leap frog

I can't resist showing someone!  (Sshhh, SarahE!)

This afternoon I ironed and trimmed fabric for 7 blankets, pinned the 3 that are needed soonest, and stitched this one.   Weather permitting, we will deliver it tomorrow -- and hopefully the little babe come out to enjoy it soon  :-)

slowly but surely

...we will have a lid on our house soon, I pray!

Here are some photos from the last couple weeks of progress...

While the weather outside was frightful, Dan & Jason framed walls in the basement.  Miss Artist is checking out her future bedroom.

These will be my huge closets in the study/sewing room  :-)  The room behind the closets will house a sump pump, etc,. along with freezers and pantry items.

The picture below looks a lot like the photo from this post, but if you look again, there are a few more trusses in this shot!  They did put up the first trusses on Monday, Jan. 18.  Must have been the end of the week when they were able to do some more.

This week they continued with the smaller trusses -- check out the garage!  I took this on Tuesday (yesterday)

And today VOILA!  They were able to have the crane come and help FINISH the job!  WooHoo!  The Lord gave them sunshine and a pretty calm breeze to work with today  :-)  The crane had just finished as we arrived, but better done than filmed in action!

Hope to put up some sheeting tomorrow... before the next weather system moves in!  The blue sky looks pretty now, but don't you think a solid roof would be better?  :-)

new life in Christ

 

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers encouraged her blogging readers to share their testimonies.  I'm a little behind joining her 'carnival' but here it is, in three million words or less...

I grew up in a very moral and religious family -- I remember sitting in the first or second pew of our church every Sunday.  I was always in Sunday School and VBS or other activities -- in junior high I even started helping and then teaching in VBS with the 2- and 3-year-olds -- not very deep theology needed  ;-)  I knew the story of the Good Samaritan among others I suppose (it's a long time ago now), but it wasn't personal.  And I'm pretty sure the 'total depravity of man' was quite overlooked... I think I was in the 'Do the best YOU can, and hope God likes you' belief system... the Protestant Work Ethic applied to salvation  (not good).  I almost had a close encounter with Christ one summer at Bible camp -- I don't think I really understood what I was doing (or attempting to believe) when I prayed with my counselor.  It might have been 1977, so I was probably about 12 years old -- old enough to have understood, but I think it was a case of the blind leading the blind. 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God...

For confirmation class, I must have memorized a lot.  I mostly enjoyed the social aspect of the class -- our motto:  An Occasion for Every Party (not just a party for every occasion, if you can see the difference - you have to think like a 14 year old) -- that just meant cookies or cake, etc., but having treats was much more fun than memorizing the ten commandments.  Somewhere along the way I learned Ephesians 2:8, but I didn't really understand the passage until ~1989, when I saw that God had GIVEN me the very FAITH to believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior!

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

But, for another ten years or so, I was still wandering on my own and wondering about those Big Questions of Life:  Who am I?  Where am I going?  (notice there's no reference to God in those popular graduation card questions)  I remember notebooking my way through high school (meaning I filled spiral notebooks with the lyrics to my favorite songs... or about every song I knew from the radio and my own record collection... and attempted to record profound thoughts out of my own head, too -- ha -- even attempting some poetry).  I remember recording my distorted view of Creation, trying to meld my Darwinian biology textbook with what I remembered from Genesis. Confusion?!

By the time I reached college, I determined I didn't want to feel like a hypocrite any longer.  It didn't seem to matter to anyone what I did on Saturday night if I was in church on Sunday morning (and I obviously thought that it should).  So the simple conclusion was to skip the church part, and I could just be me every day of the week.  I'll let you use your own understanding of typical state university student lifestyle.  I knew that I was not honoring my parents, but thought they didn't need to know anything about it.  (When I apologized years later, my mom still professed ignorance, but I chose not to convince her with the dirty details.)

Meanwhile, my best friend Marianne from schooldays had moved to Wisc to live with her aunt.  They took her to church, and her uncle led her to saving faith in Christ.  I visited her a few times. She witnessed to me repeatedly.  I remember telling her that I was sitting on the fence.  It sounded so good and so simple to just believe in Christ, but how could I know for sure?  She said I later told her that I couldn't become a born-again Christian when I was living with my friends (3 housemates who I enjoyed partying with).  She eventually married and moved to Chicago with her new husband.  And eventually I was living alone and not very happy with my life.  I called her on November 8, 1987, and we talked for ~2 hours (if I remember the phone bill correctly!)  After listening to my woes, she said to me in reference to trusting Christ, If not now, then when?!  And I yielded.   

Oh Happy Day!  :-)   

He that hath the Son hath life; 

and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you 

that believe on the name of the Son of God; 

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, 

and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  

I John 5:12-13

I had the same life I guess, but I had new motivation to make better choices (still depending upon pulling myself up by the bootstraps a bit).  I couldn't believe how easy it was to change some things (Praise the Lord for His work!), but others took much longer (ie, my music...)  It was Christmas before I went to church, but I went pretty regularly after that to an E-Free nearby.  I even joined a singles Bible study group, which allowed me some new friends.  But as I studied my Bible, listened to Christian radio, visited Marianne who had moved back to Wisc... I knew that wasn't the church where I wanted to stay.  It also seemed a real struggle to live like a Christian in my hometown.  So in May 1989 I moved to Wisconsin and started attending the Baptist church my friends belonged to.  I wasn't baptized until August, but that was a blessed event as well -- obedience is a good thing!

And can it be that I should gain

An interest in the Savior's blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! how can it be

That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

It still amazes me what Christ was willing to suffer, and what God purposed to accomplish in my life through Him.  I am so thankful for His grace upon grace... upon grace...

For when we were yet without strength, 

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: 

yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  

But God commendeth his love toward us, 

in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

hardness of heart

It seems every Sunday that I've been sitting in church listening to our pastor preach through Mark, I usually have the impulse to somehow share some of it with you.  But it's difficult to put it in a blog-sized nutshell.  So much better if you'd just go to the website and hope my friend LG has the sermons uploaded - and listen for yourself!  Even better if you could visit for the entire service in person, because there's always more to the message than just the sermon time...

AND, this is all building on our excellent Sunday school quarter - must have been last summer - seems like a decade ago, or just yesterday (Do I have early Alzheimers??)  It was primarily a video series by Bill Lawrence on Leading Like Our Lord (Servant Leadership, or by the end he calls it Slave Leadership) - the video series is called "Forming Davids for the 21st Century: From Discipleship to Leadership."   Definitely a DVD worth owning.

As a leader...
You must do what you cannot do with what you do not have for the rest of your life.

The Lord says,
I will do what I can do with what you do have through you for the rest of your life.

SO yesterday Pastor was still in Mark 6.  Jesus has sent them out to minister, and they have accomplished great things (oh, and taught some too).  Jesus has fed the 5000, but the disciples still don't get it.  Because of the hardness of their hearts - their unbelief. 
  

⁴⁵And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.⁴⁶And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.⁴⁷And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.⁴⁸And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.⁴⁹But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:⁵⁰For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.⁵¹And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.⁵²For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.   Mark 6:45-52

Pastor is a diligent student of the Word, and he is also blessed with a believable 'sanctified imagination.'  Perhaps the disciples thought their ministry in pairs was the Final Exam (see Mark 6:7-13, 30).  They came back to Jesus and gave glowing reports of what THEY had done (oh yeah, and taught).  So their best ministerial plan for the 5000+ hungry people listening to Jesus is to send them away before it gets dark; or would you have us spend 200 days wages to buy a nibble of bread for each one, Jesus?  No, this is The Final Exam:  YOU give them to eat.  Huh, what?!  GO!  See what you have.  Andrew returns with the big find of five barley loaves and two fish, smiling until he sees the eyes rolling in the other disciples' heads... Oh, well, what's that among so many?  

So Jesus uses the little that they have and HE feeds the 5000.  Twelve baskets left over.  Wow, what a great lunch program!  Sign me up.  Let's have this Man be our King now!

• Jesus responded to their Purpose (to make Him King now) with Prayer.  He pushed them off in a boat and went alone to pray, possibly requesting a strong wind?  Satan would have Jesus choose the Kingdom without the Cross, but that is not the will of the Father.
  
• He responded to their Strengths or skill set with a Storm.  The disciples are mostly fishermen who know how to sail the Sea of Galilee.  They can surely do this without God's help.
  
• He responded to their Straining at the oars by Showing them His glory.  Jesus is God.  He made the water, the waves, the wind -- and He's walking on the water, saying "I AM."
• He responded to their Terror with a little Talk:  "It is I; be not afraid."  I am God.  Will you trust Me?
  

  

O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.  

Psalm 89:8-9

As a friend posted on FB:  Are you expecting Christ to jump on board with your agenda? Or are you willing to submit to His? (ouch-that one hit a nerve this morning)

The Dreaded Leaders Disease:
Pursuing my interests in Jesus' name.
~Bill Lawrence

And finally, here's something from my inbox today - amazing how God speaks to me from multiple sources!

The world and the church do not need to see what we can do. They’ve seen what we can do. They need to see what only God can do.~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Last evening we looked at Peter's little faith that had him walking on the water...  And 'immediately the ship was at the land' - after Jesus came into the boat. '...and as many as touched him were made whole.'

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 

John 6:27

the kingdom of God

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; 

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

After our Lord pointed His disciples to the birds of the air and lilies of the field, in order that they should be without worry about the necessities of life, He adds that we should never be anxious for the things that the Gentiles seek, for our heavenly Father knows that we need them.

...Our great business is to seek the kingdom of God...

...a timely morsel from George Muller on Faith

Handel's violin sonatas

I just put this CD on my Amazon wishlist.
I do like Handel.  And the violin.
Mr. Manze does him justice, imo  =)

Ahhhh.

(By the way, if you're a patron of the Ames Public Library, you can check it out when we're done... maybe after I place my Amazon order?)

wild winter weather

Above views are looking south as I was driving toward the new house, and then from inside the house toward the north.  (I think this was on Tuesday - we had similar freezing fog for several days.)

Building Crew #2 is now on the job!  Dan & Jason came Monday, and  - assisted by Tim and Marty - put up a few trusses.  =)  Tuesday I think they worked on adding overhangs to the endcaps/panels(?), such as, for the front of the garage roof -- I also think I need a speed course in construction lingo.

Monday was a great day also because I got NEW tires on our Suburban!!!  YaY!  (note: don't do this again on MLK Day since too many people have a holiday to get their own tires fixed...)
And a fresh haircut.  I felt like a new woman, I tell ya.

Tuesday the wood stove was finally delivered!

Tim's Tuesday was extremely long.  He and the boys spent a couple hours Tuesday night laying plastic on the floor, hoping for easier removal of, and protection from, the forecasted ice.  At midnight the doorbell rang - the newpaper drop guy was stuck in our driveway after leaving papers for our Computer Geek to deliver...

Wednesday we had an ice storm.- it woke me up about 6am.  Yesterday late afternoon, I finally went to the garage to talk to Tim, who I thought was there because the garage door opened.  While I was looking for him, it continued to open, then shut...  We have a button outside that was iced and must have been short-circuiting.  Crazy.  I was going to take pictures today, but didn't get it done.  Think icicles.  Everywhere.

All for now.  Back to my research on glaucoma.  Fun, fun, fun.  Rebuild Your Vision.  Mercola.  ...