tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28497599966552047382024-03-13T20:00:56.450-07:00His Living WordsAn account of God's amazing graceAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-17747625075589883812016-03-03T18:01:00.001-08:002016-03-03T18:01:37.150-08:00Lost and BrokenI sit here lost and broken, a shell of the person I once was. I longingly recall a time of spiritual growth and fervor, a time when I sought the Lord with all of my heart and soul. My closeness to God was almost palpable. I was on fire for the Lord and I didn't care who knew it. Actually, I wanted everyone to know about my thirst for God and I made it a priority to tell them. I experienced a peace and joy that can only be described as supernatural. Regardless of life's difficulties, my peace remained constant. It was amazing and intoxicating. I was a true child of God. I felt his love as if it were pouring into me.<br />
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And now here I sit. Lost. Broken. My closeness to God has dissipated. My longing for that overwhelming peace, joy, and love causes an almost physical pain. <br />
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I think back, wondering exactly how I ended up here; in this place where I have very little connection to God. It didn't happen overnight. I believe that it gradually slipped away over months and years of apathy and lack of motivation. I let other things take priority over God. <br />
A new job...<br />
A master's program...<br />
My own selfishness and desire...<br />
My phone with all of the apps and games...<br />
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I stopped blogging.<br />
I stopped reading the Bible.<br />
My prayers became very infrequent.<br />
My church attendance waned.<br />
I stopped listening for God.<br />
I stopped listening <i>to</i> God.<br />
I stopped seeking God.<br />
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All of these things happened. Actually, they didn't happen. And now here I am. Where am I? I'm not sure. I feel like I've lost myself. The person who I have become is not the person who I want to be. She's not the person who I used to be. She is irritable, sarcastic, and downright mean at times. That is not the person who I long to be or who God expects me to be. There are times when I feel as if spiritual warfare is taking place all around me and sometimes within me. I feel restless.<br />
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How do I get back to where I once was? Going back is impossible. I can only move forward from here: commitment and motivation to seek God with all of my heart, one step at a time, one day at a time. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-25003698559431297902013-11-06T09:01:00.000-08:002015-02-17T15:58:50.637-08:00Standing in the Rain<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LtQK9rhqr5Di6cOcc6OCc4xW-PCzvq-nhSsWdX1c1urWutEB5EDLG1ocF27w3r6N276IbXFR7EzMNW3m1jX3HFRghZhZhjEp8RWlxhLmenFqtEHclqjJJRLyrKXjUyGEJS4FLvaoB7ho/s1600/Rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_819197="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LtQK9rhqr5Di6cOcc6OCc4xW-PCzvq-nhSsWdX1c1urWutEB5EDLG1ocF27w3r6N276IbXFR7EzMNW3m1jX3HFRghZhZhjEp8RWlxhLmenFqtEHclqjJJRLyrKXjUyGEJS4FLvaoB7ho/s320/Rain.jpg" height="320" width="212" zsa="true" /></a>Sometimes you find yourself standing in the rain and you don’t really know how you got there. You long for what you’ve lost and you wish that you could go back to the way things were. You almost feel as if a part of you is missing. You get overwhelmed when you think of the things that have been said and done. These things have cut you to the core and have left a wound that will take years to heal. When the wound does finally heal it will then only be a scar that has left a portion of your heart hardened and weak. You know that your heart will never be the same. </div>
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You don’t really know where to go from here. You admit that you don’t feel as close to the Lord as you once did. You acknowledge that you have no one to blame but yourself for this unpleasant distance from God. You just really haven’t been seeking Him like you should. Your priorities have been all wrong and you’ve let yourself slip into a place that you never thought you would visit again. </div>
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But you move on from there. You pray that God will help you and your family through these difficult circumstances. You pick up your bible and you read God’s word. You realize at once how much you have missed those words and how very much you need to have them in your life. You trudge forward . . . and God meets you there. He is with you in the pain and helps you to take one day at a time. He helps you to realize that your struggle is not against any one person but against Satan himself as he wreaks havoc on your life. The Lord makes you see how important it is to pray not only for yourself but also for your enemies. And then you get this overwhelming sense of peace in the midst of a situation that is certainly not peaceful. You know that this peace is supernatural and can come only from your Heavenly Father. You give Him thanks for His love and kindness and you keep praying, reading and taking one day at a time. The Lord uses the following words to speak to you and heal you. You put on the full armor of God.</div>
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The Armor of God<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxAnqmqt0yaVeI5L-QoezbF_r0KR4LAdMUaK-r2fJoQc5kp7mtLwvhz8Uhqxw3shOEO9SZrPKI9x9wtr9Eq_wVYIiRsF4K5lC1-izpEf9AKoDJKJos6X5E6Baqs84zNOF7tbw5NuqGRPb/s1600/armor+of+God2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_819197="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxAnqmqt0yaVeI5L-QoezbF_r0KR4LAdMUaK-r2fJoQc5kp7mtLwvhz8Uhqxw3shOEO9SZrPKI9x9wtr9Eq_wVYIiRsF4K5lC1-izpEf9AKoDJKJos6X5E6Baqs84zNOF7tbw5NuqGRPb/s320/armor+of+God2.jpg" height="320" width="313" zsa="true" /></a>Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-87603550898174260602013-09-15T13:14:00.003-07:002013-09-15T13:14:28.592-07:00The Words Just Wouldn't Come . . .<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’ve been trying to get these words on my blog for the past few weeks. I had to come up with a new, slightly more difficult way to make that happen, but here they finally are . . .<br />
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Well, I started to blog this evening and I quickly realized that God did not want me to do that. I sat at my computer and tried to think about what to blog. I did feel like I was forcing it a bit. The words just wouldn’t come but I still sat there typing. I titled my post and then tried to start typing the body of my piece. I literally could not type. I mean, my hands were compressing the keys but no words were appearing. I couldn’t even locate the cursor on my screen. I was getting frustrated. I switched to my iPad . . . same problem. No words! I spent several more minutes trying to brainstorm how I could fix this issue. And then I realized…God doesn’t want me blogging tonight. He doesn’t want me forcing some words onto my blog . . . strike that . . . His blog, just because I felt like I need to produce something for all of my adoring followers. (LOL) So I got the hint. I turned off my computer and put down my iPad. I grabbed my journal and listened for the voice of God. I can most clearly hear His voice with pen and paper in hand. It feels so natural and pure. The words flow out of me in a way that is almost supernatural. I hear from Him and it thrills me. To see His words on my page is an amazing and wonderful experience. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1fhVRYPKdld9WBS0G51FW1H6ARgBBsaUnaOXZBWZg26Re5uxDYJSdef9wl-MoLuSAsAU-d1r0TUkGjIojKTtzv7XLkMk67DabuwSG5lAIu6E4HouXrZuBbd9wGamjYFJ5fTA60R6pQ-a/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" closure_lm_532265="null" isa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1fhVRYPKdld9WBS0G51FW1H6ARgBBsaUnaOXZBWZg26Re5uxDYJSdef9wl-MoLuSAsAU-d1r0TUkGjIojKTtzv7XLkMk67DabuwSG5lAIu6E4HouXrZuBbd9wGamjYFJ5fTA60R6pQ-a/s1600/blog.jpg" title="" /></a>Well, anyway . . . I think I may be babbling a bit. What I’m trying to say is that we can’t force the things of God. They should be natural and completely of Him. When we try to do things on our own, even when it’s with good intention and something that would likely be pleasing to God, it may not necessarily be God’s plan for us. When we follow a path that is not God’s plan, it will not end well. Trust me, I know. I have traveled those paths, all the while thinking God would approve. It lead to extended and painful despair. I grew further from Him. It was very unpleasant. </div>
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Basically, I feel like God wants us to actively seek Him and His plan for us. He wants us to consult Him in all of our decisions. He doesn’t want us to come up with our own plan and be like, “OK, God. I have this fabulous plan and it’s going to be great for you, too. Are you on board?” He wants to be the driver while we ride in the passenger seat. Oh, how very difficult it is to relinquish all control to Our Loving Father. I still struggle with this daily because I am so far from perfect. But in the times I have sought the Lord and His plan for me with all of my heart, I was rewarded with an absolutely amazing sense of peace and closeness to God. So what I’m trying to say in case you’ve missed it . . . Seek Him with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of your mind. You will be astonished to find out what will happen after that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyA2zVc5alOwbZnZbeY_7GxY3dJZlRYxXk7dAlLeZayyb-XNTYgD_Oc4XYgBeQvtAlZ17kjAkdnJNqHIxOwvRudHyPhZLyZ36Yvza8SBTKimYKfWkmsxYCCaly-48qHsDA6As9cmd09tG/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_532265="null" height="320" isa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyA2zVc5alOwbZnZbeY_7GxY3dJZlRYxXk7dAlLeZayyb-XNTYgD_Oc4XYgBeQvtAlZ17kjAkdnJNqHIxOwvRudHyPhZLyZ36Yvza8SBTKimYKfWkmsxYCCaly-48qHsDA6As9cmd09tG/s320/blog2.jpg" width="160" /></a>OK. God bless you if you’re still with me here. I feel such a strong desire to tell this story even though it’s not related to the rest of this post. My husband was helping me fold laundry the other day. Yes, it was very sweet of him to help. Anyway, we were putting clothes on hangers. I put a couple of pairs of my dress pants on hangers and he put another pair on a hanger. He sat that pair off to the other side of the bed. He finished and walked away. I’m pretty sure I can remember looking for the pair of pants that he put on the hanger and they were not there. I didn’t think much about it. I thought he probably just took them upstairs to the closet in which I keep my dress pants. I hung up the rest of the clothes. The day ended…we went to bed. About three days later, I wanted to wear my brown dress pants. I started looking for them and they were nowhere! I searched the house twice and couldn’t find them. It was then that I remembered the previous incident. My husband had absolutely no recollection of the event of course. He said that I hung up all of my pants. I was pretty sure that he thought that I was a freak. I was certain that I wasn’t hallucinating. He then searched the house and . . . nothing! No pants! It’s not like the pants were all that expensive. I can easily go get another pair just like them. But I can’t stop thinking about those pants! Where are they?!! Where did they go?! My husband suggests that maybe I never even had brown dress pants in the first place. Am I losing my mind? Ugghh! I think I have brown dress pants . . . don’t I?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-44219414607538947682013-08-11T14:47:00.000-07:002013-08-11T14:47:03.913-07:00Help!I'm so sad! I have something that I want to blog about and I can't make my blog work properly. I'm having trouble getting the cursor to show up and I can't highlight any text or click within the text to edit anything. I hope I can get this fixed. :( Any helpful ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-16115764843265447882013-07-24T17:43:00.001-07:002013-07-24T17:43:07.182-07:00The Other Side of the Door<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I sit here staring at my blank computer screen, I think back on everything that's happened in the last year and I wonder how I'm ever going to put into words all that I need to say. So much has happened that I can't even fathom how I can write about it and even do it justice. And then I realize that I really shouldn't even worry about it. It's out of my hands. God will give me the words that He wants me to write. I just need to put this into His hands and it will turn out exactly as He planned. <br />
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I am such a changed person for what I've experienced in my life lately. I'm not saying that I've changed for the better. I've just changed. This year I hit absolutely the lowest point in my entire life. I was completely hopeless. I found myself in a situation that I didn't think I could endure anymore. I felt like there was no way out and no one to talk to that would even begin to understand how I felt. I'm certain that my husband thought I was completely crazy when I tried to talk to him about my feelings. He was the only one I really talked to about the situation. I kept everything under wraps from everyone else. I felt so alone. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nONw7NGHCxJX2G_jJENU3g6wfzSqGMc_66_F336qBW-dYVw7YkV5JQDj-DIM2t-Ra49ZG2610-CI8irLExX0EwH5MHCUCNg_wiiOHMm0jCGkpJ0aiAbX5drMZoWIKgKuTNh-8HWDzrXc/s1600/Unglued.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img bba="true" border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nONw7NGHCxJX2G_jJENU3g6wfzSqGMc_66_F336qBW-dYVw7YkV5JQDj-DIM2t-Ra49ZG2610-CI8irLExX0EwH5MHCUCNg_wiiOHMm0jCGkpJ0aiAbX5drMZoWIKgKuTNh-8HWDzrXc/s320/Unglued.jpg" width="320" /></a>I needed God desperately and I felt like He wasn't there anymore. I couldn't feel Him. I didn't hear from Him like I once did. I grew so far from Him that eventually I just stopped looking for Him. I spent my days feeling sorry for myself and wondering if and how I would ever get out of the horror that I was living. I spiraled quickly into a total mess that couldn't even get through a day without crying at least twice. I hated who I had become and thought I would never again be that strong, spiritual woman I had once been. </div>
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And then God opened a door for me. After eight months of enduring what seemed like hell, it ended. That trial was finally over! And much to my surprise, I had survived! I was worn and ragged, but I made it through nonetheless. That chapter of my life closed and a new one began. <br />
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My new endeavor started one month ago today. I found myself again in unchartered waters. I was scared to embark on another new journey. I again felt vulnerable and clueless. I put my faith in God and pushed forward.<br />
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I'm pleased to say that I'm really happy in my new journey. It's completely different than anything I've ever done but it's rewarding and I feel good about what I'm doing. It has resulted in many changes for me and my family. I have considerably less alone time now but more time with my family. I still have a lot to learn as I continue on this path. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NQzYwjA0vaU3fsfK6w9frkOhrs7mT-zhqzssnVOOGjcluGAxxT3quE5bjqsJIZYYJzmK4urJ7l9Eka21tU3XePGbdVr1G22Afa6L8QDx_qkjvpmYMA6V8wyoxBijICT3IaJlIm1xq9xP/s1600/strong+and+courageous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img bba="true" border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NQzYwjA0vaU3fsfK6w9frkOhrs7mT-zhqzssnVOOGjcluGAxxT3quE5bjqsJIZYYJzmK4urJ7l9Eka21tU3XePGbdVr1G22Afa6L8QDx_qkjvpmYMA6V8wyoxBijICT3IaJlIm1xq9xP/s320/strong+and+courageous.jpg" width="320" /></a>I certainly am still not where I once was spiritually. I think back about how close I was to the Lord and it saddens me that I'm not there anymore. I felt like I had such a personal, even supernatural relationship with God. I miss that. I regret more than anything that I've lost that. I can't even really explain what it felt like to experience God in that way. It was like an overwhelming sense of peace resulting in a warm tingling that seemed to envelope my whole body. It was a fullness in my chest during worship that I knew without a doubt was the Holy Spirit. It was a feeling that God had this and God had me and everything would be alright.</div>
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Well, now I must turn my eyes to Jesus and seek Him with everything that I have. My personal goal is to grow again in the Lord and to accomplish His purpose for me. I would love to experience Him again in the ways that I once have. I have a feeling that through this recent trial that I have endured, God was preparing me for something even greater than I can imagine.</div>
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<strong><em><span style="color: #660000;">Mark 12:30</span></em></strong></div>
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<em><span style="color: #660000;">New International Version (NIV)</span></em></div>
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<span class="text Mark-12-30" id="en-NIV-24704"><span class="woj"><em><span style="color: #660000;"><sup class="versenum"><span style="font-size: x-small;">30 </span></sup>Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.</span></em></span></span><br />
<span class="text Mark-12-30"><span class="woj"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">www.biblegateway.com</a></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-23970117811820235672013-06-18T21:40:00.001-07:002013-06-21T13:57:31.298-07:00Our Boulder Vacation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYHJGFrL2J9_chazoWAfZ6eSOehekH3llHtft_sLDrpPsUE5b_Zy1X83qsvqPrVjUy-Ocxc7HAVmiqWfBqfquC3MtgGRfUww9NsSQBnxpDsCm77rG_PtPqD_ZKSDmFKwtS88yJmxZ1pJl/s1600/IMG_0735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYHJGFrL2J9_chazoWAfZ6eSOehekH3llHtft_sLDrpPsUE5b_Zy1X83qsvqPrVjUy-Ocxc7HAVmiqWfBqfquC3MtgGRfUww9NsSQBnxpDsCm77rG_PtPqD_ZKSDmFKwtS88yJmxZ1pJl/s200/IMG_0735.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69SOSh3kbcW3GTNw2L9BFjOaal4PrvScp_Rjkkg9VLsU-xJs8YUSL6xrwpD-VzFMFXD8aF3nnPmEEtlfnJEn3WgYYzezSzX7TgiUKx0jtaE_zJ5YKFFg5jfQR4shz1Rr3BwoPMa11POSL/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69SOSh3kbcW3GTNw2L9BFjOaal4PrvScp_Rjkkg9VLsU-xJs8YUSL6xrwpD-VzFMFXD8aF3nnPmEEtlfnJEn3WgYYzezSzX7TgiUKx0jtaE_zJ5YKFFg5jfQR4shz1Rr3BwoPMa11POSL/s320/IMG_0734.JPG" width="320" /></a>This year for our vacation we decided to go to Boulder, Colorado. My brother and his family moved there just after Thanksgiving and we hadn't seen them since then. We have a history of not traveling well. We have been stranded for hours in two different airports on two different vacations. When we visited the Dominican Republic for our tenth anniversary, I seriously thought we might not make it back home. (By the way, learn from our mistake and DO NOT take any kind of excursion while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Ours was booked by AAA and was <b>very</b> scary.) On another vacation, we literally found ourselves running through the airport trying not to miss our flight, like that scene from the movie Home Alone. One time we did miss our flight and had to stand in a long line of angry people who had also missed their flights and were trying to reschedule just like us. Needless to say, we were all a little nervous about taking to the sky and traveling on yet another exciting adventure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuOaGk-tG01THZbUzzaAS373-obhnaaHSzTu27FotX0JJ6qmsXqiV84gGoGic4qkVxiPAaqfJkz_Q4MBYKRDNRYDxipRTZtqS-vH-TRcjh9bnTeSdYHmhSzepme2PmTGq8vXhx0ri-SVN/s1600/IMG_0740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuOaGk-tG01THZbUzzaAS373-obhnaaHSzTu27FotX0JJ6qmsXqiV84gGoGic4qkVxiPAaqfJkz_Q4MBYKRDNRYDxipRTZtqS-vH-TRcjh9bnTeSdYHmhSzepme2PmTGq8vXhx0ri-SVN/s320/IMG_0740.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOmoXCrQ5uvDW5suQs-Y45JG4nqqpmwhZ792eA4GXB7QjWJ1z5d3o7Qs3Q9Jzmiv7Q6mCLP-eM43rSeVE7jYkh9V6w6pMmGZ7hofh5kTlMIOzthTNgTMY10Ho-MqEhItM7lA39RE5-1nI/s1600/IMG_0738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOmoXCrQ5uvDW5suQs-Y45JG4nqqpmwhZ792eA4GXB7QjWJ1z5d3o7Qs3Q9Jzmiv7Q6mCLP-eM43rSeVE7jYkh9V6w6pMmGZ7hofh5kTlMIOzthTNgTMY10Ho-MqEhItM7lA39RE5-1nI/s200/IMG_0738.JPG" width="200" /></a>Mike was very nervous about flying. I think he may have read the same two pages in his book over and over during our two and a half hour flight. <br />
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The day after we arrived in Boulder, Ryan and I decided we could take a hiking trip with my brother and his family. Who needs time to let their bodies adapt to the lower concentration of oxygen at the higher altitude? Certainly not us! So we started on our trek up the mountain. Ryan and I thought that we should have no problem whatsoever hiking to the summit of Green Mountain (aka they very top of a particularly large mountain.) So we began making our way along the very same trail that Nate, Jill and Lucy spotted a bear just two weeks prior. The journey was easy at first. The trail was pretty flat and I knew that this would be a piece of cake. Our biggest concern at that point was whether we would encounter another bear. I have to admit that I didn't really want to be a bear snack that day. Nate and Jill were equally as nervous. This was their first hike on that same trail since the infamous bear encounter. They were both scouring the landscape like hawks. To read more about their encounter, click <a href="http://lucyintheskywithdiamonds-jsl.blogspot.com/2013/06/bear.html">here</a>. The pictures below were taken when we were about half of the way through our hike.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBmKkzDaS3ylYQqhZfq9Mu8WV9YIkSxTwOorBq_epqA4nwOHB2-CJLYqlKWhqPNWUBPWECkQ0IOKfKdPK2VgQRY-JcmxuJ6eXtK03yWZLABe5A-WbVRsrENDNQ9zKZ4EK3rLNp-ROs9zw/s1600/IMG_0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBmKkzDaS3ylYQqhZfq9Mu8WV9YIkSxTwOorBq_epqA4nwOHB2-CJLYqlKWhqPNWUBPWECkQ0IOKfKdPK2VgQRY-JcmxuJ6eXtK03yWZLABe5A-WbVRsrENDNQ9zKZ4EK3rLNp-ROs9zw/s200/IMG_0744.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate, Jill and Lucy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzywksGP8xObZKJDRW1qV9wc4ZCIRyfcJmIgkJ5T_uR_BqMcAUwZ9FKf_DDiogaLUK0xarEAjCnc3Kp3V1s1mhdPPIuLoM_vKAPK3kmv-ci_mPrBw3BreqLq5lIv-ojikmXlgGNgn0KYS/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzywksGP8xObZKJDRW1qV9wc4ZCIRyfcJmIgkJ5T_uR_BqMcAUwZ9FKf_DDiogaLUK0xarEAjCnc3Kp3V1s1mhdPPIuLoM_vKAPK3kmv-ci_mPrBw3BreqLq5lIv-ojikmXlgGNgn0KYS/s400/IMG_0743.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Ryan</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZ6wZL5bTDkPjtcAH1X2gIiaD8xTz3QKfeU3Nh-atav_2Q4-byVDrTerBewrQv5X-HSN12SAhGnRRTrMQ_5cOLme7JButf8Gv2YO7USO7Zy5LxsHoepPjbYAgV8nKOUpaL2ZVBcB2DsSL/s1600/IMG_0748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZ6wZL5bTDkPjtcAH1X2gIiaD8xTz3QKfeU3Nh-atav_2Q4-byVDrTerBewrQv5X-HSN12SAhGnRRTrMQ_5cOLme7JButf8Gv2YO7USO7Zy5LxsHoepPjbYAgV8nKOUpaL2ZVBcB2DsSL/s320/IMG_0748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrBaPntxHqlguurh8YinBEC1-41fQLWq75fXov9ukbVqyMvBTfeLDO0aTM_JItjJksJMTapwamLwxgvZ8sFwrsaM8suyUESxOqpoinuDSBuf-sk8B3-B1u8UswH6rU_EgNc1lpzAxbXlw/s1600/IMG_0749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrBaPntxHqlguurh8YinBEC1-41fQLWq75fXov9ukbVqyMvBTfeLDO0aTM_JItjJksJMTapwamLwxgvZ8sFwrsaM8suyUESxOqpoinuDSBuf-sk8B3-B1u8UswH6rU_EgNc1lpzAxbXlw/s200/IMG_0749.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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Well, the hike became very treacherous with a lot of stone and log steps. Ryan and I soon realized that we had bit off more than we could chew. My legs began to feel like jello. I was short of breath and my heart was racing. I was wondering if I was going to make it to the top. I took a moment to reflect on the fact that my brother does this every weekend with a toddler strapped to his back. I can't even imagine that! About two thirds of the way through, I began to turn inward, focusing on my struggle to continue. I became completely unaware of the mountainous terrain around me. I was no longer concerned with the possibility of becoming a bear snack. I actually don't even think I would have noticed a bear unless it was on the path ahead of me, obstructing my way. Just when I thought we had to be close to the end, I would turn another corner and find yet another seemingly endless set of steps that awaited my arrival. Ry and I pulled it together. We hadn't gone that far to not reach our destination! We managed to muster enough determination and energy to make it all the way to the summit. I'm glad we did it. Now we can say that we hiked to the top of a mountain. The rewarding feeling was certainly priceless. I'm proud of myself and my little man for our accomplishment. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfbC7vftozoi716Rd_icOpHXOK9sqT9tms0ehRlgdcUOSOs2aopsygwQi2SCY_T_b278OGc6SaXk9kwp8OAbu6pqWuD92KfddMhwuXb0So3p4u4rMJEoflHueN3chVNISXgNJY6DtNYxb/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfbC7vftozoi716Rd_icOpHXOK9sqT9tms0ehRlgdcUOSOs2aopsygwQi2SCY_T_b278OGc6SaXk9kwp8OAbu6pqWuD92KfddMhwuXb0So3p4u4rMJEoflHueN3chVNISXgNJY6DtNYxb/s640/IMG_0755.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Ryan and me at the summit of Green Mountain. The view in the background is Boulder. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R_NteTox6-7POCVvG1fksS8WOC5MFKK8N63ooRbtNn5aKkB1AhznjYkJxxqIoIw0PzYnsyR-LFR0h5QiHD2_SIU7HqOhE-lVu0h00FU05c4FVTD4AbnzOmAl-VlJDvnx9-IhQtAID-3Q/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R_NteTox6-7POCVvG1fksS8WOC5MFKK8N63ooRbtNn5aKkB1AhznjYkJxxqIoIw0PzYnsyR-LFR0h5QiHD2_SIU7HqOhE-lVu0h00FU05c4FVTD4AbnzOmAl-VlJDvnx9-IhQtAID-3Q/s400/IMG_0764.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate at the very top of the summit. You could see all of the surrounding mountains from there. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDprjBbEc8Y7bDvNJWmmFPJyDZlXFfE0YMXjSY34WPkPwslqi6sTXR6RpWhsb0W67cQ2sH-WBEk9umVsJB5iTaSiKMNwFvRbzQaZWukQWNl4YbPMOrofc4JwIvqgTj8NtK0vMVabsYtOlQ/s1600/IMG_0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDprjBbEc8Y7bDvNJWmmFPJyDZlXFfE0YMXjSY34WPkPwslqi6sTXR6RpWhsb0W67cQ2sH-WBEk9umVsJB5iTaSiKMNwFvRbzQaZWukQWNl4YbPMOrofc4JwIvqgTj8NtK0vMVabsYtOlQ/s400/IMG_0756.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate and Lucy at the summit.</td></tr>
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We hiked the Green Mountain Loop via the E.M. Greenman and Ranger Trails. The hike was 3.3 miles round trip. We started at an elevation of 6,748 feet and reached the summit at 8,144 feet. The trail is considered a moderate hike. (Really??!!) The trail is named after Ernest Greenman, Boulder's "Johnny Appleseed." Greenman arrived to the area in 1896 and planted hundreds of apple trees.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjjiGfRhXQ89b-PdUDas-xEqm06g81FLbCqnI8r6jCbpc0QtQE1nxY8JcqqMuziIu10NHDvAhwzN9valkdwdpJn-xT56rYYnUaRVMj7fYQalxx-1TGOg-DIsHWVrtzEdks0eh_6cNmQea/s1600/IMG_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjjiGfRhXQ89b-PdUDas-xEqm06g81FLbCqnI8r6jCbpc0QtQE1nxY8JcqqMuziIu10NHDvAhwzN9valkdwdpJn-xT56rYYnUaRVMj7fYQalxx-1TGOg-DIsHWVrtzEdks0eh_6cNmQea/s640/IMG_0762.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">The view from the summit was fantastic!</td></tr>
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The following pictures were taken at Lost Gulch Lookout on Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder. This view was also completely beautiful. We went there on a few occasions to just sit and take in the Lord's magnificent creation. It was so quiet and peaceful there. We packed a lunch and ate it there one afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found an even more breathtaking view from the top. (This time we drove up the mountain thankfully.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA9Pv4j2ghghRKWou332PPw22T0TsLxCl7HcmdWRSQvu6H0hWlsv5m4Rca1aLPPW4c6uNoargyrEeeO4vs6XOR8sTwoYmPKN3x40uNVW6uuVxjgP09c6HqeTIJlBy67CA-m3bIgOdmhyy/s1600/IMG_0819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA9Pv4j2ghghRKWou332PPw22T0TsLxCl7HcmdWRSQvu6H0hWlsv5m4Rca1aLPPW4c6uNoargyrEeeO4vs6XOR8sTwoYmPKN3x40uNVW6uuVxjgP09c6HqeTIJlBy67CA-m3bIgOdmhyy/s640/IMG_0819.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">The Flatirons</td></tr>
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We took a tour of the Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado. It was actually pretty interesting. I had no idea there were so many steps involved in making beer. According to our guide, beer takes about three months to make. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOiFHQjspeTC1aHA9NUW6lJFBT8zUZvbSuyN4S2Gtt90bddq8MtzR7b3B46dO3BCCfkpByQM2WabODyc7JL7L1MXVspHTgkbQIwSG0NE9ARz6EuQfjNybj4cRvWI-RVM_n-7HY0v-WSIt/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOiFHQjspeTC1aHA9NUW6lJFBT8zUZvbSuyN4S2Gtt90bddq8MtzR7b3B46dO3BCCfkpByQM2WabODyc7JL7L1MXVspHTgkbQIwSG0NE9ARz6EuQfjNybj4cRvWI-RVM_n-7HY0v-WSIt/s640/IMG_0833.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Coors Brewery tour was very interesting (and not just because of the generous free beer samples.) </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "can room"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1RWsvulizSIwhe5xrZRZl6WFhF2sK35VJx4Dng8TESnSf5Cj-iLi7K7ERFGVwio7v50Zvj8kKK-IsWkxbFGIYo28HXwrt8_4a-Zi_h7nc80ub88RD87spe-sVHgdenO6MX6UZ6Fx_71P/s1600/IMG_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1RWsvulizSIwhe5xrZRZl6WFhF2sK35VJx4Dng8TESnSf5Cj-iLi7K7ERFGVwio7v50Zvj8kKK-IsWkxbFGIYo28HXwrt8_4a-Zi_h7nc80ub88RD87spe-sVHgdenO6MX6UZ6Fx_71P/s320/IMG_0826.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large iron kettles used to make beer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLRFGCnpBszI8-zdADzPNy5CIE5_UIdDZwH8PM9gZDW0aJh2dYJt8z-NzCB2FElk-xdmBWkHjQkK7lfqTl0vtNoD4gqlqW8tken8tX14Sfv19wwFOWD6ffEfMg37vFrm1Zuyi0m4RBexZ/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLRFGCnpBszI8-zdADzPNy5CIE5_UIdDZwH8PM9gZDW0aJh2dYJt8z-NzCB2FElk-xdmBWkHjQkK7lfqTl0vtNoD4gqlqW8tken8tX14Sfv19wwFOWD6ffEfMg37vFrm1Zuyi0m4RBexZ/s640/IMG_0838.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan and cousin Lucy hanging out together. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArdVhCAEwRZxn0IAxHK6yN4FM8qGnFgZ39FuqMEnfl-dakfOvx5kLb6u8xWYZmHA2jAQb74bFoFHHr_UXMNfNZ_JNWTiDDYSCYEK5lmZh4mQUkaHGy3CzYQTiRSGeZ2JZkrYXqi9JSsBm/s1600/IMG_0861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArdVhCAEwRZxn0IAxHK6yN4FM8qGnFgZ39FuqMEnfl-dakfOvx5kLb6u8xWYZmHA2jAQb74bFoFHHr_UXMNfNZ_JNWTiDDYSCYEK5lmZh4mQUkaHGy3CzYQTiRSGeZ2JZkrYXqi9JSsBm/s320/IMG_0861.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Estes Park, Colorado</td></tr>
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We took a day trip to Estes Park, Colorado. The scenery was beautiful on the way there. We saw homes on the sides of mountains that were amazing. I wondered how people even got to those houses in the summer, let alone winter time. Estes park was founded in the 1860s when Griff Evans started a dude ranch there. The town has been growing ever since.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUOHKE-DNB7oynrExJPtNA-Agab5UMLazYH_ErZqevallogwGif_yrMrquzPr56UB_m9BGDl3vINIR8BJyCtoiWUJEMvk3VMJok9z7KazycyoHDCSQYf_BzZuwBrkd729t47A4gjPNBmF/s1600/IMG_0852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUOHKE-DNB7oynrExJPtNA-Agab5UMLazYH_ErZqevallogwGif_yrMrquzPr56UB_m9BGDl3vINIR8BJyCtoiWUJEMvk3VMJok9z7KazycyoHDCSQYf_BzZuwBrkd729t47A4gjPNBmF/s200/IMG_0852.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drive to Estes Park</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCVsetV_nSUZThFZFcWZ_TLqeENhqDxtxNxdiLhm4RODSgg2YXSMfq3isjIx-NB8Czc6UcTGBQdgJXqONA9jQLGATFs2dfX-EF4z0Py63KJ5QcgOAtwfvDxUBYwvUjhf-02X2cKTODdTG/s1600/IMG_0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCVsetV_nSUZThFZFcWZ_TLqeENhqDxtxNxdiLhm4RODSgg2YXSMfq3isjIx-NB8Czc6UcTGBQdgJXqONA9jQLGATFs2dfX-EF4z0Py63KJ5QcgOAtwfvDxUBYwvUjhf-02X2cKTODdTG/s200/IMG_0902.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">From Estes Park we boarded a shuttle and then a bus that took us high into the Rocky Mountains. We hiked at Bear Lake and then on to Alberta Falls. The hike was about two and a half to three miles. The altitude at Bear Lake was 9,475 feet. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Mike, Ryan and me at Bear Lake </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hike to Alberta Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hike to Alberta Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvnDqrPok4JjYEpFJNOv9zl9Qa9FcgN5AUO8xc0qBqUR6sISBnJxEHBtaMaMVqWr9hU9D_WzOd9OUnoz2Pc3Ne6JdUrHU5eguvySzQJBysvwCx4c2eblxUDrzWS81a1NxcQL2FeLNBbpv/s1600/IMG_0886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvnDqrPok4JjYEpFJNOv9zl9Qa9FcgN5AUO8xc0qBqUR6sISBnJxEHBtaMaMVqWr9hU9D_WzOd9OUnoz2Pc3Ne6JdUrHU5eguvySzQJBysvwCx4c2eblxUDrzWS81a1NxcQL2FeLNBbpv/s640/IMG_0886.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberta Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberta Falls</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVa0gev6c83vsGOeCX7Gub76mzM7S8J4oWbt0brJfA6rHEl4PM6CtAm-KtNIWkQ2yt6JfmkJREWMaTSLVrZ2T9k_8o3rUHp0jO__3xGhRV3gZGdUNtSNV8yrfdI4XGZS9wnzi6N7-_hHM/s1600/IMG_0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVa0gev6c83vsGOeCX7Gub76mzM7S8J4oWbt0brJfA6rHEl4PM6CtAm-KtNIWkQ2yt6JfmkJREWMaTSLVrZ2T9k_8o3rUHp0jO__3xGhRV3gZGdUNtSNV8yrfdI4XGZS9wnzi6N7-_hHM/s320/IMG_0910.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">We then continued on to Trail Ride Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The road was 22 miles up into the snow capped Rocky Mountains. The views were the most spectacular that we had seen so far. We drove to an elevation of 11,798 feet on the highest continuously paved highway in the United States. The temperature in Boulder was 90 degrees. When we reached the summit, we were surprised at how windy and cold it was. The summit was 62 degrees. We were excited to see some elk on our drive. </span></div>
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Below are some pictures of Rocky Mountain National Park. Trust me, the pictures do not do it justice. You should really go there yourself to see God's awesome creation. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-49206264588848309272013-05-18T13:51:00.000-07:002013-05-18T13:51:16.200-07:00Goodale<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUf0ypZSC3hVmfM94RChH1hLYoTpXuZ3C8sDG_nR0dL5-MRYZwiCQoOZH6IN_a1EqFIqsCwbjIHLOzBMTdZbU5eZpotrLF52FxwlE6Ta-_XmJVZM4wU3e9K0MYwFA0fejRqnbye3eqxY78/s1600/May+2013+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUf0ypZSC3hVmfM94RChH1hLYoTpXuZ3C8sDG_nR0dL5-MRYZwiCQoOZH6IN_a1EqFIqsCwbjIHLOzBMTdZbU5eZpotrLF52FxwlE6Ta-_XmJVZM4wU3e9K0MYwFA0fejRqnbye3eqxY78/s320/May+2013+031.JPG" width="236" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93pdSLzfXK5tYOrOZYGl_8se52Jym-lyPr_a-2cc1h2r-AZC4XOAIANpLi7KIE8Nnc4I7ISeTij0mC3IMqerBhRmHcPfke9OUufqoe_Y6m7O_ueSnUe0NTfAQNYQvTXztn7wtCIVCbv47/s1600/May+2013+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93pdSLzfXK5tYOrOZYGl_8se52Jym-lyPr_a-2cc1h2r-AZC4XOAIANpLi7KIE8Nnc4I7ISeTij0mC3IMqerBhRmHcPfke9OUufqoe_Y6m7O_ueSnUe0NTfAQNYQvTXztn7wtCIVCbv47/s320/May+2013+036.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3JgUxlsmTdOkK5ed07IYdZx0KuAsx7ZQ1HJqi67pHHrWelR6phkTRULkVorgTpqbCctqqAtDKJJSo5w3PDbAVu4cpfQDfvkfNvfn3baTORkxrPc-QkoGumyM3sBmtTtjZDMfVNI8-RuU/s1600/May+2013+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3JgUxlsmTdOkK5ed07IYdZx0KuAsx7ZQ1HJqi67pHHrWelR6phkTRULkVorgTpqbCctqqAtDKJJSo5w3PDbAVu4cpfQDfvkfNvfn3baTORkxrPc-QkoGumyM3sBmtTtjZDMfVNI8-RuU/s320/May+2013+035.JPG" width="263" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bVRM1wLlOzvtHNXF170dpAtkbu4KOuesBRD0BfyyvMGje4RBpn90q8ZqSmjjiabNfeJzoa4fPAWeKIolVWWqH5PUrKQJXnnQa4Dl_molF9r4fjJ1qukV9qw0TRQDa_YwZaYz8UNUecwA/s1600/May+2013+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bVRM1wLlOzvtHNXF170dpAtkbu4KOuesBRD0BfyyvMGje4RBpn90q8ZqSmjjiabNfeJzoa4fPAWeKIolVWWqH5PUrKQJXnnQa4Dl_molF9r4fjJ1qukV9qw0TRQDa_YwZaYz8UNUecwA/s320/May+2013+030.JPG" width="208" /></a>Here's my latest knitting project. I am very pleased with the way that it turned out. <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Maybabie/goodale">Here</a> is the link to all of my project details on Ravelry.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-63039554834171540472013-04-15T09:09:00.001-07:002013-04-15T09:09:14.518-07:00Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_5f7qaXyWObkQnKDF84vLeyimcevuLqxykUNYEhO_iSoFcJ5ZtHasdQIVjKZ_erjrwBWtdi47YwaO5UdqqdVqMQ90HCppq5Pf4MCEcUaKJUs5d3SYX43pv6avkuTLZVwXJnquIN7DEc9/s1600/pathway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_5f7qaXyWObkQnKDF84vLeyimcevuLqxykUNYEhO_iSoFcJ5ZtHasdQIVjKZ_erjrwBWtdi47YwaO5UdqqdVqMQ90HCppq5Pf4MCEcUaKJUs5d3SYX43pv6avkuTLZVwXJnquIN7DEc9/s320/pathway.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
Oh, it's been so long since I've blogged. The reason is simply because I've really not been in a good place in my life lately. I haven't felt like I had any inspiring words to share. But then I guess we don't always need to have pretty, happy words to share. Sometimes words have the most impact when they are completely real and raw, from the very depths of our soul. I just spent time with the Lord and I feel strongly that he wants me to share something right now. He said the words will come. <br />
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I've been down. So very, very down. I am frustrated with the state of my life. I would actually have to admit that I'm depressed. I dislike my job so much right now that it has affected my entire life, every aspect of my existence. I feel physically incapable of happiness at this point in my life. I cry bitterly often. I am a total mess. This has affected my marriage and my family. I want so badly to have a new job . . . a job that I actually enjoy. I've wanted this for the past six months. I've prayed and prayed, begging and pleading with God . . . and nothing. Here I still am in the same job. I believe I had actually lost all hope and faith. I hate saying that. It's so horrible. But it's true. I didn't really know what else to do. What else could I possibly do? I had applied for at least 15 other jobs. Nothing happened. I felt a bit like I had leprosy. Nobody would give me the time of day.<br />
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I understand that I have no control over this. If God doesn't want me to have a new job, then it's not going to happen. I have been told numerous times that I must be patient and wait for God's timing. Definitely easier said than done. It's a different story when you're the one who has to be patient and wait, especially when you are miserable.<br />
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So now you're up to speed about where I'm at in my life and what I've been dealing with. I'm waiting. And it's very, VERY difficult. I'm going to take one day at a time. So even though I am scared and I can't see where the path goes, I'm going to have faith and trust in the Lord. (Oh, by the way, God did tell me he would move in this. He just didn't tell me when or how.) I'm going to seek God and be obedient to him. I'm going to keep praying. (I'm sure he may be really tired of hearing from me about this, but I'm going to keep praying about it anyway.) And I'm going to surround myself with the things of God. I will do this by reading his word and listening to Christian music. I strongly believe in the power of music. AND I WILL NOT GIVE UP! Satan has been trying to get me down but I will not give in to him! Did you know that according to the bible, Satan must leave us when we command him to leave in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Pretty cool, huh?<br />
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More to come later . . .Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-54092953777787686952013-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:002013-01-19T10:17:59.289-08:00LouisaHere is my latest knitting project. I am very pleased with the way the sweater turned out. I think it's adorable and I can't wait until it gets a little warmer so I can wear it without freezing. You can find more details about this sweater <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Maybabie/louisa-lace-tunic">here</a> as well at a link to the pattern. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-83933098999914315622013-01-16T06:51:00.002-08:002013-01-16T06:51:44.767-08:00Worn<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBFZjdyTkaKdqVTbgrxs6_HQJJPTQkY_pWGPxr3Aa6A4xZCKXsUQJmMTCm3NjFoHS74OJZ9qV4c5QetHNvxuyuhy7lXbrJoXkn1jJ7Tx6kdEnZZZ4NLFkRpo7ivBR7M6ZlEbDtFIg2_Nr/s640/blogger-image--657381493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBFZjdyTkaKdqVTbgrxs6_HQJJPTQkY_pWGPxr3Aa6A4xZCKXsUQJmMTCm3NjFoHS74OJZ9qV4c5QetHNvxuyuhy7lXbrJoXkn1jJ7Tx6kdEnZZZ4NLFkRpo7ivBR7M6ZlEbDtFIg2_Nr/s200/blogger-image--657381493.jpg" width="200" /></a>Sometimes life is so overwhelming and exhausting that you really can't even find any words. That is how I have been feeling lately. I know that God has a plan for me and my life and that I must be patient. His timing is certainly different from mine. Eternity to me is but only a second to my Heavenly Father. This first video is a song that I heard on the radio last night. It really spoke to me. The words in this song are the very words in my own heart. The second video is the story of how this song was written. Both videos are very powerful tools that the Lord is using to comfort his people and draw them closer to him. May these videos bless you the same way they have blessed me. </div>
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<span class="text Matt-11-28" id="en-NIV-23488"><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: small;"><em>Matthew 11:28-29</em></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Matt-11-28"><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><sup>28 </sup></strong></span>“Come to me,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23488D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup> all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23488E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup></span></span> <span class="text Matt-11-29" id="en-NIV-23489"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">29 </span></strong></sup>Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23489F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup> for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23489G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup></span></span> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-70836519072615151322012-12-17T08:44:00.001-08:002012-12-29T11:54:48.700-08:00Lost<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLP32-m_64Pi80iqtiUg54AnBRtS-oTrr4ICe1hpFGcsuxds4i-mbB_t9tJBrXx1V-LorolKAv14YzMe3f6fJD-szkw2QMhArsrzFQABPz2rZ3FgB_S_b7RPp7gF0-2u0b6HbULv4-YTr/s1600/lost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLP32-m_64Pi80iqtiUg54AnBRtS-oTrr4ICe1hpFGcsuxds4i-mbB_t9tJBrXx1V-LorolKAv14YzMe3f6fJD-szkw2QMhArsrzFQABPz2rZ3FgB_S_b7RPp7gF0-2u0b6HbULv4-YTr/s320/lost.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>I sit here staring at this blank screen wondering how I'm going to say everything that I need to say. It's not that I don't feel like I can get it all out there, it's that I want to do it in a way that is most pleasing to God. I want to honor him with these words and with my life. Writing has always come easily to me and I know now that this is one of my God-given gifts. I often feel like I'm not even the one writing these words. They can flow through me so readily and rapidly that I feel more like an instrument for the words of God to flow through. <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I realize that unless you have experienced God in this way, you may not understand what I'm even talking about. I have experienced Our Heavenly Father in a way that many others may not even know is possible. I am blessed to have seen him, heard him and felt him in my life. I have physically heard his voice calling my name. I have seen images that can only be described as from the spiritual realm. I have felt the physical touch of his hand on the back of my neck. Most of these experiences have come to me late at night while I am drifting off to sleep. I have often wondered if this is the ideal time for God to interact with me because my mind is at rest and free from distraction. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Well, anyway, I'm really just stalling because I know that what I need to say is going to be difficult. Admitting your own weakness is certainly never easy. I'll start by saying that lately I have been so consumed by the negative aspects of my life that I haven't even been living my life. Let me take you back to the very beginning . . .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlAcElxkmav8IiQO_BMYJlrEZog221L1HI8trYen2Yb8_x8iZ_d6bcIi43jeN7XwUiVtMzabe_8NYuUEG1K5uqOAQKJ8fnCNjto9ynCT5a-XCTO8AuPyiKf1j1d0pmqh4FLWIjyyJTQeH/s1600/lost2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlAcElxkmav8IiQO_BMYJlrEZog221L1HI8trYen2Yb8_x8iZ_d6bcIi43jeN7XwUiVtMzabe_8NYuUEG1K5uqOAQKJ8fnCNjto9ynCT5a-XCTO8AuPyiKf1j1d0pmqh4FLWIjyyJTQeH/s320/lost2.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>I had felt for several months that I needed to make a job change. I can't really explain it other than I just knew it was time for me to move on and that God's work for me was somewhere else. I found a job at a completely different facility. I applied, interviewed and was offered the job. I struggled greatly with my decision. I didn't really feel like I had a sense of what God wanted me to do. After much prayer, I decided to take the job. <br />
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I knew by day two of orientation that I had made a huge mistake. I was not happy in my new job. I continued on, hoping that the newness would wear off, my uneasiness would subside and I would grow to like my new endeavor. That didn't happen. My dislike grew to hatred and I gradually became completely consumed by trying to figure out how to get out of my new job. I was desperate for an immediate change. I was beginning to make myself and my family miserable. I couldn't function outside of my job. I feel like I was trying to do a decent job in my work and my superiors told me that they were very pleased with how I was doing. However, outside of work I completely shut down. All of my relationships began to suffer. I felt so sorry for myself that I could barely function. I put everything on hold, pending on my much-anticipated job change. I was just waiting for my life to return to a more favorable state. I stopped doing God's work. I stopped singing with the worship team at church. I eventually stopped posting in my blog. I no longer read the bible on a regular basis. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrmRvSZeHWWfGlE9LDPlylNqWGiTFBCkKRO25YhlAVfJ7vR1mbQVu27rDsDaEaqTCo3KQmgLmChMY5hqkjVCxcgDBej1UY2gg2E5xs2jeXCPJj8HfuFwGLv4SHV6fdrKYQLF4IbKCO_Pv/s1600/lost8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrmRvSZeHWWfGlE9LDPlylNqWGiTFBCkKRO25YhlAVfJ7vR1mbQVu27rDsDaEaqTCo3KQmgLmChMY5hqkjVCxcgDBej1UY2gg2E5xs2jeXCPJj8HfuFwGLv4SHV6fdrKYQLF4IbKCO_Pv/s1600/lost8.jpg" /></a></div>I will say that I prayed all the time. I prayed for my family and friends, but I mostly prayed for myself and my job issues. I begged and pleaded with the Lord several times each day. My vision blurred on the long drives to and from work as I wept bitterly, pouring my heart out to God. <br />
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I then discovered a new job. It was completely different from my previous work. I could really see myself in this job and I thought that I would really prosper in this new opportunity. It was a newly-created position that I thought God made just for me. I soared quickly and easily through the interview process. I was told that my interview was excellent and that I presented myself very well. I thought the job was surely mine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhrnDP1aJ7yV4LmSdf1iRuqJIAaLzH_0duFmCl1DF6RXBftT6veJn94-Lx0v8qX9j9v9j9SAUdr-EwP0eAqIMW3pJwOK-3INWO_DjDLvsPSKSu1YjcBQEWkqggey31nRgSok059f8hv9K/s1600/lost15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhrnDP1aJ7yV4LmSdf1iRuqJIAaLzH_0duFmCl1DF6RXBftT6veJn94-Lx0v8qX9j9v9j9SAUdr-EwP0eAqIMW3pJwOK-3INWO_DjDLvsPSKSu1YjcBQEWkqggey31nRgSok059f8hv9K/s1600/lost15.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And then I got the email. They offered the job to someone else! I completely lost it. I hit rock bottom. I felt like I was drowning in a pit of despair. I was trapped in this job that I hate and now there was no hope of any way out! I had pinned all of my hope to this job that now belonged to someone else. I was angry and confused. I felt so sad and betrayed. I cried out bitterly to God. Why?!! Why did this happen?!! What did I do to deserve this?!! Why would God want me to be miserable in my work? I thought and said things that I regretted. I yelled at my husband. I hated myself and felt responsible for the state of my life. What was I to do now? I didn't know how I could go on. I couldn't keep going back to that job that I hate. I just couldn't! What was I going to do? I wanted to completely give up on my job and my life. I felt lost. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmIgUr2JWr-cT8RCjcO5mwDZUybMO0FB7qK8V-Tb237gWMUtb6plcRVUAJ8ewugMpodd9wKThObeL09O2Lu6-lBVTBeE2fFFsAcoy1f0UBP2uUND8DRedcBUMgfy-5jllcgbdwZ6zQiI_/s1600/lost13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmIgUr2JWr-cT8RCjcO5mwDZUybMO0FB7qK8V-Tb237gWMUtb6plcRVUAJ8ewugMpodd9wKThObeL09O2Lu6-lBVTBeE2fFFsAcoy1f0UBP2uUND8DRedcBUMgfy-5jllcgbdwZ6zQiI_/s320/lost13.jpg" width="246" /></a>After tossing and turning all night I managed to drag myself to church the next morning, still feeling sorry for myself. I could hardly believe it when I heard the sermon. I thought that Pastor Greg was talking directly to me. I realize that the message was for me but that it was God who was doing the talking. Pastor Greg spoke about how the Lord has been working on him for the past month. He said that God was doing surgery on his soul and that he was removing the pride from his life. He said he didn't even know that he had this pride until the Lord showed it to him. He accounted that the process was very difficult and painful and that he fought it at first but that the Lord has helped him to grow spiritually into a completely new man. He said God was moving him to tell us all to give our sins and burdens over to God so he can work within us and heal us. </div><br />
It was then that I recognized how selfish I was being. I wanted a perfect job and a perfect life and I was throwing a fit about it. I wanted things my way and I was not at all interested in what God wanted me to do. I realized that sometimes being in God's will is not easy and not comfortable. I went to the alter to pray and make myself right before the Lord. I felt humbled, cleansed and renewed. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I'm not going to tell you that I magically have a sudden love for my job because I don't. I can say that I do feel a sense of peace about the situation. I know that this journey that I'm on will probably continue to be difficult and somewhat painful. I've come to terms with the fact that for some reason the Lord wants me to be right where I am right now. He may have some kind of work for me there or maybe he will work within me through this experience to help me grow spiritually and be a better servant for him. Even though it's not easy to move on without knowing where God's plan will lead, I will go forward trusting in him and having faith that he knows what is best for me. </div><br />
<div class="heading passage-class-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5avUhgxhG72oXfyueoLpiwkq24fD8Hp5m6Xn-osnEVYCK7mgW_NUVst9MJNjCgJvMIHPvZctYIQcuXYY_PjCF3To9gKDTE8QQm82aas-iYYUbhIndzjv6wwhcNLXo0x7dbTii3Uj3PMec/s1600/lost12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5avUhgxhG72oXfyueoLpiwkq24fD8Hp5m6Xn-osnEVYCK7mgW_NUVst9MJNjCgJvMIHPvZctYIQcuXYY_PjCF3To9gKDTE8QQm82aas-iYYUbhIndzjv6wwhcNLXo0x7dbTii3Uj3PMec/s1600/lost12.jpg" /></a></div><h3><em><span style="color: #660000;">James 5:7-12</span></em></h3><div class="txt-sm"><em><span class="text Jas-5-7"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">7 </span></strong></sup>Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30362A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup> See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30362B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> for the autumn and spring rains.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30362C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Jas-5-8" id="en-NIV-30363"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">8 </span></strong></sup>You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30363D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup> is near.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30363E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Jas-5-9" id="en-NIV-30364"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">9 </span></strong></sup>Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30364F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup> or you will be judged. The Judge<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30364G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup> is standing at the door!<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30364H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup></span></em></div></div><div class="passage version-NIV result-text-style-normal text-html "><em><span class="text Jas-5-10" id="en-NIV-30365"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">10 </span></strong></sup>Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30365I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> who spoke in the name of the Lord.</span> <span class="text Jas-5-11" id="en-NIV-30366"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">11 </span></strong></sup>As you know, we count as blessed<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30366J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup> those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30366K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup> and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30366L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup> The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30366M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup></span></em><br />
<span class="text Jas-5-12" id="en-NIV-30367"><em><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">12 </span></strong></sup>Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.</em></span><br />
<span class="text Jas-5-12"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">www.biblegateway.com</a><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30367N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-79432247301112312932012-10-23T08:56:00.000-07:002012-10-23T08:58:29.644-07:00Heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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OK, here it is. The following words are simply the most treasured, intimate and precious words that I have received from the Lord. I have kept them close to me, in my heart and hidden from others. I have only shared them with a few trusted friends. They touch my soul so much that I can't help but weep every time that I read them. These words breathe spiritual life into me, soothing me with such peace and comfort that I can almost feel the Lord's arms wrapped around me as I read them. I realize that you may not have the same response to them because they are from our Heavenly Father and specific to me. I have actually considered never sharing these words with anyone because they are so intimate. I believe that the Lord gave me these words for a reason and wants me to share them with as many people as I can. Breathe them in and feel the presence of God as you read them. <br />
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July 3, 2009<br />
Stay alert, my child. I am coming. When you least expect it, I will be here. Make sure you and those you love are ready. Tell them the Good News. There is so much more than just this life. You cannot even imagine the beauty of heaven. Your worries, cares, sickness and sin will all be left behind. You have perfection through me and will enjoy eternal perfection in heaven. The most beautiful part of heaven is being in the eternal, loving presence of my Heavenly Father. Imagine him wrapping his loving arms around you and giving you the best hug ever . . . that lasts forever. You have experienced only a small little slice of what heaven will be like: the feeling of the Holy Spirit in you, enjoying a moment of love and laughter with your family and friends, the feeling of having an open channel of worship to the Lord, the moment your son was placed in your arms for the very first time, the day you gave your life to me, the day your son will give his life to me, the day you married your best friend and true love, the moment that you realized the sacrifice I made for you so that you could be free from <strong>all </strong>of<strong> </strong>your sins, the day you realized that you too could have a <strong>personal, interactive</strong> relationship with me and our Heavenly Father, the day you really began to understand that I will love you <strong>no matter what</strong>, the first time you realized that you do make a difference in this world (when you played an integral part in saving someone's life,) the first time you realized that you do make a difference in the spiritual realm (you planted or watered a seed and helped lead someone to me.) This is only a small portion of what heaven will be. How much more, you cannot even imagine. <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><u>Revelation 21 </u></span></h3>
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<span class="text Rev-21-1"><span class="chapternum"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">21 </span></strong></span>Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-31055a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span></strong><a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+21&version=NIV#fen-NIV-31055a" title="See footnote a"><span style="color: #651300; font-size: x-small;"><strong>a</strong></span></a><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span></strong></sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31055A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup> for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31055B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> and there was no longer any sea.</span> <span class="text Rev-21-2" id="en-NIV-31056"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 </span></strong></sup>I saw the Holy City,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31056C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup> the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31056D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup> prepared as a bride<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31056E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup> beautifully dressed for her husband.</span> <span class="text Rev-21-3" id="en-NIV-31057"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">3 </span></strong></sup>And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31057F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup> They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31057G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Rev-21-4" id="en-NIV-31058"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">4 </span></strong></sup>‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31058H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup> There will be no more death’<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-31058b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span></strong><a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+21&version=NIV#fen-NIV-31058b" title="See footnote b"><span style="color: #651300; font-size: x-small;"><strong>b</strong></span></a><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span></strong></sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31058I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup> or mourning or crying or pain,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31058J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup> for the old order of things has passed away.”<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31058K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup></span></div>
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<span class="text Rev-21-5" id="en-NIV-31059"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">5 </span></strong></sup>He who was seated on the throne<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31059L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup> said, “I am making everything new!”<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31059M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup> Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31059N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup></span><br />
<span class="text Rev-21-6" id="en-NIV-31060"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">6 </span></strong></sup>He said to me: “It is done.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31060O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup> I am the Alpha and the Omega,<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31060P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></sup> the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31060Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></sup> from the spring of the water of life.<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31060R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup></span> <span class="text Rev-21-7" id="en-NIV-31061"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">7 </span></strong></sup>Those who are victorious<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31061S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup> will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children."<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-31061T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-12597124684709640862012-10-21T10:08:00.000-07:002012-10-23T06:19:00.171-07:00Roadblock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes life is so hard. Making a decision that will affect your life and your family's life in a huge way is certainly difficult. So many hours of praying and waiting with still no clear direction from God is indeed a challenge. When this happens, I recommend that you follow your first instinct. It is usually the one that comes from your heart. If your heart is actively seeking God, this first instinct is usually the right one. <br />
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I believe that we can get in a place in our life when we just need a change. We can get burnt out and lose the passion that we once felt for what we've been doing for the last fourteen years. When we get to this point, any change can look good. I also believe that the devil can entice us into making a change that is not right for us at that time. He will make it look great. He can even make it look like it is something that is God's will.<br />
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Have you ever made an important decision and then discovered within about 2 days that you made the wrong one? It's such a horrible feeling. You can't go back to what you had before because what's done is done. And when you think about it you know you don't really want to go back because deep down inside it doesn't feel right to you anymore either. You're trapped. You feel caught between a rock and a hard place. You long for something different but aren't sure what that is or where that is. What do you do now? Who do you turn to?<br />
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Well, I believe the only answer is to turn to Jesus. He is always the right answer. Even when we have made the most horrible decisions possible, Jesus will always be right there beside us. He knows us even better than we know ourselves. He knows our deepest, most intimate thoughts . . . the things within our hearts that we've never told anyone about because we are too ashamed. Jesus knows all of this about us and he still loves us unconditionally. He loves us so much that he endured tremendous pain and suffering while he died for our sins. Who else do you know that has done this for you? He died for me and he died for you. Why did he do this? He did these things for us so that we could be saved from a horrible fate . . . eternal separation from God (also know as spending the rest of your life in hell.) What an amazing gift that is available to anyone who will accept it! What do you have to do to accept it? Simply acknowledge that you have sinned, ask Jesus to forgive you, recognize that he died for your sins and rose again and then ask him to guide your life. You will be amazed at what will happen. I know that I was. <br />
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So that's where I'm at right now. I'm realizing that I made the wrong decision. (Oh how difficult it is to admit that you're wrong, especially when it includes telling your husband that he was right.) But I'm also trusting in God. I'm looking to him as I take this one day at a time. I'm worshipping him in the midst of this turmoil. I'm seeking his face with all of my heart and soul. I know that I need him and can do nothing (NOTHING) without him. I will wait patiently as he finds a place for me. I also realize that God knew that I would make this wrong decision and I will try to accomplish his work while I am there. These are just a few of the words I got from the Lord this morning, "<em>Oh, my child, I love you. I am yours and you are mine. Sometimes you must make the wrong decision to find the right one. I will bring good of this if you let me. Look to me and trust me in this. Continue to worship me with all of your heart, my daughter. I will never leave you: not in this, not ever. You are precious to me and I want what is good and right for you</em>."<br />
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<a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs 3:5-6&version=NIV"><span style="color: #651300;"><em><strong>Proverbs 3:5-6</strong></em></span></a><br />
<em><strong>Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. </strong></em><br />
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Oh and one more thing. . . if you pray that God will block something if it is not his will and then you literally drive up to a road block on your way to the thing you've been praying about, take it seriously. It may indeed be God's way of telling you that he is "blocking" it. <br />
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">www.biblegateway.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-56097396638141466072012-10-01T11:02:00.004-07:002012-10-01T11:02:52.248-07:00The End of a Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lately as I work, I can't help but think about how my time there is almost over. I have only a few short days until this chapter of my life will end and a new chapter will begin. I remember when I first started fourteen and a half years ago as a brand new nurse. I was completely clueless and very naive. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. To be completely honest, it was pretty rough at first but I somehow survived and even prospered.<br />
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I have accumulated an abundance of knowledge over these years. My experience is truly priceless and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I feel like I've seen or done just about everything possible. I've encountered people at their best and people at their worst. I've been involved in situations that have made me cry from the deepest part of my soul, wondering why the Lord would allow someone to suffer so tremendously. I've enjoyed triumphs greater than I could have ever imagined. I'd like to think that I've touched the lives of some of my patients. Many of them have genuinely touched my life. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9gIFL6humHQdlNLjKPYfEDmMTFHbzQugg67e4sIrSSWJGa3EWRlEK3XX6QYlW8IMal6lI3S0_YZQZLEEA-9dphq_qmxEVsQuLQbaxrBS9F_Ujy6a4X4srs4QuIChh5Z2RpRPsuGoS_it/s1600/journey4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9gIFL6humHQdlNLjKPYfEDmMTFHbzQugg67e4sIrSSWJGa3EWRlEK3XX6QYlW8IMal6lI3S0_YZQZLEEA-9dphq_qmxEVsQuLQbaxrBS9F_Ujy6a4X4srs4QuIChh5Z2RpRPsuGoS_it/s320/journey4.jpg" width="320" /></a>My coworkers have become like my family. I have had days that I don't think I could have endured without them. We've shared so many tears and a lot of laughter. We've been each other's listening ears and encouragers. I feel honored and privileged to have worked so closely with such a great group of people. We have worked together as one unit, doing whatever it takes to get the job done right. Anyone who wonders what real teamwork looks like should get a glimpse of the staff of an emergency department or trauma unit. I have really enjoyed working with them all of these years. They are an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience. I would trust them completely with my own life. I will miss them so much. I am choking back tears just thinking about it as I type this. </div>
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It was very difficult for me to make this decision. I didn't really have a clear direction from the Lord in this. I believe that a lot of the uncertainty stemmed from the sacrifices that accompany this choice. I will be driving 19 miles farther and will be taking a significant pay cut initially. Sometimes we must make sacrifices to be in God's will. He has made the ultimate sacrifice for us and he expects us to sacrifice for him as well. </div>
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When I went to job shadow, I knew that the job would be a good fit for me and that I would enjoy it. I also had this overwhelming feeling that they need me and that I am meant to be there at this time in my life. I feel like I have made the right decision. I remember someone telling me once that God doesn't want us to be comfortable in our lives. He wants us to step outside of the box and rely completely on him. If we were always comfortable then we would probably feel very self-sufficient and would think we didn't need God at all. </div>
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I have to admit that I feel a bit anxious as I look forward to starting my new job. I had a complete meltdown the day I put in my two week notice. I literally sat on the living room floor sobbing as I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. Change, whether good or bad, is always difficult. We are safe in our daily routines, seeing the same people we see every day and doing the things we've done hundreds or thousands of times. It feels very uneasy to embark on a new journey when the future is uncertain. It's hard to take the first step when you can't see the rest of the staircase. <br />
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I will move forward in faith and trust in the Lord and his plan for me. I completely put this into his hands. I know that he has great things in store for me and probably a few new life lessons along the way. <br />
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<h3>
<u><em><span style="color: #660000;">2 Corinthians 5:7</span></em></u></h3>
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<span class="text 2Cor-5-7" id="en-NIV-28885"><em><span style="color: #660000;"><sup class="versenum"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">7 </span></strong></sup>For we live by faith, not by sight.</span></em></span><br />
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<span class="text 2Cor-5-7"><span style="color: black;"><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28885A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">www.biblegateway.com</a></sup></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-59182723124726283732012-08-05T14:47:00.001-07:002012-10-21T08:20:21.486-07:00Lucy's Lacy Summer Breeze Tank<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I found this crochet pattern for free on ravelry. It was super easy and very quick. The link to this pattern on ravelry is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-breeze-tank">here</a>. <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Maybabie/summer-breeze-tank">This</a> is the ravelry link to my personal pattern page. I did make some modifications from the original pattern. They are as follows:<br />
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I made the 12 - 18 months size. I used size H crochet hook. The blue yarn is Nashua Handknits creative focus silk. The ivory yarn is Patons silk bamboo yarn. I followed the pattern for the top bodice portion until it measured 2 3/4 inches. I worked the cluster stitch (bottom portion) until it measured 6 1/4 inches. I then used the contrasting ivory yarn to make 1 row of single crochet at the top of the bodice. I added my own lacy scalloped edging as follows:<br />
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Row 1: Sc, skip 2 st, then in next st (2 dc, ch 2, 2dc), skip 2 st, sc, repeat to the end of the row.<br />
Row 2: Ch 4, sl st in ch 2 space, repeat to the end, ch 4, sl st into last sc.<br />
Row 3: Sc, (2dc, ch 2, 2dc) into next ch 2 space, sc in next ch 4 space, repeat to end of row.<br />
<br />
Repeat rows 2 & 3 until desired length, ending with Row 3.<br />
<br />
For optional front flower: <br />
Use size E hook.<br />
DC2tog = work 1 dc into each of next 2sc until loop of each remains on hook, yo and through a 3 loops on hook.<br />
Make 6ch, sl st into 1st ch to form ring.<br />
1st Round: Ch1, work 15 sc into ring, sl st into 1st sc.<br />
2nd Round: (Ch3, dc2tog over next 2 sc, ch 3, sl st into next sc) 5 times placing last sl st into last sc of previous round. <br />
<br />
I then used the ivory yarn to weave 1 row of yarn below the bodice. <br />
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I made my straps as tie straps, sc x 2 for 20 rows into the following stitches of the ivorsy single crochet row at the top of the bodice: 8&9, 27&28, 44&45, 63&64.<br />
<br />
Enjoy your fabulous new tank! I hope these notes are helpful!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-32749453515871541502012-06-22T06:46:00.001-07:002012-06-22T07:05:07.204-07:00Norah Jones Concert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mike and I attended a Norah Jones concert this week and it was absolutely fabulous. Her voice is completely amazing. She has been my favorite vocalist for several years now. In my opinion, the tone and quality of her voice is unmatched by anyone else. She has what can only be described as a God-given gift. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and could listen to her sing for hours. Actually, I believe I have listened to her music for hours. A great big thank you to my wonderful husband for taking me to this concert when I know he would have rather been doing a number of other things. I know the photo quality isn't great but I hope you enjoy the pics anyway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwVZ7ec3sowwVt_cuixuKAmNmyNpRg6dcaOY-jQGFrmw7RUhEV2rqPwiDrRtPk7h3OTtu9EVRKAxiybOiav7bIDTV5TlWuZu_qZ9G9npJGekNA6ok1yQ4lcXt079Mg-nKGfOKHzZNlrs9/s640/blogger-image--1613415439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwVZ7ec3sowwVt_cuixuKAmNmyNpRg6dcaOY-jQGFrmw7RUhEV2rqPwiDrRtPk7h3OTtu9EVRKAxiybOiav7bIDTV5TlWuZu_qZ9G9npJGekNA6ok1yQ4lcXt079Mg-nKGfOKHzZNlrs9/s640/blogger-image--1613415439.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOd29Rq_u-OhS_pZ1nFyR3m4p5xB6r9SHH0jf-Nvu9FlL9YFwEOpEVPq_MRrwiXEwdK9fdFu8clyr-Tiu3qg53cpYj7aGa_wUIY4LfQmmuPsXHhkr023KD_LUJ9xxTasEVGpdLZeYiVmbe/s640/blogger-image--225369473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOd29Rq_u-OhS_pZ1nFyR3m4p5xB6r9SHH0jf-Nvu9FlL9YFwEOpEVPq_MRrwiXEwdK9fdFu8clyr-Tiu3qg53cpYj7aGa_wUIY4LfQmmuPsXHhkr023KD_LUJ9xxTasEVGpdLZeYiVmbe/s640/blogger-image--225369473.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-11616285292051533082012-06-13T12:29:00.000-07:002012-06-13T12:29:03.795-07:00Sky Cap Sleeve Top<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Love, love, love this top! I’m very pleased with the way it turned out. It was fairly easy to knit, although you have to really pay attention when you start the cross-over section near the neckline. The yarn was great to work with and the color is absolutely gorgeous. The fit is perfect. I highly recommend this pattern. I can’t wait to wear it out! :) The only modification is that I omitted the waist tie. Here is the link to this top on my Ravelry page: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Maybabie/cap-sleeve-top">http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Maybabie/cap-sleeve-top</a>. Pictures by Ryan.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-77465469539578773402012-05-31T08:04:00.005-07:002012-06-02T12:55:30.221-07:00Summer Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnmvIq-omS-jAAADww8KujsPpZ4tAWspUP35iloEwJScttb36LAkuRmh7k3oeJB1BLQFPKvu1vC3sIbw9xTY9dhtY5zXccNT6VFPTbo7YfRjqEg_Viv02489iHqG2l-KTQQBAPpkmLI8e/s1600/peace12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnmvIq-omS-jAAADww8KujsPpZ4tAWspUP35iloEwJScttb36LAkuRmh7k3oeJB1BLQFPKvu1vC3sIbw9xTY9dhtY5zXccNT6VFPTbo7YfRjqEg_Viv02489iHqG2l-KTQQBAPpkmLI8e/s200/peace12.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVH_5RF2iti9rat1KmlBDBIAUXS57OMcmOs8Fz-Fgqdt6UKuWr4Es_9kgkHfT3azAMHvoymgdTFd29b9TovJWrcCJYrOC_gxhijhLWP6ephaw1dUV1HQVtqe5YyDeFUNQRohJpXXMTjAze/s1600/motherhood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVH_5RF2iti9rat1KmlBDBIAUXS57OMcmOs8Fz-Fgqdt6UKuWr4Es_9kgkHfT3azAMHvoymgdTFd29b9TovJWrcCJYrOC_gxhijhLWP6ephaw1dUV1HQVtqe5YyDeFUNQRohJpXXMTjAze/s320/motherhood.jpg" width="320" /></a>Hello all! I'm not sure how many people regularly read this blog. It really doesn't matter. I am trying to do something in this blog that I feel the Lord is prompting me to do. I didn't want to start this blog and felt sure that many of my friends and family would think I was completely nuts when I started blogging about God's word and His work in my life. I really don't care about that, though. All I know is that I am obediently following my Lord and Savior. That is the most important thing here. Honestly, this blog takes a lot of my time. Getting the words, scripture and photos just right actually is very time-consuming. I can literally spend hours on just one post. I try to make it just the way I think the Lord wants it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike, Ryan and me</td></tr>
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As summer break quickly approaches, I am faced with a very difficult decision. I could continue to blog through the summer or I could take a little break. I certainly want to honor the Lord in this, so I prayed about it. I actually got the answer when I was praying for my son. I feel that God wants me to spend quality time with Ryan without exception. Being a good mother is important to me. I want to raise Ryan in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. I want to create lasting memories with Ryan over the summer. I love him beyond what I could have ever imagined. The answer seems so clear to me. While I strongly feel this blog is honoring the Lord and drawing others closer to Him, I must go with what I know is right and what I feel God wants me to do. <br />
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-22-6"><em>Start <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17022A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup>children off on the way they should go, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-17022B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span class="text Prov-22-6">and even when they are old they will not turn from it.</span></span><strong> </strong></em></span></span></div>
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<em><span class="text Prov-29-17" id="en-NIV-17242"><sup class="versenum">17 </sup>Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><span class="text Prov-29-17">they will bring you the delights you desire.</span></span></em></div>
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This will be my last post for a while. I will be taking a summer break along with Ryan. I will try to post some quick pictures or very brief posts throughout the summer but there will be no extended posts until fall. I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed and safe summer. Enjoy your family and friends and try to live every day to it's fullest. You don't know what plans God has for you and what day will be your last. God bless and take care. :)<br />
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">http://www.biblegateway.com/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-4265262207646859412012-05-20T12:29:00.001-07:002012-05-20T12:50:03.110-07:00Squirrels! Ugghh!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-u1S8B_PhprB3c7Tcxc0bYn8wDeQGrhegwT2aBp1kH35ZLIR8MAHtkA8xII6d3HYikAzXxFFPeU16LoNj1eXl9brTojI-oWdsGmqsWoyQz8HLO5-q2cB2Iv7HNiXQLbw-NPhGUEShjTX/s1600/May+2012+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-u1S8B_PhprB3c7Tcxc0bYn8wDeQGrhegwT2aBp1kH35ZLIR8MAHtkA8xII6d3HYikAzXxFFPeU16LoNj1eXl9brTojI-oWdsGmqsWoyQz8HLO5-q2cB2Iv7HNiXQLbw-NPhGUEShjTX/s320/May+2012+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our front yard</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS6nWm281bFRkGXUnidiR1Ef43WB3zfgRGniPpCrP9X-GJWUecJ5f8Gp9esGbrAjrwqov_274hgabRL0zTvkLlAqc4Mglk50127S1vS6PiAARn6Z4-AikVRs16SWcb0OOms57C-es2Eg2/s1600/May+2012+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgS6nWm281bFRkGXUnidiR1Ef43WB3zfgRGniPpCrP9X-GJWUecJ5f8Gp9esGbrAjrwqov_274hgabRL0zTvkLlAqc4Mglk50127S1vS6PiAARn6Z4-AikVRs16SWcb0OOms57C-es2Eg2/s200/May+2012+054.JPG" width="161" /></a>We live on a scarcely wooded four acre lot in the country. The setting is really quite peaceful and beautiful. The trees are spaced fairly far apart and create a wonderful habitat for wildlife. We have a variety of birds and small woodland creatures in are yard. I have seen rabbits, raccoons, geese, an occasional snake and of course squirrels. We have a ton of squirrels in our yard. Apparently squirrels like Shagbark Hickory trees and boy do we have a lot of those! Well anyway, I'm sure that you probably think we coincide peacefully with God's creatures around us. This is not the case. When we first built our house in this wooded area, I loved watching all of the squirrels playfully chase each other around our yard. I thought they were adorable creatures that wouldn't harm anyone. Now I have a very different opinion of squirrels. I truly feel like they have literally waged war on us and our house. I'm pretty sure they are quite angry that we built our house smack-dab in the middle of their paradise. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDB4qVYQanTdKMLxcDEto8lE9mff0KSTDHfpjwv4ZqY_UrOEHr0QtsUVFVIHr73qgDxD_wlXBtxlarriVCX3fsQdFEV46fBrHFP8H96vI_vmBQokCIiEOTxKNqyDef23zlRkKW0e0ZJ4a/s1600/May+2012+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDB4qVYQanTdKMLxcDEto8lE9mff0KSTDHfpjwv4ZqY_UrOEHr0QtsUVFVIHr73qgDxD_wlXBtxlarriVCX3fsQdFEV46fBrHFP8H96vI_vmBQokCIiEOTxKNqyDef23zlRkKW0e0ZJ4a/s200/May+2012+058.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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I remember how distraught I was the first time I found my partially dead flowers laying on the concrete by the pots I had planted a couple of days earlier. "Who or what would have done something like this?" I thought to myself. Oh how many plants I have pain-stakingly placed in a pot or a flowerbed that have died at the hands (or paws, rather) of a squirrel. The senseless deaths of so many poor, defenseless plants. So sad. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHuVcRqsy-zvw3jakXq5atFUOz-MCxKmIKphJGhHteom9Bxo16yQk_uNKEiP2TE8Uq_ezu6djZNxI1TqjKxqPOciR9FcURVwOsoPlzQTRCW50T__IrNzD1TcatTwrL7Uesx0xh2_LYiYt/s1600/May+2012+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHuVcRqsy-zvw3jakXq5atFUOz-MCxKmIKphJGhHteom9Bxo16yQk_uNKEiP2TE8Uq_ezu6djZNxI1TqjKxqPOciR9FcURVwOsoPlzQTRCW50T__IrNzD1TcatTwrL7Uesx0xh2_LYiYt/s200/May+2012+048.JPG" width="200" /></a>And then there are the holes that I have found in the siding of our house. One day I was walking through the dining room when I heard some kind of scratching on the front porch. I looked out the window to see a squirrel chewing on our house. (Seriously!) I went out onto the porch to see several holes on the edges of our siding that I had never noticed before. The holes were all along our front porch siding from the concrete to about 3 feet high. I couldn't hardly believe it! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Bird feeder with squirrel-guard</td></tr>
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I also recall a couple of years ago when we got a birdhouse for Christmas. We put it out on a post in our back yard that next spring. The bird feeder turned out to be a squirrel feeder. The feed lasted approximately three to four hours with those hogs around. The birds didn't have any food because the squirrels ate it all. We could see squirrel after squirrel shimmy its way up the narrow pole to the feeder. We tried putting sheet metal coated with Vaseline around the pole, thinking the squirrels would slide right off. The only thing that happened was that our squirrels got a sixties fur-do and I had to clean fur-encrusted dried Vaseline off the pole a few days later. It was literally a game that the squirrels were certainly winning. We were so excited when we finally beat them with the lovely round metal "squirrel-guard" that you see pictured. </div>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88TtbiDePqs0d9g8g5rACBDUgBiZyndOHHBY-TflzR6OttG2DEX5t4vuTqt69eMxpf8ushJDduDi9fZC2Xti1JeoW72v0FiJh8t02zK-7oJNLLXsExXDNOBudP7awpMJ7sZDQKjiy3jjU/s1600/May+2012+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88TtbiDePqs0d9g8g5rACBDUgBiZyndOHHBY-TflzR6OttG2DEX5t4vuTqt69eMxpf8ushJDduDi9fZC2Xti1JeoW72v0FiJh8t02zK-7oJNLLXsExXDNOBudP7awpMJ7sZDQKjiy3jjU/s320/May+2012+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Herb garden, squirrel-style</td></tr>
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Just days ago another squirrel incident occurred. I planted an herb garden and I was pretty excited about it. I could practically see myself cooking up all of the wonderful meals with my fresh, home-grown herbs. I had worked in my flowerbeds all day and didn't get my herb garden finished that first day. I had the ground worked and the herbs planted but I still needed to put down some kind of weed barrier and mulch. I also needed to edge the garden with rocks. I decided to call it a day and finish it the next day. I was shocked when I looked out the window the next morning and saw that the squirrels had done their own landscaping in my new herb garden. There was one large hole and a few other small holes with various piles of dirt scattered about. I guess the squirrels didn't like the change in their habitat. (Obviously!)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The herb garden after the squirrels landscaped</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">The finished herb garden</td></tr>
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It was then that I decided these little creatures and my unusual relationship with them would make an interesting post for my blog. I decided to go outside to take several pictures of them in action. I walked around our yard several times at various points in the day and wouldn't you know that not one of those squirrels would show their furry little faces! It figures! I'm sure they knew I was up to no good and wanted to capture their true personalities.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYVh0GtEtkznibBXkiS2MyQVKI8QWgaMdcQZ9vh8hycYu77okOXdueb0QMUupqOQnEEiy18i8iI4fpZdDMFWulmtXLTqOKEWvKX_1gHklXC4hNPvZbguGBwrwqzpYZYEKQZ-A_b8f9_Qz/s1600/May+2012+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYVh0GtEtkznibBXkiS2MyQVKI8QWgaMdcQZ9vh8hycYu77okOXdueb0QMUupqOQnEEiy18i8iI4fpZdDMFWulmtXLTqOKEWvKX_1gHklXC4hNPvZbguGBwrwqzpYZYEKQZ-A_b8f9_Qz/s320/May+2012+059.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2JVB6zvpARoDTvw2b2g8kC-Ffs3rVyodaDnf1hfCXGwIFQ4Cn7mF11I-kKHyk4LN2doplw98fnb9EkpBCYm9cjGYKkIL6lkn9te98joNkhWPkJQFIQAf__gNbetk53evGtkpKkDP7Wcd/s1600/May+2012+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2JVB6zvpARoDTvw2b2g8kC-Ffs3rVyodaDnf1hfCXGwIFQ4Cn7mF11I-kKHyk4LN2doplw98fnb9EkpBCYm9cjGYKkIL6lkn9te98joNkhWPkJQFIQAf__gNbetk53evGtkpKkDP7Wcd/s320/May+2012+057.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXtTH8IjbcwvL8fAVg6VFdhp_Q56_t69-k9RUwALs3iHvq4Wjl1ttx8G26bfplEz_bw4zjKFu6ZMGeEtnu2auBP7B-QIM7fng9pXKdq-mltt-IfjKyTJrcLA-zuneuj_7lVk83hHLNPuf/s1600/May+2012+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXtTH8IjbcwvL8fAVg6VFdhp_Q56_t69-k9RUwALs3iHvq4Wjl1ttx8G26bfplEz_bw4zjKFu6ZMGeEtnu2auBP7B-QIM7fng9pXKdq-mltt-IfjKyTJrcLA-zuneuj_7lVk83hHLNPuf/s320/May+2012+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDas3pcc-c6Liq7gQ1MsYlXkA-fcOF9r6qGqNG2LmLA8i5vUo0xxVKHda6eBXBu3kztZlG1urIHg_hLoWJMf0WSlaDdONvS84wYV3bZM7SE2v3tRkdOHCo2GlPe0r-S364Q4H0b2RXFGUw/s1600/May+2012+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDas3pcc-c6Liq7gQ1MsYlXkA-fcOF9r6qGqNG2LmLA8i5vUo0xxVKHda6eBXBu3kztZlG1urIHg_hLoWJMf0WSlaDdONvS84wYV3bZM7SE2v3tRkdOHCo2GlPe0r-S364Q4H0b2RXFGUw/s320/May+2012+055.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiEShZDMsbGaa99GDGxN7qAz0nvIA7gOv-p_7ZFlRoF2m_YyXMUf-TVkQqR0MoGey0jXZluwmqB0vFh4sFVD14t6vK5YHnkPt2Ny0j7fDkRlW-c9kFETl4QAc9ih93CIMRKmwqNVhn8DS/s1600/May+2012+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiEShZDMsbGaa99GDGxN7qAz0nvIA7gOv-p_7ZFlRoF2m_YyXMUf-TVkQqR0MoGey0jXZluwmqB0vFh4sFVD14t6vK5YHnkPt2Ny0j7fDkRlW-c9kFETl4QAc9ih93CIMRKmwqNVhn8DS/s400/May+2012+060.JPG" width="307" /></a>Well, as you can see I finally did get some good pictures of the squirrels in our yard. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them. I have to admit that when I watch them play and scurry about our yard, I can't help but think that they are pretty cute. Even after everything they have put us through, I still kind of like having them around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hdph_lFET_wwMZvEUm8zIE-6b-o8mN1DqgHrA-PG6IwEtKGM9CwTn9ldo9ETPooa7S7UAh5irdZaPfS774gmFH5EAtV2n7rEBGP3ADV-ZXaxobohiN4eoMUycRWuVRaQYQWpRMBoqsS5/s1600/May+2012+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hdph_lFET_wwMZvEUm8zIE-6b-o8mN1DqgHrA-PG6IwEtKGM9CwTn9ldo9ETPooa7S7UAh5irdZaPfS774gmFH5EAtV2n7rEBGP3ADV-ZXaxobohiN4eoMUycRWuVRaQYQWpRMBoqsS5/s320/May+2012+006.JPG" width="320" /></a>On second thought, after reviewing the damage from the plant massacre last night, I think I'll have to come to terms with the fact that the squirrels and I are never going to be friends. I believe our relationship will always be comparable to that of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd . . . Tom and Jerry . . . Wiley Coyote and the roadrunner. What do you think? Does anyone have any ideas about how I can win this war? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2iwNcBj6tLRsO-fPUzE1-c4oOBdJn9id4GfHw24eK5r79RJ9VE2gvVjMVwaZLwYhF6rynJtSLqZ6zuHaorFUZvcNVE1D5stC0zonLx7tOvExcwqDube6Gpnp04qOvPIT6sidG4avZzBC/s1600/May+2012+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2iwNcBj6tLRsO-fPUzE1-c4oOBdJn9id4GfHw24eK5r79RJ9VE2gvVjMVwaZLwYhF6rynJtSLqZ6zuHaorFUZvcNVE1D5stC0zonLx7tOvExcwqDube6Gpnp04qOvPIT6sidG4avZzBC/s320/May+2012+008.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXODvcWtItvCo2IdyBsWhcU4jB_LBSIDlchOz58XqTntWG79DUjgnbjuFcJWmIY1THNkYMqHzZA8iXn8ZLkVqoaR83qQH8zNwxK_i7umJA62oOvsjuixiP_8Vdkuok4kq9EnI6vok35Lk/s1600/May+2012+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXODvcWtItvCo2IdyBsWhcU4jB_LBSIDlchOz58XqTntWG79DUjgnbjuFcJWmIY1THNkYMqHzZA8iXn8ZLkVqoaR83qQH8zNwxK_i7umJA62oOvsjuixiP_8Vdkuok4kq9EnI6vok35Lk/s320/May+2012+007.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhoemVVUoAc1uREgbFQd46L2yjoxP0x6253w0L3IPl8wzh4qnUeXDZry7583qq93jJpGRc7xMMIDFJRbTK9ia-5QhqoWoOCV-021AnRUf5wfG8yjQfKu_8DBhYoOKmztxh_sW1I-P4uij/s1600/May+2012+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhoemVVUoAc1uREgbFQd46L2yjoxP0x6253w0L3IPl8wzh4qnUeXDZry7583qq93jJpGRc7xMMIDFJRbTK9ia-5QhqoWoOCV-021AnRUf5wfG8yjQfKu_8DBhYoOKmztxh_sW1I-P4uij/s320/May+2012+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is what I sprinkled on my potted plants to keep the squirrels away. It obviously didn't work. </div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-82507002966321613092012-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:002012-05-16T09:02:06.423-07:00The Many Jobs of a WomanWomen have many different jobs. In the last 24 hours I have been a . . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQ2Q8vROtnAnup_vABdk5sG38C2Q2o2TcG_s7UaHlL5Us5irYL1JIAVgkpinPfkQD2qXiXyjMPNnhtc5wszmSy0ZOyIHMKjYNIXBSgQKnDmaV3pN7XHMGEB7Kk1jC6kuCA7bGyOdrp_3s/s1600/Woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQ2Q8vROtnAnup_vABdk5sG38C2Q2o2TcG_s7UaHlL5Us5irYL1JIAVgkpinPfkQD2qXiXyjMPNnhtc5wszmSy0ZOyIHMKjYNIXBSgQKnDmaV3pN7XHMGEB7Kk1jC6kuCA7bGyOdrp_3s/s400/Woman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am thankful for all of the people in my life who help me to be a better woman. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father. Without Him, I can do nothing and am nothing. I feel blessed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-50686843913311965612012-05-13T14:10:00.001-07:002012-05-14T08:04:21.052-07:00The Courage of Esther<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpCKtimieDsvTCASvnwB9-HTRUdQR6fwyoFu7LqR6fcznsRZ1DreABrcZBYNac3-bDersH3WNtAcL6Hwpt57aVsDW3gxn3agBFWuX5Jp9huzEPFwDch4C0v24JnSh-o-8x4EBrVxfmUbG/s1600/queen+esther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpCKtimieDsvTCASvnwB9-HTRUdQR6fwyoFu7LqR6fcznsRZ1DreABrcZBYNac3-bDersH3WNtAcL6Hwpt57aVsDW3gxn3agBFWuX5Jp9huzEPFwDch4C0v24JnSh-o-8x4EBrVxfmUbG/s320/queen+esther.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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I sat in church this morning awaiting the usual Mother's Day sermon, expecting to be crying by the end of the service. Usually Mother's Day brings a sermon that makes me question what kind of a mother I really am. I can still remember how completely incompetent I felt a few years ago when the Mother's Day sermon was about the wife of noble character from Proverbs 31:10- 31. I don't know a single woman who would live up to those standards. I'm not saying these sermons are bad. I will be the first to admit that I think everyone needs to hear a sermon that really makes them feel convicted every now and then. I believe this will make us evaluate who we are as a Christian, a parent, a spouse, etc and then strive to become the best person we can be. However, such was not the case this morning in church. The sermon came from a forgotten book in the Old Testament called Esther. When I first became a Christian, I read the entire Bible from beginning to end in about a year. For some unknown reason I completely did not remember reading the book of Esther. I found myself sitting and listening intently as the sermon unfolded, enthralled by the life of Esther. </div>
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Esther was a young Jewish girl when the king began his search for a queen. A quest for beautiful young virgins began in the kingdom. Esther lost her parents as a child and was being raised by her uncle. Esther, who was a young to mid teen, was chosen for her beauty and taken against her will to the palace with several other young women. She spent the next year of her life undergoing extensive beauty treatments before she could even meet the king. During her first meeting with the king, she lost her virginity to him. All of the chosen virgins would lose their virginity to the king. This could have been the only time Esther ever met the king. She did find favor with the king and became his queen. All along, she kept her Jewish heritage a secret. I thought about Esther's life and what dreams she might have had. What did she give up when she was taken from her family? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyZ-sJQtIZPq5FHUqHuJe8l_vGczuDlleNm_zde1prFuKchn5hvk8YE9dtNTM-F_ZdA44GBC76K74L9EaH8nPUFWdnHxrkZx_xnR42wf17oRmtd9gRQTCNJEMUpPVzN_NqUAX1CYIuYRw/s1600/victory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyZ-sJQtIZPq5FHUqHuJe8l_vGczuDlleNm_zde1prFuKchn5hvk8YE9dtNTM-F_ZdA44GBC76K74L9EaH8nPUFWdnHxrkZx_xnR42wf17oRmtd9gRQTCNJEMUpPVzN_NqUAX1CYIuYRw/s200/victory.jpg" width="159" /></a>While Esther was queen, she learned of a plot to kill all Jews in the kingdom. Upon the prompting of a close nobleman, the king issued a decree to support this plan. Esther's uncle asked her to go before the king to try to stop this command. Esther informed her uncle that anyone who went before the king without being summoned would die unless the king held out his golden scepter to have that person's life spared. Her uncle again pleaded that Esther intercede on behalf of her people. She agreed to go before the king with this request. Can you imagine how difficult this decision must have been for Esther? She, a teenager, had the weight of every Jewish person's life on her shoulders. She knew she could have been easily put to death for approaching the king about this matter. When she did decide to go through with it, she instructed her uncle to have all of the Jews fast and pray for her for three days. She and her maids also fasted and prayed for three days. </div>
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Esther went before the king and he not only spared her life but the lives of all of the Jewish people. He sent another decree to allow all of the Jewish people to defend themselves against their attackers. (No decree from the king could ever be revoked, therefore the previous decree still stood.) The Jews successfully fought off thousands of enemies. The nobleman responsible for formulating the plot was hung and Esther's uncle took his place as second to the king. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE1f6hpax-Rho1konAPya9jmgJctyc21uvD1ytg6VTcKlPEWEYrILHDgpU40x5anjvy-pEBBFfiMQtk9HKWLCv5X6sAspsWy_3Tys62dvuScvMV-rK8QpLvP2R7UptAc8kGZM8w2vutuK/s1600/surrender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQE1f6hpax-Rho1konAPya9jmgJctyc21uvD1ytg6VTcKlPEWEYrILHDgpU40x5anjvy-pEBBFfiMQtk9HKWLCv5X6sAspsWy_3Tys62dvuScvMV-rK8QpLvP2R7UptAc8kGZM8w2vutuK/s320/surrender.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I think this story is an amazing testimony of God's awesome power. He used Esther in her unfortunate circumstances to accomplish His will for His people. He placed her there in the palace in a position of influence. She was one person who followed God's prompting and saved the lives of thousands of God's people. What if she decided to ignore God's request? What would have happened to the Jewish people? Esther's courageous act completely overwhelms me. I think of my own life and the daily decisions I make and I can't even begin to compare them to the magnitude of Esther's difficult decision. I admire her for her selflessness as she put her own life on the line for her people. I wonder if I would have the courage to do the same. Sometimes I can feel God tapping me on the shoulder and telling me to do something that seems completely out of the question to me at the time. Thoughts of failure and ridicule plague my mind as I ponder the unimaginable task the Lord has planned for me. I will try to remember Esther and her inspiring story as I go about my own life. When I feel God telling me to do something, I will try to follow the Lord's plan, with His constant help, of course. I would hate to think about what would happen if I decided to ignore God's prompting and not fulfill His plan for me. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01x-dvOnXPFqhD7PTVEHDBwypvXkBxAhAiFolkjAFPdHu_Kmqk4RKIkM5lxMcV505VDLnBgASkyuILxWmiWW4isjOoFB4mIeFfHKYVax3Xm5tfPh5azbVLeesjLdSZKIAIypWgEBqdABJ/s1600/prayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01x-dvOnXPFqhD7PTVEHDBwypvXkBxAhAiFolkjAFPdHu_Kmqk4RKIkM5lxMcV505VDLnBgASkyuILxWmiWW4isjOoFB4mIeFfHKYVax3Xm5tfPh5azbVLeesjLdSZKIAIypWgEBqdABJ/s320/prayer.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Oh, and one last thing. Did you catch the part about the fasting and prayer? Esther didn't do anything until she and many other people fasted and prayed about it for three days. God wants us to pray about things before we do them. He wants us to consult Him in all of our decisions and the way to do this is through prayer. I completely believe that if Esther and others hadn't prayed about it first, Esther may have failed. Esther was wise beyond her years when she decided to pray first. If we don't ask, we can't receive. <br />
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<a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7:8&version=NIV"><strong><span style="color: #651300;"><em>Matthew 7:8</em></span></strong></a><br />
<em>For everyone who <b>ask</b>s <b>receive</b>s; the one who seeks finds; <b>and</b> to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.</em><br />
<a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+11:24&version=NIV"><strong><span style="color: #651300;"><em>Mark 11:24</em></span></strong></a><br />
<em>Therefore I tell you, whatever you <b>ask</b> for in prayer, believe that you have <b>receive</b>d it, <b>and</b> it will be yours.</em><br />
<a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+16:24&version=NIV"><strong><span style="color: #651300;"><em>John 16:24</em></span></strong></a><br />
<em>Until now you have not <b>ask</b>ed for anything in my name. <b>Ask</b> <b>and</b> you will <b>receive</b>, <b>and</b> your joy will be complete.</em><br />
<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">http://www.biblegateway.com/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-70439521121151707222012-05-02T14:27:00.001-07:002012-05-03T10:11:17.169-07:00Parenting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwPZA0W3nPKeoZegM4clmQVkjKworSYd_-4wLCEGqMkjL-o2reJDXkcdGPh8Bsms6QmVJ-G_7LZov-QQl6nCBHT_WnxkuQUN2vftJEM4BiBgXUfhK07zn_gNmFz-GFECqDmfDiIwhiIWx/s1600/parenting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwPZA0W3nPKeoZegM4clmQVkjKworSYd_-4wLCEGqMkjL-o2reJDXkcdGPh8Bsms6QmVJ-G_7LZov-QQl6nCBHT_WnxkuQUN2vftJEM4BiBgXUfhK07zn_gNmFz-GFECqDmfDiIwhiIWx/s320/parenting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fj6wWhyyVQ6c7IHui9Pl2r6GFbPMshvWQ-6K2eSiZKeImJXs6L8MF2FkuJu93F5cB655gm4SwxLuHUMKohjjXPGARLHQehMtlWK_tQwqMt1tRYQUWpezqmaxvDlSGC82dMrKNxIi1Q8a/s1600/parent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fj6wWhyyVQ6c7IHui9Pl2r6GFbPMshvWQ-6K2eSiZKeImJXs6L8MF2FkuJu93F5cB655gm4SwxLuHUMKohjjXPGARLHQehMtlWK_tQwqMt1tRYQUWpezqmaxvDlSGC82dMrKNxIi1Q8a/s640/parent.jpg" width="153" /></a>This post is going to be short and sweet. If you think having a good marriage is difficult, try being a parent. It sometimes seems impossible. How someone could be a parent and not pray every single day just completely baffles me. I certainly can't be a good parent on my own. A verse that I read within the last week seems very appropriate now. </div>
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<a cmimpressionsent="1" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10:27&version=NIV"><strong><span style="color: #651300;"><em>Mark 10:27</em></span></strong></a><br />
<em>Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”</em></div>
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I'm so thankful for the Lord and His presence in my life. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-70363379450827318202012-04-25T09:49:00.000-07:002012-04-25T09:49:42.788-07:00Blessed<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7CaHXa1XZdoR_WyzCsnxitQe0dCd6W0Tmrk7FVCY2m39Go7Q66q1-Nekp36DlCCH35r_XbbLvgdwjF_tTjY3heF64S_ruPyotJNRbu-sDm22oizGJTOVdWWYHRSFq4zYZ-Fillj9QHQ2/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7CaHXa1XZdoR_WyzCsnxitQe0dCd6W0Tmrk7FVCY2m39Go7Q66q1-Nekp36DlCCH35r_XbbLvgdwjF_tTjY3heF64S_ruPyotJNRbu-sDm22oizGJTOVdWWYHRSFq4zYZ-Fillj9QHQ2/s1600/blog.jpg" /></a></div>
I sit here on the porch in the beauty of the day. It is my favorite place to spend time with the Lord. I love to sit there rocking back and forth on the bench reading my bible and listening to the sounds of His wonderful creation. I can hear many different types of birds chirping harmoniously, creating a wonderfully soothing melody. The sun shines brightly as it filters through the leaves of the many trees in our yard. The squirrels playfully scurry about as they chase each other around trees. I can see a couple of bees buzzing nearby. I can feel the peace in the Lord's loving creation all around me. It beckons me. I feel a sense of God saying to me, "I created all of this for you because I love you and I want you to enjoy all of the beauty around you." I think of this and all of the blessings the Lord has poured into my life and I feel truly overwhelmed by His goodness and grace. He has blessed me beyond what I could ever imagine. I feel humbled by all that the Lord has given me and done for me. I give all of my thanks and praise to Him. I acknowledge that everything that I have is from my Heavenly Father. He has saved my life. He has saved my soul. He has saved my marriage. He has blessed me with a healthy, happy son when I was told that I would probably never be able to bear children. He has given me a wonderful Christian husband who loves me with all of his heart. The Lord has placed me in a fulfilling job in which I am truly happy. I get to help others who are sick and injured while I work alongside a group of truly amazing coworkers. I feel blessed to work with people who care about others and will help them and me in our times of need. My cup runneth over. I continue to sit and enjoy the peace of God's creation. I can feel Him in the creation all around me. He is the gentle breeze blowing through my hair. He is with me always and He loves me. I am His daughter and He is my Father.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9AzeTbIUORSsjblhhUjbCWxY3qQKe52lIRlxVpyyc6vgV7CgGZsgrlWJ_rUs_M1lIRk0DQdzirW_5w4rzJ6rqoWcZiJZ8pEjr-4Qxb-P3zomvj4zmMaPt2mX-qPDm1gMaV9mzTJsSgru/s1600/blessed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9AzeTbIUORSsjblhhUjbCWxY3qQKe52lIRlxVpyyc6vgV7CgGZsgrlWJ_rUs_M1lIRk0DQdzirW_5w4rzJ6rqoWcZiJZ8pEjr-4Qxb-P3zomvj4zmMaPt2mX-qPDm1gMaV9mzTJsSgru/s320/blessed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Psalm 23:5-6</span></h3>
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<sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14241"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">5</span></strong></sup> You prepare a table before me <br /> in the presence of my enemies. <br />You anoint my head with oil; <br /> my cup overflows. <br /><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-14242"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">6</span></strong></sup> Surely your goodness and love will follow me <br /> all the days of my life, <br />and I will dwell in the house of the LORD <br /> forever. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-61686581071937767642012-04-12T11:31:00.000-07:002012-05-02T06:25:05.026-07:00Distracted . . . to Peaceful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfO4ouKxUvLJd6KrIIM0YkNKh7yd0eHSIJrhx42GokLNqpMUnQH1hhFD43MVBUMK2yd5V9eN1veR9ZVnafAqZH57Fz0eZ2XbOMupyC6yc38I9RXgIfeQbPr79CnjlkoYOrKSFp7ofB6OO/s1600/peace11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfO4ouKxUvLJd6KrIIM0YkNKh7yd0eHSIJrhx42GokLNqpMUnQH1hhFD43MVBUMK2yd5V9eN1veR9ZVnafAqZH57Fz0eZ2XbOMupyC6yc38I9RXgIfeQbPr79CnjlkoYOrKSFp7ofB6OO/s320/peace11.jpg" width="320" /></a>I spent time with the Lord this morning. I prayed for those in my life who are ill, hurting or need prayer in other ways. Then I sat and listened. At first, I didn't get any words from the Lord. I sat there at the table and listened to the sounds of the house: the washing machine swishing, the dryer running and the tick-tocking of a nearby clock. I really tried to focus and relax. I shut my eyes. I thought I could hear the faint humming of the refrigerator. I found that as hard as I was trying, I just couldn't obtain complete concentration due to the lack of silence. My thoughts were interrupted by these random sounds. I was distracted by the things around me. I really thought about this and realized that God was showing me something important here. It reminded me of a vision that I had a few years ago. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwcBkEYoxJ_ghl8dk5Ox1j8Hf3vKpDplALIO9VJk8vpZFjoxixitwIqn2hLyJfMtVp8KDLPRNpg5qjeFZQFAS-k_-P8yCyOmakVHePJM1fxcg6prPX-NFF6WLpD6CVgpIoWj1AOK79lrU/s1600/path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwcBkEYoxJ_ghl8dk5Ox1j8Hf3vKpDplALIO9VJk8vpZFjoxixitwIqn2hLyJfMtVp8KDLPRNpg5qjeFZQFAS-k_-P8yCyOmakVHePJM1fxcg6prPX-NFF6WLpD6CVgpIoWj1AOK79lrU/s200/path.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I can actually remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting at the triage desk at work waiting for the next patient to come. I was looking out the front window when I saw a vision of a long road or path. At the end of the path was the Lord. The path was littered with a lot of large debris like fallen trees, garbage, man-made things, etc. In order to get down this path to the Lord, I must remove all of the debris. With each piece of debris that I remove, the easier it is to get down the path and the closer I get to the Lord. The path in this vision is my life and my walk with the Lord. The debris is every distraction (good or bad) that gets in the way of me following the Lord. I must put all things aside to focus on the Lord. This includes all of the emotional "garbage" that I've collected over the years as well as the worldly distractions that are all around me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FOWvU9t-0gyCqrD1g0qy3IRancE8xhdswiVVod7K_NlOEUGcgiicSMufazBiItXJMf7KY1WTJMOg8v17ds0fz6Whk-F2QyZHTL4L61TNs1vmV6h2CUCeCfEZyzAP14MgIvZoZdbTUMwD/s1600/peace+that+surpasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FOWvU9t-0gyCqrD1g0qy3IRancE8xhdswiVVod7K_NlOEUGcgiicSMufazBiItXJMf7KY1WTJMOg8v17ds0fz6Whk-F2QyZHTL4L61TNs1vmV6h2CUCeCfEZyzAP14MgIvZoZdbTUMwD/s320/peace+that+surpasses.jpg" width="248" /></a>How easy is it to let things of the world distract us from spending necessary time with the Lord? It doesn't take much for us to get caught up in worldly desires and activities. These distractions aren't always considered "sinful" either. Watching too much television or spending a lot of time surfing the Internet can certainly interfere with our devotional time. I admit that I have actually let my favorite hobby of knitting come between me and God. The Lord wants our best. He wants our first, not our last. He wants our attention, devotion, love, faithfulness and time. He wants us to come to Him regularly to completely give ourselves over to Him. He wants us to follow Him and be like Him. That's one reason He gave us Jesus. He sent His Son to this world as a living, breathing, perfect example for us to follow. Then He documented these specific examples of perfection from Jesus' life in the Holy Bible. He wants us to read it and to learn about Jesus so that we can be like Him. And then He wants us to teach our children how to be like Jesus. He doesn't want us to stop there, He wants us to tell our family, our friends, our coworkers, our enemies - well, pretty much everyone we can about Jesus and His perfect example of life. We need to tell others how He is working in our lives and share the Good News. That is why I started this blog, to share God and what He is doing in my life with anyone who is willing to sit and read it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRw_3l3RzvAGRfTD659j2owH5Qd5N39Ieyu8-6DYAlt4qJI6nMfHtt6QWsKvtIqRwg-f1L-pZlOb4R9conZIDg_zl9FSA24XzenDFdyG8mIcEyWCbVtQMok1F4xhDa4o2YJPse_mQeMzg/s1600/peace+of+God.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRw_3l3RzvAGRfTD659j2owH5Qd5N39Ieyu8-6DYAlt4qJI6nMfHtt6QWsKvtIqRwg-f1L-pZlOb4R9conZIDg_zl9FSA24XzenDFdyG8mIcEyWCbVtQMok1F4xhDa4o2YJPse_mQeMzg/s320/peace+of+God.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm certainly not perfect. Trust me, I am far from perfection. Jesus is the only person who is truly perfect in every way. I'm just saying that when I feel the Lord prompting me to do or say something, I try to be obedient. This is sometimes very difficult. Often people look at me like I'm an absolute freak. But that's OK, I don't really care. I just want to carry out God's plan for me. I feel that if I don't respond to God's calling, I or someone else will most likely miss out on His wonderful blessings. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSjZncaqNUm6Ff9RuwsGjdefCju-axXMG7oXeSPn0h75QPhfbs59UCdvDMmYCgd8Cfd57TtATWFR8p6AN8fUWg6d7Rfc3McWj38So-6aqlLur9mya-yF1Iecp-R6Vk-hAjoiMA6ofuHwC/s1600/God%2527s+peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSjZncaqNUm6Ff9RuwsGjdefCju-axXMG7oXeSPn0h75QPhfbs59UCdvDMmYCgd8Cfd57TtATWFR8p6AN8fUWg6d7Rfc3McWj38So-6aqlLur9mya-yF1Iecp-R6Vk-hAjoiMA6ofuHwC/s320/God%2527s+peace.jpg" width="320" /></a>I will admit that lately I haven't been spending time in the Lord like I should. I can feel a difference in myself and see a difference in my life. First of all I can tell that I'm just a little grumpier or crankier than usual. I don't get along with my family as well. It seems like we argue and disagree more. I just feel uneasy or unsettled . . . like I don't have that peace. You know, the peace of God that transcends all understanding? When I don't spend regular time with God, that peace is gone. I hate that. And then when I start to draw closer to Him again, the peace returns like water gently flowing over me. That, my friends, is truly the greatest feeling in the world - the peace of God. Have you experienced it? </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02019621054212140616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2849759996655204738.post-84377626912748107352012-04-07T17:51:00.000-07:002012-04-08T05:21:02.303-07:00A Pinteresting EasterRyan had the past couple of days off school, so we decided to do some Easter crafts, pinterest-style. We started with making these adorable nests with candy eggs. Aren't they cute? Here's the link for these nests: <a href="http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/04/07/birds-nests/">http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/04/07/birds-nests/</a><br />
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The next thing we did was color Easter eggs like we do every year. This year I thought that we should incorporate Jesus onto our eggs, so we made scripture and worship eggs. I actually really love this idea and I'm pretty sure that we will do this every year now. What better time to share the love of Jesus than Easter? We listened to worship music as we created our miniature masterpieces. We used white crayon to write the words and then re-dipped the eggs in a darker or brighter color. You could certainly use any color of crayon or marker to write your message onto the eggs. I can't wait until next Easter to see what wonderful worship eggs we can make. <br />
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Lastly, we made cute flower cookies. I also got this idea from pinterest. However, there was no link or recipe, just a photo uploaded by someone. After studying the photo, this is what I came up with. Start with a vanilla wafer. Add white icing (you need to make it very thick to get everything to stick together.) If you need a simple recipe for the icing, leave me a comment and I will post it. Then use a junior mint for the center and M&Ms for the petals. Lastly, dip two pretzel sticks in icing and stick them onto the bottom of the wafer. You need to let them sit a couple of hours to let the icing dry and harden a bit. They are so cute and actually quite yummy. <br />
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OK, now I have a small confession. Not all of my ideas are great. For example, we started the morning with a coffee cake that I concocted. I modified the recipe a bit. I didn't think we had any blueberries like the recipe called for, but we did have several bags of black raspberries in the freezer. I thought that surely raspberries could be substituted for the blueberries, right? They are both fruit and kind of tart. They are practically the same color. Well, I was so wrong. When raspberries are frozen and thawed, they get kind of mushy and juicy. They turned the entire coffee cake purple. It didn't necessarily taste all that bad, maybe just a little different. I think more than anything it was just difficult to eat dark purple coffee cake. I know it is just a mental thing, but I felt a bit like a character from a Dr. Seuss book. Well, you can be the judge, here is the picture. Is it too weird for you? I think it was for me. <br />
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Have a wonderful, blessed happy Easter everyone!<br />
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