Hello, World!

I just spent some time looking at the little map that shows where my blog visitors come from. I am amazed at how many people read my blog, and from all over the world! Thank you so much! It humbles me to think people from so far away would find my little blog worth visiting.

In recent days I have had visitors from:
Canada, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Czech Republic, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Russia

and from these states in the USA:
Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut! *Whew!* Let me just catch my breath.

I wish I could say I had been to all those places. Of the countries, I've only been to USA and Canada. Of the 28 states, I have been to 21 of them.

This is what I do know about all these places and people: we all want happiness, health, and peace. We all want our children to do well and find happiness in their adult lives. We all struggle with bad weather (tornadoes, floods, hurricanes/cyclones, drought, extreme hot and cold temperatures.) We have to be tough to survive on this earth!

Some of us have man-made challenges such as war, the aftermath of war, the threat of war, unrest, revolution, or neighbors we feel we can't trust. It really all comes down to the same thing: we are all searching for peace and happiness and to survive through the challenging times.

Most of us do what we can to help each other. Many are receiving help right now after devastating tornadoes or floods destroyed your area. And you who are being helped, have helped others after similar catastrophes.

Of the 15 countries in the above list, at least 8 of those countries have received quilts made by me. Also some of those countries have received help indirectly from me, through my church connections, for example (supporting hospitals and sending school supplies and sending people to help and support). In some of the countries and some of the states I have had relatives living (or still do), have had pen pals (or still do), have sent quilts to a handful of the states, I personally visited there to help clean up after a storm, or I am just interested in what happens there because I have visited the state for pleasure, or I think it's interesting, friends live there, or the state is on my list of places I hope to visit some day. Some of the countries and states are familiar to me because I have had students from that place, or in some other way I casually met someone from that place.

It's really just a small world, full of interesting, beautiful, fascinating people and places. Things like blogs and social media have helped connect us in new ways. Isn't it fun?

Tonight I am going to pray for all of my blog visitors, and pray for peace for all of you, wherever you may be. We are all equals in creation! (Thanks again for visiting. I appreciate it.)