Having made it to 20 years of marriage I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Navigating relationships can be very difficult, especially in the midst of raising kids and wanting to make sure everyone has their emotional and physical needs met.

I am glad for all the experiences and am glad we are once again on the verge of being able to sleep through the night without interruption. Our first child was the perfect sleeper – 2 two-hour naps a day and 12 hours of sleep a night without getting out of bed. Our second two kids didn’t/don’t sleep as much and definitely get out of bed.

In some ways I am in awe that we’ve been married 20 years and have a 4 year old. As a child I had so many ideas of how life would turn out. I thought I would have all my children by the time I was 30. Because I thought “30″ was old. I barely started having kids at 30. And, the older I get the younger age thirty, forty, fifty, etc… sound.

Life is an amazing adventure. I am glad to be on the journey with Jack Lugar, my husband of 20 years and friend of 23 years.

Believing God is sovereign and just is a step of faith. We all believe in something whether we are Atheist, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or Hindu. Our lives are shaped by our parents, experiences, friends, and mentors. We are first exposed to religion at a young age positively or negatively, based on our parents or caretakers worldview or belief system. As we grow we grapple with what we believe based on our experiences. As we grow the experiences that we encounter help to shape whether or not we believe God is sovereign and just and our thoughts on the Messiah. We decide whether we believe life is in all things, or we believe in reincarnation, or we believe that ultimately that there is no God/god.

The hardest aspect of believing in God comes from living in an unjust world. Why do things happen, especially when they are unjust? Why is there such disparity for some and not others? Why do some struggle and not others? I’ve been around some who have said they have never encountered this disparity. To go through life and not encounter pain or struggle? It’s hard for me to wrap my head around a person who doesn’t encounter grappling with the injustice of this world.

The question of faith and religion is ultimately personal no matter where you live. In America we have religious freedom. We can attend any church, temple, synagogue, mosque…. Ultimately faith is very personal and no matter where you live you have a choice on who and what you believe. There are some in America who attend church yet have no real faith. In other countries where there is no religious freedom, there are many who have a personal faith and yet cannot outwardly act upon their faith.

I have always approached life with the thought that what we believe is personal and no person can force another to believe in something or someone. As with anything we should be knowledgeable about what we believe. Yet, faith is just that, FAITH.

Corrie ten Boom once said, “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our path, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see.”

Bobby Knight of 4th Grade Basketball

Today I was at my son’s 4th grade basketball game and the opposing basketball coach was out of control. He reminded me of the over aggressive parents / coaches who make national .headlines. Screaming at his players, grabbing his sons shirt when he wanted to emphasize that his son didn’t make the right play, cussing at the referee’s calls…. I thought the vein in his forehead was going to explode.

I don’t believe in over zealous regulations, however, I think once you exhibit abusive behaviors on the court, especially as the coach of a 4th grade basketball team, you should have that privilege taken from you. The goal of 4th grade basketball is to merge winning with character building.

How many 4th graders across the country actually grow up to make a living playing basketball? No amount of yelling is going to make a child Micheal Jordan, Isiah Thomas, or Reggie Miller. We all have innate talents. Coaching a grade school basketball team, even if it is volunteer, is not this guys talent.

Occasionally, I teach ESL at Indy Translations in Carmel, Indiana. Currently, I am teaching a student who is 16 and from Brazil. He has a good grasp of the English language and while he was first introduced to learning English in school he obviously has a knack for learning language. Yesterday, he asked if kids in America had to learn how to say “pointed” as opposed to “washed.” It’s an interesting question. Children learn at such a young age to speak and imitate their parents or care takers that by the time a child in America enters school and begins to read, that child just naturally knows the “ed” ending and how to say the word “washed” as opposed to “pointed.”

I was talking with my husband and was reminded of Ken Robinson’s book The Element. Robinson says, “Consider, for instance, how we learn language. Learning to speak is one of the most miraculous achievements in a child’s life. It happens for most of us within our first few years. No one teaches language to us – certainly not our parents. They couldn’t possibly do that because spoken language is too complex, too subtle, and too full of variations for anyone to teach it formally to a child. Of course, parents and others guide and correct young children as they learn to speak and they may encourage and applaud them. But babies don’t learn to speak by instruction. They learn by imitation and inference. We are all born with a deep, instinctive capacity for language, which is activated almost as soon as we draw breath.”

I find it amazing how some people have an innate ability to understand and learn to speak a second language. It all starts at birth. The experiences we encounter in our first few years allow our brain to develop in amazing ways.

I really like Gaping Void / Hugh MacLeod and I can envision this for one of his drawings:

Picture of my life: I have thrown a dozen darts in the sky trying to figure out my purpose and now they have gone as far as they can and now are all coming back down with the tips pointed. I am waiting for God’s hand to capture all those darts as they descend and throw them at the bulls eye of my life’s purpose.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2011

Henry’s Hope Inaugural Back-to-School Bash
At Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers, Indiana on September 24th from 5:00 p. m. – 8:00 p. m.

Fishers, IN –Henry’s Hope Inaugural Back-to-School Bash will be held in the Playground Shelter at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers, Indiana this Saturday, on September 24th from 5:00 p. m. – 8:00 p. m.

Radio Disney, bounce houses, a silent auction, and Steele Johnson, USA Diving National Team member, will kick off Henry’s Hope Inaugural Back-to-School Bash that will raise awareness for kids who have Mitochondrial Disease, Autism, Down syndrome, cancers, and other illnesses.

Henry’s Hope, a 501(c)(3) certified non-profit organization, focuses on assisting children with life-threatening illnesses and their families with defraying costs that are not covered by insurance. Along with the silent auction items donated from local companies, including a cut and color from KKBB and gift certificate to The Tan Company, there will be an opportunity to sponsor asthma treatments for a little girl named Hannah, and a back pack with medical supplies for children who need these supplies to support their nutritional needs and immune systems.

Henry’s Hope Inaugural Back-to-School Bash is going to be a fun community event for kids and families while creating an awareness of children with medical challenges and terminal or life-threatening illnesses. Join us this Saturday, September 24th from 5:00 p. m. – 8:00 p. m. at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers, Indiana.

Henry’s Hope
Elisabeth Lugar
Director of Media Relations
6375 W US Highway 52
New Palestine, IN 46163
(317) 861-8460
hope@henryshope.org
www.henryshope.org
@HenrysHope
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How to hide names and addresses in a personal distribution list:
Applies to: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

To keep the names and e-mail addresses of people included on a personal distribution list private, or hidden, use the Bcc field.

It’s not possible to display the distribution list name in the To box, without allowing it to be expanded to show the entire list of names and e-mail addresses. Instead use the following procedure by adding the sender’s name in the To box.

*In an open message, add your e-mail address in the To box.
*In the Bcc box, add the distribution list.
*Type your message and click Send.

Go to http://bit.ly/nvG6aO for more details.

Nearly three weeks ago, we decided to purchase a car. Our Oldsmobile Silhouette Minivan, affectionately known as Vany by the kids was ten years old with 157,000 miles, so we finally decided to bite the bullet and after 4 years without car payments we decided to find a new vehicle.

We looked around and within a reasonable amount of time found a 2005 Pathfinder in pristine condition. We have traditionally bought new and then kept the car 10 years or pre-owned and kept the car four to six years. This vehicle was older than we had set out to find yet it was in superb condition. We bought with the service light on with the agreement that the dealership would fix whatever was wrong on the vehicle. So, the next week my husband dropped off the car, picked up his rental, and within two days found that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The dealership didn’t have the part. So, they asked my husband to pick up the car, drive it for the weekend, and they’d have the part the following Tuesday. He picked up the car. Then he picked me up to go and serve at a soup kitchen where we regularly help. We were heading down the 70, going 70 mph, with a Semi directly behind us when the transmission blew out. The car slowed to about 10 – 20 mph.

Long story short, the dealership completely unwound the deal, returned the van we traded in, and we started our car search over from scratch. So, I guess “we are not always aware of the forces that ultimately move us.” (Stanford MBA Program http://bit.ly/r5WFTE )

Henry’s Hope Annual Back-to-School Bash will be held at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers, Indiana on September 24th from 5pm – 8pm.

If you are a local business in Fishers, Indiana please feel free to contact Elisabeth Lugar through Henry’s Hope for a poster to display.

If you’d like to donate an item for the silent auction please contact Lauren Enochs at Henry’s Hope.

Elisabeth Lugar // Community Relations //@ElisabethLugar @HenrysHope

Marketing Strategist & Realtor // @LugarRealEstate // @JuberdooMedia // @LugarforCongress

Henry’s Hope is that all children with life threatening illnesses have access to medical treatment and support.

About 2 months ago I became actively involved in Henry’s Hope. Henry’s Hope is a non-profit organization whose focus is on assisting children with life-threatening illnesses and their families with defraying costs that are not covered by insurance. “While many kids are packing up their backpacks with school supplies for their educational future, other kids are packing up their backpacks with expensive medical supplies that support their nutrition and immune systems. We believe that all children with life-threatening medical conditions deserve access to medical treatment, supplies, and support for their families, regardless of socio-economic status.”

I have always had a strong passion for children and while I had a lot of trouble having children, I am truly blessed with 3 children. We have had our scares like when our 6 year old son fell 16 feet over our 2nd floor bannister just 3 days before my youngest was born. Yet, we have not had to face the challenges of a child who is in need of a very expensive treatment due to a medical condition, that we couldn’t afford and that our insurance stopped covering.

I was first introduced to Henry’s parents through my husband, Jack Lugar. He sits on the Board of Henry’s Hope. It was such a pleasure to start working with Henry’s Hope.

When I first started we were thinking of different ways we could bring attention to children who have children with life-threatening illnesses, to celebrate life and enjoy and cherish every moment. As I was about to fall asleep one night I thought why not have a Back-to-School Bash specifically dedicated to children who have life-threatening and terminal illnesses, as well as, for children who have chronic medical conditions. So, we started to lay the ground work for Henry’s Hope Back-to-School Bash as a day to celebrate the lives of these children and families.

It’s going to be a great day. I talked to Radio Disney and they are going to be there. Also, Troy Foster who is the founder of Henry’s Hope will be interviewed on Radio Disney’s Saturday morning kids show. There will be bounce houses and a silent auction with donations from local companies. I am so happy on how it is developing and for how it is reaching the community. Just after I started the planning process I received a call from a parent whose son had mitochrondrialism and was able to put her in touch with Henry’s mom, Kristen. It’s these calls that are so important. To know that someone else understands, has experience and knowledge that can help is so important. It was an honor to help with this connection.

Jack and I own Lugar Real Estate, LLC and we had the great opportunity to help sponsor Henry’s Hope Annual Back-to-School Bash.

Henry’s Hope Annual Back-to-School Bash will be held at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers, Indiana on September 24th from 5pm – 8pm.