A Redeemed Sheep

The Blessings of Down Syndrome

2011-11-22T07:11:00.001-06:00

Just go and read.

A Perfect Lily

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends....I am thankful for YOU.

A special guest

2011-11-19T20:43:00.001-06:00

Lucas is spending the night with us for the first time

AND

he will going to church with us in the morning.

My heart is full....

It's official...

2011-11-16T21:22:00.001-06:00

I'm in love...

Lucas - 8 1/2 weeks

friends

2011-11-09T10:49:00.001-06:00

I was chatting with some girlfriends when Shan smiled and said,

Its one of my favorite sayings...

I am {very} blessed to be counted as her friend.

Linus is very smart

2011-11-08T20:36:00.000-06:00

There Is No Sin That I Have Done

2011-10-23T20:30:00.001-05:00

One of my most favorite hymns...

The album, Merciful To Me, can be purchased at Reformed Praise.

Word Verification

2011-10-23T15:56:00.001-05:00

I can't recall which blog I read it on (and I wish I did so I could give credit), but they suggested turning off the word verification option on Blogger blogs since their spam filter does a great job preventing spam from getting through.

I have gone without word verification before and it wasn't pretty, but I figured it was worth another try....

The results?

One spam comment in over a month.

And that is pretty cool. =)

iOS 5 update

2011-10-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

I always get nervous when there is a major update for my iDevices. Today was no exception. The long awaited release of iOS 5 came out and I have been looking foreword to it along with many other people.

I am able to report that my update went flawlessly in less than 45 minutes. I know many are having issues and I hope they get resolved soon.

Did you update to iOS 5? What was your experience?

Off to explore and learn the new features of my newly updated iPhone. =)

The worst is the prep

2011-10-12T03:27:00.000-05:00

Picture credit: http://www.mrmen.com/uk/books

In case you all don't know, I am stubborn. When I dig my heels in, I am inmovable. If you get me to move, I am a.n.g.r.y. the whole way.

Ever since I turned 50 last December, I knew a colonoscopy was expected.

Nuh uh...No thank you...

I had my heels dug in and I was not going anywhere. If the topic was brought up, I walked away.

More like, stomped away.

I was scared and when I get scared, I get mad and the stubborn meter goes up a notch or ten.

My fear/anger stepped up to a whole new level when my husband turned 50. He is one of "those" people. You know, the ones that go to the doctor faithfully every year for a check up and follows doctors orders to a "T". He made his appointment like it was no big deal.

After some tears, yelling, door slamming and looking for something to smash (yes, I am admitting this to you all) I called my friend Naomi and invited myself over. I was a wreck when I called her and I later found out that she was seriously concerned that maybe Russ had left me or something because I was that upset. When she found out I was upset because Russ had the gall to make his colonoscopy appointment for the next week, she slapped me upside the head and told me to get over it. No, not really, she is too sweet and compassionate for that, she is a nurse, after all, but I wouldn't have blamed her if she had. Naomi and I came up with a game plan to schedule my colonoscopy on one of her days off and she would go with me and hold my hand. Russ graciously postponed his colonoscopy until I got mine done. I needed to go first. I was afraid if he went first, I wouldn't go through with it. His only condition, I had to get it done by the end of this year.

Yesterday was my day...

The nurse took me to the room to get ready and she told me take off my clothes. I told her, "no." I was the first patient of the day. I figured if I was really rotten the rest of her patents that day would be a breeze. See, I was really doing her a favor. =)

Yes, I apologized to her....And then the tears began.

I cried like a baby as they wheeled me down the hall. The doctor needed to listen to my lungs and asked me to take a deep breath, he got sobs instead.

I was terrified and I felt so humiliated.

And then, the next thing I knew, I was waking up and seeing the face of my darling husband and the sweet face of my friend, Naomi.

Everyone all told me the prep was the worst part. I was sure they were all lying to me. They weren't. It was the worst part.

Now I know.

Good- bye, Steve

2011-10-05T20:41:00.001-05:00

Comparing

2011-10-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

What do you think? Does Lucas look a bit like his daddy or what?

Lucas

2011-09-26T11:49:00.001-05:00

My first grandson, Lucas. I don't have great pictures yet, but I will work with what I have.

The stats:

9pounds 4 ounces (same as his daddy)
21 " long (same as his daddy)
born via c-section (same as his daddy)
Spent first day in NICU. He is doing fine. They had some concerns that he aspirated some meconium. (same as his daddy)

Seeing a theme here?

The first glimpse of him that the parents saw was a polaroid picture of him (same as me).

Lucas

The first time to see him was in NICU (same as me).

Lucas and his daddy

Lucas and his momm

Bring it!

2011-09-19T09:09:00.000-05:00

Found this on Pinterest and thought it was funny....=D

Propitiation

2011-09-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

This is a glorious doctrine!!

Pieces of Contentment

2011-09-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

I received a comment on my latest post at my quilting blog from someone I had not heard from before. One of the first things I do when someone new shows up on either of my blogs is to go check out their blogs. Thats how I make new friends. =) When I saw her blog, I was blown away....It's stunning and I knew I had to share it with all of you, too.

This is what the blog author, Pieces of Sunshine has to say in her introduction:

Constantly amazed by the grace of God, I live each day surrounded by the beauty and demands of my 8 children and loving husband. I look for, and find, evidence of His love and the peace only He can give as day turns into night, and night back into day...... I marvel at God's creativity and seem to spend most of my time forging order, faith, peace and joy within our everyday homeschooling life. Having some creative endeavours of my own in progress gives me great satisfaction and adds to my sense of contentment - a tangible reminder of how my days have passed.

This is a blog you will want to go visit and visit often. The photography is gorgeous and she obviously loves the Lord Jesus Christ!

I consider it a huge bonus that Pieces of Sunshine is from Australia. Why? Because its spring time in Australia, so as my days get shorter and colder, I can live vicariously through her blog to see color and warmth and remember that God is faithful. Contentment is something I struggle with and I'm sure this sister in Christ will have much to teach me about finding pieces of contentment in my own life.

Speechless

2011-08-31T13:03:00.001-05:00

I am so thankful this is not my pastor....

My 2 little guys....

2011-08-29T18:43:00.000-05:00

There are two little guys in my life that mean the world to me....

Tobin, seen here helping Reagan fix supper. He just turned 3 and he talks non-stop, which is fine. He says such funny things and always makes me laugh. When he got home from a four day vacation, I told him I missed him so much that I cried and cried. Apparently that was something that caused him some concern, because when he left for the day, he turned to me and said, "I will be back in the morning. You don't need to cry and cry. Okay, Mimi?" Awwww......

And this little guy is Zeke, aka Zekers. He is 19 months or there about. For this photo op I put him in a shirt that my hubby wore when he was a baby. He has a grin that melts my heart. His speech is exploding, so every day he has new things to share. Our latest trick is fish face. You know, where you pucker up your lips and look like a fish. Yes, I look very attractive making this face. No, I will not show you. Anyhoo, when I make this fish face, Zeke grins and leans in for a kiss and then he tries and tries so hard to make his lips do the fish face. He hasn't gotten there yet, but it's not for lack of trying.

Maid of Honor

2011-08-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

Funny name for a kitchen scale, don't you think?

I found her at a thrift store on last Saturday's ride with my hubby. She looks cute in my kitchen AND she is functional, which is why she came home with us. =)

The plan was to link up with

but I sort of forgot to schedule the post. Oooops....

Perfectly imperfect

2011-08-17T12:02:00.001-05:00

I don't care if it's scuffed up, battered and marred....

I love it anyway....

Linking up with

Things are a changing

2011-08-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

For the first time ever, this son of mine

will be going to public school.

No, he is not excited, but he is ready. He joined the football team and is making friends before the school year begins. He is also getting his first taste of kids who are...Simply put....Not nice.

This will be a very interesting year.

Strawberry Pie

2011-07-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

Strawberry pie is a summer favorite around here. I had my first strawberry pie when dating Russ. He makes the best strawberry pie ever...Shhh, don't tell him, but I married him for his strawberry pies.

Cook frozen pie shells according to the package directions. Place cleaned and quartered strawberries in cooked pie shell and set aside.

Looks good already!

To make the glaze, mix together in a sauce pan:

1 cup sugar

3 TBS corn starch

1 cup cold water

pinch of salt

Cook until clear and thick.

Stir in 1 box of strawberry Jell-o.

Pour strawberry jell-o glaze mixture over the strawberries. Place in refrigerator until set.

Serve with whip cream or ice cream....Yummy!

Brooklyn's 4th birthday

2011-07-22T11:24:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we celebrated Brooklyn's 4th birthday.

For those who don't know, here is the background information....

Brooklyn is my son, Holden's, first child.

He and Kayla, his girlfriend at the time, made the choice to place her for adoption. Kayla holds a very special place in my heart.

Jen and Steve, her parents, chose to have an open adoption and we are all involved in Brooklyn's life.

Brooklyn has lots of grandmas to love up on her.

It's obvious she is well loved...

I won't say that it hasn't been without it's challenges...All families have their challenges. Adoption just has some different ones. I speak from experience because my two youngest boys are adopted.

I will say this, even with the challenges that pop up, adoption is a wonderful thing ...

A book I highly recommend on adoption, is by Dr. Russell Moore, "Adopted For Life."

Every child deserves a family.

My man is 50!

2011-07-13T07:29:00.001-05:00

It was a fun surprise to wake up to this in our yard. He is adored by his nephews...

This card helped to soften the blow of being half a century. =)

Happy Birthday, Rusty. =)

Lost Island

2011-07-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

We are joining with two families for a fun day at Lost Island Water Park to do a little of this

and a little of this

however, NOT this!

Good-bye, trees...

2011-06-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

Even though pine trees are not my favorite, it was still sad to see them go.

They had a needle disease and were dying.

When they were healthy, they provided nice privacy for the deck. Lately, they were losing so many needles it was time to remove them. They made the deck unusable because of the sharp needles that always covered the deck floor.

I'm considering making a bench out of the stumps and place potted plants on it.

Today I'm going to power wash the deck and make it look nice again. Ugh...It's so disgusting.

Thrift Store Shop Hop

2011-06-19T08:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I spent the day with my blogging friend, Michelle @ Life with Lou in her town, where she took me to all her favorite thrift stores.

First, she handed me a box full of gifts for me. Here are two of the treasures that were inside the box...

There is another sheep that needs a home, a pink ceramic basket and a fat quarter bundle of vintage sheets. =D

Thanks, Michelle!!

These are just a few of the treasures I brought home last night....Michelle spotted this beauty on the shelf and allowed me to buy it. The bottom plate is in perfect condition. She is going to be put to use, for sure!

I love pretty glassware. This blue is my favorite color....

Next up, a romantic little lamp.

It was filthy, but cleaned up so nicely. I paid $2.50 for it.

The plan is to recover this lamp shade I found at Goodwill using this tutorial for the lamp. Maybe I'll get to it today. We'll see.

Gotta run and get ready for church! I get to be with the babies, today. =)

Pound{s} cake

2011-06-08T11:26:00.000-05:00

{Posted with permission}

It's been a rough week in our home. It usually is when I am down with a migraine, but it was made even more so difficult because of the extra activities that this week held...Reagan's first week of driver's ed class, Russ getting ready for his annual kayaking trip and the first Tuesday of the month which is the nursing home birthday party. Because I was non-functioning, Russ had to get the balloons, Mitchell took care of the birthday cards and the cake I was supposed to make for the party fell into Reagan's to-do list.

Here is Reagan's "cake."

Yes, it weighs over 6 pounds.

That's because Reagan thought two brownie mixes would equal 1 chocolate cake.

He gets brownie points for trying. =)

Anyone hungry? We have plenty to share.

Supporting Reece's Rainbow

2011-05-30T11:57:00.001-05:00

Laurie @ For Heaven's Sake is having a garage sale this weekend to raise funds to support Reece's Rainbow. She and her son, Nevin, have committed to raise $5000 for Cyril K.

Is he not adorable??

Perhaps you are his family...

My job is to make key fobs for her to sell.

A goal for the future is to make other small sewing items for her to sell online and to have a baby quilt (or two) to sell via silent auction.

I'll keep you posted on those details when the time comes. =)

Eidt: Here is another way you can help Laurie earn money for Cyril...Purchase a

Live Life Big bumper sticker.

Home Sweet Home

2011-05-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

A perfect vacation....

with lots of love and care from my family when I had a migraine...

and enjoying God's beautiful creation as a family...

knowing I am loved more than I can even fathom by a godly man given to me as a good gift from God...

and rejoicing that we are looking foreword together for that day of Christ's glorious return.

Vacationing very soon

2011-05-19T12:33:00.000-05:00

I love the beauty of homeschooling. Not only can we go on vacation while the public schools are still in session, but it's fun when what has been learned in history turns into a vacation destination: The Black Hills and the Badlands. Based on what Mitchell studied this year, he and his dad planned the whole vacation.

I am so excited to see these gorgeous displays of God's glory with my own eyes!!

A GREAT question...

2011-05-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

Patti @ A Perfect Lily, asked a great question on her blog in honor of Mother's Day...

As a mom, what do you wish others knew about Down syndrome?

I am not a mom with a child with Down syndrome, but my BFF Laurie is, and through her son, I have been richly blessed by his gift of Down syndrome. Laurie answered that question, along with many, many other mom's who are blessed to have the gift of a child with Down syndrome.

It's well worth your time to read.

Warning: tissue alert. =)

Tulip Time Festival

2011-05-08T20:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Russ and I went to Pella's Tulip Time Festival. For the last several years we had planned to go but either the weather was bad or there was a conflict in our schedule. Not so this year. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for the festival. The weather was perfect in the low 70's and the tulips were at their peak blooming time...I could kick myself for not taking more pictures of the events.

WHY does He love me?

2011-05-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

I often ask Russ: "Do you love me?" I know he does. I just like to hear it. =)

It's when I ask him why he loves me, that it gets tricky.

If he says he loves me because I am smart, will he still love me if I have an accident that causes brain damage?

If he says he loves me because I am pretty, will he stop when the beauty fades?

See what I mean?

The best answer he gives to me is, "Because I do..."

But the One who can truly love perfectly, is Jesus Christ. I pray the following Grace Gem will bless you as it has me today....

WHY does He love me?

To love, and be loved--is real happiness. Our highest honor, and our sweetest happiness below--is to be beloved of God. For if God loves us--He will withhold no truly good thing from us.

"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely--for My anger has turned away from them!" Hosea 14:4

What will God do for His people? He will love them freely!

He will prefer you to all others--setting His eye and His heart upon you.

He will take you into fellowship--the nearest, dearest, sweetest fellowship with Himself.

He will make you happy with the persuasion of the facts . . .
that He has loved you with an everlasting love,
that He delights in His love to you, and
that He will forever love you freely!

O blessed state--that the great, the infinite, the holy Lord God, will love a worm like me . . .
preferring me even to the angels;
indulging me with the freest, sweetest fellowship with Himself;
and sweetly persuading my soul of His eternal love to me!

WHY does He love me? Just because He will. The cause, the reason--is to be found in His loving heart, and sovereign will alone. Not because I am good, or amiable, or can repay His love--for He loves freely, and fixes His love on the mostunlikely and unworthy objects!

How precious the Lord's people are to Him!
Notwithstanding all their unworthiness and sinfulness.
Notwithstanding all their departures from Him, and unkindness to Him.
There is nothing on earth, or in heaven, except His only begotten Son--that is as precious to the heart of God, as His people are!

God's love is always free and unchangeable. Everything outside of God will change--but His love is immutable!

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you!" Jeremiah 31:3

Lord, help me to believe the love which You have for me--and to love You in return! O shed abroad Your sweet love in my heart, and fill that heart with glowing love to You!

(James Smith, "Loved and Blessed" 1860)

The Gospel Song

2011-05-05T08:03:00.000-05:00

One of my all time favorite songs....

He is risen indeed...

2011-04-24T20:56:00.000-05:00

Created by Eric Novak from Chicago IL

Cooking 101

2011-04-19T21:52:00.000-05:00

Me: Okay, Mitchell...It's time to learn how to cook.

Mitchell: I can cook!

Me: Macaroni and cheese out of a box does not count!

Mitchell: Mom! I can make spaghetti!

Me: Sauce out of a jar doesn't not count as cooking either.

Meatloaf, however, does count! Yummy!

Yeah for flowers!

2011-04-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

Spring is here!

Don't you just love the gas meter right on the front of the house? I try to hide it's hideous ugliness with the flowers and still allow the meter reader to read it...

Suffering

2011-04-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

He delights in the asking...

2011-04-04T08:13:00.000-05:00

An easy way to help Reese's Rainbow

2011-03-31T09:45:00.001-05:00

Patricia Heaton (Everyone Loves Raymond, The Middle) heard about Kirill and the work of Reese's Rainbow. She said:

I know there can be big pitfalls to social media, but I will be forever grateful to the tweeter who alerted me to the work of Reece's Rainbow. I clicked on a link to see the faces of those little neglected angels who have passed on, and immediately started weeping. It was so heartbreaking. Sometimes we feel helpless in the face of such horror, but because of the example of Andrea Roberts, we see that, with a lot of hard work and perseverance, there is something we can do.

Between work and family, I don't have a lot of time. But I do have financial means and a public profile. God charges us to use our circumstances, whatever they may be, to share His love with the world. I had just hit the 10,000 mark for Twitter followers, and the idea hit me - give $10,000 dollars - one dollar for every "Tweaton" who follows Reece's Rainbow. Accomplish supporting this great organization along with spreading awareness. So far, in a few hours, RR has about 500 new followers, and I hope many more to come.
I am involved in supporting various charitable organizations, but I have recently been asking God to show me where he wants me to be. I think Reece's Rainbow is an answer to that prayer. These kids have had very few people to be their voice, but Andrea Roberts has changed all that. I am so grateful to be a part of her work.

To follow Reece's Rainbow on Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/ReecesRainbow

To follow them via facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/#!/ReecesRainbow

And to follow Patricia Heaton on Twitter - and send her a big Thank You - go to http://twitter.com/PatriciaHeaton

Kirill

2011-03-26T15:07:00.000-05:00

This is Kirill and his parents. They are being kept apart because a judge in Russia decided that the little boy is too much of a burden to be adopted. He will be better off in an institution.

I am speechless...

Check out Kirill's family's blog for more information and ways to help bring this child home.

More information can be found on Reece's Rainbow and on For Heavens Sake.

"Because every family deserves the blessing of a child with Down syndrome..."

Praying for Japan

2011-03-12T14:51:00.000-06:00

Adding my prayers for the people of Japan....

John Piper posted a beautiful prayer, if you need help in how to pray for Japan.

Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. We cover our faces and kiss your omnipotent hand. We fall helpless to the floor in prayer and feel how fragile the very ground is beneath our knees.

O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment—in the twinkling of an eye—we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.

And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.

Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.

Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.

May every heart-breaking loss—millions upon millions of losses—be healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures' pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.

In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.
Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.

And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.

O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.

In Jesus’ merciful name, Amen.

There is a Fountain

2011-03-05T20:28:00.000-06:00

When I need encouragement, I listen to hymns. My favorite cd is Together For the Gospel Live. As I was listening to the cd this evening, the hymn "There is a Fountain," caused my heart to long for the days when I would sin no more...That day is coming, Praise His Name....

There is a fountain filled with blood 
 drawn from Emmanuel's veins; 
 and sinners plunged beneath that flood 
 lose all their guilty stains. 
 Lose all their guilty stains, 
 lose all their guilty stains; 
 and sinners plunged beneath that flood 
 lose all their guilty stains. 

 The dying thief rejoiced to see 
 that fountain in his day; 
 and there may I, though vile as he, 
 wash all my sins away.
 Wash all my sins away, 
 wash all my sins away; 
 and there may I, though vile as he, 
 wash all my sins away. 

 Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood 
 shall never lose its power 
 till all the ransomed church of God 
 be saved, to sin no more. 
 Be saved, to sin no more, 
 be saved, to sin no more; 
 till all the ransomed church of God 
 be saved, to sin no more. 

 E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream 
 thy flowing wounds supply, 
 redeeming love has been my theme, 
 and shall be till I die. 
 And shall be till I die, 
 and shall be till I die; 
 redeeming love has been my theme, 
 and shall be till I die. 

 Then in a nobler, sweeter song, 
 I'll sing thy power to save, 
 when this poor lisping, stammering tongue 
 lies silent in the grave. 
 Lies silent in the grave, 
 lies silent in the grave; 
 when this poor lisping, stammering tongue 
 lies silent in the grave.

He is good...

2011-02-21T09:10:00.000-06:00

It does my heart good, to hear a story of how God has saved one of His people.

Tom Martin Testimony from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.

Babysitting...Sort of

2011-02-11T15:15:00.000-06:00

I babysat my Laurie today while her husband was busy.

She has a bad ouchy foot. Something about bone spurs and having to move the Achilles tendon over and then screwing it back into place. I don't want to get all technical on you. Sounds painful, doesn't it?

I waited on her hand and foot. Cuz I am a good friend like that...

Actually, we sat and talked most of the time and planned a quilt.

This flower is a clue to what the quilt block we decided on will look like...

Coffee or tea, anyone?

2011-02-07T09:04:00.000-06:00

I found these cute canisters this weekend out junkin'. They were not a bargain at $6 a piece, but how could I pass up some 50's pink?

Note to self: Repaint the kitchen and get rid of the hunter green walls. *shudder*

Snowmageddon

2011-02-02T10:23:00.000-06:00

A foot of snow.

It's a blessing to have such kind neighbors.

By the kitchen door. The wind was howling last night!

2011-01-26T20:49:00.000-06:00

A measly pile of laundry is no match for Clay when he wants to sit on his favorite chair.

Single seniors?

2011-01-20T14:59:00.000-06:00

Me: Rusty, I keep getting spam about dating single seniors.

Russ: *laughing* Really?

Me: I don't get it. Why would I want to date high school seniors?

Russ: I don't think that's the type of senior they mean, honey....

Me: Just what are you trying to say, Russell??

Russ: *laughing* Never mind, hon....never mind.

Dinner conversation

2011-01-13T10:06:00.000-06:00

We were discussing what to have for dinner the following night. Mitchell was sharing his thoughts....

{Mitchell: I think next time for dinner we should have Italic. I love Italic. We can have Italic dressing on our salad and have Italic foods, like lasagna or spaghetti....}

It's funny when things like this come from a 5 year old, but I think it's hilarious when your child is 14! Yes, he knows I am sharing this with you all...

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T08:10:00.000-06:00

The GREATEST miracle of all...God with us.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name."

(Philippians 2:5-9)

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

(Mark 10:45)

Welcome to my world...

2010-12-22T12:27:00.002-06:00

Rumor has it, my husband was monkeying around at work today....

A Special Day with a VERY Special Girl

2010-12-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I was able to spend the day with my darling Brooklyn.

Opening one of theMelissa and Doug play foods. I wrapped them all, so she had a lot to open. =)

Playing with her new special occasion cake.

Being silly with her shopping cart.

Gotta run! I have shopping to do!!

Not gonna say...

2010-12-11T00:00:00.001-06:00

Procrastinator Extraordinaire

2010-12-10T11:14:00.000-06:00

If I had to name a character flaw that has caused me the most anxiety, it would be procrastination. I hate to admit it, but I have it fine tuned to an art.

This is not a good thing, people.

In case you were wondering....

My latest anxiety inducing procrastination: my husband's job Christmas party.

Which is tonight.

Tonight!

This is not good...These people pay him. Of all the things to procrastinate, it's not wise procrastinate on something that will cause you to mess up in front of your husband's boss and co-workers.

Did I mention they pay him??

This is NOT good, at all...

Last summer...s.u.m.m.e.r...I was asked if I would play a part in the Christmas play, a Who-Done-It, to which I enthusiastically said, "Sure!"

Last summer...

The party is tonight...

I don't know my part...

I read it twice...

I am doomed...

Except!! *dat dat dahhhh dahhhh*

I found out that Bill, my new best friend and co-worker of my hubby, hasn't even read his part yet!

YES!!!

I'm sharing my procrastinator crown with Bill.

When good things become bad

2010-11-18T13:40:00.002-06:00

I am not one of those who collects cookbooks and enjoys reading them. I own maybe 6 cookbooks, but the two you see are the ones I use the most. The "Be Good to Yourself," cookbook I bought when I was in high school...or as the little girl at church would say....once upon a time in high school.

Cookbooks can be good things.

Agreed?

They hold inside of them recipes that become a tradition to make every Christmas. For example this amazing sugar cookie recipe.

Or recipes that are comfort foods from childhood.

I ❤ my mom's baked rice recipe.

However, my cookbooks became bad things this summer. They became idols.

My idols were borrowed to gather recipes for a cookbook our church youth group was making. The cookbooks are being sold to raise money for Aide to Women. However, in the business of the season, my idols were misplaced.

Putting it mildly, I was mad...

Truth was:

I was bitter...

I punished...

I pouted...

I wallowed in self-pity...

Friendships were being damaged, even if only in my mind...

Not pretty....Not pretty at all.

Today, I talked to the friend who could best help me find the cookbooks. I confessed to her my sin of bitterness and how I knew I was wrong for allowing this situation for taking over my thought life (yes, I would dream about my cookbooks), however I also was able to share with her why they were important. She had no idea I had recipes of my mother's in them that could not be replaced. In her kindness, her Christ-likeness, she shared in my grief over the loss and even prayed with me that we would find them, more importantly, she asked God to help me to accept the loss if He chose not to return them.

She prayed with me about cookbooks.

She cares about my heart.

She is a good friend.

A true friend.

Before two hours had passed, the cookbooks were back in my possession.

Cookbooks, not idols.

Another example of God teaching me this:

People are more important than things....

Try NOT to sing along...

2010-11-11T16:22:00.000-06:00

I get chills running down my spine every time I hear Handle's Messiah Hallelujah Chorus.

Breathtaking...Simply breathtaking...

It's here!

2010-11-06T17:11:00.000-05:00

You can see a few more pictures on my quilting blog.

Estate Sale Times 2

2010-11-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

Yes!!!

All this pink loveliness...

is now mine...

My knees can't handle all the jumping up and down I did today, but I couldn't help myself. Just sayin'...

Now to make room for her in my sewing room.

Estate Sale

2010-11-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

I found a new sheep! See her up there in my header? I have been looking and looking for a new sheep for ages. I found her at an estate sale, of all places.

Here I am holding her.

Isn't she darling? I'm going to frame her and hang her in my sewing room. I did a scan or ten, did a bit of photoshop magic and now she is in my new header.

Yes, it's the little things that make me happy.

Look at THIS!! I saw this pink beauty off the kitchen...

I gasped...

audibly...

the neighbors heard me, I'm sure...

and ran to get a closer look...

only to see a sign buried under some stuff that it was not for sale and would be sold with the house. I could have cried!!

I know, I know I need to get over myself....

But, seriously....

I want it...

I found the daughter of the owner of the home and told her I wanted to buy it.

I begged...I pleaded...I cried...

Okay, I didn't go that far, but if I thought it would help, I probably would have. She said she would talk to her mom.

Maybe I should go back tomorrow and be a pest...

Uhhhh....Maybe that's not such a good idea. *wink*

At least I have my sweet little lamb and she was only 25¢.

I'm satisfied with my purchase. =)

Greg Lucas: Wrestling with an Angel

2010-11-04T09:52:00.001-05:00

Greg Lucas is a father with a beloved son who has severe autism. He writes about the lessons he is learning through the struggles of his disabled son on his blog Wrestling with an Angel. Very recently, Cruciform Press published his book, "Wrestling with an Angel: A Story of Love, Disability and the Lessons of Grace." You can read an excerpt of his book, as well as order a copy here.

The following is an interview with Greg Lucas about his book.

Be blessed....❤

Are you a No-Reply blogger?

2010-10-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

I do my very, very best to respond to everyone who leaves a comment on my blogs, even if it may take me a day or two, however, there are a few who I am unable to respond to. Why? The settings on your profile are not set to (show my email address). This would make you a No-Reply friend. It makes me sad because I want to reply to you. Truly! I do!

Since I am not into reinventing the wheel, Jodi @ Pleasant Home wrote a great blog post on this very topic explaining the how's and the why's you want to have your email address be shown and shares how to set your email up so the world doesn't have your main email address.

If it makes you feel any better, I was a No-Reply Blogger and a kind friend explained to me how to change the setting so they could contact me when I posted on their blog. It was a change I am glad I made.

Till next time!

Have you heard? Reece's Rainbow won!!

2010-10-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

Andrea Robert's has won the PEOPLE Magazine HERO of the Year Award!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

"Because every family deserves the blessing of a child with Down Syndrome..."

To find out how you can help families bring their child home go to Reece's Rainbow.

Farmer Boy

2010-10-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

Or should I say, Farmer Man. Seriously. He grew up this week!

The grand tour of the farm started with his favorite, the horses. He knows how to ride, saddle, and groom the horses.

Tinker was Mitchell's horse.

Sweet sheep...

Calling the cows so we can meet them...He named them all.

Mitchell took turns giving Reagan, his dad and I a ride on the 4 wheeler. After his ride, Russ said he would rather be in the driving seat. LOL!

Snickers did his tricks for the yummy cheese Mitchell had for him.

Not a great picture of the dog, but the look on the face of this son of mine makes my heart melt.

Mitchell with his new friends...Chris, Burdean and Dudley. I think he would go live with them and come home only for the weekends, even though he was woken up one morning by the sound of a sting of fire crackers going off under his bedroom window. Seriously. He didn't want to leave. Can't say that I blame him. Living and working on a farm is a perfect environment for a growing young man. I am thrilled he had this experience and I hope he has many more days on the farm with the Grabers.

On the way home, I looked in the mirror and saw this...I guess they wore him out.

Farming

2010-10-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

We sent him to the farm. Mitchell, that is. Actually, in his words, it's been more like camp. He has been riding a 4 wheeler, riding horses for the first time, taking care of the farm animals, helping with the combining, rock climbing, gathering eggs...All good fun for a city boy to experience. He didn't want to go at first, now he doesn't want to come home. ;-)

This is one of the many reasons why I love homeschooling. He may be missing a week of book learning, however the learning that is taking place this week will last a life time.

One of his goals this week is to make friends with the sheep.

Short blogging break

2010-10-02T21:09:00.000-05:00

I've got some things that need tending to, so I won't be around for about a week.

I'll catch up with all of you then!

Have a great week!

Love is a Verb

2010-10-01T08:25:00.002-05:00

The latest free audio book on Christian Audio is, "Love is a Verb," by Gary Chapman.

Go get your copy! It's FREE!

Precious TRUTH, Precious Child

2010-09-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

I heard a precious TRUTH from my sweet Brooklyn tonight.

"God made the world and all things in it."

Yes, Sweetheart, He did and He made you, too....

Tough lesson

2010-09-16T11:45:00.000-05:00

Reagan reorganized his folders on his Mac, put things in the trash and emptied it...Can you guess what happens when he clicks on the folder he had just created? Yup...It can't open it because it can't find the original file. One problem is he made it an alias.

He is researching to see if its possible to recover his essays.

I feel his pain.

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and wore it out...

He is way too much like me....I won't mention the time I deleted an account on the PC several years ago and lost a ton of pictures. Nope, not gonna relive that nightmare.

South Western Wisconsin

2010-09-12T16:34:00.001-05:00

Rusty and I took a day trip to Wisconsin yesterday. Just the two of us.

Here are a few of the highlights of the trip.

Not 10 minutes after I told Russ I thought it would be fun to have a sheep lawn ornament, we drove by a lawn ornament store and look at what we found! One of these lambs is now in my front garden.

The scenery in SW Wisconsin is stunning.

In a few weeks, when the leaves turn, it will be amazing!

We stopped at Norskhaven for lunch. It's a charming little shop.

I loved this stove, but it wasn't for sale...

I loved this table, but it wasn't for sale either. I guess they get asked if they will sell them all the time. I can see why!

Our lunch was a cup of chicken and dumplings soup, a cup of coffee....

...and for desert, apple cake pie with pecans. It was amazing!

Then we were off to the Kickapoo apple orchard to buy some apples. Yummy!

On the way home, we stopped to try out the famous Gunderburger for dinner.

He ate it all! Yikes!!

Thanks, honey, for a super fun day!

A happy Mancub

2010-09-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

Mitchell saved his money from his de-tasseling job this summer to buy himself an iPod Touch. Today, his very own 4th generation iPod Touch arrived....It's amazing!

Vote for Reece's Rainbow!!

2010-09-10T12:04:00.000-05:00

To tweet this or link on facebook you can use this shortened link http://bit.ly/VOTE4RR
THANK YOU!

From Sep 10 - Oct 8, 2010,

YOUR VOTES

can help Reece's Rainbow WIN the Hero of the Year Award and $10,000 from People Magazine!

Featured in Feb 2010 as a "Hero Among Us", Reece's Rainbow has now been chosen as a finalist in the 2010 People Magazine

Hero of the YEAR Contest!

VOTE NOW!

No restrictions, vote as often as you can

(but please, only legitimate votes)

Cross post on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogs, Yahoo groups, and

SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

This email was sent to lucille@poppiesblooming.co.uk by Andrea Roberts, Executive Director
Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry \| PO Box 4024 \| Gaithersburg \| MD \| 20885

Merciful to Me

2010-09-09T12:19:00.001-05:00

Merciful to Me is the latest release by Reformed Praise. You can listen to excerpts of each of the songs and download it from the iTunes store or from the Reformed Praise website.

It's quickly become one of my favorite albums to be playing in the background as I do my daily tasks through out the day.

For more details go to An Infant in a Cradle.

School days begin once again...

2010-09-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when school begins for our family. I know public schools have been in session for at least two weeks, but I prefer to start after Labor Day and start with a short week as we get our feet wet, so to speak.

This is our 10th year of homeschooling! Reagan is a junior this year....I don't know how that happened. Seriously! Mitchell is in 8th grade this year. We have classes lined up at our homeschool assistance program to supplement what we are doing here at home. Reagan will be doing chemistry labs and Mitchell will be taking some science classes and a writing class. Reagan is also one of the pianists for the homeschool play for this fall. Their schedule will be full, but not so full that they can't do the things they enjoy doing.

My goals this year began this morning at 5:00 am with Bible reading/study and prayer. I have been very lax with that in that area and my life reflects it, too. It feels to good to have a routine after having 3 full months of lazy summer days.

My tip: The ESV Bible+ app is a "must have" for your iPod Touch or iPhone.

What's for dinner??

2010-08-24T19:25:00.000-05:00

10 years ago...

2010-08-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

...I married my best friend...

Today, he took the day off and planned a day away for us. Our destination, Dubuque.

We visited several thrift stores, including my mom's favorite Goodwill store.

We enjoyed shopping at The Cotton Cabin, where Rusty bought this quilt kit of 1930's reproduction fabric for me. My favorite. ❤

We ate lunch at the famous Breitbach's restaurant. You can read more here. They have a fascinating history and the food is fabulous!

The views are stunning in this area of Iowa....

Russ did some more dreaming. This time it was a Goldwing. He LOVED it! The road was way too busy for my comfort level to ride with him. I have a couple of friends who own one, so I hope to talk one of them into taking me for a ride to see if I can ride one without being anxious. I had a bad experience on a motorcycle at one time which has caused riding with Russ impossible, thus he is looking at motorcycles that are quiet and have a big comfy seat in back in hopes I will be able to ride again.

Our last stop was J.T. Haderway...I had to take a picture of this place setting. You see, my mom wrote the card for it when she worked there. She's been gone for 4 years now. It's nice seeing a piece of her still at J.T. Haderway's.

I couldn't have asked for a better gift than to have my hubby all to myself...

Making lotion bars

2010-08-10T16:33:00.000-05:00

The recipe for the hard lotion that Casey and I use can be found here. =)

The big one is going to Africa where Casey's mother-in-love is a missionary.

Packaged up and ready to hand out to our friends.

Day tripping

2010-07-31T19:52:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy and difficult summer for our family. Russ and I took today to spend some much needed fun time together. We spent the day at Kalona.

Our first stop was Yotty's Hardware and Furniture to see if they had a cord for the iron I found last night...

Score!

I found this dainty little lamb dish at an antique store. So sweet.

Every time we go to Kalona, we stop by the Kalona Cheese House to get some cheese curds. You can watch them make the cheese curds through the windows, which is always fun to see. And its fun to eat them and hear them squeak against your teeth.

We saw lots of Amish buggys...

And I couldn't resist getting out of my car to take a picture of the Amish clothes hanging on the line. I got caught by a young Amish miss taking the picture. I'm sure she though this Englisher was nuts. Her smile was so pretty and kind when I explained how pretty the clothes looked blowing in the breeze. She was glad the hard work of getting them clean was over. I'm glad I have a washer and dryer.

We bought a box of Missouri peaches from Stringtown. It was less than $10! Yummy....

Next stop was the Harley Davidson storeroom where Russ could dream. I love the whitewall tires!

And dream some more...

I loved the trike, however $33,000 is not in our budget. {ahem}

Cardboard stories

2010-07-05T18:04:00.003-05:00

*Artist of the music in the video is Salyut 7. The song is called, "Into Splendor."

http://web.me.com/fromscarlet/dannyiverson/music.html

HT: Ben Terry

Timely devotionals

2010-07-02T06:29:00.000-05:00

Two of my favorite email devotionals I receive are Grace Gems and J.C. Ryle Quotes.

Today, they were most applicable....

Would you know the reason why so many hear the Gospel year after year, and yet remain unmoved by it? Their minds seem like Bunyan's "slough of despond." Cartloads of good instruction are poured into them without producing any good effect. Their reason is convinced. Their head assents to the truth. Their conscience is sometimes pricked. Their feelings are sometimes roused. Why then do they stick fast? Why do they tarry? It is their hearts which are in fault! Some secret idol chains them down to the earth, and keeps them tied hand and foot, so that they cannot move. They need a new heart. Their picture is drawn faithfully by Ezekiel, "They sit before you as my people, and they hear your words—but they will not do them—for with their mouth they show much love—but their heart goes after their covetousness." (Ezek. 33:31.)~ J.C. Ryle

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

"The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons! For what son is not disciplined by his father?" Hebrews 12:6-7

Christian! God is treating you as His own dear children . . .
in what He bestows--and in what He withholds;
in what you enjoy--and in what you suffer!

Our God has made you His children by adopting you into His family, and new-creating you by His Holy Spirit. He always . . .
  looks upon you as His children,
  loves you as His children,
  treats you as His children!

He will not GIVE you--what will harm you!

He will not PUT you--where you will be in danger!

He corrects you as His child, not in wrath--but in mercy.

He never trusts 'the rod' out of His own hand! Whatever is the MEANS of discipline--your Father is the AGENT! He works all things after the counsel of His own will.

You are at present 'under training'; you are being educated for eternity. The 'lessons' you have to learn--are for your benefit.
Every loss,
every cross,
every disappointment,
every pain--
is necessary!

Do you really believe this?

Do you recognize the hand of God in everything that befalls you?

Can you say with Job, "The Lord GAVE"--health, wealth, children, friends;
"and the Lord has TAKEN AWAY--blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Can you say with Eli, "It is the Lord--let Him do what He thinks best!"

How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself

2010-07-01T20:48:00.000-05:00

I'm praying God will help me understand His grace and be rid of the guilt and shame I carry with me. I can know He is Lord of my shame, Lord of my sinful heart and He is my great Redeemer (lyrics from Fernando Ortega, Sing to Jesus) in my head, but there is a disconnect between my head and heart. I think it's the reason why when God exposes yet another sin or a new level of understanding of a sin I have been working on, shame and guilt take over. I then live in the slough of despond wishing I could run away. Which is actually funny because where can I go to hide from God? (Psalms 139)

I've heard people talking about preaching the Gospel to themselves every morning, but I don't really fully understand what that means. My internet search lead me to Drew Goodmanson's blog and his post on the subject. I'm still processing...

How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself

The two critical events are repentance and faith. Errors people commonly fall in are (1) only dealing with the surface sin instead of the root sin and (2) preaching moralism to ourself instead of the gospel.

PART I: DOWN THE SLOPE OF REPENTANCE - Objective: To see and confess that I am a bigger sinner than I thought.

1. See and Own Your Sin: Examine yourself in the mirror of God's Word, your negative emotions and attitudes, and the responses of others to you. Guard yourself against sin's deceitfulness: the tendency to water down God's standard, compare yourself to others, shift the blame or commit ourselves to trying harder.

2. See the Sin Beneath the Sin: Don't move too quickly to confess and receive forgiveness for the surface sin (cheap grace, "I'm just a sinner" attitude. If you are anxious, yes go to Phil. 4, but what is causing your anxiousness?) Push the 'Why?' question until you find what you are looking to other than Jesus (your functional messiah) for meaning and value in life.

3. Expose the Idols of your Heart: Idols always disappoint

They are weak: They can't deliver when you succeed; they can only raise the bar. They can't forgive you when you fail; they can only lower the boom.

They are harmful: They hurt you spiritually, emotionally and physically. They hurt others by undermining your ability to love.

They are Grievous: Most importantly, by going after these idols/other lovers you are saying to God: "Jesus is not enough. I also need _________ in order to be happy.

Read the rest here...

Piper

2010-06-18T22:32:00.000-05:00

Rest in peace, Peeper Piper...Thanks for being our friend.

Minor surgery

2010-06-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of...I got a tooth implant today.

It was...interesting. Painless. Noisy. Not horrible, but I would have rather been doing something else.

My dentist said I was his favorite {ahem} patient.

I didn't do research prior to today. I figured ignorance was best in this case.

Doing the research now shows I made the right decision to be ignorant.

Hubz says this is my early 50th birthday present. I'd rather get 50 yards of fabric. {sigh}

Days gone by...

2010-06-15T03:50:00.000-05:00

Summer always brings about a level of business that prevents me from being here, though that is not a bad thing, I think. I need the sunshine and the warmth. I need to smell the scent of the flowers blooming and see the beauty of their colors.

I wish I could say I have been enjoying those things in the last few days, but the truth is I was in bed for two days with a major migraine. The praise? It's been a whole year since I have had one that bad.

Yesterday was my re-cooperate day. It takes my brain a day to settle down after a migraine. My boys were so kind to find other things to do and basically left me to have the house to myself so I could have quiet and rest. They were never far away if I needed them. I do love my boys who are growing up to be men right before my eyes....

Have a blessed day, everyone!

What is the Gospel?

2010-06-15T03:31:00.000-05:00

Little Wonders

2010-06-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

You must go read all about a very special little girl and her Make-A-Wish Day. Be prepared to fall in love with this very special little lady, Zoey Grace @ Little Wonders. She has throughly stolen my heart...

Thank you, Heather, for allowing me to share this special day on my blog...

People are more important than things

2010-06-07T15:38:00.001-05:00

But can I still be sad?

One more vacation picture

2010-06-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

Virginia

2010-06-03T07:28:00.003-05:00

We got home yesterday afternoon from our vacation visiting my only daughter and her husband in Virginia. They bought their first house. They will be stuck with us coming to visit often now that we have a place to stay for free. Somehow, I don't think she minds...

First things first, on the way out to Virginia, we stopped to visit the Creation Museum. For me, the best part was hanging out with hundreds of Christians. One brother gave us a coupon as we were in line and saved us the cost of two tickets to get in! The pictures at the Creation Museum website are much better than the ones I took, so check it out.

This scene had me laughing at the Creation Museum's petting zoo. The peacock was trying so hard to scare Mr. Wallaby.

It didn't work...

But he sure was determined...

...and beautiful.

Next up, the gorgeous drive on Skyline View at Shenandoah National Park. Just look at the stunning mountains and the deep cool valleys.

Oh, and the mountain laurel is in full bloom...What a lovely flower.

Whats that?

You can't see anything?

Well, that would be because my camera lost it's brains and would not turn on. I was not a happy camper. Russ suggested I use my cell phone camera. Picture this...Me with my puny cell phone camera next to serious photographers and their $1000's plus slr cameras. Ummm, no thank you. So, use your imagination or go to the Shenandoah National Park website.

Just in case you are wondering, I'm still bitter.

My camera did redeem its self by the time we went to the Luray Caverns. Now that was an awesome sight! Don't look for any pictures of Mitchell. He decided we were going too slow and went ahead. We didn't see him until we left the caverns. I've lost all control...No, I am not proud of that.

I took this picture on our way home because I got such a kick out of it...

No one in their right mind would call this manly-man "yeller."

Now I'm back to the real world. Back to a house that needs a serious cleaning, piles of dirty laundry and a very, very Kermit-the-Frog-green swimming pool.

And I am happy to be home...

Sensing a theme here

2010-05-22T13:11:00.000-05:00

New hairdryer, new toe polish, new shoes and new fabric heading to my house soon...

Do you go through color phases in your life, too?

Mr. Bigs

2010-05-21T09:16:00.000-05:00

Holden, my oldest son, moved back home for a while. He brought with him his "baby" Mr. Bigs. Do not let this innocent face {with the scary eyes I don't know how to fix} fool you...

Mr. Bigs is dangerous.

Very dangerous..

He is a plant killer!

So far, he has broken off iris buds, flattened several day lilies, and smashed the {I don't know the name} flowers.

It is a very good thing he's cute. {grin}

I Will Carry You

2010-05-20T16:14:00.000-05:00

This is a book I've been looking forward to reading and dreading at the same time. Grief is hard work...

School is out for summer!

2010-05-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

Yeah! One more year of school is finished! Woot! It feels so good to finally be done, even though the boys did all the hard work. I've spent most of tonight ordering their next year's curriculum.

When are your kids done with school?

Trust in God

2010-05-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

"God might bring deliverance that saves you from your present difficulty,

but He might not.

You don't trust in deliverance;

you trust in God."

~ Ed Welch, When I Am Afraid: A Step by Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety

This book is on my "must read" list.

We'll sing holy, holy, holy is our God

2010-05-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Amanda is home with God

2010-05-14T21:05:00.000-05:00

Pray for Amanda's family...

Amanda Joy

August 12, 1991 - May 14, 2010

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Trust in God

2010-05-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

"God might bring deliverance that saves you from your present difficulty, but he might not.

You don't trust in deliverance; you trust in God."

~ Ed Welch, When I Am Afraid: A Step by Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety

ht: An Infant In A Cradle

Big grin...

2010-05-12T12:08:00.001-05:00

Now you see them....

Now you don't!

Doesn't he have a great smile! It was pouring rain, so we had to take the second picture in the car.

Thoughtful Mother's Day surprises

2010-05-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

A "vintage" card from Reagan.

A card with sheep from Mitchell.

I'm not too sure which puppy thought I needed an expired baby bunny, but I appreciate the thought.

Have a great Mother's Day!

Women's Retreat

2010-05-06T20:27:00.001-05:00

A fun weekend ahead! Over 20 women from my church are going to a camp for a short retreat. I expect there will be lots of laughter, some tears, time to pray, time to learn more about one another and grow in our love for each other. I promised Judy there wouldn't be any emotional crying times. In order to keep that promise, I may have to leave the building for I'm sure I will cry at some point. I tend to cry at church or when I am with my church family.

Oh, did I mention there would be FOOD there, too? My contribution: Laurie's famous chocolate cookies. There are the best chocolate cookie in the world! I'm starting my diet on Monday. {wink}