Hello September!

Can you believe that fall is almost here? The nights are getting cooler and leaves are on the cusp of change - autumn here we come!

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I am currently studying Bible Hermeneutics (the art and science of interpreting the Bible). It is fascinating stuff. We just finished lessons on the history of the Bible. Did you know how many people gave their lives so that we could have access to a Bible that we could easily read? It really makes me appreciate that my Bible is not simply another book - it is my lifeline. I think that I will detail that information here later, it is definitely worth sharing.

Our Mini-Vacation

A few weeks ago, my family went on a trip with some friends from church. Our first destination was the Living Word Outdoor Drama in Cambridge, Ohio. The picture below is the set used to tell the story of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount to His crucifixion and resurrection. The entire experience was superb! All of the actors, with the exception of the man portraying Jesus, were volunteers, and the acting was exceptional.

After a night spent at a Holiday Inn Express (just a quick plug for these hotels, I've stayed in three separate hotels in this chain - all of them were high quality!), we set out for Petersburg, Kentucky home of the Creation Museum. The museum and the surrounding grounds contain, of course, the museum, a planetarium, a petting zoo and botanical garden.
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Before we toured the inside of the museum, we walked through the beautiful gardens, across tricky rope bridges all the way to the petting zoo. The animals were super friendly, and tolerated my many attempts at close-up photography.

Once we went inside, our first order of business was to go directly to the 4D theater to watch the film "Men in White". The movie was entertaining, but the real fun was the movement of the seats and the splashes of water that accompanied it. As we started through the many exhibits, this sign caught my eye:

Absolutely amazing to see this posted prominently in a museum!

My daughter posing with the animals in the Garden of Eden

My son enjoying the dinosaurs

I've entitled this photo,"Mr. Clean in the Grand Canyon"

The entire experience was great, but the high point was the planetarium. The star gazer theater show was spectacular. I completely lost myself in the show. Emerging from the theater, I was completely blown away by just how big our God is!

In other news, I have completed my first college course and tomorrow, I begin the second - Bible Hermeneutics I!

Sorry

Sorry about the unannounced blog break. I had the best of intentions, yet time just kept slipping away this week. The last bit of summer vacation is upon us and my family has been squeezing it for every bit of summer fun we can.

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A week ago, we visited the Creation Museum in Kentucky and The Living Word drama in Ohio. I'll be posting pictures from those locations soon!

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My first college class is nearly finished, just need to finish the final project. Next class starts on 8/30. Loving these classes, but scheduling homework is a challenge.

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School clothes shopping is 50% finished! Still can't believe it is that time of year already. Where did the summer go?

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Bye for now!

Alice

Today, we said goodbye to a dear friend. Alice's 95th birthday was Tuesday, and in the very early morning of that day, nearly the hour of her birth, God took her home to be with Him for eternity. It was her deepest wish to be with her Lord, and to go on her birthday must have brought her great joy.

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Alice was a diminutive, white haired woman with a huge smile and sparkling eyes. She may have appeared small and a bit frail, but spiritually she was a giant. Whoever coined the term "prayer warrior" must have known her, because the name fit her perfectly. If the church doors were open, she was there. She lived and loved to serve. Her funeral service today was bittersweet. All of us who loved her will miss her, but anyone who spent more than 30 seconds with her knew where her hope and treasure were, and we rejoiced for her because of it.

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Many happy memories were shared today of a woman who completed her race in such a way that she set an example for her many friends.

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Happy Birthday, Alice!

Food that Flopped - and how we laughed about it later

I have not always been a good cook. I flinch writing that just now, but it is unfortunately true. I've always liked to cook, I just wasn't as skilled as I should have been starting out.

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There were many kitchen mishaps in the beginning. Strawberry jam that somehow missed the jell stage and went straight for a crystallized mass melded with the bottom of the pan. Endless meals involving hot dogs (cringe) and packaged macaroni and cheese (blech). But I would have to say that Thanksgiving 1996 was my not so finest moment.

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My ambition has never overshot my ability as much as it did that day.

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It was my first turkey. The instructions seemed easy enough. Never mind the fact that I had never even cooked a whole chicken let alone it's much larger counterpart - details were unimportant. I followed all of the instructions, save those that admonished that the turkey should be well thawed. The bird had been in the refrigerator for 2 whole days, and being a Thanksgiving novice, I though that would be enough.

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At the appointed time, I pulled the pasty poultry from the oven, a bit perplexed that it did not have the same healthy glow as the turkeys did in the advertisements. All the same, I shrugged and put the platter on the table. To this day, I'm surprised the bird didn't hop right off the table and make a run for it when my husband valiantly tried to carve it.

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There have been many other Thanksgiving turkeys since that fateful day in November. But that is the one that everyone remembers.

Stories from Atlanta

Finally got all of my school work caught up from last week! That was a challenge!
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So much happened in Atlanta last week, it was an amazing experience. As I shared before, Monday was spent in the city, working with the homeless. Coming from a rural area, homelessness like we saw in Atlanta is completely outside of our realm of experience. I was so impressed with the members of our youth group, who gladly chatted with the men and shared the Good News with them.

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Two of our days were spent at an apartment complex outside of the city. Nestled in a suburban area, back a little road, and you were deposited into an entirely different world. You see, this complex is entirely populated by refugees from 19 different countries - the most war torn areas of the world. The children mobbed us! Some of the kids did not speak English, but all of them knew the language of play. Our job was to spend time playing with the children and getting to know them. What a joy that was! It was completely impossible to tire those kids out, and a few of them actually climbed on the bus with us. When we lovingly removed them from the bus, they stood on the back bumper determined that they were not going to lose us. It was heart wrenching leaving that place as the kids ran alongside us, waving and asking us to come back. I'll not easily forget the time we spent there.

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The apartments and their occupants are served by a wonderful man of God, Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bennett is a missionary from Nigeria. His deepest desire is to see souls won for Christ. Talking to him was absolutely amazing! He had such insight into the plight of these refugees and had such love for these kids and their parents.

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More to follow tomorrow.

Mission Atlanta 2010

Well, we made it home to Pennsylvania yesterday! I had no Internet access (other than the few hours I camped out at Starbucks), so I have lots of stories from Atlanta ready to go for this week. I'll post them throughout the week. God blessed our youth group abundantly! The whole week was amazing.

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To start off the week, I thought I would post a quick slideshow with some of the pictures from our mission trip.

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Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Now for a story from Monday:

We navigated the treacherous seven lane highway into Atlanta and reached SafeHouse, a kind of drop in center for the homeless. There, we prepared and served a free pancake and coffee brunch and spent time getting to know our guests. The men that came for the meal were very friendly and loved getting to visit with the teens. After the meal and clean up were complete, we walked to a park in the city to eat our lunch. The kids and leaders were eager to share their lunches with the homeless in the park, but were dismayed to find that there was a fine for doing so. As we talked with the people we met, we shared our hope in Jesus Christ with them. It was so exciting to see some of our kids share their faith for the very first time!

A Smorgasbord of Thoughts

Greetings from South Carolina!
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Smorgasbord of thoughts sounds much better than "A Jumble of Things Rattling Around in My Head", doesn't it?
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Today started early and involved a lot of traveling. Around 10 hours on the road and two or so distributed between meals and pit stops.
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Since I have the apparently rare ability to read in a moving vehicle, I put my travel time to good use. I started and finished the book "To Save A Life", which was adapted from the movie soon to be released on DVD. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It's absolutely excellent and here is a trailer for the movie:

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I also am halfway through The Life You Always Wanted by John Ortberg and I am loving it. If only I had not misread the syllabus and started the incorrect book. Unfortunately, Mr. Ortberg's fine book will be laid aside while I catch up on this week's book, Ordering Your Private Life. Rats. Reading instructions was never my strong suit. Oh well, we still have at least two hours driving time tomorrow.

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Excitement is abounding for this week! I just cannot wait to see what God has in store for our gang! We have an awesome God, so I'm expecting an awesome week!

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Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to share the Word!

Countdown

This week is going to fly by. I just know it.
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In four days, my girl and I will be leaving for Atlanta, Georgia where we will be serving on a mission trip with our youth group. This week will be full of packing and planning and tying up loose ends.

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Also, in six days I officially begin online classes at Lancaster Bible College! My books are all received, I am ready to go!

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Busy, Busy, Busy!

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Have a blessed day, everyone!

As the deer. . .

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1 NIV

This verse was on my mind as we waded along the creek bed this weekend. It's been hot. Really, really hot. And dry. The creek we enjoyed has been known to spectacularly flood during especially rainy times, but for now, it is very shallow - barely ankle deep in spots. During drier spells, when water sources on higher ground become undependable, creatures draw near to life giving water ways that do not easily give out. Deer are especially beautiful, and are often seen in the evenings as they venture into fields to graze and to streams to drink. Their red brown coats gleam in the setting summer sun as they gracefully weave in and out of the tree line.

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A deer does not need a weather report to tell it that the weather is miserably hot. It probably doesn't read the newspaper either, so it didn't see the headlines bemoaning the low level of our water ways. It knows simply that it needs hydration to live and where to go to find nourishment. Psalm 42:1 describes our very souls panting for God as a deer pants for water. Our souls need God, in fact they were created to be connected to Him. When we neglect to spend time with our Creator, our souls cry out for Him. I'm so thankful that, like the deer, we can go to the Lord and He will meet our needs and give us life!

Free Smiles!

Anyone else like to smile?
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Here are some suggestions sure to make you grin:

• Go for a creek walk (make sure you pronounce it correctly - crick walk). Scream like a little girl when a lobster size* crayfish bumps your toe. Giggle like an idiot when you reach the bank and notice your audience laughing their heads off.
• Watch your husband do the same (minus the screaming) when he sees a water snake.
• Dance with a baby. Make sure you spin and dip!
• Hang a toddler upside down and tickle his belly. If those chuckles don't make you smile - check your pulse!
• Watch a crowd of children squeal when the fireworks put on a show.
• Paint a room your favorite color (GREEN!)
• Beat the heat by cuddling in the air conditioning with a sweet pup.

Needless to say, it was a very happy weekend!

*This may be a slight exaggeration.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane . . .

For the past month or two, eye-catching signs have been popping up all over the place advertising a brand new business.

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Zip Lines.

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Located out of town, near our huge lake, brand new zip lines have been installed and my kids could not wait to try them out. They had to wait a few weeks, but after church we followed the signs and there it was - just what my daredevil children had been anticipating.

The pictures aren't perfect, but they were moving FAST! On the last ride, my girl decided to hang upside down. My heart didn't start beating again until her feet were on solid ground.

My son decided that riding the line in an upright fashion was much more to his liking.

Zip lines were definitely a hit with these two and they are already planning more trips this summer. Mom and Dad were content with zip lining as a spectator sport.

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer

Family hike tonight! Getting rid of cable was the best decision we ever made :)

I Fought the Shot and the Shot Won

I've been a bit remiss in posting this week. I was out of commission, taken down by a tetanus shot. Not one of my finer moments. My grandma would have called me a prim rose. Being a prim rose is not a good thing in these parts. My tale of woe started on Monday afternoon while on a visit to my doctor (who is quite possibly the coolest doctor on the planet). Due to my upcoming mission trip (less than a month away), it was necessary for me to get my immunizations updated. That meant a combination tetanus/pertussis vaccine. Didn't hurt much at all - until the next morning that is. Throbbing arm and a low grade fever caused much grumbling and whining at my house. I have it on good authority that I might be a wimp. I'm not proud of it, but those are the facts.

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Fascinating, thus far, isn't it?

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After a day of feeling much better and with a exponentially better attitude, we resumed our evening walks. Tonight we hiked a trail through the woods, sadly littered with broken beer bottles. Suddenly, that tetanus shot didn't seem like such a bad idea. There were several trees down across the path, requiring us to climb over or under nature's obstacle course. As an aside, my husband would have you believe that I intentionally maimed him by pushing a dead tree onto his leg. That was NOT my intention. I did yell move - he just didn't react quickly enough. Poor man sustained three scratches down the back of his calf. I thought we were going to have to amputate. Just kidding, hon. You know I love you!

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The trail opened up at the peak of the town graveyard, so we headed home on the meandering path back down the cemetery hill. As we looked at the old gravestones, the number of young people in the older section was sad. I wondered how many of them died of illnesses completely preventable today. Again, the tetanus shot was looking better and better. How fortunate we are!

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So, I will end with the word that has been on my mind all evening - Thankful.

I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.

Psalm 138:2 NIV

Reflecting on a Wonderful Weekend

Our weekend officially started with a walk to the Farmer's Market on Thursday, enjoying fresh strawberries and blueberries on the return walk. Whoopie pies, too!

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Then came our annual family trip to the rodeo. We love the rodeo, we really do. It's a great family outing, and this particular one is also a fundraiser for a small Catholic school in a nearby town. So, it's a win-win situation.

I tried to get pictures of the bronco and bull riding, but everything just happened so fast once they were out of the shoot.
I am sorry I didn't catch this cowboy's name. The back of his vest read, "Rodeo With Jesus" and his chaps were emblazoned with crosses. I was impressed with his bold faith - he knelt in prayer behind the bull pen before climbing into the pen with his bull. He was thrown rather quickly, got up and dashed out of the bull's path, and knelt again in the corner of the arena before standing and accepting his applause.

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We spent a lazy Saturday hiding out from the worst of the heat watching movies together in the AC, but emerged and took an evening walk together before the storms set in. Father's Day was a great day spent with family as well. I live for weekends like this!

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Long live lazy summer weekends!

An Evening Ramble

My hubby and I have been enjoying our evening walks immensely. For the past week, we have been choosing increasingly challenging treks. Tonight, was the best of all.

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First, lets take a look at this beauty blooming on the front porch!

We hiked all the way up to the highest point in town. It was steep. It was the hardest walk thus far, but oh, my. It was so, so worth it!

Remember this post? I loved taking in this view of the mountains and valleys stretching off into the distance.

And finally, a picture of me, triumphantly enjoying the splendor of God's creation!

The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:19

Favorite Quotes

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.
C. S. Lewis

One can give without loving, but cannot love without giving.
Amy Carmichael

When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.
Fanny Crosby

We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine.
D. L. Moody

Whirlwind Week

What a week this has been!
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Just as my children celebrated their last day of school, my daughter's last day of middle school *sniffle*, I received my book list for my first college course at Lancaster Bible College. In a little over a month, I will officially begin classes. So, while my kids kick back and relax, mom will be hitting the books.

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I'm sorry I didn't keep up with blogging about this week by week, but this was our final week of the Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst. Those six weeks flew by! I highly recommend this study, each lesson was better than the last and the messages were challenging, faith strengthening and went straight to the heart. I hope that she writes many, many more Bible studies. We used the DVD that went with the book as well, and each lesson was like visiting with a dear friend.

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On the home front, we are shifting from school schedules to summer schedules and the more relaxed pace is like manna from Heaven. Evenings spent walking through our neighborhood or reading on the front porch while enjoying a breeze, are divine. The garden is planted (on a much more modest scale than last year) and the plum trees are laden with fruit.

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Summer here we come!

Honeymoon Memories

Sixteen years ago next month, my brand new husband and I set off on our honeymoon with a beat up Oldsmobile and limited funds. Our destination was Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, where we would be staying at a beautiful lodge in the woods. In what would be a preview into future family trips, we ran into massive road construction, the car overheated, we got lost and we laughed like maniacs at the entire fiasco! Upon entering the park, we paid for our entrance fee and made our way on Skyline Drive to the lodge. Our accommodations were gorgeous, and well worth the trials it took to get there.

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We spent hours driving around enjoying the wildlife, hiking to see various waterfalls and rock formations and visiting historical spots around the park. The two of us had so much fun simply being together!

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The honeymoon memories we keep coming back to, however, is the food. You see, when we paid our entrance fee, we naively paid for a one-way ticket, not a one week pass, which would have allowed us to come and go from the park as we pleased. We were stuck. The lodge had a restaurant, but after the first morning, the stark realization that our coffers would not hold out long against $15.00 blueberry pancakes, caused a bit of consternation. There were precious few other options. Fortunately, we found a small campground store and stocked up on snack foods to make the money stretch - and we laughed like maniacs about $15.00 blueberry pancakes.

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Such very good memories of our first trip together. And just like all of the trips that have followed, none have been perfect, but all have been memorable!

Sometimes, God Speaks Greyhound

I want to be very honest here - I am NOT a big fan of change. I like to be in control. Experiencing a panic attack was terrifying - I was definitely not in control. It required change, again not a fan. My response to this happening was completely mature and rational. I pouted. And pouted. And pouted. Also, I whined. And cried. I didn't want this. I didn't understand where God was in this. I prayed (but mostly I just whined at God and called it praying).

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One night recently, I was laying on our couch, trying to nap, but mostly just complaining to God, that I just didn't feel very close to Him. It was quite the pity party. No sooner did I pray that, I felt one of the dogs climbing up beside me. I braced myself for Runner's boneless 70 pounds of deadweight to flop down on top of me. When that didn't come, I looked over to see Midnite, ever so gently curling up beside my legs. Just to explain, Midnite does not cuddle. She is affectionate, but she wants at least half the couch or nothing, and you must not touch her or she huffs in exasperation and gets up. But, right there for the first time ever, Midnite voluntarily snuggled down with me.

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Four years ago, we decided to adopt a greyhound. We had visited with some of the already adopted dogs and promptly submitted an application. Shortly thereafter, we were matched with a small female recently retired from racing in Florida. The kids were so excited to go pick up our dog. We went through the fenced in yard and were greeted eagerly by three other dogs, while Midnite slunk in the background. Despite our best efforts, she hid behind the other dogs and spurned our attempts at getting acquainted. There were reservations because of her spookiness and a household with kids, but we decided to go ahead with a two week trial period. During that test run, we discovered to Midnite was terrified of everything and everyone. We walked her with a harness and a collar lest she panic and slip out of one or the other. When she wasn't scared out of her mind, she was depressed, lying in a far corner, curled up in a tiny ball, pretending we didn't exist. She almost didn't stay. Somewhere along the line, she decided that she trusted us. Midnite became the sweetest, quirkiest, smartest dog we could have ever imagined. I had forgotten the skinny, shy, scaredy hound we brought home.

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When Midnite curled up with me as I was grousing at God for seeming far away, I was reminded that not long ago, the pup curled up at my feet was a lot like me. The only difference was, she trusted us. Did I trust Him?

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Yes.