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Good morning!  I'm joining up with Dawn for Week 3 of Writing to God: 40 Days of Praying with My Pen.  If you are looking for a devotional, may I recommend this one?  It is perfect if you are a writer....and most of you are (at least to some extent) or you wouldn't be blogging.

I am loving my journey through the 40 days.  Not only do the daily scriptures,  reflections and prompts help me to focus my prayer on one thing rather than rambling endlessly all over trying to cover everything at once, but they are spot-on, taking me where I need to go in my relationship with God.  Each day is a joy as I focus on yet another aspect of who God is....and he is so much!

The other day we were to reflect on God's names, on the things that we call him, on who he is to us.  This is what I wrote:

You are God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth when I bow before you to worship, praise and wonder.

You are God, Lord and Heavenly Father when I come quietly and humbly.

You are Father God, Abba....Daddy when I hurt, when I feel scared and alone and you are the Great Comforter that I seek.

There is a name for every time that I need you.  Father, bring your name to my lips in every instance.  May my call to you be a sweet, sweet sound that pleases you and brings you joy.

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1. My real life friends came through with another question this week so thank you real life friends. When you've eaten in a restaurant do you complete their comment card? Do you take online surveys highlighted at the bottom of store receipts? 
~ No, I don't usually.  The exceptions would be service that was so good it was out of the normal and service that was so bad you just can't let it slide.

2. The (US) ban on women in combat was lifted at the end of January. It will probably be next year before specifics are worked out, but its been reported over 200,000 front line positions will eventually open up to women.  Your thoughts? 
~ I think women should have the opportunity to serve in any capacity they choose, but I am torn on this one because I do think that it might make a very big difference on the front line.  Everything is heightened under such circumstances and I think with emotions running high, adrenaline pumping, and danger waiting, you may find soldiers taking comfort in each other when they shouldn't.  I think it's possible, as well, that some of the male soldiers may not be able to treat the women as "just another soldier."  By that I mean that they may worry about protecting them and looking out for them more than they would for a male soldier and that could put their own life in danger.  I don't know....I guess we'll have to wait and see how it works out.

3.  In looking back at all the blog posts you've written, what's your favorite posttitle? 
~ "Gee Whiz"  was the title of a meme post about things starting with the letter Gee.  That post still gets quite a few hits.

4. What's worse-overly permissive parents or overly protective parents?  Did your own parents lean more to the permissive or the protective category?  If you're a parent where do you fall? 
~ I think they both cause a lot of problems.  I grew up with the overly protective/strict parents and I know how I was the f.irst time I was out from under their thumb.  Though, I can say that even though I went a little nuts with my first taste of freedom, my foundation is solid.  I have a very clear set of morals and values.  The problem with the permissive parents is that the kids don't have that base.  The kids raised in that manner seem to mostly have an attitude of entitlement.  The world owes them, they think.

5.  Candlelight-moonlight-firelight-bright lights in the big city...which one's your favorite? 
~ Definitely firelight, whether it's a cozy fire in the fireplace on a cold winter night or a summer bonfire.  There's just something almost hypnotic about a fire.

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6. Dr. Seuss's birthday was celebrated on Saturday. What's a favorite book you remember (Seuss or otherwise) from your own childhood?  Did books play an important role in your growing up years? Explain. ~ Books played a huge role in my childhood and continue to today.  My mom was a librarian and I love to read so there were books...lots and lots of books.  Always. Still.  Mom encouraged me to read anything and I started reading adult novels around the age of 12.  I still read age-appropriate material, but didn't back down from monster reads like Taylor Caldwell's "The Captains and the Kings."  The first book I remember is "Doctor Goat."

7.  To quote Dr. Seuss...

"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere." 

from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

Share something funny you've recently read, seen or heard.  

~ This tickled my funny bone in it's true-ness.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
~ Enjoying the first snow day of the year, here.  As I look out the kitchen window I'm seeing about 4 inches of heavy, wet, "heart attack" (the heavy stuff that strains the heart when you try to shovel it) snow.  It continues to fall and should for several hours yet.  I'm glad of the extra day and plan to sneak in a little extra sleep, do some laundry, a little cleaning, read, and make a big pot of beef-vegetable soup for tonight's dinner.  Tim will welcome it when he gets home tonight.  

You all stay safe and warm today!