Hi there! How are you? I think it's really cool that you dropped in. I'll tell you a little about myself.

Let's see, my name is Pippin Stanley. I was born and raised in Houston Tx. I guess the only good thing I can say about it is that I met and married my sweetie there. In '82 we moved to the piney woods of northeast Texas. And in '92 his work transferred us to the Dallas area.

I have four kids. My oldest son died in '97. It was a very difficult time for our family. He was only 24 years old. He left behind a 5 year old son and a son on the way. We hope to help the baby to know his daddy through us. I have 2 other sons and a daughter. I also have 8 grand kids. My family means the world to me. I am proud of the people they have grown up to be. Thankfully they're not much into computers so they won't see this and get a big head.

I wrote the following story a few years ago. I had become disabled and had a hard time adjusting. I went through a couple of years of deep depression.

It was published in the Joyful Noise magazine in hopes that it will help someone to deal with the tragedies in their lives. And learn how faithful and loving our God is. When tragedy happens in our lives we become very aware of how people perceive us. Often, we see what we call pity and we usually resent it. No body wants to be pitied, it makes us feel less of a person, we feel inadequate. A few years ago I became ill and it was suggested that I start using a wheelchair when we went out shopping or anywhere that walking was required. Needless to say, I was horrified. It took months of debating before I finally convinced my self that if I wanted to go places, this was the only way.

All of a sudden, I was not only facing the pity from strangers in public, but, even worse, I had to face old friends that knew me before, when I was quite active. Every time someone looked at me with what I thought was pity, I felt like running away to hide and never coming out, or striking out at them for making me feel that way. Over the next few years I became more and more withdrawn. I didn't want to see anyone. I felt like a pitiful little ragamuffin that didn't deserve to be on this earth. The only people I associated with were my husband, kids, mom and my mom-in-law. And to make matters worse, I was filled with self-pity, and making the lives of my family totally miserable. And I couldn't pull myself out of it.

Then one day I met another lady in a wheelchair. She was much worse off than me. She has multiple sclerosis. As I watched her and listened to her I was totally blown away by her attitude. She laughed from the heart. She was full of faith in God. She didn't seem to be at all offended by the people who stared. She was even able to make jokes about it. How could anyone, going through what she was, seem so complete and confident. I don't think I will ever meet anyone on earth that I admire more or have more compassion for. I learned a kind of love that I never knew existed. Surely her rewards in heaven are going to be something to behold.

Now when I go out in my wheelchair, it's not pity that I see in the faces of strangers, but compassion. Pity comes from the mind. It is the way that society teaches us to respond to the "less fortunate." Compassion, on the other hand, comes from the heart. It is born of love, a very special gift from God.

So, when someone looks at us with what we think is pity, look into their eyes. If it's really compassion, you'll know because it shines through and lights up your soul. We got our first computer from my brother in law. I was so afraid of it, worrying that I was going to mess something up. But I adjusted in time, can you tell?

My brother-in-law, Raymond, suggested that I get into the internet and make my own site. I really had my doubts but he thought I would be good at it so I did. In 1996, The PiPPiN Press went on line. It was mostly for friends and family. But over time it grew into what you see here.

Computers are perfect for homebound people. I absolutely love working on this site. I love that I can serve God with something that I so enjoy. I hope that during your visit you will feel the love of God through His raindrops of words. I pray that it touches and enriches your life a little...or a lot.