Shark Week

I have good news ... Shark Week is only one month away!!





Shark Week is probably the best thing you will ever see on television. It will give you a new appreciation for these creatures and the crazy people who work with them.

According to the International Shark Attack File of 2002, there were only 63 unprovoked shark attacks on humans in the world of which only seven were fatal. In California, there were only 15 total attacks in four years (2000-2004) and only two of those attacks were fatal. For those of you who fear a shark attack everytime you go to the beach, you have no need to worry because the odds of being attacked by a shark in the US are only 1 in 6 million.

-- You are more likely to die from falling down the stairs (1 in 200,000)
-- You are more likely to be killed by a falling object (1 in 400,000)
-- You are more likely to be killed by an agricultural machine
-- (1 in 500,000), especially if you live in Ramona
-- You are more likely to drown in your bathtub (1 in 800,000)
-- You are more likely to die from a lightning strike (1 in 4.3 million)
-- You are more likely to die from a sting from a hornet, wasp or bee
-- (1 in 5.9 million), especially if you are Macaulay Culkin

However, you are more likely to be attacked by a shark than die from an adverse reaction to antibiotics (1 in 7 million). You are also more likely to be attacked by a shark than win your state lottery (1 in 14 million)

Most shark attacks occur near shore or near steep drop-offs. To reduce your risk of a hit and run attack, a bump and bite attack or a sneak attack, take this quiz for safe swimming hints. For more tips from a shark attack survivor, you can read the story of Dawn, a pregnant woman who was viciously attacked by a bull shark back in 1993.

... I'm thinking we need to have a Shark Week party one night in July

Dogs and Their Owners

Just last week, my parents and I watched an interesting show on dogs and their obsessive owners. I thought I might be able to relate to the people because I am a pet owner myself, however, these people were absolutely insane!

One woman spent over 30,000 dollars on a birthday party for her little dog. She could buy a new car with that much money ... and she spent it on her dog!! Every dog came to the party in costume and many had spent the afternoon getting a pedicure (including polished nails).

Another family showed pictures of the wedding they had held for their dogs. Several companies actually sell wedding gowns and tuxedos that you can purchase specifically for your dogs.



Several well-known companies, like Burberry, now sell dog jackets or purses (to carry your dog in) which cost anywhere from $200 to $700!! Some owners will actually buy Burberry outfits that match their dog's. It's crazy - I can't imagine spending that kind of money on my dog!

The funniest story was a couple that had no children -- only a small terrier. They took the dog with them everywhere they went and they even had a special seat for him in their limo. Then, one day, when they were out shopping, someone kidnapped him. (While the husband was re-telling the story, he actually got tears in his eyes.) Then they explained that they put up posters and offered a $1,000 reward. They got a call later that day and picked up their dog from a woman on a street corner. They paid her the full $1,000 (chump change to them) without questions asked. What a joyous occasion it must have been to be reunited with their little pooch!

Proving Their Point

In an effort to prove that crows really are as terrible as Joy made them sound in her email, Nic found a recent news article which seems to support her position. Check out the article to find out more about flocks of crows that have actually inflicted minor wounds in repeated attacks.

Chicken

Why did the chicken not cross the road?



... Because he was chicken.

The Story of Miles

Just a few days ago I bought Nichole Nordeman's new CD "Brave." I chose to buy the special edition version (which I highly recommend) because it has four extra songs at the end which are not included in the original CD. The special edition also includes a paragraph or two with each song which explains how and why she wrote it. One song, titled "Miles," brought me to tears the first time I heard it. This is the story she told and the lyrics to the song (you'll have to hear it if you get a chance) .


Leigh and Adrian ... had a happy, healthy baby named Miles at the time their story began. Just weeks later, his story started to unravel. Just a few months after I'm admiring his newborn pictures, I'm suddenly added to a massive email chain that updates us with Miles' unbelievably grave condition. He contracted a virus. The health of his heart was greatly compromised and he needed a transplant. Miles’ story captured the hearts of thousands across the country. So many of my own middle of the night feedings with my son, Charlie, became an opportunity to sit quietly in a rocking chair and beg God to save this little life.

One day, another little life was snuffed out in that same community. A freak accident left a child named Alex, not yet a year old, dead in his mother’s arms. This same mother, whose heart could only have been paralyzed with the sort of grief that makes every mother shudder and grow cold, made one of the most courageous choices in history. She chose to donate her baby’s organs to countless recipients. His heart would ultimately go to Miles.

I wrote this song because I couldn’t stop thinking about how involved God is in every step of each person’s path ... The creator of the universe is intimately involved in our stories. He sees far into the distance --- when we barely see around the corner. The beautiful heart of Alex is beating strong today in the body of sweet Miles (who just turned one). The questions of "why?" still linger for many. And each day, for all involved, must surely be an hourly exercise in trust and surrender.


Miles

There's a mother on her knees somewhere in San Francisco,
Looking up and begging please, God, do not forget me now.
Her baby's on machines 'cause his heart can not keep beating.
She knows what desperate means 'cause the clock is ticking down, down.
And hope rushed in like waves that someone might just save the day.
And if heaven's just a prayer away then why, she cries,
would God not change things?

It may be miles and miles before the journey's clear.
There may be rivers, may be oceans of tears.
But the very Hand that shields your eyes from understanding,
Is the Hand that will be holding you for miles.

There's another mother on her knees somewhere in San Francisco,
Looking up and begging please, God, do not forget me now.
It happened like a dream, he was laughing, he was running.
Then she heard the sirens scream when her little boy fell down, down.
She had never known the agony of letting go.
A few miles down the road his heart would find a baby boy just in time.

It may be miles and miles before the journey's clear.
There may be rivers, may be oceans of tears.
But the very Hand that shields your eyes from understanding,
Is the Hand that will be holding you for miles.

One moment someone whispers thank you
Just then another heart cries, how could you?
When Jesus, who sees us, He says I hear you -- I'm near you.

My Crow Hating Friend

My friend, Joy, hates crows. There is no reasonable explanation for her feelings . . . I could understand her anger if her eye had somehow been poked out by a crow, but fortunately it was not. She just hates them. So, I received an email from her regarding a recent crow incident which read something like this (I've added the visual for effect) . . .



"let me tell you a little story about a mouse that was chilling in the street right outside of where I work. The mouse was very fat and when we tried to get it to leave the street (so it wouldn't be an open target for predators), it could barely walk because it was so fat. We think it was pregnant. Well, one of my coworkers thought the mouse was so darn cute that he wanted to catch it and keep it, but other coworkers advised him not to. About a half hour later, somebody went out for a smoke break and looked up at the roof in thought. To her shock, she saw the remains of a large mouse being torn to shreds by a bunch of crows.
This story just goes to show that crows are evil and work for satan.
That is all."