Thoughts of Tony...

The following is a guest post from my husband, Rick, about his cousin Tony. Tony is struggling for life right now and we have all been praying for him so strongly.  I have been trying to get Rick to write a guest post for some time and I am so glad that he has put his thougth about this special person on paper and decided to share it with Tony and all of us.

I'm proud of you sweetie!!!

My cousin Tony Cluck is in the hospital fighting a brave battle. He was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was a baby. Last July at the age of 39 he received a double lung transplant. The last few days I have read a lot of messages and encouraging words that people have wrote about Tony and how he has impacted their lives. There is so many ways that I could tell you how he as impacted my life that it would take me writing a novel to tell every story, but I would like to tell you a few thoughts about him.

Although we would use this as an excuse why we couldn’t do things, Tony has never let it hinder him in doing what he has wanted to do. Complain, well I don’t think he even knows what that word means. I remember a trip our families took together to the Smokey Mountains. Tony and I went and recorded and song together at Dollywood. It was “old time rock and roll” by Bob Seger, I think we did a better job at it. My favorite time was when I was staying with him during the summer, and the first Batman movie was just coming out that weekend. I remember before the movie crusing around Gadsden in his camaro, I was on cloud nine that whole night.

Some people say that you cannot believe in something that you cannot see. This is true when they come to these three things, God, faith, and love. They claim that since you cannot see God then he must not exist, you cannot see faith it must not be possible to have it. And love, well it’s a shame if they have never seen love. I believe you can see these three things. I see God when I look outside and see the world that He has created for us to enjoy. I also see God when I read His Word. I see faith when I see prayers answered. Love, I see love when I see the cross where Christ took my sins upon him and set me free. I also see these three things in Tony. Love, I see love in Tony when a he takes his cousin (me) four years younger than him to watch the movie Batman with him. I see love in the way that he loves his family. Faith, I see faith in Tony that he knows God is in control, and is always giving him praise for the things in his life. I see faith when there is no doubt in his mind that he is safe in the arms of God, and he knows where he will spend eternity. As for God, well I see God through Tony. I could only wish that these people that claim that they have never seen these three things could know the person that I have always looked up to and considered to be my hero.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…..” Tony is truly a gift from God that has touched every person that has had the privileged to know him.

Tony, I am praying for you daily!

Love ya,

Rick Cluck

Please join us in praying for Tony and his family.

Have a Blessed Day,
April

Ahhh Summer....Reading by the Pool

As a little girl, I dreamed of having a family and living in a two story house with a white fence and a pool. Most of my childhood dreams did come true, but not in the ways that I expected them to and that's OK. But the one about my house was right on and one of my favorite things to do is to float in or hang out by our pool and read. I really, really love it.

Now with school coming to an end (CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES...COME ON!!!) and with my favorite past time just within reach; I am looking for good and new books to read. I am currently reading StepMonster and it is a great view on step-parenting from the perspective of a step-mother.

Up until now, I was more of a fiction book reader. I love the books that take you out of the real world and into fantastic world where anything is possible from magic carpets and love at first site to vampires and lycans. But as I grow up and am introduced to new experiences and situations, I am finding that the more topical and real life experience books are valuable too; especially, those where faith is involved.

So I am striving to broaden my reading horizons and have a book lined up for June, thanks to the Mom-tage. My friend, Dana, and her friend Holly have put together this great site with all sorts of things geared towards moms. Their newest endeavor is a monthly book clubs of sorts…check it out:

“The Mom-tage has teamed up with Zondervan Publishing to bring you monthly book chats with the industry's up-and-coming authors. At the beginning of the month, we will introduce the current month's book and author, follow mid-month with a guest post from the author, and then end the month with a book discussion with the author of the book in our chat room.”
Sign up before the end of May and you will be entered in a drawing for a copy of "Cold Tangerines", July’s book, and a drawing for 1 of 25 copies of: "The Bernstein Bears, God Loves You" !

Check out the site for more details and to register!!!

Thanks Dana and Holly for putting together this site…I plan to be an active member and to support you all the way.

Have a Blessed Day!
April