Well, figured it was about time I updated this.  I still have 1 out on her own, 1 in college and 1 with 1 semester left of high school and looking at colleges.  I am looking forward, though, to the empty nest.  I think God gets us ready for that and boy am I.  I am still involved in Awana's, still teaching Sunday School (3, 4 and 5th grades) and all girls this year so that is fun!  Still working on my house (don't think it will ever be done), suffering through some health issues that we are still trying to figure out and still on the Worship team at church.
I am already thinking about gardening this coming summer! (Love digging in the dirt!)

IDEAS
Have you ever felt like you should be doing more?  Like there is more out there that you want or want to do?  Well I have been feeling like that for quite a while.  I have thought of applying at Samaritan's Purse for a job.   Or going to Africa and helping all the refugees and children.  Kids hurting is really one of my "things" that I am against.  I could get on my soapbox but I won't (No thanks are necessary!!) LOL Anyway, at our VBS, there were a lot of hurting kids from dysfunctional families.  It was sad.  Some were really angry, some had behavior issues.  Some just wanted love. (Just like all of us)  They have really been on my heart.  Then a lot of our youth group went to Chicago and worked with kids there.  The youth group really loved it!  They were sharing and praying with/for the kids, helping them, making things, playing with them.  It really impacted them all.  Well, why is it that we can go thousands of miles and help people but miss the hurt in our own "backyard" ?  Can't we do something here?  So this has been on my mind.  And then, (God is so sneaky!!) (not really,just GOOD) I was at dinner the other evening with some friends and the conversation came around to this very subject!  And we were on the same page about helping hurting ones around us!  Gods wants us to help the hurting and the lonely, the widow and the orphan.  Now just need prayer about what to do.  We were tossing around ideas but this will take time and volunteers.  But I know that if this is what God wants to happen it WILL happen!
I can't wait to see what He will do!

Daniel Fasting

Monday I started something which later in the day I thought I was crazy for... the Daniel Fast. It s a fast based on how Daniel in the Book of Daniel ate to show the king how better God's ways are. We have had some missionaries at church whose e-mail list I got on and they had talked about the Daniel Fast in several e-mails. I had heard of it from others too and have had fasting on my heart and mind for quite a while. I got the book, read it, prayed, and decided to go for it. Well, while the mind and spirit were wiling, I'm not too sure about the body! By the end of Monday I figured I was crazy to be doing this! I was so hungry and having to not eat what I was used to eating and having to shop and cook totally different than I was used to. Plus having to cook my food and Matt's food. I thought I couldn't do this! But then I thought of what Jesus did for me... I kept seeing clips from The Passion movie in my head...kept thinking of how He was tortured, beaten, mocked and killed... and me changing my eating habits for 3 weeks seemed like such a small thing. I started thinking that this was the LEAST I could do. I knew that satan didn't want me fasting because it brings you closer to God and you change for the better. I don't want to give satan what he wants, I want what God wants. So I determined to do this. Has it been easy? No! But have I seen God working in my life? YES! And that is what matters! And so I will continue for 21 days to become more like God and less like the world!

Jordan's Birthday

Birthday Flowers

These are beautiful flowers my daughter got for me for my birthday!

Faith

So things have been a little stressful at work lately. A lot of changes and different personalities handling it differently and presenting to each other differently. Has made for some stressful days. I had a co-worker say to me the other day that she really appreciates my attitude and how she figures my faith has a lot to do with it. She is a believer too but she worries and frets and stresses, etc. She said she wished she had my faith. She wishes she could just leave it in God's hands and let Him control and not worry and stress over things. I told her that I have seen God work so many times in so many ways in my life, it's not hard for me to trust Him. But that's not to say that I don't struggle in other ways. I told her that we all have strengths and weaknesses and He is always working on us to improve us, to be more like Him.

I do give things over to Him and trust Him to take care of things, but that doesn't mean that things don't get to me. Having 2 boys going to doctor's quite a bit the last couple of months, struggling to figure out what is going on. Finding out one of the son's problems, him having a procedure and then finding out that it will be a 2-3 year process before he is well and he hasn't been able to go to college yet...the other son we are still searching for answers and in the meantime he can't go to school. Having traveled to Lincoln several times, North Platte, McCook, Aurora CO, for doctor appts. Having a tire blow out and having to buy a new one. Of course there are always money problems. I haven't had time to visit friends. The other day I just wanted to cry. I felt overwhelmed.

But I have a job helping some people and I enjoy that. I have kids home who do dishes and bake and laundry sometimes. I have Awana's where the kids always make me smile and laugh and feel wonderful! I have a great church family and pastor. I don't have a foundation problem with my house. And hey, even if I haven't had time to see my friends, I know they are there. The good always outweighs the bad. And even if they don't seem to, it WILL change.

I have faith in God because He ALWAYS gets me through. He ALWAYS provides. He has protected me in Mighty ways from abuse, snakes, hunger, loneliness, etc. I can look to the future because of what He has done in my past. And because of His promises in His Word. And the wonderful thing is He gave those promises to all of us, each and every one. WOW! What a God to have faith in!!