Happy New Year!

After days of praying I've decided to continue blogging into 2014.  I hope to focus more time on my blog and less time in Facebook.  Time management is going to be key for me!

Tomorrow, as we begin the year, I'll post my 2014 goals.  In the meantime, I thought I would share this list of resolutions that I found on the internet.

New Years Resolutions We All Should Make

1.  Smile More
2.  Spend Less
3.  Stay Active
4.  Don't Worry
5.  Eat Smarter
6.  Pray Harder
7.  Hug Your Loved Ones
8.  Count Your Blessings
9.  Listen Before Speaking
10. Admit When You're Wrong

To Blog Or Not To Blog?

With the new year right around the corner I am taking some time to pray about what my focus should be for 2014.  I haven't been blogging much lately and I'm wondering if I just need to give it up all together.

Originally when I started blogging I was a stay at home wife and wanted to share a glimpse of my life to family and friends as well as have a place to store favorite recipes, projects and memories.
Now my life is very different and I find myself often feeling overwhelmed. 

What I've been learning and realizing is that part of God's unique plan in a husband and wife relationship is balance.  Mike balanced me out, his strong points were my weaknesses, so we completed each other very well.  Each day that goes by without Mike in my life, I realize all the more how blessed I was to have him as my husband.

Now that I am working full time and trying to learn something totally new at work I haven't really had the time or energy to dedicate to blogging.  However, some very special people in my life, like my Grandma and Aunts, read my blog (not so sure any more since I haven't blogged about much lately) and I don't want to just give up that connection.

So for the next few days as we bring another year to a close I'll be praying for God to show me how I should spend my time in 2014.

Proverbs 4:23

May the Lord Find Us Faithful

John 3:16

Join my Team!

This just in - Due to extremely high traffic, some customers were unable to place an order on Black Friday so this special has been extended thru December 1st.  Don't miss out on this great deal!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 28:7 ~ The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Getting Ready

We will have 28 people in our house tomorrow and Mom is getting everything looking perfect.  What a blessing it is to have a big house that we can open up to all who don't have family in town to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

It's also a blessing to have a Mom who loves to cook and bake.  She has been coordinating every last little detail to make sure we have all the food ready on time and make sure there is more than enough for everyone to eat and enjoy.

Thank you Lord for blessing me with family who is willing to do anything.  I am truly blessed!
Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

Psalm 86:12 ~ I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup

I know I haven't blogged much lately and I thought what better way to get back into it than to post a new recipe we tried the other day and everyone enjoyed!

Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small apple, chopped
48 ounces vegetable broth
2 (15 ounce) cans pure pumpkin
2 teaspoons mild curry powder (can add more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils (green lentils are okay too if that's what you have on hand!)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey (or agave or maple syrup) 
fresh cilantro or sliced green onions for garnish
1 tablespoon pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for garnish
plain Greek yogurt such as Chobani, for garnish (optional and will not be vegan)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the apple, and continue to saute until both the apple and onion are tender. Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk in pumpkin, curry, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in lentils, coconut milk, and honey. Simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes until thickened. Adjust spices to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and/or pepitas and fresh herbs.

Serves 6

Church Picnic

Saturday we had our yearly church picnic and as usual it was a great time of fellowship, food, fun, family and friends!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures I took:

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead

The wandering and the wavering feet;

O feed me, Lord, that I may feed

Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

O use me, Lord, use even me,

Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,

Until Thy blessed face I see,

Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

               

                                ~ Frances R. Havergal

Wait on the Lord

Noah was a truly patient man
So God called him to build an ark
And in the middle of the driest land
Where faith just like dust blew apart
Throughout so many years
And through some dark despair
Noah's faith was building strong
The hope and promise
That the Lord had shared
It gave him the strength to carry on

So no matter how dark this life may seem
We can stand on His word with believing
That He will never forsake us
When there's one thing we're willing to do

Chorus
You gotta be willing to wait on Him
Just wait upon the Lord
Put every bit of your faith in Him
'Cause He'll open heaven's door
You gotta be willing to wait on Him
For His blessing He'll reward
If we don't accelerate
We can then celebrate
If we can just wait
Wait on the Lord

Even though the winds of life
Blow swiftly by
The pace of His grace we will feel
And in our times of needed let's realize
That the hope in His word is so real

So no matter what life may have in store
We will know that His will
Is worth waiting for
And He will never forsake us
When there's one thing we're willing to do

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly ad exclusively.

But, God says to a Christian, "No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone; not until you resolve to giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me.

Only then will you be able to have the intensely personal and unique relationship that I have planed for you.  You will never be united to another until you are united with Me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any desires or longings.

I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing -- One that you cannot imagine.

I want you to have the best.  Please allow Me to bring it to you.  You keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things.  Keep listening and learning the things I tell you.  You just wait...that's all.

Don't be anxious.
Don't worry.
Don't look at the thing you think you want.

You just keep looking off and away, up to Me, or you'll miss what I really want to show you.

Then when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any of you could ever imagine.

You see, until you are ready, until the one I have for you is ready (I am working at this very moment to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have prepared for you, you wont be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me..... Thus, the Perfect Love.

And dear one, I want you to have this wonderful love.  I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me.

I want you to enjoy completely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love that I offer.

Know that I love you utterly.  Believe it...and be satisfied"

~ Author Unknown

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Uganda Missions Trip

My heart is very burdened for missions and when I heard that my friend's daughter and son where going on a missions trip to Uganda, I knew I wanted to help spread the word so others could also help, both by praying as well as giving.  Check out their blog for more details!

This & That

I'm attempting to get back into the swing of things with blogging but since I have been feeling overwhelmed lately with lots going on in life, I have not taken the time to stop and think.  When I sit down to blog I have so much going on I don't know where to start so I thought I would start by sharing some miscellaneous pictures I've taken recently.

 

We finally have our craft room basically in order, now we just need to find the time and energy to get in there and make some cards. 

One of the first things we decorated when we moved in was the top of the kitchen cabinets.  Most of the walls in the rest of the house are empty and with life being so crazy I'm not sure when we will get to decorating.

 

This is my bedroom.  I wanted something totally different for my room.  I have always decorated country style or patriotic.  Now I have this beautiful but unique bedspread and color mix and I have no clue how to decorate the walls.  Any suggestions are welcome!





 

God blessed us with this beautiful piano.  I had been looking on Craigslist for a piano for Mom but I wasn't finding anything that looked nice or at a reasonable price.  I made a comment one night and the next thing I know Dad calls me into his office because he found the piano he wanted to get Mom.  Look at this beauty!  He found it on Craigslist, it was a wonderful price and it came with free delivery!

 

This picture was taken on the first night we had the piano.  We were so excited that we had to sing a few songs.  Sarah (the girl playing the piano) is a new guest at our house.  With all that is going on right now I haven't even had a chance to blog anything about her.  She is living with us while she waits for her new job to get her all cleared to go to training in Texas.  Not sure how long that will be but she has been a blessing to have at the house.

 

School started which meant that Kathy and I started back up with teaching Sunday School to the little ones.

 

I get to watch these two boys who are learning to sit during Sunday School but are still to young to sit still during the entire time.  They are such a joy to watch.

 

Came home after a long, stressful day at work and I got a card in the mail.  It totally brightened my day!  Not only was it special because it came from a dear friend, but it was a handmade card too.  It's amazing how wonderful it is to receive letters/cards thru snail mail and yet it's becoming a lost art.  So sad!

I am so thankful that after two stressful weeks of school and two times of taking the test I now have my Life and Health insurance license.

That's it for now.  Please keep Kathy in your prayers as she has been overloaded at work.  The past few weeks she has been going into work early, working late and still bringing work home to complete.  I am starting to get sick so please pray that I don't get anyone else sick and that this will quickly pass thru me.  Have a blessed week everyone!

Trip to Florida + Cruise

These pictures are long overdue but atleast I'm finally getting them posted.

Maureen and I went on a cruise to celebrate her 40th Birthday... what a blast it was!  I am so thankful for the relationship I have with her!

Megan is a little fish... she and Roger both love being in their pool!

Megan and I have fun in the kitchen together... here Megan was making cake pops with her Easy Bake Oven.  I think she had the most fun sampling the sprinkles!

See you guys next year!

A Heart for Missions

Monday was a day full of mixed emotions for me.  We had the privilege of having Tom and Melissa over for dinner one last time before they started their travels back east.  We had a wonderful time of fellowship and my heart was full of joy but the time came to say goodbye and it was bitter-sweet.
I am so excited for them and the start of their journey to Africa as missionaries.  I'm so thankful God allowed our paths to cross because I've learned so much from Tom and Melissa's Godly example.  Pray with me as this precious family starts this new season in their life.  To God Be The Glory!

“People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives… and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted.” Nate Saint, missionary to Ecuador

Our Trip to San Fran

I wanted to share a few pictures from our trip to San Francisco.  

Paul and Kathy went to Alcatraz.

Dad, Mom and I went on a Bridge to Bridge cruise.

It was beautiful there and the weather was perfect for us.

Thanks again Kathy for including us on this weekend getaway!

I'm Buying Chickens

I know I've been M.I.A. and I am sorry about that but life has been a little crazy and I'm trying to learn how to juggle everything.  In memory of Mike I am continuing my chicken tradition of buying chickens through Gospel for Asia.

It's hard to believe another year has passed without Mike in my life.  I know that God is all I need but I would be lying if I said that Mike's passing didn't leave a huge whole in my heart and life.  I am not very good at sharing my feelings and I think people must think I am so cold hearted but the truth is I do have feelings and sometimes I have to remind myself daily that God has a plan.  Mike dying was not an accident or out of God's control.  God was and is in full control and who am I to question why He took Mike.

One of many things that I have learned over these past three years without Mike is that He balanced me out.  I've had to learn to stay grounded and keep my feelings in check.  I'm grateful to God for giving me a sister who is always willing to listen to me.

As the Godly husband he was, He also kept me headed in the right direction.  I don't know what the future holds but I know I can trust in God to guide me, I just need to make sure to stop and listen.  This Saturday, the anniversary of Mike's home going, I will be spending the day fasting from food and also electronics just like I have in the year's past and I will be meditating and praying for direction for this next year of my life.  I want to be sure I am in God's will.  My desire is to bring God glory in all I do!

Good Goers Missions Trip

Working on the bunkhouse to be used for future missions teams.

 

Enjoying the famous Navajo taco!

Catching up with old friends and making new friends!

The Good Goers team... VBS with the Navajo children.

 

 A day of learning more about the Navajo history

 

God Bless America!

God Is Our Fortress ~ Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present^[b] help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Happenings

I wanted to share some of what has been going on here since I haven't done a very good job of posting lately.

Our new house is almost done.  The details are being finalized and Lord willing we will be doing a walk through and moving in real soon.

I received my booklet for my next missions trip.  In less than a month I will be heading to New Mexico to work with widows and orphans.

Spent a weekend watching Max and

hanging out with Trinity while her parents were out of town.

I got Mom set up with her own email address...something that should have happened a long time ago.  Now it will be much easier for everyone to keep in contact with her.

I've been busy cat sitting these two brothers.  It's becoming a routine for me since I care for them twice a month.

We got a chance to meet up for dinner with some friends who were in town celebrating their 25th anniversary.  We hadn't seen the Downs' in years.  The fellowship that evening was very sweet!

We spent the weekend at the Venetian celebrating Father's day.  I'll post more pictures from that later.

The Bellagio was set up beautifully as always.  The detail of the creations they make are amazing.

Spent several days in my craft room creating and now my craft room is all packed away ready to move.  I can't wait to get into my new craft room.