to 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (I used two)
  
• 1-1/2 cups frozen gold and white corn
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white pepper
• 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• Salsa verde and chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Directions:

• In a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 15 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated though, stirring once. Serve with salsa verde and cilantro if desired. Yield: 12 servings (1 cup each).

"Learning=Growing"

This week, I started giving piano lessons to our oldest daughter, Addie. She is 6 yrs. old and will be in the 2nd grade this fall.

When I begin a new task or adventure, I always like to research the topic of what I am planning on doing to the fullest extent I can.

My husband called and said...we are going camping! I immediately asked where so I could research the campground. How much does it cost? What facilities do they offer? (I prefer to have at least a hot shower. LOL!) How far away is it? Can we take our dogs? What activities for children do they have?

My husband called and said...we would like to have a July 4th picnic for our new church. I immediately began to research parks closest to our church's meeting place. How far away was the park? Do they have a shelter we can reserve? Will it be available for that particular Sunday? How much would it cost?

This week, we started our own home schooling summer school program. How many days a week and which ones will be do schooling? What do I want the concentration for each child to be? What workbooks should I purchase? What teaching aides do I want to use? What are some ideas to make summer school enjoyable and that the children will like?

So when I decided to start piano lessons this summer, guess what I did? LOL! Yes, I read the lesson books that Addie and I would use. I set two days a week aside for lessons that I will specifically work with her for a certain time. I e-mailed and asked a good friend who is a wonderful pianist and also teaches piano many, many questions. I researched on the internet more resources and ideas on teaching and beginning piano. I am even planning on purchasing some adult beginner books that my friend recommended for myself.

I want my life to be always improving! We will never be done learning...ever!
When you decide you can stop learning, you will stop growing!

In less than a month, I will "officially" gain the title of "Pastor's Wife". Though I have prepared for this time for many years, I do not have all the wisdom and knowledge needed for this journey! In order to be the best I can be for the Lord, I need to keep learning.

Here are some ways that you can keep growing in whatever the Lord would have you to grow!

!. Have a closer and deeper walk with the Lord and allow Him to teach me more.

2. Read good books on the subject you are learning.

3. Listen to good teachers on those subjects at church, conferences, CD's, etc.

4. Take online classes on those subjects. These are a recent great tool that has become available especially for busy moms.

5. E-mail, write or call experts on those subjects and ask for advice. Most often, they are happy to give you their advice on the subject.

6. Ask your husband for his advice. Wives far too often discredit their husband's advice and opinions and they are the losers for it.

7. Ask your pastor and pastor's wife for advice. They are ones who may know you and your situation the best and can help you greatly.

8. Pray, pray, pray! God is the ultimate giver of knowledge and wisdom!

May God bless you in all your learning adventures!

Shopping Day...

Today was my grocery shopping day. OK...I will admit...this is not my favorite day of the week! You see...as a mother of 3 young children-ages 2, 4 and 6 yrs. old...it can be quite an "adventure" just to do the grocery shopping. :) Those who are reading this and are in the same situation...you know exactly what I mean. LOL!

So today, my children were being quite normal...for children, that is! They were laughing, hopping, jogging, talking, making noises, etc.
I quietly said to them, "Girls, be still! You are acting retarded!"

My oldest daughter said, "Mommy! We aren't retarded! We aren't even grandmas yet!"

You see...she mixed up the word "retarded" for "retired"! She knows that her Papa Tastet is retired and you have to be "old" to be retired.

Let's just say I started laughing and couldn't stop! My sister asked if I was going to explain the difference between the words...

...naahhh. It was too good of a laugh! :)

Baking Banana Bread...

Today was a cool and cloudy day.

It was a good day to bake some loaves of banana bread for three of our neighbors. One neighbor was out of the country visiting family in his home country near the border of Spain and France. He was gone for about a month and recently returned. Another neighbor has been in Phoenix having tests done at the Cancer Treatment Center of America. I thought it would be nice to send over a homemade loaf of banana bread. No nuts...the third neighbor has a condition that she can't eat nuts. :)

After baking two batches of bread, the girls and I organized their school books and supplies for this fall in our baskets. We worked on some extra-curricular school papers in the afternoon.

I then made Shepherd's Pie for a comfort dinner on this cool day. In an hour, we will watch the Biggest Loser finale together and enjoy some of our own banana bread. :)

I hope you had a good Tuesday!

A New Auditorium, A Southern Potluck and A Full Bus!

Today, our church, Liberty Baptist, celebrated its fourth birthday! We also had our first service in the "new" auditorium of our church building. We had 149 in attendance...150 if we count the new Tastet baby! :) Praise the Lord!! God is amazing! Pray for our church as we continue the work on remodeling the building...as you can see...it is a work in progress. Also pray for continued growth in our attendance.

We had a Southern potluck meal after the morning service. We had fried catfish, hush puppies, black-eyed pea salad, red beans and rice, sweet tea, fried apples, fried okra and much, much more! Of course, our pastor is from Alabama and this is his favorite potluck meal. :)

We had 28 children on our bus route this morning with 4 adult workers for a total of 32 on our bus route! A full bus...again, what a blessing!

Wherever you serve, I pray you had a blessed day in the Lord!

God's Grace in His People of Liberty Baptist Church

Today, I was encouraged by my church. Actually, my church family.

I saw...men, ladies, boys and girls gather in the morning to go pass out church postcards for our visitation program. It was very cold...snow flurries and windy (that happens in May when you live 5,000 ft. elevation :). Everyone had good attitudes and cheerful smiles.

I saw...two ladies-Kathy and Annie- volunteer to stay and work in the nursery for the visitation time.

I saw...our two pastor's twin daughters -Erica and Emily- who were celebrating their 8th birthday today - come to visitation instead of staying at home to celebrate their birthday.

I saw...two men-Chris and Josh- go to visit our bus route and sign up children to ride the bus tomorrow.

I saw...several men who had worked nearly every evening on the new side of our building...ready to work this afternoon to finish up for our first service tomorrow. These men are truly servants who just serve the Lord without complaint!

I saw...Ms. Kathy - grilling out hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch to feed the men who were there to work that afternoon.

I saw...our pastor-Bro. Snow-who had worked tirelessly this week...go on visitation, take his family out for the birthday celebration, and then come back to work the rest of the day with the men. He still battles with his poor health but won't give up the fight to win Reno to Christ!

These are just a few thoughts of thankfulness of the great people of Liberty Baptist Church! Tomorrow, the church will celebrate its 4th anniversary. We will also have our opening service in the "new" auditorium of our church building. It will not be finished and furnished but it is truly a celebration of new beginnings and what God has done in the North Valleys of Reno!
God has been so good to us!
And His goodness and grace is truly shown in the hearts and lives of the people of Liberty Baptist!

Red Beans N' Rice and Memories

Today, I decided to take our girls and walk over to Papa's house for a visit. My father-in-law lives about two streets over in the same neighborhood...just a short walk from our home. We hadn't seen or spent much time with him since my husband's other family was in town. I thought it would be nice to just spend some down time visiting.

When we got to his house, I could hear him call out..."Hey, Autumn Joy! Hey, Addie! Hey, Sierra Rae!" He loves when his grandkids come to visit. Right away, he offered some "Dirty Rice" that he had already made. (A Cajun dish :) He had already started cooking a big stock pot of "Red Beans N' Rice" (another Cajun dish). While the girls played, I started to help him cook in the kitchen. He cut up the ingredients and I cooked it up in different batches as he instructed me. I stirred the big pot of beans often and did some taste testing. :) The whole time, we chit chatted...about memories, political events, church activities, family and more.

After we were done mixing up the beans...the girls did a taste testing with their own bowl of "Red Beans N' Rice" and finished it in no time! They love eating at Papa's house! I had to leave to go run a couple of errands but am going back around supper time to have my own bowl of Papa's "Red Beans N' Rice". :)

I had told him when I got there that I should come over the next time when he was cooking to watch so that I could learn how to make his beans. He jokingly said that I pretty much learned this time helping out and that I did!

I really enjoyed my time with my father-in-law today. We get along very well and I enjoy his simple and down-to-earthness. I also got to learn how to make his beans and can pass that along to my girls...even after Papa has passed on. I don't know how much longer he will be around...I want to have memories before that happens. I asked him today..."when are we going to have our first camping trip this year?" Just more fun memories...

Memories do not have to be big events...spending a lot of money...going to exotic places.

My memory today was cooking a pot of "Red Beans N' Rice" with my father-in-law.

It was a great day. :)

Recipe: Berry Chicken Salad

What a better way to usher the spring in is a delicious spring salad? Here is a wonderful healthy lunch to share with a friend...Berry Chicken Salad!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup halved fresh strawberries
• 2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/4 cup prepared fat-free raspberry vinaigrette

Directions:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 4-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
• In a large bowl, combine the spinach, raspberries, strawberries, cheese and pecans. Divide among four serving plates. Slice chicken and arrange over spinach mixture; drizzle with vinaigrette. Yield: 4 servings.

Wednesday Trivia...

Here are a few fun questions to stump your Wednesday...
Have fun!

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables have to be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has seeds on the outside?

5. Only three words in the English language begin with dw. Name two of them.

6. There are 14 punctuation marks in the English language. Can you name half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name six or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter S.


Answers:

1. Boxing.

2. Niagara Falls. The rim is worn down about 2 1/2 feet per year.

3. Asparagus and rhubarb.

4. Strawberries.

5. Dwarf, dwell, dwindle.

6. Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation mark, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

7. Lettuce.

8. Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

Have you ever lost something that was valuable to you? A ring...a wallet...a purse...car keys...a cell phone? Sunday was my day!

My in-laws are in town and we had stopped at a certain resort on Sunday afternoon to buy a gift card for a birthday gift. I took my 2 yr. old to the bathroom and had left my cell phone sitting on the toilet paper holder. After we left, I realized it and went back to get it. It was gone. I asked the cleaning lady and checked the Lost and Found department at the resort. No one had it.

This was not a good feeling.

When I got to the hospital and joined the rest of the family, they asked, "Did you get your phone? We called and they said that someone was coming to pick it up." I replied, "I checked and they didn't have it. Someone must have taken it and told you that the owner was picking it up but was really lying about it."

I was bummed. Why did this happen to me?

I spent the rest of the day thinking that my cell phone was stolen. I called the company and had them suspend my service. When we got home after church that evening, I checked my husband's phone (which we had accidentally forgotten at home) and there was several messages and calls from my sister.

After the entire day had gone by, we figured out that my sister was the first one to call on my phone after I had left it in the bathroom. She told the person at the desk that she would call us and let us know that our phone was at the bell desk at the resort. She then called and left this message on my husband's phone. In the meantime, we called and that same person told us that someone was coming to pick it up. This was true. However, we did not receive that message until that night so we thought someone had stolen the phone.

A small gap in communication. A big problem...or so it seemed!

Isn't that the way it is in real life? Things can get mighty confusing and even full of anger and hurt when there is a missing part in communication.

My personal advice...don't jump to conclusions! Take your time to evaluate the situation and calmly work through it. Most of the time...things aren't really as they seem. I thought someone had stolen my phone and I jumped to the conclusion that there must be no honest people left in this world! LOL! That is a silly conclusion now! There obviously are honest people and I was blessed to have an encounter with one! :)

The next time you deal with people...your husband...your children...a fellow church lady...the cashier at Wal-Mart...the driver behind you...no matter who it may be...
don't jump to conclusions!

And lastly, don't leave your cell phone in a bathroom! :)

A New Week...

This is a busy week for our family. :)

Monday - Wednesday...my in-laws from Anchorage, AK are here visiting. They arrived on Saturday. We enjoyed having lunch together...did a few errands...then took the girls swimming at their hotel that day. Saturday night, my father-in-law had to go to the ER and was admitted to the hospital. He has COPD (an early form of emphysema) and the altitude is really affecting his breathing. He will most likely be in the hospital for the rest of their visit here in Reno which we are very sad. They were not able to come to church with us Sunday morning because of this. After church, we met my mother-in-law...ran a few errands...and then met my father-in-law, brother-in-law, his girlfriend, and nephew for a birthday meal for my brother-in-law. Then it was back to church for the evening service to hear a missionary preach-Isaac and Nicole Hunsinger-missionaries to Guyana.

So my schedule this week will be busy visiting with family. Thursday, I will be making a meal for the men working at the church on our remodeling project. Friday, I will be making a meal for a couple from our church who have had some health problems. And Saturday...maybe breathe. LOL!

I pray you have a wonderful week!
Remember...

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."
Psalms 28:7

Precious Moments

Yesterday, my oldest daughter, Addie, finished her last day of 1st grade. We home school our girls using the Abeka program. They have a video teacher for the year from Pensacola Christian School and participate in their actual classroom for the year. It is a great program and we are thrilled using it.

When my daughter walked out of the office, she had tears in her eyes. I asked her what was the matter? (Knowing girls...most anything can set them off! LOL!) She said she was sad that it was her last day of 1st grade and she had started crying when her teacher said goodbye on the video.

Precious days. Precious memories.

I love being a mom.

I picked up my 2 yr. old last night...she is one that keeps you on your toes but smiling at the same time...and said to her..."You make me want to have another baby!" I am looking forward to one more "round" of a new baby, learning to crawl and walk, learning to say Da Da and Ma Ma...another 2 yr. old stage
(well, maybe I should rethink that one :).

I love the seriousness and grown-upness (is that a word? :) of Addie. She is my right-hand daughter helping me out in most any way I need her to. She is a great little mommy to her little sisters...tucking them into bed and reading them stories at night. Her heart is very tender to the Lord and has come to us asking about being saved. She is struggling with salvation but her heart is tender to understand.

I love the crazy ways of Autumn. She is middle daughter, 4 yrs. old and is full of pep! I always say that she never walks-she always walks or trots! She wants to imitate her big sister in every way and loves unconditionally. She even gives the dogs hugs and kisses at night. She is out little blonde that we can always get a good laugh with her!

I love my Sierra. What can I say about her...except she is a funny little 2 yr. old! She never lacks for something to say and her excitement is contagious! She is bold...bosses the dogs around and her sisters too! She is my smile for every day.

Just sharing a few precious moments with you today...

I am in the top 10% of the world's richest people!

Today, I read that if you make an annual salary of $26,000...you are in the top 10% of the world's richest people! Wow! $26,000 in America's standards is really on the low end of the spectrum. This figure was figured considering that there are 6 billion people in the world...and the average annual world salary is $5,000.

Thinking about this fact...helps us to put things into perspective, doesn't it? My husband and I recently checked with our realtor about "upgrading" to a nicer home. Even though we bought our home less than 2 years ago...we have already lost $40,000 equity in it. We quickly realized even though it may be a great time to buy and upgrade to a "nicer" home...it was definitely not a possible or wise scenario.

Is there anything wrong with our home? No. It is 60 years old so it is not one of the newest on the market. The neighborhood is not the ritziest but we have good neighbors. It is just the mentality of America coming out in us. What is the next big thing we can buy? We are all guilty of this from time to time. No, it is not bad or evil...it is just a matter of keeping your perspective.

I think that it is a good testimony for Christians to have a beautiful home that is clean and well-decorated...a yard that is well-maintained and manicured...a car that is clean and enjoyable to ride in...clothes and wardrobe that are updated and sharp. It is all a matter of balance.

However, there is something more important than worldly riches...the riches of living the Christian life! There is nothing in this world that I would trade for the richness of the Word of God and my walk with the Lord! There is nothing in this world that I would trade for my salvation! There is nothing in this world that I would trade for the blessings of serving the Lord together with my husband and my children!

Aren't we blessed?
We are in the top 10% of the richest people in the world as well as children of the King!! Count your blessings today!

Announcing Sierra View Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada!

I have some exciting news to share with you! We have decided on Sunday, June 20th to be our opening day for our church!
Sierra View Baptist Church of Reno, Nevada will finally come to pass on that Sunday.

As a teen girl, I surrendered my life to be a pastor's wife. I lived my teen years for the Lord...I went and graduated from Bible college with my elementary education degree...I met and married the man of my dreams. Together, we have served the Lord in many ways. We worked on bus routes, worked with teen groups, taught adult Sunday School classes, worked in church nurseries, sang in the church choir, led the congregational singing, played the piano for church services, preached for church services and much more.
Now, praise the Lord, we will be serving the Lord together as pastor and pastor's wife. Yes, for both of us, it is a dream come true.

So I ask you...keep my husband, Eric and I, in your prayers. Pray for our church-Sierra View Baptist Church. Pray for our family and our three daughters. Pray for our friends-Bro. Vern McFarlin and Shaun and Shannon Traynor-who will be going with us to start our church.
What a great thing the Lord has done! Praise Him!

Liberty Baptist-Mother's Day 2010 Luncheon

Last Saturday, our church-Liberty Baptist-hosted a Mother-Daughter luncheon.

We enjoyed a catered meal in a beautiful setting. Jenny Musser, our youth pastor's wife, did a wonderful job of decorating and organizing the event!
The theme was "A Mother's Many Hats". Our pastor's wife, Mrs. Snow, spoke at the event. We also played a few table games which were a lot of fun.

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day with your church family!

My Home Project-Painting

Yesterday, I worked all day long on one of my home projects...painting my living/dining room! It was a big undertaking...and my feet and legs are begging to be put up! LOL! However, I love the result! Thank you to Jenny for letting me borrow her color that she picked out. :)
I am looking forward to enjoying my summer in my "new" living room.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the ladies in my life...

My mom-Marcia Holt
My grandma Holt
My sisters-Rachel and Rhoda
My mother-in-law-Raeanne Furfaro
And all my lady friends and extended family...

I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!
Yes, we will enjoy getting spoiled by our children, grandchildren and husbands!
Enjoy the Mother's Day teas and banquets at your churches!
Enjoy the breakfast in bed and the dinner on the town!
Enjoy the store-bought gifts of perfume and flowers and the handmade cards and pictures!
Soak it in! You deserve it! You are all great moms and great ladies!

Happy Mother's Day!

Love, Rebekah

Thoughts on Work...

Today, I heard a quote about rearing children that I wrote down so I wouldn't forget it. It was "Work esteem = Self esteem". Wow! I really like this quote! I was pleasantly surprised for it came from a couple on a television show.

I am thankful that my parents instilled in my sisters and I a good work ethic from our childhood. It has taken me far. I worked and paid my own way through Bible college. I am proud that I truly earned my college degree. Presently, I babysit nights as well as take care of my home duties and home school my children.

My husband also had a father who taught him a strong work ethic. He also worked his way through Bible college and has never failed to provide for our family for the past nearly nine years of marriage. At the present, he is working a full-time job, a part-time job, volunteers at the local fire department and is taking a night college class two nights a work. He is also in the works of starting a church.

It is a busy life but we are happy. We have good self esteem because we have good work esteem. One of the best things you can teach your children is the value of hard work. Don't just teach them how to work...but to enjoy to work! Work is a drudgery in attitude only! Work is a healthy and positive feeling that all children need to know!

I have three daughters...here are some things they help our family with...
1. Wiping and putting away the dishes.
2. Making their bed.
3. Putting their toys away.
4. Cleaning up the doggy poop in the kennel.
5. Picking up sticks in the yard.
6. Weeding.
7. Dusting the furniture.
8. Cleaning the mirrors and glass surfaces.
9. Feeding and watering the dogs.
10. Setting the table.

Remember..."Work Esteem = Self Esteem"!

Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
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• 2 cups cold milk, divided
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine the strawberries, almonds and sugar. Pour into crust; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually add 1/2 cup of milk. Add pudding mix and remaining milk. Beat for 1 minute or until blended; pour over strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Yield: 8 servings.

Monday's Happenings

We are having a wonderful week here in Reno. :) Remember my story about my neighbor's pit bulls and that incident? I had mentioned that the two boys from that family rode our church bus last Sunday! More great news...this Sunday, all four children as well as their mom, Joy, came to church!! Who would have ever thought that a dog fight would have led to our neighbors coming to our church?! What a great God we serve!

This is Autumn's last week of home schooling for K-4. She is very excited! It has been neat to see her learn to read and write cursive this first year of school. :)

We are having our fence repaired and rebuilt this week. It is fun to see the progress that is done each day.

The weather is improving this week. Finally some sunshine and warm temperatures. :) I will be working on some outdoor projects as well as a few indoor ones.

Our church is having a Mother-Daughter banquet this Saturday. It will be a sweet ending to the week.

I hope you have a good week! Happy Monday!

The Kentucky Derby and A Funeral

Today, I just watched the 136th Kentucky Derby at the historic Churchill Downs. Amazing! I enjoyed the Southern hospitality, the ladies' hats as they were all dressed up, the singing of the crowd to "My Old Kentucky Home" and the excitement of the race. The announcer made a statement that caught my ear...that many of these jockeys and horses spend days, months and even years for this one day. Literally, two minutes of their life. Years of preparation for two minutes time for a race. Amazing.

My thoughts then went to a friend of my family who went to be with Jesus last week after a short battle with cancer. My parents conducted the funeral for the family. My sister was able to attend the funeral and relayed much of what happened. She described a sweet service filled with beautiful singing, heartfelt testimonies and a tearful sermon. She described the many, many people who testified what this one man meant to them and how he may have helped or encouraged them at one time or another.

You may have thought that this man was a great preacher or soul-winner. He may have been a Sunday School teacher or a bus captain. He may have stood up and sang a special or been a motivational speaker. However, he was none of these. He was simply a country (perhaps labeled-hillbilly :) man who loved the simple things in life. Praise the Lord he was saved and attended church faithfully. Though he never shined in the spotlight...he obviously knew how to love people and simply touch them on their level. What a great statement and what a better thing you could do with your life.

This caring man had taken his entire life to love others and share the love of Christ through him. You may say...this man spent his life loving and giving to others...all for the praise of a two hour funeral/memorial service? I am sure that was not his purpose. However, this is what most likely happens in most of our lives. You may go through life feeling unnoticed and unappreciated...don't worry about what others are saying about you today. Live for that "2 minutes" of the race...live for the "2 hour memorial service".

You will most likely not know the many people's lives you have really touched until you are gone. You will not know what kind deed or word had helped an individual. You will not know what single thing you have done for someone...that may have changed that person's life.

So even though you do not know...don't quit! Keep going! You might be amazed at your own funeral service! :)