This and That

Today is a gorgeous day!  The sun is shining.  The snow is glistening on the ground. 
We were snowed in for Christmas.  We were going to have company, but because of the blizzard the interstates were closed and most of the roads were closed as well.  We finally were dug out on Sunday.  :D  Our neighbor came with his tractor and HUGE snow blower and cleared the snow away and pulled dh's truck out of the snow.  YAY!!!

Although we were snowed in the blizzard itself wasn't that impressive.  Actually it looked like a normal snow day in Alaska.  I think the reason for the shut downs etc, were because here the wind blows the snow up under the overpasses.  The country roads actually stay pretty clear because of the openness of the prairies.  The wind blows the snow right off the road. 

Dh and I have started remodeling this old house-mostly out of necessity.  The house is so drafty and wastes so much heat, that we've decided to take it upon  ourselves to start fixing it up...whether we end up staying or not.  So yesterday,  dh ripped the subceiling down from the bathroom, where he found gaping holes to the outside.  No wonder it's so cold and drafty!  The person that either designed or remodeled this house...did not know what they were doing!  So now I might record video...hello HGTV or PBS...lol.  We have started taking pictures and I'll be posting them up as the work progresses. 

Today would have been my mom's 71st birthday.  Wow...she past away when she was 44 1/2.  I remember several of her birthdays.  One year we were in New Orleans, another year we were in Colorado with my dad's mom...I hope someday I can say we got to celebrate together in Heaven!

Blessings until next time!   

Sunday Sing-Along

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009!!!

May the you seek the truth of this beautiful holiday season. 

A Week Of Christmas Songs

Love this version of this song!  :D

A Week Of Christmas Songs

I love Third Day, and when I was a kid, this was probably my most favorite Christmas song. What a perfect marriage. =)

A Week of some of my Favorite Christmas songs

I love this song!  They don't have the Christmas version on YouTube, so I've posted this one instead!

Sunday Sing-Along

If you know me...you know Steven Curtis Chapman is my all time favorite male artist...so what would sunday sing-along be without him singing Christmas...and my favorite of his is this one!
Blessings!

Silliness...

Well today I'm in one of my silly moods.  :P  And as usual, I'm going to share it with you all!  (won't that just make your day?  LOL)

You know what one of my favorite things about the ND cold is?  Frozen nose hairs!  Yep, it's true!  It's like a little York Peppermint Pattie for your nose...that cool sensation!  roflol

And on that note...one of my favorite York Peppermint Pattie commercials:


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

Now on to another subject of silliness, in a way...
This is a beauty tragedy.  sigh...
How will I ever know how much marcara to stock up on????
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/news/0912/gallery.brands_we_lost/6.html
ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings until next time!

Well done thy good and faithful servant, well done!

Yesterday, Brother Oral Roberts, went to be with the LORD!  Dh called me to tell me.  Of course I was a little sad, and yet suprisingly my words were something like, "YAY for him.  How exciting! That's awesome!"  He is with JESUS!  He's walking on streets of gold.  He got to hear the LORD say, "Well done thy good and faithful servant!  Well done!" 


If you know JESUS, you'll hear those words someday too.  If you don't, I encourage you today to ask HIM into your heart and confess your sins.  It's that simple.  It's not religion.  It's a relationship!  If you're unsure about how to do it, contact me.  I want to see you in Heaven someday.  :D


Blessings until next time!

Fresh, new snow

I went outside yesterday to throw some old apples out in the field.  When I came in and got busy I was admiring  out the window, the fresh, new snow that had fallen all over the ground yesterday.  We already had snow, so this was a fresh, new layer.  It reminded me of the verse:

Isaiah 1:18 (King James Version)

18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

But it also reminded me that each layer of dirty, trotted snow is covered and you can't see what was there before.  That's a lot like us too, as Christians.  We sin, but if we ask for forgiveness, GOD is faithful and just to cleanse us of all unrighteousness and forgive us our sins.  (1 John 1:9)

HIS love is unfailing.  HIS forgiveness is unfailing.  I encourage you to seek HIS face today. You can be white as a fresh, new layer of snow.  All that old snow is covered up and no one sees it, not even GOD himself, because HE chooses not to when we ask for forgiveness and seek HIM.  What a wonderful and beautiful promise...just like the picture out my window of fresh snow!

Blessings until next time!

Drumroll please...

From the HBA prize committee...

Attached is a Graphic that my children and I made when we did the stuffed animal drawing for the Homeschool Blog Awards. Each blogger was assigned an animal to represent them and we wrote out the prizes on slips of paper and drew for the animals. The kids enjoyed taking photos of the animals and watching mom create graphics. We would love it if you would use the graphic in your post when you get your prizes or just telling about what you won. It would make my kids feel special. :)

HERE IS WHAT WAS DRAWN FOR YOU:

Nothing New Press (2 Books)

Red River Paper 40$

Safekids Software

Hexbugs

20$ in MindBites Lessons

Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Conference Tickets for 2010

The Old Schoolhouse - 1 Year Magazine Subscription

Sunday Sing-Along

I love this song-not only as a Christmas song, but I think I relate to it everyday in some ways. 

JESUS, YA got mail!

Today dh got paid...which means I get to deal with bills. YUCK!  It's so not fun dealing with bills, when the finances aren't there.  Last week we were even in the negative. (keep reading...this actually turns out good-lol)

 The other day my dd reminded me of something we've heard Jesse DuPlantis say.  When the bills come in, he holds them up and says, "JESUS, YA got mail!"  LOL....as funny as that sounds, if we are a child of the KING, he's right. 

Today, while chatting with my url friend, Heather, I was telling her I was paying bills.  I told her that story.  She laughed.  We continued to chat, and then I said, "Well I need to go be JESUS' accountant."  Just then....REVELATION hit!!!!  Don't ya love when that happens????

I am JESUS' accountant...YEP, I am!  AND I should be HONORED! 

So, as I was figuring out the bills, etc., I don't know how, (well I do know how, supernatural increase, because of faith and trusting) but I know it happened, we have more than we should.  I had to balance the checkbook like 4 times, just to make sure.  :)  It's amazing how attitude is a huge part of HIS supernatural increase!!!  So between realizing I'm JESUS' accountant and that I need to have cheerful endurance....um things are changing!  PTL!!!  (I'm sure it's also having great friends praying too.  Thank you!)

Now aren't you glad you kept reading????  LOL!
Blessings until next time!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Today I am 45!  Happy Birthday to me. AND I've decided, after listening to Pastor Hallam, from our home church, last night,  to have cheerful endurance aka patience.  :) 

so....

Support

As I sit and ponder what I should blog about, I went to stop by THL chat and asked the gals what I should blog about.  Anne said, "How encouraging it is to be up late and laugh with invisible people on line?"  I replied, "But you all are not invisible, so I can't blog about that. You all are incredible, you're my support during a difficult time." 

I haven't gone through many difficult times in my life.  I can probably count them all on one hand.  For that I am thankful for.  On the otherhand, maybe what I may think of as difficult, may not be to the next person. 
Losing my mom, that was difficult.
Moving to RI/MA and living in a tent and with folks without being able to cook or take care of my family properly, that was difficult.
Moving to Alaska, that was difficult...
Moving to North Dakota...yes, this has been difficult.

I'm not even sure how to express why or how it's been difficult.  I think it's all the uncertaincy in it all.  I think it's because we thought for sure this is where GOD wanted us, and yet, we are struggling financially, the job my dh was brought in and up for has been dissolved and he's been put into a entry level designer making senior designer wages...we don't expect to be here much longer....many layoffs a few months ago, and the company is still in the red.  We thought if GOD wanted us here, our house would sell, our finances would be okay, that the company would be blessed....none of which took place.  Now we are at the point...did we miss GOD?  Are we really here for a purpose?  We've been obedient...what are we doing wrong? 

Emotionally, I miss my friends and family, but it's not something I can't handle.  I've met a few nice people here, but they aren't very social here.  Something I miss terribly.

Spiritually, I think GOD is stretching me (us) in a greater way. Is it fun?  NO, it never is...but I know down the road I will find it very rewarding and will be able to look back and see another piece of the great puzzle.

Physically, Praise GOD we are all healthy.  We like seeing the snow...but it gets quite chilly out.  We have been dealing with single or below zero temps for a week now.  We moved into the icky house.  I think GOD promises us food and shelter...we have food and shelter...the shelter is icky, and needs work.  It could be a very cute house if we had the finances.  We don't. 

Financially, We are confessing HIS word, but in the naturally, we are sinking and sinking fast.  Yes, GOD can supernaturally step in.  Will HE?  I don't know at this point. I know if HE does, it's in HIS timing and HIS timing is never late. 

There are worse things than where we are at.  I try to focus on those things when I get blue.  It's hard some days.  That's why I appreciate my support over at THL.  Many of those gals don't know what I'm going through, but they are there listening and supporting me, by encouraging me.  It reminds of my url and then became my irl friend, Dadia,  When I moved to Alaska she was there to help me through it.  She would always say something encouraging and say something like, "We'd love to see the TX bluebonnets and Indian paint brushes with you.  Hopefully you'll be home soon."  (Dadia's with the LORD now, but I still think of her.)

So I guess this post is to all my friends at THL and those encouraging me with your kind words and thoughts.  Thank you.  Thank you for taking the time to say something.  Thank you for the encouraging words and allowing JESUS work through you.  Thank you that you take the time to care. 

Blessings until next time!

The Invisible Woman

My girlfriend, and one of my dearest friends called me today and said, "You have to watch this!"  I didn't know why she thought so, but she did.  So I turned it on, and watched. My friend obviously knew I needed a boost today!  Do you have about 5 minutes to watch too? 

Sunday Sing-Along

Yet another one of those that I can relate to in this period of my life...
video with lyrics...


live...

Glistening Trees

Here's some pictures of what the trees looked like today. It's been in the teens and single digits for at least the last 36 hours...brrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The obvious....

WARNING:  THIS is a MAJOR GRIPE POST!!!

Why are people compelled to tell me the obvious?  It drives me nuts....maybe they forgot (and yes, I told them) that I grew up where it was cold, and have lived in cold as an adult.  It's not winter yet...that doesn't take place for another few weeks...so the obvious, "It's going to get colder"  umm, yeah, is the obvious!


Also, why are people compelled to tell me, "I understand".  You do?  Really?  Do you?  Have you lived in a tent for a summer?  or a motel for months, cooking out of a crock pot and trying to homeschool your kids?  Have you moved 25+ times? Have you lived on the road for the past 10 years, doing what GOD tells you , and yet because of other people's disobedience you are to shake the dust off your shoes and move on?   You understand how I miss my friends?  How I have to go through the process of being friendly and social, even when the rest of you aren't?  How my family has to make new friends and then leave?  Have you had your children rejected by other kids, because the kids are little self righteous brats?  YOU understand?  REALLY??? ARE YOU SURE???????????

Because I don't think you do!!!!  Really I don't...not when you've lived in the same place for the past 20+ years, have friends where you live, etc...I don't think you do, so give me a break!!!

I can understand that you don't understand...but don't say you do, when clearly you don't.  And don't go around and tell people (namely my dh) well she needs to get over it, and it's her fault why things haven't come together for you all yet...because you don't know me well enough to make that judgement call! 

I have been friendly, I have walked in love, yes, I complained (only minor about living here), yes, I have gone the extra mile, so instead of judging me,  will you pray for me? I thought that's what we are suppose to do for one another, lift them up, bear one another's burdens, encourage and help where we can...at least that was my impression of GOD's word...maybe I'm wrong???? and NO, I will not confront this person's ignorance.  I will pray for them, but needed to get this out of my system!

(Climbing off my soap box now)

I'm so honored! I'd like to thank the academy....

oh wait, wrong nomination!  LOL 
The long awaited HBA have been announced!  I'm happy, um no, I'm thrilled to announce that my blog, Great Adventure, won!  What an honor. 

Thank you to all of you that voted for me, especially those that actually read my blog!  :D  Of course I couldn't have done it without everyone's help, those that nominated me-thank you...I only know of one-Jenileigh-thank you!!!  Thank you to the other two nominators-I wish I knew who you were...thank you none the less!  I would love to give the 3 of you a great big hug...maybe in Heaven!  :D 

 I would like to thank all of you that voted!!!  It wouldn't have been possible without your votes-so thank you very, very much!  I would like to thank all of you that read my blog.  Words can't express how much it means to me when you all comment on something that I wrote from the heart-so thank you! 

 I would like to thank HBA for allowing me to participate and consider my blog as one worthy of even being nominated and I also would like to thank the other blog participants in my category.  There are a lot of great blogs out there.  Lots of great reading, lots of great opinions!  lol!!!

 I would like to thank my daddy, who, whether he realizes it or not, taught me it's okay to express your opinion, even if when you're little, you get in trouble a lot for expressing it...lol...and my mom, though she's passed on, for putting up with my opinion often...lol...and my family, including my siblings, who have to hear me get on my soap box far more than they bargin for! 

 But most of all, Thank YOU FATHER GOD, for giving me the convictions, the love, the truth to share. 

Blessings to you all, and again thank you everyone!  :D

Something I've really come to appreciate while being here in North Dakota

I guess, maybe, I've taken things for granted, or never really thought of how grateful I am for some things in life.  Really it's the basics...food and clothing.  But every time I drive by a farmer, plowing his field, or gathering his harvest, I am so thankful for him and his hard work, and I say a little prayer for him and the many farmers in the world.  Often we see the farmer still out in his fields well after dark, often into the middle of the night, up the next morning when it's still not light. 

Since we've moved here, our family has had many discussions of the farmer, and his hard work. How he works long hours, probably a pretty lonely life, how he provides for so many, etc. Yesterday, when we were driving by, a farmer was plowing his field to prepare the land for next spring.  I said to my kids, "Can you imagine what it would be like back when they didn't have tractors?  Having to plow with horse and oxen?" ( It was a convienent 29*F out...brrrrrrrrrrrrr, and due to the bad weather here on and off all year, the farmers are still plowing and harvesting, etc.)   

Can you even imagine what it would be like without them?  No conveinent trip to the grocery store to pick up that gallon of milk!  We would still be all planting farms and raising our own animals.  We would still be weaving and sewing our own clothes...NO, I can not fathom the thought, to be honest.  So many things stem on GOD's provision through the farmer that I'm so thankful for!

LORD, I thank YOU for the men and women that have dedicated their lives as farmers and ranchers.  I imagine that life can be quite lonely and much hard work, but I thank YOU that YOU provide food and clothing material through them.  Please remind me to be thankful for that and other things that I would generally take for granted or not thing about.  Help us all to be grateful for them and remember that YOU provide through them.  Amen