Susie's Steps

This is from a good friend of mine that used to attend our congregation. Passing this along . . .

Hello Ladies that I love and care about so very, very much!
I just wanted to email you all this afternoon and ask you to do me a favor. A very close friend of mine Scindy Elsberry, who works with me was robbed last night. She is fine because they broke into her car while she was walking her dogs. However the police believe someone was watching her as she got out of her car and waited on her to walk away without her purse to go walking. Her brother and mother also met her at the park. (But she got out alone--scary.) Her brother's car was not touched. Of course they knew a man would not have a purse.

The police told her there were 10 break-ins just last week of ladies walking in the park and leaving their purses in the car. They believe it is drug addicts looking for quick money. However this is the newest phase of robberies. Walking is a popular exercise and ladies do not carry their purses on the walking trails with them. They lock them in the car. Easy way for robbers to make a quick dollar.

When we were at lunch today and told the waitress she said they have been robbing all over the city lately. In January they broke into people's cars while they were eating at Western Sizzlin. Drugs are very popular and ladies cannot be to careful.

TAKE YOUR PURSE WITH YOU.
HOLD ON TO IT.
IF YOU GO WALKING LEAVE IT AT HOME.
DON'T LOCK YOUR PURSE IN THE CAR AT THE MALL OR AT A PARK. IF YOU GO SOMEWHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO CARRY YOUR PURSE THEN LEAVE IT AT HOME BEFORE YOU LEAVE. CARRY A WAIST BAG.

I know some of you live in an entirely different state than me---it does not matter! Criminals are everywhere! And I care about you so please stop and think about what it would mean to you to loose your purse.

Scindy is a total wreck today! She needs you to pray for her. I have been with her most of the day. But it is going to take more than one day to fix this mess! And guess what? It's raining today and she has a broken window on her new car. But it's now at the shop---where the insurance will not pay to have it repaired.

I love you all!
Have a nice day and thanks for praying for the sweetest lady. She needs prayers.
Oh while you're praying I have had a mission of getting her to go to church with me in 2007. She has promised she will, but hasn't made it yet. Throw that one in the prayer also.

LOVE you all sooooo much!
Donnanell

Also, keep me in your prayers once again (I feel like I only have bad things to post lately--I'm sorry). I haven't had much time to post. I went in to have a tooth filled the other day, and 4 hours later I was finished with a route canal. So, I'm back to square one in saving for my June vacation with the girls in my family. But God always provides. I can't eat much right now, which is working fabulously for my weight loss (LOL--I'm taking my blessings where I can find them!). I'm struggling at work and seem to be out of favor with my boss's boss for doing what I was told to do--if that makes any sense. Just keep me in your prayers because I love my job. I give it 110% of me, and I strive every day to be a fair supervisor and do the right thing. I'm praying for justice against my adversaries. Daniel scolded me, telling me I needed to be praying for my enemies. Maybe so, but there is the reference in Luke 18:1-8--one of my favorite passages. I love the song by Acappella called "Keep Prayin' " on the Parables CD. And this is just all I'm able to pray right now--for justice against my adversaries. I'm also leaving on Sunday to get a new certification in Nashville. I will be away from my husband and my babies for a whole week. I've never done anything like this, and laugh if you will, but I am scared to death! And I don't want to be away from my family. But I'm going, so like I said, keep me in your prayers. If you read this far, I appreciate you taking the time to try and make sense of my ramblings. : )

I need prayers please. I can't say much about it. Suffice it to say that apparently I am on the anvil at work. Just pray, please.

Thanks : )

By the way, thanks to Karen for this one. : )

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her.

I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?"
That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.
That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub.
That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.
I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine.
That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.
That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child.
That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.
I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.
I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

Please share this with a Mom that you know or all of your girlfriends, or daughters, who may someday be Moms.