Stars Over Minnesota

It's been too long!

2011-05-11T10:12:00.002-07:00

I'll begin with my manna for today:

Psalm 71:14-16 (NIV)
As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

"I will always have hope", I love that!
I didn't always..... have hope.
It's just that sometimes, things happen. Things that shift your focus. "Rock your world" kind of things.
But, that's another story. I want to finish this one

I guess I was talking about "the surgery"

When we finally got to see Scotty, he was surrounded by machines, and tubes of every shape and color. A tube to give him breath, a tube for fluids, and drain tubes. He was connected to a large machine that pumped the blood for the right side of his heart, called an RVAD and another for the left, an LVAD. VAD stands for Ventricular Assist Device. It was somewhat overwhelming, except that all I remember was, He was alive! Nothing else mattered.
The very next day they had to take him back to OR for what they called a "washout". Clean up of leaking vessels.
He hadn't awakened as yet, they were keeping him sedated, in a coma-like state.
Because his condition was so poor when they first operated, I'm not sure they expected him to have any brain function. But God had a better idea!
The day they "wakened" him, my manna was from Ephesians 5:14. It says:

"Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light."

WOW! Talk about just what you need! And he did too, he woke up. His doctor was there when he fluttered his eye lids, and moved his fingers, and responded to commands! When the anesthesiologist stopped by later, Scotty,s doctor told him, "This is that kid we operated on, he woke up!" like he was surprised!

After that, it was kind of one-day-at-a-time for us. But we kept on fighting and standing our ground. I have it recorded somewhere how many, but he had several surgeries, including a lobectomy for a lung infection, but he always came through. And every time they took him away to surgery, I told the doctors, I was praying for them.

Then one day they told us the RVAD had stopped functioning, because of a blood clot. Dave was there when they did the echo, and they could see this long, stringy clot fluttering with every heartbeat clogging up the RVAD. This was very serious. The clot could break off and it would kill him. But they didn't think his heart would function without the RVAD. So they wanted to take him to surgery immediately, but the doctor that was trained for this was already operating on another patient. Plus, there were no more surgery suites available either.

His transplant co-ordinator left the room in tears. He had survived so much and come so far, only to have it end like this.

As I write this, it seems unbelievable. How could this be happening? And yet I wasn't moved! They may have thought I was unhinged. Somehow I knew that the God who had brought us this far, would not forsake us now. When they finally took him to surgery they removed the RVAD.Against all odds, they were able to remove the clot in one piece. And beyond all expectations, the right side of his heart beat under its own power.

There were many days after that, when all I could do was hold his hand, and I know he liked that, and I think it was as much for me as for him. In fact if we didin't get to the hospital soon enough, he would have the nurses call us. And still we persevered.

He had been in Intensive Care for two and a half months, it was getting close to New Year's Day, and suddenly we saw drastic improvement. Like he really was better! He wanted to eat, he wanted to walk.

He stayed a total of 101 days at the U of M Hospital.

This March 1st, we celebrated the sixth anniversary of his heart transplant!

There are so many other details that I could add, and maybe I will some day. For me, today, this is enough.

And his story isn't over either. He is normal in every way. He has issues, yes, but I am confident that those issues will be resolved.

And...As for me, I will always have hope.

Goodmorning

2010-06-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

I just love this image. I grabbed it from the Graphics Fairy. Go check it out!

A Fixed Heart

2010-04-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my testimony of how God helped us when we really needed Him. Some may know part, but not all. I will be adding to it. This is for my healing and for God's Glory. He is truly a GOOD GOD!

You know how some things happen, when you are least expecting them? This was one of those times. 2003, All I can remember is that the Minnesota Twins were in the playoffs. I dropped the boys and Dave off to watch a game being shown at the Riverview Theater. We have a picture that I took of them going in. I still have it in my head. Later that week Scotty got sick, maybe he was, even then. It was bad, coughing, throwing up, tired, and pale. But as the week went on it got worse. By Saturday we took him to urgent care, they basically did nothing. Now, I don’t blame them, they didn’t know what was wrong. But something was definitely wrong. They told us he probably had the flu and to come back if he didn’t get better. Well he didn’t, in fact he got worse. On Tuesday morning he was having trouble thinking. He knew what he wanted to say, he just couldn’t say it, and by that evening he was having chest pain and also had trouble breathing. I should have called 911, but I didn’t. The one thing I did do right was that I spoke the Word over him.
I am the Body of Christ and satan hath no power over me. For I overcome evil with good.(1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:21)
I will fear no evil for thou art with me Lord, your Word and your Spirit they comfort me. (1 John 4:4)
No weapon formed against me shall prosper, for my righteousness is of the Lord. But whatever I do will prosper for I’m like a tree planted by the rivers of water. ( Isaiah 54:17; Psalms 1:3)
I called the nurse line. She said take him to Children’s Hospital. I didn’t have a way because Dave was at choir practice. So I called him, and he came and picked Scotty up, and took him over to the ER. Over the next several hours they tried to find out what was going on. Pneumonia, tumor, were some of the words I heard.
Poor Dave, it must have been a long night. God had been at work preparing us, guiding our steps. Actually Dave being the one to go to the ER that night was God. Choir practice is like going to church. They really prepare for worship. Praying, singing. So he was full. And me? I was ready too. Maybe not to the same degree, bit I had been going to a class, learning to hear from God, Fresh Manna. Led by Daniel Gutierrez.
What is Fresh manna, you say? Going to God’s Word daily to hear what God is speaking to you. I had been working hard on it too. I was getting strong. Hearing what God wanted to tell me. Still that night when Scotty was clearly in trouble, I was unsure. Looking back, it was like taking a baby step, a little shaky. However, I’m so glad I spoke those Words. Even though speaking was a small thing. I do believe it made a difference.
That next morning, I sat down to read. I didn’t know where to start. We had a little holder shaped like a loaf of bread that held Bible verses. I picked one out.

It was –
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.(John 4:14)
I wasn’t satisfied that that was what God had for me, so I got out my Bible and turned to John the forth chapter and kept reading, I’m so glad I did. I came to verse 50, which was it! It jumped off the page for me.
” Go in peace, your son will live”
It was almost like an audible voice! What more did I need?
But to say I was ready, is so not true, how can you be ready for the things we heard? HEART FAILURE! Heart failure? My child? How? Unbelievable! NO!
I decided to believe anyway!
When I finally was able to see him, he actually looked better. The sweet nurses had him tucked in bed; He was on oxygen and had an IV. We called church and asked Pastor Jeff, his youth pastor, to come and lay hands on him and anoint him with oil. We were just following the Scripture that says-
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: (James 5:14)
” They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:18
Pastor Jeff was so nice to come, and he did pray for Scotty. Nevertheless, he didn’t get better, he got worse.
I know I keep saying “he got worse”, but he did. Every time they came to talk to us, and even when they didn’t talk to us, we knew it was worse. More and more I.V.s. , 18 different medications by the time they transferred him to the U of M. I know Scotty doesn’t remember anything about that time, for which I am very thankful, because there were times all I could do was cry. It makes me tear up, even now, 7 years later. Everyone was so nice to us, and to Scotty. They did everything they knew to do, but there came a day, a week after he had been admitted, when they said, “we have to make a decision”. There were two choices, one, Put him on a big machine that takes the blood out of your body and pumps it back in, kind of like a giant heart or two, send him to the U of M and they would implant a device called an LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device)and an RVAD (Right Ventricular Device). A heart replacement while he waited to get better or a transplanted heart was found. Now he was still way too sick to even consider a transplant, but that is what he needed. His cardiologist, the top Dr at Abbot, working with the Children’s Dr, had to make a very hard decision, and they made it at just the right time. They decided to send him to the U of M.
Sending Scotty was not an easy thing, it took about a half hour, for the nurses and EMT’s, just to get him ready. I remember standing outside Children’s Hospital, holding a bunch of balloons and watching the ambulance drive away. We thought, finally he’ll be OK. But I knew in my heart I needed to be with him. Terry, Mom Dave and I drove home. Just a few blocks. We all were tired from the week of stress, but as soon as we got there, Terry and I decided we had to go and make sure he was settled in. It was a good thing we did, because as soon as we arrived a nurse was handing me a piece of paper to sign, they were taking him directly into surgery. “Come on, we have to go” was what I heard them say.
12 hours…….I was so glad I had that Word,
” Go in peace, your son will live”
Dave had one too-
 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise (Psalm 57:7)
We waited…and waited. Once the anesthesiologist came out, he said they weren’t able to give any anesthesia because they didn’t have time, he was dying, (he didn’t say that, but that was what he thought). They opened him up as fast as they could. He didn’t tell us at the time, but another assisting nurse specialist came and told us later that they scooped large blood clots out of his heart.
Oh......... remembering is kind-of hard, but good at the same time. The space of time gives you perspective. I think I’ll stop here for now, I know God saved him, I know God loves him, and I know God has a purpose. Part 2 soon.

ATC's

2009-11-14T08:02:00.001-08:00

Dave and I have been busy making ATC's. Very fun little( 2 1/2" by 3 1/2") cards, endless possibilities! We are preparing for a swap in December, where we will trade our creations for someone elses. We've joined a group called MN Altered Arts. They meet about once a month, meeting at The Open Book downtown or at someones home. We are excited to meet some artists and see what they are doing.

Don't look at what you can see with your eyes.

2009-10-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 4:18 (The Message)
16-1 8So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

Kenneth says-
Don’t center your attention on what you can see in this natural, physical sense realm. Everything you see is temporal and subject to change. So put your faith in the unseen eternal realm. The things which are eternal are not subject to change.
God’s Word is eternal and contains 7,000 promises to cover any circumstance you’ll ever face. And, no matter what happens in this shifting, changing world you live in, those promises will forever be the same.

Star says-
Lately the "seen" realm has had my attention, I'm sad to say. It's just that when you look around you and see the events of the day, it's so easy to do. I'm glad this verse reminded me where my attention needs to be. There is only one thing that will save the United States, yes and even the world, and that is for us to wake up and turn to God. No one man can save us now. Only God. So don't look to man, look to God. He's just ready and waiting for a conversation with you.

My heart is full of love

2009-03-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 4:16 (New Living Translation)

" He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

This was acted out this weekend beautifully by some Homemakers! It was such a blessing to be at the Homemakers overnight! It was expanded this year to include workshops. There were several, but I chose one on Deals,deals and more deals, with Carrie , one with Jen on health and fitness, and one on Style with Cyndi. I enjoyed them very much, but more than that, I was impressed and thankful that God is supplying us with information that will help us grow. As the verse says " each part does its own special work ", the truth is we all have something to contribute, to each other. Thank you Renee and company for putting this together for us HM. It will be exciting to see the "fruit" of this time we had together. I know it will be good!

Beyond their wildest dreams

2009-02-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams." Mark 4.20

This week we had some good seed planted! We were privileged to have Dr. Creflo A. Dollar here in Minneapolis,MN. It was our stewardship services at Living Word Christian Center.

The very first service he spoke about the necessity of getting fear out of our lives! He said that the only way satan can access our life, is to get us to fear.

Then he went on to talk about our spiritual hearing, how reading and praying are all good, but we need to hear the voice behind the Word. I loved this. When Saul was on the road and "The Light" came; there were people who saw the light but didn't hear the "Voice".

Acts 22.9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

I want to know that Voice. I want to hear the Voice behind the Word, so I am practicing hearing from God. I know that I am about to have a harvest beyond my wildest dreams!

I bless you now...
Numbers 6. 22-23

God spoke to Moses: "Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the People of Israel. Say to them,

God bless you and keep you,

God smile on you and gift you,

God look you full in the face
and make you prosper. In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel—
I will confirm it by blessing them."

The Blood

2009-02-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

Leviticus 17.10-12(Message)
"If any Israelite or foreigner living among them eats blood, I will disown that person and cut him off from his people, for the life of an animal is in the blood. I have provided the blood for you to make atonement for your lives on the Altar; it is the blood, the life, that makes atonement. That's why I tell the People of Israel, 'Don't eat blood.' The same goes for the foreigner who lives among you, 'Don't eat blood.'

Yesterday was such a good day! Well the whole week-end for sure! But yesterday I read these verses from my Bible and also about the crusifiction in Matthew. We ended up going to the 11 am service at church. We arrived just in time to go to the communion service. We were late and were served just as we walked in. Pastor Matthews was leading the taking of the bread as we joined the service. He spoke about our families, and our life, believing for whatever the problems we are experiencing, to be fixed, because of the Blood. Tears just came, I couldn't stop them. Unexpected, but I knew it was the Holy Spirit. What I thought of was that I was taking the Blood! Back in Leviticus it was wrong to take the blood, and anyone who did was cut off! But now it is because of the Blood of Jesus we have our covenant! After that, I was seeing all kinds of things. If this is true than the opposite is true! It was totally wonderful!
In the main service Pastor Mac talked about tithing. How the tithe was the "devoted" thing, set apart. How at Jericho the Israelites were instructed.

Joshua 6.17 And the city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the Lord... It was a tithe.

Then when one person made the decision to "take" of the spoils. He and his family were "stoned".

Joshua 7.24 "And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them to the Valley of Achor."

He went on to say, we are not under the law, but grace and covenant. We won't be stoned if we don't tithe, but when we don't tithe, we choose cursing in our life. And there are consequences to our choices. And, it affects not only us personally, but also our family and church!

The message was really good! It was a hard message, but delivered in love. My take on it was this, that if "taking" the tithe brought a curse, then "giving" the tithe brings a blessing, and not only to us personally but to our family and our church! I know it might be obvious, but to me it was the "cord" through the day. From beginning to end.
We haven't always tithed ( I say with sorrow), but we have been faithful since being taught the principles, and have committed to continue to be faithful. God has been so merciful to us, and I will thank Him all my days, for how good He has been to us.
But now, I know what is ahead for us, and it's GOOD!

Be yourself

2009-02-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

Matthew 23:11-12 (The Message)

"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

I have to admit that even though I have always been shy, the spotlight has a good feeling that goes along with it. I think that's why this verse stuck out to me today. A caution to me to not look for those spotlight opportunities. I know it's all about your motives, and I do want Gods light to always shine in me and through me. But to "simply be yourself" is the key. Be who He made you to be, don't try to be someone else. God made you just right, and He LOVES you!

My Folder

2009-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

I have to give God some glory, so here goes... This week we started back with Homemakers(a "small group" that happens every week, I may have mentioned it), and I couldn't find my folder. Everything is in my folder, notes, lists, everything! All evening I looked for it, but couldn't find it. Frustrating, to say the least! I ended up going to Homemakers without it.
When I came home I really wanted to find it, so (why I didn't do it right away, I don't know) I prayed. I said "Lord you know where that folder is so please help me find it", and do you know, I walked right over to where it was and found it! It couldn't have been easier, unless it walked up to me and jumped up on my lap. God is so good. So, the next time you need some direction, what will you do?
Just ask!

John 14:14 (The Message)

11-14"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do.

A New Year

2009-01-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 29:11 MSG ~ I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Good News for a New Year!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

Psalm 37:7 Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him...

A friend of mine told me a "story" about being on a plane in a holding pattern.
Not a fun place to be.
She related it to how we can get ourselves so worked up about "life". Worrying over the "hows" and "whens" and "whys".
I have felt like that. When I feel like that, who am I trusting in? Myself, and my ability to do something about the "situation". Can I do anything, really? I can do as the verse here says, be still.
It's the best thing we can do.
I pray the New Year brings all the blessings you can imagine, with love

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!!

2008-11-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

God loves me

2008-11-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is how this verse makes me feel, happy!
True confession. I have had a skewed picture of myself (in my mind). This week Renee spoke about how much God loves us. She gave examples from her own experience. It made me sad, at first, to hear her talk about her feelings about herself. But I realized I had some of those same feelings about myself. I think it made God sad, to hear it. When God made me He said "it is good!", who am I to argue? But when it comes down to daily life, do I believe it? Not always.
This self acceptance needs to be reality. It affects every one of our relationships. I want to have healthy relationships. When we do,(really believe how much God loves us) we will truly have the Glory of God manifest in our life.
So here I am Lord, saying, I'm glad you made me the way I am, I'm thankful for all my seen and unseen blessings, and for the gifts You have placed in my life, I purpose to use them for Your glory, to make sure everyone knows just how much You love them too!

Ephesians 1:4 (The Message)

The God of Glory
3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

2008-11-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my dear friend Tammy- I've linked to her blog- She is a mighty woman of God, and has some mighty cute kids!

Here's how it works.1) Link to the person who tagged you.2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1) In this lifetime I've considered being a nurse, a baker and landscape designer.
2) I would love to own a successful business.
3) I was born and have lived most of my life in Minnesota, but have also lived in Florida (which I lovingly call my 6 mo. "vacation"(it was nothing of the sort!) I had a 2 and a half year old AND a 4 mo. old baby and by the time we left, was pregnant with our 3rd. Evan (the baby) cried non stop the whole time, until we came home to MN, when he promptly stopped. But, don't get me wrong it wasn't ALL bad.
4) When I was a girl, my parents, who were both disabled, took us on many summer road trip vacations, camping along the way. I still have fond memories, of helping set up camp.
5) I have also daydreamed of giving away everything and traveling across America with my family in an RV.
6) My prayer is that we would find the right "job" and that we would be able to see our children and grandchildren (that live far away) more. Though I love them one and all!

I have tagged these wonderful women and friends!

Ella Bella
The Sparrow Talks
El Norteno
Happy Wife of Eliud
This is my Life
Renee Burt

Halloween

2008-11-01T07:50:00.001-07:00

O.K. I dressed up for Halloween! It was fun. For weeks we have been discussing costumes. At first the boys wanted to be commandos. Now, I didn't really have a problem with it except that they wanted to carry air soft guns. And I was pretty sure our neighbors wouldn't care for that. As it turned out, they didn't go to even one of our neighbors homes. We ended up in Fridley where the Browns live. But back to the planning phase... My suggestion was, be a band. I knew they would all want to be together anyway, and they all already have the "look". But of course they went extreme, KISS. With a little help from my dear friend Elizabeth, we did a shopping trip to "Savers" and found shoes, clothing and wigs, then we did some alterations of the clothing. It finally all came together last night. And I think it all came together quite well. They got some nice comments on their outfits, had they gone to a party, they would have won. I pretty sure it will be their last year going house to house.
Elizabeth and I were pirate wenches, as last minute costumes. The weather turned out a bit chilly, but the kids were fine without coats, though I needed one.
All in all we had a great time!

Oh and here is Evan and Ginny and Liberty. I was at their house early in the day, babysitting, so I had to have a picture. Aren't they cute!( It's from my cell phone, so it's not that great, sorry)

Card

2008-10-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

I took a picture I had, of my Mom (from when she was young) and made a card from it as a tribute to her. I miss her and love her always. She's been gone for awhile (2001). I spent alot of time with her those last few years, and I'm so glad. She was not only my Mom but she was also my friend.

New puppy and end of the garden

2008-10-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

We finally were able to meet Scotts new puppy Dottie. She is a 12 week old pug mix and cute as a button.
While we were there Scott dug his carrots, from the garden. Not a huge patch but plenty for a couple of meals. We tasted one and they were sweet and crunchy. There were also plenty of cherry tomatoes and a few peppers ready to eat. We still haven't had that first freeze, but I think we're on borrowed time as far as the garden goes. Katie has a picture of Scott with a rake standing in the garden, so I'll have to put that one up too (when we upload it from her camera).

Manna

2008-10-13T08:44:00.001-07:00

Acts 18:10 (Amplified Bible)

" For I am with you, and no man shall assault you to harm you, FOR I HAVE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY."

We have to remember we're not outnumbered. Sometimes this world seems so evil, we feel outnumbered. And don't get me wrong, I believe we still have a lot of work to do for the Lord, but it's all about what we think is true.
Yesterday I was listening to some people talk about President Lincoln and his general, General George B. McClellan. Now McClellan was a good man, but many times he didn't believe he should win or even could win. In his mind he was outnumbered. Before we can have any impact we must believe we are conquerors, we are the winners. Now Say- I am a winner!"

manna

2008-10-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a new card. I picked up some Cosmo Cricket paper, I love it and it inspires me. They have a website, check it out! http://cosmocricket.com/ and also Paper Whimsy, http://www.paperwhimsy.com

The Message (MSG)

Isaiah 40.27-31

27-31Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
"God has lost track of me.
He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don't get tired,
they walk and don't lag behind.

God wants us to look to Him, trust Him. Here's another website to visit-
http://smallgroups.lwcc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=51&Itemid=146

My friend and leader Renee Burt. She's the BEST!" Renees Daily Scripture".

We're not quitters!

2008-09-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 10:22-25(Message)
"So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."

My manna for today. That phrase "Let's keep a firm grip" made me think of my manna from the other day, about holding on to God's promises with both hands.
And vs.39
"But we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way."
That's what I want to do, Keep a firm grip on what I believe and stick with it all the way.
Sometimes it seems so hard. Yes, but really what seems hard and what is hard are two very different things. It says earlier on in the chapter about how God feels when we turn our back on His sacrifice.
"what do you think will happen if you turn on God's Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit?"
Now that would be hard. Facing the Most Holy God, after turning your back on the One Who loved you enough to give His Own life? But that is what we do when we doubt.
Oh, no, it's not too hard for me to stay on track and survive, trusting all the way!

September

2008-09-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 6.18-20 (the Message) We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.

I read this today and it made me think of my feelings recently.
Scottie came through once again. There were a couple of times when I was doing just that, holding on with both hands to the promise God gave me.
John 4:50 (The Message)

Jesus simply replied, "Go home. Your son lives."

The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, "Your son lives!"

But Scottie is good! No more pacemaker, no wires! That is victory.
I went over this week to his house and helped make salsa . Pretty much everything came from the garden! I wish I had a picture, but I don't.But we're not finished yet putting things in jars, so I'll get one.
I hope you all had a great Labor day. We did, Dave and I spent it together at the MN state fair. It was great, a perfect day.

The Irish Fair

2008-08-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

There were lots of fun things to do at the fair. Terry and Shelley entered photos they took on one of their trips to Ireland, and Terry won 3rd place. She was so excited.
There were dog breeds of Ireland. The St. Paul bagpipe band performed. Also Brooks and Jackie designed and ordered shirts for us. They had the McCoy motto, "with a strong hand" and in the back they had "Clan MacKay" .It was really fun matching.
I have a few more pics I will add when I get the chance.

Some new pictures

2008-08-06T08:18:00.001-07:00

A couple of lilies that opened, one, when I was gone and one just yesterday.
My manna today was from Matthew 10.29-31,Here it is from the Message.
"What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries".
The Amplified says "Fear not, then you are of more value than many sparrows"
I am so thankful the Lord put that in there. He cares about us and watches over us. WHATEVER it is! Jobs, kids, friends, Life, He knows it all.
I'm glad to be home. Here to enjoy the beautiful weather and summer. Fall will be here all to soon. There are LOTS of great things about fall, there's just something about summer that I'm not quite ready to give up.

Our family

2008-07-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a super cool site! Check it out! It's called wordle.
http://wordle.net/

Scott's garden

2008-07-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures I took yesterday of Scotty and Nikki's beautiful garden. It is such a blessing to see how happy it makes him and how he delights in tending it.
I think it's done him a world of good. They have, in the garden, (just to name a few) tomatoes, beans, eggplant, peppers(both hot and mild),lettuces, zucchini, melons, peas, as well as herbs, sage, lavender, lemon verbena,and mint. And as you see from the pictures, flowers as well.
He has been in training to do his dialysis at home. It should enable him to go back to school, which is what he wants to do. It has made a big difference in how he feels. Instead of 3 times a week, he has been having dialysis 5 days a week, keeping his blood levels more consistent, and therefore more energy. So it's a good thing. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers, I know it makes a difference.

Psalm 31:19 (Amplified Bible)

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!

This is my hope, God's goodness.

New Art

2008-07-08T06:56:00.001-07:00

Here are some new things I've made.
The first reminds me that I belong to Jesus, and I am from true royalty.
1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are [even here
and] now God's children; it
is not yet disclosed (made clear)
what we shall be [hereafter],
but we know that when He
comes and is manifested, we
shall [ as God's children]
resemble and be like Him,
for we shall see Him just as
He [really] is.

The second reminds me to Sing from my heart to the Lord.
Psalm 71:23
My lips shall shout for joy
when I sing praises to You,
and my inner being, which
You have redeemed.

Baby Liberty

2008-07-07T09:21:00.001-07:00

Here she is! We went to the beach (32nd St beach) and she smiled right away, then I tried to make her laugh, by making funny noises, and she cried. It was hot, and she just wanted to be at home.

It's a law

2008-06-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hey I just wanted to say a few things, as I'll be gone for 3 weeks.
First Scotty is out of the hospital! He was released on Friday. We found out that it was a staph infection, that he had. He is feeling much better.
Second, we had a visiting minister Friday night, and he was speaking of becoming Kingdom minded. Really good. On Saturday morning Dave and I had to go to Mankato (to clean a building), a 1 1/2 hour drive. As we were traveling, we listened to a message called "The Law of Confession". We passed through a shower, and saw a rainbow. I was thinking about rainbows, how they are one of Gods' laws. The conditions have to be right, but when there is rain and sunshine, there will always be a rainbow. It's a law! True and never failing. It made me very happy. It was a vivid picture of Gods' faithfulness to us. It's equally true for any of Gods' law. What you speak out of your mouth will happen. So what do you want to happen? I use a little book by Charles Capps. Words are alive, you can use them for life or death, it's a law. I was speaking some Life Words today, and I'm looking for some GOOD things to happen.
I'm going to try to post when I'm gone, but I'm usually pretty busy at camp. The picture is from camp, North Central Camp Cherith,(camp-cherith.com) flag raising every morning.
I love you and pray Gods best plan for you, see you when I get home...

Scotty

2008-06-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 29:11-12 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.

Isn't this a comfort?
On Sunday Scotty called us, he thought he better go to urgent care. He hadn't been feeling well all week. He'd had various symptoms, including a low grade fever, and a cough. When we were seen at urgent care, the Dr. basically told him he should really be at the ER. Looking at his vitals, he told him he needed a blood test and the urgent care didn't have access to any testing. So we went over to the U of M. They drew a bunch of blood for tests, they got him on oxygen because he wasn't getting saturation, and they started i.v. antibiotics.
Yesterday they were thinking one of the leads to his pacemaker were infected, but after another test, they ruled that out(praise the Lord)! Now they think it may be the port where he gets his dialysis, which comes right out of his heart. So they have removed the port and will culture it for bacteria. Meanwhile he's getting 3 types of antibiotics. He seems to be feeling some better, and had a good nights sleep last night.
All this time Dave has been out of town. He's down in Rochester, doing a strip and re coat of the floors in a Petsmart there. So he's wishing he could be here, but has been in constant phone contact, and having an all night prayer meetings, while working. He should be back today. He better be we're (the boys and I) are supposed to leave Sunday for 3 weeks of camp!
God is so good, I praise him for strength and patience, which He gives so liberally. If God brings us to your thoughts, pray for us.

God is our help!

2008-06-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for Psalm 91. Here is a portion of it, Psalm 91.14-16 from the Message.

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"

You can get to thinking you're all alone in this world, but you're not you know. It's only when you get your eyes off God, that you do. Things may be pressing on every side, but remember you have a Sure foundation. One who wants the best for you! One who wants to rescue you then throw you a party and give you a long life.
We just celebrated 32 years of marriage. Dave and I were thinking about our wedding day, last night. About the months leading up to it, how we met, our courtship. What fun times we had. There was a time though, before he knew we were getting married, that I knew we were getting married. Dave knew it was time for him to get married, he just wasn't sure who he was to marry. But The Lord had him picked out for me.
One day, as he was trying to find his wife, he asked another girl out, they were going to see the Minnesota orchestra. Oh, how disappointed I was. It should have been me! Would he ever see that I was the one? Well it turned out soon enough, that he did find out I was the one. And once he did, it didn't really take that long. The very first time he called me was on Christmas night 1975. We talked and talked, got to know one another better. Then a couple weeks later, on my birthday we had our first "date". He invited me over to meet his Mom and sister, and we went sledding. But all this might never have happened if I had given up on my dream. If, on finding out Dave had chosen another , I had said "well, that will never happen!". What I'm trying to say is this, even if you think it will never happen, you don't know what's really going on, it will, just don't give up!
And by the way, that wasn't our first "date", only he didn't know it, and I didn't know it. The summer before, he was going to visit an elderly "sister"(from church)at the hospital, to pray for her. He thought he shouldn't go alone, so he invited me (he probably thought I was too young, I was 17 and he was 23). We took the bus down to the hospital to visit her. So we "ministered" together for our first date. Isn't God good! See, I just encouraged myself.
My challenge to you, look back, see if God hasn't had a hand in your life and times. He has you know, whether you see it or not!

Big Fish revisited

2008-05-30T20:03:00.001-07:00

Then and now...
Dave was on a trip for work and passed through the little town of Bena,MN. In that town is an old building shaped like a fish. My sister and I had our picture taken in that fishes mouth, in 1963. I think the fish needs some TLC.

Liberty Marie

2008-05-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new pics of Liberty. Isn't she sweet!

Fresh Manna

2008-04-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

1 Sam 30.6 (Message)"David strengthened himself with trust in his God"

Way back, a very long time ago, Dave and I had a vision. We saw that people were in need of encouragement, we needed encouragement and we wanted to help. We thought up the term "Encouragement cards", a post card that could convey a word , a thought. We could never really come up with a good way to do it. But I think the Lord has given us the way to do it. My ATC's (artist trading cards)! Small, pocket size.
All it takes is a word, to change a mind, change a life. I am going to do my best to bless as many people as I can, by combining Fresh Manna, confessions, art and love. I want to make it fun and interesting.
It doesn't stop there though, as it says in the verse, you have to encourage yourself. David was in a hard place. He had been attacked and his family taken prisoner. His home and the homes of his men, were destroyed. His men were ready to kill him. What did he do? He trusted God.
Trust God, He will not fail you!

Scottie

2008-04-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

Hey
I wanted you to know Scottie was back in the hospital and out again. He had to start kidney dialysis yesterday. His kidneys aren't doing so well. He hasn't really felt good since he had pneumonia awhile ago, and it may not have been pneumonia at all. What I believe is that he will come through this. He is one amazing guy, so strong. The Lord gave me Romans 4. 17-18 (Message)

We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!"

Isn't that good? I've decided to believe, not looking at what I see. God Is so good. More later...

My Title

2008-04-18T17:15:00.001-07:00

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Venerable Lady Star the Crepuscular of Melbury Bubblewick
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

ATC

2008-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of new ATC's, artist trading cards.

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hey-just a few pics from Easter dinner. Sorry, alot of Liberty pics, she's just so cute! We were at the Browns. It was great!

Who is your Mystery Date?

2008-03-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Finally almost finished, but here is your first look.

2008-03-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I recieved a art kit I had ordered. One of the pictures included, made me think of that old game, mystery date. I began to think, what if there was one for husbands, about the many moods of their wives. SO, I'm working on an art piece that's for men. Whose your Mystery date? You're never sure who will show up! I'll have some scans of it soon. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Remember "Mystery Date"?

2008-03-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day

2008-03-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not Irish, but I do have a family connection. Have an Irish weekend!

2008-02-28T09:32:00.001-08:00

Geoff and Liberty. Proud uncle.

more pictures

2008-02-28T09:20:00.001-08:00

2008-02-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

We were able to see Liberty and meet Ginnys mom and brothers, last weekend. We had a nice visit. Here is Mom, me, Geoff, Ginny and Evan.

Cameron Scott

2008-02-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hey
This week was very busy. On Tuesday evening(10:30p) Nikki called, she said Scotty was in the ER. They were giving him nitro glycerin. Apparently they thought he was in the process of having a heart attack. He had all the "classic" symptoms of one, chest pain, hard to breathe, high blood pressure,tingling in his hands, plus he was shaking all over. BUT he had been sick for the last week and a half. Cough, fever the whole bit. They admitted him and did tons of tests, including a heart biopsy, CT scan, blood work. Didn't find anything, except he does have pneumonia. They were considering putting in a PIC line to send him home with IV antibiotics. They were having trouble finding an oral medication that would kill the "bugs". I really did not want this to happen(just another place for infection). But he came home yesterday with oral meds! An answer to prayer for sure. Now to say we were happy that it was pneumonia seems kind of funny but the alternative, well we're just not having that. When we were on our way to the hospital I was kind of surprised I wasn't afraid. I was nervous, but I guess that's normal. I went back in my mind to the scripture the Lord gave me way back in 2003, John 4:50 (Amplified Bible)

"Jesus answered him, Go in peace; your son will live! And the man put his trust in what Jesus said and started home."

I still believe it! This time "go in peace" stuck out. Thank you Lord, for peace. This verse is so big in me, so real, I can hear Jesus say it. It's mine.

Let me introduce "Liberty McCoy"

2008-02-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Here we are just hangin' out, Mama, Daddy, and Liberty. Isn't she sweet?

Here she is!

2008-01-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

We're not sure what her name will be quite yet, but here are a bunch of pics from just a hour ago.

IT'S A GIRL!

2008-01-30T07:27:00.000-08:00

She's 7lb9oz , 20.5 in. and she was born at 3:34 this morning. I'll have pics and more info asap. I'm so excited!

I want to be a true follower

2008-01-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

Soren Kierkegaard, the father of Christian existentialism, describes two types of Christians: those who imitate Jesus Christ and a second, much cheaper brand-those who are content to admire him.

From a book called The Importance of Being Foolish
(Learning to think like Christ)
By Brennan Manning

When I read this quote the truth of it really hit me. Do
I just admire Jesus or am I a true follower?
Then, I was reading a blog of some missionaries from Botswana, who were here (in the US) on sabbatical. Their impressions of the USA.

"It seems that there are so many people that are religious. I have met so many that are following a lot of other messages while holding the Bible, rather than the true messages of the Word." Andrew Jernigan

In Galatians 1:8-10, Paul writes, "Let God's curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. I will say it again: If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcome, let God's curse fall upon that person. Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant." (NLT)

I don't want to just admire Jesus, I want to live in his shadow, walking so close to Him that I feel His presence. It made me think about my life, and I think I will be mulling it over for some time.

My 50th birthday?

2008-01-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

How can I be 50? I sure don't feel like I am. I am so blessed with friends and family that love and care for me. I had a wonderful birthday. Dave bought me a cake from Wuollett bakery. It was a raspberry torte, with marzipan covering it. He brought me a beautiful arrangement, including roses, daisies, carnations, mums and babies breath. My girls, Nikki and Ginny took me out for lunch at the Modern cafe and then we all went over to Aveda. They treated me to an hour long facial. It was really relaxing. Then we all met at the house for cake. A perfect end, to a perfect day.

new art

2008-01-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

These aren't the greatest quality, but I thought I put them up anyhow. They are small, the size of a playing card. Artistic confessions, to inspire and delight.

Our new baby

2007-12-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Angies new baby "Teddy"

Christmas pictures

2007-12-28T20:33:00.001-08:00

Christmas eve, Chance, Christian and Carson in front of a snowman at church, Christmas day Papa and Carson playing the wii, Steven and Carson, Chance in deep concentration and Carson again with Boots our kitten.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2007-12-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

God bless you today and give to you your best year yet!

The Fam

2007-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest picture of most of us. It was from Ginnys Halloween baby shower, given by her friends. It was great fun. Ginny was dressed as a pregnant nun. There were others that dressed up, but none of us. Left to right-Nikki(Scotties girlfriend),Scottie,Steven,Evan, Ginny,Geoffrey,Dave and Me! Just look at those boys smiles. Some family resemblance

Gods pies

2007-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Some recent pics

2007-11-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Did I tell you Evan is going to be a daddy? Here is a picture of Ginny and Evan and of the baby too. A couple of Pictures from Halloween, Steven was "The price is right wheel", and Geoffrey and Bill were aliens. Here is Boots our kitten, isn't he sweet?

Update

2007-10-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hey
Well Scottie ended up getting out Thursday. They still had questions, but let him go. Today (Monday) he had his follow up appointment. Biopsy, echo and clinic visit. His doctor was happy with the results. The biopsy is still pending but all the labs were way better. We will see about the biopsy of his kidneys, but I think they'll have to give Scottie a very good reason before he'll let them do that. He is a fighter! Thanks for the prayers I know they make a big difference.

2007-10-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pics from our Marriage Matters - Afton Apple orchard outting. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we had a great time.

Scottie

2007-10-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Scottie is in the hospital (u of m), though he will be getting out today. Monday he had a regular scheduled appointment for a heart biopsy, blood work, CT scan, clinic appointment. They check his heart for rejection. His usually are 0 grade or 1, very good. this time however it was 3a. Plus he wasn't feeling well. They decided to keep him overnight and give the med, i.v. Then on Tuesday they told us the creatinine in his urine was high. They discovered that it was partly from a dye they use for the CT scan. Then Wednesday they found protein in his urine and next week they want to do a kidney biopsy. So that is the report, we are believing for a quick recovery, with a good outcome. Here is the verse I had yesterday-

Jeremiah 30:17,19(AMP)
"For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds, says the Lord...

Out of them [city and palace] will come songs of thanksgiving and the voices of those who make merry. And I will multiply them, and they will not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small."

God is so good, he holds our hand every step of the way. Nikki, Scotties girlfriend wasn't around when he first got sick, so it has been an opportunity to share what a miracle it has been. Thank you Lord.

The Funeral

2007-09-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

Dave and Jon MacIntyre, singers extraordinaire

Dave and our dear Sis Hepburn

My Sister and the ladies cooked us a great meal!

Here are my grandnephews, their mom and their grandpa, John

and finally a picture of some of the visiting ministers and beautiful flowers.

Here are a few pics from the day. It was wonderful seeing all the old friends that attended. It was a very nice funeral, full of words of comfort and heart felt wisdom. I'm glad we could be there.

The end of an era

2007-09-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

An old friend passed away this week. A pastor we learned under for over 30 years. Although we left his church awhile back, we will never forget the deposits he made in our life. He married us, he baptised us, he dedicated most of our children, and was a part of so much of our lives. We respected him and loved him, he was like a second father. The last time I saw him was at another funeral. I hugged his wife, Sis Whittle and sobbed, and then I hugged him. I sobbed for lost days, lost opportunities. I know he was much loved by all, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those he has left, he will be missed.

(Obiturary taken from the Pioneer Press)

Rev. Rodney E. Whittle
Whittle, Rev. Rodney E. Loving and Dedicated Husband, Father, Grandfather and Pastor Of White Bear Lake, passed away suddenly Saturday morning September 8, 2007, of a massive heart attack at the age of 78. Entered into this life on October 29, 1928 in Cereal, Alberta, Canada to Percy and Cora Whittle. He was called to the ministry at the age of 10, and following that calling he left home at the age of 15 to enroll in the Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta. While attending Bible School he met his soul mate and the love of his life whom he absolutely adored, Grace Johnson. They married upon graduation from the Bible School in 1950 and celebrated 57 blessed and wonderful years together on August 26 of this year. Following graduation from Prairie Bible Institute he enrolled in the Winnipeg Bible Institute and College of Theology in order to complete his ministerial education and training. Following his graduation they began their long and dedicated life in ministry, pastoring churches in St. Vincent, MN, Milaca, MN, Houston, TX, Dallas, TX, Minneapolis, MN. He was a tireless supporter of missionary works in South Africa; Nassau, Bahamas and Kingston, Jamaica. Their first child Elizabeth was born to them in 1953 followed by Faith, Hope and Deborah. Each one of them brought great joy to his life. He was completely devoted to his daughters. Rev. Whittle was currently pastor at the Full Gospel Fellowship Church in White Bear Lake, MN, which he founded in May, 1966. He had a great love of life and believed in living it to the fullest. He loved the outdoors and was always trying to catch his next record fish. He was in his glory when surrounded by his family. He changed, influenced and molded many lives. He was within one week of completing a daily devotional book which the family will complete in his stead. He was our rock and will be greatly missed. He is survived by his loving wife Grace; adoring daughters Liz Anderson (Steve), Faith Patton (Tim), Hope Antilla (Gary), and Debbie Winstead (Keith); ten grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and friends too numerous to count. The family will receive friends 6-9PM Wednesday, September 12 at HOLCOMB-HENRY-BOOM FUNERAL HOME, 515 Hwy. 96 at Mackubin, Shoreview (651-482-7606). Funeral service 1:00 PM Thursday, September 13 at FULL GOSPEL FELLOWSHIP CHURCH with visitation at 12 noon, 1685 E. Hwy 96, White Bear Lake. Interment to follow service at the Methodist-Episcopal Church Cemetery in Wyoming, MN.

We''ve been busy!

2007-09-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some additions to our family, kittens!. There are a total of 5, 2 white ones, 1 black, 1 orange and 1 calico. We're feeding them with a bottle because we can't find their mama. She disappeared the day after their eyes opened, which was last last week. So for 4 days we've been looking after them and feeding them every 4-6 hours.
Quite an adventure. They are doing well though, and most have homes.

I'm back

2007-08-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, it seems like it's been a long time since I've written anything.
Well, I had a great time at camp. I witnessed many ways God moved on our behalf.
He is so good! I'm thankful for all the ways He assisted us and we may never know all the ways.

DAVE HAS A NEW JOB!
He started with Kellermeyer Building Services last week. He's excited about it. He'll be managing the cleaning contractors of 18 K-Marts in the twin cities and surrounding areas.
I'm not going to try to figure out why he went to truck driving school, or why he didn't get a truck driving job. But I know that God is in charge of our life and He's going to take care of everything. It's a good job and it's something he likes to do and he's going to be great!

William is starting his second year at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He loves it and is doing well. He's had a job (work study) working in the executive kitchen for about 6 mo. now. He cleans and even serves sometimes.

Cameron will be starting school at St. Paul College in 2 weeks. He'll be studying to be a truck technician. I know he'll be great! Right now he's working for A to Z rental on Cedar Ave. He works in the yard recieving and cleaning rental stuff. When I think about how far he has come, I am amazed.

Steven just got back from a mission trip to Arizona and Mexico. He had fun working with his friends doing work for some missionaries that live there. In Mexico they gave out clothes and Bibles. It was a very good experience for him.

I know God is so good! He's been so good to me!

new link

2007-08-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

News

2007-07-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hey, well he didn't get this job, but he will get a job! It's actually given him time to study for and get a couple of endorsements on his CDL.
Doubles and HAZMAT.

My Manna today was from Eph 6.14
"Stand therefore [hold your ground]..."

Thats exactly what we are doing. But, not knowing what and when he'll be starting a job, it's a stressful time
I will be leaving Saturday to go back to camp, and that's something. It's just hard to be so far away, when I know he needs me. Anyway, I just thought I'd give you an update.

Dave starts orientation

2007-07-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

I took Dave over to Amherst, WI (about 4 hours from Mpls) to begin orientation with H.O. Wolding trucking company. He started at 6am this morning with a huge breakfast, then they were off to a local hospital for a rigorous testing of lifting abilities (to make sure they weren't lying on their application, and for another drug test.) He did great.
I keep telling myself, it's only 4 days, it's only 4 days. But in truth it could be a month!
The Lord gave me Hebrews 13.5,6
"...I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. (I will) not, (I will) not, (I will) not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake, nor let (you) down (relax My hold on you)! (assuredly not!) So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say The Lord is my Helper..."

The cool thing is Dave got this as well! I know it won't be easy being without him, but we have this promise and have confidence in God our Father!
Remember to pray for him, I think he might be missing us tonight.

My last day at camp

2007-07-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

I ended up staying one more week here at camp. I am ready to go home though. It's so beautiful here, but alot of work. I hope to have some pictures soon, not mine but another peson here with a nice camera. It was a provision that I was able to be head cook (for the third week), so I'm not complaining(I'm just tired). He's taking care of everything, so I don't worry. More soon, Star

My Manna

2007-06-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight,acquaintance, and recognition].
Col. 1.10

This is the verse I'm taking with me, to camp. We (Steven, Geoff and I) will be gone for two weeks. Camp life is so different. It's good in so many ways, but there is a part that is difficult too. Getting people together and living together and working HARD. It can make you or break you. But, I love it. I keep going back even though every time has it's unique challenges, and every time it's over I don't know if I'll ever go back.
I compare it to my experiences with having a baby,..... you long for that baby to make it's arrival, it happens, and it's grueling, and you think I won't ever do that again, but time heals all wounds... and you do it again. I love my babies.....and I love camp. What else can I say?

Geoffs end of the year "party" for drama

2007-06-09T09:36:00.001-07:00

The kids were taken to Starbucks for their party. Looks like they had fun. Geoff had a Vanilla Latte. The top pic is Geoff, Bill and Kyle, Geoffs best friends.

A few new pics

2007-06-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

My Anniversary Peonies. I love them, they're not as big as they could be (being in the shade) but they still smell wonderful.

My Honey!

2007-06-06T07:17:00.001-07:00

This is Dave in his uniform. He is with Security at Church. He helps with traffic control on Sunday mornings, and also did security for our "Night to honor Isreal"(Christian United for Isreal). Who would have thought that he would be in a uniform? Isn't he sharp?

We had our 31st Anniversary yesterday. We'll be celebrating soon. How can it be that long?

Dave started truck driving school at Century College in White Bear Lake yesterday also. 7am-4pm for the next 3 weeks. He was already in the truck driving! We are excited about this new chapter in our life. He hasn't decided yet which company he'll be going with, but has already had several offers. I know he'll make the right choice.

A wife's charge

2007-05-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:1-2 (AMP)

In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives,
When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him--to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband].

This was my reading today, alot to cover.

Respect = regard, deference, expression of good-will, to honor or esteem, have relation to.

regard = to observe, heed, attention, respect, consideration.

deference = respect to another.

rever = to regard with respect and affection.

adore = to love intensely

admire = to regard approvingly.

praise = commendation, applause.

enjoy = take pleasure in.

What makes him feel respected? How do you communicate these things to him?
Find out, ask, investigate, make investments of time and energy.
All of this will pay big rewards.
It's summed up in vs. 9

"For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God--that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection]." (AMP)

When we take care of the things God has called us to, He will make sure we are taken care of!

Check this out

2007-05-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

Angie's friend Myndall

The money tree

2007-05-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Geoffrey and Steven helped out at a garage sale today.
Geoff spotted this "plant", and snapped it up.
We're going to get some fertilizer and get this one going!
By the way, he only paid $1.00 for it!
(It's made of 15 real one dollar bills)

NEW

2007-05-15T13:29:00.001-07:00

Caching again

2007-05-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

We (Dave and I) went caching last night about 10:30p. I just want to convey how wonderful it was. It had rained almost all day, and then stopped about 9p. So it was misty and the smell from all the blooming trees was intoxicating!

The first one we hit was a cache in a trendy area in the SW part of Mpls. I had walked by this one during the day, but there were so many people around I just couldn't find it without feeling weird. It was in a phone booth!? I didn't know there were any of these around anymore.

The second was in a park (as most are). Of course it was dark, so we brought flashlights. The clue was good, but the cache doesn't light up to say "here I am", you just have to keep searching until you find it. We had almost given up when Dave leaned on the log and magically (almost like in the movies) it rolled over. Turned out it was under what looked like a RR tie that was full of holes. Under, but in one of the holes. Cool!

The third was on a bridge! Bridge you say, how? Well It was a metal bridge and we knew from others hidden by this cacher that his signature hide is an Altoids tin with a magnet inside. So we had it narrowed down to a small area. Dave had climbed up on the railings to search the outside of the bridge, but I just kept thinking it must be lower. I was drawn to the lowest rail, I reached down and felt the outside of the rail, and there it was. These caches are small so there's not much inside except a log book, a pencil and maybe a small trinket. But it's so fun to finally find it. We stood on the bridge and gazed at the downtown skyline, reflected in the water, just beautiful. I said "This is living" This is a great hobby.

2007-05-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Angie, Kirk and Chance at the ball park.

A few pics from Alabama

2007-05-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

I recently was able to spend a week with Angie and the boys. The boys are getting so big. Both Chance and Christian are in little league. I was able to see both of them play. I had a great time!

A day to remember!

2007-04-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

It was a race to get this one!

The state of Montana is running a promotion by hiding geocoins in the Twin Cities.
There is a new cache hidden every week with the clues posted online at 5PM Friday. The first three to find it get a special coin and are entered into a contest for fabulous prizes.

Well, Geoff was bound and determined that we were going to win this week.

We were on the computer at 4:45 waiting for the clues to be posted and lo and behold, they pointed to Midwest Mountaineering down on the West Bank, just minutes from home!

We were so excited, we got down there by 5:08!

We looked and looked and looked. Eventually, there were quite a few other seekers around but no one could figure out where it was.

Finally a couple of ladies asked the store personnel what was going on and it turned out that somehow the cache (a wooden box about the size of a breadbox) had gotten turned in to the office and never gotten put back out to be found! So they agreed to just bring the box down and hand out the coins.

So the two ladies were the first ones in line for the coins and Geoffrey had been talking to them and made friends with them so he was the second one!

Geoff said "It was a happy day."

More COOOL coins

2007-04-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Found 4 today. It was such a beautiful day!

Some new links

2007-04-15T08:09:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let you know about a couple new blogs. Both are by Dennis D. a friend from Birmingham, AL. Worth your consideration.
defenselessagainstsuffering.blogspot.com
thefifthp.blogspot.com

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. I'm here with Angie and Kirk and the boys. I'm having a great time (except for the cold! Brrr!). We watched both Chance and Christian play baseball on Saturday. Christian hit a triple in his game, which they won. Chances' team won too! He is the catcher on his team. It's just so fun to see them play. I'll have some pics soon.

Angie and the boys

2007-03-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Angie had pictures taken for Easter. They are just adorable! The file is kind of big but so worth it. I'm headed down to see them on Tuesday. It's been almost a year and half since we've been together. I am so excited! Walker is their last name, just click on clients.

Geocoins

2007-03-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Some coins we have found. Cool!

More Geocaching Fun

2007-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

SNOWSTORM

2007-03-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a video we made for the grandbabies. Enjoy!

Valentine makeover

2007-02-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, for Valentines day we did mini-makeovers.

I go to a "small group" at church called Homemakers. I say "small" because we regularly host between 150 and 200 women plus kids. We are a fun bunch, but spiritual too. Our faithful leader is Renee Burt. I've been sitting under her teaching since 2002. I have changed alot and she has helped me in so many ways. She has walked with me through all of Scotts' troubles. I love her like a sister.

Here are the before and after pictures. It sure was fun.

My new haircut

2007-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

I guess you can't really see my hair, but whatever ;)

Look at Me, a collection of found photos

2007-02-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Look at Me, a collection of found photos

I'm cherry garcia

2007-02-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

You Are Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

You're the coolest cat around, but too laid back to let it get to your head

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

Dave has a web-site!

2007-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to his web-site, still under construction. He is starting a writing service. He wants to do copy for businesses. Freelance writing. He has a few authors he's working for. And excited about finding more.

Spirit Week

2007-02-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

Christian and "friends".
This week at school they did different things during the week. One day crazy hair day, one pajama day, etc. Christian is very much a people person. We must channel this power into an appropriate profession!

2006-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

We went geocaching again. It was such a beautiful day we just had to get out.(I'll put up a picture later )We had two to go to, but didn't find either one. It's fun climbing around the woods, I mean really climbing! You'll see from the pictures. A little dissappointing when they prove illusive. We just have to pick eaiser ones untill we get better at it. They were only about a mile from home, so it was great to get out and walk.

Mr. Incredible

2006-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Carson, my little actor! What a cutie!

Geocaching

2006-12-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

We had an adventure last night. It was getting dark but we decided to go anyway. We went to Hidden Falls park, beneath the Ford plant and by the Mississippi river. As I said it was dark (just before 5:00pm) and only 10 degrees out, but we were dressed for it. We had our flashlights and our GPS.
It seemed to take forever to find the spot, but we did. Our flashlights seemed like pinpricks in the darkness (note to self, get bigger flashlight!) We have failed to find caches in the broad daylight, so I was thinking should we even try? But I'm glad we didn't give up.
The spot was covered with fallen trees- so many places to hide a cache. Where do you start? We found it pretty quickly though, once we started. As I was looking along a fallen tree, with my flashlight I noticed something that didn't look quite natural so I told Geoff to move it and look. There was a hollow place in the log and then Geoff found it. It was a large mayo jar covered with camo duct tape. Inside was a log book, pencil, and many trinkets to trade for. We signed the log book. There was a boyscout troop who had signed it and found it earlier that day. It's such a thrill to find the cache!
It was so interesting to find out there was a huge sub-culture of these people, AND caches everywhere! Within 10 miles of us there are 789! So fun! If you get a chance do it! http://www.geocaching.com/

Geocacheing

2006-11-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Steven and Geoffrey from today. We went on a hunt for a geocache. It was at Minnehaha Falls park. We just started doing this recently. It's kind of a high tech treasure hunt. Really fun. It gets you outdoors walking and climbing around. You use a GPS to find them. There are hundreds of them all over the world.

My Manna

2006-11-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

1 John 5:4
"For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conqueror the world, even our faith."

Here it is in the Message-

"Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God."

Having faith, living by faith, that's how we win. Believing not doubting. Standing firm in every situation, no matter how it may look. Circumstances are temporary, My faith is for eternity. I am a God-begotten person, and I am a winner.

Our Scottie (Cameron) had a ruff appointment today. Labs, a heart biopsy, stress echo and then his office visit. He's been doing great though, it's just a check-up.
I'm expecting a good report.

Halloween 2006

2006-11-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Here are my boys. Super heros all! (left-right)Christian, Carson and Chance. Love 'em.