Good Sunday...Good Sermon

What a beautiful day today....I don't know what the temperature was, but it was AWESOME!!! Yesterday I baked cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls for next weekend. Today we went to ANC in Omaha for church and out to lunch with Jim and Kathy. We did a little shopping then went to see Dan Nelson at Jennie Ed. Pray for him when you think of him...he needs his body to start working right again.

Thought for the day

We heard a great sermon today...it was about what Palm Sunday was like for Jesus. If you read Matthew 19-21, His day was filled with misunderstanding, rejection, arguing, demands, testing, shouting, stealing, and resentment. As a sidenote people cheered Him and paid down palm branches, but He know that a few days later they would call for His death. The point being that when you have one of THOSE days...you face a difficult situation, relationship, or injustice...He understands. Three points:
1. Jesus understands your struggles, trials, and conflictive areas of your life.
2. His patience, forbearance, and kindness towards you never stop.
3. That same Jesus lives within every believer...everyone who has surrendered to Him.

Tru Turned 6!!!

Last night we went to Blair Pizza Hut for Tru's 6th birthday! One highlight of his night was getting a Turbo Snake...such a funny little guy...he's wanted this tool for cleaning out drains for months now. He screamed and jumped up and down like it was the greatest thing in the world! I can hardly believe that our youngest grandchild could be 6 already!! Good thing we're adding to the roster soon!!
Today after work we raked up the rest of the sticks from the storms this winter. It's supposed to rain tonight through tomorrow night. We have no other plans, but are considering a trip to Omaha on Sunday. Maybe church, maybe shopping, we'll see... My foot is doing a little better the last couple of days. I'm still not sure if I'm doing the right thing with these inserts, but time will tell. I'll have to see how it affects my knees over a longer period of time.
What are your plans for the weekend? I will need to clean and get a few things ready for next weekend when everyone will be home for Easter...YAY!! We'll also celebrate Kelli and Tru's birthdays. I won't reveal how old Kelli will be, but I'm 20 years older, and I'm 13 1/2. You do the math :)
Hope you all have a great weekend! Keep in touch!!

Busy Week

It's turning into a busy week. We were unexpectedly invited out to supper Monday night, then again invited to a supper on Tuesday night celebrating a wonderful friend's first year of sobriety. She is amazing. Tomorrow night we go to celebrate Tru turning 6!! That doesn't seem possible! At work this week I had a grain inspection which went very well (YAY!!!)

Tonight I went to pray for a 3 year old girl who has ITP. Her platelet count is far too low and so far treatments have only brought it up temporarily. Please pray for Lauren and her family.

Need Some Relief

Tabbi, Tre, and Tru came for church this morning. When we came home she went for groceries while the boys played on the computer. Since then I haven't accomplished much...picked up the kitchen, went to the store, and maybe some more laundry.
Nothing extra happening this week...wait, Jon goes back to the dr this week. Otherwise, I think...wait, Tru has a birthday on Thursday!! He'll turn 6! I guess it's a big week, after all!
I'm trying some other inserts in my shoes...my plantar fascitis has been hurting a lot, so I'm hoping for some relief. I don't know what else to try. I appreciate your prayers for some relief.

Thought for the day

Speaking of relief...where do we turn for relief? Apparently I turn to new insoles, ice, and whatever else I can get my hands on. It is different somehow to pray for yourself. It shouldn't be. We belong to Christ and we are told to pray for our needs as well as the needs of others. There is also the need to trust Christ in whatever He is doing in our lives. We need to submit, accept, and be thankful in ALL things, always trusting His choices and timing. So we ask, and keep asking. We ask others to pray, as well. And in the meantime, we thankfully trust Christ day by day that all He is doing is right and best.

Middle of the Weekend

I don't know about you, but I was really ready for a weekend! We were home last night, went to breakfast this morning, and Jon was working the rest of the morning while I worked here. This afternoon we went next door for James and Anna's (Nelson) wedding...very nice. Tabbi and the boys might be coming over for church tomorrow, but no other plans. I'm thinking a nap might feel good at some point!
We're kicking around some remodeling ideas that would give us a 2 car attached garage...not sure just how to go about it, but we've got some ideas. We may be talking to some people to get cost ideas soon.

Consolations

Popcorn and TV tonight...less popcorn, more TV :). Jon has one more day off work then it's back to light duty. I switched from zyrtec to claritin last night and that seems to have been a good thing. I don't know if it will actually work better, but at least I'm not completely wiped out all morning the next day. Not much new going on here...warmer temps this week, but still mostly cloudy. The next two days will be much warmer then a chance of rain or snow again on the weekend. Please pray for safe travel for Megan and Greg over these next few days. They could really use a short break...just praying they don't overdo. Once a mom, always a mom :)
I watched an fb entry by a friend with pix from the home birth of her child. The pix were by a professional photographer and the slide show included music. It really was well done. While I'm not a fan of home births, it went very well and I'm very happy for them. If you know who I'm talking about you can check it out.
Came across a verse in my reading today that I memorized years ago...
"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." Psalm 94:19. I always liked that one...maybe because anxious thoughts are very sneaky and have a way of piling up. I haven't been feeling that way, but I always did like that verse.

Thought for the day

God's consolations...He loves us so much. All that stuff that we think about...He knows it all. All the craziness in our lives and the things that seem out of control...He holds it all in His hands. No need to stress or fret...He's the source, provider, shelter, protector, and forgiver of all.

Relaxed Weekend

Friday night we went to a carnival at the school in Logan with Tre and Tru. It was very loud, but we had a good time. Saturday Jon was busy elsewhere while I cleaned, did laundry, and baked cookies. Saturday evening while Tre and Trever went to a turkey banquet Tabbi and Tru came here overnight. We all went to church this morning and after getting her groceries they went home. While Tabbi was at the store Tru asked me to drive him around town so he could draw things. It was awesome...he drew pictures of a map at Pioneer Park, a statue uptown, the theater sign, a flag, a bulldozer, a man walking, a tractor, and Pizza Hut. He was pretty pleased with himself.

We actually had sunshine a good share of the afternoon today, and while it was still chilly it sure did seem nice out. Jon will be off work for another three days then go back on light duty. He's doing really well with his hand. I may actually have to work all five days this week....eeek!

Emmy, you get all better...I love you!!

We're still just enjoying the good news from Megan and Greg and praying for a safe healthy pregnancy, mom, and baby!!! Our whole family is very excited!

I hope you all remembered to spring ahead. I had forgotten last night till Tabbi said something...whew, that was close! Thanks, Tabbi!



Thought for the day



If you have a Message Bible read Romans chapter 12...it's amazing! "Take your everyday, ordinary life---your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking-around life---and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him....Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No. God brings it all to you,. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him."

PUBLIC NOTICE!!!!

It's public knowledge!!! Megan and Greg are expecting with a due date of 10/10/10!!! Now we'll have a tie-breaker on boys or girls. Jon and I are thrilled either way, of course! YAY!!!!!!!

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

We are home. Jon had carpal tunnel surgery this morning. It's pretty amazing, really. We left home about 6:45, drove an hour, had surgery and recovery time, and drove an hour home and were back in town by 11:15. WOW!!! He is resting and seems to be doing fine. There will be ice for a few days and pain pills for at least 24 hours along with elevation and light use of his fingers. No lifting over 2 pounds till he goes back on the 25th. He honestly feels like he already has improved sensation in his fingertips which had become quite numb...that's good news!!!
Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers for a full recovery. It's been a long 6 months for a man that has never been one to "take it easy". He's really hoping to be able to function at 100% again soon. I'm doing some catching up here this afternoon and keeping track of "ice on" and "ice off".
Thanks again!!!!

Greg's Birthday!

We had a wonderful weekend in Grand Forks with Jon, Kelli, Bria, and Emmy! We did some shopping, played some games, watched some movies, and did some painting. Some of us even squeezed in some naps! We went to watch the girls skate, but it didn't last long because the ice wasn't very good due to warmer temps.
Tomorrow Jon will have carpal tunnel surgery on his right wrist that he broke in his fall in September. We're praying that this will relieve the nerve pain and numbness that has been getting worse instead of better. He was able to clear quite a bit of the down branches in the yard today...the snow is almost gone...quite a change!
Today is Greg's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREG!!! The last one before the big 3-0!

Thought for the day

It's always essential that we trust God. Carpal tunnel surgery isn't always successful, but we're trusting Christ for a good outcome. There is always some apprehension with any surgery, but we're trusting Christ. Greg and Megan are traveling soon...we're trusting Christ for a safe trip. We have growing grandchildren...we're trusting Christ to watch over them and make them who He wants them to be. Trust isn't trust if it isn't applied to our day to day circumstances. What are you facing? Trust Christ.

Better, I Hope

I think I'm starting to get a little better. I'll know more tomorrow :) I know I'm getting excited to travel to Grand Forks this weekend! It's time to spoil and enjoy! We're anxious to see the girls show us their new ice skating skills among other things. Jon is feeling better today for sure. He will hopefully continue to improve.
We are greatly enjoying the sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures this week. I'm pretty sure spring will come after all. We also got to see "Chuck" again last night after two weeks off...YAY!!!!

Thought for the day

It really is simple...
"It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God---'Jesus is my Master'---embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not 'doing' anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: 'God has set everything right between Him and me!'" Romans 10:9-10 The Message

Unbirthday

It's my unbirthday today! I'm now 13 1/2. Last night we celebrated three birthdays...Trever's, mine, and Greg's. We went out to eat at China Pan then came back here for cake and ice cream. Today we had a pastoral candidate preach at church. The congregation voted for him, so now we wait to hear his answer. Just praying for God's best for him and for us. The other highlight of the day has been NON-STOP blowing of my nose with many sneezes thrown in for good measure. Jon has the crud, too, so we're both fairly miserable. It's not as bad as the sore throat, though!!!

Jon has the week off and will be doing some work at the parsonage as well as fulfilling some other plans he's made. I'm back to work tomorrow probably...with my own Puffs. I hope all of you have a great week and we'll be in touch!!

More From "Streams in the Desert"

Second post today...wanted to share the devotional for today, February 24, in "Streams in the Desert".

"You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius, have no brilliant gifts, and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days are remarkable for nothing but sameness and insipidity. Yet you may live a great life.

John did no miracle, but Jesus said that among those born of women there had not appeared a greater than he.

John's main business was to bear witness to the Light, and this may be yours and mine. John was content to be only a voice, if men would think of Christ.

Be willing to be only a voice, heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun; a breeze that springs up just before daylight, and says, 'The dawn! The dawn!' and then dies away.

Do the commonest and smallest things as beneath His eye. If you must live with uncongenial people, set to the conquest by love. If you have made a great mistake in your life, do not let it becloud all of it; but, locking the secret in your breast, compel it to yield strength and sweetness.

We are doing more good than we know, sowing seed, starting streamlets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and, of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone and say,
'He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spake words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself.'" George Matheson

The Crud

It's my turn. Sore throat, fever, and a day at home today. At least Jon won't catch it from me!!

No Second Causes

As you probably know, one of my favorite authors in Hannah Whitall Smith. I just finished reading "The Unselfishness of God", and I love this quote:

"Every fear, every perplexity, every anxiety, find an all-satisfying answer in God--He Himself, what He is in nature and character. His ways, or His plans, or even His promises, we may misinterpret or misunderstand, but goodness of character we cannot mistake, and it is the character of God that is our resting-place....
It was not that life was to have no more trials, for this wise and loving will might see that trials were a necessary gift of love. Neither was it essential that we should be able to see the Divine hand in every trial, since my common sense told me that He must still be there, for a God who is omnipresent could not help being present somewhere, even in a trial, and being in it, He would of course be there to help and bless.
We are not wise enough to judge as to things, whether they are really in their essence joys or sorrows, but the Lord knows; and, because He loves us with an unselfish and limitless love, He cannot fail to make the apparently hard, or cruel, or even wicked thing, work together for our best good. I say 'cannot fail' simply because it is an unthinkable thing to suppose that such a God as ours could do otherwise.
It is no matter who starts our trial, whether man, or devil, or even our own foolish selves, if God permits it to reach us, He has by this permission made the trial His own, and will turn it for us into a chariot of love which will carry our souls to a place of blessing that we could not have reached in any other way. I saw that to the Christian who hides in the fortress of God's will, there can be no 'second causes', for nothing can penetrate into that fortress unless the Divine Keeper of the fortress shall give it permission; and this permission, when given, means that He adopts it as being for our best good."

Hump Day

Hump day!! I'm glad there are only 2 work days left this week. Yesterday I only worked a half day after going to a funeral in the morning. We've caught 5 mice within 6 feet of my desk in the last couple of weeks. UUGGHHH!!!! Glad they are caught...wish they didn't exist!!!!
I came home from meeting with my Wednesday night group and Jon was called out on an outage about the same time. He had a rough day and is ready to BE DONE!!! We're still waiting for some kind of news about getting the ball rolling for his carpal tunnel surgery. I think he'll be relieved just to have it scheduled. Next week he'll be in Des Moines Monday till Friday...I hope the break will be good for him and for his hand!

Thought for the day

"We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand--out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise." Romans 5:2 The Message

Sunday Potpourri

We had a good Sunday. Pastor Murdoch was here to preach and really connected with all of the congregation...more so than I've ever seen any time he's been here before. He preached on the four kinds of faith...head faith (knowledge only), dead faith (no fruit in the life), devil's faith (fully knowing the truth but not committing to it), and saving faith (full commitment). Good stuff. Afterwards we went to Dallas and Lois's for lunch and visit with Doc. Great food and conversation. Did some cleaning after we got home and back to watching the Olympics IN HD!!! WOOHOO!!!!
Hope you enjoy the new elements on my blog. The search bar at the top will let you put in a word and find its every occurrence on my blog. There is a calendar, a piano to play, penguins that you can lead around with your mouse (fun to spin), some nature sounds that you can listen to, and an aquarium, though it's not working at the moment. It may have to go bye-bye.
Jon learned last week that he needs carpal tunnel surgery as a result of his broken wrist. Hopefully, we can make some progress this week with getting that scheduled and figured out.
We've had our daily snow the last couple of days again, and actually saw some sunshine today. More snow coming tomorrow, but shouldn't cause any problems. Jon's on call this week and, thankfully, hadn't been called out all weekend. He's been pretty happy about that. He's actually starting to get caught up on rest a little bit...he's staying awake past 8:00 most evenings!
Time to do my foot, back, knee, and shoulder exercises. Hopefully I can remember them all :) Hope all of you have a great week. REMEMBER, the truest thing about you is YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD!!!! AND NOTHING IN THE WORLD WILL EVERY CHANGE THAT!!!!

Olympics Are Back!!!

The Olympics are back!!! I love watching the Olympics, and I think the winter games are my favorite. It's so sad that the luger died today...21, wow. I don't understand what people put themselves in order to compete. I like to watch, but I don't get what it takes inside a person to do that. It's amazing to me what they can do even when they're injured. And, of course, there are all the stories. They pull on my heartstrings and pretty soon my eyes are watering. I'm such a sap!!! Oh well, I'm in for two weeks of sappy. The really awesome news is we learned just this week that we can get our major network channels in hi def on some upper channels and the picture is COMPLETELY AWESOME!!! Way better than paying another $26/month ($41/month with DVR) to get the HD tier from our cable company. We don't care if we don't have all channels in HD since we aren't watching sports on cable channels. Still won't have DVR, but this will work great for us! YAY!!!

Doctors Again

For healthy people it sure seems we are going to the doctor a lot. Me last week, Jon twice this week, me again tomorrow...One of these days we'll get it all figured out. Any big plans for the weekend? We have some potential plans with Jon on call to keep it interesting.

Tomorrow is Trever's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TREVER!!! And Sunday is Valentine's Day...anything going on for that? We will be seeing pastor Murdoch on Sunday...he'll be up here to preach and we'll be at Dallas and Lois's for dinner with them and him.

Hope you all have a great weekend and I'll be checking in later!!!

From "Streams in the Desert"

This is the February 7 devotional in "Streams in the Desert"

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul" (Psalm 43:5).

Is there ever any ground to be cast down? There are two reasons, but only two. If we are as yet unconverted, we have ground to be cast down; or if we have been converted and live in sin, then we are rightly cast down.
But except for these two things there is no ground to be cast down, for all else may be brought before God in prayer with supplication and thanksgiving. And regarding all our necessities, all our difficulties, all our trials, we may exercise faith in the power of God, and in the love of God.
"Hope thou in God," Oh, remember this: There is never a time when we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities, however great our difficulties, and though to all appearance help is impossible, yet our business is to hope in God, and it will be found that it is not in vain. In the Lord's own time help will come.
Oh, the hundreds, yea, the thousands of times that I have found it thus within the past seventy years and four months!
When it seemed impossible that help could come, help did come; for God has His own resources. He is not confined. In ten thousand different ways, and at ten thousand different times God may help us.
Our business is to spread our cases before the Lord, in child-like simplicity to pour out all our heart before God, saying,
"I do not deserve that Thou shouldst hear me and answer my requests, but for the sake of my precious Lord Jesus; for His sake answer my prayer, and give me grace quietly to wait till it please Thee to answer my prayer. For I believe Thou wilt do it in Thine own time and way."
"For I shall yet praise Him." More prayer, more exercise of faith, more patient waiting, and the result will be blessing, abundant blessing. Thus I have found it many hundreds of times, and therefore I continually say to myself, "Hope thou in God."

George Mueller

Super Bowl Sunday

Today is a big celebration day! It's Jon (Holthe's) birthday and the Super Bowl! So nice of the NFL to throw a party for him! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JON!!
My Jon was out on call till about noon today. We both got a nap this afternoon, and I baked cookies while doing laundry. Our Super Bowl party was quite the extravaganza...I had TWO Diet Cokes and put peanut butter on my celery sticks!! Quite the splurge! It's been a fun game to watch no matter who you're rooting for. I don't like a blowout when the two best teams play each other. Hopefully Jon won't have any more calls tonight...he's tired and fighting a headache.
Pray for our church...they will probably have a pastor candidating yet this month. We really need God's man in this place.

Thought for the day

I must confess that I've not been praying enough for the pastoral search at church. As the months go by it's easy to forget that the process is going on to stop praying about it. Now that we are getting close I pray again that God will give us the right person for His purposes here. These are good people who need a man that can teach them, lead them, and love them. It's been a long dry spell.

In Process

I hope your week is going well. Do you have weekend plans? We're planning on going out to eat with friends Friday night and planning on going to Tre's game on Saturday. Then, of course, there's the snow that Jon will get to move after it all falls...another 4 to 5 inches they're saying. I've been trying to get together our stuff for our tax appointment and shuffling the stuff from 2009 to 2010. It's not that big a deal, but I always drag my feet when it's time to do that job. After waiting like 7 weeks we finally have all of the Christmas gift we ordered from Cabelas for Tabbi and Trever. We also have two extras of the 3 pieces we ordered...and maybe more on the way. What a mess...I won't be jumping up and down to order online from Cabelas again!!!

Thought for the day

I'm still hammering out the application of the books "Humility" and "Absolute Surrender"...some days better than others :) God is doing a good job of showing me what kind of ugly is still inside me and how helpless I am against it. That's a good thing to know and a good place to be. God can't be ALL until I'm NOTHING. The process continues.....

To Des Moines and Back Again

Yesterday I went with Tabbi to watch Tre's basketball game then came home to finish cleaning. Last night we went out to eat with Connie and Larry and my mom for her 91st birthday. It was a wild party!!!! Then today we went to Des Moines to visit Megan and Greg (a week late for Megan's birthday). We ate at Ruby Tuesday and went to Jordan Creek for a while. It was a very nice day!
Tomorrow it's back to work and supposedly some more snow! Surprise, surprise!!!!!! It's about time...we actually saw bare spots in the fields today while driving. I think we saw a dozen groups of deer driving home today with any number from 4 to 40 in a group. I know that's the most deer I've ever seen on any drive. All of them were well away from the road until we were a half mile south of Harlan and one almost came onto the road in front of us. But we made it safe and sound!

Thought for the day

Now I'm reading "Absolute Surrender" by Andrew Murray...a very good follow to "Humility". Believe me, God has been doing a work and while it hasn't all "felt good" it has been liberating. He is setting me free from me! I've not arrived, but I am greatly encouraged and completely confident that He will complete what He has started. God's ways are best. Don't be afraid to lay yourself down and let Him have His complete way in your life. Do it because it's His way, but I promise you it is also the only path to peace and joy in any measure!

Back to Normal

Life returns to normal. Jon is home in the evenings again after working a full week of at least 16 hour days during and after the ice storm. He falls asleep really fast in his recliner, but he needs to catch up on some sleep. Even better news, we've gone 48 hours without a trip to the ER!!!

I hope you have weathered the weather well. Today we had sunshine with our cold temps, and that was nice, too. We plan on visiting Greg and Megan on Sunday to celebrate her birthday a little late. I hope Jon's rested up by then. We are also going out to eat for Mom's birthday this weekend and hopefully can get her in and out okay. It's quite a challenge to navigate with her when conditions are less than perfect.

There was a comment today on my Blurb listing for my book from a man in New Zealand! Weird. You know the internet is all over the world, but it still surprised me. We're watching "Superman Returns" tonight. Didn't realize we'd never seen this one...pretty fun.

I hope all of you have a great weekend! Stay well and safe!!!

Horizontal Snow

Today was a day of horizontal snow. It is just CRAZY windy outside, and even though it's not snowing much we are in a blizzard warning till midnight. I talked to Jon a while ago, and he had been up on a pole...the first one he's climbed in maybe six months. He said it hard to even hang on it was so windy. The best part of the story is he said the worst part of it was he couldn't get his belt on...had to ask the other guy to help him. Pretty sure the belt didn't shrink, but you never know!! :) Truly, though, today's conditions have been the worst they've worked in for this storm.

"Chuck" and "24" tonight...YAY!!!! I hope all of you are staying warm and safe...tomorrow will be a little better!

Pride or Humility

Did I tell you a while back that I was reading about pride in a devotional? The writer suggested spending one month in concentrated prayer asking God to expose and remove every kind, form, and degree of pride from your heart whether from evil spirits or your own corrupt nature. Then ask God to awaken in you the deepest depth and truth of that humility which can make you capable of His life and Spirit. Serious stuff and you better mean it. The revelation of pride is painful and humbling...but that's the point. Humility is the root of repentance and salvation just as pride is the root of sin. It is so subtle and deceptive that we can be born again, living for Christ, and still be full of pride. When that is the case our victories are few and fleeting, and we feel a chasm in our soul...a gulf between what we believe with all our hearts and what we live in reality. The clincher is that humility must be our position, not only with God, but with every human relationship and encounter we have, as well. We MUST be the servant of ALL. That's hard stuff in ourselves...not easy to hear, and impossible to perform. Therefore, we are helpless, which is the only condition in which God can finally become our ALL.
Are we brave enough to believe that God means what He says? He tells us to lose our lives (our pride and glory) in order to save them. When we put ourselves in His hands and trust Him, seeking His glory over any given to us by man, He will keep His word and every promise He has made.

More Quotes

I have a few more quotes to share from Andrew Murray.
1. "It is easy to think we humble ourselves before God; but humility towards men will be the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real; that humility has taken up its abode in us, and become our very nature; that we actually, like Christ, have made ourselves of no reputation."
2. "The lesson is one of deep import: the only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The insignificances of daily life are the importances and the tests of eternity, because they prove what really is the spirit that possesses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we really show and see what we are."
3. "Let us look upon every brother who tries or vexes us, as God's means of grace, God's instrument for our purification, for our exercise of the humility Jesus our Life breathes within us."

Are we really interested in living the life that God has provided for us and will supply in us? Do we actually want to settle for less?

Humility

I'm trying to live out the "thought" in my last post in regard to a very daily issue in my life. I've finished my Tozer book and have started "Humility" by Andrew Murray. More and more I come to realize that EVERY issue has a spiritual aspect (as per my last post). I am having trouble figuring out what my responsibility is in the situation and how to address it. I know this is vague, but I'd appreciate your prayers when God brings it to mind. God knows all the details whether you do or not. I'm trusting that He will give me wisdom as I seek Him, but it can look a little overwhelming. "Humility is the only soil in which the graces root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure." (Andrew Murray)

Gotta Get Moving

We just finished watching the first regular episode of "Chuck". It was the best one ever!! I hope you all enjoyed it! Gotta love it! What are you up to? We're pretty relaxed around here. Or maybe it's called lazy. I should go down and get on the treadmill for a little while and find something else to work on.

Thought for the day

I was reading Matthew 15 this morning. The passage was about what goes in a man doesn't defile, but what comes out does. It reminds me that any issue I come up against is, at its core, a spiritual issue, and the answer is found in Christ. Taking time to truly focus on Him until I know that I have heard from Him gives Him the opportunity to speak into every area that I am facing in my life at a given time. Whether it's my attitude, my speech, my habits, or my __________ (fill in the blank), I don't think it can be truly resolved until I bring it to Christ, see it with His eyes, and leave it at His feet.

Cold Saturday

Today I was home by myself while Jon was working on a truck at the shop. It was a great chance to sort, pitch, and put away (some of my favorite activities). I cleaned out the med cabinet, put away all the rest of my Christmas stuff (except for the lighted houses, jingle tree, and willow tree shelf), cleaned floors, and did laundry. I still will dust, fold towels, and plan on putting up new pictures today. I even got in a little reading. It's still very cold here, but the sun is shining and the snow looks so pretty. Yes, I said pretty. Those words will just about get you stoned around here these days.
Last night our Wednesday night ladies group met for supper and games at Joyce's house. It was a blast. We laughed so hard it hurt. And there was some crying, too. Joyce's food was awesome, but the new recipe cake I made...not so much :( Live and learn!

Thought for the day

I'm reading a book of 12 sermons by A.W. Tozer called "I Talk Back to the Devil". The name comes from the title of the first sermon, and the collection covers lots of areas where we compromise and sell out. It hits hard at the tendency to hold back in the area of our walk with God for the sake of convenience, pleasure, reputation, and a host of other "concerns". We sure don't want to be whole-heartedly God's...someone might think we're a fanatic! How horrible! I'm sure glad Jesus was a fanatic. Enough of a fanatic to die on the cross even for me. Maybe I should cope with some inconvenience?!?

A New Pattern

Christmas is over; the tree is down. I still have some things up and I'll keep my lighted houses up for quite a while. We had a wonderful time with all the kids and grandkids together. Everyone was healthy and the cousins had SO much fun together. I still need to put up some new pictures (thanks, Kelli and Jon and Tabbi and Trever). I'm still trying to get statements out at work (lots of hiccups this month), and I'm trying to adjust to working five whole days in a row!! What a baby! I haven't had a chance to wear my new winter coat yet, but I'm GREATLY enjoying watching the birds go crazy around the newly hung bird feeder (THANKS, JON)!!! We got a few new ornaments for our tree this year, too, from all the grandkids and a special Wicked Witch of the West ornament from Greg and Megan (or was it just Greg???). One of my favorite things is when we sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and the kids blow out the candles on the cake.

Thought for the day

I read a book by Stormie Omartian named "Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On". It was a very good reminder about what it means to walk with God daily. We all talk about it. We all intend to do it. But do we actually pray the words? Do we actually tell God that we love Him? Do we actually turn over the day to Him and actually ask Him to have His way? I know for me that I believe these things and they are my intent, but I know that in reality days can go by without really coming into His presence on any intimate level. The reminders in this book have helped me stop and really say the prayer. I have found it easier to recognize that I have a need and actively bring it to Him. It seems that I have gotten into a pattern of just expecting God to do His part without me asking Him. This has allowed me to slip into a pattern of not talking to or communing with God in a vital way. If I don't come to Him with my needs I miss out on His fellowship in a huge way every single day. I have a book to loan if anyone else needs a nudge!!

Christmas is Still Coming!

We're looking forward to having our Christmas this Saturday with our kids!! Kelli's and Megan's will arrive later on Friday and we'll party all day on Saturday...YAY!!!!!! First, though, we have to get Tru feeling better...poor little guy...it's his turn to have pneumonia! Get well fast, buddy!!! We're praying all of you travel safe and are well for the weekend!

Thought for the day

I love this verse from The Message.
Matthew 7:24 "These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on." It's easy to start taking familiar passages for granted and to feel like you already know what it says and you've "got it". But when I read it worded from a different perspective it always takes on new life. This reminds me not to take the words of Christ lightly just because they're familiar. Every word He says is a word I need in my life. If I let it pass by me I lose the opportunity to let God do His work in my life. I need to pay more attention and be alert and aware of what God may be saying to me when I read His word!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!! This has been a memorable Christmas...blizzard, cancelled plans, Jon working. It's been just Logan and me hanging out yesterday and today...the same tomorrow and Sunday, no doubt. The snow and wind have been unbelievable with more coming tonight and tomorrow. Holthe's and Melby's all stayed home...smart choice. Culver's are in Winfield until they pick the best time to go back to West Des Moines. So all of us are safe and warm except for poor Jon working all the time. He said they probably have more people out of power tonight than they had last night. What a helpless feeling. Please pray for the safety of all the people who are working to keep us safe, warm, and dug out again!!!! Here are a few pix from my day.

Plan B

Now we're thinking that we may wait till New Year's weekend to have our Christmas if that works for everyone. At least that's plan B. But there are other options...

Jon and Kelli and the girls won't be making the trip this weekend. I'm not sure Megan and Greg will even be able to get here.

Pray for the Week Ahead!

Today we were home all day...well, I was. Jon went over to the shop for the afternoon. He's still working on trying to put in a remote start on the Suzuki. He has a ton of hours in it...so wishes he had hired it done. I cleaned, baked, and listened to lots of great music. It's getting close. I'm done shopping but still have some wrapping to do.

Mom had a stomach virus and ended up in the hospital for dehydration. She was MUCH better after a 24 hour stay and is home again doing okay.

The weather looks dicey for the week ahead. Pray for clear roads and weather!!! Pray, too, that Emmy gets much better and no one else gets sick!! My stomach is off tonight...don't need that!!

More Ills

Today was a blur. We said goodbye to Daryl this morning and both went to work. At 10:30 my mom called me and wanted to know where I was. She had called my sister's house 2 hours earlier wanting to go the the ER. They were both sick with the same stomach virus and told her to call me. She got in confused and thought THEY were going to call me, so she'd been waiting for me to show up for 2 hours...not a happy camper. She was mostly just dehydrated, and her blood pressure was high. They admitted here at least overnight to get her fluids up and her blood pressure down. In the meantime, I went and got all her meds refilled. After work I went to see her then went to her house to clean floors and gather sheets and towels for the laundry. I'm tired. We'll see if they really let her go home...I don't think she's really going to be ready to be on her own.

Emmy is not handling her steroid so well...cutting it back to half to see if that goes better. Pray that she (and the rest of the family) are well enough to enjoy Christmas. Jon's one med was doubled yesterday to hopefully give him more relief in his arm so he can sleep better and have less pain overall.

Thought for the day

We are shot. Going to bed!

Surprise Visit

Surprise! We got a phone call tonight from a friend who was coming into town and needed to crash here. Daryl was in the area for a family thing so we get a chance to visit! My shopping is all done, and now I'm waiting for things to arrive so I can finish wrapping. I still need to use up a vacation day, but I haven't figured out how to fit that in yet. It's still a little crazy at work...not so much for me but others are still under some pressure which means it's harder for me to be gone. I still have things to do before next weekend, but it will work out fine.

Keep praying for Emmy...poor little thing has asthma and pneumonia. Lots of rest and meds for the next while. We will need to take it pretty easy with her when they're here and help her mend. At least Kelli understands all of this better than her mother did! She knows just how it feels.

Thought for the day

Any new plan for keeping Christ in Christmas? We'll be doing our birthday cake for Jesus again. I'm always open to suggestions!

Preparations

It's been a busy weekend. On Saturday Tabbi and the boys were here for a few hours. After they went home I did some wrapping. This morning we went to church and since then I've been baking buns and peanut blossoms. Actually, the "buns" are still just dough in the bowl, but it's time to make them into buns and bake!

I hope you have had a great weekend! I got to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" last night while wrapping...YAY!!! Well, time to get back to work!

Thought for the day

By the way, God does still give gifts of healing, word of knowledge, tongues, and prophecy no matter what a preacher says from the pulpit! He still speaks and works through people filled with His Holy Spirit. Read your Bible and believe what it says instead of listening to any person that tries to construe it into something it's not!!!

Reading Plan

Today I finally got caught up at work. Harvest is winding down, and the stress level is going down. I really enjoyed a snow day home yesterday. I did laundry, cleaned, and made M&M pretzels. I'm getting closer to having my shopping done. My plan is to completely finish shopping this weekend either online or in the city. I probably have some more cards to finish, and I haven't started wrapping. But I promise to have everything ready by the big day!!!

I'm thinking about my plan for devotions for the coming year. What I've been doing the last two years is I divided the Bible into 5 sections: Old Testament history, Poetry, Prophets, Gospels and Acts, and Epistles and Revelation. I started the sections at the same time reading 2 chapters at a time in Old Testament history, 1 in Poetry, 1 in Prophets, and 1 in either Gospels and Acts or Epistles and Revelation. I didn't get to every section each time I read. If you read this amount every day you can finish in one year with time to spare for missing weekends and other days. I took me 2 years to get through. I have lots of plans for getting through in a year, but this was less pressing (obviously). When you finish any section you just start it over. What I like is you get passages from different sections instead of feeling like you're in the Old Testament forever. I would alternate Gospels and Epistles...Matthew, then Romans, then Mark, then 1 Corinthians, etc. I do that because it can be long to read all four Gospels back to back. You do finish the sections at different times, but they are pretty close. I'm still not sure whether I'll stay with this plan for the coming year or not, but I'm always open to suggestions!!!

Thought for the day

The Bible is worth investing time in...not just because it's good material. It actually is a gateway to God's heart. The goal is not to master the book but to know and fellowship with the Creator.

Catching Up

I'm catching up a little...I put up my tree and decorations on Saturday and wrote some cards on Sunday. I may be cutting back on the number of cards this year, we'll see. I've done some more online shopping and it's starting to look more manageable.

We got snow dumped here today...probably 6 plus inches already with the more intense blizzard conditions still coming overnight and tomorrow morning. It's definitely a winter wonderland out there!! Tonight around midnight we're supposed to get the 30-40 mile and hour winds that may bring trouble. Jon's on call, so pray for his safety! All the schools in a huge area are called off and LOTS of other places closed and stuff cancelled.

Thought for the day

Snow day tomorrow...thanks, God!!

Falling Behind

It's been a busy week with a busy weekend ahead. I've been working some longer hours getting out statements and catching up on corn records. The late harvest has really put me back in getting ready for Christmas. I went to my ladies' group Wednesday night. Last night we went to Tre's and Tru's school Christmas program...an eventful one...more details later. Tonight we went to a retirement party for one of Jon's coworkers. Tomorrow I go to Tre's basketball game, and tomorrow night we go to my Christmas party. Sometime I have to get my tree up and the rest of my decorations. I need to work on cards and letters, too. Plus, I have shopping to finish...eek!! How are all of you doing?

I'm determined to be more "aware" of Christ this Christmas, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed that I'm already behind. I need a great strategy! Any suggestions? I'm also thinking I need to get up earlier in the morning...I'm losing ground on my quiet time with getting everything else done. It would help if I could go to bed earlier, but that would require eating supper earlier which would mean I need to get off work sooner, and so it goes. I feel a little out of control...I sure hope God is in control! I guess that's my thought for the day!

WHEW!!!!

Whew!! Okay the high-stress meal of the year is over! Cooking a big heal and having it all come together for a group of people has never been my strong suit, so it's a little stressful for me, but it was worth it! It was great to have everybody together. Very glad Kelli, Jon, and the girls were able to change plans and come after all!! The kids had a great time both with cousins and aunts and uncles! I hope all of you had a great holiday and are ready to gear up for Christmas!

Thought for the day

The holiday rush is here again...decorations, letters, cards, shopping, wrapping, baking...What is that you do purposefully through this season that helps you focus and not lose the wonder of Christ coming as a baby? It helps me to have some short alone time...maybe with music, maybe not...maybe candles, maybe not...just a chance to be still and remember why I do what I do for Christmas, not just scramble to get it all done. What is it that helps you???

Emmy Turns 6

Happy Birthday, Emmy!!! It's great to be six!!! I hope you had a great day!

Baking and Memories

Hi, everybody!! It's the weekend before Thanksgiving, so today we went and got groceries for our turkey dinner which will be next Saturday. After that I baked some cinnamon rolls and buns...actually I should say I'm still baking. The cinnamon rolls are in the oven now and the buns will go in after that in shifts. The tough part is they will go in the freezer till Saturday...bummer. We may be able to snitch a few out first. It's been a good weekend. Yesterday I went to watch Tre's basketball game while Jon was helping on the farm. Today after going to church I got caught up around the house while punching bread dough. I'm working with the girls to figure out Christmas gifts and holiday plans...I LOVE this time of year!!!

Thought for the day

I was thinking about Philippians 3..."forgetting what lies behind, and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Forgetting what lies behind can be easier said than done. We are human beings, and we have memories. When we have a pattern in our life of repeated failure, broken relationships, or refection it is impossible to actually forget. When we are faced with similar circumstances now it's easy to fall into the thought process that the pattern will repeat itself. To set those memories aside we have to make a deliberate choice to see what God's truth is. He declares to be new creatures with a new life hidden in Him. Our old life was crucified with Him, buried, and we were raised to a new life in Him. He is the truest thing about us, and our identity finds its reality in His life. Hang onto the good memories. Learn from the not so good. But understand that who you really are is wrapped up in the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory.

It's Done!!!

It's finally done!! You can go to www.blurb.com to see a preview of my book! Click on bookstore and search for Fringes of His Ways. Hope you like it...I'm tired and going to bed!

Review Copy!

WOOHOO!!! My review copy of my book came yesterday! I've made some changes, still considering another change before I upload again and order my books. I'm really happy with the way it looks. I hope it will be meaningful to more people than just me. Thanks to all my girls--all of you found changes for me to make that really improved the book. Thank you, Jon, for putting up with me while I take the time to get it done and for letting me spend the money :).

Yesterday I spent the morning cleaning up and waiting for the FedEx truck. Tabbi and the boys came around noon and we were able to take the boys out for combine and semi rides which they loved. They stayed overnight and went to church with us this morning before going home again. I spent all of the afternoon proofreading, editing, and doing laundry. Jon was cleared to drive truck again, so he's glad to be able to help with harvest. Now he will be busy with trying to keep up his therapy while being able to work more. I'm tired. It's been a good weekend!!

Romans 12:2

Jon's supposed to do another four weeks of physical therapy, but he got a good report from his doctor. He goes back there in four weeks, also. He did have to cut back a little bit on the intensity of his routine, but had some other restrictions lifted. The cutting back helped decrease the swelling. Today he didn't have to go to work and went to help on the farm instead. That made him feel MUCH better!!
Last night we got to visit with our friends who are visiting from New Jersey. Tom and Joanne are doing great and headed back home today. It was so good to see them again!!

Thought for the day

This was the verse on my flip calendar yesterday
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is." Romans 12:2 (NLT)
I love that version of this verse. "let God transform you into a new person by changing the WAY YOU THINK." We get focused on changing our behaviors and don't understand why we keep hitting a wall. It's our thinking that we have to let God change. We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. That means that must take our thoughts and examine them before God to see if they line up with His word...the Truth. If not, it's the thought that must change...we must let God have His way, and when we surrender to His will we will find that it is good , pleasing, and perfect. But we won't arrive at that end until we let Him have His way in our thoughts. It's all about surrender...again!!

Choices

Jon is still doing physical therapy, but still has too much swelling in his hand and wrist. We're praying that it will go down so that he can make more progress. He's working very hard on his exercises and stretches. We're looking forward to the weekend...Megan and Greg are coming Friday till Sunday morning. On Saturday we'll all go watch Tre's basketball game, but we don't have any other specific plans. Megan's been working hard on proofreading my book draft, and I'm ready to make some corrections then put in my order...I'm so excited!!

Thought for the day

The more I get to know different people, the more I realize we all endure something. Some people have a health issue; some people have a failed relationship of one kind or another; some people live with misunderstanding and disappointment. The common thread seems to be that when the individual puts his or her struggle into God's hands, he or she grows and comes to know God in new ways. That is a choice we actually have to make...will we grow bitter, or will we grow in humility and tenderness? God becomes even more precious when we let Him fill the void that is left by our losses. Let's choose wisely!

Ego

It's been a busy week. Jon started physical therapy and is spending about 3 hours a day on doing his water therapy and exercises. He's very diligent! There is still a lot of swelling in his hand which we hope to see improve soon. Wednesday night I went to my ladies' group. Last night we were invited out for supper to a really great new restaurant...Tony's BBQ Bistro in Walnut. The food was REALLY good, and the spinach artichoke dip appetizer was the best I've ever tried. It's a small place with very personal service. Tonight we went to a casual get together for Jon's work that was very nice, too!
Tomorrow we go to Tre's first basketball game, and it will be great fun. We have plans for Sunday afternoon and evening, too...we're invited to Greg and Megan's for a visit. Jon will be busy just fitting in his therapy!

Thought for the day

I was comparing some scriptures the other day and was looking at the verse 1 Peter 2:11. In the NASB it reads "...abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul." Now "fleshly lusts" makes me think of the bad stuff...you know, the kinds of sins that you think you'd never commit. But now read it in The Message..."Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul." Ouch! That hits a lot closer to home! That is addressing my attitude, my pride (again), my thought life, my patience, my...myself! So every unkind thought, word, or action is an indulgence of my ego and costs the welfare of my soul in every instance. Okay, then I remember Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." There it is again...lusts of the flesh. Though The Message takes that verse a different direction, I should think that we can make the connection that we should not make any provision for our egos. For one thing, that seems to point to being very aware of our motives...why do we do or say what we do or say? Do we try to be noticed or take an upper hand? Do we pick our associations or activities based on the opinions of others? Do we live our lives to make an impression on someone else? All these things would be making provision for our egos. Instead, "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ...become the servant of all, prefer others over ourselves, and show mercy as we've been shown mercy. All these heart changes begin with a decision...a definite line in the sand...but are also moment by moment surrenders of the will and will require a lifestyle of dependence on the Holy Spirit. Isn't that what Jesus has had in mind all along...a lifestyle of dependence on Him? He loves us enough to make real life impossible without Him.

Harvestfest

Yesterday was Harvestfest in Harlan. Tabbi and the boys were over for a while for costume contest, games, free hot dogs, and trick or treating uptown. It was colder than we thought and finally started raining so we left before the parade...I'm not even sure whether they had the parade as it kep raining. We went to see "Where the Wild Things Are" last night...didn't like it much. Certainly not for young kids. Don't think we'll be buying that one, but the good news is "Ice Age 3" comes out on DVD this week...now THAT'S fun! Firiday night we went to the Step Up To Life banquet in Omaha with Poggensee's and Dallas, meeting Jim Greve there. Lois had to work and Kathy had a migraine :( Very nice evening. Tonight we may be going to a concert at Hansen Bros Coffee.

Thought for the day

Everything I read is pointing me to humility and loving and serving others unreservedly. I was reading 1 Peter chapter 2...lay it all aside...that being offenses, sins, misjudgments, bad choices, stupidity, malice, deceit, envy, slander, hypocrisy...mine and everyone else's. Exteding grace. Having tasted His love, "now drink deep". Don't indulge my ego at the expense of my soul. (The Message) That really gets my atttention. In the NASB it reads "abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul." That makes me think of more obvious outward sins, but "don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul" puts things in a different light. Now (again) we're talking about my ego, my pride, and my attitude. We are to honor all, love the brotherhood, and submit. All of this helps to contribute to the joy of obedience and fellowship and dependence on Jesus.

Windows

Finally a day of sunshine!! It's quite windy, but I did get the windows cleaned today. They were really dirty, and I feel much better to have them done. Now I'm waiting for the screens to dry so I can put them back in...then I'm done! Jon seems to feel better today...he went out to the farm for a while and that was a good change of scenery for him. I'm finally feeling a little bit caught up, but still somewhat congested and having a scratchy throat. I still need to get the the store, too. Then it will be back to another work week. That shouldn't sound so sad, but somehow it does. I hope your week will be a good one!!

Thought for the day

I think I need a nap...

Broken

More pictures from the weekend...can you tell we had a good time? Jon's kind of uncomfortable and miserable tonight. An added bonus, our furnace isn't working. Hopefully someone can come fix it tomorrow. We'll have boys for a while tomorrow...probably bundled under blankets watching cartoons till the furnace gets fixed. Hope you all have a great (and warm) weekend!

Thought for the day

I've had a sense that God is up to something, and it's true. There's been a shift in my heart, and He's doing something new. It shouldn't be new...humility should have been playing a greater part for years now, but the truth is, it's been lacking. I've been full of my own brand of pride, and He's broken it...I hope completely. This is one of those things I want to stay broken. I'll let the repairman stay busy with the furnace...leave the "me" broken, please.

SACK RACE!!!

Here it is...you've all been waiting...THE SACK RACE!!!!

Busy Week

It's been a busy week. On Thursday last week we went to Jon's doctor and he got the splint off. He got a short cast that stops below the elbow which is more comfortable, but he's still not sleeping well. On Friday we went to Grand Forks. We went to Emmy's soccer games...it's true...she tackles the kids on the other team...IT'S HYSTERICAL!! Sunday we went to a pumpkin patch and had a great time. I have video of the sack race...anticipation...

Thought for the day

I'm reading, or rather, using a book titled "Oxygen Deep Breathing for the Soul". The title makes me think of Emmy ("I took a deep breath"). It's pretty cool. You supposed to do only one chapter per week focusing on the selected passage of Scripture and then doing some exercises with each one to help you hear from God and apply what you've read. Amazingly (not), the first week's passage went right along with the things that God has been showing me lately about relationships. He sure does have a way of making Himself heard if we care to listen!

No Passing Zone

We had a busy weekend...at least the last half. Friday night we stayed home and were just glad to be inside. It was cold, rainy, windy, and homecoming...eewww. We slept late on Saturday, went to breakfast, then took off after lunch to drive a couple of hours to a wedding. Congrats to Matt and Katie!!! Today we went to church, then Greg, Megan, Tabbi, and boys all arrived and we took my mom with to lunch. Had a surprise visit this afternoon from Dawn and Ashley (all grown up and here by herself!). Jon and I went for a short walk after everyone left, and now I have to decide what to do about supper. Jon did pretty well riding in the car and I think next weekend will go fine if we plan on several stops to stretch and rearrange. Looking ahead now to that trip...YAY!!!

Thought for the day

God is continuing to work me over and show me the same things again and again to help me let go of areas of self and pride that would hinder His work in and through me. I'm trying to just let Him work and make no excuses or justification for my sin. I want to call it a different word, but the truth is that it's sin. To know the right thing and not do it is sin. He didn't ask if I felt like it, wanted to, or was so inclined...He just said to do it. I don't get a "pass" based on my temperament, age, hormone levels, state of physical health, history, genetics, circumstance, or the amount of sleep I get. It's time to put up or shut up. That doesn't mean I'm on my own...the Creator of heaven and earth is standing by to do through me what "I" am unable to do. BUT I must relinquish my right to say no and let Him do it. How about you?

Answers to Prayer

We got some very good news today...Jon does not have a rotator cuff tear!! We're very thankful that he won't be going through that kind of repair. We made a couple of other stops and had lunch at Applebee's before we came home. BYW, Applebee's oriental chicken salad is a huge winner!! I went back to work for about 3 hours this afternoon...ready to print statements in the morning.

Thought for the day

Continuing from yesterday...God is really pulling my chain. He's showing me the nastiness that still exists in me. I believe He's answering a prayer that I've been praying. It was from a devotional book by A.W. Tozer, and the prayer is that He would "make known and take from my heart every kind and form and degree of pride, whether it be from evil spirits or my own corrupt nature and that He would awaken...humility..." The new realization of a person's own pride in some area is quite painful and certainly humbling. Not fun... God, have Your way and do Your work. Don't waste this...accomplish all that You want to do. On the bright side, He's answering this prayer as well as the one that Jon's rotator cuff isn't torn...THANK YOU!!!

All I Need in Him

How is your week going? Jon is doing much better...much less pain. It's just still tough for him to find a way to get comfortable for the whole night. He gets more sleep than he used to, but wakes up to rearrange and start over every couple of hours. Tomorrow he sees the orthopedic doctor again to check on his progress.

Thought for the day

I am amazed how quickly I am overcome when I depend on my own strength. It doesn't matter whether it's a temptation, a trial, or unfair treatment...I want what I want, and I want it now! It's hard for me to stop, but stopping is exactly what I need to do. I need to stop and remember that God has provided me with a "way out". He has provided what I need in that moment...His presence, His power, His protection, His covering, His substance, His perspective, His measure of my worth. Those will bring me to the TRUTH...He loves me, values me, and will walk me through as I find my needs met in Him instead of anything or anyone else.

Melt Our Hearts, Lord

It's Saturday!! Last night we kept Tre and Tru overnight so Tabbi could work today. Trever is a little better but a long way from "well" yet. He's had a really tough virus! Jon's pain level is down, and he's been able to cut down on his pain medication...good news! He still didn't sleep well last night...hoping he'll have a better night tonight. My friend that had a double lung transplant is doing SO well. She'll be leaving the hospital Monday or Tuesday, but will need to keep living in the area for I think 3 months to be monitored by her doctors. It is such a privilege to see God answer prayer! I'm really enjoying my "Wednesday night girls" group. I will be learning so much from these ladies about gratitude, contentment, and grace. Their lives testify to God's mercy and power and grace in very extreme circumstances...they are a blessing!



Thought for the day



He who is forgiven much, loves much. I am seeing first hand how those whose lives have been ravaged by sin, hopelessness, mistreatment, and difficult circumstances are lifted by the grace of God into a level of peace, contentment, and gratitude that shames the rest of us. We "in the church" are SO comfortable and spoiled that we quibble, pout, and argue over nothing. We whine and complain about the slightest challenge or inconvenience and expect God to answer when we snap our fingers. What happened to waking up in the morning thanking God that He has seen fit to love us and send His Son to die for our sins? When was the last time that that truth alone brought us joy? Then, in addition, He has given us so many blessings. Have we thanked Him lately...this week...today? I'm not pointing a finger at others without pointing it at myself. Let us allow God to melt our hearts again with the wonder of His love and grace.

Detour

This week is going differently than we planned. We were going to leave on Friday for Grand Forks, but Jon took a detour to the ER in the afternoon. He fell climbing into the bucket on the truck and hit the ground about 14 feet later. Now, a few days later, we know that he has several breaks in the right wrist and arm, a fractured right scapula, a cut above his right eye, and a very sensitive spot in his rib cage. The doctor will decide next week whether he needs an MRI to check for a rotor cuff tear. It's hard to see him hurting and not be able to do anything to relieve his pain. We appreciate all your prayers and good wishes...keep praying.

Thought for the day

God is good...it's almost impossible that the doctor could have set so many fractures in the hand and wrist without surgery. We're so grateful for that!

Anguish by David Wilkerson

Okay, people, maybe nobody's out there, but I like to do this anyway. I saw a very convicting piece on facebook today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMG_PVaJoI

This is by David Wilkerson and is VERY powerful. It really did convict me and I'm going to keep going back to it for a while. But I must be honest and say that I'm writing this WHILE I'm watching TV...finals for America's Got Talent, what can I say.

Labor Day Weekend

I really needed this long Labor Day weekend. Not going back to work today was perfect. Friday was the 39th anniversary of our first date so we went to Casa de Oro for supper then to see a movie..."District 9"...the worst movie we've paid to see in a long time! But the company was great!! Saturday we had breakfast at Hy-Vee, and Jon worked on dies for a while then spent the rest of the day working on GPS cables. I was catching up on some random things...Quicken, dusting fans, sorting out some clothes, cleaning our grill, doing more setup on my phone. Tabbi and the boys came late morning and were here till 3 or 4:00. Sunday after church Jon worked on GPS while I did laundry, cleaned all floors (better than I had in a while), dusted, sorted, put away stuff. We met Connie, Larry, Mom, and Shawn's family at Pizza Ranch for dinner and spent an hour at Mom's after. Later in the day I went to a friend's house to pray for her neck and had a nice visit. Today I got to sleep in till about 7;30, then we went to breakfast. So far I've cleaned the fridge and put away laundry. I'll probably spend a lot of time today proofreading. We may clean vehicles later or do something when Jon's done downstairs. I hope all of you had a good weekend, too...any highlights you want to share?

We are getting increasing numbers of monarchs in the tress behind our house. They are migrating south for the winter and we should be seeing them for another week or two. I love it!!

Thought for the day

If we are Spirit-filled Christians what, exactly, is our role? Granted, there are as many roles as there are people, but in a general sense what part do we play? I'm hearing a lot of neediness and statements about "what I need". And that is valid...we do have a need to be taught, encouraged, and developed. But shouldn't we be the ones who also have something to offer? The normal Spirit-filled Christian life should be one that is broken, humble, serving, and allowing Christ's strength and power to be made real in the place where we are. How about church? Should we go to church primarily for what we receive from it or what we can bring to it? I fully agree and understand that we need to be taught and trained...but by whom and to what end? So we can gather together and impress each other or so that we can serve and endure as lights in the world? We need both the input and the outflow, but we must be sure that our source is the Lord Himself and not just a culture or atmosphere that gives us a sense of spiritual belonging. In the end that culture may only serve to build itself up rather than reach out in love to a lost world that we encounter every day.

LG enV Touch

Hi there!! I got my new enV Touch yesterday...I really like it! It has a huge screen both inside and out and lots of settings to experiment with. Now I have to get some ringtones. A hint for those of you with enVs...if you have lots of pix on your phone that you don't want to lose buy an SDmicro card to put in that slot on your enV and you can move your pictures on to it. They can be moved to a computer via a card reader (I believe). Also, when you get another phone you can just plug the card into your new phone and voila...you still have your pix! It was great. Another plus with Verizon...if you sign up to manage your account online (just means you can access...you don't have to pay that way) you can get "backup assistant" for free. Every day they update your entire contact list and when you get the new phone you call them and they walk you through the download and, presto, all your contacts!!

Thought for the day

"...it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil." I like words like strong encouragement...refuge...hope...anchor...sure...steadfast. We have lots to hang on to! Be encouraged!!!

Spoiled

Apparently I'm getting spoiled this week! Today we traded off the pickup for a 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara in dark green...low miles and very cute! Also, it won't leak in the rain and it's much easier to see out of! There's even talk about a remote starter in the future! Tomorrow I go to the dentist, and I see Sandy on Thursday for a touch up. Then sometime this week my new phone will come, too. I'm not quite sure what to do with all of this...a little overwhelming. Thanks, Jon!

Thought for the day

It never ends...we will be human for as long as we live. No matter how well we know the Lord we will always be able to sin. All it takes is to lose connection little by little, day by day. Distraction...not evil...just distraction comes in and before I know I'm coasting along in my own strength and doing fine for just a while then I start downhill...frustration and discouragement turn into anger, resentment, depression, even a little rage mixed in. And still I don't know what's wrong...it takes me a while in the hole before I realize that I've slipped away and it can feel like a LONG way back. In reality...a little time, a little focus, a little input from a good book or the Good Book and I begin to see what has happened. When I'm ready to relinquish He's right there...He always was.

Happy Birthday, Dad

It was a nice weekend! Tre and Tru stayed overnight at our house Friday night and were here until we took them back to Logan about 3:00 Saturday afternoon. They were coughing and sniffling, so we needed to keep a little quiet. We spent the rest of Saturday in the city. We looked at SUVs, went to Ruby Tuesday for supper, then looked at phones at the Verizon store. I'm due for an upgrade, and I'm going to get an LG enV Touch.

Today we went to church then spent the rest of the day on a variety of things. I did laundry and a lot of editing changes on my book. I even cooked real food for supper which I don't usually do on Sunday night. I still need to run the vacuum (at least). It's beautifully cool with a great sky today. I love it!

Today is my dad's birthday. He would have been 89...and, yes, I still miss him. I'm sure glad he's having a great time and I'll see him again!! Thank You, Jesus!!!

School Days

Tonight we're watching more "America's Got Talent". I know...addicted, it's true. It's just too much fun! We got to talk to Bria and Emmy tonight...they are SO PUMPED about starting school tomorrow. It's really fun to hear them go on and on! Tre and Tru started last week and are doing great! Tru is really tired at night...early bedtime! Jon went out on call for a short time tonight and is ready to be done now. I'm done, too...acid reflux kept me up last night so I'm hoping for better things tonight.

Thought for the day

Really tough day today...not on the outside, just on the inside. I don't know why, really, but not a good time. I don't think I would be very good at facing real adversity. I'm glad to know that God is there to sustain me to meet every thing that comes my way...because I know that I don't have that kind of strength inside me. I get a reminder like this every once in a while...it's never pleasant, but it keeps me humble and depending on Him.

Medieval Helpdesk

You might like this for future reference...in case we need to actually use books again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIuFfxg9saE

may try that again to see if I can post directly---nope can't figure that out! Apparently I need the helpdesk to do it!

Change

Even thinking about change can be a scary thing. You think you're all ready...MORE than ready...then you feel your knees knock when you start to take steps. Some things just change all on their own...your kids grow up, you get older (and better!), seasons pass, life cycles. It's the changes that you choose to make that can be more overwhelming...where to live, where to work, where to worship, whether to remodel, when to start a family, dog or no dog, cut and/or color, this car or that, regular or decaf...okay, some may not qualify as overwhelming, but some do! I can tell you that you can trust God to open and close doors and work all things for good, but I may not believe it so easily when it's me. That's another reason why we need each other...to help us walk through all of the above. I've been using more than my share of that kind of support lately, so thanks to you all! I'll try to manage at least the regular or decaf myself!

Century Farm

Today was a complete change of pace. I went to the Iowa State Fair with my sister, and we were presented with the recognition of Mom's farm becoming a century farm. We didn't do much else while we were there, but it was a nice day with my sister. The traffic was crazy, but at least it wasn't too hot!
Tonight I baked cookies...Tre and Tru cleaned me out yesterday! That's a good thing!

Thought for the day

I'm tired. Weird how doing something different makes you so tired even if it's not really "more tiring" to do. Seems like I've been up for days!! Gotta go clean up cookies!

Is a Change Coming?

It's been kind of a fun, lazy Saturday. This morning was rainy and dark with just a little thunder--YAY!!! I did get some laundry, errands, and cleaning done, but I also went to the library (we still have one...I almost forgot!) and got a new wallet. If you know me, and you do, you know that was a high spot of the day!!! I did a little writing, a little reading, but no 'rithmetic! Jon was working most of the day one place or the other then back again. Hopefully, no more today!! The plan for the rest of the evening is some supper and TV (maybe squeeze in a little more reading, too). Hope you all have a great weekend!!
I'm feeling like a change may be in order...waiting for God to show the way and the time (and the destination would be helpful, too :) ). I don't want to get ahead of Him or miss what He has! Pray for me!!!

Many Little Pieces

A quiet evening home...chicken and veggies on the grill...TV (surprise!)...paying bills...putting away laundry...sympathy cards... It's weird when you think about all the different little pieces of life that make up a day in our lives. This list didn't include the working, picking up prescriptions, talking to all of my daughters, one son in law, and one grandson. I gave a hug to a friend at the post office this morning, prayed, read, did sudoku puzzles, connected with a few people on facebook, by texting, and now on a blog. If you add them all up an ordinary day includes a lot of different layers. I (we) need to see the eternal value of operating by the Spirit of God in all these layers. I don't think that means being "out there somewhere" but rather staying in a vital relationship moment by moment with Christ that keeps us in an attitude of servanthood, humility, and dependence. I (we) don't need to "try" to do things in a "spiritual way", I (we) just live dependent on Christ and trust that He is being Himself through me (us). I'm not claiming that I live up to that, but when I list all the things in my day (or yours) they take on greater dimension and I see more possibilities and the slow unfolding of a tapestry that is being designed by God with or without my (or your) understanding. Again each of us is back to trusting that He is up to something and fulfilling His purposes in our lives.
I guess that's my thought for the day!

Blankets in August!

Cousins in tye-dye

Tre's fish

Grandpa fishing with girls

4 kids heading to fish

Just hanging out--blankets in August

We had a great time in Grand Forks! As you can see there was fishing, tye-dye projects, chilling out, even some shopping! Kelli had made new blankets for Tre, Tru, and Jon for their respective birthdays. They were beautiful and have already had lots of use. We went shopping for school supplies on Monday. It was great fun...I love school supplies. We really do appreciate all of Jon and Kelli's hospitality. Thanks Bria and Emmy for sharing your rooms and beds, too!! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Packing

Packing, packing, packing. It's time to head north tomorrow after we get off work. Megan and Greg will already be here, and we'll go get all the Melby's and drive to Kelli's. Quality family time...HOORAY!!!

Thought for the day

I haven't picked out my next book yet, but I think it will have to wait till after the weekend now. No reading time the next few days!! Can't focus on any other "thought" so this will have to do!!

Some Inspiration

I'm starting preps for the weekend...making lists, more lists, and a pile or two. We're excited to go!! America's Got Talent is on again tonight...YAY!!! It even got nice enough outside to go for a short walk tonight. I'm needing some inspiration...some good reading will probably do. It must be time to dig through the bookshelves and see what's there! What inspires you?

Thought for the day

It's always good to stoke the fire...to stir up a greater desire for the Lord. I get to a point where I know it's time for some time...I just need to settle in and focus and listen. He always wants to say something to me and to you.

Gary Smalley

Okay back at work again...the circle of life. Lunch out with Jon because he isn't working on Mondays...leftovers for supper...a wedding shower in the evening with (of course) more food. Tomorrow is my day to take my mom out for lunch...ARRGGHHH! I can be pretty good most of the time, but eating out blows everything, and I can't turn down a meal out! My back hasn't been feeling so great and losing some weight would be a really good move to give some relief or to be better prepared for any kind of treatment. Need to get my act together. HELP ME if you can!

Thought for the day

We saw part of a video at Sunday school yesterday on which Gary Smalley was talking about the way to pray persistently in the face of ongoing challenge. He was facing temptation and having inappropriate fantasies about another woman. He knew in his head that he wanted Christ to be his real source and fulfillment, but he was "feeling" like he wanted something else. So he would pray every day "God, I want You. I want You to be my life, my source, my satisfaction. I "feel" differently, but I choose You." He never approached the woman, but the feelings persisted. Do you know how long he had to pray that way before there came some relief and change in his feelings? TWO YEARS. I think that is an awesome testimony of what it means to persevere in prayer and stand on the truth. Good stuff!

Louis Giglio

It's back to hot outside...not horrible, but not like yesterday. We went to church this morning and had friends here for lunch and part of the afternoon. We watched one of the Louis Giglio DVDs that we have with them and watched another after they went home. They are really excellent and we are quite willing to share if any of you want to see them!
Here's wishing you all a safe and excellent week...LOOKING FORWARD to heading north next Friday! Look out Holthe's...we're coming!

Thought for the day

One of the messages we heard today was about when life hurts. It's very powerful and makes the point that when suffering enters our life we are given a megaphone and what is inside us comes out amplified whether we want it to or not. If we've built our life on the goal of our own happiness what will come out is despair, but if we've set God's greatness and glory as our highest priority what will come out is a testimony to God's goodness in the midst of the suffering. Suffering of some kind will come, so be prepared ahead of time and set your heart on Him so that when the megaphone lands in front of you, you give Him glory.

August 1

It's a beautiful day. August 1 in Iowa would normally be pretty unbearable, but today is sunny, breezy, big puffy clouds, and 70 degrees! Who knew summer could be so nice? We went to breakfast this morning, and Jon's been working on jobs that have stacked up for other people all day. I took Logan for a walk, caught up on bookwork, got groceries, made BLT's and corn on the cob for lunch, and am almost done cleaning house. I even squeezed in a short nap...perfect!

Pet peeve of the day...people with more money than we'll ever see in our lives who ask us to hold a $30.00 check till later, after Jon already wrote a $30.00 check for the supplies to do the work he's doing for them at no charge!! Crazy people!

Thought for the day

Bearing with one another...some days harder than it sounds. Can I at least pick the people I have to "bear with"? Okay, just venting!