Friday, November 28, 2008

My Husband Rocks~Friday


I am out of town for the holidays, but I didn't want to forget about thanking my husband for making our marriage a priority.
I really admire all that he has been doing the last few months. One of the things he did for me recently was prepare dinner. He made a special dinner for just the two of us. We ate AFTER the kids went to bed.
The Menu:
Grilled Filet Mignon (bacon-wrapped)
Double Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Cilantro, Green Onions, & Bacon
Rice Pilaf
Caesar Salad
Steamed Broccoli
Sparkling Apple Cider
Vanilla ice cream blended with Heath Bar and Magic Shell
It was delicious~~and so special.
Thank you, Josh, for a wonderful, memorable evening.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Week


Can you believe I have no pictures of my wonderful Thanksgiving DAY? I don't know what happened. My sister-in-law did a great job preparing Thanksgiving for the entire town of Buckeye, AZ. Only 18 attended, but we had plenty for more. We all enjoyed the yummy food. Even Levi is really enjoying food, including the pumpkin cheescake and chocolate cake that Aunt Cara kept feeding him. His hands were hitting the table for more.

The few days before Thanksgiving we spent at my mom's house. Merick was there, too, and Yuma was priveleged to receive it's annual rainfall while we were there. Josh was supposed to work the whole time we were there, but plans didn't go "as planned!"




We also fed the ducks while we were there. I remember, as a child, enjoying this so much. I was glad to share the memory with my children. I took the pictures on my mom's camera, so hopefully I can add those later.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as enjoyable as ours.........




Monday, November 24, 2008

Levi's Box

I forgot to bring Levi's Pack N' Play with me to my mom's house. We improvised, and he had no problem. It really was too cute, and I will probably always chuckle when I think about it. Josh always said I would put everything in a box, if I could. He said I would do it to my kids, too! I guess he was right.



Friday, November 21, 2008

My Husband Rocks~Friday

He is spending his "day-off" taking our car in to the dealership. When we bought the car, they agreed to look at the brakes. I am so grateful that he knows what to listen for, and I am blessed that he wrote it in the contract. I appreciate him taking the time to drive an hour away from home and SIT for hours to get things looked over, to make sure the car's safe. I am glad he cares about the cars more than I do.
You Rock, Josh!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Be Still and Know That I am God



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




Being commanded to “be still” in this verse is such an odd concept? Are we not supposed to FIGHT? What does it mean when we are commanded to “be still”?


Is God restricting our mobility, as fighters? I believe it is a spiritual disposition. It should be a character trait of God’s unfailing promises to a person.


The word translated “be still” comes from the Hebrew term raphah. A primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative) -- abate, cease, consume, draw (toward evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak(-en). See rapha'. This word is found in various forms in the Old Testament, with different shades of meaning. When used of a person (as opposed to some inanimate object) it often has a negative connotation.


Interestingly, being WEAK is COMMANDED? In other contexts, those that don't work are condemned. We are often commanded to take courage and not be weak. However, in those instances, certain obligations were being neglected, and God’s people were admonished to take initiative to fulfill their duties.


The reason for this contrast is that there is a BALANCE in serving God. Balance is a good thing; it really does work for the best. There are those who are far from “still.” Doing all the work and giving God none of the credit. It's a hard balance to find sometimes, because it's a matter of not wanting to be found "weak!" But isn't that what He commanded us to do? Believing that by “taking courage” I can survive is actually disobedient. I cannot do it all on my own.


Here is the irony in this term “be still.” While we must take the initiative to fulfill our responsibilities and live our lives, the uncertainties of living in a world of sin and woe will continually challenge us. I am still trying to figure this out! Where is the line?


This command—“be still”—forces me to think on two things: that we are finite, and that God is infinite. That being the case, we need to drop our hands, go limp, relax, and “chill out.” Christian people ought to enjoy a calm confidence in Him who gave us His Son. So, if I am not chill......am I disobeying His command? OUCH!!!


"Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?" Romans 8:32. Psalm 46:10 encourages me to reflect on what God can do in the face of what we are unable to do.


This spiritual calm, that God commands, does not come from a lack of troubles; it comes from a steady, deep reflection on the ways God has intervened in the past on behalf of his people


So as your world crumbles around you, the call from Scripture is: don’t flinch in faith in God.


Stand still:


—not because of a self-made confidence


—not because you are the most composed person in the face of disaster


—not because “you’ve seen it all.”


Be still because of what you know about God.


HE IS FAITHFUL!


It is God’s past that provides calm for our future. Know that He is God!



If you are the last man or woman standing, be still.


“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth do change” Psalm 46:1-2




safe in the shepard's arms be still and know that i am god<>

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Three Clowns

Today has been a BIG day for "dress-up!" I am not sure what inspired the creativity, but it has been fun to watch. I was sitting in the living room, and the doctor walked in to get his "patients!" He had a BIG pile of stuffed animals to carry downstairs. He never said a word, just very focused. They all came to show me their clown costumes, so I had to take pictures.


He had to make his own costume, since we only have two clown suits:

a ladybug body, and duck pants. I think he wins for creativity......

She just looks like she is getting too old to be a clown! :-(

To be honest, he just makes me laugh!

ZQ really was having fun......he wasn't forced!

New Blog Header

Thanks to April Durham at April Showers for my cute new look. I follow her blog, and look at the perks of being her friend. THANKS, April. I love it!!


Tuesday, November 18, 2008

What Right Do I Have?

A friend wrote this, and I think it speaks to this stage in my life..........THANK YOU for writing what words God gave you.


What right do I have to be afraid? What right have I to fear anything? I know the truth, I know who created and who cares for this universe of ours, what right have I to be afraid?

If our Creator where less understanding the fear of those who believe in Him might very well offend Him.

“I made you,” He would say, “I crafted you from mere dust. Look at that very dust, I crafted it with but a word, spoke it into existence where there was nothing. From that inanimate dust I crafted you, a being so complex not even thousands of years has allowed you to understand your own selves. I crafted the universe with but words, I crafted you, a being full of life, from that which had no life, what right have you to be afraid when I have said I will always care for those who believe in me?”

Yet He is an understanding God and knows we will have fear. Yet I find myself wondering, do I even have the right to feel fear? I have no more right to be afraid of what happens in this world then I do a right to go to heaven, yet I am going because God is loving and understanding.

Therefore, though I have no right to be afraid, I am given the freedom to be afraid. God knows we humans will fear, even though we Believers know we have no reason to be afraid. We have the very Creator of the universe on our side, what reason do we have to fear other men?

Terrorists, sickness, economic crisis, all must bow knee to the Creator. None has dominion save as He allows them. So what, I ask, gives me the right to fear any of them?

I know I possess not the power to face any of these alone. I am no fool, I know I am powerless, in and of myself. However I am more then just myself, I have on my side the one who created the universe, the very stars, He breathed it all into existence with but a word. I myself am powerless, but through Him I am powerful.

I am not second to another, for He loves all His children equally. He is God therefore I will not have to “wait my turn” for His undivided attention. He is there when I need to speak to Him, no matter how many of His children are speaking to Him. Through the millions my voice still rings true to His ears, even as all others do as well. The millions speaking to Him do not drown out my own voice, rather my voice adds weight to the the other voices, just as those other voices add weight to mine.

God does not play favorites, I am no more loved then any other of His children, but that is because He loves all His children so much it is not possible for Him to love us more. If He loves us that much, if He cares for us so deeply, will He not then, watch over for us, protect us, and provide for us?

Of course He will, so then what right have I to fear?

I am human so what happens around me does frighten me sometimes. It is not a sin to be afraid.

What is a sin, is for me to fail to realize that I have nothing to fear. What is a sin is for me to let that fear grab my attention and keep it.

I, am a child of God. I, have nothing to fear. I, will not fear that which happens around me. I, will remember that God has given me a spirit of love, power, and a sound mind.

I, am a child of God, the apple of His eye, his beloved.

I dare Satan and His ilk to challenge God, I don’t have to fear the devil, I don’t have to fear his weapons, I do not have to fear anything for:

I, am God’s beloved child.

Bring it on devil, I have the Creator of the Universe, the God of Creation on my side, and I have nothing, in heaven or earth, to fear.

Monday, November 17, 2008

i am more exciting than i thought~ok, maybe, not!

150 things to see if I am exciting.................


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (NEVER BEEN TO A REAL BAR.....I don't think!)
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (still have them)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44 . Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDS
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking 103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone to Africa.
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet (well, my brother did.......and I had to deal with it so it COUNTS!!!!)
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132.Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life (I think prayer counts, right?)



If you're still reading......Happy Monday!.....and I'm sorry--I'm desperately trying to create some excitement in my life to blog about. But no more drama. Please...no more drama ...

Thanks for helping me come up with something to blog about.........

Friday, November 14, 2008

My Husband Rocks~Friday

I know this may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but it is to me! Last Thursday we got a movie from Netflix; I don't even remember the name. BUT the point is, that about 10 minutes into the movie, my husband turned it off. Now, for me, this is no big deal; I can turn off a movie after it has started. Josh has a REALLY hard time with this; he will watch the most BORING of movies, JUST to see if it will get better. In other words, he watches EVERYTHING. This particular movie was not boring, but it had a LOT of cuss words in it. SO, he turned it off. For anyone who knows my husband personally, that is not something that he would make him turn off a movie. BUT I do believe the sensitivity in his Spirit is having a harder time handling the things of this world. My husband ROCKS, because he is making steps to CHANGE. I can see some follow-up to the things he has been talking about.

You ROCK, Josh~for putting some action to your words.

Monday, November 10, 2008

God is a God of Miracles

Many of you know that I was in a car/motorcycle accident in September, and I got a summons to appear in court on December 22nd. I was not exaclty thrilled about how close it was to Christmas. This was my first ticket, and I hated the idea of having to go to court, too! I also had no idea how I was going to be able to pay for my ticket, either. God is SO good. I got a notice yesterday from the Weld County Court System, that I am dismissed without prejudice from having to appear in court or anything else connected to the ticket. I guess the officer who issued the ticket did not file the papers correctly, and he was also supposed to put the fine on my ticket. Isn't it just like God to make it ALL disappear? I am so grateful for this, and I definitely count it as a miracle. How often are charges just dismissed?? Thank you ALL for those prayers, that I KNOW are the reason for my miracle.


Here are some pictures of our Yukon, which we no longer own. I almost cried when I had to get rid of it. I am glad we were all safe.






For those who don't know, the FRONT of the bike is what hit near my back tire. The back of the bike is what broke the passenger window. It is still hard to imagine that a motorcycle could total a YUKON?! The auto body shop said he had to have been going pretty fast, to GOD BE ALL THE GLORY, that everyone is alive.

Friday, November 7, 2008

My Husband Rocks~Friday

This week was amazing. I should have an individual post of all the wonderful things that happened this week. I will pick just one...........


We had friends over for dinner, and the house really needed to be cleaned up. I negotiated with Josh to help, but I never expected to get above and beyond what I asked. He cleaned and cleaned, and then he knew I was still working, so he asked if there was anything else he could do. He was beyond helpful; it was amazing. I kept thinking, "Wow!"


I appreciate you going the extra mile for me; it really helped me out. I love you, Josh!
YOU ROCKED, BIG TIME, THIS WEEK!!!




Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Quoting a Friend~Annie

I am so thankful that God moved my family here to Wyoming, which officially became the very reddest state last night, as Obama lost by the largest margin here. We are also in one of the reddest counties. We never lock our doors here, we never worry about crime, drugs, etc. Coincidence? I don't think so. Yet, there is no way I would ever leave my house unlocked in a blue county. That is getting off track with my point, however.

My point is that Michelle Obama has now become famous from the "For the first time in my life I am proud of my country" remark. Whereas, I am now going to give one of my own. For the first time in my life I am not proud of my country. This was a bad choice. You think I am wrong. Okay, lets see in a year or two under Obama when a six year old goes to school and tells his teacher that killing babies in the womb is murder what happens. If he is in CA or NY (or OR), will he have to go through sensitivity training? Is this possible in our America? Not likely today, but you never know what could happen when a liberal agenda goes forward full swing.

I pulled up a statistic today that Republicans have more than two times the amount of children as Democrats. Thats great news! Hopefully in a few years we will outnumber them. Maybe when Democrats start getting outnumbered they will outlaw abortion since they are aborting future voters. Does anybody realize that there would be 26 million more African-Americans in the country if it weren't for abortion? That, my friends, is a sickening number of murders.

Did anybody ever wonder why racists extremist groups have donated to Planned Parenthood before? Racism at its ugliest - kill them before they are born.

Does this blog sound extreme. Probably. Are you wondering why you have me on your friends list. Possibly. However, I figured I better make it as extreme as possible while freedom of speech is still legal.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!