Time with Tami

A Family Holiday

2011-01-17T08:37:00.002-07:00

~January 17th~

Bible Verse for the Day:

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits"

~Psalm 68:19~

THE BIG 45.....

for my husband, that is!!!!

Yep - today is my husband's birthday and the whole family is taking the day off. No work, no school ~ just all of us enjoying the day together. Here are some fun facts about this date in history:

1795 - The Dudingston Curling Society was organized in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1806 - James Madison Randolph, grandson of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, was the first child born in the White House.

1916 - The Professional Golfers Association was formed in New York City.

1928 - The fully automatic, film-developing machine was patented by A.M. Josepho. 1916 - The Professional Golfers Association was formed in New York City.

1928 - The fully automatic, film-developing machine was patented by A.M. Josepho.

1994 - The Northridge earthquake rocked Los Angeles, CA, registering a 6.7 on the Richter Scale. At least 61 people were killed and about $20 billion in damage was caused.

Jeff Shares His Birthday With:

Benjamin Franklin 1706

Al Capone 1899

Betty White 1922

Muhammad Ali 1942

Jim Carrey 1962

A New Year With New Thoughts

2011-01-16T05:57:00.002-07:00

~January 16th~

Today's Bible Verse that I am meditating Upon:

Philippians 4:6-7 - "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Thought for the Day:

When we need its safety, God's Word is a place to hide.When we desire direction, God's Word is a guide. When we need its comfort, God's Word gives us hope and peace. God's Word will always have what we need ~~ we just need to be willing to look for it!

Random Thoughts:

I'm sure you have all heard the saying, "If you love something set it free. If it comes back its yours, if it doesn't it never was." That saying holds to for people, just as much as things.

Even though it has been very painful, I have had to do that over the last several months. I will admit it has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but I was very overdo in it. I have held on to people for years that had let go of me (if they ever really held love for me to begin with in some cases) a very long time ago.

Do I still love them, people may ask? YES. But holding on and trying to pretend there was a relationship there when there was really just me trying to force one is actually more painful than the letting go.

I pray every day that over time - and with a lot of changes - those things and people I let go of will return to me. That is in God's hands now. His way will ALWAYS be better than mine.

Have a great Sunday Everyone. And remember.....This is the day that the LORD hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!!

Dancing in the Rain

2010-05-25T04:03:00.003-06:00

For the last two nights we have had some SERIOUS rain here in Bismarck. The title I gave this devotion made me think of Gene Kelly in the old movie Singing in the Rain. If you haven’t seen it I would strongly suggest it.

There is a scene where he danced with great joy, by himself, in a downpour of rain. I don’t remember why he was happy but he didn’t wait under an awning for the rain to stop. He didn’t care about getting soaking wet or looking really peculiar…he just danced for joy! How many times have I literally stood still by my kitchen door--or in a store--waiting for the rain to get less intense so I can get to my car without getting wet? TOO MANY!!

Now, how many times have you stood still at your heart’s door waiting for the storm in your personal life to pass before you stepped out, wet with tears, to praise God, smile, encourage others…and fulfill your place of service? Truly, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

What does God say about this matter?

Psalm 30:5 “….in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

I have the promise…the promise of God that my weeping will end. I am told “in his favour is life:” and I know to be in God’s favor I must walk in obedience, abiding in Christ.

My joy is found in my abiding in Christ—trusting Him and believing His Word. So, in effect, I choose when to dance; praise, thank, glorify the Lord: I choose when to dance by choosing to do right, think right, be right with God in the midst of every storm of life. God will, when I have set my heart and relationship right with Him, do the turning of my sadness into joy so that I can praise Him,

Psalm 30:11-12 “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”

Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

Psalm 150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Ecceliastes 3: 1 and 4 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:….A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

There is a time to weep and grieve over loss and heartache as long as we do not grieve as the world does…without hope. I know from much personal experience that we can grieve and have sorrow and still praise, thank and do all God has asked us to do BECAUSE of Who He is, not because of what is happening in our lives.

I Thessalonians 4:13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

This morning I am reminded of David and his great sorrow of heart. I am reminded of how he called out to God and remained serving, thanking and praising God, through it all. David said, “my flesh also shall rest in hope.” He did not sorrow as those who have no hope.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Are we dancing during the rain of our lives? Remember, we can only see a rainbow through the rain…and the rainbow will come!!

Time Flies

2010-05-22T08:17:00.004-06:00

I’ve been going back and forth in my mind about adding to my blog for quite a while now. I didn’t realize how long it had been since I had posted anything until I looked at my blog today. WOW ~~ July 13, 2009. It has been almost a year!!

A lot has gone on in that year. We got back into our church in August, but it was not completely finished until December......yes, it took a whole year to finish it. I must say, though, it was worth the wait.

The beginning of 2010 started off busy for – which is nothing new. Between home, church, work and the kids schooling is was amazing that we ever fit anything else in, but we always seem to.

In March we had a surprise occur in our lives – although nothing surprises our God and for that I am thankful. My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. This has drastically changed the lives of many in my family....especially my mom. She is doing great and keeping a very positive attitude, which I truly believe is half the battle.

We moved her in with us since she lives 75 miles away from Bismarck, where all her treatment is taking place. That has been quite an adjustment for all of us.

During all of this time and transition with my mom God decided now was the time to give us a house. We know it was of the Lord because we had stopped looking. We are all very excited....expected closing (and moving) day is July 15th.

Other exciting news is that we start our Annual Missions Conference tomorrow evening!! We will have Pastor Adams with us. Jeff and I are so excited. We haven’t seen him in over 15 years. He holds such a special place in our hearts and lives that I can’t even put in into words. He will arrive today so we are in countdown mode!!!!! The only thing that could have made this even better is if Mrs. Adams had been able to come. Maybe next time!

On now, my devotion for the day.....
Are You Just Existing or TRULY LIVING??

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10
Over the last few months I have spent a lot of time in clinics and the hospital with my mom. I know it is not the happiest place to be and I decided at the very beginning to always try to show those around me a happy face.

Ever since I made that determination in my own heart I have paid special attention to the faces of the people around me ( no matter where I am ~~ home, church, the store, etc.) and I have been disappointed by the small number of people who were actually smiling.

There was a song in the 80’s called Jack and Diane. Part of the lyrics to that song say, “Oh yeah, life goes on....Long after the thrill of living is gone,”

Well, what about your life? Have you lost the thrill of living? I hope not.

To live life to the fullest is COMPLETELY different than merely existing.

In fact, Jesus said that part of His mission was to enable us to live life to the fullest:

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly"
(John 10:10).

He came so that we could experience life to the fullest ~ not according to the standards of this sad and evil world ~ but life as it was intended to be. It is life according to the designs and desires of the God.
By coming to provide forgiveness for rebellious, broken people, Jesus has made it possible for us to live a life of joy and hope in a world of despair. Don’t let the trials, care and concerns of this present world steal your joy. Don’t go through life just surviving. Make sure you live each day God gives you to the absolute fullest...no matter what that day brings with it!!

Jesus came to bring us life-Abundant living, full and free;
Trusting Him to save and keep us
Gives us joy the world can see.

To know God puts a song in your heart and a smile on your face.

Does Trouble Follow You?

2009-07-13T06:04:00.002-06:00

Have ever noticed that there are just some people that can’t stay out of trouble? If they aren’t in trouble, they are surrounding themselves by people who are. And then they complain about all the things that are going on in their life!!

As I was doing my devotion this morning a verse in Proverbs showed me why that was so:

Proverbs 13:19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.

According to God’s Word – it is an abomination for these types of people to leave their ways of evil. How sad is that?!?!?!?

Life does not have to be made up of drama, hardship, and evil. Those are the kinds of things you find when you are not on the path that God would have for you. Sure, there will be trials for the faithful Christian, but the trials aren’t made up of trouble and evil! And the trials are there to strengthen us ~ not to chasten us.

Don’t live the life of a fool. Depart from evil and read the benefits of doing so:

Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalms 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

2009-06-08T06:10:00.002-06:00

It’s been almost 6 months since our church caught fire and finally we can say things are starting to come together. We can say.....WE HAVE WALLS!!! They aren’t finished walls, but at least it’s a start.

The sheetrock has all been hung (upstairs and down) and this week the plumbers are supposed to finish up their part and the taping a mudding should begin. That could take a week all by itself – and longer if our weather doesn’t dry up ~~ AND WARM UP!!

Back in February Jeff told them the church HAD to be ready by June 30th. He has a wedding to perform on that day. They still keep telling us, “No problem.” I keep thinking its going to take a big miracle to have it done by then. I am also thankful that I serve a God that is very able to perform that kind of miracle.

Please, if you think about it, pray for the completion of our church building. Right now we are actually starting to outgrow the place we have been worshipping in since the fire (which is a GREAT problem.) Yesterday morning before services I was worried we were going to run out of chairs. An even bigger problem is that we have no nursery right now. Many of the new people we are having come in have little children that have never sat through church before and when you have all of us in one room that can be quite the distraction. Usually I end up taking them all out to an indoor play area in the mall where we are meeting.

Anyway ~~ here are a few pictures of our walls:

MOVING FORWARD

2009-05-27T06:27:00.002-06:00

Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

I don’t know what the Lord has in store for me tomorrow...I don’t even know what He has in store for me this afternoon. All I know is that I need to live my life in such a way that my actions bring Him honor and Glory. If I do that then I can look forward to the day when He will say to me, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Do I always live up to these expectations? NO. But I keep trying. When I fail, I get up and keep moving forward. How about you? Are you moving forward today or are you stuck looking back, or worse yet, moving in reverse?

Take time today to put your life in forward motion. Don’t worry about tomorrow; it’s not ours to worry about. Just make today the best you possibly can!!

Trying to get back to normal.....

2009-05-26T06:03:00.002-06:00

It is such a blessing to be home. For some reason on this trip nothing felt “right.” I didn’t feel like I could get into a routine – and Jeff said the same thing about him and the kids back home.

Now that I am back I hope to get things back on track again. This includes my blogging, my exercise routine, my sleeping schedule, etc!!!!! One good thing.....I did lose 8 pounds while I was gone. That thrilled me!!!

Here is a picture of my beautiful granddaughter, Maddie, in the dress I got for her in India.

The other picture is just one of the many I took for Brett and Elisabeth ~~ that is Hope and Tennishead having breakfast in Germany.

Have a great day everyone!!!

TRAVELLING ABROAD

2009-05-10T09:25:00.001-06:00

Sorry no pictures….I haven’t figured a couple of things out with my camera and this computer. Obviously this is when I need Jeff around to make it all work for me!!

I have been in India for almost a week now and things are going very well. I miss everyone back home though, and am praying that we will be able to cut this trip short. I would love to be home before Memorial Day.

One thing I promised Brett and Elisabeth was that I would bring TennisHead (yes that is a name) and Hope on this trip with me. They are two very special stuffed animals…currently sitting on the bed with me. While on this trip I am taking pictures of them throughout the trip. This is why I am very disappointed that I haven’t figured out the whole camera thing yet.

So far they have been photographed at several locations in Germany and India – but more locations will follow.

I must say that I am very thankful for technology, especially while travelling. Because of technology I get to talk to (and sometime see) my family twice a day. I also get to “attend” church (although, due to the fire, it is not my church.) While I’m here I get the privilege of hearing live services from Hope Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio. This is a church where a dear friend attends. What a blessing to know that even be halfway around the world I can still sit in on wonderful preaching. It truly makes me feel closer to home.

Tomorrow I will try to get someone to help me with my computer and camera and get those pictures downloaded for my kids to see the WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF TENNISHEAD AND HOPE!!

TO MY FAMILY ~~ I love you and miss you very much. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!!

TO MY FRIENDS ~~Thanks for your prayers. They are very much needed and appreciated.

My Mooser

2009-04-24T09:18:00.003-06:00

Nine years ago today I had a doctor’s appointment at 10am. At that appointment my husband, my doctor, and I had decided I had been pregnant long enough....(actually, I thought I had been pregnant WAY TOO LONG.)

She told me to go home and get my stuff together and meet her at the hospital in an hour. We got there around 11am and got all signed in. There was a lot of excitement and also a lot of emotion. The last eight months had been really rough for our family. This baby was our bright spot, our joy, and a feeling of hope.

At just after noon my doctor broke my water and then said she was going to grab some lunch and head back to the office for her afternoon appointments. Little did she know, she wouldn’t get to do either one.

About 25 minutes after my water was broke Jeff was finding the nurse and telling her, “It was time!!” Of course, they didn’t believe him ~ it hadn’t even been a half hour. The nurse finally came in and discovered we knew exactly what we were talking about. Our baby was ready to enter this world.

We hadn’t found out what we were having, so we were waiting for the moment of surprise, the moment we would not just meet our baby, but find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Jeff was absolutely convinced it was a girl. I had gone back and forth throughout the whole pregnancy.

45 minutes into my labor the doctor was finally there, the nurses ready, and my baby made his entrance into the world. God blessed us with a precious baby boy!!! He was the biggest baby I had ever had – weighing in at 8 lbs. 8 oz. Like his brothers and sister, he was born with a head full of thick hair too.

Jeff was so shocked to see that we had a son, but the joy was written all over his face. Actually the joy that filled the room that day was indescribable!! I think I saw tears from just about everyone in the room. Everyone there knew that we had lost Steven just 8 months earlier. Needless to say, there were a lot of emotions. But the most overwhelming emotion was the love we had for this little boy in our arms.

Brett Samuel was named by his brother, Steven. And the name was perfect. It just fits him to a tee ~~ although I must admit, I usually just call him Mooser!

So ~~~~~~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY MOOSER. MAMA LOVES YOU VERY MUCH!!!!

Two Steps Forward ~~ Four Steps Back (Church Update)

2009-04-18T16:46:00.003-06:00

We thought we were at the stage of rebuilding, but we are back to the demolition phase. The majority of the upstairs sanctuary had not been torn out because between the contractor and the insurance adjuster they were not sure it would need to be done. Well....when the temperatures warmed up this week, the smoke and fire smell came back full force!!

Due to all of this, they are now demolishing the entire upstairs sanctuary and attic area. This means all the wiring, heating, and plumbing also has to be redone. Below are new demolition pictures taken yesterday:

Day-to-Day life, A Fire, Grandchildren, & A Trip to India

2009-04-18T16:41:00.003-06:00

What do those things have in common??????

They keep you too busy to blog!!!!

I'm going to try to make more time to keep this up to date ~ especially since I leave in 13 days and will need to update this regularly while I am away.

PROGRESS ON THE CHURCH

2009-04-02T21:24:00.005-06:00

Slowly, but surely, we are seeing progress at the church. The demolition is complete. Windows have been replaced and most of the framing in the basement has been done.

It’s been over 3 months now. Back when all this started I don’t think anyone thought it would go on for this long. I can say that there have been times when we get a little frustrated by not having our own building – such as right now with everything going on with the flooding in our community. We know with our building we could be doing so much more than we are now. But, overall, our spirits are high. We are excited about the progress that is getting made and looking forward to our first service in the new auditorium!!

I don’t know how many people know, but I leave to go back to India on May 1st. I will be coming back June 3rd. There is a little part of me that hopes the church either gets done before I leave or does not get done until I get back. I don’t want to miss the first service.

GGGGRRRRRRR

2009-03-30T05:59:00.002-06:00

I got up an hour and a half ago - looked out the window - saw at least 7 inches of new snow and more still falling.

I tried to keep a positive attitude......and do you know what I have positively decided??????

I'M GOING BACK TO BED!!!!!

WOW - What a week

2009-03-29T12:05:00.003-06:00

As most people know ~ at least if you watch the news at all ~ North Dakota is experiencing a lot of flooding right now. This last Wednesday we were woke about at about 5am by the police, telling us we had to evacuate our home.

After two days in a hotel we were able to go home and, thankfully, we experience no damage. Here are a few pictures from the last 5 days:

This was a picture we took Tuesday - before we were evacuated. For those who know where I live, this is right across the street from us. Notice the tree going under water....that tree has now been washed away.

This boat is actually on my street, bringing in sandbags and helping people get things out.

This is about a mile from my house, an area called Fox Island. They got the worst of it.

Again, this is looking across the street from where I live, just looking in the other direction. This was also taken on Tuesday. By Wednesday the waters were flowing over the road we were on when we took this picture.

Madison is 2 weeks old today!!

2009-03-22T13:46:00.002-06:00

I can’t believe how hard it has been to find time to get here and post new pictures of my precious granddaughter!! She is doing great ~ as is her mommy, daddy, and big brother.

I can't believe how much she looks like Nick....(and like Elisabeth!!) She is such a sweetheart.

Does she look so peaceful?

You have no idea how hard it was to get a picture of the two of them together!!! By this point I was getting desperate!!
Elisabeth finally helped me get this one - and as you can tell, Braden was not cooperating.

OK - I admit it.....I just love this picture!!!!

Braden had just gotten up from a nap and came into the livingroom where I was holding Maddie. Elisabeth got behind me to take the picture. I had to laugh, but he wasn't really happy about the fact that Grandma's lap was occupied by "baby."

LITTLE IS MUCH....

2009-03-15T07:28:00.002-06:00

PROVERBS 15

Proverbs 15:16 Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.

This verse really spoke to me today. When you look at how our economy is going right now ~ businesses going under, foreclosure rates at an all time high, and on and on and on ~~ it makes you realize that having what the Lord provides for you (which may seem like little in the eyes of the world) is far better than having all the toys, gadgets, and extravagent things of the world and all the debt that goes along with those things.

PROVERB FOR THE DAY ~~ THE 14TH

2009-03-14T08:07:00.002-06:00

Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Jeff and I were talking about the progress being made at our church building. It seems like the tearing down and destruction of it went very quickly ~ and with little effort. There was no real expertise needed in that part of it.

But now we are at the rebuilding stage....and let me tell you....it is slow going.

Those trained in specific areas have to come in to do the electrical, the flooring, the plumbing, etc.

Think about it....it doesn't take much to destroy our homes ~~ mean words, bad attitudes, an unfaithful testimony, setting a bad example instead of a good one.

But there must be effort put forth to BUILD our homes. We need to show love, be a Godly example, be consistent and compassionate.

Make sure that each day you're BUILDING a stronger home, not doing damage to PLUCK it down.

MADISON HAS ARRIVED!!

2009-03-11T08:53:00.004-06:00

Sorry it has taken me a while to post this - but things have been a bit hectic around here the last few days. Sunday morning Nick and Aundrea called and said they were bringing Braden over because it was time to go to the hospital. We got there around 8am and at 4:53pm my beautiful granddaughter came into this world!!

There were some scary moments, but both mommy and baby are now home and doing great. Here are a few pictures.....more will come later.

A FEW PICTURES OF HOW THE CHURCH LOOKS TODAY

2009-03-01T07:36:00.003-07:00

Not much has changed (visibly anyway) since the last update. Most of what has gone one has been between the city, the contractor, and the insurance company. That should change starting next week though.

As you can see ~~~~ WE HAVE LUMBER NOW!!! YEAH!!!!!
The only thing that has changed from this angle is the doors on the right now open and close. Before they were unuseable. We will be putting the sound and recording room back there now and that will be the entrance to the room.

Jeff likes this picture. He is actually up on a ladder in the attic looking all the way down to the basement. The plywood laying on the boards is the main level. Then underneath that is the basement floor.

This is part of the main steel beam that had to be reinforced before anymore work could be done. This was taken on the main floor, then you can look down into the basement.

More shots of the lumber. Hopefully next week these boards will be walls!!

ARE YOU WELL READ?

2009-02-27T05:54:00.003-07:00

I love it when my friends put cool things on their blogs tha I can pass on to others. Terri, over at Nana's Faith, gets the credit for this one. I must admit I was surpised at how many of these I have read (67, I think)....but then I would read a cereal box if that was the only thing around!!!

The BBC has reportedly named these the top 100 books a well-read person will have read, but estimated most people have only read about 6 of them. I've colored the ones I read in BLUE....and it is way more than 6!!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
How many have you read?

WE HAVE LUMBER!!!!

2009-02-25T06:22:00.002-07:00

It’s exciting to know that something is finally being done on our building again!! All the plans have been approved by the city, the insurance, and the contractor ~~ so.....CONSTRUCTION IS UNDER WAY!!!!

I will try to take the camera over there one day this week to get some pictures taken and posted for everyone. I’m still praying for our first service to be April 12th. Sometimes I think that can’t happen when I see how much needs to be done , but then I remind myself that all things are possible with Our God.

Simple Woman's Daybook ~ February 24th

2009-02-24T06:22:00.002-07:00

Outside my window... It’s a bit foggy and 17 degrees.....snow is on the way again.

I am thinking... that I have a lot to be thankful for.

I am thankful for... wonderful doctors that are watching Aundrea and Madison very closely.

From the kitchen... Is the smell of my morning coffee ~~~ and a perfectly clean counter and sink (which always makes me smile first thing in the morning.

I am wearing... my pajamas.....will get dressed here in just a bit.

I am creating... a cross-stitch quilt for my hubby ~~~ over 15 years in the making.

I am going... to a basketball game this evening! It should be a lot of fun.

I am reading... My Bible ( in Joshua right now) and a book by Jeffery Deaver ( I love reading in the bathtub.)

I am hoping... That my granddaughter will be born this week. We are all very excited to finally see her face!!!!!

I am hearing... the sound of the furnace and nothing else. Mornings are very quiet at my house.Around the house... There isn’t a lot going on. Just the normal school and work stuff right now.

One of my favorite things... my hours of quiet first thing in the morning. I am the only early riser in my house and I think God did that just for me. He knows how much I love this uninterrupted time.

A few plans for the rest of the week... It’s hard to make too many plans when you’re waiting on a baby. I do have some taxes I need to finish up for people today and tomorrow and it is close week at work so Thursday and Friday could be pretty busy.

A picture to share this morning... This is my sister and my best friend. Welcome Home, Margaret!!

It's Almost Time

2009-02-18T06:28:00.003-07:00

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve right now!!!! My granddaughter could be here any time!!!

Last night they admitted Aundrea into the hospital trying to determine if they were going to induce her. She has been sick off and on for quite a while now. They were worried that she might have preeclampsia.

The good news is SHE DOES NOT. The not-so-good news is that because of the pregnancy she is having gallbladder attacks. They are thrilled that baby Madison is fine, but need to determine to best way to take care of Aundrea.....and one of those options is to go ahead and have her deliver the baby.

Right now Braden is staying with us while mommy and daddy are at the hospital....of course, there is no complaints from me about that!! Now we just wait and see what the doctor decides.

Please pray for Nick and Aundrea. They were both worried last night that Maddie would be born too early or that something was seriously wrong with Aundrea. (For those who don’t know, she is only 21 and has already gone through chemo for other health reasons.)

Because of the chemo she was on they really don’t have an exact due date for her. They are figuring she is about 36 weeks along ~ maybe a little further. One thing they did tell them last night was that even if Maddie were born today they did not expect any complications with her. I know that made them both feel a lot better.

I’ll post another update as soon as we all know more.

CHURCH UPDATE

2009-02-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

There isn’t really much to update at this moment. We have been at a stand still while we waited on all the permits and paperwork. I think the last of that should be done today and ~ Lord willing ~ construction could start as soon as tomorrow!!

We did go over to the building yesterday and I was excited at the fact that I did not smell the fire as I have every other time we have gone over. They have be using a sealant and primer throughout the building to kill the smoke smell and I think they may be winning the battle.

Some of the lumber has been delivered and chalk marks have been added for where walls need to be built, so now it is just a matter on getting the final approval to let the work begin. Our prayer is that everything will go smoothly and timely so that we could be back in the building by April 12th ~ Easter.

ARE YOU SALTY??

2009-02-14T09:41:00.002-07:00

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

In ancient cultures salt was extremely valuable. Not only did salt add flavor to food, it was also used as a preservative. By drying meat and salting it the food would not spoil. It would actually be preserved until its life-giving nutrients were consumed.

When Jesus told His disciples that they were the "salt of the earth," they would have immediately recognized the significance of that.

Think of the importance and implications of being told such a thing. The flavor they were to add to the world speaks of the abundant life Jesus came to give (John 10:10). Their role as a preservative required deeper understanding.

Without the spiritual presence of God in this world, darkness would quickly overtake everything. After the rapture of the saints from the earth, evil will have its way (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). But as long as Christians are on earth, the Holy Spirit is working through them to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11)

By living for Christ today, you add abundant flavor to this world and hold back the darkness so that more might believe.

We are the salt of the earth . . . not the sugar. Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste.

Today ~ February 10th

2009-02-10T06:04:00.002-07:00

Outside my window... it is very dark ~ and we are still waiting on a storm.
I am thinking... that I love the early morning hours when the house is perfectly quiet.
I am thankful for... Our temperatures staying above freezing the last two days. We have had rain and once the temperature drops everything will be ice.
From the kitchen... I can smell the morning coffee and hear my dishwasher running (I forgot to latch the door last night before bed.)
I am wearing... my PJ’s!!!
I am creating... a peaceful and content home. I am amazed at how much clutter and stress built up while I was finishing school. Now my home isn’t just tidy ~ it is CLEAN and we are all more content.
I am going... to work today...as long as the roads aren’t icy.
I am reading... my Bible (the whole family is ~ we are in numbers) and some novel.
I am hoping... that Brett’s cough is better today.
I am hearing... The dishwasher
Around the house... everything is done ~ even the laundry!!!
One of my favorite things... playing with my Grandson, Braden
A few plans for the rest of the week . . . not making too many plans. The doctor told Nick and Aundrea that the baby could come any time, so we are just taking each day as it comes.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

MOMMY SURVEY

2009-02-07T07:39:00.003-07:00

See what happens when Jeff goes to work at 5:30am and I get up before 6am.....I have all this quiet time and I can play with my blog!!! This was on Susan’s blog and I thought it was kind of neat. I love thinking back on my pregnancies!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Not really
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? We were thrilled to death!!
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No way, no how, not even thought of for a second!!!
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 19
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Home pregnancy test and then confirmed by my doctor.
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My husband
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? No, they never even made that an option for me...but I never even considered that he would be anything but a boy. WOW, would I have been shocked if it had been a girl.
9. DUE DATE? June 12, 1986
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not a bit
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Frozen yogurt – with no toppings, just the yogurt
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Nothing irritated me.
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Boy
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Absolutely not!!!
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? Can we just say way too many?!??!?!?!? I was young and believed my grandmother and her whole YOU ARE EATING FOR TWO THEORY!!!
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I sure did – it was wonderful
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? No complications, but he was premature
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Simi Valley Adventist Hospital, California....in the same room my mom had me in.
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? About 4
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? My mom. Jeff was still in Tech school for the Air Force and no one had expected the baby that soon.
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Absolutely no one – not even a doctor or a nurse. Everyone was out of the room getting ready and I delivered the baby onto the bed. I told them I was done when they came back in.
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Nope
27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 5lb. 4oz.
28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? May 4, 1986
30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Jeffrey Alan
31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 22

Maybe

2009-02-07T07:21:00.003-07:00

My mom would have to let us know if this is truly accurate....but from what I can remember, it is!!

You Were an Outgoing Kid

When you were a kid, you had no problem expressing yourself.
There's a good chance you started talking early - and never stopped!

You had a lot of friends, and unlike most kids, you weren't shy around adults.
You were well adjusted and confident. You enjoyed speaking up and participating.

What Kind of Kid Were You?

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

2009-02-02T05:15:00.003-07:00

There haven’t been any changes made at the church this last week because we were still waiting on the architect. He has now finished the drawings and they will be submitted to the city this week. Once the city gives us a building permit the work can begin again.

Here are a few of the drawing of what the finished work will look like:

This is the new kitchen. For anyone who remembers the old kitchen, I'm sure you are just as excited as I am about this. The old kitchen was way to big, way too old, and just BLECH!!

This will be the new downstairs. The apartment is mot being put back in and the other class room is being moved so the whole center in wide open. This picure shows the stairs that come from upstairs, the open area to see into the kitchen, the door to the kitchen, and then the door to the furnace room.
This will be our new sanctuary. the baptistry is actually in the very back behind a huge curtain. There are built in riser for the choir and the pupit area is much bigger. The door to the left leads to Jeff''s new office (this is where the baptistry used to be.) The door to the right leads to the downstairs and the changing area.

Enthusiasm Makes the Difference

2009-01-29T06:15:00.003-07:00

Although my nephew, Tristan, was a little tired...he still showed great enthusiasm when it came time for his birthday cake!!

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23

At the beginning of any task, more than anything else, your attitude will affect its successful outcome." No matter what you are doing ~ calling a friend or family member, scrubbing the bathroom, doing school work or studying your Bible, remodeling a home (or church, in our case), it's vital to be enthusiastic.

A cheerful attitude at work and at home is contagious, and a smile can transform any area you are in.

The Bible tells us to serve the Lord with joy:

Psalms 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Ephesians 6:7-8 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

Make today a GREAT day!!!!

Short Church Update

2009-01-26T06:06:00.001-07:00

I haven’t been over to our church in a week or so, but Jeff has taken some new pictures. I will get those posted as soon as he sends them to me. I know they have gotten most (if not all) of the demolition done now and have sealed everything that was damaged by the fire.....so hopefully it doesn’t STINK in there any more.

We have run into some issues in working with the city, though. I guess there is a bunch of official mumbo jumbo that they want before they will issue a building permit. So, until that is issued the work is at a stand still.

Please pray for Jeff during this time. I know it is very difficult for him to go over there and see nothing being done. He had to announce last night that, at this time it doesn’t look like we will be doing anything special for Easter this year because our temporary location just won’t allow us to do that. It is too small and there is no way to have a fellowship there. I know that was hard for him in more ways than one.

Easter is a special service in and of itself, but it is even more special for us – Jeff preached his first service as Pastor on Easter Sunday. This year is the actual date, too, April 12th. It will be 11 years. So, if you think about it, just keep us in your prayers.

Just a Thought...

2009-01-25T15:49:00.002-07:00

The kids and I are reading through our Bibles together this year. It has led to some great conversations been us throughout the week as we all talk about what we read that day and what we have learned.

The other day I took some time to really think about one of the verses:

I think everyone should take inventory of where you've allowed even the most wonderful things in life to take precedence over your relationship with God.

Anything or anyone other than God Himself, who you've placed on a pedestal, is certain to come down. It will not stay there, for God is jealous for you and thankfully He is, for He is the only one with whom your trust is secure.

He is the only one who will never disappoint you. He is the one that deserves your full attention and dedication. And the great thing about that ~~ if you are willing to do that, all the other areas of your life will fall into line too!!!

Random Thoughts for the Day

2009-01-21T06:32:00.003-07:00

I knew I wanted to add something to my blog today, but nothing special was coming to mind.....then I read Teri’s blog (and I stole her post!!) I don’t think she’ll mind though, especially since I changed all the answers. Love you Teri!!!!!!

Outside My Window... It’s still pitch black. I can’t see anything. And its 17 degrees.

I am thinking... WOW, it almost 7:30am and I’m not even dressed yet!!!

I am thankful for... my wonderful husband and children.

From the kitchen... I can smell my coffee. I love that smell first thing in the morning. I love getting up to a shiny clean kitchen and a fresh pot of coffee.

I am wearing... my PJ’s ~~ I really should go get dressed soon.

I am creating... a peaceful home. I have put some things in motion that have really brought peace and joy to everyone in the house.

I am going... to Minot on Saturday to celebrate my nephew’s FIRST birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISTAN!!!!

I am reading... through the book of Exodus ~ so are my kids. I am also reading a really good novel that I hope to finish tonight.

I am hoping... that the weather stays nice for my drive to Minot on Saturday.

I am hearing... my furnace ~~ it is the only sound in the house right now.

Around the house... there is a lot of SNOW!!!! LOL On the other hand, the inside in clean and quiet.

One of my favorite things... playing with my Grandson, Braden.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… 5 more workouts!!!!
Here are 2 pictures am sharing.

Tristan and Braden when they were a few months old. (Not mobile yet!!)

Braden and Tristan at 9 months old ~~ watch out, they have mobility and curiousity to go along with it!!!

My prayer is that they will grow up to be very close. And I do all I can to get them together whenever possible, even though they live 100 miles apart.

The Work Continues......

2009-01-17T18:08:00.003-07:00

It’s been another busy week, with a lot more work getting done at the church. I think we are getting closer to the demolition phase being over. Hopefully by next week they will be putting a sealant over everything that is exposed. This will remove the fire smell that is still VERY strong.

Here are some of the pictures that were taken this week:

This is the ceiling in the basement ( this was all removed, as you will see in the next pictures.)

Anyone who has been to our church knows about the "Secret Room." Well, the secret room is no longer secret (and once the remodel is done it won't even be there.)

Here is the view looking down through the floor/ceiling that had to be removed.

As you can see, the baptistery, back rooms, and pulpit area have all been removed.

Another picture of the hole in the floor....maybe we could use it as a quick way to get to the basement!!

A Thought for Tuesday

2009-01-13T06:11:00.002-07:00

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. Philippians 3:19

“Too often, we've got our mind set on earthly things, and not on the big picture of what God is, who He is, and what He's doing in and around us. If you find yourself consumed with life and all of its nuances, pull back a bit and set your mind on what He is doing around you. Allow that to realign the priorities of your thought processes and your heart.”

I received the above paragraph in an email this morning and thought, “HOW TRUE!!” It is so easy to become so consumed with the daily things of our lives that we forget what God has for us and how He wants to work through us. We can become like Martha....too busy, being busy.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

MISC. MONDAY THOUGHTS

2009-01-12T05:24:00.003-07:00

Psalms 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

How many times do we make a decision and commit ourselves to something BEFORE coming to God? Many times praying and asking God for His leadership is an afterthought.

Today, instead of asking God to bless what you are planning, ask God to show you the way HE would have for you, then be committed to following His direction. Trust Him ~ His ways are ALWAYS better than ours!!

Have a great Monday everyone.

After being on vacation for a week this was kind of how I felt this morning when I was woke up at 5am by the sounds of the blizzard outside our bedroom window.

I have decided the God definitely has a good sense of humor. He took this California sunshine girl and transplanted me into North Dakota and said welcome to the land of extremes....extremely hot summer and extremely snowy winters. And this winter has definitely topped them all!!

You would think after being here for over 22 years that I would be used to the winter ~ NOPE. I still don't care for snow!!! But I do love living in North Dakota and doing exactly what God would have me to do (so I will look past the fluffy, white stuff...or should I say OVER it....and keep my eyes focused on Him.)

Here is the sign we had made to hang outside of our temporary location. We are very excited about where God has us right now. This is a mall that people go walking at everyday. It is a high traffic area and we will get a lot of visibility.
This picture was taken Saturday morning while the men were having their weekly prayer meeting. Things were still looking pretty bare. Since then we have hung things on the wall, gotten some greenery, and hung a beautiful suede curtain in front of the big glass doors at the entrance (to reduce distractions during services.)

The Demolition Continues...

2009-01-09T09:50:00.006-07:00

The damage in the photo below is in an office that was located behind our Baptistry. This room has to be completely torn down.

Here is the basement and what used to be the prophet's chamber area. The walls have been torn down and the floor is in the process of being ripped up.
Here is what is left of the kitchen. All the cabinets, counters,etc. has been torn out ~ and so has the floor.

This is looking up from the basement through the holes that have been burned all the way through to the upstairs. I wish this picture had turned out better. When I took the picture you could actually look through the hole and see the cross that was hanging upstairs.

This picture was taken in the sanctuary looking towards the pulpit area and baptistry. Within the next day or so the wall behind those studs will be taken out, along with the room that is on the other side of it. This is the area that the fire was the worst. Our contractor told us the baptistry is what saved the whole building from going up in flames. If it had not been there the flames would have gone straight into the attic and the roof.

Another view of the room that has to be demolished. As you can see, the flames and smoke came up through the vents.

The same room ~ more damage from the vents.

The pulpit area has now been removed. The floor underneath burned all the way through so that you can look down into the basement.

This is one of the holes upstairs that is burned all the way through.

5 FAVORITE THINGS

2009-01-06T12:37:00.003-07:00

As I was relaxing today (I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying my vacation) I came across a blog that I read every now and then. Today she had posted FIVE THINGS SHE REALLY LIKED.

I thought it would be nice to do AND to see what your FIVE FAVORITE THINGS are.

Here are mine:

1. Curling up on the couch with my hubby on a quiet evening.
2. A hot bath and a good book
3. Spending time with my grandson
4. Laughing with my children5. Driving (and singing along to the radio)

Where we will be meeting soon....

2009-01-03T19:53:00.002-07:00

We will be temporarily relocating in a store front at the Gateway Mall here in Bismarck. It is kind of small but we will be able to hold all our services and continue Bible Institute classes as well. The area should be ready by Wednesday. Jeff and some of the men met there this morning for Men's Prayer Meeting.
This is the front view. (We'll be removing the large wine bottle from the window.) After they finish clearing out the area we will be setting up a divider to help eliminate distractions from the mall during services.

Another view of the inside.

The open balcony area above the main room will be used as an office area for the computer, printer, etc.

Pictures of the Damage - Upstairs

2009-01-03T19:43:00.004-07:00

Here are some of the pictures of the damage that was done upstairs:This is the wall at the front of the church, the baptistry, and the pulpit area. The floor underneath this area is where the worst of the fire was. All of this has to be torn out and rebuilt.

This is the other end of the church. The holes in this picture were put there by the firemen in order to save the attic area that is behind that wall.

This is what all the registers in the church look like. You can see how the smoke poured out of any area that it could.

Pictures of the Damage - Downstairs

2009-01-03T19:33:00.003-07:00

I am finally able to post some of the pictures we took from the fire. I'll do another post for the upstairs.
This is right around the area where the fire began, in the prophet's chamber.

I'm pretty sure this is the prophet's chamber, too....although it could be a different part of the basement.

Another picture of the prophet's chamber. It is truly a miracle that the family staying there was not harmed during this.

There used to be a dividing curtain that hung from floor to ceiling that separated the sleeping area from the living area. There is no evidence of that at all any more.

2007 in Review

2009-01-03T11:39:00.007-07:00

Can you believe that 2008 is gone? It seems to have just flown by. Here are some of the highlights of my year:

1. I know he was born at the END of 2007, but it has been such a thrill to watch my grandson ~ BRADEN ~ this year. He fills my heart my a joy I can’t even explain.

2. I continued my Master’s classes through the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms...finally graduating on December 10th!! I must say I am very proud of myself for reaching this accomplishment.

3. In August I lost a very special person. My father passed away. I could write so much about this, but since I’m just highlighting my year I will just say that through the loss of my dad I have drawn very close to the brothers and sister that before then I barely knew.

4. August was also a time of joy. It was then that I found out I was going to be a Grandma again! Nick and Aundrea got a clean bill of health after her chemo was finished and as an added bonus found out they were pregnant. MADISON CHRISTINE is due in March.

5. September was a month of adventure for me. On the 7th I flew from Bismarck to London, spending 2 ½ days there before heading to Bangalore, India for 5 weeks. It was a remarkable trip. One that taught me a lot about myself and showed me the world from a completely different perspective.

6. The holidays were a busy time, as is normal for most people. I finished my degree during that time and then spent a lot of time with friends and family.

7. The last memorable event of 2007 occurred the day after Christmas. That was the day our church building was nearly completely destroyed by fire. So many people are amazed that this has not been a discouragement to us, but we refuse to let the devil think he got a victory ~ instead we look at this as a very positive thing...no one was hurt, no one lost their home, and the church is getting a wonderful overhaul!!

I'll show more pictures of the church in a separate blog posting.

OUR CHURCH

2008-12-27T13:39:00.002-07:00

Yesterday at 2:30am we got a call from the police department that we needed to go to the church. When we got there the firemen were still trying to put out the flames. Here is one of the news stories:

Dec 26 2008 7:05PM
KXNewsTeam
It may be a miracle a family got out of a burning church safely this morning. A fire started in the Bismarck Bible Baptist church around 2:30 a.m.

A family moving to town was staying in the prophet's chamber (a small apartment). That's where the fire started. Their little girl woke up sick and that's when the mom noticed flames near the washing machine. The family was able to get out of the church fast enough.

Pastor Jeff Olson says that's the blessing.(Pastor Jeff Olson / Bible Baptist Church) "we don't have a total loss, someone here but no one got hurt, help was able to get here quickly, they said with the old plaster the building would have gone up quickly.

My faith is in that God protected us and took care of us, now it's a matter of following his lead ~ not ours."

The Insurance adjustor says the church is fixable. The sanctuary has smoke damage the fire damage is more extensive in the basement. An inspector described the beams as being beyond charred.

"We have a good solid core of members. I know them and know we will come together and come up with a solution of what to do in the short term."

Olson says he's not sure what the congregation will do this Sunday, however he says the church of about 35 members will move forward...

2008-12-22T05:42:00.002-07:00

Now that I have had a full week out of school things are starting to fall into a nice routine around here. I must say that I am really enjoying it. But, before I get into that I do have to share some very special news (at least to me.)

My college advisor emailed me last Thursday to let me know that I was officially done and everything for my degree has been completed. But what was even more exciting was that I graduated with honors........my GPA was 4.0!!!

Thanks to everyone who prayed for me over the last 2 years while I undertook that major task. There were times I wanted to quit, but you would encourage me to continue. I can know look back and see that it was through those prayers and the grace of the Lord that I was able to do all of that!!

Now, about my home life now that school is no longer a factor. For those who don’t know me very well, I have a tendency to get kind of obsessive/compulsive about things. So I try my best not to let that happen. In order to keep from literally working my family to death trying to get everything I want done around the house AI have gone back to one of my favorite websites ~~ FlyLady.

Through following their routine my house is starting to shine again, but I’m not obsessive about getting it there. We do small things at a time and do them in a fun way. And most importantly it is working marvelously – not that I ever doubted it, because I used to follow this method for years.

Even with a busy week ahead, I know that everything will get done in a timely manner and we’ll still have time to enjoy ourselves.

Brett, Elisabeth, Braden and I are baking cookies this week. Jeff and I are going shopping. We are having a special candlelight service at church on Wednesday. My mom is coming Wednesday and staying until Friday. It is close week at work (meaning extra busy). And lastly – through all of this I plan to beat Nick at racquetball at least 2 out of the 3 times we will be playing!!!! (After all I can’t let a 19 year old beat me at the game I taught him ~~~ even if he is younger and in better shape.)

So anyone else have any special plans for the week??

2008-12-15T05:51:00.003-07:00

Now that school is over ~ and we have dug out from the blizzard ~ it is time for me to develop a regular routine that does not include 4-6 hours a day with my nose stuck in a textbook.

The weekend was great. It was a time to get caught up on things that had been sadly neglected over the last few months. It was also a time to break out my cross-stitching. Of course, Jeff laughed because I’m still working on a blanket that I started for him when we still lived in Minot (over 10 years ago.) But some day I am going to finish that thing and then he won’t laugh any more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a completely different note ~ at church last night (yes, we were able to make it) a verse was read that really touched my heart and I wanted to share it here:

1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Think about that last line....I die daily.

I had to ask myself, “Do you die to self each day in order to live as Christ would have you to live?” Sadly, many times I would have to say, NO. I get busy doing “stuff.” It isn’t that it is necessarily bad “stuff,” just “stuff” that distracts me from doing what God would have for me to do.

A perfect example for me...God lays it on my heart to call and check on someone. Now, anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a phone person. I strongly dislike talking on the phone. So, I think of a handful of excuses to not make that phone call. If I were to submit to God, die to my flesh, I wouldn’t make those excuses ~ I would make the phone call.

Friends...take time today to put your fleshly wants aside and find out how God would want you to go through your day...and then do it. You will be blessed for your obedience and you will be able to say, “My cup runneth over.”

SNOWED IN

2008-12-14T08:21:00.003-07:00

It is very strange to be sitting at home on a Sunday morning, still in my PJ’s. But that is what we are all doing this morning.

Currently there is a blizzard going on outside. The temperature is -11 (with a wind chill near -50). All I can say is BBBRRRRRR!!!!

We got up this morning to get ready for church when we heard that the highway patrol has banned all travel in the entire state of North Dakota. I guess this blizzard is a pretty big one.

So I guess we will, bundle up ~ keep warm ~ stay inside, where it is safe ~ and see how the progresses.

Praise is Pleasant

2008-12-13T19:28:00.002-07:00

"Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely." (Psalms 147:1)

Praising the Lord is good, pleasant and comely or beautiful.

Do you ever have days that nothing seems to go right?

Instead of griping and complaining about our circumstances, we need to choose to praise the Lord.

Can you sing praise to God in the midst of trials?

Try it; you'll like it and so will God.

SHORT, SWEET, AND TO THE POINT

2008-12-08T19:13:00.002-07:00

I'm DONE - FINISHED - GRADUATED......

I have officially completed my Master's Degree!!!!!!!!!

I'm Tired & Frustrated

2008-12-03T06:27:00.002-07:00

I’m getting very frustrated. I am literally days away from completing my Master’s, but my thesis is a group project (don’t know who came up with that bright idea) and for the last 4 days the only changes that have taken place on our rough draft are changes I have made. I have resorted to begging for their help on this....I mean really, my grade is hanging in the balances based on the work (or lack thereof) of others!!!!!

If you read this today, please take a moment to say a little prayer. This rough draft has to be turned in by 11:55pm tonight. I work until 5om and have church at 7pm. I checked to see if either of my partners responded from my emails last night and I found NOTHING!!! I could just cry.

Thinking on Forgiveness...

2008-12-02T06:23:00.002-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. Why is it easier for some people to forgive than it is for others? I honestly don’t understand.

I am the type of person who love’s fully, is fairly open with my emotions, trust’s with all my heart, and tries to find to good in everything and everyone. It’s just who I am. But that also means that many times I get hurt by someone. When I get hurt, it hurts all the way through to my heart. But I am also a person that forgives.

I have had things happen in my life and people have asked my, “how could you possibly forgive them for what they did to you?” My response is, “How could I NOT forgive them.”

Christ gave me the perfect example of forgiveness when he died on the cross for my sins. He was willing to forgive me long before I ever asked for forgiveness. The pain he suffered was more pain than I will ever experience in my lifetime – and He forgave....so how could I not be willing to do the same?

I’ve thought long and hard about this. If I am not willing to forgive how can I ask God to forgive me?

Psalms 25:18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Psalms 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

My Week

2008-12-01T05:51:00.004-07:00

Well, it’s Monday ~ the start one another week. But this week is special. Here are the three reasons this week is so special:

1. At the end of this week I will no longer be a college student ~ I will have completed my master’s degree.

2. At the end of this week ~ Friday to be exact ~ my precious grandson, Braden Lee, will turn ONE. He is growing up WAY TOO FAST!!!!

3. At the end of this week I will NOT be getting on an airplane headed to India. Due to the terrorist acts and the country in unrest my trip has been indefinitely postponed.

Those are three really big things to happen in a week!! For the first time in a long time I have actually started to make plans for what I am going to do with myself. Here is my list so far:

The kids and I will be going to the YMCA one hour a day, 5 days a week

I am going to begin redoing one room in the house each month. The first room will be the dining room ~ new paint, a new lamp, border and anew curtain.

So ~~~ what does your week look like???

Finally......

2008-11-25T08:38:00.003-07:00

It’s hard to believe that in less than 2 weeks I will no longer be a college student! There were times when I thought that day would never come, times when I wanted to quit, and times when I thought I wouldn’t survive the pressure...but here it is ~ the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have almost all major assignments done – or at least in the final stages of “done.” Now it is just a matter of putting the finishing touches on them, doing one last presentation and sending out 2 peer evaluations.

Once that is done and I return from India I get to figure out what a “normal” routine will be for me. I’m looking forward to it.

And The Verdict Is......

2008-11-23T12:09:00.002-07:00

I am the winner of bronchial pneumonia AND an ear infection!!!

What is my prize???

$50 worth of medicine and a trip to bed!!!!

Maybe I’ll feel better when I wake up.

Trying to Make it Through the Day

2008-11-22T12:56:00.002-07:00

I am trying everything I can to make today very productive. My goal is to have the rough draft for my thesis complete before going to bed tonight. Is it a realistic goal ~~~~ I don't know.

Honestly, I feel like a truck ran over me. I have a really bad chest cold and just breathing makes me tired. I know the stress of finishing my classes isn't helping. I literally fall asleep and dream of the assignments, so no real rest even then.

You may ask why waste time here, then?? I guess you could call it a "brain break."

Oh, and for those still wondering......yes, I will be going to Germany when we go to India in two weeks.

And the Winner is.......

2008-11-21T06:06:00.003-07:00

Well, I ended up with 2 votes for Paris, 2 votes for Hong Kong, and 0 votes for London or Germany. Ultimately, Unisys won out in the choosing since we were getting so close to the deadline. So here are some pictures of where we will be going this time......see if you can guess my destination:

Choices, Choices

2008-11-19T06:16:00.002-07:00

If you were booking an airline flight and got to choose where your layover was, which one of these would you choose:

London (went there last time)
Paris
Germany
Hong Kong

This is kind of fun:

2008-11-18T21:15:00.002-07:00

This was on my friend, Starr's, blog and I thought it was kind of neat!!

The Omnivore’s Hundred:

The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all.

The instructions are quite explicit...

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

*I did remove all the references to liquor and alcohol as I don’t drink and don’t promote drinking.

1. Venison

2. Nettle tea

3. Huevos rancheros

4. Steak tartare

5. Crocodile

6. Black pudding

7. Cheese fondue

8. Carp

9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Calamari

12. Pho

13. PB&J sandwich

14. Aloo gobi

15. Hot dog from a street cart

16. Epoisses

17. Black truffle

19. Steamed pork buns

20. Pistachio ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn, or head cheese - not happening!!

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper

27. Dulce de leche

28. Oysters

29. Baklava

30. Bagna cauda

31. Wasabi peas

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Salted lassi

34. Sauerkraut

35. Root beer float

37. Clotted cream tea

39. Gumbo

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects

43. Phaal

44. Goat’s milk

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut

50. Sea urchin

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal

56. Spaetzle

59. Poutine

60. Carob chips

61. S’mores

62. Sweetbreads

63. Kaolin

64. Currywurst

65. Durian

66. Frogs’ legs

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake

68. Haggis

69. Fried plantain

70. Chitterlings, or andouillette

71. Gazpacho

72. Caviar and blini

73. Louche absinthe

74. Gjetost, or brunost

75. Roadkill

76. Baijiu

77. Hostess Fruit Pie

78. Snail

79. Lapsang souchong

80. Bellini

81. Tom yum

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky

84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare

87. Goulash

88. Flowers

89. Horse - probably wouldn't

90. Criollo chocolate

91. Spam

92. Soft shell crab

93. Rose harissa

94. Catfish

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox

97. Lobster Thermidor

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Snake

How about you? How'd you do with this list?

A New Week

2008-11-17T05:54:00.003-07:00

Yep, it’s the start of another week.
I must admit that I don’t really hate
Mondays. I’m probably strange, but
I actually enjoy them....they are the
Start of a new week!!!

For me this week will be a very busy one.

As of my last post my assignment list was at 8. This morning I am down to 6. Here is what is left ( with dates that I am attempting ot have them done by):

1. Submit Executive Summary section of Business Plan (Tonight – the 17th)
2. Submit completed draft of Business Plan (Thursday – the 20th)
3. Complete detailed Strategic Plan (Saturday – the 22nd)
4. Conduct peer evaluation for draft Business plan (Monday – the 24th)
5. Submit final business plan, hard copy of plan, Powerpoint, and video presentation (In other words ~~ the completed thesis) Our group is taping on the 29th.
6. Complete peer evaluation for final Business Plan (Sunday – the 30th)

If I can stay on track I will have completed everything by December 1st!!!! Pray for me – this is a very tight timeline and a lot of major work that needs to be done to accomplish it.

I started my 2009 Bible Reading Schedule this morning ~ and yes, I do know that I’m a little ahead of the game here. I must admit that I didn’t do very well in the daily reading department this year and I want to do better. So....instead of waiting for January – and continuing to put it off – I have started today!!

Things I Will be doing Today:

Conference meeting from 10am – noon
School with kids
Racquetball with Nick at 5pm
Making beef stroganoff for dinner tonight
Get assignment turned in before midnight
Watch some football with my hubby (while doing assignment)
ALL THE NORMAL DAILY STUFF INBETWEEN

8 TO GO....

2008-11-15T18:02:00.002-07:00

Here is the list of what I have left before I can officially say I have completed my Master's Degree:

1. Lead Discussion Group #8

2. Submit Financial Plan section of Business Plan

3. Submit Executive Summary section of Business Plan

4. Submit completed draft of Business Plan

5. Complete detailed Strategic Plan

6. Conduct peer evaluation for draft Business plan

7. Submit final business plan, hard copy of plan, Powerpoint, and video presentation (In other words ~~ the completed thesis)

8. Complete peer evaluation for final Business Plan

All this must be done no later than December 5th. On December 6th I then fly back to India for 2 weeks. I will get home on December 21st - just in time for Christmas and New Year.

All I can say is ~~~ WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thus Saith the Lord.....(not just me)

2008-11-11T06:24:00.003-07:00

Have you ever wondered why some people are just never happy? This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. It seems we live in a society that is full of miserable people – and they LIKE being miserable.

That is what is so odd. It seems they enjoying complaining, gossiping, saying hurtful things about others, grumbling about little things, and the list goes on and on. The Bible defines such people as “speaking evil.”

How sad!! What is even sadder is that they want those around them to be just as miserable. Well, I for one, am NOT going to surround myself with that unnecessarily anymore. Life is too short.

When I see someone growling in a store I am going to smile and them and point out what a beautiful day it is, when someone tries to complain to me I am going to share a blessing from the Lord with them. Here are some verses I found today to go along with my train of thought regarding evil behavior and speech and that which is good:

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; (See ~ everyone has a choice every day as to which way they will choose to go!!)

Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalms 38:20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

Proverbs 17:13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Amos 5:14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

Amos 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

A Look Ahead

2008-11-10T06:13:00.006-07:00

The countdown is really on now. If I go by the official last day of classes, I have only 30 days of school left ~ BUT.......it doesn’t look like I can go by that date. It looks like I will need to finish sooner than that.

I of my classmates that I am doing a group project with is moving to Japan on December 8th, so we wanted to get done early for him. Now it looks like I may be headed back to India on December 7th ~ yet another reason to finish early. We are trying for the 5th, which means I have 25 days of school left. For so long it seems like this time would never come, now I can’t believe it is almost here!!

Regarding the India thing...it would only be for 2 weeks this time. It would be me and another co-worker, Kristin. We have put some stipulations on it, so we are waiting to hear back as to whether they are willing to meet those. I should have a definite answer sometime this week.

Thought for the Day:

PRAISE GOD ANYHOW!!!!

This statement was made to us during out revival last week – and what a wonderful saying is it. Take some time to REALLY think about it. No matter what is going on in your life, Praise God Anyhow. This is the Biblical thing to do!!

The phrase “rejoice in the Lord” is used 9 times in our Bible. And in those 9 times, not once does it say to only rejoice when things are good. As a matter of fact, just the opposite is true:

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Did you need that ONE word that is so important in this verse ~~ we are to rejoice ALWAYS!!

Praise and Rejoicing are wonderful things.

"Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely." (Psalms 147:1)

Do you ever have days that nothing seems to go right. I think we all do – and some of those days are worse than others. Instead of griping and complaining about our circumstances, we need to praise the Lord.

Here are some examples:

Your car breaks down - praise Him that no one had an accident.
Your furnace broke – thank God for the blankets you have.
All the kids are sick with the flu – thank God for medicine to help them feel better
We could look at much worse things, but I think you get the idea. No matter the circumstances we should praise the Lord. Think of Job.

I will give one more personal example. Anyone who knows me knows that just over 9 years ago our 12 year old son died in an accident and went Home to be with Jesus. Did it break our heart...YES....Did we praise God anyhow....YES, for many reasons – the biggest one being the God allowed us to have Steven with us for 12 years. He could have taken him away earlier, or never given him to us at all. And we know that one day we will all be together again.

Can you sing praise to God in the midst of trials?

Try it, you'll like it and so will God.

Our Week

2008-11-08T22:44:00.003-07:00

Have you ever had a week that you couldn’t keep the days of the weeks straight? That was me this last week. We had a revival start on Sunday and go through Wednesday, so every morning I woke up and had to try to figure out what day it was.

Thursday finally felt like Thursday. Then, just as soon as I was feeling normal we had a blizzard!!
That meant no one worked on Friday, the neighborhood kids didn’t go to school, and all of a sudden Friday felt like Saturday. Hopefully I can go to bed tonight and wake up tomorrow knowing and FEELING like it is Sunday. I’m ready for everything to feel normal!!

2008-10-31T06:14:00.002-06:00

JUST A LITTLE FUNNY

Ladies and cats tend do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
By the way, if your dog is too fat, YOU are not

getting enough exercise.

Here’s a couple of verses to think about:
Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

If those were the only verses you could find, it would be enough for you to live a victorious Christian life. Now, go back and read it again.

People need to realize just saying they are a Christian or going to church once a week and sleeping through a sermon isn't going to do it. Following Christ is a daily walk ~ not a once in a week ( or every now and then) exercise.

If we are going to make a different in this world, or even in just our own little neighborhood, we will have to demonstrate a "better way" to the world. What has God done for you lately? How about sharing with me – or someone around you what God has done for you today?

"And He walks with me, and He talks with me" is not just a sentimental song. It's a way of life. Enjoy it.

Take time today to put a song in your heart and sing for joy to the Lord. You’ll have a better day.....God promises.

2008-10-28T06:22:00.002-06:00

This weekend I got a chance to have a long conversation with my sister. Don't get me wrong, we talk all the time, but this conversation was special. You see, I haven't sen my sister in several years, the reason being...she is in prison over 1500 miles away from me. So for these last 3 years our conversations are through letters and phone calls once or twice a month.

But, back to our weekend call. I got the opportunity to tell my sister just how proud I really am of her. She has used this time to work on a lot of issues in her own heart. It hasn't been easy. There have been lots of tears, guilt, anger, shame...you name the emotion she has gone through it.

She gets out of prison in February - and she is scared. But I know with the changes she has made, the issues she has faced, and the love and support of her family she is going to do just fine.

My sister Margaret isn't just my sister....she is my best friend, my confidante, and as my husband says my identical twin that just happened to be born 12 years after me. (No, we don't look alike...but our brains think alike, we complete each others sentences, and we just know what the other one is feeling.)

Someday soon I hope she will see this blog and know just how wonderful I know she is!!!!

A few words & then THE BOYS

2008-10-25T21:23:00.003-06:00

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SKIP MY RAMBLING AND GO RIGHT TO THE PICTURES OF BRADEN AND TRISTAN!!

I just realized that I haven’t shared anything since just after I got home. Sorry about that. It has really taken me quite a bit of time to get back to normal (not that I ever was normal before....hahaha.) Actually, India gave me a lot of time to think and many of those thoughts have really effected me in more ways than I can put into words. I think spending 5 weeks halfway around the world, away from everything and everyone familiar to me – with at least half of that time alone in my hotel room – gave me a chance to reflect in a way I have never done before.

I think I have learned to love more deeply, laugh more often, and forgive more completely just because I have spent so much time alone with God and learning more about those things than I ever did when I was surrounded by all that God had given me. Now, I love the silence and the cherish that time more than ever before because that is when I know God can speak to me and I can hear Him more clearly. I don’t ever want to lose that and I know I’m not explaining in any way that does any justice.

I won’t get all mushy here. I just wanted to share a little of what has changed on the inside. And now to lighten the mood, here are a couple of recent pictures from when my sister and her husband Josh came last weekend. They brought my gorgeous nephew Tristan and he and Braden got to play together. They are absolutely adorable together – I pray they grow up as close as I did with my cousins!!

We tried to get pictures of their faces, but that is not possible....they are MOBILE! So instead I'll just add some captions.

For the most part the boys got along great, even when Braden saw the need to tackle Tristan. Tristan - being the most laid back baby in the whole world - just kept playing...as if having your cousin kissing your behind is an every day ocurrence.

HEY ~~~ what are these white things that hang in front of the windows????? They must be very special because all the BIG PEOPLE keep telling us NO!!!

Quick Tristan, look at this one before my Grandma moves us away again!!!

Just think......some day we'll get to play outside, just like the big kids do.

Finally Home!!!

2008-10-13T05:18:00.002-06:00

Well, after 36 hours of flights, layovers, and lost baggage I finally made it home EARLY Saturday morning. I cried like a baby when I got through those doors and finally saw my family. God truly blessed me on that last flight. Everyone made sure I was the first one off (since the stewardess announced to everyone where I was flying from and how long I had been gone.) I think there were people from the plane that were crying too. It really was wonderful.

Now I am trying to get over the jet lag. So far there have been some major issues with it. I tend to be awake from 3am on, no matter what I try. That's no big deal though. I now it will all get back to normal soon enough.

I have so much I would love to share, but for today I'll just share this one point. India has definitely changed my heart and my life. 1/5 of the world's population lives there.....and VERY FEW know the Lord as personal Saviour. What a mission field. I won't be taking little things for granted anymore after seeing what I saw over there. If you are reading this and you live in America, you are more blessed than you probably even realize. Take time today to thank God for His goodness.

20 More Days Until I'm Home!!!!

2008-09-20T09:06:00.003-06:00

I can definitely say I have learned a lot on this trip. What is one of the biggest things I have learned?????? I AM A HOMEBODY, NOT A WORLD TRAVELLER. A few days of travelling and sightseeing is good, but then I am ready to be in my own home, in my own bed, with my own family, and in my own church.

I am travelling with four other people and I am very thankful for their company. Today they all went to a forest to see monkeys, elephants, and tigers (in the wild) and then after dinner they were going to see a snake charmer. I stayed behind to work on my classes and write a humongous paper (that still isn’t done...maybe tomorrow.)

It has been quite an adjustment, in many ways, here in India. I wish I had time to share them all but that would take days. One thing that is very strange for me is how they wait on me hand and foot. As I was writing this I had to stop because they were bringing me my laundry – washed, folded, ironed the whole nine-yards! And they don’t want tipped for it. I have discovered that they will take American chocolate though. A good friend from work told me to bring a lot of that when I came and now I know why – they love it and think it is the biggest treat in the world.

It is just odd not doing anything....no cleaning, cooking, etc. You may think, “How great!!!” but no, I don’t know what to do with myself. Thankfully, in 20 days I will be home!!! Here are a few pictures. I’ll try to do some better ones tomorrow.

These are two little children I see walk by each morning on their way to school. This is from my balcony window.

Also from my balcony window, the "house" with the blue tarp is where these children live.

This is kind of hard to see. I will try to get better ones later. The buildings you see in the background are the buildings we drive by as we go to and from work each day. About a half mile past this you enter what is known as Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is where I work. It is the high tech industry. Other than the people looking different and the guards surrounding the building you would have no idea that you were outside of America.

This is another view from my balcony. This is our pool, which is actually located on a roof. It's hard to believe that looking one way I see this and looking another way I see a shack with a blue tarp.

This is the last view from my balcony. It overlooks some of the other highrises that are in the area.

Day 6 - Now in India

2008-09-13T13:34:00.004-06:00

I can’t believe I’ve already been gone for 6 days!! It has gone by very quickly. I’m writing this at 1am on Sunday morning (India time) and that is because my body is NOT convinced that it is night time. Yesterday I finally went to bed at 4am and slept until noon.

Thursday and Friday were pretty long days with working and trying to adjust to a different culture. It really is a different world here. It make me realized just how blessed people in America really are.

One thing that amazes me here is the people. They would do anything in their power to service you. I asked one gentleman if they had any magazines in the hotel and he told me he would bring some to my room. I found out he ran down the street and bought them for me, just because there wasn’t any here. They service your food, dish it up on your paper and when they see that you a re almost done they are right there ready to dish you up seconds.

I am trying many different things – food wise that is – because I will probably never get another opportunity like this again. Here are a few pictures – but I have some others that I will share later.

This is a typical street that we drive by on the way to work each day.

Driving here is an experience in itself. I am going to actual video our drive to work one day for that you can actually see the whole trip!

Traffic got held up one this day because a cow decided to lay down for a bit to rest. When this happens you just wait for him to get up or try to find another way to go.

These were school children getting a hot lunch served to them.

Day 3 - London sightseeing

2008-09-09T16:40:00.003-06:00

There is no way to describe London!!! And no way to see even a touch of all the beauty in a day.....but we sure did try. Today was a day of sightseeing. Here are just a few of the things we saw:

The gates of Buckingham Palace

The back of one of the castles (I'm tired and don't remember which one)

London Bridge

Beautiful statues like this are EVERYWHERE!!!

Another gorgeous fountain

Part of the changing of the guards

This was our tour bus. We sat up on top in the open area part....even when it was sprinkling!! It was a wonderful experience that even the rain couldn't mess up. We had a terrific tour guide that shared SO much information.

This is Wanda - the very sweet lady that I am traveling with. She is in front of the gates at Buckingham Palace.

One of the many pictures I have of Big Ben. What a remarkable sight!!!

I wish we would have had more time. There are so many museums and churches that I would have loved to have toured. I took over 200 pictures and video taped and I still missed so much.

Dairy of my trip – Day 1 and 2

2008-09-08T14:59:00.002-06:00

I am going to try to keep a daily dairy for my kids while I am away – and I thought what a great way to share it with my friends and family too.

I am currently in London. We arrived this afternoon and came straight to the hotel and slept for 3 hours. I can’t believe how tired I was.

I left Sunday at 1:15 pm, flew to Denver and then SAT for 8 hours until we finally boarded our plane to London. The flight was great. I slept for most of it (so why was I so tired when I got here??) I still feel like I could sleep some more, which is good because it is 10:00 pm here. Tonight we ate at the hotel restaurant and now we are spending the evening relaxing in the hotel room.

Tomorrow we are doing an all day tour on London. I know we’ll be exhausted when we are done, but we only have one full day here so we want to take advantage of it. I’ll try to get pictures posted each day.

Here is one for today......

I Think I'm Melting!!

2008-08-31T11:30:00.002-06:00

I cant’ believe how hot it was yesterday and again today!! All-in-all, this summer hasn’t been nearly as hot as usual, but all of a sudden yesterday that changed. Yesterday at 3:00pm it was 101 degree and the winds was blowing like you wouldn’t believe. Today it was already over 85 before noon....and that hot wind is still blowing.

Today was one of those days at church that we weren’t just refreshed from the preaching but also from the cool temperature inside. We had a wonderful message on the grace of God. There are so many times I take for granted all the grace that God gives me. I don’t deserve the wonderful life He blesses me with, yet He continues to bless me and allow me daily opportunities to serve Him.

I hope each of you take some time today to thank God for all He has, is, and will continue to do for you.

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!!!

Rambling thoughts...

2008-08-28T21:00:00.002-06:00

Do you every have those moments when you ask, “Are you sure I can do this, God?” I do. As a matter of fact, I’m having one of those moments today. I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed. I’m not panicking or anything – I’m just feeling like “WOW, you are CRAZY!!!” Does that make sense?

I know a lot of this has to do with my classes starting yesterday. I don’t know about you, but the word THESIS has always been a scary word to me. Now, my final term is under way and I have to write a THESIS ~ and do you know what.....that still sounds scary. I keep asking myself if I think I ready to do this, if I think I can do it, if I want to do it. I must have a million questions going through my mind right now.

On top of that, I leave for India in 9 days. (For those who don’t know.....I’m not much for flying. As a matter of fact, I haven’t flown in 19 years.) On September 7th I am going to spend a total of 20 hours flying. I won’t count all the layover time that is in there too. There is a part of me that is excited, but then there is a part of me that is saying, “YOU ARE CRAZY!!!!!!”

Having said all that, the one important thing I have to say is that God has given Jeff and I complete peace and confidence about all that I am doing – and because of that, I know that I’m not crazy......I am blessed. God is allowing me to finish my education and in the process allowing me to travel to India and use that trip as the basis for my thesis. Not only will my trip become my thesis, God have lined everything out so that all my expenses are covered. We really do serve an awesome God!!!!! (And as if that wasn’t enough, God is even taking my trip is such a way that I get to spend 2 days in London – just because.)

I'll Never Understand

2008-08-26T05:23:00.002-06:00

As a preacher’s wife you would think that I would get used to certain things after a while, but I don’t. Every time I see someone return to the vile world that God saved them from I cringe. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Why? After breaking free from the pain and heartache that was brought on by the live they were in, why would they go back to it?

That is something I will NEVER understand.

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

Proverbs 26:11

The Start of Another Week

2008-08-25T06:28:00.002-06:00

Another weekend has come and gone and summer it that much closer to being over. It is hard to believe that we are almost 8 months through the year 2008. I sure don’t remember time going so fast when I was a kid!!!!

Today my brother, Jason, is flying back to Iraq, where he works as an independent contractor. He has been home for 10 days, due to our Dad’s funeral. It was great to see him and his family last week. He will be coming back tot the states October 9th – the day before I return from India. We are going to try to get our families together again during his 6 weeks home.

PRAYER REQUEST: Elisabeth isn’t feeling well. I think she may have another sinus infection. She has been up most of the night just feeling miserable. We will be taking her in today to check.

VERSE OF THE DAY: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2 Take some time today to search out the treasures God has for you in His Word.

How Time Flies

2008-08-23T16:19:00.004-06:00

Today is the first Saturday since the middle of May that I have not had either company here, school work that was due, or just plain wasn’t home. It is wonderful to just stay home with my kids and not worry about who was coming over or what had to get done.

I am amazed at how fast time goes by. It seems like just yesterday I was a child, now I have children that have children!! I have sisters and brothers that are all grown up and have children of their own.

Last night Braden got to spend the evening with Jeff and I. As he fell asleep in my lap I sat there marveling at the whole event. It didn’t seem like it was that long ago that I was doing the same thing with Braden’s daddy.

Some many things have changed over all those years, but the important things never have – the love God have for me, the love I have for my family, and the love they have for me are things that are constants in my life. Who could ask for more?

Don’t Blink – By Kenny Chesney

I turned on the evening news

Saw a old man being interviewed

Turning a hundred and two today

Asked him what's the secret to life

He looked up from his old pipe

Laughed and said "All I can say is."

Don't blink

Just like that you're six years old and you take a nap and you

Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife

Don't blink

You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

Turning into moms and dads next thing you know your "better half"

Of fifty years is there in bed

And you're praying God takes you instead

Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think

So don't blink

Nick before he graduated

Nick - 18 and growing up fast

Dec. 5, 2008 - Nick has a son
Braden Lee

Braden is 3 months old - and a truly happy baby

My baby holding his baby (and his cousin Tristan)

Braden at 7 months - he's growing too fast!!

NO REGRETS

2008-08-13T08:12:00.001-06:00

For years and years I have always told people (especially my family) to think carefully about what you say to each other, because you never know if those will be the last words you ever speak to them.

Last week I talked to my Dad. We talked about the kids, about him possibly coming to visit and about him being there when I got my Master’s Degree. We even talked about my trip to India. It was a nice conversation. His last words to me that day were, “I love you Babe” and my last words to him were, “I love you too Dad.”

Those were our last words with each other. Yesterday afternoon, while at a friend’s house, my dad took a deep breathe and passed away. No warning, nothing.....just gone.

Family and friend’s who truly know about the relationship that my dad and I have had over the years, know that to say it was strained would be an understatement. But there was never a time that I didn’t love him. There has never been a time in my life that I can remember not yearning for my dad to be in my life.

I am thankful that I can cherish that last conversation we had. I am thankful I took the time to witness to him even when he didn’t want to hear it. In those areas I can say I have no regrets.

Please take my advice – never leave angry, whether it be in person or on the phone. Take time to tell those close to you how you feel. And above all, learn to cherish the moments because before you know it they are gone.

IT'S A GOOD DAY

2008-08-12T06:24:00.002-06:00

SUNRISE OVER THE MISSOURI RIVER

Sitting here this morning in the quiet of my living room I am reminded yet again why I love North Dakota. I love the peacefulness and the beautiful. I love the safety and security. And the more I think about it – what I love is being right where God wants me to be, do exactly what He wants me to be doing. I am content.

I think it is heartbreaking to see so many people that are not content with what they have – whether that be in their family, their friends, their church, their jobs, or their possessions. They are missing out on so much. They spend so much time wish for “whatever” that they miss the beauty of the day they are living.

Each day is a gift of God and I am not going to ruin this gift by worrying or fretting or trying to change the future (that I am not even promised.)

So, as I sit here looking out my window I am counting my blessings and enjoying the day....with whatever it holds!! I pray that you take time to do the same.

Random Thoughts for the Day

2008-08-11T06:08:00.002-06:00

I have a lot of random thoughts running through my head this morning....

1. As my trip to India gets closer I am starting to make a list of what to put in my carry-on bag and what to pack. As suggestions?????

2. Thanks to Terri and Gerda ~ now I can start getting some music put on my IPOD!!!!

3. Jeff was preaching the other day and he used this verse:

Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

I have been thinking about it ever since. “Occupy till I come.” Occupy means:
1. To take possession.
2. To keep in possession; to possess; to hold or keep for use.
3. To take up; to possess; to cover or fill.
4. To employ; to use.
5. To employ; to busy one's self.
6. To follow, as business.
7. To use; to expend.

God wants us to occupy till He comes. He wants us to take possession of what He offers us and to busy ourselves with it. He doesn’t want us to just sit there and do nothing. In other words, he doesn’t want us to be idle.

If you have the time, look up what the Bible says about being idle....not a good thing.

SHARING A THOUGHT

2008-08-09T19:05:00.002-06:00

Think about this...You may soon forget those with you have laughed with, but you will never forget those you have wept with.

When we experience sorrow, we take comfort in knowing that someone else has gone through a similar trial and has felt the same kind of sadness we feel.

In such times, we tend to cling to those friends who have been where we are. Jesus is one such friend.

He experienced the death of a very close friend, watched as His disciples betrayed Him, and kept silent as He was unjustly beaten and hung on a cross. Needless to say, He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," and can relate when we are dealing with pain and grief (Isaiah 53:3).

If you are in a time of sadness and sorrow and feel that no one understands you, remember that Jesus understands because He has experienced pain too. You can trust that He has been wherever you are and will walk with you through your darkest hour.

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who have chosen to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.

Thank you to my friends that I know I can weep with.

Just Call Me Pinky.....

2008-08-04T21:17:00.003-06:00

Here is my pretty pink cast....and yes, my toe nails match!!

And this next one is Braden. (He is almost 8 months old now.) He was trying to eat the camera. My sister's little boy, Tristan, is in the background. She was supposed to send me some better pictures that were taken that day, since my camera batteries died. (HINT, HINT!!!!)

2008-08-04T06:28:00.000-06:00

It seems like forever since I’ve posted a blog – and so much has been going on. My classes are over for this term, so that is a huge blessing. Also, I think pretty much all the rounds of company are gone for the summer too!!

I did get rid of the boot on my foot...but only to exchange it for a pretty pink cast. That will be one until the 18th. (I’ll try to add some pictures this evening – not just of my cast.)

So much more to share, but I’ll do it in bits as not to overwhelm anyone. I’ve really been working on losing all this excess weight and I have a goal to lose 25 pounds by the end of the year. I don’t think that is too unrealistic. I know I have to do it without exercise, due to my foot, so I as going to be keeping a very detailed food log each day. I am also doing my Bible Study each morning and am focusing my studies around my goal. I will share things here as I go along.

Well, our daily (at least they seem daily lately) thunderstorm has passed and my coffee cup is empty. Time to start to the day!!!

I’M ALMOST THERE

2008-07-19T10:56:00.002-06:00

This has been the longest 8 weeks of my college times. These last weeks made getting my Bachelor’s degree a piece of cake. I can honestly say if it hadn’t been by the grace of my Lord and the love and patience of my family I wouldn’t be able to say that on Tuesday I will be done!!

I really think God has showed me so much of these 2 months. He showed me just how wonderful my family is (not that I didn’t know before.) I showed me that I cannot do this on my own (as my sister so lovingly tells me....I am not Super Woman – and no one but me excepts me to be.) He has reminded of His love and concern for me with each assignment I complete.

On December 19th, the day I am completely done, the first person that will get the thanks for this will be my Lord, then my husband and family. There have so many times that I have wanted to quit – but God reminds me that it was His will I do this. If I were to quit I would be quitting on something that God had for me. So, I continue – and am so much closer to victory!!

Thank you to each of my friends that have been patience and supportive of me through this all. I know that phone calls and emails have been few of late, but I want you each to know you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

This is what is left between now and Tuesday:

** A 25 page paper on International business practices of 5 separate companies (which I haven’t even started yet)
** A Power Point presentation to accompany the paper I haven’t written yet
** A final exam for International Business
** A final exam for Strategic Management
** A visiting missionary and his family
** A 3 game volleyball tournament on Sunday evening (that I can’t play in because I still have my pretty black boot on my foot)

See you all Wednesday – when my summer break truly begins!!!!

I knew this day would come

2008-07-14T19:54:00.001-06:00

I have a box of “special Steven stuff.” To be honest, I haven’t opened the box since a few months after the funeral – that has been almost 9 years now. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. I took comfort in knowing it was there, in case I ever wanted to go through it.

Over the last few weeks Brett has been asking hundreds of questions about Steven. Today he asked if I had anything other than all the pictures he has seen. I told him I had a special box and his face lit up. He wanted to see the box.

As I write this Brett is sitting at the table going through everything in the box. I went through part of it with him, but honestly – it hurts more than I expected. I want Brett to go through the box, to know the brother he never got to meet, but this is a lot harder than I ever would have thought it would be.

There are things in that box I had forgotten about – reports he had written, letters to me, pictures he drew. Just tons of memories.

I would love to call someone, but I don’t want Brett to know how much it hurts me....so I write. He needs to see those things, he needs to bring me things and have me read them out loud. He needs to know who wrote the letters and the poems. So I write.

Toto, we're not in Kansas any more....

2008-07-08T21:50:00.004-06:00

I would love to be a storm chaser!!!! My sister, Margaret, and I used to day dream about it as we watched the storms out of our living room window. Well, if I still lived in Minot, instead of Bismarck, I would have gone chasing last night!!!! Here are the ones that went through Rolla and Belcourt last night. I'm not smart enough (or just too tired) to figure out how to put the slide show on here....but if your interested check it out.

http://bismarcktribune.com/shared-content/story_tools/slideshow/?id=73

And I know this picture of Braden is old (he's 7 month's old now) but it is one of my favorites!!!

YEP....I'M STILL COUNTING

2008-07-04T10:09:00.002-06:00

This term is over on July 23rd...that is 19 days from today. In those 19 days I still have 17 assignments to turn in. I guess that let's you know what I'll be doing from now until then!!!!!

Yep, it's broken.......

2008-06-23T21:35:00.003-06:00

For several weeks I have been saying
that the top of my foot hurt. Last night, after 3 games of volleyball, it was throbbing....so my loving husband massaged it for me. Well, I bit my lip holding back the scream of pain and had to finally ask him to stop ~ it hurt too bad.

Today Jeff made me go to the doctor to have it looked at. Guess what they found, two broken bones!!!!

So, this is my new shoe for the next 4-6 weeks (that is if they don't have to do surgery.) I guess the massage was NOT a good idea. It complete moved one of the bones so that it isn't lined up at all.

That is the end of my morning walks and my twice weekly volleyball!!! Plus I miss weekly door-to-door visitation!!!!

GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.........not how I wanted to spend my summer. I wanted to be up and about, not down with a foot elevated.

Oh well, it should help me get less distracted so I can get me schoolwork done,

Who's Counting???

2008-06-14T15:06:00.002-06:00

What a week!! Who would have ever thought that getting a Master’s in Accounting and Business Management would require writing hundreds of pages a week???? (Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but I have still written A LOT!!!!)

I tried to figure out just how many pages I have written just this week and I stopped counting at 20. It got to be too discouraging. Maybe I wouldn’t feel that way if I was an English major – right, Teri?!?!?!? I feel like I’m writing a book.

I’m really trying not to complain, but I do admit that at 1:30 Tuesday morning I decided I was going to quit. I decided I didn’t want to do this anymore. Between family, church, work, and then my classes I felt like this was crazy. So, I shut the books, closed up the computer and went to bed. The next morning I told Nick and Jeff (son and husband) what was going through my mind. They were such an encouragement to me – and I am now trucking along.....and counting down the days until I done.

So here is the magic number as of today ~ June 14, 2008 ~

From and including: Sunday, June 15, 2008

To, but not including : Saturday, December 13, 2008

It is 181 days from the start date to the end date, but not including the end date

Or 5 months, 28 days excluding the end date
Alternative time units

15,638,400 seconds
260,640 minutes
4344 hours
25 weeks (rounded down)

Give or take a minute or two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRUE PEACE

2008-06-07T21:30:00.002-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows I am the biggest cat lover there is. They bring me comfort, joy, happiness, entertainment....you name it – and when I am upset or feeling under a lot of pressure I know I can sit down, hold my cat, and immediately feel more peace. Think about it, look at a cat when they are sleeping. Doesn’t everything about them look peaceful?

But I have seen something more peaceful than a sleeping cat. It is the look on a person's face who has just received Christ as their personal Saviour. The look may be tearful, but it is still a look of peace and serenity.

Unfortunately, some of you may have never had the privilege of seeing someone come to Christ for forgiveness and salvation. For you, I feel truly sorry. Seeing someone come to faith in Christ is a unique and wonderful experience that I wish you could all enjoy.

For those of you who have been blessed to see someone get saved - you know what I mean. You know the joy of seeing a family member or close friend accept Christ. You know the true joy of introducing someone to Christ and then seeing that person experiencing salvation and release, in some cases, from debilitating sin. There is no joy quite like it.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Even if you've been a Christian for 68 years, like me, reading that verse is like getting a shot of Adrenalin. That is rue and complete PEACE.

Take time this week to witness to someone. Help someone find that peace that passeth all understanding.

A Day at the Zoo

2008-06-07T15:46:00.002-06:00

We have had a beautiful day here in Bismarck today. After a pretty rainy week (no complaining, we really needed it) the sun came out this morning and it is a wonderful 71 degrees. To top it off it is Jeff’s first day off in 5 weeks ~ so we are taking advantage of it.

After Jeff got home from Men’s Prayer meeting we headed out to the zoo. We had so much fun just strolling through the zoo and relaxing. We need to that more often!!

Here are some of the animals we got to see up close today:

HHMMMMMM ~~ What to do.....

2008-05-30T04:51:00.002-06:00

Here I sit at 6 in the morning. I have been up for over an hour because of the "lovely" birds in our backyard. Ok ~ so they may be lovely...but the NOISE they were making at 5 a.m. was not so lovely!!!

I've already had two cups of coffee (working on the third) and had a wonderful time of devotional, so now what?!??!?!?

I could clean (no), or do schoolwork (too early to think that hard), put my cats in the back yard to have birds for breakfast (enabling me to go back to sleep), or get dressed and go to Wal-Mart. Yep, Wal-Mart wins!!!

I pray you all have a wonderful day!!!

The Wounded Heart

2008-05-29T06:27:00.003-06:00

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:4

I see you sitting there. Your legs are crossed; your arms are wrapped around you; your shoulders hunch over just a little as if to protect yourself.

You pretend to be interested in the conversations going on around you, but you rarely make eye contact; and when you smile, it kind of slides out one side of your mouth. You are mostly quiet.

I know you think that no one notices. And for the most part you are probably right. People today are often time so consumed with themselves that they tend not to TRULY see those around them.

But God sees the truth, just as plainly as if you had a red light flashing on your forehead. He sees your heart -- full of hurt upon hurt, upon hurt, upon hurt. You see, He knows your heart.

He sees the pain oozing through the cracks in the wall you've built. He knows what's behind the shutters that hide your eyes and the door that is firmly shut before your heart. He knows those shutters and doors are there, not to keep people out, but to keep the pain hidden inside.

He knows that the reason they are kept so tightly closed is because you're afraid that if you ever let them open, even a crack, you might accidentally unleash a flood of pain and tears that would overwhelm you.

And you're afraid that if you ever opened those restraints you could never get them closed again and you might find out there were no answers or relief for your pain.

But there is relief, there is an answer, there is HOPE! There is a way to trade your pain for joy. There is a way to have healing for the hurts that have wounded you so deeply.

Let me ask you, have you ever been despised and rejected by those close to you? Do you have sorrow in your heart for loss after loss -- grief that doesn't seem to get better?

Jesus has made a way; and its guaranteed effective if you'll just dare to reach out to Him for it. Those aren't just words. It is a fact.

The Bible says that Jesus bore our grief and carried our sorrows (Is. 53:4). It literally means what it says. Think about it. One ordinary day, an ordinary man faced an enormous challenge. That day He was sentenced to die, though He had done no wrong. He was laid down on a wooden cross and a man with a hammer bent over him to pound spikes through His hands. What do you think He thought as He looked over at His hand and anticipated the pain coming in just a few seconds? What would you have done on that day? Would you have walked away? I would have. But Jesus didn't. And there was only one reason. His love was stronger than the pain.

But Jesus' greatest pain was still ahead. As He was lifted up on that cross, in that moment in time, God placed on His shoulders every sin that has ever been committed and all that will ever be committed throughout all of time. Jesus, who had never sinned, suddenly took on Himself the full weight, guilt and condemnation for it all. How do you think He felt about that? While He was fully God, He was fully man. He FELT the literal consequences of all that guilt. And He felt the absolute rejection of His Father for the first time in His life.

You know what else He felt? As an innocent victim of all that sin placed upon Him, He felt the pain you felt when you were hurt or rejected. He felt the pain you felt in that horrible, dark, trauma that you never talk about. He felt every single pain you feel. He LITERALLY bore your grief and carried your sorrow. And He did it to provide you with a way out of your pain.

The path He walked was not quick and easy. And the path He has for you to find healing is not a quick and easy one. But He promises to walk WITH you at every step -- and that is the whole point anyway. When Jesus said He calls us His friends, He means it.

Is Jesus literally your friend? He wants to walk with you through each day and he wants to converse with you about your hurts. You can talk to Him and ask Him questions, and He will answer back. That's why He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. That's why He's given us His Word. He has promised that the Holy Spirit would be our counselor and lead us into all truth. All we have to do is ASK and LISTEN.

Is there hurt hidden in your heart? I know where the answers are because I've found them myself. But I can't give them to you. I can only point you to the One who wants more than anything to be your dearest FRIEND and comfort you.

Will you dare to reach out and take His hand? Can you trust Him with the secrets of your heart? Will you let Him lead you to healing one day at a time, even though you can't see the tomorrows yet? Will you trust Him when He asks you to open up the doors of your heart?

God wants to heal your wounded heart. The question is only whether you will let Him.

56 days and counting......

2008-05-28T21:13:00.002-06:00

I’m trying to think positive about these next 56 days – so any words of encouragement you can think of (even off-the-wall or funny ones) would be greatly appreciated.

My summer classes started today. What that means is I have 56 days to complete 42 assignments. These assignments include:
8 papers of 6 pages
1 paper that is a minimum of 10 pages
1 page that is a minimum of 20 pages!!!

I am sitting here thinking.....ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?

My other thought is.....DECEMBER 13TH, DECEMBER 13TH, DECEMBER 13TH (Lord willing, that is the date I officially will have completed my Master’s Degree.)

Yep ~ that's me....

2008-05-25T12:58:00.002-06:00

Your Response is: Stay Calm

You don't have much of a fight or flight response.
In fact, you rather do neither. You don't like getting worked up.

You are able to approach most threats calmly and rationally.
You don't let your emotions get the best of you!

http://www.blogthings.com/howdoyourespondfightorflightquiz/">How Do You Respond: Fight or Flight?

The Spring Rain

2008-05-24T17:43:00.003-06:00

I am not one to complain about the weather ~ but I sure have learned to appreciate it more!! We have had so little rain that it seems like I could dust the house twice a day and still need to do it again before we went to bed, so it was such a blessing o wake up to the sound of rain this morning.

It didn’t just rain though – we got rain, hail (tiny, but still hail), thunder and lightening.....and currently we are under a tornado watch. It seemed like we got A LOT of rain, so I was very surprised when the news said we got less than a ½ inch.

I can sure tell a difference though. The air is cleaner, I don’t feel like I need to dust every two hours, and everything seems so fresh.

It is amazing what a little rain can do to clean things up!!!

Hello, Again, Hello

2008-05-19T06:08:00.002-06:00

I took a technology break......ok, not completely, but as much as possible. The last few weeks of school were a killer on me, so after they were over I just couldn’t seem to get on the computer unless absolutely necessary (like for work, since they pay me!!)

I figured I better get back in the habit though –especially since make next 2 classes start May 28th. Only 4 more to go though – 2 during summer term and 2 during fall (and one of those is more of a step by step for doing my thesis than an actual class with tests and assignments,)

I can’t believe that in about 6 months I will have written a thesis and graduate with a Master’s degree. For a while there is seems so far away and now it seems so close!!! I won’t lie, though. I can’t wait to be done and no longer be a student. I ready to drop that title from the list of “things I am.”

Now, with that said ~~ let me share devotion for the day.....

GOALS

If you aim for nothing, you'll probably hit it.

We all need to have priorities. If we don't, we sort of aimlessly wander. Without priorities or goals, we have no direction. Ever person ~ no matter how old or how young ~ needs something for which to attain.

Seriously -- what about you? What are your personal goals and priorities? There is an endless menu of available and desirable goals. It just takes the courage and determination to pick one and get started.

What about your church, are you helping your church reach their goals? Do you know what the goals of your church are? If you don’t, isn't about time that you ask?

Maybe you can be the catalyst to start a project – even a small one – and get it accomplished. If you don't have stated goals, you'll just wander through the same routines and not really advance the kingdom of Christ.

You'll repeat the Lord's Prayer, sing the same hymns, take the usual offering, and just tread spiritual water listening to sermonettes for Christianettes.

People, church is serious business - don't play around with it like it's a social club. We all see the state of our world today. We don’t need social clubs. We need churches that are out there spreading the Gospel and helping the helpless!!

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

I hope that will give you something about which to think as you establish your goals.

What Are You Having This Week???

2008-05-04T13:48:00.002-06:00

WOW ~ It feels great to sit down, make our menu, grocery shop (online, of course, because I do NOT like shopping), and not worry about assignment due dates!!!

Italian Pork Chops with fresh veggies
Taco Salad & fresh fruit
Chicken Parmesan, angel hair pasta, & corn
Sloppy Joes & Tater tots
Cabbage rolls & baked potatoes
BBQ – steak & chicken

Doing the HAPPY DANCE

2008-05-04T12:17:00.003-06:00

This term of school is over and couldn't be happier!!! I am so doing the Happy Dance! I don't know why, but this term just about did me in.

Now, I am celebrating!

Yesterday was my first day of freedom, so I escaped to Minot to play with my sister. I'm not quite sure when it happened, but sometime over the last 5-10 years my sister and I have become friends. I love it. We have fun together. Yesterday we had a great time doing absolutely nothing.

I took Braden with me so that Braden and Tristan could play together (OK, so 3 and 5 month old boys don't play with blocks or race their cars together.....YET....but we are preparing them for later.) While they played we just talked. That was our exciting day together. I loved it!!!!

I plan to continue my HAPPY DANCE from now until my classes start again....sometime in June. Any want to join me????

Me and My Door...

2008-05-04T12:12:00.001-06:00

What Your Front Door Says

You are intriguing and charming.

People are naturally drawn to you, even if they don't know you.

You are calm and wise. You are a true leader.

You never feel isolated in a group. Somehow, you always belong.

The Front Door Test

Who Am I???

2008-04-28T06:07:00.002-06:00

John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

How many times throughout your life have you introduced yourself? But have you ever really thought about what you’re saying? Let me explain by example. Here are how some people in the Bible introduced themselves:

God said, "I AM WHO I AM."

Abraham said, "I am old."

Jacob said, "I am Esau your firstborn."

Moses said, "I am not eloquent."

Gideon said, "I am the least in my father's house."

Ruth said, "I am a foreigner."

Nehemiah said, "I am doing a great work."

Job said, "I am a brother of jackals."

Jesus said, "I am the door, the light, the bread, the Good Shepherd."

Paul said, "I am the chief of sinners."

How would you answer the question, "Who are you?"

When John the Baptist was asked that question, he spoke without hesitation: "I am the voice."

John was not confused and he did not stutter. He knew exactly who he was and what he was called to do. He was "the voice." His calling was to speak—to announce the coming of the kingdom of God and of the Messiah of Israel. It didn't bother John that he wasn't the Messiah. The only thing that would have bothered him was not to speak clearly. John was a satisfied man, confident and content in his knowledge of himself.

Can you say the same about yourself? Take a moment and fill in the blank: "I am ____________________."

Then decide, "How happy am I with my answer?" If you're not sure about either, ask God for His insight.