Hearts in Service

Good news Bad news Stressful news Hopeful news A turn of events this past week that have caused my emotions to take roller coaster soars and dips. A pounding headache and perpetual knot in my stomach show that I've dipped more than soared. One thing I do know is that God is in control. God has a plan for me and my family. He will work all things according to His purposes. So, I can either choose to rant and rave and wail my way through life or I can hang on tight to His promises and see where He is taking me. While I may not necessarily be ranting and raving and wailing, unfortunately I do quite a bit of whimpering and moaning! :-) However, I do trust God. I know that I will follow wherever He leads. I'm learning to follow immediately though and not meander through my own paths. We made the decision this week to move to our church's parsonage. This decision was primarily a financial one. We are struggling here. The church has only been able to pick up half of Dan&

It's Foto Friday today and the theme this week was hands. I loved this theme and was able to come up with a few shots that I liked. Playing hands. Baby's chubby hands. Praying hands. For more photos, you can check out Rebecca's blog .

Even though it's only in the 20s & 30s the past few days, we've been enjoying the sunshine. Looking forward to Spring!

I am beginning to look forward to this time each Monday when I can list all the many ways the Lord has blessed me during the week. It's been a great exercise looking for things to be thankful for each week, no matter if they are small or large. This week I'm thankful for Blessings #201-210 ♥ New glasses. ♥ Children leading family devotions. ♥ A beautiful moon to light up the sky. ♥ An afternoon playing soccer on the snow. ♥ Friends who helped solve a burden that has been weighing on me. ♥ Teens who love games. ♥ An athletic daughter. ♥ A decision that has brought tremendous peace to my husband. ♥ Enjoyable past-times that are free. and finally... ♥ A sign of the coming Spring.

Winter is still going strong here and as I look at the trees in my yard, they look brown and drab. Yet, one day as I was taking pictures the sun was starting to set. As I zoomed in on the tree with the sun setting behind it, the brown branches were alive with golden light. It was beautiful! Yet, the photo is out of focus. Beautiful, but blurry. Sometimes when I look at Nathan's future, I feel the same discouragement and depression that the dreariness of winter brings. Yet every now and then a glimmer of light shines through which stirs up something inside of me. The big picture is blurry, yet there is something beautiful in trusting God for His plan for Nathan. However, it is such a mixture of the two that the lines get blurred and it's hard to know what to think or believe. A few weeks ago Nathan, Dan & I had a meeting with the agency that would be helping Nathan beyond high school. If he qualified, some of the things they would do was to help him interview for job

It's Foto Friday today. I was very excited to take pictures this week because I got a new camera! I had a little point and shoot digital camera that I've been using but it has it's limits. I have always wanted a better camera but couldn't afford it. For some reason I have a very difficult time buying myself anything without feeling guilty. My mother sends me birthday money every year but it usually goes to pay a bill or get something for the children. However, this year I took the money along with a gift card we received a while back and purchased a Canon Powershot SX30. Of course, I have no idea how to use it! But I'm willing to learn. These three photos don't have anything to do with the theme, but I was pleased with my first attempt. This last one is my favorite of the bunch. I honestly don't know how I got the background to be all black, except that I took it in the dark. I didn't edit it at all and thought it looked neat. For more photos,

Everywhere I've looked lately I see pink, white and red. The colors of love! Pink Valentine cards... Red & white stones make up a Valentine centerpiece... Red table settings... Red & pink sunrise... Pink & white flowers...

Community I love our church family. I've never experienced such a sense of community in all of my years of attending church. They are passionate about reaching out. They love God. They love each other. They love us. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They are believers working their way through life and trying to live for God. They forgive each other. They don't put demands on us. They are willing to try new things. We have such an interesting mix in our church. From older... To younger... Yet there is not a lot of age segregation in our congregation. Perhaps it's because we are a smaller church and don't have a lot of resources. However, it has evolved into something that I think is much the way church should be. We have a nursery for the youngest children, but they are not required to be there. Children church is offered up to age ten for those children who desire it. Most of our children sit in the service. They listen to Dan. They usually draw

Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts, but it definitely has to be the creamy, New York style cheesecake. Stephen requested this for his birthday and this recipe has worked for me every time. Graham Cracker Crust 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 3 Tbsp. sugar 3 Tbsp. butter, melted Combine crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cheesecake 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (I take it out of the fridge about an hour or two before I need it) 3/4 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla; our over crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until set. Loosen cake from rim of pan after it cools completely . Waiting until it cools will prevent your cheesecake from cracking. Chill. Top w

I'm posting this late today. It's Foto Friday and the challenge this week was WARMING . I spent a few days this week by the fire and thought the dancing flames made a great picture. For more pictures, check out Rebecca's blog . this week. The challenge for next week is Valentine which should be fun!

Eighteen years ago I looked down into the little face of my middle child and fell instantly in love. Stephen turns 18 today and has added so much joy to this family. He is smart, kind, and easy going. He has a great sense of humor and makes us laugh all the time. He is generous, sensitive, and feels things deeply. He loves the outdoors, computers, and anything to do with science. He loves to write creatively and would like to write a book someday. I love him with all my heart and his father and I are so proud of the young man he has become. Happy Birthday, Stephen!