Rebecca Brown

Who doesn’t want to leave their troubles far behind???

As a very young girl, one of my favorites movies was The Wizard of Oz.  The song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” really spoke to my bruised, yet hopeful, little heart.  A childhood wrought with abuse I longed for safety (escape)…to find a refuge.  At such an early age, I yearned for a peaceful (safe) environment where the unexpected danger didn’t lurk around every corner, where drama and trauma didn’t reign.

Ever since I was young, one of my favorite movies has been The Wizard of Oz.  As a wide-eyed little girl of six years, I sat on the floor transfixed by the story unfolding on the screen.  The emotions overwhelmed me and wouldn’t leave.

My eyes filled with tears when the mean lady took Toto and pedaled away on her bicycle.  The tomboy I was, I seriously wanted to kick her back tire, throw a rock at her and push the bike over to rescue Toto.  Maybe I wasn’t a sweet little girl made of “sugar and spice and everything nice”, but someone who wanted to help the helpless and serve some justice by putting those rock throwing skills to use.  I remember the tears falling with happiness when Toto jumped out of the basket and ran back to Dorothy.

The lyrics appeared on the screen and, unable to stop them, my tears began to flow…

“God I look to You
I won’t be overwhelmed”

My thoughts cry out: but I AM overwhelmed!

In March 2010, Debbie Dowdin started with a desire to help others and turned it into a non-profit organization helping those in the community.  Debbie’s story is inspirational in that she had an idea, and she ran with it.  She didn’t stop and think about how hard it might be, how much of her time it would take or whether it fit conveniently into her life. She wanted to help, took action, gave selflessly and is now making a difference in the lives of others.

It is all too common to “just know” that God answers prayers, and to sing praises to our Heavenly Father. However, all too often it is easy for us to forget just how many prayers He answers, and how deserving He is of our continuous praise. Seriously, stop and think about how many times did you praise God this past week? None? Several? Many? We might come up with a general idea, but I doubt we could have a true count.

This really isn’t about keeping count, but being aware.

Ah, those lovely ruby red slippers, how I love them! What woman doesn’t love a beautiful pair of shoes?!  Pretty, sparkling and delicious, they call to us.  To be chosen, to be worn, to be transported.  These iconic shoes are symbols of adventure, as well as hopes and desires to be fulfilled.