The Heymann Family Journal

I just bought a collection of classic Christmas stories on MP3 . You can buy it on Audible.com It is over 5hours of great listening. Now I'm going to grab a cup of tea and turn on my new electric fireplace and listen to a Christmas Carol! Juergen put up the lights. The gifts are all wrapped. I'm getting ready to enjoy the season!!! No stress! "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Read by Tom Casaletto "The Gift of the Magic" by O. Henry, Read by Dick Hill "Is There a Santa Claus? (Yes, Virginia...)" by Frank P. Church, Read by J. Charles "A Visit from Saint Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)" by Clement C. Moore, Read by Bill Weideman "A Winter Walk" by Henry David Thoreau, Read by Jean Reed-Bahle "The Seven Poor Travelers" by Charles Dickens, Read by Michael Page "The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen, Read by Sandra Burr "Santa Claus at Simpson's Bar"

The only "normal" thing we have for Thanksgiving was pie. We had apple and pumpkin pie. I have made maybe 5 pies in my whole life. I never was much of a cook. They actually turned out well. I also made real whip cream. It was great! We had a very nice dinner. After dinner we watched Prince Caspian on DVD.

I always find it odd being in Germany on Thanksgiving Day. While my family is getting ready to gather together for the feast I was at the Doctors with Philip all morning. We are trying to figure out why he has learning problems, and why his hands are so weak, and why he has speech problems. I got a hand full of referrals to specialists. The first was an audiologist. I went to the audiologist to get an appointment. The next appointment is in May 2009! No kidding!!! I took the appointment, but I will look around for something sooner. My feet hurt from walking from one clinic to the next. I basically got nothing done. Now I am making our traditional Thanksgiving turkey soup. I never actually go to the expense and trouble of cooking a whole turkey. Actually, my stove is so small I don't think I could fit a turkey in it! I cook a turkey soup with potatoes and vegetables. We eat bread and salad. I'm going to try to make an apple and pumpkin pie too. Some of the Thanks

God is a friend of the poor...are you? This is the new Compassion Art CD. I hope I can buy this at the Delirious concert. You can buy it online at WH Smith Store in the UK. I think it will be available in the US next year?

Juergen got us tickets to see Delirious. They are on their goodbye tour. The concert is near Frankfurt next week. Now I just have to find a babysitter. Our faithful babysitter just got a job out of town and we need someone new.

This is an angel for the top of a tree. It was made in Nürnberg in the year 1900 so it is 108 years old. Cool!!! It has survived 2 world wars. I hope it can survive us!!!

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"Thousands of anti-government protesters partially shut down Bangkok's main international airport, some armed with golf clubs and long wooden sticks. All departing flights are canceled but officials said incoming flights would be allowed to land". -CNN I personally would not mind being stuck in Thailand for awhile! The last time we were there we missed our flight home. We forgot the days and just missed the flight by a day. That last day was very expensive but worth it!!! I would love to escape this dark cold Germany and go get stuck in Thailand!!!

I saw this on a friends blog. Oh it is so sad!!! Zogby Poll of 512 Obama Voters from 11/13/08-11/15/08 97.1% High School Graduate or higher, 55% College Graduates The results to 12 simple Multiple Choice Questions 57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing) 71.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing) 82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing) 88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing) 56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing). And yet..... Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes Only 6.2% failed to

We have made real progress with Thomas this year. He has ADHD and now controls it with drugs. The drugs are a life saver. He is a different person. The main side effect for him is that it is hard for him to sleep. We are working on getting an adjustment to his medication. Hopefully he is "out of the woods". Philip on the other hand is in a deep hole. We think he might be dyslexic. If anyone knows about this let me hear from you. We are on a list for a clinic that does diagnostic work on many levels. It may take until March to get an appointment. I continue to work with him on his reading program (fast forwards). It helps but only a little. He really still can not read. It is a painful process. I think I will try to get him a full QEEG (brain map). I would love to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy with him but insurance will not pay for it. If I can get a PET scan then I will at least know if he has a blood flow problem in his brain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy hel

We had snow on the ground this morning. I can hardly believe it's already acting like winter. The winds have been very strong and cold. Juergen got me an electric fireplace for my birthday. I also got a mantle for an early Christmas gift. Isn't it beautiful? It sits in my bedroom. I am loving to lay in bed and listen to books on mp3. What a great way to de stress!!! Now I just need to get Juergen to paint my bedroom. A bedroom should be more then just a extra storage room. That is what my bedroom has looked like for years (a storage room). I’m working on it!!!

Coming to our house for Christmas

John Paul Jackson discusses strange and heavenly events on earth.

We sat around the breakfast table this morning trying to come up with a name for our new car. It's a big car so we want some kind of fat name. Thomas kept interrupting us talking about helicopters. He is obsessed with helicopters. It gets kind of irritating when all someone wants to talk about is helicopters or another subject like, politics! I'm so glad the election is over!!! Anyway, we thought of Monstro the whale from Pinocchio, Aunt Fannie the robot from the movie Robots, and The Arch as in Noah’s Arch. I like The Arch because our car is a big boat and it's always filled with wild animals. Have any name ideas?

Becoming a fighter pilot isn't something that happens overnight. It requires lots of time, dedication and perseverance if you want to be successful. A special type of person is required to join such an elite group. Funnily enough, most people think that becoming a fighter pilot is mostly about flying, when in fact that isn't the case. You also need to successfully train as an officer. So you're primarily an officer, even if you continue on to be a fighter pilot. Your primary job is to defend the USA against its enemies, and any career aspirations are secondary to that. There are three possible ways to train as an officer - service academy, Officer Candidate School (OCS) or Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). As a high school student, you should apply to a service academy if you want to become an officer. You can choose between the Air Force Academy, Annapolis (Navy & Marines), West Point (Army) or the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. All of them put you through rigorous mi

This morning at breakfast Thomas was talking about airplanes. From the first day we met him he has loved airplanes. He said he wants to be a fighter pilot. I asked him if he wants to be in the US or German Air force. He said American. I told him about the boot camp he would have to go through if he wanted to be in the US Military and that he also needs to speak better English. He couldn't believe he would have to do exercises to fly a jet! It's funny, but he wants to be American! OK, it's because of the cool airplanes, but still he wants to be American! Right now he is German only. I am waiting until Sarah has been with us for two years, then I'll do the paper work for Sarah, Philip and Thomas to become American. Maybe it really will be the land of opportunity for them?

Yesterday Philip showed me the Lego catalog and a Lego car he wanted for Christmas. I said "no" it cost too much! With 5 kids I can not afford much! Today Juergen took the boys to the Orthodontist. They both need braces. The insurance company does not cover as much of the cost as it use to. Ouch!!! Some times they just remind you they cost something to raise. Like my food bill has more then doubled in the last year. I'm not complaining, just making an observation. The good news is the braces only need to be on maybe two years. I think Nicole had hers for 4 years. Man do they grow up fast!!! And they seem to cost more every year. Nicole needs money for this and that everytime I turn around. Before I know it she will be grown and I'll borrow money from her!

I'm listening to the audio book, The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey . It was written in 1970 but it seems very relevant today. It is about the end times prophecy written in the Bible. You can watch the 1970's movie on you tube . The book is much better then the movie. The details are chilling. We need to consider the season we live in. Make sure your heart is right with God. You can download the audible book here . The book is much better then the movie!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies 3/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 large) 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 2 cups quick oats 1 cup chocolate chips 1. Beat shortening, sugar, egg and bananas well. 2. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 3. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. 4. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. 5. Bake 10 minutes at 400F. Cool on wire rack.

Cornbread 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp shortenning 1 tsp salt 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1. Preheat oven to 400F and place 8x8 inch dish in oven to heat. 2. Mix flour, cornmeal and salt. 3. In another bowl, mix buttermilk (you can make a cup of buttermilk by adding a tbsp of lemon juice to the milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes) with regular milk and egg. Stir in baking powder and baking soda. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Melt 1/4 cup of shortenning in the microwave and stir into batter. 5. Remove pan from oven and put 2 tbsp of shortening in the pan, spread around until melted. Pour batter into pan. Return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pumpkin and Raisin Spice Muffins 1 cup raisins 3/4 cup orange juice 3 cups white flour 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 cup butter, melted 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup honey 3 eggs 450g pumpkin puree (or one 15oz can) 1 cup chopped dates (or more raisins, dried cranberries, or nuts) 1. Microwave raisins with orange juice for 2 minutes on high, and set aside. 2. Whisk together dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. 3. In another bowl mix butter, brown sugar, honey, eggs and pumpkin puree. 4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry along with the raisins and orange juice. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in dates. 5. Fill muffin tins almost to the top (makes about 18 large muffins) and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.

Here is Sarah Palin on the the Today Show. She is finally able to talk. She is very relaxed and real. Too bad she was never allowed out of the box before!

Nov 15 is the last day to get your shoe box gifts in Germany. If you live in Heidelberg the address is... Herrn Rene Richter Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 28 D-69117 Heidelberg Mobiltelefon 0171 7493480 Check the Web site for details! They also list locations in other cities around Germany. If you are in another country you can check this site for details on how you can help give a box of Christmas joy to a poor child in need. Please make it an annual tradition. It may seem like a small thing, but it is the only gift many of these kids will ever receive. It's not hard to bless a child. Do it today!!!

This is a little bad! You have to be able to laugh after such a hard fight! I pray for our new leader. I think his new battle will be with his own party! If he can not say no to them, he will be a one term President like Carter. If he runs the Nation from the middle like Clinton, he will be a great President. I’m guessing a one term President!

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

When I was a freshman at Oregon State University I took a debate class. We had to debate pro life vs. pro choice. Most of the class was pro choice and only a few of us stood on the side of life. I recall the "main" argument of the choice people. What if a woman just was in no position to raise the child? It was there I began embracing the concept of adoption. Back then (this was 1980) people thought it more cruel to "abandon" a child then to abort a child. I hope that attitude has changed a little. I hope it is more acceptable for a woman to raise a child alone, or to give that child up for adoption. This is the direction we must go in if we want to see an end to abortion. I gave many speeches on life as a student. I remember once I gave a speech against abortion and my professor (a 50 year old married man) began to cry. He told the class he made his wife abort their baby. They both thought they were too old for one more child. He went in to the doctor’

I like Sarah Palin but I think there are better choices. She sure is a rock star! I love the bumper sticker! It's just for fun!

A bus is coming and there is nothing he can do about it. "Life is what happens while you are waiting for the bus." You are on the bus. No, I'm not talking about the rapture; but the transition from passiveness to passion - from a confusing spirit to a conquering spirit; from a spiritual laziness to lambasting the devil. Maybe you better stand up. Bottom Line: satan wants you to quit! Don't Do It! Fellow saint, do not leave the vineyard God has assigned to you (John 21:15-17). The very thing you are facing is preparing you for greater fruitfulness. Nothing of lasting value comes without a struggle. Tend the flock and concentrate on your noble calling. Fainting? Read Luke 18:1-8. Do not remove your hands from that plow. Stop looking back. There is nothing back there but a slippery slope. You know that. Look up. People are depending on you. Weaker saints are looking to you. You are valuable to God. You are loved greatly (1 John 3:1). Do not listen to your emotions. They

Sarah had a temper tantrum this morning. Juergen said "no" and she did not like that answer. She gets so fixed on what she wants she can not trust us. We have a bigger picture. We are wiser and want what is best. I think about myself. I sure did not like Obama winning this election. I personally felt like having a temper tantrum. I'm passionate about life, and seeing an end to abortion. I can not say this ( over turning Roe v Wade) was not the perfect will of God. God does have a perfect will, but also a permissive will. That is He allows men to choose for them selves, and will not over ride that choice. Just look at the Nation of Israel. They cried out for a King. God wanted to be their King. Still he allowed them to have what they wanted. This is how I read what just happen in America. They cried out for Obama...they got him (we got him). I do not think God gave me the burden to pray for life for no reason. I believe God loves my passion. But at this

BTW: I think they are unfairly kicking Sarah Palin. I like her! I think she would have done fine as VP. I would not want her to be President. At least not yet. I personally like Governor Tim Pawlenty. I use to live in Minnesota. I like his dry humor! He is very smart and compassionate, conservative, pro life, and pro environment. He used the term Sam Club Republicans. He feels the Republicans need to reach a new generation. I agree. Maybe it will be Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2012? I think Sarah Palin would be wise to stay in Alaska! I believe she will always be popular but most people in America will never believe she is smart enough to be President. She knows Alaska and can continue to have good influence there! Tim Pawlenty is a lawyer. I almost think that is a requirement of people seeking higher office. Good or bad, that just seems to be how it is!

Christmas is coming. Do you want to exchange cards? I live in Germany but I have readers from all over the world. If you want a card from me, send me your street address at my e-mail address and I will send you a German card. I hope you will send us a card too! amy_heymann @ yahoo. de (remove the spaces

This is a good word for the Church. We get so caught in what should be, we fail to see God is in control...even in storms. I believe God called me to pray for America. I hoped abortion would end. God had another leader perhaps for another purpose. What purpose? We will see. Maybe to get the Church to depend on God and not government? Maybe to heal the souls of the black community? I just don't know. What I know is God does not leave us in storms. Storms prepare us for greatness. Deep valleys are always in proportion to high mountains. We want to raise to high places as The Church. We want to have great Spiritual victories with out fighting great spiritual battles. Our battles have really just begun. That could freak us out, or it could encourage us. If we pass through a valley we can actually grow to be a strong Church. We can not quit just because things don't seem to be fitting into our plans. Let's keep going, and keep fighting for the truth we know. We

Where do we go from here? What can I learn? What needs to change? These are questions I ask myself. Poor Juergen, he thought I would relax after this election! I don’t want to sound like a sour loser but I feel like Obama in a way bought this election. He had a very unfair advantage of money. He out spent McCain 10 to one in he battle ground states. He flooded the airwaves with Ads and had many more offices with paid staff. That did make a difference. I do not want our elections being bought. I don’t want everyone from here on needing to raise a billion dollars to win an election. You think the Republicans can not raise money? Of course they can! I think it’s crazy! I want limits on campaign finance required!!! I want all the loop holes closed. I don’t want outside groups adding their two cents. There is no good or pretty end if we allow ourselves to go down that road. This should be the last unfair election in America!!! I also think America saw a very bias News Me

Prop 8 has passed in the State of California. it is going to be challanged in court(the same liberal court that allowed gay marriage in the first place). It will probably end up being challanged in the Supreme Court. I read on CNN the following... I really think this is going to be a legal issue. I think this is going to go before the California Supreme Court. And we already know as you mentioned that there are three cases pending before the California Supreme Court. And what is interesting to note is that it's the very same court that allowed these marriages in the first place. And so, my guess is that that court is going to weigh in, probably reinstitute the right to marry for same-sex couples and then that's going to be likely based on the U.S. Constitution and our Supreme Court is going to weigh in. What is I think extremely interesting here is that we now know that we have a president-elect, Obama. He's going to get the opportunity likely to appoint Supreme Court j

I was folding cloths and watching God TV this morning. I don't even know who was speaking but I heard these comforting words, “You never reap a harvest in the same season you sow the seeds". I had a burden to pray for the elections. I felt called to pray for life. I realize many of you can not understand my one-dimensional view on this issue. I've gotten e-mail from many people who felt there where so many other important things to consider. All I can tell you is my heart is pure before God. I grieve over the 40 million lives that have already been lost to abortion in America. I saw in this election cycle an opportunity to change the way our culture views life. I saw the opportunity to change the court. This opportunity will probably not come again for 30 more years. With the federal funding of abortion (something Obama supports) we will probably lose another 50 million lives. I feel even today the weight of grief over this loss of another generation of beautifu

I feel very sad this morning. I'm sure most of the world is happy. I'm proud of my country for being willing to elect a black man as President. This is a very good step towards healing the sins of our past. I just wish that the expansion of abortion was not at the top of his agenda. The pro life movement just got set back 30 years. I accept the will of the people but I can not celebrate. I'm broken hearted. Elections have consequences. This was never about one person above another person. It was always about the court. I’m sure most Americans have no idea what kind of change they just bought. I can hope Obama will rule from the middle, but this has never been his history. John McCain is a very good man. I am so sorry the shadow of Bush was so dark that many simply could not see past that. I will trust that God is in control of this decision. God is good. I’m OK with this thought. God is always good.

HERE is Kim Clement's prophetic word for the election (click on videos Nov 3). He does not say who will win. He says to just vote. He does give some interesting and hopeful words about what is about to happen. It is a 90 minute broadcast. It is the Nov. 3 broadcast. Kim is a very reliable prophet. Maybe you have never heard a prophet? This is not fortune telling...it is Biblical prophecy. I hear him saying that this will be an unusable election. That it may not even be clear until Thursday. That God wants to right wrongs (I hope this means an end to abortion). That no mater what happens God is clearly in control and has good plans. Do not look at the polls, just vote and pray for God's will to be done. He said God has opened a door that no one can close. He said that America is reseliant, meaning it will snap back soon. Thanksgiving will be thankful and that good things will happen in Novemeber. That there will be a revelation of wrongs...much revelation. resilie

Tonight Thomas told Juergen that he needed to talk with his teacher. I asked Thomas why? He said he has forgotten to bring stuff to school. Then I got a list of stuff (about 10 things) he needs. The list is 6 weeks old. He had it stuck in a notebook. I never saw it. Then Philip brings out his own note from school. It is two weeks old. God give me a vision of what they can become. Right now their ADHD can really get me down. Just when you think you are over the worst of it, they pull out a note from the teacher. They are great boys, just a little distracted!

'Catching Wild Pigs' There was a chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab, the professor noticed one young man (an exchange student), who kept rubbing his back & stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his countrys' government and install a communist government. In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?' The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to