Jen O.

April Video Blog

2011-04-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my followers (hee hee hee)! It looks as if I've started a video blog - well for April at least. Just couldn't resist posting these treasures in my heart. Enjoy!

April Postings

Jesse Marching

2011-04-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, I think I figured it out . . . here's Jesse Marching w/NWHS in the Maple Syrup Festival Parade. It's not the greatest filming. I didn't realize the sound would cut out every time I zoomed in and out (it's on the camera not video camera). The horns were a little off. Maybe we can all get it right before Memorial Day!

Emma at Ballet

2011-04-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Emma Singing

2011-04-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Emma was singing her praises Easter night . . . "You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you." Psalm 8:2 Just a glimsp of what it will be like minus the selfishness ;-)

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Jesse on the Tenors

2011-04-29T03:04:00.000-07:00

Jesse got to march with the Northwood High School Marching Band for the Maple Syrup Festival Parade in Wakarusa. He'll be marching again in the Nappanee Memorial Day Parade. I made a movie but it's toooo big to post so I'll just have to show a clip of him practicing . . . can't get the parade clip to post yet.

Palm Sunday Praises from the Youth!

2011-04-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile . . .

2011-03-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hmmm . . . I guess I forgot I had a blog. I'll have to see if I can update a little and make some posts!! Not that my followers would notice either way :-) I did enjoy it though. Stay tuned in . . .

Julie for Sheriff

2009-07-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been so long since I've posted!! Well, I'll have to back track as I find the time but for now I wanted to share our fun day at the Elkhart County 4-H fair. We all wore matching shirts supporting our favorite candidate for Elkhart County Sheriff, Julie Dijkstra. Jesse walked in the parade w/Julie and we collected him at the Grandstand.

Here's Emma with her "vote for Julie smile"!

First we went to Young McDonald's Farm. Emma made a friend.

Stopped by the Goshen Noon Food Booth to say Hi to Dad & Joan. (We passed on a hug - sorry Woo Woo!)

After a bite to eat, we headed to the Grandstand.

Here's another campaign picture!

The next part was just funny. But the kind of funny that you just had to be there. We stuck it out through the rain. I haven't laughed that hard for that long in quite awhile!

Jesse may have a future in politics. Here's his best "VOTE FOR JULIE"!

Sophie was in the parade too. She won the little Sweetheart Princess for the Wakarusa Maple Syrup Festival.

Bought a lemon shake-up from our youth group.

And now for some rides!

Finally . . . . . .Emma gets a turn!

Time to crash!

2009-05-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Since I don't have time to blog . . . I thought I would post a link to one of my first blogs "The Apple". I thought it was fitting since we are again one of the prayer families this week. I just hope it's slightly different and I won't have to kill a . . . well, you'll just have to read to find out!

Have a great week !!

Who owns your child's heart?

2009-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

We just attended our 3rd Battle Cry / Aquire the Fire event this past Saturday. Our youth director has been arranging yearly trips for 10 years now - Thanks Matt! (and Trish! ) It’s like a Promise Keepers or Women of Faith event only for kids, well, more for teens. But, I think the adults get just as much out of it!

Through music, speakers and drama thousands of teens heard about Christ’s life, love, and interaction with his disciples; Christ’s sacrifice and what it demands of their lives; how to maintain pure relationships (split gender specific session); how to make God’s word a lifeline for their own life; how to live their faith with conviction and love; what it really means to honor their parents.

This year they also had a separate session for parents. Very informative! Ron Luce, founder of Teen Mania Ministries, asked us questions - Are you parenting by convience? Do you have a culture dashboard for your home? Who owns your child's heart? He also talked a bit about one of his books, Re-Create. “The purpose of Re-Create is to equip parents on how to build a culture in their home so strong and defining that it pulls the hearts of the kids toward the family and keeps them safe from a culture bent on deception.”

We are extremely busy hear at the Odiorne household so, I won’t get on my soapbox yet but it’s coming . . . . . I just want to leave you with a bit of information . . .

Check out the lyrics for the song “Candy Shop“ by 50 cent. "Candy Shop" performed well in the United States, becoming 50 Cent's third number one single. When writing the song, 50 Cent stated: "I attempted to be as sexual as possible, from a male perspective, without being vulgar or obscene". When I was looking up info for this, I found that Madonna also has a song about candy - lucky us!

Just recently, a 23yr. old young man decapitated his 5yr. old sister after stabbing his 17yr. old sister to death.

The following is from Planned Parenthood's website: Abortion is a safe and legal way for women to choose to end pregnancy. There are two kinds of abortion in the U.S. — in-clinic abortion and the abortion pill. Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old. If you are trying to decide if abortion is the right choice for you, you probably have many things to think about. Learning the facts about abortion may help you in making your decision. You may also want to learn more about parenting and adoption.

This information may not be surprising to some of you. I know that many of you support great causes that deal with these issues and more. And I thank you and greatly appreciate you!

My cause in writing this is children. Not just my children but all children. For some time, our family has been moving away from “the world” and what “the world” says we need and what “the world” says is cool and so on. I just took some time today to check in on “the world” and what we’re missing - nothing.

So, who owns your child’s heart? That’s who they will go to for advice. Whoever owns your child's heart has the most influence over them. Is it you? Is it their friends? Is it music? You can and should set limits, you can and should be taking them to church but the key is having that right relationship with them so they value and understand what you are teaching them and why.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

MEALTIME MINISTRIES . . . . spread the word!

2009-03-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

MEALTIME MINISTRIES

A free weekly meal for unemployed and underemployed
individuals and their families in the Wa-nee community.

Every Tuesday (starting 3-10-09)
Supper will be served at 5:30pm

Location is at the:

First Presbyterian Church
(in the Family Life Center)
1155 N Main St
Nappanee, IN
773-3773

Spread the word to those that have lost their jobs or have had their hours cut. This is a great opportunity for our community to work together and help each other. You can help by donations of money and food or volunteer! There are time slots for cooking, serving and clean up. (Volunteers get to eat too!)

Matthew 25:35 "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,"

Hodge Podge

2009-02-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

I need to blog but I haven’t got any one particular subject to blog about! So here you go . . . .

Emma’s Perfect Timing - As I am cleaning up Lily, our puppy, Derek came over. He said “I want to ask you something, . . . just tell me the truth . . . Aren’t you just a little bit regretting getting another dog?”

Before I could even answer, my sidekick (Emma) says “Get ober it . . . .” (Get over it)
We both crack up and think how did she know?? She’s 2!!

Of course our laughing encouraged her to continue to say “Get ober it Daddy! Get ober it!”
(Derek was against getting Lily. Apparently Emma picked up on this! )

God’s Perfect Timing - One of my prayer requests for this week was grace and wisdom when dealing with discipline issues - w/my kids and those I teach. Well, the woman who prayed for me added patience. I almost elbowed her! (Sorry Heidi) I normally do not pray for patience or kindness. I’ve learned that when you do God WILL give you a time in the near future to practice!! But I am thankful for the prayer because I did need lots of patience Monday and I was prepared. God knew and that’s why He prompted her to pray for me!!

Now today, I am thinking about what I can organize. At lecture today, one of the principles was that God is a God of organization. He is not a God of Chaos. We’ve been studying the book of Numbers. All I can say is Wow! He took care of EVERY detail - who went where, who did what, how to communicate - even a cloud to follow - for 2-4 million people!!!

Michelle pointed out that you see it today when you look at the sunrise and sunset each day. You see it with the seasons and in the details of the seasons. You see it in the different species - ants, birds. God is organized and if we are to be like Him, we need to be organized too! We were challenged to apply this to our own lives. What one thing could we organize this week? A messy room. A meal together. Our schedule and making sure we spend time with God on a regular basis? How we plan and prepare to serve God?

Oh and God even told Aaron how to bless the Israelites. He thinks of everything!

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
The LORD turn His face toward you
and give you peace.”

NUMBERS 6:24-26

Happy Sledding, Happy Birthday and Where's my socks?

2009-02-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

Finally, little Emma got to go sledding, well more like tubing. Cousin Darin brought a couple tubes loaded up with this new "non-choleric silicon base kitchen lubricant that's 500x’s more slippery than cooking oil". I wished I would have video taped this. (Yes, I'm old, I know there is no tape!) Anyways, Emma was giggling SO LOUD and yelled "THAT WAS FUN!!" as soon as she stopped. Thank you Jesse for helping her back up the hill!!

We also got to celebrate Grandma Stickel's birthday on Sunday! (It's very hard to get a picture where everyone is looking. Surprisingly, Jesse is actually listening and looking at me!)

And now the socks . . . Jesse came into our room this morning to let me know he had NO socks. He "turned them in" but has not gotten any back! I assured him that HE DID have socks in his drawer. But to avoid a morning clash Derek took him in and got him a pair of his to wear. Derek told me I could dump his socks out for him to look through - so I DID! He was specifically looking for the socks with a gold toe which you see in the top right hand corner. I think the top middle bunch may truly be too small but as you can see - HE DID have socks in his drawer!! Please tell me this is normal! Have they confirmed that a "temporary sock blindness" can occur in children? Because this isn't the first time.

Cheerleader or Obnoxious Fan

2009-02-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

As I left the house Monday, I kept going over the morning’s events. Monday’s are hard - especially the Monday after Suberbowl. Every year we go to Grandma & Grandpa Stickel’s for Superbowl - a tradition they’ve hosted every year since the very first one. (Except for the one year we had to go to Aunt Carolynn & Uncle Jerry’s because it was on a channel that didn’t come in at their house.)

We (the kids and I) don’t really watch the game. It’s more of a family gathering - lots of food, cousins to play with, etc. Derek watches so we’re there till the end. That’s okay, it’s really the only pro-football game he insists on watching.

It's always nice when there’s a delay on Monday but not this week! I knew it would be a rough start! As I drove to my bible study class, I regretted the yelling I did and thought . . . . . . I started out as a cheer leader - repeating phrases to encourage the player (child) to get ready but then I turned into an obnoxious fan or at least that’s what I felt like.

When watching the different sports Jesse’s been involved in I am a big advocate of parents and fans keeping their mouths shut - unless it’s encouraging. My standard comment is “They’re all volunteers!” After running the soccer league for so long, I know how hard it is to get those volunteer coaches and refs. Obnoxious fans are a big hindrance in that task. Yes, maybe they missed something, made a wrong call, coach differently but at least they are trying and willing to help out. So before I get off this soapbox I challenge each of you - parent or fan - to only shout out encouraging words and remember that most sports, at least in our community are run by volunteers! (This does not include school sports but you still shouldn't be obnoxious!)

Back to my original thought . . . I do not want to be an obnoxious fan, shouting out not so nice things at my children. Immediately I went back to being a cheerleader. I’m sure like most little girls, I wanted to be a cheerleader and after realizing that would not be possible due to lack of coordination and other things I became an anti-cheerleader! So could this be? At age 35 I’m now a cheerleader??? Could I be totally upbeat and continue encouraging my children with happy, repetitive phrases each morning or whenever applicable?

Let’s take a minute and look at my choices so far. The definition of obnoxious is: offensive, repulsive. Some Synonyms are: annoying, awful, beastly, big mouth, detestable, disagreeable, dislikable, displeasing, foul, hateable, nauseating, pain in the neck, sickening, stinking, unpleasant. (These are just some.)

The definition of cheer is: happiness. Some synonyms are: gladness, glee, joy, buoyancy, comfort, delight, encouragement. (Again, these are just some.)

I definitely want to steer clear of being obnoxious!! But can I only be positive? Cheering only happy thoughts? Lets be realistic!! What if I take off the cheer? Then I have leader (one who guides) which is similar to the coach (one who instructs). Yes, that’s it! This I can do. I know I can and I even know how. It’s funny how God leads you on a trail of thoughts that ultimately lead you right back to Him and what He’s already taught you in His word.

He has taught me that He will help me parent my children. He has taught me what to teach my children. He has taught me where to teach my children. He reminds me that my children watch me and that I need to set an example and not be a stumbling block. He has taught me that I will make mistakes but He still loves me and will continue to show me His ways. Wow, I could go on and on and on. I am thankful that I not only have a perfect example to follow but I forever have His Help!

Proverbs 2
The Benefits of Wisdom

1 My child, listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
2 Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
3 Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
8 He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him.
9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.

I'm Ready!

2009-01-20T11:54:00.001-08:00

As I was leaving Beulah Missionary Church today, I noticed a sign that I hadn't seen before. Right before you leave the parking lot, they have a sign that says "YOU ARE ENTERING YOUR MISSION FIELD". (Or something similar, it's been a couple hours . . .) I thought it was very clever. Isn't it amazing how we can drive by something MANY times and never see it . . .but then our eyes are opened and we SEE. I love God!

And today my mission is to not lock Emma up in the little dog cage she is in right now. As I type this, she is playing inside Lily's cage of her own free will. It's just her size. Now why would I lock up one of God's precious little children? This one in particular has been naughty. She is not taking her nap and during the 5 minutes I stopped to check Face Book, she decided to pour the dog food into the dog water and feed the dogs by hand. This is just an example of the many things she does. She is BUSY!!

It's hard to be mad though. Especially when she is going around singing half the Bible verse she learned today: "He has done, He has done" she throws in a "the wonders" every couple times. The verse is "Remember the wonders He has done" 1 Chronicles 16:12

The snow is always smoother . . .

2009-01-15T05:46:00.000-08:00

The grass is always greener, the snow is always smoother - Isn’t that usually the case?

Last night as I was going out for the last potty break, I glanced at our neighbor’s yard. It was absolutely breath taking. Perfectly blanketed with fresh fallen snow, curving up and down - wherever the wind let each flake rest. There was no trace of activity. My one word description would have to be “peaceful“. I was so captured by this display of beauty.

I’ve had the song “God of Wonders” going through my head this week. Here’s the chorus - God of wonders beyond our Galaxy - You are holy, holy - the universe declares your majesty - you are holy, holy”. Well, last night, My neighbors yard in little, Nappanee, Indiana declared His majesty! I’m sure it still does this morning but I am avoiding going out until absolutely necessary!

My neighbors yard is much more peaceful than ours. One word for our yard would have to be "busy". There are big tracks, little tracks, toys, furniture that never got put away, pumpkins and pretty soon there will be one decaying Frasier Fur. (I think we may have missed the Christmas tree pick up.)

Our neighbors are in a different season of their life. The have no pets and their children are grown. We have 2 children and 2 pets that venture outside. And as I felt envious of their yard, I had to wonder if they are ever envious of ours? I guess both yards display God’s majesty. One is His beauty in nature and the other is overwhelming evidence of His most loved creation!

I know, I know, envy is wrong and I shouldn't be coveting. So let's say I REALLY enjoy my neighbor's yard and I can't wait until I have a peaceful yard. At least that's what I think now. I'm sure when I do, there will be times when I want my "busy" yard back. After all, the grass is always greener and the snow is always smoother . . . . .

Missing that Gilson

2009-01-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

I remember a couple winters ago there was no snow. Jesse's birthday is on Dec. 9th. We had some snow right around then but by Christmas we were done. Our friends bought their kids some sleds for Christmas and they never got to use them.

That's NOT the case this year! I'm glad Jesse still likes to play outside in it. He's more into building forts and battle scenes. I actually shoveled part of his fort today. He didn't pick the best place to play the other day.

Before the tornado, we had a snow blower. Unfortunately, it did not survive. It was in the shed. For insurance reasons, I had to find out more about this inherited Gilson snow blower of ours. I found out it was really old. So old they stopped making them a LONG time ago! My first clue was when I found a website with phrases on it that said things like - "The place where the Gilson snow blower legacy lives" and "report a Gilson sighting."

We complained about this snow blower. Sometimes, it seemed as though we only made as much progress as Mr. Oblivious here:

But our Gilson was better than what we have now:
(The shovel is what I meant - the 12 yr. old isn't bad but needs an awful lot of "encouraging")

Yeah, yeah, I know we got about $30 from insurance to go towards a new snow blower but who buys a snow blower in the summer? I'm sure we put that money towards fireworks or something.

Most Embarrassing Moment of 2009

2009-01-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. My most embarrassing moment of 2009 - so far that is. I think it tops a similar moment in 2008 . I’ll tell about both and you can be the judge!

After the tornado, we rented a house on Hartman Street that had a fenced in yard. This was a perk because 2 weeks before the tornado we (Jesse, Emma, Mom Ho and I - not Derek) got Jesse a puppy. This is what you get when you cross a Black Lab and a Wheaton Terrier.

Her mom was a Black Lab and her dad was a Wheaton Terrier. (Pictures are not of actual parents.)

And as I was saying, temporarily, we had a fenced in yard. It has it’s drawbacks and perks. Drawbacks - it’s easy to be lazy and just stick them out with out really training them, you forget you stuck them outside and inevitably they’ve dug up something, it started to rain and you didn’t notice, etc. Perks - it’s easy to stick them outside!!

So this past Spring, we moved back to Blackstone which meant no more fence. Now we had to take her out on the leash for many reasons. She listens good but LOVES everyone!! She wants to smother every person or animal she see’s. You’d think this would be great but she’s too big to do this. She’s not the timid little puppy she was the day I picked her up. And inevitably, many times her affections end up hurting or scaring someone. She just doesn’t have any self control when she see’s another person or animal so that is the main reason for the leash.

Did I mention how STRONG this dog is? She has destroyed cages, actually broke a tooth by doing this. She can destroy all those “invincible” dog toys and chews. She can pull a grown adult flat on their side - which is what she did to me in last year. I let her out. As we were walking around the back to come in, one of the Embarq guys said something to me. So I half turned to answer. As soon as Sally saw him, she took off and literally pulled me flat on my side and drug me in the wet cold grass. I’m not a toothpick either. I’m sure that guy wanted to laugh so hard but instead he managed to say “Are you ok with a smile?” - Bless his heart!

So you can imagine that my embarrassing moment so far this year probably has to do with Sally May. Yes, this dog has embarrassed me once again! We decided (Emma, my dad & Joan, Jesse and I - not Derek) to get a puppy. This one is mine - Lily Lou - a Sheltie.

She’s opposite of Sally. She’s way more timid and barky when she see’s people. During the day, since Jesse is as school, I let Sally out. This is our routine: Sally waits while I take Lily out on a leash to pee and check to make sure no people or dogs are out. Then, we come back and let Sally out. She goes out to her spot, does her business and runs back in. (She is fine without a leash - as long as there are no surprises.) Then, I take Lily back out if she has to finish. It seems to get quicker and easier each week. Except for today . .

Today, I was following the routine but Sally did not wait and bust out the door. And of course, the neighbor dog , U-kee, was out. U-kee is a little powder puff - a Bichon Frise. (Picture is not of actual neighbor dog.)

And they also got a little puppy this week. Sally had not met this little cotton ball but I know she figured it out! Mu-kee is about ¼ the size of U-kee. They are both much to small to play with Sally, although U-kee wants to.

So, I immediately start running over there through the snow with Lily on her leash. I finally get there which seems like forever and Sally has scared this poor puppy to death! She didn’t attack it or anything. She just hasn’t mastered a gentle touch approach yet. I’m trying to grab her collar, as I hold on to Lily and continually apologize to Becky! I get her and then we hit the patio that is now buried under the fresh snow. The slick patio. Yes, I’ve fallen again !! There’s snow flying everywhere. Becky makes a comment that this should be on Funniest Home Videos. Probably. Finally, I drag Sally home and take a moment to re-group. I get mad but then gain control because I couldn’t dare let my husband think that I thought for a moment that maybe the dogs were not a good idea!

So here you go Rocki, maybe this will take the laughs off you for just a moment. Although, I think your post is much funnier!! I've read it a couple times today. I just can't stop laughing!!

Benefit Spaghetti Dinner for Keri

2009-01-07T11:39:00.001-08:00

This just in and hot off the press:

There will be a benefit dinner for Keri Rohr

Saturday, January 24th
4-7pm
Raymond’s Restaurant, Wakarusa
Eat in or Carry Out

Ticket prices: Adult - $6, Children (10 & under) - $4
** tickets available at Raymond’s (574)-862-4140**

(Proceeds will go to Keri and her family)

For those of you who don't know Keri, here's a bit of her story:

Keri is the 9 year old daughter of Don and Tonya Rohr from Nappanee, IN. A couple of weeks ago Keri went to the eye doctor after experiencing ongoing headaches and periods of blurred vision. As the eye doctor examined Keri, he saw some things that concerned him and wanted Keri to see a neurologist. Results of an MRI showed that Keri had a tumor at the base of the back of her head near her spinal cord.Most of the tumor was able to be removed however, the tumor was malignant (meddulablastoma) and Keri will require ongoing treatment of chemo and radiation.

You can learn more about Keri by visiting:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kerirohr

The family appreciates the prayers and notes of encouragement! It's so wonderful to see our communities support them!!

Funny Pictures, Updates and Random Thoughts

2009-01-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

Let's start with an attention getter! Derek's Mom and Bob are done with inside pets, at least that's what they say. I think Derek gave them their last pet, Kee Kee #2, as he left for college. Ha! Ha! Now, they just have their outside wildlife sanctuary. I think Bob said that Dee Ann feeds these deer every day. She also keeps up with the bird/squirrel feeders as well. As you can see, these deer brought some friends over for Christmas dinner. Well, I guess you can't see them all but there were about 12 in the yard.

As the kids were watching, Bob pointed out what a great picture that was. Thanks Bob! (He took our Christmas Card picture too. Maybe he should make a career change??) Anyways, I'm only half paying attention to the conversation. "Look at that one!" "Look at his feet " They continued to talk about this deer. I was keeping a look out for the deer that was missing one leg. I always feel bad for that one. So I missed this deer with the funny feet that caught everyone's attention. Derek pointed out that it was in the picture I took. So here's a closer look.

I've never seen anything like it! Oh and Dee Ann is accepting donations of whatever you feed deer - corn, ?

I guess I did write down the date of my Debbie Myers Green Bag experiment. First pic was on 12-15. Second is 12-25. So they may give your produce a couple more days. Not that I would eat the 12-25 banana's. Well, maybe made into some bread. The sad and funny thing is that I just threw them out today 1-7. Just imagine what they looked like today. I have to say, the banana left out was just dark but the two in the bag were moldy. That's interesting. So if your letting banana's go for bread, just leave them out. Don't use the bag!!

I had to wonder today if Emma or I needed the potty training. Let me explain. I had hoped after a night with the girls that Emma would want to potty train. Well, it worked and she's been doing pretty good. Yesterday morning, she had a chance to use one of those little toilets before she went to her class. I didn't quite have her on the seat right and the pee went all down her leg and on the floor. So we had to quickly change outfits before she went in. Poor thing!

Let's see, oh yes - vehicle updates. Derek has his car fixed for the most part - yeah! The van is next - boo! Which means I'm soon to be home bound. No, really, it's okay!

I think that's all for now. I'll end with this thought - how can people raise children w/out God's help? I'm thankful I don't have to. I think I'd go nuts or be in really big trouble right now!!

Knowing God

2009-01-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share a bit about my lesson today. Today is Monday so my goal is to come home after the Bible Study Class I attend and prepare to lead those little ones on Tuesday. Part of that includes reading notes over the passages we have been studying the past week. Then tomorrow, after leading, I'll get to hear a wonderful, Spirit filled lecture over the same passages. So if I don't get it the first or second time there's still another chance!

We've been studying Moses. And in this section, Moses wants to know God.

"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." Exodus 33:13

This is after Moses was on the mountain with God for 4o Days. Our little ant brains would think you might know someone pretty well, especially after being with them for 40 days non-stop at one time. And this was just one of the times Moses was with God.

Where am I going with this? Well, the notes talk a bit about knowing God. What does it mean to know God? It may mean simple awareness of a mere fact like knowing where someone lives. Another knowing is knowing about someone or some thing like describing a city or the latest scoop on a celebrity. And there's knowledge by experience. Maybe you lived in that city or knew that individual. But there's more. The notes direct us to this description - knowledge by which one is changed. Knowledge by which one is changed.

The notes also use a quote from a book by J.I. Packer. The book is called Knowing God. I actually bought this book awhile back after our Pastor had talked about it one Sunday. I may even still have it. Unfortunately, I never got through it. Here's the quote:

"Knowing God involves, first, listening to God's word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself; second, noting God's nature and character, as His word and works reveal it; third, accepting His invitations, and doing what He commands; fourth, recognizing, and rejoicing in, the love that He has shown in thus approaching one and drawing one into this divine fellowship."

If we say we are Christians, we should always strive to "know God". I need to be praying "Teach me your ways O Lord so I may know you better."

Especially after the reminder this past week from Pastor Jim Cymbala's quote: "We are always either drawing nearer to God or falling away. There is no holding pattern."

New Year's Resolutions and Summary of Chapter 10

2009-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

I don’t really do resolutions. I don’t know that in the past I’ve ever been successful in carrying them out for more than a week or so. Last night I thought if I did do a resolution this year it would be to not plan on getting anything accomplished over Christmas Break. You should see the list I thought I could get done. But with all the go, go, go, Christmas, New Year’s, getting over all the colds/flu bugs that we caught from the go, go, go, - there’s no time to get anything else done!! Then I feel defeated. So, next year I am not planning on any other projects during break and that carries over to Spring Break as well!! Hopefully I’ll be more productive during the summer break.

So here I am, Saturday morning before break is over looking at my pile deciding what to do first. As I make the bed I tell myself how everything will be okay Monday. I’ll be back in Moses, focused, accountable, etc. But first I need to get my Sunday School lesson done. I find my spot, start w/prayer and begin to read with my coffee in hand. WOW!

My friend, Rocki, has been posting a bit about our Sunday School class and her own personal journey. It’s a small Sunday School class. Very small. Not bad small like a little church small. It’s just Rocki, Derek and I small. We had all previously read a book called Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala. And after prayer, we agreed to read it again together. Plus, this time around it has a study guide in the back.

The first time I read this book I was amazed at the power of prayer and convicted with my lack of it. This time around we have been made aware of our lack of expectant prayer. Wow! That’s really all I can say. I think I’m still in awe from last week.

So here I am, reading chapter 10 and I start to underline. I do it again and again. It appears to be a pretty good list of New Year’s Resolutions. How does HE do that???

In this chapter, Pastor Cymbala talks about cleaning house. He uses King Asa as an example. King Asa was Solomon’s great-grandson. Asa managed to “do good and right in the eyes of the LORD” even though his forefather’s had wandered from the Lord, letting idol worship run rapid as well as many other detestable things. But King Asa cleaned house, getting rid of the idols and brought the people back to the Lord, commanding them to obey His laws and commands. (2Chronicles)

Here are some things I underlined in his book:

“Rationalizing has to cease. We have to start seeing the sinful debris we hadn’t noticed before, which is what holds back the blessing of God.”

Let me write that again - Rationalizing has to cease. I am guilty as charged. How many times do I do something thinking or saying “I know this is wrong but . . . .”

“Anytime people get hungry to truly know the Lord, the Holy Spirit quickly puts a shovel and broom into their hands. Husbands and wives begin to deal with long-buried issues hurting their marriages. Adults take a closer look at their choice of TV programs and movies. Church members begin to see the damage wreaked by their gossip, their racial attitudes, their criticism.”

Pastor Cymbala then touches again on gossip and slander. Charging new members that if they ever hear another member speak an unkind word of criticism or slander against anyone to point it out. They’ll pray together so God can restore peace to the body. In his eyes, this is what most easily destroys a church.

“Rather, it is gossip and slander that grieves the Holy Spirit.”

“ . . . . . the general concern to live with clean hearts and clean speech before the Lord prevents many problems from ever getting started.”

Sometimes we make things so hard but when we do things His way it is so much easier and the Lord does prevent many problems from ever getting started! I’m thankful for this reminder today and the fact that I don’t have to wait until Monday for everything to be okay as was my thinking earlier today. And on that note, I’m thankful that w/God, we don’t really need to wait till New Year’s to start fresh!!

Here are some more of Pastor Cymbala’s thoughts:

He explains how seeking the Lord can be a challenge. Just because you’re on the right path does not keep you immune from problems. But . . . “In such a moment, seekers after God have built up a reservoir of ready faith to meet new problems.”

“When we seek God, He will bless us. But when we stop seeking Him . . . All bets are off, no matter who we are.”

Unfortunately, this happened to King Asa. Unfortunately this happens to many.

“The more we seek God, the more we see our need to seek Him.”

This is a good one: "We are always either drawing nearer to God or falling away. There is no holding pattern.”

“ . . . .who will totally and passionately seek Him, who is determined that every thought and action will be pleasing in His sight.”

“When we align ourselves with the channel of God’s living grace, all kinds of marvelous things take place. His power energizes us to face ______________ . . . . .” (You fill in the blank)

One more quote but then you’re just going to have to read the book for yourself!

“People who have a seeking heart still make mistakes. But their reaction to rebuke and correction shows the condition of that heart. It determines what God is able to do with them in the future.”

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.

PROVERBS 3:5-6

New Year's Eve

2009-01-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

Every New Year's Eve, we stay home. About 4 years ago the girls have been joining us. Emma Derek and I love it! (Get over it Jesse!!) I think we all have a lot of fun, even Jesse but he won't ever admit it! Mom Ho (my mom) comes over too. It depends on the crazy level on how long she stays.

This year we pretty much played Wii the whole time - 2pm-midnight!!!!

Here's Landry and Jesse. Let the fighting begin! No matter how long they've been getting along, Jesse reverts and does not have a nice bone in his body towards Landry on New Year's Eve. Poor Landry :-( I think it's because she stole his thunder. He had the grandparents all alone for 5 years. He just hasn't been able to let it go!

I had been saving the Creative Kids cookie dough from the school fundraiser. We also played with play dough at the same time but were careful not to confuse the two!

So I hear, "Emma, I have to go to the bathroom do you want to come with me?" I was hoping this would happen and that the whole going in the potty would rub off on Emma. After a while, I checked in to find this:

This Sassy lady is Mom Ho's Wii Mii. She really got into the bowling but couldn't beat Derek #1. Sophie is #3 and Landry is #4.

So here I guess Derek must have done something good and Landry is in her own world.

And here they are with their cups of sparkling grape juice at midnight followed by the Amish Acres fireworks. The flash is just my camera but there were fireworks and they were pretty cool this year!

That's it. We'll be resting the rest of the week/weekend!! I apologize in advance for the teachers who get these children on Monday!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

2009-01-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I've posted nothing yet from Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We are blessed with a BIG family and MANY places to go, people to see. It doesn't always seem like a blessing but a curse!! I tried to figure out how to best share and as I put this movie together, I realized (with tears in my eyes) that our family is a blessing!! Thank you!!

The song playing is the version Derek, Angie and I performed at our Christmas Eve Service. (Barlow Girl) I can't even begin to describe how awesome it was. We enjoyed practicing together in preparation to offer our gift to Christ. This was actually something the three of us did FULL-hearted and were truly blessed in return!

Enjoy our Christmas hi-lights!!

Working from home

2008-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

Derek is working from home today. I think that's a blessing for many reasons. First, the weather is supposed to get bad. And, we have two unreliable vehicles right now. I blogged a bit before about what Derek used to drive (Rusty) and his current ride the GPA (Grandpa's Park Avenue).

Last week Derek started driving the van to work because he thinks one side of the GPA's breaks are going out. He had finally fixed the heat but now the breaks need help. So to be safe, I stayed home bound and he drove the van. Fine with me. I have plenty to do!

Recently, we've been noticing the coolant low light for a while in the van. When I say "noticing" I mean Derek is aware of the problem and trying this and that while hoping it will go away. I on the other hand, see the coolant low light and think it's the washer fluid. Apparently, I remember nothing from Auto Shop nor can I read and understand! Then, Saturday, the heat started acting funny, and then stopped which wasn't very funny with the freezing temps.

So Monday, Derek decided between heat and bad brakes or no heat. Since he drives all the way to South Bend for work, he went with the heat so that meant bad brakes on one side. He did make it there and back with only a few incidents - he almost went through Great-grandpa's garage door when he was dropping off Jesse in the morning on his way to work. And then on the way home, he went into a field. Luckily he just kept going and drove right out.

Needless to say, it was nice for him to stay home today!!! Here he is with his co-worker/secretary.

We got to have lunch with Dad, Joan, Christine and Brian. As I write this, they are headed to Indy to fly to Texas to celebrate Christmas with Brian's family where it is about 100 degree's. (That sounds nice right now but I wouldn't trade it for a White Christmas.)

Oh and here's a picture of Rusty. He didn't make it. He was parked the other way at the top of the driveway. The tornado blew him around and he is sitting on the phone box or some kind of utility type eye sore in the yard. His frame was broke. Poor Rusty!

Stickel Christmas

2008-12-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

This is Derek's mom's side of the family. We spend a lot of time at Great Grandma & Grandpa's. Here are some pictures from the day.

This is Jesse last year. (Note the chair and green yard.)

This is Jesse this year. I guess he likes that spot and notice the bright white outside. This is much different than last year!

This is what Emma looked like last year at Christmas.

Here's Emma this year. (Note the brown face she had all day. I couldn't keep her out of the chocolate chip cookies!)

The Kids Table :-)

Here they are - all the great-grandchildren. (We claim the oldest and youngest)

The original 4 grandkids
The two who started all this - Great Grandpa & Grandma, with the kids. So wouldn't Great Grandpa & Grandma be the trouble-makers?

And here's Emma sending an email! Look at those patty's. She looks as though she knows what she's doing!

Christmas with Dad & Joan #1

2008-12-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

Saturday, we went to my Dad's for dinner. Joan's daughter, Christine, and friend Brian were here visiting. After dinner we went to the Mall to visit Janelle and walk around. Janelle works at The Body Shop so be sure she helps you if you go in there! Derek was actually thankful he went in there. On one of his trips, he learned how to get the perfect shave at the store, The Art of Shaving. (It's all about the prep work guys.) Anyways, they had just what he had been looking for!

Emma is going be a future shopper. She couldn't get enough of Christine! She pulled Christine through the Mall with Christine's purse on her shoulder, hand on hip and a definite swing in her walk. It was too cute!

And how about this for a big brother? How many 12 year olds would sit on a "baby ride" with their sister in the middle of a crowed mall?

Funny Pictures

2008-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

I can't resist a baby butt crack!

Our cat, Buttercup, likes to lay on the dryer when it's going. When I put the clothes in the dryer, she was sprawled out on top. When I returned to fold - I was a little surprised!

This picture isn't really funny. I've wanted to get these "Debbie Meyer" green bags to see if they actually work. So here's the start of my experiment. What's funny is that I didn't even keep track of when I started and I will end up forgetting to follow up. Does anyone else use these bags and what do you think?

For really funny pictures try Rob's Random Ramblings - Funny Picture Friday!

Winter Storm #1

2008-12-22T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple pictures from this past Friday's storm. We got a lot of ice! The coolest thing was that there was thunder and lightening. Jesse was ALMOST disappointed there was no school because they were having their class party of course. (Okay, he was a little disappointed.)

I put down Winter Storm #1 because we are supposed to get some more ice tomorrow. But with this one, everything was fine at our homestead until yesterday morning. Around 7am our power went out. Not a big deal except it was extremely cold! I couldn't get Derek up but that gave him a boost out of bed. He was up in a flash straight to the garage to hook up the generator!

We purchased this generator, oh, quite a few years ago. That last big ice storm to hit Nappanee. We were out of town when it had hit and when we got back about 3 days later, our house was still w/out power. The thermostat said57 degree's. I think we actually called Denny Martin at home to see if he would open up and let us buy a generator. He did and 3 hours later we had some heat and lights. Derek headed to get gas or food and saw some Nipsco trucks in Martin's parking lot. He tracked the men down at Pizza Hut and asked where we were at on the list. We weren't on their list but they came to the house and fixed it in 10 minutes!

So, we've have had this generator for years. We have lugged this thing with each move. We even tried to sell it a few times - no luck. As I write this, I think the generator was in the shed when the tornado hit. I'll have to add a picture. This thing is indestructible! I think we'll have it forever. So, after this last move, we decided to keep it. And, as a permanent member of "Derek's Collection of Guy Things" he'll now jump at the chance to use it!

And he did on Sunday. Our church was without power as well but still stayed open to have service in a smaller, warmer area than the sanctuary. We went. Shortly after worship started, the power came back on. We had left our generator running. So afterwards, we headed home, unplugged it and were just about ready to leave to head to Great Grandpa's when the power went on and off a couple times. Well, it was on when we left. Upon returning, we were on CR 52 and saw every house go dark! So, we got home, lit candles, powered up the generator and about 20 minutes later the power came back on and has been on since.

We are still leaving things in place until this ice melts and especially since we're supposed to get more tomorrow! Winter is here!!

Here's our shed before our tornado.

Here's our shed after the tornado.

Here is our trusty generator (midde of picture). It landed behind where the shed was, along with some of our neighbors furniture and other items.

Christmas Pageant Pictures

2008-12-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Stickel Reunion

2008-12-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

After we got our tree, we stopped by Raymond's for a Stickel Reunion (Derek's Mom's Dad's side). It was so nice to get together. - Thanks Aunt Ester!!

*****************************************

This is also Emma's only visit with Santa. When we were blessed with Jesse 12 years ago, Santa was a major part of Christmas. Things will be different with this one. (Sorry about that Jesse!!) Here' s a very good blog by Steve Gall with comments on what I'm talking about.

Let the season begin!

2008-12-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

These pictures are from 11-30. To date, our lovely tree still has only lights on it. After blogging, I hope to find some time to decorate it!!

Happy Birthday Jesse!

2008-12-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

Jesse turned 12 this week (12-9-08). I can't believe it!! Here he is way back in 2002 getting ready to ride with Great-Grandpa.

This past weekend we went to Chicago. Saturday we hit the Museum of Science and Industry. Here's Jesse now at the farm exhibit . . .

After the museum, we stayed at a hotel, went swimming, got a Chicago style pizza and watched a movie. Sunday we visited a couple lego stores and headed home. We had a wonderful time!!

Here are some more pictures . . . . (Sorry, I can't figure out why it's one per line)

It's a great time for all ages!!

God does!

2008-12-11T06:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, last post for today. I've had a couple on my mind to do and now that my headache is temporarily gone I'll get busy!

Some of you know I attend a bible study in Goshen. (BSF Bible Study Fellowship) After becoming a Christian, even though we started going to church I still had this hunger for more. You know how you may invite someone to something and they come up with excuses, say no thanks or look at you like you're crazy? Not me - finally someone asked me to BSF and I was so excited! I really didn't know much at all about the bible or how to even really study.

I blogged earlier a bit about BSF. Well, I am back in class and a leader for the 3/4's class. And after a 2 year prayer, there were finally enough leaders to open up the 2's class which Emma now attends. This is really awesome because Jesse never got to go. The day class only goes up to 5/6's and he was in Kindergarten. So I'm so excited to finally have a child in the program.

I go to class on Monday which is for leaders only so we're prepared to lead on Tuesday's. Emma goes and stays with 2 ladies while I'm in class. At first she was not happy about this but she now has a crush on Miss Ginger and goes willingly. Her class on Tuesday is another story! She still cries at first but eventually stops.

What I wanted to share is what she is learning . . . Later in the day after week two, I was asking her questions - What did you do? Did you hear a story? Did you sing? Then I thought of the main truth for that day which was "God always keeps His promises". So I said, "Emma, who always keeps His promises?" And her sweet little answer was, "God Does". How awesome is that?!!!

There are about 7 two year olds in a class learning God's truths each week. Even though there are MANY tears during those two hours, seeds are being planted. I appreciate those two brave ladies - Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Hess!! Emma knows that God always keeps His promises. She also sings "God is so Good" and "Trust and Obey".

I'm excited to see what she continues to learn. I know that our family has been very blessed since I started attending! So remember, when you're hesitant to invite someone to your church or even a bible study - remember my story! Because of my friends obedience, a family has been changed and a two year old is now singing praises to God!

And if any of you are looking for a study to start the new year, try BSF. I attend the Goshen/Elkhart Day Women's Class - Tuesday's from 9-11am. They will be having introduction classes on January 6th and 13th. It's held at the Beulah Missionary Church on Old CR 17 just off the Bypass. (There are also evening classes for Men, Women and School age children. The info is listed on the website.)

Wrestling

2008-12-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to blog quick about wrestling.

We had talked about wrestling last year but it was right after football and we needed a break. Since Jesse broke his wrist this past summer he wasn't ready to do football and thought he'd try wrestling. We had heard it could help him be more aggressive in football.

But, when it came time for wrestling, of course he didn't really want to do it. The little stinker said he wanted to wrestle to get out of football! Well, being the mean parents we are, we made him wrestle. I thought it was organized very well. But it is definitely not the sport for Jesse. And I'm kind of glad. There's a lot of waiting for a 10 second match!!

Here's the couple pictures I have . . . .

First is of Jesse the last time he actually wrestled. He didn't wrestle a couple times because they didn't have enough kids his size. Unfortunately for him, the boys were quite a bit bigger than him when he did wrestle.

And next is Emma tackling her cousin Landry. I think they both may have a future in wrestling.

Great is thy Faithfulness!

2008-12-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's 1:30 am. It may take me a while to pull this post together. I have a feeling it's going to be a long one. First, let me start by telling you why I'm awake this late and on the computer. No, I do not have a problem with secret chatting. I don't think I've even ever been in a chat room. I'm up because I feel great! Finally, I have relief from this headache!!

I have had a constant headache for years (no,not Jesse)!! Over the past year, I actually had a doctor "here me" and work with me on trying to get some relief. Not an easy process. First you keep a headache journal. When, where, and things you try. AND, did you know that there are many types of headache - tension, migraine, cluster, etc. Sometimes, I felt like I was making my head hurt because I was focusing on it too much or taking on the symptoms I was reading about.

So, over the past year I've been trying different preventative medicines. The one I was on the longest just seemed to help me sleep and gain weight. For a short period of time I actually stopped everything, drank more water and didn't seem to have any problems. But that ended and I can't seem to figure out how I did that. So I went back to searching for that right combination of drugs - with my doctor of course!

He gets mad because I wait too long when something hasn't been working. I think that's a mom thing. It has to be really annoying and constant for us to say "Hey, this isn't right, I better make an appointment." Am I right?? I think our tolerance of pain is higher than others. Anyways, he kept making me come back every two weeks this past couple months.

Through journaling and research online I figured out that the month of October and November I had a tension headache. I don't think I'm terribly stressed. A lot of it is probably from carrying around Emma and all our bags. Trying to get in and out in one trip! Not good. Plus I have terrible posture and our bed stinks! (Sorry Kathy Ireland) Oh and I don't think our pillows are too good either.

Now I know what a tension headache is. Through some adjusting done by the doctor on my neck and back and a daily dose of Verapamil, it's been easier to get relief with just plain old Tylenol. I had tried Verapamil before. I read online that this is a common choice to prevent headaches but it was given at a higher dose so that's what I'm trying now.

I still get other headaches. We've been waiting for me to get one of those while on Verapamil. And it came! Last Thursday - the back of my head hurt with a shooting pain to the front on the right side. I had a secret weapon. A sample of Treximet. I took it and I felt awful. I took the second pill and felt even worse. And these headaches don't come when you're just sitting at home with nothing to do! I think that was my busiest day last week. Then that night we were practicing songs for our Christmas Eve service. By morning, it seemed to be gone. So did it work? I don't know whether it was the Treximet or the sleep but I don't want to take that EVER again!!

This Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment. Monday night, I started to get a headache. Not the tension but this was the top front section. It was still there Tuesday. The doctor did some adjusting because I was out of whack again. He wanted me to stick with the Verapamil. And he said he was going to prescribe Midrin for my secret weapon. This is basically what he said "Midrin's been around since Moses and boy did he need it with those Israelites". Now I found this comment extremely funny because that's what we're studying this year at BSF. Some might think this is a coincidence but I don't. I love God!!

I wasn't sure if I should try this Midrin for this particular headache or not. It's only supposed to work for migraines. But this is not the new super expensive $12 pill so it wouldn't hurt to try. That's another thing I love about my doctor - he always prescribes the cheap prescriptions!!! Anyways, Tuesday night I took it. He said it was one that I would take and then I could retake 2 more times if needed. So, I took one pill. I felt a little relief. I decided to take another in an hour. Better but not quite there so I took one more. Well then I just couldn't stay awake and Derek made me go to bed.

In the morning, I felt a little foggy. Wasn't quite sure if I still had the headache or not. After a few waking hours, I did! So, I thought, maybe this hadn't been a migrane. So I kept a detailed journal. First I tried 3 Tylenol. Then about 5 Motrin. At 5pm I tried 3 Excedrin. No luck. Still had it. So I thought I'd try this Midrin again. I took one and after awhile I felt some relief. Yeah!! So I took another one about an hour later. Feeling more relief each time. It wasn't till I thought "Well, I'll take one more just to make sure I get it" that I read the label. Take TWO pills at the onset of headache and then again if needed bla bla bla. I'd been taking one.

That's okay though. I'm excited to have some relief. Normally this headache could go on for WEEKS. I'm also excited that it was a migraine and that I know for sure. My experience of a migraine (from my younger days) was a headache so bad you almost threw up and had to lay down with a cold wash rag on your forehead, go to sleep and hope it was gone when you woke up. So I didn't think or wasn't sure what this was. It also helps me not to feel so guilty! With these headaches it seems like all I can manage to do to shower, get ready, take care of Emma. Just the absolute necessary. It makes me feel like a bum!! But to know I was able to do that with a migraine - wow! - that is a BIG accomplishment!

Back to why I'm awake! Little Emma just snuck into our room. She's been doing this nightly. She cries a little when she has to go to sleep in her bed but she does go and stays . . for awhile. We usually find her somewhere in our room in the early morning hours - on the chair, on the pillows on the floor or just plain on the floor. Mom said I used to do this. She would find me all over the place! I kind of remember doing it too. Anyways, Derek said it was my turn to put her back and honestly I was feeling great and kind of wanted to rock her and snuggle a bit.

In her room we have music playing for her. Today, I put in the BSF CD. We're on break now from class so I thought it'd be good in her room and help her to learn the hymns so she might sing in class. As we rocked I sang a bit in my head - it was on the part of the CD that played the music only - no words. I started thinking about my headache's, journaling, trial and error, the funny comment - just smiling as I was feeling this great relief. The next song to start was "Great is thy Faithfulness". Only, there were words. Not sure I had noticed that before. I noticed tonight because I know what song is first on the CD so I wasn't expecting any words yet. Such a simple hymn and God had my full attention! Great is thy faithfulness. He is faithful. He was even faithful to those Israelites - who didn't deserve a thing. But as I continue to study them, I'm just as bad yet He is faithful!!

2008-11-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

What an awesome Sunday! I love it when Sunday School and the sermon go together!!

I can't say I was as excited about my lesson this week. We went over Israel's civil laws known as the Book of the Covenant. For example . . ."If a man uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay for the loss; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his." Exodus 21:33-34 . . . . . . and . . . ."If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed." Exodus 22:2-3

Maybe this interests you but I struggled!! BUT God's word is living an relevant for today. We were able to pull out contemporary examples. And one question was "Why did God give so many specific laws to the Israelites and not to the nations around them?" I thought because Israel was His chosen people. And it would be impossible for them to keep these laws which leads to Christ, His death and freedom from the sins committed under the 1st Covenant.

One good point made about God's character through all this was that He knew the Israelites and the issues that would come up amongst them. He knew someone would fall into a pit or steal. I can't wait to read the notes on this lesson!

Even though my eyes didn't see the lesson fitting with my Sunday, the song we sang this morning definitely does:

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

May the mind of Christ my Savior live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow'r controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only thru His pow'r.

May the peace of God my Father Rule my life in ev'rything,
that I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing - this is victory.

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

Thank you God for giving us just the right words we need to hear. Your timing is perfect!

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 9:15

2008-11-05T04:46:00.000-08:00

It's over! Yeah!! No more adds! I miss some of those funny commercials!

Remember, your pick may not have won - it's okay! God still has ultimate control!!

Now it's time to continue to pray for those in office and those who will soon be leading our GREAT nation.

Looks like we're sticking w/ Governor Daniels and will journey over to the Democratic Party for our next President. Since we go to snopes to check out many facts, I did a search on President-Elect Obama.

For me, I initially check out where a candidate stands on the issues I believe are most important. (I loved the candidate calculator!) It's actually pretty easy for me. Where do they stand on abortion and marriage? Who do they go to for guidance and wisdom?

Unfortunately, my top choice doesn't always win. (Go Huckabee 2012!!) But it's okay, God is in control and I will continue to put my trust in Him.

There are many verses on trust, how about this one?

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. JEREMIAH 17:7-8

Who will it be???

2008-11-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been so long since I posted. I think our family is done spreading the germs for now. Maybe now I can get back to blogging!!

I have so many things to write about - especially the tornado. Next will be a list of "thank you's!" But for now, I think the election is on everyone's mind so I'll put in my two cents.

We have a hopeful here at the Odiorne home. We pray, and do research to see how candidates vote on issues we feel are most important. Sometimes the candidate we would like doesn't make it to the final election but it is our duty to vote so we figure out between the two. (Yes, I know there's more than that - what was his name? Carr or something? What happened to Nader?)

Anyways, we also teach Jesse a little bit about the process - who we are voting for and why because it's also one of our duties as parents. We teach him that we don't talk "politics" at family gatherings, etc. because people may not always agree. Not that it's not good to talk but there's a time and place and he shouldn't be the one bringing it up. We Also teach him that we should pray and be respectful of whom ever is chosen as the next president, governor, etc. (Which is hard to do sometimes!! I myself have made comments and laughed at the SNL skits!)

So I hope all of you too will be respectful and help teach our children these values that are being lost in today's world. I can't tell you how frustrating and upsetting, (I can't even think of the right word) it is to go to the store, doctor's office, family gathering and even church and hear "grown ups" bashing our leaders for all to hear. Sometimes the language is very inappropriate!

The bible says in Romans 13:1-3: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. . . . .

We need to be respectful. We need to be responsible. We may not always agree but unless we are asked to sin against God, we are to submit. What a hard lesson! (For myself included!!) So please, think about what you say and how you act today, tomorrow and each day after. (I know I will after today's lecture on complaining!) Remember, God has the ultimate control! I got this in an email:

No Matter who wins . . .

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

Praise God!!

Another Bonus to Blogging

2008-10-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm so excited! Now I can keep up with a dear relative & her family in Morocco !
I know I could through email but this is way cooler!!

After . . . .

2008-10-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

Derek's off the phone and the following happen but I may have some sequencing wrong. What do you expect? A tornado just hit our house!

Derek immediately thinks of my mom who lives in town. I'm still stunned and not thinking anything but - Wow! (Sorry Mom!!) So he's trying to call my mom - no answer. He calls my dad and leaves a message. He calls his mom. He calls his dad. Basically to let them know that we were hit but okay and that we couldn't get a hold of my mom. He thinks to call our Pastor and friend, Terry Tyler, who is going to go check on Mom.

As Derek is making these phone calls, he steps out from under the stairs but makes us stay because we're not sure if it's secure enough yet. I pray for us and for Mom. God was so awesome - he kept me calm and I was with the kids.

After the calls are made, we do find out that Mom is okay. And apparently everyone gathered at her house. Terry went there, then, Derek's parents ended up going there because they couldn't get through to us.

The police officer in the neighborhood and some others started going door to door to make sure everyone was OK. After they yelled in and checked on us, Derek let us come out from under the stairs.

Oh and in between phone calls, he asked me where the emergency kit was and if there were flashlights and batteries in it. And I have to say that I have been MADE FUN OF MANY times because of this kit and other safety ideas.

So where was I? Phone calls are made, we're out from under the stairs and ready for the next step. Derek goes upstairs with the flashlights to see the damage or at least what he can. He continues to narrate . . . "Oh yeah, there's damage, roof gone, etc."

He finds shoes and jackets for us and brings them down. Of course I am not happy with what he brought me so I ask him if the closet is still there and tell him exactly what pants & shoes I want and where they were. I also ask him to get my purse too!!

So now that were set, we shove our puppy, Sally, in the cat carrier. And we head upstairs. Derek directs us and says "We're going up and finding a place that's safe to go to. Go STRAIGHT out!" We do. As I walk up the stairs I see things - pillows, basket, DVDs, etc. blown down the stairs that were in other rooms of the house.

It was VERY dark out. Debris everywhere and insulation EVERYWHERE!! It looked like mud on everything.

We head to our neighbors. Their house looks the best, there's others there, and he's already got his generator going! We gather in the basement because there is another storm heading our way.
While we're there, Derek's mom, step-dad and brother make it into our neighborhood. But the other storm is still possible so we wait there till it's safe to go back to his mom's.

We finally get the OK to go and it takes quite awhile to get to Wakarusa. There was traffic, detours, etc. But we made it!! I set up Emma's stuff, we made a bed for Sally in a container, and Jesse went to bed. Derek and I ended up on the floor in the living room with Emma. Emma fell asleep. Bob and DeeAnn went to bed. Derek and I finally "talked."

We were both still in shock. WOW! A tornado had hit our house! We didn't know quite what to expect the next day when we saw our home. We thought about stuff we had out . . . Derek's laptop for work, bills, etc. And we remembered the Yoda Halloween costume we had got for Emma. It was hanging in the laundry room above the sink. It was so cute. Jesse wanted to be Darth Vader (Surprise) and so we were searching for the perfect costume for his side kick and there it was. YODA!! So funny! I'll have to add a picture.

Anyways, that's the last thing I remember talking about. We just layed there arm in arm completely amazed at the nights events. Then we fell asleep. When we woke the next morning . . . . . .

During . . .

2008-10-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

So as I was saying, We're all asleep but Derek. He's is getting ready to come to bed when BOOM a tornado hit our house!! No just kidding. It wasn't quite that quick. Here goes . . .

CRACK!!! There was a lightening strike and it was LOUD. Loud enough to wake me up. The window by my bed was cracked open and we immediately heard sirens. Now I'm half asleep still and telling Derek "Oh it's just a fire". He's telling me, "No, that's the tornado siren!"

As he is putting everything back on he tells me to turn on the satellite. "It's out," I tell him. "Go to the 3 season room and see what it says."

In there we had a small TV with an antenna. So Derek's listening to Mike, (Yes, he was telling the truth. WNDU Channel 16 is our severe weather station!) and he hears "6 minutes to Nappanee."

So Derek tells me to get Emma and go downstairs!! And I'm like, "Are you serious? Seriously? Seriously???" "YES" he says!!

I get my phone, (WHY??) and see Buttercup, our cat, just lounging at the top of the stairs. (This is one of those rare animals that must not sense a storm!!) Anyways, I almost bend down to pick her up but looked in Emma's room and she was awake. So, I went in to grab her. I also grabbed her small diaper bag. I didn't want to look like an unfit mother!! And we head downstairs.

At the same time I'm getting her, Derek goes in to Jesse's room: "Jesse, wake up! Get your dog! Jesse, get up!!

Jesse is half-crying, "What, why are you yelling at me?"

Derek: "Jesse get up now and get your dog - TORNADO!!"

Now as soon as Emma and I got downstairs, my ears popped. I watched enough of Discovery Channel and the Weather Channel to know that something was happening!! So I'm kind of pacing and yell, "My ears are popping are your ears popping???"

Derek is yelling "Yes!" as they come down the stairs. So we all huddle under the stairs. We prayed, the wind picked up and "BOOM!!!" a tornado hit our house!! No freight train sound. It was just an explosion and then we could hear the cinder blocks falling in from the fire wall that separated us from our neighbors.

Derek kind of narrated as it happened. I was still in shock. I knew it was for real when Derek called 911 and said, "My name is Derek Odiorne, gave our address and said I think a tornado just hit our house . . . . "

Before . . . .

2008-10-18T06:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's 9:45am. "Our tornado story" will be an ongoing project but I have to start somewhere. I'm trying to remember what all went on that day - so here goes . . .

10-18-07 was a Thursday. I'm sure Jesse went to school. Emma probably slept in till 11am because she was probably up late!! (Our bedtime trials with this one could be a book itself!) Derek would be at work in South Bend and I would have been "catching up" on anything and everything. Oh yes, and we had only had our puppy, Sally, for about two weeks.

Now it's coming back to me! So I would have been going outside frequently to potty train. I do remember that our house was for sale so there would have been some cleaning and picking up going on in case someone wanted to see the house.

I remember finishing our Christmas gift for everyone. My friend, Rocki, had shown me these awesome books she had made online so I got the info from her and worked hard to get these done. I remember telling Derek that we were going to be busy (moving or something) because I had Christmas done so God had other plans for us the next couple months. (WOW!) I know you women know what a relief it is to have this task done or at least know what you're doing for sure!! It takes the stress away from the upcoming season!

I can't remember if Jesse had football practice or not??? I know we did go to Raymond's for dinner. We would have met Derek there. On the way home, Jesse & Emma rode with me. The clouds looked cool. Jesse and I were actually talking about tornadoes. (WOW!)

When we got home It was about 7:30pm or so. My mom called to see if she could come over. See, she had gotten a puppy from the same litter as us. So, Harry, her pup, wanted to come play with Sally. I know, cute isn't it? Mom named Harry first and Jesse named Sally after our neighbor's dog, Sally. And FYI he is not allowed to see that movie!! (When Harry met Sally)

So Mom came over and the two pups played. Boy were they CRAZY!! Well, they still are at times. Anyways, I remember we were sitting in our three season room with them. The little TV was on channel 16. I believe the storms were starting. Derek actually showed me the radar on his computer at one time and said, "That one, that's the one that will hit us." (WOW!)

Well, Mom and Harry finally left maybe around 8:30pm. We got the kids to bed. I went to bed. But Derek stayed up. It was when he was coming to bed that . . . . . . .

Kids with cell phones, what's your opinion?

2008-10-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

This is too funny! I have to blog about it!

Before I get to the funny though . . . . . . . . . .

A couple years ago, I remember two boys trying to convince their mom's that they needed a cell phone. I was one of those Mom's and Jesse was one of those boys. I think he would have been 9 or 10. So we - the Moms - let them state their case. Of course we thought they were ridiculous! Who were they going to call?

Then, I knew my son didn't need a cell phone. I also knew the time would come when it might be an option but I never thought it would be before Middle School. Through circumstances, we ended up with one extra white phone. It was one of those phones that you add twenty bucks to every 3 months to keep the number and minutes. We kept it and added the money when needed but rarely used it.

After the tornado, we rented a house in Nappanee Elementary's school district. So, Jesse crossed 19 and caught Darlene's bus. (This is his FAVORITE bus driver ever!!) Anyways the first time he did it, we sent that white cell phone with him just to make sure he made it okay. You probably see where this is going . . .

Long story short, we ended up giving him my phone and adding him to the plan. It was cheaper than adding to this white phone. So now he has his very own cell phone - every kids dream!! It's funny to see him whip that phone out and "act" like he's doing something with it just so someone notices he has one. (I always discourage this, but it's funny!) He knows that it is just for calling us or grandparents.

Now that we're back home, he rides his bike into town a lot. So it's nice he's had it and we've even had two emergencies:

This summer, he broke his wrist and was able to call for help. (And no, he wasn't talking on the phone as he crashed on his bike!)

Second emergency was this morning. He's left for school and I get a call. He wants me to come and get him. He likes to ride his bike to school. His bike is broke so he rode Derek's bike today. He called because his pants got caught in the chain and ripped up to his underwear!! Now here's me on the phone, "Are you serious? Jesse Alan, you better not be making this up!!" I question and threaten because I don't want to get up! I'm just settling in to read and have my coffee.

Anyways, I grab my phone, Emma, and an extra pair of pants and head to the golf course entrance. I wasn't sure what I'd find or how bad the rip would really be. As I pull in, there's our Pastor smiling and waiting with Jesse. He normally walks every morning. And there's Jesse smiling and saying "I told you so!" His pants were truly ripped right up to his underwear!!

So what's your opinion about kids with cell phones. I still could go either way. God provided a friend walking by when he had broken his wrist that could have gotten help. And today, he provided Pastor Terry who could have called me. God always provides one way or another!!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
PSALM 46:1

Isn't God Great?

2008-10-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

I feel moved to somehow put my feelings together so bear with me. I'm not sure where this is going!

I've been blessed to be a stay-at-home Mom since my son, Jesse, was born way back in 1996. Although, back then I may have said blessed but didn't really "understand". Jesse was the best baby ever! A big 9 pounder (9lb. 10oz.) so not to scary to hold! He slept good wherever. Oh, was I blessed!! I used to rock him in my glider rocker - a must have for moms (& grandmas). I would even hold him his whole nap and just look at him. He can be quite the stinker now but he truly was the best baby ever!

So tonight, as I rocked my two year old, Emma, I thought back over the past 2yrs and 10mo. What a journey our family has taken. Emma was the total opposite of Jesse. She is and has been quite the stinker. I'm hoping it will get better!! But, tonight I just was rocking this precious child of mine with the biggest smile ever.

Shortly after we found out I was pregnant, Derek lost his job. Not so bad at first but time took it's toll. We weren't down to our last drop of oil and bit of flour like the widow in 1 kings 17 but it was starting to get a little scary!

However, there were blessings. We had a lot of extra time to spend together. We took up a paper route that covered southern Nappanee. Beautiful drive. I don't know, I think it started at 1 hr & 10 minutes but Derek just knew he could get it shorter! I think he did get it down to 50 minutes. I know those of you that have had a paper route are laughing because you've probably done the same thing!

Once Derek got a job, Jesse and I did the route during the week in the afternoons. We had great conversations while listening to our friend, WFRN, and seeing the countryside. Funny memories would be the the 1 pony standing amidst the large work horses and of course the older Amish man in a bathing suit! My favorite was the Sunday morning route with Derek in Rusty. It was so peaceful! The country side was just beginning to awaken.

Rusty was our truck. Trying to make ends meet, we sold some vehicles and purchased one little, rusty, red truck for $495 - no payments ever! Derek humbly drove this truck every day. I think it was a 1984 Chevy S15 or something. Rusty was great. Eventually, Derek upgraded for his 1992 GPA (Grandpa's Park Avenue). We still kept rusty. Two winters ago, we had some snow. Derek & Jesse threw our inherited 19something Gilson snow blower in the back of old Rusty and drove into town to clear some paths. I guess they almost got stuck, hit a sign and LAUGHED really hard!! Good times were had in Rusty. But, poor Rusty didn't make it through the tornado.

The tornado has been on my mind this week as the 1 year anniversary approaches. I'm hoping to write some blogs about that as well.

Anyways, I can remember rocking Emma after she was born. She had acid reflux so we spent A LOT of time rocking and singing. One night I realized I was mad at God. Derek had a job but the time without was just too much. Our house was for sale but like MANY others, we were having no luck. There was just so much "life" going on that I was ready to crack! And I knew God is not supposed to give you more than you could handle. I was pretty sure I had way more than I could handle! I also knew that God is always right which makes it impossible to win an argument with Him!

It's okay though, God brought me out of that hole. He helped me find my smile. I got back into His Word (lack of it is what usually starts the funk). And just in time because . . . BOOM, a tornado hit our house! You'd think I would really lose it now, right? I am so thankful that I was in His word. I can say that if I had not been, I would be committed right now.

When the tornado hit, we had just celebrated Emma's first birthday. Still rocking before bed, but that's okay. Rocking a baby is the best! And I missed that after the tornado. While we rented, I didn't have that glider rocker in her room. We had some of our furniture at the rental but not the glider rocker.

About 6 months later, our home was rebuilt and we were back in. I remember that first time I rocked Emma. What a comforting feeling! Tonight, I just smiled as I rocked that precious child of mine. I thought about the past couple years. I smiled as Buttercup, our cat, checked in on Emma and I. We weren't sure what happened to Buttercup the night of the tornado. But here we are a year later with her safe and sound. We're all safe and sound. Isn't God great? I think He is!

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
His greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3

Laminin

2008-10-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to post this link about laminin. Maybe you've seen it before??? My cousin had sent the link and I know I emailed it to a few of you. I just thought it was so AWESOME!!

10-14-08 Principles

2008-10-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Moses is a great study! Lecture was very encouraging to me this week. I wanted to share a part of it with you.

Exodus 5:1-21
Principle - We are to do what God has said and trust HIM for the outcome.

Exodus 5:22-23
Principle - We are to take our problems and questions straight to God.

Exodus 6:1 - 27
Principle - God wants us to do what He has said depending on Him.

Thank you Michelle for being a faithful servant of God. He speaks beautifully through you!!

The Apple

2008-10-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday as I sat in church looking over the bulletin, I got excited! It was our turn to be on the list of “Prayer Families” for the week. First, let me give you the history on my understanding of the “Prayer Family”. As a new Christian, I truly had no idea what it was or meant besides praying. Later, I assumed that if you were listed, it was your duty to pray for everyone in the church that week. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to being on “the list”. That would be a big job! Finally, I found out that people were supposed to be praying for your family that week. Okay, this was much better!

So for YEARS, I thought our Pastor was so amazing! It seemed many times as we went through trials, he was so kind to put us down as one of the “Prayer Families” that week. His sermons seemed to speak directly to me as well. Again, YEARS, have gone by. One Sunday, I thanked him specifically for putting us on the list. His response was to thank God. Apparently, this list is alphabetical.

I now understand the list. Isn’t God awesome? (I still think my pastor is pretty awesome too.) But, there’s even MORE understanding I have to learn. Let’s go back to me being excited last Sunday . . . . . I was looking forward to the week. I was sharing with a friend on Monday that I was looking forward to my week because we were one of the “Prayer Families” and it’s always a good week. And she smiled and said, “Yes, and you know you’ll be prepared for whatever comes up.” UH OH! Never thought of it that way!! Thanks Michelle!

Tuesday morning my daughter and I headed out to start our day. Three minutes into our trip, I hit a deer. Long story short, the police officer had to finish this poor deer off right in front of us!! Emma heard the gunshot but thought it was a firework - THANK GOD. The officer wrote up a report and waited for someone to get the deer. I was able to go on my way BEFORE my son rode by on his bike and the school bus went by - THANK GOD. I can’t imagine how the kids would have teased him - “Hey Jesse, your mom killed a deer.” And, I was not hysterical - THANK GOD.

I was heading to my bible study. I blogged earlier that it was when I got there I learned of Lisa’s death. After this start to the day, I was able to enter the classroom with a smile and wait for the children to arrive - THANK GOD. If my friend had not pointed out that I would be “prepared“, I think that day and week would have gone much differently!!!

Later that morning as we listened to lecture, my co-leader ate an apple. It smelled SO good. She told me afterwards that it was a new apple and that it WAS so good. It was a Honey Crisp apple. I made a mental note to be sure and get some at the store. During this past week, I often thought about that apple. I actually craved it. We were out of apples at home so that made the craving even worse! I think I even told Derek about this apple.

By Friday, I still had not fed this apple craving of mine. I headed to a seminar in Chelsea, MI - wherever that was. I wasn’t driving and had no kids, what did I care? That night Kelsey and I , my comrade in direct sales, stayed at our division manager‘s home in Michigan. I had never been there. And it was the first time I had met Jan and her daughter, Christina. It was so homey! A farm that had been in their family for 150 years. Much better than a hotel! Anyways, as three of us (Kelsey, Christina & myself) stayed up late talking, Jan popped into the room and set a paper plate down on the bed. On that plate was an apple that had been cleaned and cut up ready to eat. Christina said, “Oh you have to try this. It’s so good. It’s a Honey Crisp apple” -THANKS GOD!!!! HE truly does give you the desires of your heart!!

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord,and He will give you the desires of your heart.

"Who am I?"

2008-10-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

“Who am I?” was the question that made me think of Lisa Monday night as I read my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) notes. This year we’re studying the life of Moses. The question asked us to give differences and similarities to our personal call and response to God’s work.

As I went through Moses’ “excuses”, I thought of the day Lisa came to my house. It was in 2003, I think. We had studied the book of John that year. My first bible study ever! Every Tuesday I went to Goshen and listened to Lisa’s lecture over what we had studied. She was the teaching leader that year.

By the end of John I had grown so much. God prompted someone to recommend me for leadership in the program. I know that Lisa had been praying for me. During our meeting she explained to me more about the role of leadership. I kept thinking AND saying “Me? Are you sure? What about my past?” and so on. Lisa lovingly assured me over and over.

I accepted God’s call and started training to be a leader in the Children’s Department. I learned that God doesn’t always call the equipped but he ALWAYS equips those He calls. I was looking forward to getting to know Lisa more that next year as we trekked through Israel & the Minor Prophets. I didn’t know then that God was calling her out of the BSF Ministry.

Living in her neighboring community, I often wondered what great things she was doing for God. I had heard she was actively involved at the WMC. And now I see that God DID continue to use her in BIG ways!! God truly looked at her Monday with joy and said “Well done my good and faithful servant!”

So back to the question . . . “Who am I?”

Exodus 3
11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 God answered, “I will be with you. . . .

Exodus 4
1 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? . . . .

10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” . . .

And the LORD said to me - “It’s okay, I’m putting you with the preschoolers, they won’t notice your new at this!” Seriously, because of that meeting with Lisa, I have continued my Christian training at BSF. After a “time-out” I’m back in the Children’s Department this year. It wasn’t until Tuesday morning at BSF that I heard Lisa had gone home to be with our LORD.

He must have started using her immediately because the Holy Spirit brought her to my mind that night and she was with HIM! Wow! I’m still in shock. I don’t know what’s going on but my answer these days is “Jesus is coming!“ Be prepared. If you learned anything from Lisa, let it be the peace and comfort of salvation.

For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. - Romans 10:9-10

All that God asks us to do is to receive Him in our hearts. We are to turn from our sin and follow Him. We are to believe that Jesus is the Son of God in our hearts and confess it with our mouths.

Going to bed!

2008-10-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, my good friend Rocki will not add me until I have at least 3 posts. That should not be a problem because I have way too much stored up and need to get it out :-) Just on the way to church tonight, I was thinking of so many pictures, stories and lessons I could share. I wish I would have been blogging the past couple years. God has brought our family through many trials!! So, I'm looking forward to sharing some of them. I'm open to requests!! Anyone dealing with job loss, pregnancy, natural disaster??

I've spent most of my blogging time today setting up this site. I still don't have it quite right or understand it all yet. I picked the Proverb's verse because it was one of the first verses I clung to as a new Christian. We don't always understand God's ways but He is ALWAYS right!! We can truly trust in Him always. He will make our paths straight! I'm living proof of that :-) Praise God!

First Blog Ever!!

2008-10-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently I have been missing out on this world of blogging. My good friend Rocki is a practicing blog-aholic. I had visited her site and a couple others awhile back. But, not until recently did I see this great Christian network you all belong too! So here it goes, my first blog ever! Hey, I don't even know how to text yet. I don't think I ever will. I can't get past the shortened, misspelled words.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to learning about you and sharing some of the going on's in the Odiorne home!!

PS - I have to share with you my pick for President - sorry Rocki!