My View from the Mountain

List for photo challenge ~ Join me!

2012-01-27T03:00:00.003-06:00

Have you thought about joining me? You can use your iphone, your cellphone, or any camera laying around. It doesn't have to be fancy shots from an expensive camera. These will be fun topics and will test your creativity a bit.

This will give you the weekend to think about what the 29-Day Photo Challenge involves. And I'm going to give you some wiggle room :). If there is a gorgeous sunrise, sunset or something green in your day, they don't have to be on the exact day that it is scheduled for. Go for it! But keep track of where you are so you can check off the things in the list. We will start on February 1st for 29 days!

Ready?! I will be taking daily photos, but probably only posting them on a weekly basis. Feel free to do it however you want! On your blog, on facebook, you choose!

You should be able to r-mouse click on the photo and download/print it if you want to.

adapted from here, inspired by a friend of a friend.

Healthy Spiritual Diet

2012-01-26T03:00:00.001-06:00

I digress.

I may do more than one book report on each book I'm reading. :) Because.

Proverbs 15:14 msg

An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;

fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

Spiritual Food Laws to live by:

1. Keep it colorful. Don't overload on only one choice of nourishment (one speaker, one author, one musician). We are surrounded by multitudes who are equipped to nourish us for the building up of the kingdom. Listen to your children. God often speaks through them. Humble yourself and acquire a taste for the different reflections of Christ's character in all His children.

2. A secret isn't a secret. Walk in the light where there is fellowship, freedom and peace. Be real about your struggles. If you can't go to church to get free, where can you go? When you bring your struggles into the light, you can see them for what they are.

3. Look past it. How often do we fix our minds and our focus on our worries and miss the bigger picture? We need to acknowledge our problems but not fixate on them. Remind yourself if God can create the world in six days, He can solve your problems without much effort.

4. Remember the metabolic rule. If we go too long without "eating' our spiritual metabolism will slow down and we will begin to lose our taste for the things of God. If our fellowship is weak, we will be weak and we will have little strength to stand on when the storms hit. Feed your soul regularly throughout the day.

5. Do "eat" at night. Its wonderful to end your day with a little soul nourishment. It is good to proclaim His love in the morning and His faithfulness at night (Psalm 92:2).

6. Practice partial fasts. What has a hold on you? Whenever you deprive yourself of something that you're selfish about having, it will be difficult at first. The fact that there is a response at all is more reason to press through and get victory over this thing that has a hold on you. And it doesn't have to be food related.

7. Listen. Really listen. Let the words nourish you. Words from friends, children, radio.

8. Guard your heart. Keep your heart a sacred place -- don't let weeds of bitterness and discontentment sprout up. Trials are God's way of working to purify hearts, renew minds, and strengthen resolve to love. Love and guard your heart and keep it a sweet and fresh place.

9. Take responsibility for your spiritual health. It is not your pastor's job or your husband's job or your friend's job to make sure you stay on track.

10. Use your strength. When you feel strong in the Lord, use that strength to take extra ground. In other words, pray longer, serve lovingly, and listen more. If God has given you a special time of favor, it isn't just for your health. It is because He has something more for you to do and He trusts you to do it. If you feel weak and fragile, hang on to this verse in Isaiah 42:3. When you are weak, hang on. When you are strong, take extra ground.

11. Join a bible study. Powerful things happen when women come together for the purpose of fellowship and spiritual growth.

12. Carve out your quiet time. If your day does not impart a spare moment, pray for some. It is is God's will for you to spend time together. He will answer your prayer.

These were the points in Chapter 11, A Healthy Spiritual Diet, in Balance That Works When Life Doesn't by Susie Larson.

live ready

2012-01-25T03:00:00.002-06:00

Jesus calls us to live ready, alert, prayerful and watchful.

How do we live ready? What does that look like?

May we refuse to take our days for granted and instead wrap our arms around faith, hope, and love and live in a manner worthy of His Name.

That sounds all good and pretty, but how do we to do that?

Open our eyes to the ways God is moving in our midst. Matthew 7:7-8 tells us that those who seek Him, will find Him.
We throw off sin, compromise, and petty thoughts associated with an earthbound life - Hebrews 12:1 tells us that those who believe they have better things to do than grovel in the dirt, will do better things. {duly noted}
Engage our faith. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that those who expect great things from God will accomplish great things FOR God.
Pray passionately. 1 John 3:21-22 reminds us that those who approach God with holy confidence and humble dependence with see miraculous answers to prayer.
Give generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 tells of those who sow generously will reap generously. And its impossible to outgive God.
We make every moment count for eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:11

We are not made for this place! We're just passing through. May we refuse the curse of a hurried, disengaged life. May we instead awaken to the power, provision, and promise written over us. May we access AND appropriate all God offers us that we might live up to our high privilege in Him.

May 2012 be a breakthrough year for you. May you live ready for Christ's return, making the moments count for eternity!

Thoughts from Susie Larson, author/speaker.

Happy 75!!!

2012-01-24T03:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my dad today. A whopping 75!

Some words that describe my dad:

Patient, wise, mechanical, thinker, stinker {literally}, happy, practical and full of common sense.

Happy Birthday to you! ♥ from your favorite daughter :)

Laminin

2012-01-23T03:00:00.001-06:00

One Word. Laminin. Never heard of it before.

But after spilling coffee on my jeans yesterday morning, finding my car battery dead, and Tim getting stuck in the driveway with the 4wd vehicle, I needed to be held together yesterday. My trivial pout is but dust. How can we let things rule our emotions that have no eternal significance?

Thankfully I finally make it to church and during Sunday School we listen to Louie Giglio. And at the end he explains Laminin. The video below is about 8 minutes, but make sure you listen to the last 4-5 minutes where he explains what Laminin is.

Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Indeed.

I've seen a lot of 'one word' blog posts about resolutions for the year. And I'm picking Laminin as my word. Because without Christ in my life, I would fall apart on a daily or hourly basis about things that don't matter. About things that other people do. About nothingness.

Do you have a word for 2012?

flashbacks

2012-01-20T03:00:00.002-06:00

this day, back in time...

thanks.

i needed that :)

photo challenge

2012-01-19T03:00:00.002-06:00

Anyone interested in a photo challenge? This looks fun. How do I find this stuff? Oh a blog of a friend's blog who has a friend who is doing this. Right.

I think I'll tackle this in February. I'm in need of some inspiration when it comes to my camera lately. I'm not going to upload them to flickr or link to another blog, just for fun, I'll be posting my photos on my photo blog. :) I see some more 365 projects going on (366 for 2012) and its fun to see what everyone is doing.

So on Feb 1, I'll make up 29 things that we can focus on during the month. Who's in?

if this is all we do

2012-01-18T03:00:00.004-06:00

"If this is all we do, we've missed it." ~Pastor Dean

Church. 1 hour. Sunday.

Have we missed it? Has the American Church missed it?

The men in our church just finished reading, The Hole in the Gospel, by Richard Stearns. Pastor Dean recommended this book to them. Before he left for the winter, he held the book up to the congregation and he said, "If all we do is sit in church, we've missed the point."

Amen Brother!

There was a time when I dreaded going to church. And this was not the distant past. I was expecting to 'get something out of church'. And I was the first one who said that we weren't going if someone asked, "Are we going to church today?"

What changed?

I realized that I was made to worship. Church wasn't about me getting something out of it. It is a time for me to honor God, serve others and worship. It is an hour of discipline for me. I'm a student and God has a message for me.

Have we missed it? By sitting in church on Sunday? No!

Our men jumped to action, made plans for two projects and are being God's hands and feet, walking the walk. I'm so proud of them for showing us what God's love looks like.

an honor

2012-01-17T03:00:00.003-06:00

Sitting in church yesterday, we honored a life, 87 years.

Foundations.

A life of faith.

Floyd started going to Chapel when he was three months old! He attended all his life, except for one year.

His family honored him with devotion and rightly so. This man was soft spoken but had a huge heart. It was an honor to celebrate his life and his legacy. It was an honor to call him friend. It was Holy Ground.

Funerals have a way of bringing you to your knees, and help you look back at the times in your life where you probably were shown mercy and grace and you came out unharmed. It reminds you of times where you should have forgiven or been forgiven. It brings to mind those who we miss, and those who we have been blessed to know along the road.

Sitting in church yesterday, I remember my distinct thoughts about a particular stain glass window at church. It has been several years ago and I was sitting in church looking at the window and seeing in my own life, how the foundation of faith was put into place when I was young. When you go through trials in your life, you hope that your faith is strong enough to sustain you and you hope that God knows your name because you desparately need Him to rescue you. The weird thing about this stain glass window was that it was suspended in my mind over a solid foundation and that is all there was.

A foundation and a stained glass window.

Then God began to show me that I needed more than a foundation of faith. That I had something to build upon and what was I going to do with my foundation and my stained glass window? Maybe some walls? Some rooms? At that time I didn't know. All I could visualize was the window just blowing in the wind. I knew I had some work to do.

Where do you begin when you have fallen away from what you know is the truth? How do you start building your life around those things when life got hard and you walked away? The road got bumpy and looked nothing like you had imagined.

Sitting in church yesterday, I realized that God planted me in this church, to grow, to serve and to love God with all my heart, soul and mind. And I have had wonderful saints who lead by example. God knew I needed a soft place to fall.

This is my 'local living church'. We are a family. We rejoice together, we mourn together, and we have a lot of potlucks.

Sitting in church yesterday, I heard and witnessed a life of service, and how Floyd served his family. I tried to picture my stained glass window and my foundation and started to inspect some of the areas in my life that God has raised up and pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Some areas that He has helped me build up and some areas where I've had to tear down, release and let the sump pump of life just push it out.

As I left church yesterday, I felt God stir my heart, renew my spirit, and gave me a new building permit. My faith journey has been revived and God is equipping me for what is to come.

checklist for trip

2012-01-16T03:00:00.001-06:00

This list is mostly for myself, so I can get my mind in gear and see what I have to submit within the next month for my trip:

Due by 3/1

Medical release form {schedule appt}
Check on immunizations
2 passport photos for my visa app and my passport
Emergency evac insurance form :)
Start learning Swahili words and phrases.
Start combing through Goodwill for some skirts and blouses. Capris are allowed. Shorts are not allowed. Good, because I don't even wear them here!
Just realized I'll be 59 when my passport expires! Ha.

Swahili Words and Phrases:

Hello...Hallo/Jambo

I am fine...Sijambo

Thank You...Asante

Grandmother...Bibi

What's your name? ...Jino Lako nani

My name is... Jina langu ni (Lori)

Chicken...Kuku

Friend...Rafiki [now I know I can remember this, my favorite person on the Lion King!]

Due by 4/1

Remaining balance

Tanzania is 8 hours ahead of CDT.

And remember, we are going to SERVE, not to be served.

A goal {thingie}

2012-01-13T03:00:00.001-06:00

I'm a terrible goal setter. And I'm worse at following through. I want the freedom to decide what to do and when to do it. Not some goal-thingie hanging over my head. But...

For 2012, I can say this is my goal:

To abide so closely with the Lord that I know

when to rest,

when to exercise,

when to serve,

when to pray,

and when its okay to relax and enjoy

the blessings He has given me.

not qualified

2012-01-12T03:00:00.002-06:00

I am not even qualified.

I'm only human.

I snore. I don't shower every day. I go to bed early. I work in my pajamas. I like to dig in the dirt. I drink too much diet pepsi. I'm mouthy. I roll my eyes. I don't call my kids every day. I don't call my mother every day. I made spaghetti for guests with no meat. On purpose. I don't fix supper every night. I don't clean my bathroom. I forget to get the mail. I skip meals. My gas tank is always under half, in the winter. I sneak stuff into foods to make it healthy. I go to the grocery store hungry.

How on earth can God use someone like that?

I'm only human. I break rules.

Why would God want to use someone like me?

Because.

Because He loves me.

And he loves you.

Thankfully Mary said, "Yes" when God asked her to be a mother. Thankfully Moses said, "Here I am, use me," even when he could barely speak a sentence and wanted his brother to speak for him. And Jonah. He ran in the other direction!

Sometimes the first step in serving God, is saying "yes".

Drop the net.

Follow Him.

You don't have to be qualified. God will use you for his Kingdom if you let him.

What is God asking you to do?

my morning plan

2012-01-11T03:00:00.003-06:00

I thought by organizing my books in my reading room page, I might start checking off some of them. Nope. I thought by keeping books available by various chairs, I might start digging in and reading them. Nope.

Since I'm determined to get through some of my piles of books {in no certain order}, I devised a plan that is working.

Merging my reading into my morning devotion time, and taking one book at a time and using that AS my devotional is working. I'm thoroughly enjoying this first book, as I've mentioned before. And I'm also learning how important it is to hold tight to my morning devotions.

You have no idea how my mental gymnastics want to take away that precious quiet time in the mornings, before anyone gets up, turns on the radio, TV, or whatever the white-noise for the day happens to be. I guard my time and if I sense someone might set their alarm earlier, then I adjust the coffee pot and my alarm for a few minutes earlier. Remember this post? Two years later and I'm still trying to figure it out. All the while, nothing really needs to be figured out as long as I get out of bed. I'm already doing what I need to do. And this post, going steady with EDDY.

This week I listened to a web-cast by Lysa Terkuerst, promoting her book, Made to Crave. I've not read this, but have read her daily devotional, which is very good. But she confirmed for me, what I already knew, that we should wake up craving God's Word, and ingest and digest His Bread of Life first thing in the mornings. By digesting it, we are taking it in, making it a part of who we are and how we live. The webcast went on to talk about the Action Plan of her recent book, which could very easily be done without the book. I'm going to investigate some simple changes {called fiber and polyphenols} along with what I'm already doing. Lysa is offering her webcast online through midnight Friday (click here) if you are interested in checking it out.

But back to my morning plan.

As my eyes fall open on God's Word, I'm fulfilled. My soul hunger is satisfied and it sets my heart on a pattern of how to crave God in my life. I'm also praying for discernment between soul hunger and physical hunger.

I mentioned that I'm already signed up for Live Healthy Iowa again at work. This is always the 'kick in the pants' I need to get moving again. My friend, wii-fit-plus trainer, was happy to see me this week and we've been making progress already. Movement is progress, right?! This week I was able to walk outside {yes, in the winter, in Iowa} for ONE HOUR! It was emotionally and physically exhilarating. Whew. My walking partner and I cover a lot of ground with our shoes and our speech. So the challenge in my mental gym, is how to fit both of these things in my morning time frame. But with a little more discipline, it is working right now.

I'm also participating in something called Million Minutes to Marvelous with another co-worker. I haven't heard or read about this, but all I have to do is log into their google doc and enter my minutes of activity for the day. VERY SIMPLE! These accountability partners are of great benefit to keep me motivated and challenged. And the weather is on our side this year! Woohoo!

I'm learning that balance includes input, output and rest. Balance also includes flexibility and this morning I'm traveling for work, away from home and my coffee and my couch. But I press on, and do what I can where I land. I don't have to lose 100 pounds for God to use me or to feel worthy in his plan. But I am called to be strong, healthy and available for his work. Tanzania here I come. ♥

winter?

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-06:00

In case you were wondering what we were doing last winter.

~shiver~

How quickly we forget when we are enjoying 50 degree temps, no gloves, light jackets, no snow shovels, no ice melt, no defrosters, you walk out and forget your coat somewhere, you keep imagining snowdrifts and walk outside to brown grass.

Over Christmas break, Eli played basketball outside, split firewood all day, rode bicycles.

Who needs winter?

At least for a year, it sure is a nice break!

words escape me

2012-01-09T03:00:00.004-06:00

sometimes...

God meets you in the middle of nowhere...

a country road...

a full moon...

a messenger bringing good news...

and funds to support my trip...

from my local living church...

[that's what Rick Warren calls it

in the Purpose Driven Life]

And I am...

Humbled.

Blessed.

Amen. And Amen.

p.s. went to the post office and mailed my first deposit today!

Update on Tanzania Trip

2012-01-06T00:01:00.002-06:00

I'm learning that when God plants desires in my heart, he infuses within me a dream that seems far beyond my reach. I know that in myself I cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins my journey of profound reliance on Him. It is a faith walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Him as much as I need. Not always successful, but nourished by increased reliance on Him. Lord, help me enjoy the blessedness of the victorious life, through deepening my dependence on you. ~my translation from Jesus Calling.

I'm ready for a growth spurt. A faith-deepening growth spurt. And I'm getting very excited about the upcoming trip to Tanzania. I've gotten a long list of projects that the teams will be doing, both in January (now) and in June. There is also a separate nursing student team that is going in May. How fun would that be, to go on a mission trip during nursing school!

The STEMM Children's Village is the orphanage and the first phase of the building projects is complete with four buildings that house a main office, the Head Mama's home, guest rooms, library, and classroom. All of the food is stored in one of these buildings. Two of the homes are for the Mama/Auntie's who live with the children. Currently there are 11 orphans living at the Children's Village. They will soon be admitting more children. They are also starting to fund raise to build another home and a volunteer home. The teams have also built a building where the Maasai guards live and a chicken coop for chickens by the Drake football team! They have planted banana and other fruit trees and raising vegetables. The goal is to become self-sustaining and then get other animals.

Some of the potential projects include:

Painting the inside of the children’s home.
Planting and agricultural work.
Painting at the local Mbuguni Health Center along with some assistance with health care there. This is a very poor village where we have our orphanage.
Lining up to do projects at the local primary school…painting, building of desks, etc.
We will go to the market and buy food for two other orphanages and bring to them. We will do bible studies with all the kids at the various orphanages. We will have some children’s bible designed and written in Swahili and English.
We will buy food and prepare the food at a compassion international project. Last May they fed 250 kids. Again in a very poor area. We will then have bible study with these kids. These kids get to keep these bibles…for many it is there first book ever…pretty precious.
Will go on Hospice home visits with a nurse who is a friend of mine. {Isn't it great how God's plan unfolds!}
HIV teaching at a secondary school…depending on if the students are there during June.

· The physicians will be doing some orthopedic surgeries and having some clinics at a couple of different hospitals. We bring medical supplies and medicine and donate to these facilities and bring our supplies we will need to do this work.

· We might be building a fence at this other orphanage. They have had some break-ins and not safe for kids…STEMM will be fundraising for this project.

· One of the teams will be doing growth and development assessments on the orphanages that we assist and then we administer worm medications to the kids. We bring the medication with us because its hard to get there.

· Will visit a Maasai village and see how the Maasai tribe live.

If you like their page on facebook, STEMM (Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries), you will see some of the pictures of the kids and the Children's Village. These pictures really got me excited.

God has put me in places where my own strength is irrelevant and my weaknesses are glaringly evident.

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, Here I am, send me!

Send me.

Compassion International highlight on Tanzania today. :)

Balance

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

I mentioned that my first read of the year was Balance That Works When Life Doesn't. Well, my friends, its a good one. Listen to this...

"With the demands of life pressing in on all sides, it is far too easy to lose touch with issues such as nourishment (intake), response (output), and replenishment (rest). And yet, this is at the root of all we do and why. When we look closely at what we put into our bodies (and our souls), how (or if) we exercise, and to what extent we replenish ourselves, we will see a very clear picture of why we feel the way we do. Once we learn and apply the very basic components of a healthy, balanced life, we give ourselves the gifts of strength, perspective, energy and room to grow."

Sometimes the simple things are the hardest. We know what to do and how to do it. So why do we not do the thing we want to do? And the things we don't want to do, we keep on doing? The Apostle Paul knows the feeling too.

Romans 7:15-20 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

in the pink

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-06:00

Notice anything about Jayla?

This is her favorite and only outfit at our house.

As soon as she steps in the door, she asks if she can put it on.

Its from a garage sale and she's been wearing it for over a year now.

{inspired} polka dots

2012-01-03T03:00:00.006-06:00

This puzzle was JJ's favorite when he was two or three. He and Grandpa Tim went 'round and round' over what was underneath each puzzle piece. Under the jeans was 'polka dot' underwear.

I've been wanting to do this.

And finally had a free Saturday.

And made some polka-dot underwear!

And the reveal...

still on holiday

2012-01-02T03:00:00.007-06:00

Today is Tim's 52nd birthday and he is already back in training class today. I've been promising to fix chicken fried steak for the guys, so tonight is the night. If you go over to my friend's blog, you will see Tim's peace gift. Last year Judy created an original 'peace' art for every day of the year. This year she is 'gifting' some peace art if you want to contact her and spread some peace on someone's birthday or special memory. She has a contact button on her blog that you can email her.

I'm savoring my holiday today, putting away decorations, cleaning and enjoying some time reading. I've done a great job in 2011 of COLLECTING books. NOW, in 2012, it is time to read a few. Starting with this one by Susie Larson:

Followed by this one. It is time to declutter. I've been talking about it long enough. I'm not sure I'm going to the extreme of this {eating only 7 meals, wearing only 7 outfits, etc} but this will kick me into gear. Or I may just read them at the same time.

My problem, I start several books at one time, then I go back and read one I've already finished because I liked it so much. So you are my witnesses, that I resolve to read at least one book a month. However, I'm not promising a book report on each of them. And I have plenty to get me through the year, including some I've borrowed from other people {sorry}!

And because it's January, it is Live Healthy Iowa time again. Always a good reminder for me to get moving, in spite of the weather. We did squeeze in a 2 mile walk last week on the track when it was 50 degrees. In December. In Iowa. :) Last summer my walking partner and I worked our way up to 4 mile walks about 2-3 times a week. Oh how I long for those miles, fresh air and encouragement. My co-worker and teammate, Renee, signed us up as the Groovy Grammas this year on a Live Healthy Iowa team. So hopefully we can stay in the groove! And keep moving. Did I see 50 degree temps this week in the forecast?

Looking Forward

2012-01-01T00:01:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

I grabbed this from Susie Larson's blog.

As the year 2011 draws to a close it's a great time to pause and thank God for the mercies He has shown us. Each and every morning this past year, new mercies greeted us because we needed them. Each and every night His faithfulness met us right where we lived. God has been faithful. We are still standing!

I'm always amazed when I hear movie stars say that they've lived with no regrets, because I have lots of regrets. With all of my heart, I wish I could say I never hurt another soul, I never uttered words that should not have been spoken, I never had a betraying thought, and I never got so busy that I missed my child's smile.

With everything in me I wish I could say that I've been grateful every day of my life that I have a roof over my head, fresh water to drink, a family who loves me, and a God who never fails me. I wish I could say that I've never been impatient with distracted drivers, or that I'm always gracious to rude people. Oh, Lord, I wish I were more like you! But I'm just me - someone whom God renews and redeems in deeper ways every single day. Oh, how I love Him so!

When the Lord told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and that his wife Sarah would bear a son in her old age, she laughed in disbelief and then tried to cover it up. But how is she remembered in the New Testament? As someone who believed God.

If you are a follower of Christ, your sins are forgiven. The regrets from 2011? They're covered in the blood of the Lamb, buried in the sea of forgetfulness! God remembers them no more! They are put out of His sight, no longer your burden to carry! Isn't that amazing?

What's even more amazing is what He remembers about you from 2011; He remembers every time you smiled at someone even though your own heart was breaking. He remembers when you laughed and played with your child while inside you were concerned about your finances. He remembers that you gave sacrificially to those who have less than you. All of these things are written down in the Book of Life - His book of remembrance of those He loves and has saved. Even when you talk with your friend about faith, He writes it down (see Malachi 3:16).

Do not let the enemy remind you again of your sins, mistakes, and missteps from this past year. If you are in Christ, you are new creation! There is therefore NOW NO CONDEMNATION for you who are in Christ Jesus.

Forget what lies behind and look forward with faith and hope and thanksgiving!

We are more than conquerors because of Christ in us! I don't think I'll ever fully comprehend His gift to us. But I am grateful nonetheless. ~Susie Larson

Cinnamon Rolls Pioneer Style

2011-12-30T03:00:00.007-06:00

I'm ending my 2011 posts on a sweet note. A cinnamon roll sweet note. My friend told me about these and I went straight to the blog of Pioneer Woman and dug up her recipe for these little gems. On Christmas Eve day, Eli and I made these wonderful treats. We gave some pans away Christmas Eve and we kept one for Christmas morning. My dough likes to sit by the fire too. :)

Is that enough proof? You have to make these! The frosting is very yummy too. The only thing on the recipe that I didn't understand was 8 servings??!! Is that 8 pans? Whatever. You can click here if you want to see her step x step instructions with pictures.

Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls ~Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 2 Hours | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar [I used 3 cups]
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
1/8 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.) Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.

These were well worth the time, very easy and the dough was perfect! Enjoy!

{my} Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-29T03:00:00.007-06:00

I decided to mix it up...a few pictures...a few blog posts...{my} top 11 of 2011:

11. A Blizzard

Although putting the blizzard on my list is a bit shady, I do love me a good snow storm.

Windows covered, driveway unplowable, a good book, and some hot chocolate.

I can say this today because we have had NO SNOW this winter!

10. A job

I never dreamed that having a job would be one of my top 11 this year.

But I've learned that my job gives me time and energy to be creative, and allows me to be available to babysit for many days in a row, or at the last minute. The flexibility my job allows is a Godsend and I know that it is a true blessing. Now that Eli is in college, I have been given the gift of time so have sought out other ways to honor God when I'm not working.

On the flip side of that, we have seen God's work at providing our daily bread since September when Tim was let go from his job. I haven't blogged much about it because we truly thought that he would have a job quickly. We have learned how to rely on God for a tank of gas or groceries. A full tank of gas is gold. Food in the refrigerator is silver. These simple things remind me of my friends in the village and makes me a much more frugal person when it comes to my needs versus my wants. Have we as a nation confused our blessings with material things?

Does it mean we are without blessing if we do without?

No.

I am blessed because I seek out God's will for my life. My blessings come in the form of answered prayers, trials, obedience and watching God's will for my life unfold before me.

I am blessed, beyond measure.

9. Making a memory

Our ten-day marathon in August was definitely one of my top 11 for the year.

We still talk about this, watch the video on my phone and laugh and giggle every time.

We are already talking about the summer of 2012, taking mom and dad to the Grundy Pool, and of course bringing over the blow up pool. Ahhh, the fun of summer.

8. Fear Has Never Been Famous blogpost

7. Hospice

Taking the Hospice Volunteer course was a highlight this year.

I learned so much and love the opportunities it has opened up.

I encourage any of you to take this course, if you have any desire at all.

6. Grandchildren

Everyday with grandchildren is a #1 day in my book. If I could see them once a week, it would be too long between visits. I literally thank God every day that they live close and when I'm missing them, I can hop in the car and visit. Jayla will say, "you haven't kissed me today" And JJ will say, "Gramma, can you make us some popcorn?" And Justice is so patient and loves to hang with Grandpa, whatever he is doing outside, is OK with Justice.

5. Show Me & Send Me blogpost

4. The Hole in the Gospel

The book that had the most impact: The Hole in the Gospel. Followed by a close second of Crazy Love and...and... This year I dug into some really good books and they got me to my feet, looking for ways to move me out of my comfort zone. Or should I say 'stay' out of of my comfort zone.

3. In the schoolyard.

This photo, that I did not take, made my heart leap.

I have never seen Janel more happy than she is in this picture.

I know that look on her face. And I ♥ it.

2. Eli::Graduation

I absolutely love this picture of Eli and his smile.

He is truly happy to be done with high school and move on.

Janel took this as he rounded the corner, rose in hand, headed towards Tim & I.

1. Asikuma.

Waking up in Africa, New Year's morning 2011!!!

It is hard to top that my friends.

Last year this time, my feet were on African soil and my heart was wide open.

It has been an interesting 2011, to say the least.

Throughout this year, those tugs on my heart would

completely clear my mind of any worldly clutter.

It would take me back to those smiles, those hugs and the children and the village that changed me forever::Asikuma.

I can't wait to go back.

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-28T03:00:00.003-06:00

I came across this blog post, of the top 11 photos in 2011. So naturally I decided I'd dig up my favorite 11 photos, or blogs posts, or quotes of 2011. Do you have anything to share that were your favorites in 2011?

I'm going to look through and see what I can find in the next couple of days. I hope you can share too! The end of the year is all of a sudden here.

I've decided that time is passing by quickly, and what seems to be about six months, it will be Christmas again! Does that mean time flies when you are having fun?!

I've sort of missed my photo blog this year. The year that I took a photo every.single.day is fun to look at and remember each and every picture I took. I may need to get on the ball again and start that up for 2012. Anyone else want to join me?

The Manger

2011-12-27T03:00:00.002-06:00

Finishing up my thoughts about our Advent book, The Journey, that I first posted about here. The last chapter, The Manger talked about two things that I liked.

The angels...How they were messengers sent by God to bring good news. We've learned from the Scriptures that angels most often appear as strangers, indistinguishable from mortals. Sometimes the word angelos is actually used when describing mortals. The neat thing about the shepherds was that once they saw Jesus, they became messengers themselves, telling others what they had seen. Jesus, in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, calls his disciples (and us) to become his messengers.

The manger...where God's creatures come to eat. The author noticed something while in the Holy Land and the idea that Jesus slept in a feeding trough. He had only thought about the humility of the feeding trough represented. But this year he noticed that Luke mentions the manger three times. In Luke 2:7, we're told that the child was laid in a manger. Then Luke 2:12, the angel announced to the shepherds that the Christ was born and "this will be a sign to you" you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloths and lying in a manger." And in Luke 2:16, the shepherds found the child "lying in a manger." He began to see that perhaps the manger was not only a sign to the shepherds, but for us also.

What if the manger is not only a sign of Jesus' humility? A feeding trough is where God's creatures come to eat. This is a sign to us -- it is a detail Luke includes to a point of something greater. Moses said, "One does not live by bread alone" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Moses meant that there was something deeper we hunger for. Isaiah the prophet once asked "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, / and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" (Isaiah 55:2). Isaiah was pointing, with Moses, to a deeper hunger we have as human beings, but also to our tendency to spend money and to work hard for that which cannot ultimately satisfy our hunger.

Jesus alluded to these two verses when he said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and said, "This is my body, which is given for you" (Luke 22:19b).

He who called himself the bread of life, who alone can satisfy the deepest longings of our souls, was born in the town of Bethlehem - the "House of Bread" - and was laid to sleep on that first night in a trough where God's creatures ate.

What we really hunger for will not be found under the tree on Christmas morning. We hunger for meaning, for joy, for hope in the face of despair. We hunger to know that we can be forgiven and start anew after things we regret. We hunger for a love that will not let us go and for life and triumph in the face of death. He is for us the bread of life. And we must come to the stable to satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts. ~ Author Adam Hamilton

In a time when we hunger for so many things in our lives, Jesus came to us, in a manger, in the stable. He alone can satisfy.

note cards available

2011-12-23T14:45:00.002-06:00

I have more {sets of 8} note cards available if anyone needs a last minute gift!

♥

Go Tell it on the Mountain...that Jesus Christ is Born!

2011-12-22T03:00:00.001-06:00

2011 Christmas Letter...

Go!

This is not the typical Christmas letter because life has been anything but typical around the mountain. If you recall, last year this time I was packing my bags for a trip to Africa. I celebrated the New Year in church surrounded by all of my African friends who knew how to worship and adore the newborn King. Our team that went to Ghana was a stepping stone to all that unfolded this year in a tiny little village called Asikuma, about 3 hours from Accra, Ghana. Looking back on our days in Ghana, we couldn’t have planned or prepared for our days there. Our western calendars went by the wayside and after eight days we left with African dirt on our shoes, hands and in our hearts. There’s nothing you can do but open your eyes and ears to experience the culture, the children and every twist and turn each day brings. While standing in church on New Year’s Day, I decided that I did not want to miss one single experience and said yes to every opportunity, except the goat stew. Two more teams have traveled to Asikuma since our return in January. They built a medical clinic for the village and started on the library for the school. On the horizon is a children’s haven to house orphans in need of care and adoption. Two books I read around this trip were Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado and The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns. I highly recommend them both. I can’t wait to go back someday.

Tell It!

I can’t begin to repeat all of the stories one hears as a grandparent. We often get to babysit and keep the kids over night, all three of them. We watch movies, eat lots of popcorn and ice cream. They practically run to the door when Grandpa gets home if they’ve been here with me all day. In August, we had them stay with us for 10 days! It was a marathon and we had activities planned every-single-day. They still ask to go fishing, to the water park, or to the farm, even now, in the winter. And they love looking at pictures and videos of our time together. Justice is 7 and in second grade. He is playing basketball and is quite aggressive on the floor. JJ is 5 and losing his teeth! Just in time for Christmas. He has a huge heart, always tells me thank you for dinner, and loves to snuggle. He is playing basketball on a Y-team and made 20 points in one game! Jayla is 3 and can hold her own with two brothers. She is in dance and can ‘sugar’ and ‘bridge’ at the drop of a hat. These three little people have made our hearts bigger and our arms wider. Soon there will be two more little girls from Ghana joining Team Sullivan. Stay tuned!

On The Mountain!

Many of you came to Eli’s huge graduation party in May and he finished out his baseball career with some slugger-style hitting that no one saw coming. In August Tim and I drove Eli to Minneapolis and were met with cheers and many helping hands to move in crates and boxes. We didn’t lift a finger. Eli has now completed one semester of college and survived finals! And he’s home for a nice long winter break. One of his fun classes for his foreign language credit is American Sign Language. Eli will return to Belize this summer with the mission team from our church and will be putting this to use right away when they work at the Cayo Deaf Institute.

Tim had another successful year in sales right up to the point where he got laid off, after Labor Day. Looking back on his 5 year career with this company, he tallied 3.1 million dollars in sales. But when you work for a family corporation, they can make decisions quickly and that is what happened. It didn’t take long for the community to rally behind Tim and tell him how much they missed his radio ads on the local station. Not to mention the constant encouragement and support from friends in the past three months of unemployment. After numerous interviews, phone calls and careerbuilder.com searches, Tim tested and was selected to take the utility tech training for the light and power companies through Workforce Development. After one week of math, including algebra, geometry, right triangles, and trigonometry, Tim was happy to pass his math rotation. One kid in class told Tim, “You’ve been out of school longer than I’ve been alive!” There are opportunities for this class of 20, so we’re hopeful after ten weeks, Tim will find something that doesn’t require him to climb a pole.

Therefore go…

I am preparing for another mission trip in June 2012, this time to Tanzania, Africa, with a medical group out of Sioux City, Iowa, called STEMM. I am excited to see what lies ahead for 2012. I’m still employed at SHRI, and recently renewed my nursing license. It has been my goal to serve on a medical mission trip. Tim will be starting a new job and Eli will have one year of college completed.

Once I returned home from Ghana, I asked, “so now what?”

Proverbs 24:12 says "...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

From Odle Mountain: We want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We pray that God’s blessings be on your family and that you are compelled to put your faith in motion serving one another in love. ~Tim, Lori and Eli Odle

This is my last post until after Christmas. I have a few gifts left to wrap, rolls to make and a turkey to thaw. I think this is the first year {ever} that we are having turkey for Christmas Dinner. I should have lots of help. Time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas and go sit by the fire.

If you look for me...

2011-12-21T03:00:00.001-06:00

It's About the Cross

2011-12-20T03:00:00.002-06:00

The high school girls sang this on Sunday night for the Christmas program at church. Although we missed it, I got to hear them practice Sunday morning. WOW. What a neat song.

Fundraising Update

2011-12-17T15:22:00.002-06:00

The tally is in and I've added my party funds to my total. Woohoo! Look at my sidebar gauge!

I still have salsa left at $5 a jar and I'm completely out of note cards, but more have been ordered. I should have more next week if you were still wanting some for Christmas gifts.

My goal is to send the check for my initial deposit before the end of the year.

Many thanks to all of you for your support, encouragement and friendship. I couldn't do any of this without you all!

Caramel Bliss

2011-12-16T03:00:00.008-06:00

Lots of helpers...

and some who goof off...

or just want to snuggle...

Janel said, "I've already had 4 cookies" before we finished the batch!

Mr. Sprinkles

Mr. Detail

Miss Confetti

Our Wonder Tree!

"I'm just going to lay down and close my eyes."

A productive day!

Two recipes to share:

Caramel Corn - Dutch Puffcorn Style

1 bag (10 oz) Old Dutch Puffcorn
1 cup butter (not margarine)
1-1/4 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Combine butter, brown sugar and light corn syrup in a 2 qt sauce pan, cook on medium heat until mixture has melted. {do not bring to a boil}. Once mixture has melted, add the baking soda. Mixture will foam.
Pour Old Dutch Puffcorn into a large roaster pan. Pour caramel mixture over the Puffcorn and stir until mixed.
Place in oven at 250 degrees for a total of 45 min, stirring at least every 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven, pour on wax paper and break apart. Take time to break this apart or you will have large clumps when it cools. Let cool and enjoy.

The new recipe we tried was sent to me from my friend, Jody, in New York.

Caramel Cashew Clusters
Servings: 20

This was so easy! And yummy!
Caramels {about 8 ounces or 30 individually unwrapped} I found the new caramel bites that were all in pieces and ready to melt. A huge help in the kitchen yesterday.

2 T heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup salted cashews, coarsely chopped. {I used pecan pieces}
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 T Crisco

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine caramels and cream. Stir constantly until mixture completely melted. Remove pan from heat.
Fold in vanilla and cashews {or your choice of nuts} until thoroughly mixed.
Spray a small cookie scoop with non-stick cooking spray and scoop caramel mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared pan.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
Drizzle melted chocolate over clusters.
Clusters are sticky so store them on parchment paper in the refrigerator. Can remove them to room temp 30 minutes before serving. Definitely feel free to experiment with the type of nuts that you use. Salted pecans or peanuts could be used.
Enjoy!

Baking Day 2011

2011-12-15T03:00:00.002-06:00

Can't wait to get the sprinkles out and the dough mixed up today.

Can't wait to do the Wonder Tree with the kids. I'm going to see if they can tell me what each of the items stand for this year. I bet they remember and I bet they can figure it out!

Can't wait to have lots of helpers and little hands in the kitchen.

Can't wait for the constant chatter of voices today.

Joy to the World!

roadtrip

2011-12-14T03:00:00.002-06:00

I'm coming home today with a college boy in the car!!! Yay!

I don't know who is more excited to have Eli back home for a few weeks, but I know that we will all be sitting around the fire chatting, snoozing, snoring and snacking.

And we saved baking day for when Eli came home...tomorrow!

a lil' tree for a lil' girl

2011-12-13T03:00:00.004-06:00

I've said this over 100 times, "You never know who God might put in your life." And you certainly don't know the reason at the time. But I had to share a couple of simple pictures and when God opens your heart, you open your arms and God's blessings flow both ways. Because God knows when we all need a lil' blessing in our lives.

This doesn't look like much, but to a family who has not celebrated Christmas, it is.

God continues to place people in Tim & my path, without any seeking on our part. Yet, I seek God and His mercy and grace. And along the way, we serve one another in love. These are the gifts of the season.

My eyes have been opened this season, not for tangible 'things' but for sharing my gift of time, energy and joy with others. These are gifts you cannot find on a shelf or in an online shopping cart. These are the gifts from the heart.

a lil' basketball

2011-12-12T03:00:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we got to see JJ play in his first basketball game of the year. He's playing 4 on 4 and its a hoot to watch them run the court, call out plays and score! Here are a few pictures from last week. We missed his game yesterday and he has one more next Sunday.

JJ looks so small

lil' sister

lefty #34

score!

a big smile

score!

high-five from the coach

I asked JJ how many points he had. He said, "I had six points and one assist."
LOVE him!

some radical Christmas thinking

2011-12-09T03:00:00.002-06:00

I call this radical because it really stirs up thoughts and dreams of Christmas past and what we want for our children and grandchildren.

I call this radical thinking because many agree and many disagree. And it makes me dig deep into what I believe and why.

Read this. But I caution you ahead of time, it will get your mind stirring and your heart pumping for what you believe, and how you do Christmas. {Now if you didn't click the link and read her post, you won't get the rest of this.} And if you click that link...come back! Click the back button on your browser and it should bring you back to my blog.

As families, we pass down traditions that are important to us. Like baking day, stocking stuffers (or not), one large gift or several small packages to unwrap, taking turns going around the room and watching each person unwrap or letting everyone dig in. But those things can change from year to year.

I like to be challenged. I want to think about why I do the things I do and why I believe the way I believe. And then act.

When I read the post yesterday about The Christmas Conundrum (link above), part of me was "way to go sister" and part of me was saddened by the very things I do to buy into the commercialism of Christmas. I'm a sucker for good advertising. It is the deciding factor, many times, on if I buy something or not.

And I'm glad that this author states it is a process. They have been working it out in their family for four years.

But this article has also spurred me on, to give in areas that would be easy to back away from this year. But where is my faith?

And it comes down to how radical do I want to live my life? How obedient can I be to Christ, who gives me everything I have in order to help others. How is my life different because I follow the star to the newborn King, who lived a life and died a death for us all. How radical is that?

Classic Spritz

2011-12-08T03:00:00.002-06:00

Everyone laughs at me when I try to make these. But I press on. These are by far my favorite cookie to eat, but probably not my favorite to make. When you have 3 grandchildren who make cut outs and decorating fun, who can pass up making sugar cookies?!

Here is the Spritz recipe that I use in my Pampered Chef cookie press. After my recent party, I've discovered that all of my Pampered Chef items are way out dated compared to the new stuff they have now. But my cookie press works just fine.

Spritz Cookies
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp almond flavoring

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, egg, vanilla, almond; mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time; mix well. Dough will be soft; do not refrigerate.
2. Fill cookie press, fitted with the disk of your choice. Press dough onto flat baking stone 1 inch apart. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
3. Bake 10-12 min or until firm but not brown. Cool 2 min and remove to cooling rack. Yields 6-7 dozen cookies.

18 days

2011-12-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, 18 days until Christmas. I am not prepared. I do have a few presents but none wrapped. I'm going to have to get into gear, especially when Eli gets home in a week or he will be snooping!

We just now got our baking day on the calendar for the 15th! In previous years, we've already done our baking by now! And we haven't gotten to do our Wonder Tree yet. I should have gotten that out Thanksgiving night.

I have a few opportunities for shopping coming up with going to get Eli next week from college and also a work trip to Iowa City next week, so maybe I shouldn't panic yet. Normally I wait to the last minute and shop with all the men, so I guess maybe I'm right on schedule.

Any ideas for Christmas Dinner menu? Last year we had spaghetti and fettuccine. What is your traditional Christmas meal?

the journey to Bethlehem

2011-12-06T03:00:00.003-06:00

We are on a journey during advent and have been studying the book, The Journey, by Adam Hamilton during Sunday school. The journey is about walking the road to Bethlehem and how Mary, Joseph, Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, and the manger all have presence during this journey. Although I don't agree with everything this author writes and assumes from scripture, he has some good thoughts about Immanuel, God's presence in the world.

We are to be visible reminders of hope. We are called to be signs of Immanuel.

Jesus was the Son of God, wrapped in human flesh so the invisible was made visible, born in a stable so that we might know that we are not alone. This new Immanuel was God's way of assuring humanity that no matter how dark your circumstances, no matter how afraid you might be, no matter what is happening in your life or in the world around you, God is always with you. Jesus is the visible sign from God that God is with us.

The Immanuel 'prophecy' may also say something about what God expects of Jesus' followers. Isaiah's son was Immanuel for his generation -- a visible reminder of God's promise to be with us. Jesus, in a much more profound way, is Immanuel to every generation since his birth -- a visible reminder that God is with us. But in a sense, as Christ followers, we too are called to be God's presence in the world. We too are called to be signs of Immanuel -- of God's presence in the world -- and to be visible reminders of hope.

All of us know people who are walking through tough times, who feel besieged in one way or another. How will those people know that God is with them, that they are not alone, if we don't embody God's love and presence to them? We are called to show by our actions the love of Christ. We are called to act as a reminder that "God is with you," to come alongside someone and say, "Listen, I am here to remind you that God has not forgotten you."

We also talked about Joseph's dream and how God spoke to him and called him to devote the rest of his life to nurturing, mentoring, and protecting Jesus. So are we listening for God to speak to us? And if God speaks, are we willing to obey?

Lord, help me to listen for your dreams for my life, and give me the boldness and courage to pursue them. Speak, Lord; your servant is listening. Amen.

fundraiser update

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-06:00

I'm keeping my pampered chef party open until Wednesday if you'd like to order, please call me or email me or leave a message here. You can still order online as well, through Wed. My goal is to double my sales that I had at my party.

I have 7 packs of note cards left!!!!! WOW, these have been a hit and I'll be ordering more.

I have 23 jars of salsa left! And I know more will be headed out the door this week.

I'll be updating again on Friday so that I know where I am with my totals. A huge thank you for your support and also for the constant encouragement.

note card samples

2011-12-02T03:00:00.002-06:00

Here is a sampling of the assorted note cards that I have available,

sets of 8 cards for $12.
I make these using my photography around Central Iowa and beyond.

I also created a special order and a business-card sized "gift tag" out of this photo:

some winter fun, freebies and links

2011-12-01T03:00:00.005-06:00

I heard about The Birthday Project via email last week. Looks so fun and reaching around the world.

Also found some freebies at Desiring God blog about advent and a free advent devotional guide here. I love {and need} some direction during the advent season, to prepare and reflect on Christ's birth. It keeps me grounded and out of the stores. I know if I had $3000 to spend at Christmas I'd spend every single penny on other people. But I don't. And I cautiously spend what I have, getting (or making) just the right gift for everyone. But more than the gift, I always want my grandchildren to know that my giving has a reason behind it and that I can't begin to love them as much as God does.

Don't forget to check out Dave Ramsey's page for his daily give-a-ways! And a good article by Jon Acuff called, The Secret Word that Changes the World.

And a great post by Jon Bloom who writes for John Piper at Desiring God, When You Aren't Sure What to do Next.

Lastly, Over at True Woman, there is a timely article called Ruled by Peace and Rooted in Joy.

a lil' Christmas

2011-11-30T03:00:00.002-06:00

I've been crocheting AND following a pattern...I love these colors!

the tree that won't stay lit

a lil' snow would be nice

centering our hearts

jingle bells

and a lil' sparkle

old man who needs some tootsie rolls

{sigh}

three scarves done

and then this...

Monday night the north wind was a'blowin'. Which means that the wood stove bellows smoke INTO the house. But we didn't know the wind changed direction and about 2:30 am, I woke up because I heard the smoke detector beeping constantly. We woke up to a house FILLED with smoke. We know the drill well, so opened up the north window and the back door and let the smoke move outside. We got back up a few hours later and the stove was still smoking, so Tim had to remove all of the wood and coals and put it outside, threw open the windows and cleared the house out again.

Tuesday morning I realized that we had not replaced the battery in the smoke detector and I was positive there was no battery. So I opened up the smoke detector that woke us up. No battery. I had to take a picture, because I almost couldn't believe my eyes. And then, ah, yes, I could believe my eyes. Because I knew before I even opened the detector that there was no battery and that our lil' Christmas angel was at work again, protecting us.

When Tim got home I made sure that he heard the beeping and he had been standing underneath it waving a magazine at it to get it to stop beeping last night. This is an old detector. It doesn't have a rechargeable cell or anything that would hold a charge. But it beeped. And thankfully we woke up.

Thank You Lord.

How we give thanks

2011-11-29T03:00:00.005-06:00

JJ comes to our house prepared for a day of football and turkey. Oh and mashed potatoes. JJ says, "The NBA will be playing in 25 days!" This was before the announcement that they would be playing on Christmas Day. So just take this picture and label it Christmas, because it will be the same scenario come Christmas Day.

Janel and Jayla are great help! They set the table and Jayla likes to taste everything. INCLUDING mashed potatoes. That's my girls. Later in the day I asked Jayla if her orange was in the living room. "No Gramma, its in my tummy."

I failed at getting everyone at the table this year for a picture. But we had 12 hungry souls to feed and 12 hungry bodies to nourish.

Our Thanksgiving blessing was given this year by Cyrus, from Uganda and he spoke the most beautiful prayer in Luganda over our home and family. Thanks Cyrus for joining us for our feast. It was an honor to have you at our family table.

Jayla and JJ got their "eli-fix" this weekend. They sure like hanging with Uncle Eli.

We also had some afternoon guests from Northern California visiting in Marshalltown, Janel's aunt and uncle. Janel's aunt and I snuck away last Monday morning for some chai at the local coffee shoppe and it was so good to catch up and chat.

Some other worthy quotes from the day:
Janel says, "I'm not ready to cook Thanksgiving dinner anytime soon. How do you get everything warm at the same time?"

Eli says, "Mom, when you're 70 you'll still be walking." Umm, thanks Eli. "I mean you'll still be walking around town or at the track." Ok.

Me, "I got you the small ice cream sandwiches, they are just your size." Jayla says, "but why didn't you get the big ones?"

Eli, after watching a commercial for a toy, "We should give that as a gift so we can play with it."

Thanksgiving night JJ says, "Grandma, can we help you put up your Christmas tree?" Oh how I'd love to have all that help decorating the tree...but we have to move furniture to find place for the tree, so we passed. The kids are excited to do their Wonder Tree this year. I love this Wonder Tree idea and have picked up small ornaments on clearance each year to replace the paper ones I printed off the internet.

We are blessed beyond measure. Thank You Lord.

trip update

2011-11-28T03:00:00.002-06:00

I've bumped up my fundraising this week and submitted my application for my trip. My deposit and first $2500 is actually due to hold my place as soon as I can send it. With much encouragment and prompting, I've added a 'paypal' link button to my blog for some of you who have asked if you can just donate to my trip, without purchasing anything. Those of you who use paypal, know it is a safe and secure way to make purchases or donations on the web, without actually using your credit or debit cards. But if you do not have a paypal account, your credit/debit cards are secure and safe as well through paypal.

My Pampered Chef party and fundraiser/open house is this Saturday, Dec 3, from 11 am to 2 pm. Spread the word, and bring a friend, if you can stop by. Instead of getting free items, my rewards will be turned into cash for my trip.

If you cannot make it to the party, but would like to order something online for my party, simply go to this link and click on shop online. You will be prompted to enter my name so that it goes to my show. I will deliver your items guaranteed before Christmas. If you live outside of central Iowa, you can have the items shipped directly to you. Neato!

Also on Saturday, I will have my assorted note cards available in packs of 8 cards for $12 (envelopes included). And my salsa :).

Thanks to everyone for your continued support and encouragement. I appreciate it.

I'm Yours

2011-11-23T03:00:00.004-06:00

"Lord, I'm yours.
Whatever the cost may be, may Your will be done in my life. I realize I'm not here on earth to do my own thing, or to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory. I'm not here to indulge my desires, to increase my possessions, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I'm somebody important, or to promote myself. I'm not here even to be relevant or successful by human standards. I'm here to please You.

I offer myself to You, for You are worthy. All that I am or hope to be, I owe to You. I'm Yours by creation and every day I receive from You life and breath and all things. And I'm Yours because You bought me, and the price You paid was the precious blood of Christ. You alone, the Triune God, are worthy to be my Lord and Master. I yield to You, my gracious and glorious heavenly Father, to the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me, to the Holy Spirit and His gracious influence and empowering. All that I am and all that I have I give to You.

I give you any rebellion in me, that resists doing Your will. I give You my pride and self-dependence, that tell me I can do Your will in my own power if I try hard enough. I give You my fears, that tell me I'll never be able to do Your will in some areas of life. I consent to let You energize me...to create within me, moment by moment, both the desire and the power to do Your will.

I give You my body and each of its members...my entire inner being: my mind, my emotional life, my will...my loved ones...my marriage or my hopes for marriage...my abilities and gifts...my strengths and weaknesses...my health...my status (high or low)...my possessions...my past, my present and my future...when and how I'll go Home.

I'm here to love You, obey You, to glorify You. Oh Beloved Lord, may I be a joy to You."

31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

This will be my last post until next Monday. Enjoy your time with family and friends, whatever you do in serving others, and pause to Give Thanks often in the next few days.

thanksgiving menu

2011-11-22T03:00:00.007-06:00

What's on the menu? I looked back in my old posts because I thought for sure I'd posted some of my Thanksgiving menu recipes, but since I can't even find them on my blog, I decided it's okay to post it again.

Turkey & Ham
Wild Rice Stuffing
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Corn (off the cob)
Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Salad
Frog-eye Salad (uses mini acini de pepe pasta, recipe on box)
Janel's fruit salad
Homemade rolls
Homemade pies thanks to my mom

This probably doesn't look too different than anything you've put on your menu for Thursday.

As of today we'll have 11 or 12 people. That could still change. It usually does. Here are a few more recipes from the list above.

Cranberry Salad:
1 lb. fresh cranberries, ground
1 cup sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 (9 oz) cool whip
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
Combine the cranberries, sugar, marshmallows, and cool whip; let set overnight. Add pineapple. Mix well and serve.

Homemade Buttery Rolls (Chapel cookbook, pg 96):
1 cup warm milk (70-80 degrees)
1/2 cup soft butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp salt
4 cups bread flour
1 pkg quick rise yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine (usually milk and eggs in bottom, followed by flour, sugar, salt. On top make a well for the yeast and place the butter cubes in each of the four corners). Process on dough setting. When complete, divide dough into 24 portions, shape into balls and place on a greased pan to rise for approx 30-45 min. Bake at 375 for 12 min. Smear butter across hot bun tops before they cool. This recipe literally turns out perfect every time. It was from Taste of Home, adapted for the bread machine.

What's one of your traditional recipes for Thanksgiving?

its a wrap

2011-11-21T03:00:00.002-06:00

Last week we finished up our women's bible study, Revive My Heart, by Catherine Martin. We will take a break over the holiday months and meet again in January, weather permitting.

We hope to delve into the scriptures and study the book by Robert Morgan called 100 Verses Everyone Should Know (by heart). He really encourages us to memorize scripture. My mind is so full of things that I'm going to have to purge some unnecessary stuff to make room for new.

I can't wait to implant the Living Word into my life. He gives some awesome steps on how to memorize and also why we need to do it. I highly recommend this book, even if you aren't into memorizing. He groups the scripture together and offers a free study guide and free memory verse cards here.

Robert Morgan writes: "It's as powerful as acorns dropping into furrows in the forest. It allows God's words to sink into your brain and permeate your subconscious thoughts. It saturates the personality, satiates the soul, and stockpiles the mind. It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day."

roots of thankfulness

2011-11-18T03:00:00.003-06:00

p.s. check out my fundraiser tab in the second row near the top of my blog. I've updated my Pampered Chef show links so you can order online.

a new partnership

2011-11-17T03:00:00.002-06:00

Meet Ruth...

Ruth was instrumental in getting 100 African dresses sewn with her church ladies. I can't even remember how I made the connection through my friend, Judy, who also attends Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines. But it happened. And Ruth is thrilled to have a connection with a group who travels to Africa frequently. Enter Team-Sullivan. I have 50 dresses for them to take to Asikuma in December. I've said it numerous times before, but this is one of the best experiences when you are in Ghana, to be able to hand out new things to the kids. They even made a bag of shorts "britches" for the boys. And they will start sewing again this winter. Here are a few of the dresses she sent home with me.

Thank you Ruth & Company. Blessings to you.

See you on Friday!

2011-11-16T03:00:00.001-06:00

We have rekindled our family Friday adventures. When the kids were little, they would come over and play on Friday's, have lunch, take naps and sometimes stay for supper too! Well Janel announced a couple of weeks ago that they wanted to come over on Fridays if they weren't traveling on that given weekend, and "JJ wants to come this Friday." And so it began. We threw in an over nighter two weeks ago and now we can't wait until Friday rolls around. Even though they don't usually stay over night, Jayla still likes to put her 'pajamamas' on after we eat supper.

I had announced to Tim that I wasn't going to clean house or buy groceries unless Eli came home or the kids come over. So he's a happy camper too, since I'm cleaning and buying groceries again! Last week when JJ left, he said, "Grandpa, are you excited you get to see me in four days?" I think he thought THIS week was Thanksgiving. :)

This is the jar of money the kids have been saving for over a year, probably two years. Finally the bank split in half and so it was time to see how much was saved. We decided to use it to buy items for the Samaritan's Purse Christmas Boxes that we are doing again at church. Little did I know that they were doing it at their church too.

You can imagine our surprise when we went to the bank and had $99.92!!!

And they spent every bit of it {thank you Dollar General} for ~~three~~ six boxes jam-packed full of goodies they would have LOVED to keep for themselves.

We started out doing 2 boy boxes and 1 girl box and doubled that before we got done.

Jayla even gave the baby doll lots of love and attention before we packed her away
for some other little girl to love and cuddle.

I doubt if anyone remembers the story behind this kitchen,
but it is still the #1 request when they come to play.

I've been ~~searching for lost items~~ organizing closets upstairs so brought down some old photo albums that Jayla and Great-Gram loved looking at. Jayla asked, "Gramma Sharon, why did you have brown hair?" :)

This is JJ's favorite spot, on our bed, watching football, basketball or whatever sports is on that day. When he was here last Friday, he said, "Gramma, I wish I could spend the night so I could watch football with you all day tomorrow."
And this is where we'd be amongst the stuffed animals he brought.

Thankfully we got to see Justice this week too, since Jake brought him over after school so we could all have some ZENO's pizza. Our favorite along with many others who drool at the name of Zeno's.

JJ and Justice both have weekend games starting now and after Thanksgiving, so we'll be traveling locally to watch them play sometime soon!

Strengthen My Core (5)

2011-11-15T03:00:00.001-06:00

There are many times that God asks us to say yes first. Sometimes before we even know where we're going or what He has in store for us. I'm reminded of Mary in Luke 1:38, when the angel was telling her about giving birth to a son and give him the name Jesus. Mary said, "May it be to me as you have said." She was the Lord's servant and she said "yes".

Oh, there are days when I wish I could easily say 'yes' and jump in with both feet and be ready at a moment's notice to go therefore....but my mind gets in the way, my excuses get in the way, my ________ gets in the way.

I haven't blogged about our other two core value sermons yet.

Core Value #4

A commitment to prayer as a conversation with the Father

Core Value #5

A commitment to the Great Commission as the mission of the local church

I actually missed #4 about prayer, because that was the Sunday that Eli and I went to the deaf church. I'm not going back at this point to review it. But in true 'perfect timing fashion' is core value #5...The Great Commission...

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

It is easy to miss the main attraction or focus of the church, when you're busy watching the 'other stuff'. So often a church can get caught up in side shows that they miss the point. Did you know that even the style of worship can be a side attraction, or a big hangup with church goers?

The main purpose of the church, and the reason for core value #5, is to guide our church into the future by:

baptizing disciples
teaching disciples
sending disciples (I added this one)

Reaching the lost looks different in today's world than it did in apostolic times. After Pentecost, talked about in Acts, there was rapid growth of the church even though it was under severe persecution. The theme...go to the world...

Following that was the Christendom period where for 1700 years the church was trying to get along with the world. The theme...go to church...

We are now in the post-modern or post-christian world where relativism reigns. We are in a time where 'anything goes' and the idea to go to church is unthinkable. The theme...do whatever...accept everyone...even the modern 2011 NIV Bible has changed to be more generic and less 'potent', so that it can include everyone and not be offensive. (That's a whole different post.)

From the Campus Crusade for Christ, Campus Ministry manuals: "The need of the hour is for Christians to recapture the vision and strategy contained in our Lord's command to eleven men, Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all nations. This was the Lord's Great Commission and obviously a challenge that the disciples could not fulfill. However, the Holy Spirit of God was able to move through those few channels and reproduce reproducers so rapidly that the known world heard the claims of Christ in the first century. The gospel penetrated lives with such power that a pagan Roman Empire was 'turned upside down."

If you read the biographies of men and women who loved God, such as Jim Elliot, Amy Carmichael, Charles Spurgeon, Oswald Chambers, A.W. Tozer, D.L. Moody, and C.T. Studd, you will notice that the outcome of their lives was fruitfulness.

Therefore go...

New Look

2011-11-14T03:00:00.000-06:00

Looking around my blog, you'll see a few *NEW* things. I'm kicking off my fundraising for my June 2012 trip to Tanzania. Oh, boy, even typing those words makes me sweat a little.

All proceeds from my fundraising on my blog are saved in my trip account. When my first deposit is due March 1, 2012, I will tackle the rest of my trip expenses. Unless of course, I've met my overall goal before then. My first deposit of $2500 is due 3-1-2012. The remaining amount, approximately another $2500 is due before we leave. These costs vary of course, depending on airline costs, etc.

Ok, time for a little tour...

In the second row of my header beside My Mission Story page is my Fundraising page. If you want to keep up on what is current, this will be the easiest place rather than going through old blog posts.

You can easily email me by going to my sidebar and simply typing in your name and email address and a short note if you'd like to make a donation for a jar of salsa or would like to order some note cards. You will receive an automatic reply stating it is from me so that you know the email went through. My note cards are an assortment of photography on blank cards that can be used for various occasions.

Below the email/contact me box is a fundraiser tracker so that I can meet my first goal by the deadline of March 1, 2012. Another chunk of money will be due before I travel in June, 2012.

This is all VERY FOREIGN to me. But I've been reminded over and over in God's Word that this is how he wants me to handle this trip. I'm reminded of many people who cannot travel because of their health or other circumstances, and this is where "SEND ME" is loud and clear. I also am blessed to have this opportunity to travel on a medical trip where I will again learn more than I probably can offer.

As soon as I start to to form the words in my mouth, "but..." God is faithful and His Word assures me that He is in control. I have heard and seen this verse numerous times in the past week. So here I go...

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm not a jumper. I like to test the water, maybe tip the boat and see how deep it is and then think about it for another 6 months before I decide if I'm even getting out of the boat. But I know what God asks of me. And even though obedience is hard, it is required. I have been preparing for this for a couple of years and now its time to jump in and get prepared.

Trust & Obey, for there's no other way...

give thanks

2011-11-11T03:00:00.004-06:00

I LOVE all of the 'thanks' going on right now. I LOVE reading each day on facebook what people are thankful for and the blogs who are keeping the month of November full of thanks.

I want thankfulness to always be on my tongue. I want a heart full of thanksgiving each day of the year.

When I wake on a cold winter's night, I am thankful for my warm bedroom and covers. When I need something cool to drink, I'm thankful I can turn on the faucet for water. I give thanks for electricity and light. All of these simple blessings seem so routine. Until you read a story of someone who has no water, no food, no shelter.

I give thanks for the freedoms we have and for those who have shared their lives, that we may live in peace. Even in our mixed up, upside down world, we can give thanks for those who fight for us and they don't even know our names. But they do it anyway.

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

...come...rest...

2011-11-10T03:00:00.001-06:00

Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.

childlike faith

2011-11-09T03:00:00.002-06:00

Picture in your mind the recent forecast. Snow possible, most likely...
Monday on my way to work, I saw two kids waiting for the bus. It was frosty in the grass and a little white lingered across the lawns. Each kid had something in their hand. One was a round saucer sled, one was a snowboard.

Child like faith.

I was reminded of the response children have when they are told something is going to happen. The BELIEVE it! Its going to SNOW! So they get ready.

I'm skipping ahead to Core Value #6 today, A Committment to Children and Youth as the Future of the Church.

Matthew 18:1-8 reminds us when the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I'm so thankful for the disciples and their ability to be plain and human. Jesus tells them, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus goes on to talk about humility like a child.

We would think that the greatest would be the old, wise scholars. Or those who have won hundreds or thousands to Christ, would be the greatest. But Jesus tells us to humble ourselves as a child.

Why?

Eli's friend, Jay, gave the sermon on Sunday about Childlike faith. He gave 4 points why we need to emphasize children in the church, and pour into our children and youth.

Children have humility and they have childlike faith. It is hard for us to give credit to God. We ask too many questions. Children BELIEVE what they are told. Children know what its like to have pure dependence on someone to meet their needs. God desires the same from us.

Statistics show that 85% of all people who call themselves christians, come to Christ before the age of 18. And 75% before the age of 14.

The enemy is attacking this age group. If you think back in the old testament, it was the children who were targeted many times. Egypt killed the children. Herrod wanted to kill the male infants after Jesus was born. Prostitution, AIDS, hunger, abuse/neglect are all ways that the enemy attacks children and youth.

Children are at the heart of Jesus. Matthew 8:6 warns that if anyone causes a child to stumble, that it would be better if they drown. Jesus takes children seriously.

The church is the only place that some children are hearing about Jesus. Church may be the only activity that a family does together each Sunday.

Childlike faith.

Let it snow!

Dear Lori

2011-11-08T03:00:00.002-06:00

My precious child,
I want you to know that I love you with an everlasting love There is no beginning or end to the things you will do for me. Child, you are my hands and feet. Go! Leave the details in my hands as you prepare your heart for your journey. I love you. I equip you. I send you in my name, where every knee will bow on earth and under the earth. Take my message of love with you as you go. I love you. I've forgiven you. I adore you, my sweet girl. You are ready. Live like my child. Claim it and be free.
Your Savior,
Jesus

Embrace Freedom

2011-11-07T03:00:00.002-06:00

Take back our land!
Prayer puts up a firewall between the wicked and the weak. When we intercede for others, it confuses the plans of the devil. We need to lay hold of the things Christ raised us up for. We need to be prepared, with our shield up and our sword up. Let the Lord mobilize you and raise you up. You can either adjust your theology by surrendering to your circumstances or...surrender to God in your circumstances and say, "this season doesn't define me." Pass through the valley but don't set up camp there.

We all have seasons where we think we could have done better. We think about 'those wasted years' and thank God that He was there for us.

Psalm 37:10-11 tells us to recover our land. "A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace." Reoccupy the land that we've been shoved off. The enemy can occupy our finances, our marriage, our health. But God sets us free for freedom. Put a flag in the ground and claim back your territory.

Is it finances? In God's Kingdom, math doesn't work. By giving and tithing it makes you mindful of others. Ask God, what next? Where next? Reclaim what?

John 10:10 promises a life spilling over. "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The enemy has other plans, but WE cast the vote! However, she reminds us this is not the prosperity gospel, claimed my many popular preachers.

Three phases to freedom:
1. Identify the captivity

listen to the Lord, Psalm 139
notice and pay attention to disproportionate reactions and do you have a lingering scar, but underlying infection?
perpetual brokenness - the enemy wants you to believe it will always be this way and you ping-pong back and forth between despair and regret.

2. Embrace the promise

raise your shield Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
renew your mind - our body will respond to our most consistent choices

3. Initiate freedom

pick up your sword
listen in prayer
turn a deaf ear to the enemy
Psalm 91 - camp out here in God's protection

The enemy wants us to be wrapped up in our discouragement, disappointment and discontent. The enemy orchestrates our circumstances so we give up the land. But God has raised us up for much more. We are free to dance in the fire. We are free to reoccupy our land; contend with our fears and grab hold of the promised, abundant life.

~Notes from Susie Larson's talk on being Totally Free!

This is Our God, lyrics by Hillsong
...Your presence in me
Jesus light the way
By the power of your word
I am restored
I am redeemed
By your spirit i am free
And i will fall at your feet
I will fall at your feet
And i will worship you here...

around the mountain

2011-11-04T03:00:00.005-05:00

I need to catch up on a few pictures from October. Where did the month go?

this little fellow was a welcome site in October
glad to know someone is praying for us

fall break explosion
Eli home from college

Friday Fun
We all showed up in the same color!

We get to be with the kiddos today {i love taking vacation to be with them} and tomorrow, shuffling Justice to games on Saturday and back to Huxley tomorrow night to tuck kiddos into bed. Hope we have time for popcorn and a movie!

courageous quotes

2011-11-03T03:00:00.001-05:00

A few random quotes from the retreat:

Don't get worked up when you get stirred up. Let God release you!
Marinate in God's presence.
God says it doesn't matter what we see; its what God sees.
Jesus doesn't want us to be comfortable in our captivity. He wants us to be free. What keeps us from being free? Denial.
Everything changes when we give the power back to the Lord, saving face is replaced by saving grace.
God's will IS his best case scenario.
Fruit Happens. :)

Next week I'll finish up with her last session, on being "Totally Free".

Boldly Uncommon

2011-11-02T03:00:00.002-05:00

Our speaker last Saturday was Susie Larson. Her first session was based on her book, The Uncommon Woman, and called Boldly Uncommon.

She actually ended with this acronym for the uncommon woman who is going places...
Prized - we are chosen
Loved - God is not illusioned, He loves us!
Accepted - now!
Called - to live a life bigger than we are
Equipped - we can never exhaust all that God has given us
Sent - we are blessed to be a blessing to others

We sang another song about restoring the wasted years. It is easy to lose sight of how big God is. Do our prayers really reflect how big God is? The song was by Hillsong, This is our God.

John 13:3
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,
and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

Jesus' identity was never in question. Jesus' identity was not up for grabs. Society doesn't get to decide the value of God's son. God decides the value. And so it is with us. Jesus came as a servant to all. A servant knows who they are and they bow low. When we are serving a living God, we have intimacy with him and we are in fellowship with Him, FRUIT Happens!

We are familiar with the story of Martha and Mary, when Jesus came to their home. One of them was concerned about HOW they served and the other WHOM they served. We serve out of our identity with Christ.

True humility is always linked with our identity. God decides who we are. We are to have Holy Confidence and Humble Dependence. As we approach the mountaintop, we have no pride, and as we walk through the valley {don't camp in the valley, but move through it}, we walk with holy confidence. Life is good either place, because God is good, not because of us.

Uncommon women go PLACES. By staying connected to Christ, FRUIT Happens.

Her book, The Uncommon Woman, has 12 chapters with reflective questions at the end of each chapter. This looks excellent for a women's bible study.

my awareness is expanding

2011-11-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

Rapha House is a nonprofit organization that works to love, rescue, and heal girls who have been rescued out of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

We heard about Rapha House at our retreat, and we saw the sickening statistics of modern day slavery, not only in other countries, but in the U.S. and in Iowa. Human trafficking is considered modern day slavery. The rescue is actually done by other organizations and Rapha House is the safe house for these children, some as young as 4 years old. Sickening.

Families are told that there are 'jobs' for these children in the city, so their parents, those who are to protect them, are selling them without understanding that these children are being sold into brothels.

Rapha House also seeks justice for those who have committed crimes against these children. Their headquarters are in Joplin, Missouri. We heard from Hannah, the Involvement Administrator for Rapha House. She told of her first trip to one of the four safe houses located in Cambodia, Thailand and another undisclosed location. They had packed numerous combs and brushes and Hannah had no idea what they'd be doing with these. Until they got there. ALL of the children had head lice. But God allowed the head lice in this safe house, so that each and every child could have three hours with the workers, while they combed through their hair and ministered to them, telling them about the saving grace of Jesus. {God is funny like that}.

The Hebrew word Rapha means healing.

These children are restored, trained and educated in a trade so they can become equipped for a healthy future.

Lately I feel like I've sent 50 years living in a bubble. My awareness is expanding as I'm introduced to things I've never heard of before. What happens in the process, your heart also expands for causes that are not only saving children, but sharing the saving gospel message. Rapha House will be on my radar. What do I mean when I say that? It means that I'll be looking for ways to support them, I'll be checking their website for more information and keeping them in my reach.

coming and going

2011-10-31T03:00:00.002-05:00

Psalm 121:5-8
The LORD watches over you -- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

These were the words I read in my registration packet from the retreat on Saturday. Each woman had a verse with their name on it. This was my verse. In preparation for this retreat, every woman's name was placed with one of the promises from scripture and their team prayed specifically for me by name with the verse. How cool is that?!

We sang a couple of songs that I was not familiar with, but the lyrics were so good. Here is one that I liked.

Lyrics to "You'll Come to Us" by Hillsong

Verse 1
I have decided I have resolved
To wait upon you Lord
My rock and redeemer shall not be moved
I'll wait upon you Lord

Pre Chorus
As surely as the sun will rise
You'll come to us
As certain as the dawn appears

Chorus
You'll come let your glory fall
As you respond to us
Spirit reign flood our hearts
With holy fire again

Verse 2
We are not shaken we are not moved
We wait upon you Lord
Our Mighty deliverer my triumph and truth
I'll wait upon you Lord

Bridge
Chains be broken
Lives be healed
Eyes be opened
Christ is revealed

I'll be posting more on the lessons throughout the week.

Rise & Shine

2011-10-28T03:00:00.001-05:00

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, Shine! For your light has come...and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's retreat in Cedar Falls. I'm just as excited to be connecting with my ex-coworker and friend. Its been several months since we've met in Waterloo at our favo, Olive Garden.

The speaker, Susie Larson has authored 6 books, one of which is "The Uncommon Woman" and has a daily radio show, Live the Promise with Susie Larson. I've not heard of her other than on KNWS, so I'm excited to hear her speak.

I'm sure I'll have a summary of what she taught next week!

my new gig

2011-10-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

I have a photo gig tonight. A request. I can't wait to share with you what the venue is and I'm hoping for some decent sunlight late afternoon, early evening.

I've decided that my Hospice Volunteer time will be at the Hospice Home for now, so I will be taking the orientation tonight for that. With all of the travel I do for work, I decided to have one place to volunteer instead of more driving to possibly four counties, a variety of nursing homes or patient homes. There are so many opportunities to volunteer that there is room for everyone!

Day 3 OTR

2011-10-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

On The Road...

Today we are getting a software change, an upgrade, or simply put another change in our changing world of data collection. From what I hear, those who have switched to the new software really like it. I'm just hoping for a small learning curve and a software tool that helps us work smarter not harder on many levels.

We have also been practicing with this...Last week, we recorded my "Intro to Breast Cancer" Chapter and presentation. At work, we call this 'the silver ball' and we've been getting practice using this to adjust sound, recording quality, etc. It is pretty cool and makes one feel important. Until you hear yourself on the recording. Who has ever like their own voice on the recorder?
I will be ready to hit my own bed and pillow tonight. I have been in Iowa City since Monday and finished up our breast cancer training exercises yesterday. We break up our training over a week, so that the trainees have time to work on practice exercises before coming back for discussion.

I'm happy to be traveling now so when the SN*W flies, I can camp out by the fire! And I even have my own silver ball at home. If you look closely, you'll see my friend, Susan, and I sitting on the porch in our blankets watching the sun come up a few weeks ago!

crock pot season

2011-10-25T03:00:00.003-05:00

It is crock pot season. This is the best crock pot blog I've found, and I've tried several of her recipes with success.

And I'm much more successful with my crock pots because of her tips. If you've ever had overcooked food when you get home from work, read this. After reading that, I'm much more successful in using my crock pots.

She has a nice index/table of contents along the left sidebar to find certain ingredients or meals. Let me know if you find something good AND you try it!

After a ~~short~~ few weeks cooking hiatus, I've decided to get out the comfort food recipes and dust off my crock pot.

Here are a few recipes I've tried from her blog:
Rotisserie Chicken (in the crockpot)
Sweet Potatoes (in the crockpot)
Breakfast Casserole (in the crockpot)

And she has two cookbooks now!

Deaf Church

2011-10-24T03:00:00.003-05:00

Eli and I attended Calvary Lutheran Church for the Deaf in Des Moines yesterday. As we pulled into the church parking lot, Eli decided to give me a crash course on signing. I remembered how to finger-spell my name from when we all learned the alphabet pre-Belize preparation. But he said, they will ask me my name, and I needed to be able to sign, "My name is L-O-R-I."

He was right. We found a group of people drinking coffee and signing and smiling and laughing. They engaged Eli immediately and wanted to know all about him, why he was there and welcomed us with open arms. There was a group of men over at another table who were very animated, but Eli decided to talk to all of the older 'grandma-types'. :)

When it was time to enter the sanctuary, the lights flashed signaling it was time to move. We sat near the voice interpreter so we could hear her voice the service. Eli was able to follow along with the pastor without any problems. It was so cool to watch Eli sign and have the understanding of different things in the service and how to spell words. He needed to have a conversation with someone for his ASL class.

When we sang three hymns, there was a leader to sign the words. There was no music. There were parts of the service where they would join in signing, like a responsive reading for us.

The entire sermon was signed focusing on the 10 Commandments and how they are equally important. You can follow one and break the others, and you have broken them all. The Pharisees were the experts on the law and they loved the law, but not God. They wanted to catch Jesus making a mistake.

We are used to looking at the negative...don't steal...don't kill...don't cheat. But Jesus tells us in a positive way to Love God and love others. His positive message defeated the Pharisees, they were in shock. We can copy Jesus' example, and be the positive message in the world: Love God and love others.

^{Matthew 22: 34-40}
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

At the end of the service, the pastor introduced the guests. :) I let Eli introduce me to everyone. He signed who we were and did a great job.

It was fun to see what Eli has been learning at college and applying it so quickly, only after two months. He will be back in four short weeks for Thanksgiving.

Strengthening my core (3)

2011-10-21T03:00:00.004-05:00

Core Value #3

A commitment to Worship as the Central Activity of Church

Revelation 22:7-9
“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Worship God.

Its not about me.
Its not about the pastor.
Its about Jesus ~ not what you get out of worship. We have a tendency to worship wrong things. We may worship the pastor. We may worship the place (a church building). We may worship a pattern or style of worship. Anyone like liturgy? Hymns? Contemporary praise songs?

John 4:19-24 tells us to worship in spirit and truth. It reminds us that the place of worship will change. But who we worship does not change.

In the book of Revelation, chapter 22, "Behold I am coming soon!" is repeated three times in the last chapter of the Bible.

The first time it is instruction.
The second time it is for commitment.
The third time it is a warning.

Worship has to be the central 'hub' of a church. All of the activities and committees then become the spokes and get their drive from one thing, the hub, and our focus. To worship God.

How do we prepare our hearts to worship in spirit and truth. We have all been in the car on the way to church. Or even in the house before we leave for church. I don't even have to explain the chaos surrounding Sunday morning in your house BEFORE you get to church. We've all been there. So we come stumbling up the stairs at church and its like we need to walk through the spot-free rinse cycle to enter the sanctuary. We need something to prepare our hearts. Or it does become about us. Or our spouse. Or kids. Or the dog.

I learned a few years ago, that there wasn't a pastor who was going to keep me from going to church. And there isn't a style of worship that is going to keep me from my worship time. I am there to worship God.

Thankfully we have a time of transition before our worship service starts where we can sing {or not} and start to align ourselves to honor God, worship Him and be in the moment. Some days its harder than others, to get your worship on. But do it. Worship God in spirit and truth every chance you get.

"Behold, I am coming soon."
Amen, Come Lord Jesus.

Pastor Dean gets the credit for the core value sermons. Bring it on Pastor Dean!

broken & open

2011-10-20T03:00:00.004-05:00

A broken heart recognizes its need for God. It is emptied. God's purpose is to break our will, not our spirit. His purpose is not to destroy us, but to bring us to a position of maximum wholeness, maturity and usefulness in His kingdom.

Brokenness is God's process of bringing us to the point where we not only DON'T have the final say, we have nothing to say but "what would you have me to do?"

I think I could have written the chapter in our bible study this week. Not because I have the corner market on suffering or brokenness. Not because I have surrendered over and over again. But because I identify with sin. I recognize confession and repentance. And I've surrender many things to God's capable hands. The more I surrender, the more I find to surrender.

Most of us fall and collapse at the first grip of pain; we sit down on the threshold of God's purpose and die away of self-pity, and all so called Christian sympathy will aid us to our death bed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, and says -- "Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine." If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart." ~Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest.

We have been talking about revival in our two year study. We have poured over the suffering in Psalm 119 and read almost every.single.verse. Personal spiritual revival is a constant renewal of God's purpose in your life and a deepening of your devotion to Him and intimacy with Him. In real and tangible ways, God restores and transforms you.

So as God revives us, let's live "with the roof off and the walls down" in our relationship with Him and others. No masks. No secret life. Instead our life is open to God, and our heart is vulnerable to Him so that we may be touched and moved and changed by the Holy Spirit.

Does surrender come easily? No. You have to walk down the road paved with humility, brokenness, confession, repentance and the cross. Such graces are gifts from God. Surrender is the point when the believer decides to step over the line, hold nothing back and go with God. It is a reckless abandonment of the will of God. Once you have stepped over the line, you are the Lord's radical disciple. You will live on the edge of your faith in a way you never have before. Then your life will influence the world. Surrender to the Master Potter.

He wants to be

2011-10-19T03:00:00.003-05:00

Jesus is your safety; He wants to be your satisfaction
He is your righteousness; He wants to be your holiness.
He wants to lead you out and lead you up.
Can you trust Him?

for the fire

2011-10-18T03:00:00.002-05:00

This may look like the same pile of firewood I showed you earlier in the month. This is oak, already split before Tim hauled it home. Because of the storm in July, there is an abundance of firewood in central Iowa. Because we burn wood all winter long, people keep calling us to haul away their wood. This picture actually looks like an ally in Ghana, but it is behind our back fence.

You remember this row of firewood.

And now there are two rows.

Tim has been busy the past six weeks, hauling, loading, splitting and stacking firewood. Usually we run out about late January. Now we have a good two year's worth of wood ready to burn. It is going to be a toasty winter. I've been saving my stack of books to read by the fire.

P.S. Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad today. 53 years!

above fine gold

2011-10-17T03:00:00.005-05:00

Last week I posted about core value #2 here regarding the authority of God's Word in our lives. It was no surprise when our bible study landed on the same topic three days later. I love how God continues to drive home the message from different avenues. That my friends, is a divine appointment.

God's Word is a treasure that transforms us into a man or woman of God. The treasure IS God's Word. It takes a lifetime to appreciate and enjoy it. All 66 documents were written over 1600 hundred years ago by more than forty authors. Ah, but these authors did not write their own words -- they wrote God's words.

I don't just write this stuff, I believe it.

We know that and can believe it because 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All scripture is God-breathed" (NIV) or "inspired" (NASB). Because the bible is from God, it is:

authoritative: has the right to govern your life and actions

infallible: dependable, reliable, certain, and trustworthy

inerrant: it is true, flawless, and without error.

Just think, in a world that is constantly changing, you hold in your hands truth from God that will never change. You can bank your life on it. It is a firm foundation in the midst of the storms of life. God's word is truer than your feelings and circumstances.

Psalm 119:127
Therefore I love Your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold.

God has chosen to speak and reveal Himself to you in three ways:

Creation: Psalm 19:1-6, Romans 1:20

Jesus Christ: Hebrews 1:1-3

The Word of God: 2 Peter 1:20-21

How does God answer in the dark of the night when He hears the cry of His child? How does He reach through the heavens and touch the heart of the afflicted? What can change the face of discouragement? What can revive the heart?

One thing: the Word of God

When you are in what can only be called the dark night of the soul, God's Word can make its way to the place of pain and, like a healing balm, soothe and comfort like nothing else can. The Word of God is a treasure greater than all the riches of the world. And greater than temporary fixes we seek out.

"One of the greatest needs in the church today is to come back to the Scriptures as the basis of authority, and to study them prayerfully in dependence on the Holy Spirit. When we read God's Word, we fill our hearts with His words, and God is speaking to us." ~Billy Graham in What the Bible is All About" by Henrietta C. Mears.

Whenever I think I might love the Bible as much as I possibly can, I'm thrown head-first into thoughts and truths that keep stirring me to read more, understand more, and apply more. And it is the reason I can say, O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97.

notes taken from 'revive my heart' by catherine martin

1,000

2011-10-16T21:36:00.003-05:00

Wow, just noticed that as of Friday, I've posted my 1,000th post :).
...make that 1001...

I'll be making some changes on and off through the end of the month, so don't be surprised when things look a little different around here. I've tested out some new layouts and colors, but am partial to specific things I like from the old layout. Wait and see what happens...

I find it interesting that you can make blogger look like wordpress now. Funny. I haven't looked at blogger gadgets in forever. Maybe its time to add a few of those or get rid of a few old ones.

Picasa Web Albums

2011-10-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had you download Picasa, if you wanted to :).

Now the next step is loading your Picasa albums to your online web albums. In the top right corner of your Picasa window, there is a button/link called web albums. I have 96 online albums all that contain numerous pictures. This is my backup of my pictures in case my computer ever gives up. And I can access my web albums from any computer.

You do not have to use web albums to use Picasa. This is just another step and a great way to back up your photos. I currently use 10 GB of storage online. You can pay for additional storage, but Picasa gives you a small amount of free storage.

When I'm ready to upload pictures to my web albums, I do it by month or topic. For example, I have a web album online with all of my Ghana pictures. I also have pictures by the month and/or year depending on how many there were. I open Picasa on my computer and click on a folder in the library. Towards the bottom left, in the space there is a note that says 'folder selected - 72 photos'. Because I've selected the entire folder, it is ready to upload. I click the upload button, and I get a dialog box asking me questions.

It wants to know if I want to upload quickly or with the original resolution. Since this is my backup, I upload the original size of the picture. I can also select if I want it viewable, or locked. You can make all of your web albums private and no one will ever see them, unless you give them a link. And then I click the upload button. And off my pictures go to my online album. It didn't ask me to name the album, because I named it the same name of the monthly folder. The very first thing across the top of this window says, add to this album. If you want it to go to a different album, then you either rename it or select a different album here.

Once your photos are uploaded, you can then view your albums and reorganize or rename them online too. I like my photos to have the most current picture first, so I am able to do that inside each album. You will also notice a small green arrow on the pictures you have uploaded to your web albums. You can also set your Picasa to synchronize each of your albums, so that when you open Picasa, it will automatically upload any new pictures to your web albums. It works pretty slick but I've only done it once or twice.

This is a great way to backup your photos. And a fun way to share pictures with family and friends. Facebook has become the more fashionable way to share pictures, but I still like the security of knowing my pictures are backed up.

The last thing I love about Picasa is the print function. It allows me several options of adding a white border, or pictures clear to the edge, and which tray I want to print from, like a full page or from my photo paper 4x6 tray.

I hope you try Picasa and if you ever have any questions, let me know.

Picasa and organizing photos

2011-10-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time...I had a website.
JJ was born and I used Frontpage.
I had free web space to use through my internet provider.
It was a lot of work.
And so the search began...

I called the guy at netins, waaay back when, and I said, "Is there something easier than taking down the website every time I want to update pictures?" We talked about how I use my website and he was the one who suggested Picasa. Of course at the time, I had no idea what he was talking about.

What I found was a photo organizing system, not really a web site, but perfect for what I wanted to do which was sharing photos. But before we go that far, let just talk about organizing pictures.

I can't tell you how many people ask me about organizing their photos. I doubt that most people have 32,000 photos like my friend, Renee. But even if you take digital pictures, they are much more fun if you are able to send, share or post them to facebook, etc. And Renee uses both picasa and the web albums :).

I use the default windows tool that opens up when I plug my camera to my computer. I can name the pictures I add and plop them in that month's folder. This has been the easiest for me. I used to give my pictures cute names, but the month and year works best for labeling and finding your pictures. So if I loaded pictures today, I would give them all the name 'Oct 2011' and then each picture would have its own name and number, like Oct 2011 001, and Oct 2001 002, etc. These are placed in my 2011-10 (Oct) folder in my pictures folder. There is an editing, cropping and light tool in the windows tool, but it is pretty limited. You can also change the size/resolution of a picture in this tool. That's about it.

To download Picasa, go to http://picasa.google.com/ and download picasa 3.8 for FREE. Of course, I forgot to mention if I use it, most likely it is free.

Once you download it and install the software to your computer, open the tool. I've used Picasa for so long that I don't recall setting anything up when I first used it. But what happened is, Picasa imported every single picture from 'my pictures' folder into folders that I could see along the left of my open window called the library. From there you can view, open, edit, and play around with your pictures. Across the bottom are several options as well. Like you can print a single photo, you can upload it by clicking on the facebook button or you can blog your picture. I also love the tool that you can 'pin' several pictures to the bottom holding area and when you are ready, it will upload them all to facebook or your blog. You can also pin several pictures and then make a collage out of them, like you see on several blogs. I've tried the movie function in picasa when I made Yaw's graduation video for Janel and was not happy with the resolution at all. So I haven't tried using it again.

Once you open up a single picture you also have options of basic fixes, tuning and effects, all that work pretty well. And easy to undo if you don't like it.

That is the first step in organizing pictures in Picasa. If you have your pictures sorted differently in your 'my pictures' folder, picasa will name your folders however you have them named. So if you dump them into folders by people's names, your folders in Picasa will be named accordingly.

If you click on a folder in your library, it will bring all of those photos into view. I also love that you can organize these by date, so they are chronological. I'm a little crazy like that.

Ok, so that's enough for today. Tomorrow I'll share how I share my photos in the online web albums.

Hospice Complete

2011-10-12T03:00:00.001-05:00

My classes for volunteering at Hospice have ended. Let the hospitality begin. They are always looking for more volunteers, so if you have ever been interested in doing it, let me know. We were the largest class and there was some talk about holding the Volunteer Class once a year now, instead of twice a year.

Now we will each meet with the volunteer coordinator to determine where we'd like to serve based on our time, our availability and where we'd like to serve.

Obviously because of confidentiality, I won't be able to share my experiences unless it is community wide or a public activity.

Strengthening My Core (2)

2011-10-11T03:00:00.005-05:00

Core Value #2

A commitment to the authority of God's Word

Remember that a core value is the driving force, a commonly held value of a church. Core Values compel us and propel us. A core value is like a GPS to set our direction and give us an idea of our destiny.

We are challenged to know our Bibles. Why study the bible?

Because the Bible tells us to read it.
Because it is inspired. It is the mind and heart of God. It motivates and invigorates. It doesn't contain a message from God. We don't have to ask which part contains the message and which part doesn't? It IS the message from God
Because it connects us to God. He used the many author's, their gifts, talents and wisdom to write it.

2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We even sang this song...The B.I.B.L.E.

Strengthening My Core (1)

2011-10-10T03:00:00.005-05:00

We've been learning about Core Values the past two weeks. We will go through 6 core values this month and they are challenging and encouraging.

Core Value #1

A commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord

Core Values:

strengthen our resolve
identify us
separate us from the masses, we are unique or peculiar
clarify what we stand for
maps a grid so we can decide on the big things

Core values are different than beliefs. Beliefs are debatable, negotiable. Beliefs are like a giant house with rooms of grace for everyone.

But heaven is more than a belief. Core values are deeper, more like a conviction, an absolute. It is non-negotiable. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.
I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am.
You know the way to the place where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going,
so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:2-6

According to the Bible, heaven is for those who say yes to Jesus. We all have 100% opportunity, free will, but good people don't go to heaven, forgiven people do. If we don't have the commitment to Christ, we have nothing. To know, in Hebrew, means to have a close relationship. This separates religion from Christianity.

I am no pastor, and I don't pretend to lead a flock anywhere. My notes help me through the week. They help me digest and understand what I hear in a short time sitting in church. It gives me a chance to look up verses that are part of the sermon and gain a better understanding of the lesson. And reading God's Word keeps me grounded.

Tomorrow, Core Strength #2

a pencil

2011-10-07T03:00:00.004-05:00

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. We are not authors, any of us. We are just the pencils. Once we understand that we might actually become useful to God. ~Mother Teresa

show me and send me

2011-10-06T03:00:00.004-05:00

Some random words today to remind me what is circling and unfolding...

fundraising | Reading about God's promise to Abraham in Kisses from Katie | bible study | Hearing God's promise to Abraham (again) | studying the promises according to God's Word | Moses prayer in Exodus | Isaiah's response

None of this makes sense to anyone else, but I want to be able to look back and remember...the beginning...

Exodus 33:13 Lord show me your intentions so I know exactly what to do {Lori paraphrase}

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

"More life is the cure for all our ailments. Only the Lord can give it. He can bestow it, bestow it at once, and do it all according to his word, without departing from the usual course of this grace, as we see it mapped out in the Scriptures...When a person is depressed in spirit, weak, and bent towards the ground, the main thing is to increase his stamina and put more life into him; then his spirit revives, and his whole body becomes erect. In reviving the life, the whole man is renewed. Shaking off the dust is a little thing by itself, but when it follows upon quickening, it is a blessing of the greatest value; just as good spirits which flow from established health are among the choicest of our mercies...The word of God shows us that he who first made us must keep us alive, and it tells us of the Spirit of God who through the ordinances pours fresh life into our souls. " ~The Treasury of David, Vol 3 by Charles Spurgeon

your hands

2011-10-05T03:00:00.002-05:00

Christ has no body on earth but yours,
no hands but yours
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion
for the world is to look out;
yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good;
and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.
St. Teresa

do more

2011-10-04T03:00:00.017-05:00

You know my heart aches for those children in need of assistance. Do you know how many children I could sponsor if I didn't have a house payment?!!!

~about 42 kids~
!a month!

FOVC in Ethiopia, another family giving back to their adopted son's birth country blogs at Journey 4 Hope...

She writes "While we're sitting in our living rooms enjoying a warm cup of coffee, there are sponsored children in Southern Ethiopia thanking God for the one meal they received today but also begging Him to provide food for their neighbors who've not eaten for 4 or more days. While we climb out of our beds with an achy back, children in Ethiopia have never slept in a bed. And while we decide which place we'll go out to eat this week, children in Ethiopia may receive nourishment and might not. You see, children sponsored by Americans receive an education, food and medical care." Now me {Lori}: I sleep in a bed and I go out to eat. That does not make me a bad person. That makes me a 'blessed beyond measure' person who can do something.

Orphans of Teso in Uganda...more opportunities as this family expands their sponsorship boundaries...so exciting...

Sweet Jenneba...heartbreaking...the clock is ticking...makes me wonder about Edward in Cape Coast, Ghana, Africa. Sweet Edward who came up to me after our morning bible study and singing. He grabbed my hand without me even seeing him, and gave me the biggest smile. I will never forget him.

Urgency...nothing short of heartbreaking...

World Vision story...the mystery of suffering...

Confessions of a skeptic, a good article on sponsorship

~do more~

Its not a mistake. Each of the items above are #1 in my book.

I could go on and on. Just when I compile a list of some more "worthy causes" or sponsorship information, another one lands in my lap. I really don't go searching or googling for these, they are at my fingertips, alongside my blog or in my inbox. And why do I write and pour my heart out? Because I want you to catch of glimpse of the transformation in my heart. When you ask God to do a mighty work in your life, you have no clue what direction that may take. You can't begin to imagine where your hands and feet might end up, in service.

The law would not allow me to house 42 children, although if left to my own resources, I'm sure I could find a place for 42 children to sleep in this big ol' house :). I know I could. But then I'd have to be licensed and all that rig-a-ma-role. This really gets my thoughts churning about freeing up even more money and sponsoring more kids. As usual, I'm only limited financially. But God is not.

~do more~

Then there is the local home in Marshalltown dubbed, House of Compassion, that takes donations and provides meals and a place to sleep for the homeless. They have dire need as their supply closet is empty. Many local churches, businesses and service groups provide articles, clothing, food, pantry items, and toilet paper to name a few things that the supply closet USUALLY stocks. But the shelves are empty. The need is greater. Currently the H of C serves over 800 families in the community. The items families get from the supply closet cannot be purchased with food stamps and financial guidelines must be met to use the supply closet. Imagine going at the first of the month, and you are allowed three items from the supply closet each month. You may chose a 4-pack of toilet paper, some shampoo (size depends on size of family) and maybe one other item, like laundry soap. That has to last you a month.

The need is greater. There are less items on the shelves. What do they do? What can we do locally? We don't have to search far to see the need.

~do more~

Currently our church has a 'Sunday School Throwdown' and we are challenging each Sunday School Class to bring items each Sunday in October. The mission committee will collect and tally the items and the class with the most points wins! We are a competitive group. It is all in fun and for a very worthy {local} cause.

This particular Supply Closet needs items such as shampoo/conditioner, laundry detergent, dishwashing {liquid} soap, toilet paper, kleenex, disposable diapers, cold & flu medicine, aspirin, tylenol/motrin.

Today there is a book about a young, 18 year old gal, who walked away from the 'american dream' life and straight into mission work. Her story and book are available today. I will be up late reading this until I finish. Because she was able to do more...than I can even imagine! This is her blog and this is her book.

...what would you do, if you knew?...

last year

2011-10-03T03:00:00.000-05:00

October 3....was a perfect day for this...

refresh//renew

2011-09-30T03:00:00.003-05:00

Psalm 119:50 NKJV
This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.

The word revive in the Hebrew means a quickening of heart and soul by God, imparting whatever is necessary to sustain one's spiritual life and restore one to his or her original purpose in life as ordained by God. It includes enjoying life, starting over, rebuilding, and being refreshed and renewed.

Revival is by God and is a quickening of the heart and soul by God. When a person or a nation is in trouble, there is only one place to go for real answers and change, and that is to God.

The truth is that revival is really the Reviver in action, and He came two thousands years ago at Pentecost. Revival is not so much a vertical outpouring from heaven, for the Reviver is already here in His temple, the bodies of the redeemed; it is more a horizontal outmoving of the Reviver through these temples into the world.

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him
and the power to do what pleases Him."
Philippians 2:13, NLT

around the mountain :: fall

2011-09-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

Autumn Sedum

forever petunias

The transplants are in the foreground mixed with some trailing petunias in the background
I don't know the name of these petunias (above) that come back every year, but the smell takes me back to my great aunt's house when I was a kid. They re-seed each year, are pretty hardy and are a great fall flower.

my fall clematis

This is the most brilliant and pungent year ever. Last year I think it bloomed for one day. I have two large areas of this and some random starts that like to jump around the garden. You can no longer see my 'path' through my garden. The white flowers in the foreground are garlic chives, tall with white tops.

fall colors

Crisp nights and warm, sunny days keep everything blooming on the mountain.

chop chop

2011-09-28T03:00:00.003-05:00

This is another one of Tim's inventions: His "firewood chop saw".
The log rolls down the table to the end where he has a stop.
The chain saw pivots and cuts each piece.
This way he doesn't have to lift or lug around his chain saw.

Each piece is cut to the exact same length.
I think that's a garden hook, re-purposed for the 'stop' at the end.

Then he gets on the skid steer and brings up another log.

Once everything is cut to the perfect length it is ready for splitting.

You can see the pallet boxes he's made in the background. Once its split it goes in there.
The skid steer will pick up each box and bring it up near the house as we use it.

He's very proud of his stacking ability and how even the pieces are.

'This is a lot of work, but it sure feels good in the winter when the living room is
about 80 degrees and we are in our shorts and tank tops.

We have the same ~~conversation~~ argument each year. He thinks because it is 'dead' wood it is ready to burn. I tell him that it needs to 'season' before we burn it. It needs to get wet, dry out, get baked in the sun. I can tell if it is 'green' by the color and the weight. If it is 'green' it is very dense and heavy. In the end, he does what he wants.

This is hard work. But Tim calls it his therapy. And I'm only allowed in the pasture when he wants to show me his wood :).

circles of faith

2011-09-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

I think of this like the rings of a tree. The stages of faith.

These notes are from one of our parent sessions when we took Eli to college. It was called "An intro to college faith development". At that time it was a lot of information, I lost my notes and my parent book and I basically couldn't remember the four stages of growth. But I found my notes and I still wanted to record this in my blog for future reference. Basically here is the author and his own article if you prefer.

Stage One: Experienced Faith is just like it sounds. It relies on what we have experienced in our lives, our churches and youth groups.
Stage Two: Affiliative Faith is the fullest expression of faith in our community. It gives us a sense of belonging or being together in the family of God.
Stage Three: Searching Faith is where students can have doubts and questions why it is done a certain way. Parents are the establishment and students learn how to weather the storms of life by going through the searching stage. They may have doubts and questions and they learn how to handle difficulties.
Stage Four: Owned Faith is when a student realizes that it is their faith and they are not riding on the shoulders of their parent's faith. Their faith becomes a part of who they are and not just what they experience.

The article concludes that Owned Faith is God's intention for everyone, even though (according to Westerhoff) most adults have had their faith arrested at the affiliative stage. Therefore, it is important for churches to provide opportunities that address the needs in each and every stage of faith development and thereby help as many as possible to reach their full faith potential.

I'm just happy that I could follow what this guy was saying! Back to the tree rings. We need the faith experiences of the earlier stages throughout life, just like the tree adds one new ring a year, on top of what it already has, our faith grows and gets stronger as well.

still learning

2011-09-26T03:00:00.005-05:00

I'm learning a lot about Hospice in my Tuesday night classes. What I'm learning most is that my preconceived ideas about Hospice are not only unfounded but untrue. I think I can speak for most of the general public, that when you hear Hospice, you hear the words 'death & dying'.

We took a little pre-test on our ideas about Hospice. I missed 6 of the 13 questions. At that point my ears were wide open. I have some things to learn!

So what is the truth about Hospice? And who founded it? Glad you asked!

The term “hospice” comes from the word hospitality and can be traced back to medieval times when it referred to a place of shelter and rest for weary or ill travelers on a long journey. The name was first applied to specialized care for dying patients in 1967 by physician Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded the first modern hospice—St. Christopher’s Hospice—in a residential suburb of London.In 1993, Hospice was considered a part of the health care continuum which was part of President Clinton's health care reform proposal.

Iowa River Hospice was founded in 1983 after a steering committee, initiated by two of my nursing instructors, Rutherford and Weitzel.

Paula Rutherford and Beth Weitzel are nurses who were teaching at MCC in the early 80’s and saw the need for better end of life care. They initiated a steering committee with many disciplines represented and from this group Iowa River Hospice was established. In 1982 President Reagan signed the Hospice Medicare legislation into law. Iowa River Hospice was incorporated on January 28^th 1983 and was soon serving the Marshall, Tama, Southern Hardin and Grundy Counties. Paula and Beth wisely saw the need for hospice care and defined our service area as a 50 mile radius from Marshalltown.

I'm so proud of them! I had no idea they were doing this in addition to teaching our classes!

According to Medicare guidelines, Hospice provides three levels of care ranging from home to nursing home, hospital and respite type of care. In 2009, the IRH Hospice Home was built in Marshalltown. It is beautiful.

There are 200 million hospice volunteers across the U.S. There are 101 things to do as a volunteer so I'm excited to see what is needed after I finish with this class. For instance, everyone met last week to help haul heavy rocks to the Hospice Home. This coming Wednesday is Day of Caring and a group of volunteers will meet to do outside work, plant daffodils and haul dirt. Again, I assumed all volunteers sat and read or socialized with the patients.

So far we've heard from the Director and one of the RN's and a Certified Hospice Aide. We hear frequently that Hospice is a family and it is a calling for those who are working there. This week we hear from one of the three social workers. We have one of the largest classes that they have ever had :). I have a lot to learn.

one year ago

2011-09-23T03:00:00.002-05:00

On Sunday it will be ONE year since we were waiting at the airport for Justice to arrive.
I remember praying for his visa day by day by day.
I remember saying, "Have visa, will travel!"
I remember we were all thrilled to meet him for the first time.
He looks so young!

We are so thankful to have you in our lives, Justice.
We love you!

revival

2011-09-22T03:00:00.002-05:00

Revival commences with those who:

in bad times remain good,
in godless days remain Christian,
in careless years remain constant,
and who have eternity in their hearts.

Revival begins with those who stand firm:

in an age of godless rejection
in an age when the people do what is right in their own eyes.

It begins with a man who can see what the state of the church and the nation really is...Revival is always a personal thing, and no one is used in revival who is not himself revived first.

Brian H. Edwards in Revival: A People Saturated with God

Salsa 101

2011-09-21T03:00:00.002-05:00

I have toyed with this recipe since about 1999, using different amounts, spices, reading about acidity of tomatoes and using vinegar. I've also compared my quantities with other gardeners and when the Romas are ripening my mouth starts watering.

I don't remember which year I started using Roma tomatoes. But I can tell you that it has improved my salsa 99%. In 2010, my Roma plants all died, so I tried to use some regular tomatoes. Fail. I managed 18 pints and they were used in my chili last year. It was too runny to eat.

I used to plant my own onions, jalapeno peppers, chili peppers, bell peppers and garlic. Nothing was ready at the time I needed it. So now I frequent the farmers market when my tomatoes are ready.

I start with 1/2 bushel of Roma tomatoes

Scald them to remove the skins.
This takes a good 3-5 minutes, unlike regular tomatoes who lose their skins
after about 30 seconds.

Then into a cold basin of water where I remove all the skins.
Here is a bowl full of naked tomatoes.

Once they are naked, I also remove all of the liquid/seed sections so
all I have left are the meaty sections of the tomato.

I put them in a large kettle and use my hand-blender and make a puree of out them.

Next up are the peppers and onions. I use my Lil' Oscar food processor and I chop up:
2-3 onions (I like to use at least 1 red)
1 cup jalapeno peppers (wear rubber gloves when cutting)
2 cups sweet green or red peppers
5 red or green chili peppers
...this will clean out your sinuses in no time...

Add Spices:
1 Tbl salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
5 cloves garlic, pressed
to taste: lawry's season salt, chili powder, cumin, S&P, cilantro, Juice from 1/2 lime
I use at least 1/4-1/2 tsp of each spice

A little comment about spices: I don't measure.
According to the pot I'm cooking in, I sprinkle each spice over the top of the surface of the salsa pretty heavily, until it is covered. Then the next spice, and so on.
I've always measured this way and it turns out to my liking.
But I'm a heavy-on-the-spice kinda gal.

Once everything is chopped up, I start cooking it down. See the rim around the edge of the pan.
I cook this down for about 1 hour, so it reduces quite a bit.

When the house smells wonderful and your nose is running after an hour of cooking, I get my clean jars in a sink full of hot water. I also put my flats (lids) in a pan of hot water.
Now the fun begins.
I keep my salsa hot and on the burner, and I start jarring it up.
If you've canned before, you know that you wipe the top of the jars with a wet towel to make sure
nothing is on the rim. Lay the hot flat on the rim and tighten with the ring.

I set them aside on a cooling rack and cover with a tea towel once they are all jarred up.
Believe it or not, I never taste my salsa hot.

If I have some extra that doesn't fill a jar, I put it in the refrigerator and test it the next day.

My count for 2011 is 50 jars of salsa. Each batch is labeled and I write down what I did for each batch in case we really love it (or not). I stay true to my quantities and depending on the consistency of the salsa once its cooked down, sometimes I add a small can of tomato paste. This year I added paste to 2 batches and the last 2 batches I did not. I add it after it cooks down and you can stir and see if you want it thicker or not. My first two batches ended up very thick with the paste, so I opted to leave it out in the last two batches.

Because of the way we 'accession' cases at work, I also accession my salsa. :) I write on the top of the lid of each jar...

Batch 1 = 2011-1 yielded 15 pints
Batch 2 = 2011-2 yielded 13 pints
Batch 3 = 2011-3 yielded 9 pints (I made this in 1 large pot)
Batch 4 = 2011-4 yielded 13 pints

Batches 1, 2, and 4, I split into 2 kettles and cooked them separately. But I added the full amount of peppers/onions/spices to EACH kettle. Batch 3 I kept in one kettle and did not double the spices. No reason. Just because. I think I got tired and used fewer tomatoes.

I have 1/2 bushel of tomatoes on my porch ready for Batch 5. And a few more green ones in the garden.

At the end of the season, I have tried using my crockpot (2008) where I dumped all of the naked tomatoes, spices, onions, peppers and let it cook for 6 hours. I added 1 can of tomato paste and let it cook for 1 more hour before jarring it up. This is an easy way to use up some late bloomers and those cherry tomatoes that won't stop producing.

In 2009 I tried to use a packet of Mrs. Wage's seasoning. I wasn't fond of the flavor over my own concoction so I went back to what I liked best. Afterall, isn't that why you make your own salsa?

Everyone tells me I should sell my salsa. Once you make a batch, you know the time and energy that goes into it and it would be hard to mass produce and keep it tasting the way I like it. So for now, I keep it for our family and friends.

Say Yes

2011-09-20T03:00:00.001-05:00

Who needs your time?

Who could use some of your money?

Maybe a little encouragement?

Think about one thing you have plenty of...time?...money?...cooking a meal for someone?

A few weeks ago I logged onto a webcast by Lysa Terkeurst and Ann Voskamp. If you've been around the blog world, you've probably heard their names. They are both authors and writers. I see that the webcast is no longer available to view but it was one hour that was well worth my time on the web. They called it the 'Yes to God' webcast.

Are you willing to say Yes to God, when all you see is the first step?

I took some notes, as I'm inclined to do. Mainly because I'm a visual learner. When I write, I learn and remember much better than just listening.

Lysa started out talking about Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. A pure heart desires to see God, hear Him and know Him. Her husband was preparing his new year's resolution and spoke his desire to be intentional every day. So he decided everyday, for one whole year, he was going to look for people who needed his time, his money, or some encouragement and he was going to reach out and touch people for 365 days. He was going to give one thing that was plentiful. She loved the idea so much she decided to join him.

She decided one thing she could do was cook dinner every Monday night for a year, inviting guests each Monday night. This didn't have to look like a gourmet meal with a clean house and a fancy table. This wasn't planning out meals and creating more stress. This was taking what she had and offering it up to God. Saying Yes to God. In her willingness, she experienced God.

Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Saying Yes to God changes who you are, changes others and changes the world.

A shorter version of this is for 7 days. When we intentionally look to God, we see those in need. We wake up and say, "Interrupt me today, Lord, I want to see you, hear you, follow hard after you today." Lift up your willingness to experience God each day for 7 days. Pray for spiritual ears to hear, be brave, willing, and pure in heart. Ask for courage to say Yes to God.

Ann Voskamp spoke for a short time regarding our first words when we are struggling or in the storm. Is it 'yes'? She says that we need to make every breath a 'yes' to God.

At the end there was a time for Q&A. Lysa talked about how to discern and recognize when God is speaking to you. Ask yourself:

Is this consistent with God's word?
Is it consistent with God's character? Galatians 5:22-23.
Is this consistent with other messages I'm hearing?
Is this beyond me? Out of my reach or strength?
Would this please God?

We need to leave some internal space for God in the midst of chaos. We can hit pause and say, "Lord I need your peace, your wisdom, your words."

Reflect God's joy. If you're happy and you know it, tell your face! Wow, do others see the light and peace in your lives?

Keep company with the Lord throughout the day. Its not what you have accomplished but who you have been with, who accompanies you through your day?

Turn worry to wonder and wonder how God will meet you here in this impossible situation. ~Ann Voskamp quote. It will change your focus and your perspective.

Faith is viewing life through a God-lens.
The brokenness will always be there. Say Yes to God in your midst, right where you are today.