um, i dunno what happened...

nothing profound, i just can't figure out how to change the font on my previous post. I never changed it in the first place so I am not sure why it looks like that.

oh and for the deutschmann--i don't lead people astray--i make their lives better!!! :)

happy friday everyone! it is a beautiful fall day here and the weekend looks great!

we live, we love, we forgive and never give up

So this has been a very interesting week...I feel like the past 5 days have been weeks worth of time.

I honestly don't remember what happened on Sunday....oh wait, it is coming back to me now. Yes, our family had a little melt down. It was a beautiful afternoon and we had all been peaceful at home. It was just about time to go to small group when--BAM!--all you know what breaks loose! It was like my 2 offsprings became demon possessed!!! Needless to say we didn't make it to small group. Instead I spent 2 hours on the phone with the nonfruit computer company because our older laptop crapped out on us. I then handed the phone over to Jay as he was speaking with the nice albeit scripted Indian (not native but other) man, because Chelsea comes screaming upstairs to tell me she has a project/paper due tomorrow and the older laptop crapped out on us and the new laptop doesn't have the printer drivers installed on it! So in world could we do that to her! The inhumanity--ya know never mind she spent 7 solid days in a 3rd world country helpign the poor and afflicted--she was now afflicted!! So I then go online wtih Dell--oops i mean nonfruit computer company--to download the printer drivers to the computer. Yes, my blog friends that took 2...count them 2 hours to get right! So in the mean time I keep reminding Alex that he has not practiced his trombone. Well of course not--he left it at school!!! Apparently it is a little hard to play a trombone with no actual trombone. So now I am mad becuase he is going to fail for the week.

But then Monday came--well let's just say God put me in my place. Monday evening, we got word that a good friend, a very Godly man all of the age of 42 with 5 children all under the age of 12 and works for a certain secret group of the government has cancer and it is pretty bad. I am in total disbelief! How could this man have cancer? How can it be so bad? I go to back to school night for Alex and Jay and I just walk around and are literally sick to our stomachs over this.

Tuesday--the news about this man seems to get worse. The doctors say that the cancer has eaten away at his hip and it may not be the only place the cancer is. I am in constant prayer allllllll day. My prayer is "God, I don't want it to be cancer BUT if it has to be then make it fixable." I pray that over and over and over. A part of me feels like this is not going to be as bad as we all first think it is but you know, you are always afraid to say it. But my gut is telling me--it is not going to be bad like the doctors think. He wants everyone to know and for everyone to pray--we spread the word....We, when I say we I mean pretty much the whole church--prays all day and a SLEW of people go to the hospital to visit and provide support and encouragement to a man who has done exactly that to soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many people. I go to back to school night for Chelsea and again, it is hard to concentrate on anything because, well I am remind once again how fragile life is. How we MUST live with purpose to make our life count for God.

Wednesday--he is to have cat scans and a biopsy. My co-worker and I go to the hospital to sit with the wife to wait for the news. This man is visibly shaken to the core. We pray twice with him before he goes for the biopsy. The man who has stood in the gap for countless of people needs us to stand in the gap for him. He goes thru the biopsy and the doctor comes out to hug the wife and says yes it is cancer of the bone BUT it is VERY treatable! He can beat this!
answered prayer!
We have a prayer vigil at the beginning of church that night for he and another woman fighting cancer. Our hearts are very heavy but comforted in the fact that God has heard us. He is good!

Today--More good news--tests from overnight and today show that they are fairly certain that the cancer is only in the hip! He will ahve hip replacement surgery next week and then a round of chemo.

My prayer--"God, Satan thinks he can get to this man and his family. But he has shown you and many others that Satan will not prevail. Keep Satan away this man is ours and you know that."

It made me wonder. Like Job, did Satan ask God to test this man? This man is one of the strongest and most faithful men I know. If anything maybe he was stricken with this cancer to touch someone in the hospital. I know taht only God knows the plans He has for us but I am jsut curious. Whatever the answer--God is faithful and God is Great! This man and his family are not going to waiver. They are strong and courageous.

Between not getting a lot of sleep and being emotionally wiped out--I have stopped at McD's for a sweet tea (which by the way I LOVE!!) to help me survive on the sugar high and caffeine. I had pretty much cut out sodas but I am also living on cokes. This weekend is not going to be relaxing either....it is jammed packed....Can I get an IV of soda and sweet tea? I am going to need it!

Remember--Great is our God!

sigh--i am very happy!

The air was cool today with the first touch of fall in the air. You could smell it!!! I love the fall!!! but more importantly...I love the fact that the Office and Grey's Anatomy start again tonight!!!!

I am just too happy!!! I know, it is sad but it is so very very true!

Has anyone been watching Deal or no Deal? I am not watching nor tivoing it tonight but we have caught glimpses of it here and there this week. Some of those contests are too funny!

On a side note, my poor daughter has not been home all week due to commitments at school. The newspaper goes to print this week and she has had 2 games which they won both! She did not come home on Monday until after the game, on Tuesday she did not come home until after practice, on Wednesday she came home for about 20 min. before heading back to meet iwth the trainer about a pulled muscle in her back. She has not been home today yet and it is 8 p.m.

I met her at the school with her practice gear and she was just standing out side crying! I felt so bad for her!! I am proud of her but she is working too hard. I wish I could tell you that this weekend would be calm for her but it is not. Her weekend is packed!

I actually offered her a chance to go ot school late tomorrow morning and she cried and said no, she needed to be there all day! What a good girl I have!

By the way, the 16th b-day plans are coming along!!! More later...it is a surprise and I don't know if she reads my blog or not so you will have to wait.

Alex's 13th birthday is not until Oct 27th BUT he wants to celebrate it with his best friend's who is the 10th. So Jay pulled some strings and the boys are getting a private tour of RFK stadium and Nationals clubhouse. They get to enter the dugout and go on the field!! cool huh!? So Jay and Brian are taking 8 boys to go and do a really cool thing! That is happening on the 30th because that is the 2nd to last game for the Nationals. I wasn't sure this was going to work out but so far we have heard from all but 2 of the boys and they can all come! NOrmally these boys have games on Sat. but none of them have games or they don't play until that night!!!

I love it when a plan comes together! Well friends, snuggle up and watch t.v.!!!! You deserve it!

Celebration of Life

Today I had the honor to be with about 100+ people to celebrate the life of Fred Henson. He went home to be with his Lord this past Sunday after suffering for almost 2 years with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

I had the privalege to know Fred because I grew up with his boys, Mark and David. While Fred and his wife Linda had 4 children, I was closest to Mark and David. Mark and I are the same age/grade and were friends since we were 5. For those who are counting, that is almost 33 years of friendship. When we first moved to the DC area we lived literally right around the corner from the Hensons. The Hinckleys, Nighs and Hensons were fast friends and we spent many friday nights and holidays together. I don't know if Mark and David remember but we used to play Dukes of Hazzard together. I of course was Daisy Duke. I think since Mark had brown hair he was Luke Duke and David, having blonde hair was Bo Duke. We would slide over the arm of the sofa to be like we were entering the General Lee!!! Good times!!!

Today we did celebrate Fred's life and dedication to God. He was a great man who dearly loved his wife and children. He knew that we was afflicted with ALS and decided to live every moment to the fullest. He could of complained, he could of asked why but he accepted the path before him and relied on God to get him through. From the moment he was diagnosed he said that it was ok becuase he was ready to go home.

He leaves behind his wife of 39 years, Linda, Children--Mark (w/Edie), David (w/Jennifer), Heather (w/Darrin), and Chris (w/ his wife...who I am sorry to say I can't remember her name!) And 6 grandchildren with 3 on the way!

Thank you Fred for your family. Thank you for your love of God. Thank you for your life's example. It was an honor to know you.

How do you explain?

I have been postponing blogging about today. After 5 years, I still don't know what to say. I don't know how to make the horror of 5 years ago fade. Time has not made that happen for me.I remember every moment like it just happened.

I went to the website from Malicious's blog (a.k.a. Malia to the side) and was assigned a person to blog about who died in the WTC that fateful day. But I don't know what to say.

I know he was loved. I know taht he was special and real in many people's lives. All those people were loved. Everyone of them had someone post their picture on the fence looking for them. Everyone of them deserved to live. But we, as a nation, saw evil up close and personal. I thought I could blog about one person who lost their life that day and the moment I hit the button to recieve the person, I knew....I couldn't. I just don't feel like I can do him justice. He was someone's son, husband, brother, cousin, and friend. I am not worthy of speaking about a man I didn't even know. I am sorry taht he is gone and that people ache for him. If I could take it away from them I would.

You see, I really wanted to blog about the man whose desk was right next to my father's in the Navy Command Center in the Pentagon. A man who survived the Vietnam war to move to America and die at the hands of evil. But again...what do you say....

I am going to apologize now for my rambling but I don't know how to explain it clearly.

So the name I got was....

Name: John (Jay) J. Corcoran
Age: 43
Killed at: United Airlines Flight 175
From city: Norwell
From state: Mass
Special Notes: Passenger

We won't ever know what Jay thought or knew or felt while being in that plane. But his family and friends do know what he thought or knew or felt about so many other things in life and they have those memories to carry them to tomorrow and the next day and the next.


People turned to God 5 years ago to find the comfort that they needed to cope and deal with this. We Americans have NEVER had anything like that happen to us!! How do we deal? How do we cope? How do we explain?

We need to not let this "moment" of opportunity pass us by. We need to not get complacent. There are people hurting out there. The people who love John (Jay) Corcoran are hurting. They miss him. They have great memories of time with him. They can remember the laughs. But can they begin to understand how to deal with his loss?

God wants us to take the opportunity to help people find Him. Over the past 5 years we have had people just walk off the street into our building in Fairfax, VA to find answers to questions that were brought up either directly or indirectly to 9/11. People are searching now more than ever before for their purpose in life.

I know that may see like an overused word since the inception of "Purpose driven life" by Rick Warren. But you know what, I ahve been to his church and I have seen the power of God working in those members because they understand their purpose.

Even though it is hard to explain--we have the answers. I don't know why it happened, other than God gave us free will and Satan is alive and well today and working overtime to tear us away and keep us away from God. Don't let that happen, not in our sadness of 9/11. Because if that happens then John Corcoran and Khang Nguyen (the man who worked side by side with my father) and 3000 other people died in vain. We have the ability to offer the comfort of a loving God. I have no doubt that He cried that day. Evil showed up in a way that we Americans had never seen. It was senseless and just...well just evil.

The best thing we can do to give honor to those men and women is to go out there and show Americans that God loves them. He aches for them. He has the ability to take their hurt away.

I may continue to blog about this more as I can really get my thoughts together. IF the family of Jay Corcoran reads this. Please know that I am not trying to trivialize his life or his death. For you see, I too was greatly effected by the events of 9/11. My dad was at the Pentagon and lost people he worked with everyday. In fact there wasn't even DNA found of a man who worked there as I am sure there wasn't any DNA of many people on the planes and in the WTCs. I don't know why I have my dad while you don't have your loved one. Often I feel guilty because you see my dad is a Christian and he KNOWS he is going to heaven. Yes, there really is a heaven and there really is a God. I will steak my life on it. I will stand before a firing squad for it. I promise you.

My prayer for your family is that God brings you someone in your life to comfort you and love you and heal your wound of your loss. I pray that you can know God becuase He knows you and He loves you.

For all you Christians out there--well there is no time like the present. Remember and do something about it. We can offer comfort for a world that is hurting. Let's just do it.

I remember one of the women whose husband was on the plane that crashed in PA, was talking with Diane Sawyer. Diane asked her how she was doing. How did she make sense of this and the woman said taht she relied on a song. We Christians know it--we tend to call it an "oldie" in the Church of Christ...."It is well with my soul". She told Diane that because of her beliefs and faith, it had to be well with her soul. WOW! That is faith! Here are the words. It was written a long time ago and we still sing it like it was written.

When peace like a river attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll.
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
"it is well with my soul"

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--oh my soul.

And Lord haste the day when the 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.

i forgot...

so i totally forgot to tell you all that the kid's first day of school was GREAT! It was POURING that day so I didn't get the annual picture of the kids in front of the tree.

Alex really likes the majority of his classes. chelsea does too. Alex has his best friend in his band class. Chelsea has her best friend in her spanish class.

Chelsea's team lost their first game on Tuesday (they played great but lost to a really really good team) but we are hopeful for the game tomorrow!

Life is good--except that instead of paying out about $300 at the beginning of school, we have paid like $500 because of band and teacher's having last minute supply additions!!! GRRRR....

...and Jay's car needed $400 worth of work. So my car which the axle is about to fall of will have to wait until next month! Please pray that it all stays where it suppose to!

no eating out for the Sergios this month! Oh well!

Let the new episodes begin!

So I am sooooooooooo excited about a few season premieres!

I am bummed about LOST not being until Oct 4. But I bought the 2nd season on DVD on Tuesday before it even hit the shelf! I made the poor stock boy go to the back of the store at 7:30 a.m. to get it!!! Yes I am a geek!

I am ready for Grey's anatomy! will she mcdreamy? or mcvet? who knows!!!! Will Izzie get kicked out? Will Burke forgive Yang for turning her back on him in his hour of need?!

Survivor is staring up soon too, I think! Amazing Race too!

Gilmore Girls!!! Lorelai was a naughty, naughty gal...will Luke find out? Will she go with Christopher and leave the man she loves? Will Rory continue to love Logan?

I can't decide if I am going to watch/tivo the new Rachael Ray talkshow on Fox. It is on at 11. So I will have to tivo it anyway.

What premieres are you looking forward to and why? Are there any new shows that look interesting to you?

By the way, if you don't have tivo....run don't walk to get it! It is totally worth it and you will NEVER go back!!!! It will change your life! It will liberate you!

We only watch what we tivo! Tivo on-Tivo on!

be the sermon

Yesterday as the rains fell allllllll day from tropical storm Ernesto, there were things to be done. Unfortunately it required us going out! I picked up Alex and his friend from their middle school orientation and headed to Wal-mart.

As we were leaving and being assaulted by the local gymnastic center to buy something for "good cause", I noticed a very old and fraile woman trying to wrestle with her loaded cart and umbrella. The wind was blowing pretty hard. I watched as people just rushed by her and didn't pay any attention to her and her trying to figure out how in the world she was going to get to her car. Yes, I know you are thinking that I was standing there and watching but I was curious as to what people would do.

So I turned to Alex and I said, "what should we do?" He said, "help her out". So he and I went up to the lady and said that we would like to help her get her stuff in her car. She grabbed Alex's arm and said "bless you, bless you".

You see, we learned that her husband is home bound and the healthcare nurse was only there one day a week. That was the only day she has to go shopping. She couldn't help that all hell was breaking loose in the skies. It was the only day she had. I won't name specifically what she had in her cart but nothing was frivolous. It was all items necessary for her to get her and her husband through the next week.

When we finished loading her stuff in her trunk, I looked at Alex and said..."God expects us to serve". We got soaking wet!!! It didn't matter.

We sit, well I don't but my kids and husband do, in an auditorium filled with people every week and we get our cup filled. We are blessed to be able to have this freedom to do this.

I will be honest, I ahve been remiss in returning the blessings. I will also confess to you that it will happen no more. I have heard sermons, almost every Sunday of my life...now it is time for me to be the sermon.

So come on! Do it with your kids or your spouse. Can you imagine if every Christian went out on Mondays and their goal was to be the sermon that week?! There just might be more people in heaven because of it!