Good Morning

I know it has been since November since I have written but we have had quite the excitement since then. There have been trips to other states, Christmas, starting of a new job, lots of games and laughter, a whole week with the whole family and then there was daniel's surgery on Jan. 4th. No excuses just reality!!

Not sure I will catch you up but i will send you to alison's blog so you can see the pictures of our Christmas. It was a wonderful time with all the kids and grandkids!!

Cailyn and Corban and their parents will leave next Monday and so I have tried to think through what more do we want to do. We need to finish Charlotte's Web with Cailyn and cook a bit more together with her. Yesterday we made

marshmallow fruit dip.

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 carton (6 oz) cherry yogurt
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

Complete with apples, pineapples, and mandarin oranges.

Even Corban loved it.


All of our meals since Sept. have been fun to gather up with Alison. She is a wonderful cook and we have shared (her doing a lot of the cooking) the kitchen experiences. Back in Lima, Alison gets her meals planned a head and so we tried to do this here. Sometimes working better than others. Last night we tried a new recipe and boy it was wonderful. It is one she will be able to repeat in Lima!! Yeah!!

Sherry's Aussie Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken, seasoned with sea salt
6 slices of bacon
honey mustard (you can make your own if you would like)
1 tbsp of oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups of colby/jack cheese

Season the chicken breasts with salt and cover and refrigerate for 30 min. Cook bacon until crisp.

Heat oil in skillet and place chicken and saute for 3-5 min. until brown. Move chicken to 9 x 13 pan.

Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon and cheese.

Bake 350 for 30 min. or until cheese is melted and chicken is done. (be sure to cut into a breast to see that it is fully cooked before serving. Serve with honey mustard sauce.

Well, we have a few more things we want to do before they leave and so off we go. peace to all!!

Expectation and Waiting ~ Be Alert and Ready!

If you give a mouse a cookie....are you familiar with these children's books?? Well if not, each of the books in this series is about giving a character one thing and it leading to another thing and another thing and another. How this worked out in my life began several years ago when Rachel Landolt introduced me to an author, Ruth Hailey Barton. She has put together an organization called The Transforming Center and I receive their eReflections email. (You can sign up for free, too.) This weeks eRelection email newsletter is about Staying Awake Spiritually.

The Transforming Center puts out a schedule of verses to read during the time called Advent. I have not really known much about Advent. But I enjoy anything that might be used as a tool to enhance my experience with God, His Son and Spirit. So Daniel and I enjoyed reading the first verses this morning. There are a set for each of the four Sundays before Christmas, some for Christmas Eve and some for Christmas Day. The Transforming Center encourages the process of reading, lectio divina, and I will let you investigate that. Very interesting and very helpful in our spiritual formation. It is all a process and don't let it overwhelm you. Take it a little at a time and enjoy all that God has for you.

Mattew 24:44...the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Enjoy this time on earth as we all expect and wait for Jesus to return and reflect on when He was here in the likeness of men.

My Spiral

After listening and taking notes on my second lesson about the Holy Spirit I have wanted to take the spiral everywhere I go so I can share what I have learned. The lesson mainly dealt with the fact that the Holy Spirit has been here from the very beginning and then took a front seat in our lives as He was sent to each of us.

After writing this post three times, I have had a hard time really explaining what were new thoughts and why it spoke to me. So I will try once more and see what comes. I had read the verses about the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle, Exodus 40:34, and about the glory of the Lord filling the house of the Lord (temple) in I Kings 8:11. The insight that when we come to Christ that the Holy Spirit lives in me was a teaching that seems to have come way back in college probably. But to think that at one time the plan was for God's presence to be in tabernacles and temples and that NOW the Spirit fills us as His temple was just refreshing. What a powerful thought, God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit doesn't want to be in a bldg. He wants to be in such close contact with me, He dwells within me. WOW!!

Again, I have thought about how powerful Jesus is and yet not noticed that the Spirit was mentioned in scripture so much as Jesus lived here as man!

Jesus is anointed with the Spirit and with power by God, Acts 10:38

Jesus had been conceived by the Holy Spirit Luke 1:35

Jesus begins to baptize with the Holy Spirit Matt 3:11

Jesus' blood through the Holy Spirit offers Himself to God so we can be cleansed Hebrews 9:14

Jesus was raised by the Holy Spirit from the dead, Romans 8:11

Jesus gave orders to the apostles by the Holy Spirit, Acts 1:1-2

Chris Seidman mentions that "we get that Jesus makes me whole and forgives me and I get to go to Heaven, but do we understand and act on the fact that the Spirit comes before we die and is transforming us NOW, before we go to Heaven." He points out that the big deal in Acts 2:38 isn't Heaven, it is the forgiveness of sin and the promise of the HOLY SPIRIT. We are distinguished as His people because we have the Spirit.

Come!

Revelation 22:17
"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come " And let the one who hears say, "Come " And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."

I'm listening to Chris Seidman's lessons on the Holy Spirit and I love listening to some new thoughts and seeing verses new as if I have never seen them before. This verse in Revelation, I had never noticed the Spirit along with the Bride (us, the church) both say COME!

Do you think of the Spirit being God manifested on earth at this time? What we think of the Spirit will effect how powerful He will work in our life. Jesus did leave and when he left he said, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:16-18

As we become Christians we receive the Spirit. The Spirit was there in the beginning Genesis 1:1-2, the name for God in verse one is Elohim - a plural form of God, meaning the Father, Son, and Spirit were there. I had understood that but beyond the story of creation I had not really noticed that the Spirit was mentioned as "US". Two examples of "US" are in Genesis 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8. Of course in the NT the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are mentioned in Matt 28:19. So the concept of there being three in one is a teaching in the Bible. We may see it as a mystery and some use the word Trinity (although that word isn't in the Bible). God's ways are different than ours and we only know impart at this time.

Chris Seidman encourages his student to not think of the Spirit as God's intern or a step down on the ladder from God. The Holy Spirit is God. He uses these verse:
Colosians 2:9 "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (all 3).

I Corinthian 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"

Ephesians 2:22 "in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit"

I John 3:24 "The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

Acts 5:3-4 "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit ... You have not lied to men but to God." They are referred to as the same.

All of these tell how God is relating to us now through the Spirit. The Father and Son are present, but right now on earth God relates to us through the Spirit who lives in His people.

The Holy Spirit will always lead us closer to Jesus and the Father.

The Holy Spirit will lead us to unity. In my past there were times I felt that some people wanted to speak of the Spirit and some wanted to only use the name of God or Jesus. Satan wants us to not speak of the Spirit. Understanding the difference between His power and the person that the Spirit is will help me grow. There is no division of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. The Spirit will draw us closer to one another as we share who the Spirit is, it's like talking about God, He is God!!

Daily Activities

Cailyn wakes up each morning and wants to know what "activity" are we going to do after breakfast!! Her breakfast is cheerios almost every morning and Corban will pretty much eat anything you give him (strawberries, blueberries, banana, apple sauce, toast, yogurt)!! We head out to the library on Tues. mornings and she loves the read along time even though she only sits or stands on her colored square instead of participating in all of the movements. She is very much into obversing and not performing. She picks out some books and does some of the puzzles and we are on our way. In the meantime we start out encouraging Corban to listen to the stories and end up giving him a "nack" as he says it so he will sit still. We have enjoyed many different activities.

Cooking chocolate pudding ~ even Corban got in on this activity!!


We have moved on to lower case "a", working through the letters in her name. We read this book and she did a great job of making an apple. She would sit and let you read to her almost every minute of the day!!

Daddy O has lots of practice with tea time with little girls. Cailyn thinks it is so funny that Daniel wants to do "her activity"

Before the night ends we have learned to play dominoes and of course our singing time with Daddy O. Yes, she wanted to wear her glasses and Baby Lima wanted to sit and enjoy our singing time. She sang full voice that night ~ her favorite song, Our God is an Awesome God!!

CHANGES

As i ran today the word "changes" came to me. My mind was flooded with changes!

a new house being built since I was last on this street

our house is lived in now, not as it was when it was first built

the girls have both married

I have starting running

grandchildren are here in the states

there are friends I don't talk to as often anymore

there are other friends who I keep up with more these days

These were some of the first that popped into my mind. The constant I most enjoy is that God walks with us, He is always on this journey with me, actually me with Him. I take comfort in this idea. I have been going back through the Experiencing God study and I'm on the chapters about God speaking to us. I love the process of listening and then realizing I have read scripture that I've read many times but now a new thought is there. I love to just think on those new thoughts and wonder what am I suppose to learn. I try to journal my thoughts so I don't lose them.

October 22nd was my mom's b-day. Many memories flashed in my mind. I had a friend ask me if I remembered my time with mom after I was married and even after I had children. Good question. I remember much, it was a great exercise as I am now the "momma" with adult married children and married children with their own children. Relationships with your married children is precious. I love to watch Alison still giggle as Justin teases her or listen to her jokes toward him. Watching Alison and Justin parent has made me very proud of their selflessness that is required. Daniel and I recently were able to be hosted by Hannah and Jason in their first home. They were so gracious as they shared their home and let us in on some prayer requests as they begin this season. I loved to watch them as they walked hand in hand on the water front they live near. Our relationship with our parents is such a process. I could only thank God a million times over as He took my mom to be with Him in 2000. So if she were here I would still want her advice on how to handle these ever growing relationships with the girls as they have married and grow into adulthood. She was a great example and God helped me work through her weak areas in order to show me she was human. So helpful!!

So changes, I don't want to be afraid of what God has around the corner. I want to be content with today and excited about tomorrow!! Changes, what changes are happening in your life??

We are having TOO MUCH FUN!!

Probably my favorite activity with the girls when they were little was going to the library and getting specific books to talk about whatever subject we were into at the time!! I have found a great site that gives ideas for art work and books reviews about certain subjects. Cailyn and I did the Upper Case "C" last week. We enjoyed the cutest book entitled Bob and Otto - about a caterpillar and a worm!! We have carried that book in the car all week. Baking cupcakes was also part of our time of talking about "C".

Cailyn doesn't like carrots and so we made up a song about "i don't like carrots..." (much laughter!!) We are going to talk about leaves this week. Can't wait to do some leaf rubbings and read some books about leaves!! Cupcakes on the front porch were enjoyed by ALL!!

Another activity we have enjoyed is a couple of trips to the children's museum. This is the museum Hannah and Jason got married in and so every time we go we have sweet memories. There is a tot spot activity on the first Friday of the month and it is a time for 3-5 year olds to visit the museum and to participate in an art project. It was all about doing art with metals last week. Cailyn was proud of her artwork!!
Fun on the pretend ambulance,and Corban is running the lights for a Broadway Show while Cailyn is saying, "Honey, you go, I'm getting dressed up!!




The ACU Homecoming Carnival was fun this year in a whole new way for Daniel and I since we were able to share it with Corban and Cailyn. As you can see the FULL FACE PAINTING was the first thing Cailyn wanted to do. Of course immediately her nose itched but she did a great job of leaving it on until bath time later. There were lots of joy jumps, joy slides, a great petting zoo!