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Welcome Bent.ley Reid

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000-06:00

Bentley.Reid.Frahm was born on January 25th. He weighed 8lb 3oz and measured 21 inches. So glad that he is finally here, and is doing great! What a little sweetheart.

Time is Going Quickly...

2012-01-24T10:31:00.000-06:00

Last week was filled with car shows for Cute Farmer and I attended a few, but also got the master bath painted. We are looking forward to the arrival of Bentley tomorrow!!! Brian, Amy and Carter are coming over for supper and Carter will stay with us while Daddy and Mommy go to the hospital in the morning and wait for Bentley to come into this world! Can't believe we only have four weeks left and we will be heading back! I know I need to get some photos uploaded, and hope to ...especially when Bentley gets here! I need to take a couple of photos of the painting project. Hope to get some done on the bedroom today. When that is done...all the painting here is done. We still have a couple little projects here, but for the most part, have it done. The D.ish guy is coming any minute. We take our receivers back and forth and have had trouble with our programming here. We can't stay locked on to the satellites. Our receivers are the origional ones and they are coming to replace our antiques. They said we could keep them...that tells you something... I said..what would WE do with them...he laughed... He said they are trying to get rid of the ancient ones...they always have to look up a different screen when we call ...to go back and see what in the world we have. Most of them have never even seen what we have...ha...before their time....

Jerusalem Movie...

2012-01-11T14:44:00.000-06:00

Jerusalem from JerusalemTheMovie on Vimeo.

Filmed in Imax 3D

Finish the Race...

2012-01-04T08:27:00.000-06:00

(I wanted to save this devotion this morning...such a good reminder....)

Finish The Race
Paul was returning to Jerusalem at the end of his third and final missionary journey. By this time in his ministry, Paul had been a Christian for nearly twenty years. Twenty years since Jesus called Paul, "My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Twenty years of faithful service, and now... "In every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me" (Acts 20:23).

Paul was returning home, but his life was not going to be easy. He knew there were many trials ahead, but his life had a purpose far beyond his immediate surroundings.

Acts 20:24

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

It was several more years before Paul wrote; "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12); yet here, when facing certain hardship, Paul showed he had already learned the secret. The particular circumstances in Paul's life had become of minor importance. He knew his contentment was not based on current events, but on bringing glory and honor to God. His life had a wonderful purpose even in the face of great adversity and harsh conditions.

We were all created for the same purpose as Paul - we were created to bring glory and honor to God! Our specific tasks may differ and change from time to time, but we each have the same unchanging purpose. Everything we do, say, and think should bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father!

God's race is run in the deepest part of our heart, not in the flurry of activity. Running well is not defined by doing more; rather, we run a "successful" race as we do every little task we are given with the complete and absolute devotion of our heart.

His race is long and often difficult. There are many distractions which seek to slow us down and even pull us from the track; and at times we may even wonder why we're running. But being a participant in God's eternal race is infinitely more rewarding than standing on the sidelines and simply watching! He has called us to run - and to run well!!

We must run the path God places before us with all the strength He provides, and within the sure and calming protection of His grace. Let's run with the motivation of bringing Him glory and honor by loving Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let's continue to run well, and with a burning desire to finish the race.

Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Oh My Goodness Corn Muffins!!

2011-12-11T07:17:00.004-06:00

2 cups cornmeal
1 (9-ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
honey glaze (recipe below)
Mix yellow cornmeal, stone-ground cornmeal, cake mix, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper in bowl. Combine milk, buttermilk, oil, eggs, brown sugar and honey in a bowl. Mix well. Add to cornmeal mixture and mix gently. There should be no lumps, but do not overmix. Fold in the mayonnaise. Let rest, covered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon cold batter into muffin tin or a cast iron skillet. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Drizzle with honey glaze. Yield: 9 servings.

I'm telling ya...the best part of these is the top...I'm gonna find me one of those 'muffin top' pans...I'm not kidding!!!

(If you use paper wrappers, spray lightly with oil before filling or you will leave a good part of your muffins stuck to the wrappers)

Honey Glaze
1 stick butter melted
1/4 cup honey

(Can be stored in fridge if you don't want to use it all or just want some made ahead)

2011 Christmas Ad

2011-12-11T04:49:00.002-06:00

The ad for the paper for this Christmas season..... =) We are growing...when I first started doing this, I think there were 8 people and we have grown to 22 in our clinic....

Easy Mexi Crockpot Soup

2011-12-09T05:22:00.003-06:00

Easy Mexi Crockpot Soup 1 can rotel
1 can corn
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 frozen chicken breasts
8 oz lite cream cheese
1 pkg dry ranch dressing
1 T cumin
1 t onion powder
1 t chili powder
Put in crockpot on medium for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken....enjoy!

This is going to work with me today. This is 3X the recipe for the big oval crockpot. They all loved it last time and could not be easier! We serve with tortilla chips for the crackers. =)

Cute Farmer's Surgery...

2011-12-08T21:43:00.004-06:00

Steve turned 60 on Monday the 28th and went in on Thursday Dec. 1 for a colon resection. He came through great. They even wanted to send him home on Saturday, but I wouldn't take him! We had 6 inches of snow and the roads were terrible..I didn't want to chance him having to come back. He came home on Sunday morning. On Wed. I dropped him off in Mead at the coffee shop and went to work for an hour. Today we went to Lincoln and he went to the Farm Show....from 9 am to 2 pm!!! I was wore out!! =) He is pretty tired tonight, but I'm glad he got to get out a little.

A Louisville, KY Thanksgiving

2011-12-08T21:28:00.006-06:00

We were so thankful to be able to go spend Thanksgiving with the Eastern Family this year!! The South Carolina Johnsons came up to spend Thanksgiving with the Kentucky Johnsons, so the folks jumped in the suburban with us and we drove on out to be with them!!
The women spent the day before in the kitchen making rolls, pies and stuffing... =)

Caroline and Michael were working on a puzzle in the dining room...

Where is Brian when you have a big bowl of cranberries?.... =)

Photos on the front porch...

Runzas from Nebraska... =)
We left Louisville on Saturday, spent the night in Mt. Vernon Illinois and headed to Kansas City on Sunday. We stopped at my 'mom's' and spent the afternoon and had supper with her and Toni and Terry, my sis and brother-in-law. It was so good to see them. I hated to miss April as she had just left to go back to school. Missed seeing Erik, Lisa and Luke, too. I guess they had been away for Thanksgiving, too. Lots of traveling going on in the family!! =)

Oh Door.... = )

2011-11-15T13:12:00.002-06:00

The big door to the building came today. Believe me, it is huge. It is hard to judge by a photo, but you can tell by the size of the guy..that is one big door.

It is actually like a wall. They will come out and put the siding on it and it has two windows in it, like the office area on the east. The other doors will be white. This is like an airplane hanger door.

They went to lunch and will finish later...

In the mean time, the guys are in the shop, busy scraping this terrible muh out of the strip till maching. It is black as coal and almost as hard.......

Seizure...again

2011-11-09T01:23:00.002-06:00

Seems like all I post anymore. I heard 'bumping' and sure enough, got into Michael's room and he was having another seizure. He has been sleeping on his floor half the time and I think it is because he is afraid he is going to have a seizure and fall out of bed. It was another shorter one where he doesn't seem all the way 'out' and came out of it a lot quicker. He had his bloodwork done last Thursday and the Drs. office hasn't called yet to tell us to increase yet. I'll be calling later today. The seizure was at 1am.

Fall Fotos

2011-11-03T12:18:00.006-05:00

Cami came out after church on Sunday. We made "crafts" and she made a photo frame to take home and wanted a 'real' photo of her with the leaves. =) Our new 'shed' in the background.

We are waiting on the doors. There is quite a bit more to get done, but we can at least put the semis in this winter.

The trees were so beautiful this fall. It is such a dreary day..didn't really do the true colors justice..

I realize I kind of uploaded these backwards but this is the building going up...

Virgil heading back to the beanfield east of our house...first part of October...

Bean harvest on our "Charlotte" field..

Fall colors on our road looking east..

This little guy was in our grain bin. The lid blew open this summer and a pair of barn owls hatched little ones in there. We tried to get him help for his broken leg, but they could not save him and had to put him down. Because of that connection, we have now gotten to release four other barn owls who were able to be helped, and they also gave us a barn owl house. They fly to Texas over winter, but we hope some come back next spring and live here. The babies eat 5-8 mice a night!! We welcome that!!! =)

We have finished harvest

2011-11-02T06:14:00.001-05:00

We finished harvest yesterday and snow is headed our way this morning. I'll post some photos later when I get home from work....

November Brunch Coming Up....

2011-10-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

October Seizure.....

2011-10-24T04:46:00.003-05:00

Michael just finished having another seizure. There was quite a bit of room to up his meds according to his last bloodwork. I'm going to call the neurologist when I get home from work this morning and see if it might be a good idea to up him from his 600mg per day to 800. He still doesn't have them "often"..just more often now than in his whole 31 years... He was more 'awake' during this one and it did not last as long.

Justifing Text

2011-09-10T07:04:00.000-05:00

September Salad and Dessert Evening...

2011-08-28T16:29:00.003-05:00

We are looking forward to our Sept. salad and dessert evening. We have heard great things about our special feature, and I'm looking forward to hearing Ruby share her story as well.

We have had a great summer and I have been doing a terrible job keeping up with my blog. We enjoyed time with our Johnson kids in July. It was fun to get them and Andy's together and watch the kids all play. We traveled to KY to Scott's house on the lake and had fun with all the family there. I have been working two to three days a week since. We have some new people on board at work and it has been fun getting to know them. I can't believe how fast they have trained! Much faster than I did!!

Seizure again...

2011-06-24T03:47:00.002-05:00

Michael just had another seizure. 2:15 a.m. Almost every one now is in the night. I keep trying to think if there is a connection to TV watching, computer, which job was he at during the day, and maybe missed meds, but he had taken his meds and barely any computer...really nothing to connect it to...just happens, and thankfully at home.

He was more awake during this one and it did not last as long. He also got up sooner, but will still keep him home from work today. He is always so wiped out after. We are probably having dirt delivered today anyway for the proposed site for the machine shed, if we really do get one. He will enjoy watching all that going on. He can also get his dad's lunch for him...another thing he enjoys. =)

"Whipped Cream" frosting for 100 cupcakes

2011-06-21T17:13:00.003-05:00

1/2 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
Place flour in saucepan and pour a little milk into flour, stirring to get rid of lumps. Continue stirring in milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened like heavy cream. Let cool or refrigerate overnight.

4 cups sugar
2 cups butter
2 cups Crisco shortening (not butter flavored)
2 T. clear vanilla
2 t. almond flavoring
Whip all together until like whipped cream. Slowly add the milk mixture and beat until the consistency of whipped cream.

Best made a few hours up to a few days ahead. Store in refrigerator. Bring to room temp to frost.

Frost 100 plus cupcakes! =)

Jello Poke Wedding Cupcakes.....

2011-06-19T23:09:00.007-05:00

I LOVED making cupcakes for Ashley and Chad's wedding this week! I made the frosting ahead of time (and made too much). I saved most of these boxes from a wedding I worked last month.

I got everything organized and put together two mixes at a time and tried to get the next two ready to mix when I had a batch in baking.

Here are my bags of frosting. I had a medicine syringe to 'poke' the jello in the cupcakes. I mixed two small boxes of jello with 2 cups boiling water at a time. That worked great. That took about four hours after I got home from work on Friday.

It took about three hours on Saturday morning to decorate. I love the frosting....it shimmered like 'pearl'. I gave it just the slightest sprinkle of half lime green sugar and bright blue sugar. The jello was blueberry and lime... a little over 300 cupcakes of each. =)

It took 16 minutes to bake four pans (48 cupcakes) I popped them right in these containers to cool. It took four hours to do 632 of them. It took four hours to poke them all with jello. Saturday morning it took about 3 hours to frost them all

Here are some cooling in the fridge

Some frosted and you can see the jello 'pokes' in the unfrosted.

All delivered and set up on the cute cupcake stand the made.

Our newest little granddaughter... =)

2011-06-19T23:06:00.003-05:00

Jada Kay was born on May 10. She was about a week overdue, but what a little sweetheart~ She is such a good sleeper already.

Finished with Corn and Started Beans...

2011-05-07T18:57:00.003-05:00

Cute Farmer finished planting corn on Thursday, May 5th (we started last Saturday, April 30th). He started planting soybeans this morning. We had a beautiful spring day today (81°) and light winds. Michael helped me burn seed corn sacks and I went over and raked out my little garden. I got 4 pepper plants and 4 tomato plants the other day. I want to plant some cucumbers and still would like to put some onion plants in if I can still find some...they could have been in a month ago! I do not can much anymore. I still have tomatoes in the basement from last year. I love the fresh veggies...might even stick in a row of green beans......
And I KNOW it is spring because our little wren is back. I think she saw me coming with the camera, cause she flew off over west when I came around the corner to get a shot of her scouting out her bird house.... =)

It is Finally Spring... =)

2011-05-07T18:50:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, the kids came out for a few days. Cami went back home on Sunday evening because she had school on Monday, but the little boys stayed until Tuesday Morning. I got a few shots of them playing outside on Monday. It is so nice to have warm weather finally.
They spent a couple of hours riding bikes and playing with the outside toys.
I'm glad I had a couple of the 'flingers'. They even played with the flat one...
Ray got our deck done today. After he left, I painted the trim around the garage doors, so everything is really white again. =)

We Started Planting...

2011-05-01T15:40:00.003-05:00

We started planting corn yesterday. Cute Farmer got a little over 100 acres planted. It sounds like the weather should be pretty good for the coming week, so we hope to get a lot in this week.

A group of friends had a bridal shower for Raquel, bride to be of Lucas T. We have been good friends of his folks, Chris and Greg, for many years. It was such a nice shower. Carrie S. gave a great devotion on MARRIAGE. I might get a copy of it. After the shower, I picked up the grandbabies to stay a few days while we wait for Jada to arrive. She is due today, but nothing happening yet! The kiddos are still napping. I might go wake them up. We have a game of Aggrevation to finish and they wanted to play outside, but we are going to need to leave for evening church in a little over an hour, so we'll have to decide what we want to do! =) They are so much fun. They played outside for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. =)

Another seizure at midnight....

2011-04-28T00:53:00.003-05:00

Another seizure last night. We are always so thankful when he gets through it. He has taken all his meds, no caffine. We can't really figure out if there is a trigger, but will just try to keep track of them and thankful that he doesn't have very many and has always been home when he has had one.

The Lie that Proves the Resurrection (5/26/1985)

2011-04-23T07:12:00.000-05:00

The Lie that Proves the Resurrection (5/26/1985)

Easter...

2011-04-21T12:31:00.001-05:00

We are dry!!

2011-04-16T17:56:00.003-05:00

Praising the Lord that after two inches of rain...our basement is dry! All that shoveling paid off! We will probably haul one more load in after Ray closes up the crawl space semi-permanently so we can put dirt up against that, too. Don't think we will be chasing down too many basketballs under there any more, boys! =)

Hit the Deck!

2011-04-14T18:25:00.004-05:00

We tore off the deck this afternoon (with help from the Terry's) and hauled in two loads of dirt and shoveled it up next to the house. We hope to get the water to head away from the house. We have been getting water in the family room in the basement since last year and I am tired of getting the carpet guy out to clean it every time we get a big rain. I have a shop vac to get the water up, but we HAVE to get this taken care of! We shoveled it all up to the house (Cute Farmer and I did that part) and I am ready for supper and a shower......

Getting ready...

2011-04-13T22:40:00.002-05:00

Cute Farmer has sure been spending a lot of time in the shop and tractors lately. Why, you'd think he was getting anxious to start planting or something! I'm afraid that it will all break loose in about a week from now...unless it is too wet. We do have rain in the forecast for the next couple of days, but if it will go...he will go! It was such a beautiful day. I kept trying to find excuses to go outside. I even asked my boss if I shouldn't go out and wash windows... Rats! He even said yes, but I had the wonderful microfiber cloths at home...they are the ONLY things I use to wash windows now... Thanks for getting me on to them, Amy!!

2011-04-11T11:34:00.002-05:00

I know....the design drives me nuts, too....but I don't have time to try to fix it now. =) I'll get to it one of these days...but HAPPY SPRING!!!

Blog???

2011-03-21T09:24:00.005-05:00

Well, yes....I do have one, and I have not fallen off the end of the earth... =)

We had a wonderful stay in Phoenix all of January and February and took wonderful side trips and had lots of fun company...and a side trip to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy for me.

Two days after we arrived, Steve's folks joined us and we headed north to see the new bridge over Hoover Dam and visit special friends in Pahrump, NV. We went to see China.Date.Ranch and a side trip up through Death Valley and to "Scottie's.Castle". It was not a castle and Scotty never did live there, but it was a fun trip...you'll just have to google it... =)

Our neighbors and good friends, Harold and Carol also came to AZ for a few days and we had fun exploring a few new restaurants and nice walks and the guys went to some fun car shows.

The highlight for Michael was a trip to Disneyland for his Christmas/birthday present. I will have to share that my stay in the hospital was just a week prior to the trip and every time he came to visit he reminded me that I needed to get well and home, because his birthday party was the following Tuesday and the trip to CA was that following weekend. Thankfully, I was given the OK by my surgeon to go and I did fine. I did end up with an allergic reaction to either my antibiotic or M.otrin, and had a terribly itchy rash for that following week, but that, too, subsided and is now just on the list of "making memories..." =) Our good friends, Brad and Jackie were there that week and went to CA with us.

Jackie and I also had a fun Valentine Brunch for some of our neighbor ladies. The theme was "Love Is"...remember that little cartoon?? We had a breakfast and some fun games and door prizes and a little talk on what real love is....verses from the bible on what God's love is. It was fun getting to know five of these sweet ladies better and I hope we can do it again next year!

We headed back the first week of March and are getting back to our 'real' lives!

Thought I would share the poster for our upcoming Salad and Dessert evening coming up in a couple of weeks! These are so fun and inspiring!

This will be a fun one, too! =)

2011-01-01T16:46:00.002-06:00

My Heart is Broken....

2010-11-27T23:28:00.003-06:00

It is so hard to give up dear friends. Joyce and Larry were going to travel more now that he retired. I worked with Joyce in wedding ministry for years and years. She was such a godly woman with the sweetest, most sincere prayers. She had a stroke the day after Thanksgiving and as of last word, was declared 'brain dead'. My heart is broken. I'm so glad we had a nice visit last Sunday morning, and that the Lord did not give her a long illness to take her, but I miss her already and can barely believe that she will not be there in the morning.... Have been praying for Larry and the family all afternoon. I'm so thankful she loved our Lord and Savior and look forward to the day when we meet again.....

All Ladies Invited...

2010-11-23T07:05:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas Ad

2010-11-23T06:57:00.003-06:00

Here is our new clinic Christmas ad for our local newspaper. I can't believe it is that time already. They called on Friday and said it was due on Monday (yesterday). I have been thinking about what I wanted to do, but I didn't get photos of my co-workers so pulled the camera out of my purse and got some of the people I worked with on Friday and spent a couple hours on Saturday and Sunday and printed a poster off for work and sent the file on in to the paper yesterday...now I will start thinking about what to do next year. I had this idea for last year until the boss wanted the grinch one....that was fun, too. ... =)

Fallish food...and Finish to Harvest!

2010-10-28T08:59:00.004-05:00

Great help...Steve Nytes

Unload on the go.....

Snack / coffee time....

Steve Johnson....finding some of the last loads...

Easy Peasy Donut Sticks... =)

I have a day at home, so getting laundry done, cleaning and making a big pot of Taco Soup and Corn Bread Muffins for work tomorrow and Andy and Anna and the kiddos are coming out for supper tomorrow night. Since we finished harvest on Monday, I dont' have so many lunches to pack and haul out to the fields. These are a few photos from Monday!! We finished on Xander's 8th birthday!! =)

Corn Bread Muffins

2010-10-28T08:56:00.002-05:00

Honey Cornbread Muffins
Recipe courtesy The Neelys
Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
Special equipment: paper muffin cups and a 12-cup muffin tin
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

(I know I will be sprinkling the tops with a generous amount of sugar before baking as I love them that way....I'll let you know how they turn out! )

Harvest is full swing....

2010-10-03T19:58:00.003-05:00

We have been cutting soybeans for several days now. I know....photos.... I need to go take some. When they get moved back over here I will. They are working on SJ's farm the past couple of days. Glad to get some done and the weather looks good for at least the next week. The crops are good (except SJ's 200 acres that were a total loss up at Ithaca from the hail). I love this time of year...except for my allergies...some farmwife, huh?.... VERY thankful for Cla.ritinD!

Hail Storm

2010-09-16T15:58:00.002-05:00

Starting to Harvest....

2010-09-08T16:56:00.002-05:00

I feel bad to have shocked Cheryl by leaving Michael's seizure post up so long.... We had a nice Labor Day weekend. On Friday, we had Alison (a friend I work with) and her family over for supper and cards. We watched the NE vs. W. Kentucky game up at the folks on Saturday night. On Sunday, we were heathens and got up and drove out to Grand Island to go to the State Fair all day. I do plan on getting the cds of the sermons. I hated missing Mike M.'s preaching. On Monday, we went in to Ali Beth's place for a grill/ potluck supper with the family. We are blessed with this great family!! I worked on Tuesday and today, and when I got home, I heard the guys talking on the radio. They are starting to pick some high moisture corn up by Ithaca. I'll have to add some photos, but it doesn't look like harvest time too much yet. Things are changing, but everything is still pretty green. I love harvest time!! =)

Another Seizure...

2010-08-24T11:16:00.003-05:00

Michael had another seizure in the night (around 12:30). It was a pretty strong one. He really wrestled around with this one. I asked him this morning if he knew he had one and he said he did. We had rain in the night and we heard a boom and always wonder if it is thunder or Michael hitting the floor...it is a familar sound. We went to his room and he was on the floor shaking and moaning. It is a sight I will never get used to, but always thankful he comes out. It takes usually takes about an hour before he "comes to" and can move around and he will only answer yes or no. He is exhaused and slept late this morning. I called his work and told them he would'nt be coming in today. He was up and ready (too late to get there on time) but fully expected he was going. He was glad when I told him he was staying home.

Chalupa Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

2010-08-16T10:35:00.005-05:00

I keep roast pork in the freezer. I get a 9-10 lb loin and roast it with 4 envelopes of onion soup mix and black pepper, throw it in the crock pot on low overnight and tear it up and put in freezer bags. I plan on using about 4 cups of roast (2 pkgs from the freezer, thawed) and adding 2 cans of pinto or black beans or mix of the two and about 1 cup water and spices onions garlic and chilies and throwing it in the crock pot on high for about an hour. I can see putting about a tablespoon of spicy ranch on a tortilla and adding these ingredients, too. This looks yummy!

Chalupa Recipe Taste of Home Recipes
Chalupa Recipe

Cook: 8 hour 20 min.Ingredients
1 cup dried pinto beans
3-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (1-1/2 pounds)
1 package (10-1/2 ounces) corn chips
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Salsa
Directions
Place beans and enough water to cover in a 3-qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and discard liquid.
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine water, onion, chilies, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin and oregano. Add roast and beans. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Reduce heat to low and cook 6 hours longer or until pork is very tender.
Remove roast and shred with a fork. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid in a saucepan. Combine beans and meat; set aside. Skim and discard fat from cooking liquid; bring to a boil. boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until reduced to 1-1/2 cups. Add meat and bean mixture; heat through.
To serve, spoon meat mixture over corn chips; top with green onions, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and salsa. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 393 calories, 19 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 35 mg cholesterol, 680 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 18 g protein.

May I Never Forget.....

2010-08-06T05:21:00.002-05:00

By Our Love

The Church in Ephesus was established by the Apostle Paul and became one of the most prominent churches in the early days of Christianity. Paul ministered in Ephesus for three years (Acts 19:1-20), and a few years later wrote the church a special letter of encouragement and instruction (the book of Ephesians); "Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" (Ephesians 1:15).

The Ephesians were doing most things "right." They had strong programs, an acute awareness of sin, and a work ethic which should characterize any thriving church: "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary" (Revelation 2:2-3).

The hard work of the Ephesian church was readily acknowledged; and yet, they had forgotten that "only one thing is {truly} needed" (Luke 10:42). Though they maintained an outward appearance of devotion, and may have actually accomplished many "Kingdom-driven" goals, the once burning love in their heart had begun to fade.

Revelation 2:4
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love."

When we first understand the ugliness of our sin, the death our sin deserves, and how Jesus died to make us clean, we cannot help but be filled with thankfulness...and love. But sadly, in our attempt to "mature," we often shift our focus to the "doing" of outward activities and forget the love which once consumed our heart. We may study more, attend more, and serve more (all of which are good), but we have forgotten how to simply be still and worship at His feet.

As we mature in Christ, we must never outgrow our ability to love; "Repent and do the things you did at first" (Revelation 2:5). Dear Lord, forgive us for setting up barriers which keep us from truly loving others. Forgive us for being so busy that we forsake our intimate love for You. And forgive us for trying to work for what You so freely give. Help us to always remember the MOST important!

Let's return to the place of simple devotion - the place of true worship and all-consuming love. There will always be opportunities to express our faith in good works and service to God. These should not be neglected! But as we work hard, resist sin, and possibly endure great hardship, let's remember that what Jesus truly desires is our heart. In the end, when we see Him face to face, He will look deep within and He will know us by our love.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Hot Celebrity..... =)

2010-07-15T06:01:00.000-05:00

Southwick Condo

2010-07-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

Phoenix Trip.....

2010-06-26T21:05:00.005-05:00

I got to slip down to Phoenix for a few days for a "work-cation". =) I rode out to Grand Island with Ron and Carol and we flew down and helped Brad and Jackie paint their condo. We all stayed in our place while we worked on theirs. R&C and I flew back on Wednesday, and B&J finished getting it ready and slept in theirs on Thursday night and hopped in their van and headed back for NE on Friday morning. It was a fun time and as soon as my camera gets back with B&J, I will post the before and after photos!

Christmas in June....

2010-06-14T19:07:00.002-05:00

We all got up and went to church. After church, we came home and had our traditional crab legs, shrimp, grilled chicken, salads, oven veggies, and brownie sundaes for dessert. We cleaned up from that mess and gathered around and opened gifts. I have a couple more slide shows to post, but not tonight. The kids all got up and got ready to head out this morning. The Carolina kids got out of here about 9:30 a.m. Adam's folks stopped by and had some coffee and she brought wonderful homemade pecan rolls. Brian and Amy and the kids and I left for the airport around 10:30 a.m. When we got back, we went to Ashland to P.arker's S.mokehouse to meet Chuck and Judy for lunch. They are back from Florida. They came to the twin's birthday party on Saturday. I'm glad we got to spend a little more time with them while they were here. When we left them, Scott had called and said they were all getting ready to leave from the folks, so we drove up and said goodbye. We came back home and I mowed for a couple of hours and threw in another load of laundry and back here to check email. I hear my bed calling me early tonight...... =) .... Missing all my kiddos tonight.....................

Let the Fun Begin/ Horse Shoe Party

2010-06-11T07:14:00.002-05:00

Here are a few photos of Wednesday, when Brian and Amy and kids arrived, and when the rest of the family that are here, came over Thursday evening for food, fellowship, and horse shoes...

Memorial Week.....

2010-05-30T06:09:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, I went to town and watched our little Cami graduate from Pre-School. It was SO cute! They sang several songs and received their little memory book diplomas. After I picked Michael up from work on Thursday, we went to the Greenwood Cemetery to decorate graves. The peonies and iris were in full bloom. It was beautiful there.

After work on Friday, Michael and I stopped at the graves in Wahoo and decorated. It was beautiful there as well. I was surprised that we were the only people there.

Every year I have to hunt for Grandma Berlins grave. I always know about where it is at, but I have yet been able to just drive right to it.

Andy and Anna called and invited Michael to go swimming with them at the Wahoo pool. He got up and hauled his bag around all morning. They all came out for lunch and went to the pool. I asked if the kids could stay over and we played outside before and after supper. It was such a beautiful day!

Cami tried her skills with one of the new "garage sale bikes". I haven't picked up training wheels yet, so she couldn't quite master it. I'll try to get some today. They always enjoy blowing bubbles.

.....and getting out the sidewalk chalk....

Cami and Calvin love riding the bikes down the hill. They tried to get Jude in on the action... He just enjoyed being outside! His favorite is the swing, but he did like this.... =)

Bath, snacks and off to bed by 8:30. I didn't hear a peep out of them all night!!

Strawberry Lemon Bars....

2010-05-23T18:51:00.003-05:00

Don't these look absolutely yummy?!!! I was blog snoopin' and came across these and had to snag the recipe. Amy, email me a few fresh lemons, wouldya?! =) I AM going to make these..soon!!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Crust
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Filling
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 3/4 cup berries)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or use the Baker’s Edge pan, if you have one).
Begin by making the crust.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until smooth and fluffy. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 17 minutes, until set at the edges.
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, sugar and eggs and process until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder and salt, then pulse until smooth.
Gently pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, until the filling is set (There will be a light colored “crust” on top from the sugar in the custard – nothing to worry about).
Cool completely before slicing and use a damp knife to ensure clean slices.
Store bars in the refrigerator, especially on a hot day.
Makes 24 bars.

My New Mug....

2010-05-20T23:34:00.003-05:00

I could not resist the newest artwork of my now five year old granddaughter. Cami is quite an artist! We had another .90 of rain today. Cute Farmer is patiently waiting to get back in the fields and plant soybeans. We were encouraged that they took out the chance of rain for Sunday night now. Our forecast is for upper 80's next week. It will seem like we went straight from winter to summer!! =)

Poor Neglected Bloggie.....

2010-05-13T11:07:00.003-05:00

I can't believe how I have neglected this poor space! When I first started blogging, I came here every day with my thoughts!

Cute Farmer is patiently waiting for the sun to come back out and the fields to dry enough to get back out and resume the planting season. We do have all the corn planted...for the first time. We have had beautiful, timely rains, but because of that, our bottom ground/water holes might need to be replanted, then on to the soybeans.

I have not even tilled my garden! I only planned on tomato plants and cucumbers this year. We are gone enough in the winter, that I don't can all the green beans and put up all the corn like I used to. We have not been eating much corn and hardly any potatoes anymore, so no use doing that. I do have my planters planted with a few spring flowers, and it sounds like it will feel a little more like spring next week.

With all the rains, water has found its way into my family room in the basement. I keep a fan running constantly and have a date set to come get my carpets cleaned in a couple of weeks. We did plug up a down spout that brings too much water from the top story down to the gutter right over the problem area. I'm guessing we are going to end up taking the floor off of our deck and building up the dirt under to slop it more away from the house. I sure don't want my carpet to get ruined....

A few friends and I are going to start a summer bible study using Jim Berg's Changed into His Image. We are going to meet every other week and do a couple chapters a week until late August. Really a good read, and looking forward to spending time studying and praying with my friends! =)

I did get most of the living room painted and picked up a couple more gallons of paint to finish the last wall in the living room and then do the stairway and hall up stairs. If I have enough paint, I might end up doing the laundry room as well. It all can use a fresh coat of paint! =)

....back to laundry... I am going to hang these sheets out even if the sun doesn't want to shine!! =)

Grace in Others....

2010-05-05T16:40:00.003-05:00

Anytime we add requirements to faith, we have strayed from the true gospel message. We certainly need to be challenged as to what faith really means and how a saving faith will manifest itself in our life, but we must never walk away from Salvation by grace through faith alone.

Galatians 1:6-8
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

This is a serious call...one we cannot ignore. We are challenged in the strongest of terms to continue walking according to the true gospel.

We usually begin this walk by focusing on our own life. We slowly take our eyes off of what we can do and look more upon what Christ has already done; "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30). But there remains another step we must begin to take. This important step is to recognize that the grace which pulled us out of the slimy pit and set our feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:2) is the same grace which works in the life of others. We know we can do nothing to earn or add to our Salvation, but how often do we place "requirements" on those around us?

How often do we inadvertently create lists of what a true Christian must do? True Christians must dress and talk a certain way, listen to an approved list of music, watch an approved list of movies, and drink only an approved list of beverages. Our churches tend to have lists which can include quality of clothing, length of hair, style of worship music, or involvement in certain "sins" about which the Bible is absolutely silent. Sure there are extremes in every category which are clearly outside the will of God; but there is a wide range which, though it may make us uncomfortable, belongs to the grace of God. Our walk with God begins with His grace and must continue by His grace.

We must all strive to follow Christ in a completely surrendered obedience; but in walking down this path, we must never pull anyone from the true gospel by requiring obedience to our list. We are saved by grace through faith and faith alone - and "we" includes ALL our Brothers and Sisters who have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. Let's follow hard in His grace and diligently seek to recognize God's transforming power at work as He continues to pour out His grace in others.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Kristin Home and Dad's Memorial.....

2010-04-29T12:33:00.002-05:00

Summer Corn Fettuccine

2010-04-17T09:37:00.001-05:00

I will be making this one with corn in the freezer....wow looked so yummy!!! =) Definately not low carb, but a treat indeed!

Summer Corn Fettuccine
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

.Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:20 minLevel:
EasyServes:
4 to 6 servings.Directions
This pasta tastes like corn chowder, a summer favorite of mine. Bring home a bushel of corn at summers end and cook, scrape and freeze summer fresh flavor by making your own frozen corn kernels.

Ingredients
•Salt
•1 pound fettuccine
•Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
•6 slices smoky bacon, chopped
•6 ears corn on the cob, shucked
•3 shallots, finely chopped
•1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•Freshly ground black pepper
•1 cup half-and-half or cream - whatever you put in your morning coffee
•1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
•A few dashes hot sauce or 1 or 2 pinches cayenne pepper
•1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
•1/2 cup torn sweet basil leaves or 1/4 cup chopped tarragon leaves
Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook a few minutes until rendered and crisp. Put a small bowl inverted into a large bowl, steady the corn cobs on the smaller bowl and scrape the ears. Add 3/4 of the scraped corn and any corn liquid to the pan with the bacon. Add the shallots and red pepper and liberally season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor and puree until smooth.

Pour the stock or wine into the corn and vegetables, and simmer over low heat for a minute to reduce. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce or cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Pour in the sauce, add a couple of handfuls of cheese, about 1/2 cup and toss. Top with torn basil or chopped tarragon and pass the remaining cheese at the table.

Morning Devotion......

2010-04-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

Intended For Good

Joseph's life was filled with one difficult situation after another. By the time he was a teenager, his brothers had developed an intense hatred toward him which led to an attempt to take his life. But rather than kill him, they sold young Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37). And then, as a slave, Joseph was falsely accused of rape and thrown into jail (Genesis 39).

It's never really explained how Joseph learned to trust God - but he did! He could have become very discouraged when he became a slave, but somehow Joseph adjusted to his circumstances and thrived; "The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered" (Genesis 39:2). When tempted with sexual sin by Potiphar's wife, he kept himself pure because he did not want to "sin against God" (Genesis 39:9). But false accusations still sent him into prison.

Even after spending several years in jail, Joseph continued to place his complete trust in God. When asked to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph risked his freedom and rightly gave all the glory and praise to God rather than take credit for himself; "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires" (Genesis 41:16).

Joseph was rewarded with much more than his freedom; he was placed in charge of the entire land of Egypt during a great famine. He was also reunited with his family and able to keep them from certain starvation. Several years later, after their father died, Joseph's brothers came and fearfully asked for his forgiveness. Joseph could have taken great revenge, but he continued to demonstrate his understanding of how God cares for His children.

Genesis 50:19-20
"Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'"

When Joseph was sold into slavery, he had no idea of God's awesome plan. He would spend many years in jail before receiving even a hint of God's purpose. But God is ALWAYS at work in the lives of those who love Him. Joseph's life must encourage us to draw near to God during times of hardship - to continue trusting and honoring Him in all we do...no matter what our circumstances!

We all go through "dungeon" seasons when life seems to take unplanned and seemingly "unfair" turns. We all, at times, feel abandoned and alone: "Has God forgotten me? Does He no longer care?" We may not understand why things happen the way they do, but if we will continue to love Him with all our heart and consistently trust Him in and through all our trials, we can be certain (and one day we will truly see) that God is in control and every situation is truly intended for good.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

All Moved In!

2010-04-03T17:08:00.009-05:00

This is the layout of the condo. The patio is a bit out of proportion but the best I can do .. =) Not to whippy at drawing furniture either.....

We headed back down and moved the furniture in the condo and got all set up. When we arrived I was greeted at the door by a huge pot of beautiful flowers sent to me by a cute farmer! =)

This is the second bedroom.

Kitchen dining area and door out to the patio.

Kitchen

Another shot of dining area

Family room

Front door

Master bedroom

Master bath

Other side of master bath

Another view of master bed/bath

Looking out to kitchen

Living..

Fireplace and early Christmas present from Brian, Amy and family (our beautiful clock!)

We had such a great trip and Brad and Jackie stayed with us our first night in our new place! They cleaned theirs and we moved furniture and got set up in ours and then went over to help them paint and clean. Great trip, but now we need a vacation!! =)

Home Again

2010-03-04T06:12:00.003-06:00

We are back home and getting settled back in. I made five dozen cupcakes for Michael to take to work this morning. They have a pizza meeting the first Thursday each month, so he is very excited to be back for that, and we started a new tradition last year. He brings cupcakes for everyone for his birthday, since he is in AZ on his birthday.

Today is my wonderful mom-in-law's 80th Birthday (and her identical twin, Aunt Jeanne, of course!!) =) Have a wonderful day, June, and may God bless you with many more, happy, healthy years! We love you!

New Paint

2010-02-28T00:12:00.004-06:00

We have been busy painting over the light pink paint. We didn't change the paint in the main bath yet, but did put up a sage green shower curtain and brought over some green towels. The new paint is called "Rich Taupe" I love how it toned down the pink look of the tile. When the walls were all light pink, it really made the tiles look pink. We put a light kit on the fan in the living room and took down the fan over the dining area and put up a light fixture. We actually took the light fixture out of the condo we are staying in and put up a new fixture here that matched the fan and kitchen lights better. I think Denise will be pleased. I sent her photos this morning.

I have been looking for area rugs for the living room for a couple of weeks. I have gone to look at several on Craig's list and in different stores. I started checking garage sales. I wrote back and forth about this one and went down to look at it. It was a multi-family sale at three houses in a neighborhood. I had to ask which one had listed an area rug and they directed me to "Kim" next door. I wasn't optimistic, as the sale started on Friday and there was not a lot left at any of the three houses. I got to "Kim's" and she said yes, it is still inside in my living room. I thought it was perfect and talked her down $20. =) It looks like new!

It just looks so nice to have darker walls! Makes me want to crack open my two gallons of paint waiting for me in NE in my living room and dining room back home! =)

I found the little white bird cages on the garage sale for $1. Not sure where they will really go...just thought they were cute. =)

Have a few more things to move over later today, then I need to get busy packing and cleaning here and getting ready to head back to NE. Our last trip to church here and have supper at Brian and Amy's and load the car. We'll try to drag back as much of this sunshine and warm weather as we can. =)

My Earthly Father has Met Our Heavenly Father...

2010-02-27T23:40:00.006-06:00

Billy Ray Smith d. February 24, 2010

Billy Ray Smith, 79, Parkville, MO passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at the Garden Valley Manor in the Northland. He was born October 2, 1930 in Blackwell, OK to Paul and Clara May Smith. They preceded him in death. He was educated in Blackwell.

He married the former Peggy J. Lannom on February 27, 1981. They would have celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Billy was a veteran of the United States Air Force and served during the Korean Conflict. He was employed in the engineering department for Boeing Aircraft in Wichita, KS. He was a Shriner and longtime member of the VFW and American Legion. He spent the last two years of his life being cared for by the staff members of Garden Valley Manor. Prior to that, he enjoyed traveling, fishing and living at the lake.

In addition to his wife, Peggy, of the home, he is survived by his children and step-children, Paul Smith, Lincoln, NE, Sandy Frahm, Ashland, NE, Dwayne Smith, Holton, KS, Sherrie Mitchell, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Toni McNabb, Kansas City, MO, Karen Householter, Pratt, KS and Lisa Bergrud, Kansas City, MO; 18 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

Mr. Smith has been cremated under the direction of the Meyers Funeral Chapel Northland in Parkville. A private service will be held at the Garden Valley Manor. In memory of Billy, memorial contributions are suggested to Garden Valley Manor Activities Fund or NorthCare Hospice and may be left in care of the funeral home.

I met my dad when I was 20 years old. Brian was just a baby. He had a grandfather somewhere that he would never know if I didn't find him. I had always wanted to meet him as well, so we took a car trip to Blackwell, OK, and knocked on the door of my grandmother's house. (His mother). She welcomed us in and after a nice visit, she got on the phone and called Wichita, KS. She said, " someone here wants to talk to you". He sounded just like my brother, Paul! We drove up the next day and met Dad. We have gotten together regularly ever since.

Dad and Peg would have celebrated their 29th Wedding anniversary tomorrow. I continue to pray that these days are surrounded by the loving arms of our savior as she moves through the days and weeks ahead without Dad to go visit. She was a great wife and took such good care of him. They enjoyed a lot of years together.

Gilbert Condo Photos....

2010-02-16T00:53:00.002-06:00

We hope to get the keys this week and I think I have some paint picked out, as I think the walls are too white. It was all just freshly painted, but I want to do a few things, and it needs curtains and an area rug. We bought the furniture from the condo we have been renting the past four years as Denise and Greg want to just rent it out full time instead of doing the vacation rental thing. They moved to CA a couple years ago and it is too hard with no one here now. Steve is planning on re-doing the fireplace..not a favorite for either one of us. =) Will be fun to post photos when it has the furniture in and maybe a few Amy touches, too!! =)

Desert Botanical Garden Trip

2010-02-16T00:26:00.001-06:00

First off...I don't hear music...do you?? I don't want that to happen again!! We had such a fun afternoon with the kids. This place is GORGEOUS!! We couldn't believe the varieties of desert plants and cacti. Carter did great, too!! The kids came back over for supper after. Such a beautiful day!!

Ok...couldn't handle the music either!!

2010-02-11T08:38:00.003-06:00

For the longest time I could not hear the music from my slide show from last month. I finally popped in here...and I AM SORRY! I couldn't figure out how to edit it in slide, so for now, I just deleted that post!!

We have been busy here!! Have had lots of company and things to do! Andy and Anna and the kids are here with us this week. Have lots of photos to share, and will pop a slide show in......if I can make sure they do not attach any music!!!

Another happening....we bought a condo here!! More about that later as well. Here is a photo of the front.

We close next Tuesday. No we ARE NOT moving down, but we found out that this would be our last year to rent this condo and we love this area. We looked at what was for sale, and ....well keeping it short...so many things just fell into place on this, we are very thankful for the opportunity to be able to buy it!!

Our Dream Home.....

2010-01-28T08:35:00.001-06:00

We were driving around the other day and think we found our dream home. I think Steve would feel right at home here....but I think it would be a little hot in the summer for me.......=)

Carter and Kiki =)

2010-01-28T08:34:00.001-06:00

I hate that I will miss this.....

2010-01-22T11:51:00.003-06:00

This will be such a fun morning....and wouldn't YOU like to know how to take a wonderful vacation to Hawaii on a budget??!! I'm sure Kathy's talk will also, be so inspiring. If you are close enough, and want a fun morning out...try to attend!! =)

graphics by Shabby Miss Jenn Designs.....

Carter time..... =)

2010-01-22T10:55:00.002-06:00

What a joy! This little guy just loves this little guy!! =) He had more fun socializing with himself in the mirror the other night when he stayed with us. You would have thought he is with us every week. He never seemed like he was afraid of us and you would never know he had not seen us since last July!

He loves his Crampaw.... =)

We took Michael down to his favorite store. He always comes out with some treasure.... =)

It has rained.....a lot....here this week. They even had a tornado warning up north last night. Flagstaff had FEET of snow the past couple of days and the main roads are all closed and Phoenix even cancelled all in and out flights last night for a while because of high winds. Crazy weather this past year...all over the country!!

Finally .....sunshine!!

2010-01-16T08:26:00.002-06:00

We left the cold and snow of home and headed down to see the kids!! We drove a long day and stayed in Albuquerque, NM and got up early and got on down to Gilbert about 3:30 pm on Friday. As soon as we got the car unloaded ...we headed to the pool/ hottub. OK...it was only 76 degrees, but compared to the -20 we left last week, it was balmy!! We headed over to Brian and Amy's around 5 and I finally got my hands on our youngest grandson, Carter!! What a cutie! He has grown SO much since summer and what a little hugger!! I told Amy, "He just fits!!"...in my arms, that is!! =) After supper, I was going to drop the guys off at home and go get groceries. I decided to finish putting things away.....and go to bed!! I didn't get much sleep at all at the motel on Thursday night. The room was fine...I think I was just excited to get down here!!! I slept great here, and the guys are going to walk to the "Good Egg" and grab some breakfast and I will head over to the store and get my groceries this morning. Popping my turkey in the oven (I always bring down a turkey...can't beat meat at 49 cents a pound!!) and the kids will come over for supper tonight and eat with us! It is soooo good to see the sun again...and NO SNOW!! =)

Beautiful Frozen Fog.....

2010-01-12T15:51:00.002-06:00

There was about 1/4 mile visability when we left to take Michael to work about 7:30 this morning. The trees were gorgeous. I had to get a couple snaps when I got back.... I had an appointment to get the oil changed in the suburban and get a haircut uptown in Wahoo later on. I stopped at the garage and they gave me a ride to the salon. After, they called and said it was about finished, so I walked the 8 or 9 blocks back to the garage. It was only about 10 degrees, but just a light south breeze, so I was dressed warm enough. The worst part, is all this 'fog snow' was dropping from the trees and the sidewalks were very slick. I almost fell five or six times!!

It has warmed back into the 20's during the day now, so not as bitter cold as the past couple of weeks. They say that was the end of the bitter cold...no more in sight....

It is Nebraska.....we are used to 'normal'. You know...normal is just the average of extremes...and we have plenty of those!!=)

Pits!!!! Is is time to head south yet?!!!

2010-01-02T06:55:00.000-06:00

SAUNDERS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WAHOO
336 AM CST SAT JAN 2 2010

..Wind chill advisory in effect until 10 am cst this morning
Today Very cold. Mostly sunny in the morning Then cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow in the afternoon. Highs around 7. Southeast winds up to 10 mph.
Tonight Very cold. Cloudy. Snow likely in the evening Then a chance of snow after midnight. Snow accumulation around 1 inch. Lows around 2. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent.
Sunday Very cold. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Highs around 11. Southeast winds around 5 mph.
Sunday night Very cold. Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Lows around 1 below. Northeast winds around 5 mph.
Monday Very cold. Partly sunny. Highs around 10. North winds around 5 mph.
Monday night and tuesday Partly cloudy. Lows around 6 below. Highs around 10.
Tuesday night Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows around 4.
Wednesday Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Highs around 9.
Wednesday night Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. Lows around 4 below.
Thursday Partly sunny. Highs around 2.
Thursday night and friday Partly cloudy. Lows around 7 below. Highs around 8.

The Last Unopened Gift........

2009-12-31T15:00:00.002-06:00

Did you see it? You may have missed it...but it was there. Don't feel bad, most people overlook this one. But there is still time. Today, before the new year gets started; before all the decorations get put away; before all the other gifts are set aside, open it!

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The gift of God. Why do so many people miss His gift? One reason might be the rather ordinary wrapping; "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). We've all heard the story about being born with the animals; "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:7).

Yes, such a great gift in so common of wrapping could be easily missed. But perhaps there is something else, something in the very makeup of our nature which keeps us from opening His gift.

A prince has no problem accepting a gift meant for a prince. And a common person has no problem accepting a gift which is common. But a common person can be quite uncomfortable accepting a gift meant for a prince. We know what's inside the gift - eternal life - a gift meant for a prince...and deep down we know we are so very common.

If the gift is too great, too much above what we feel we deserve, we feel uncomfortable. "If we accept the gift will we then feel a debt? How could we ever repay such a debt? Maybe it's best to ignore it and just leave it wrapped under the tree."

Again, don't be too hard on yourself. This is a natural reaction to such a gift. Ever since the gift was first made available people have felt unworthy and refused to open the gift. They would rather try to somehow work and feel deserving; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The gift cannot be earned and working does not make us more deserving.

Jesus Christ came in ordinary wrapping. He died for the forgiveness of our sin. Why? So we could be given the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life! Let's not let another day go by without receiving His gift. Sure we might feel uncomfortable. Sure we might feel a debt we can never repay. But His gift is given in love and is worth it all. Let's honestly examine what is keeping us away. Let's humbly recognize our need, and in the quiet of our heart let's be sure to receive the last unopened gift.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Christmas Blizzard.....

2009-12-30T14:07:00.002-06:00

It has been forever since I have posted!! It started snowing the day before Christmas Eve. I did get to work on Wednesday and Thursday until noon and the roads weren't too bad coming home from work. We packed up the suburban and were heading down to Andy's and got about two miles from home and we could barely see for the snow. Crazy!! We called them and headed back home. We ate from the pot of soup we were taking and later popped popcorn and made hot cocoa and played UNO and Aggrevation and watched Christmas shows and watched it snow.

Christmas day and Virgil and June's was also cancelled. It snowed about a foot and the wind was still blowing. At noon, I fixed the guys shrimp and stir-fried veggies and made little individual mixed berry cobblers. We played more games and watched more Christmas shows, and put together a Charlie Brown Christmas puzzle on the dining room table...until around 6 pm, when we lost power. We went down to the shop and got the generator out. Of course, no gas in the gas can, so we had to get gas out of the 4-wheeler, then drug it back up to the house through the drifts. No photos of that, just interested in figuring out how to heat the house in the below 0 windchill for the night. (Our power company told us a substation was down and over 250 homes were without power and the roads were impassable...so hunker down for the night...) We did not used the generator all night until about 6 am. It was still 61 degrees in here.

I don't know if Michael was still shaken by the lights being off all evening and night or if the flickering candles and oil lamps bothered him, but he had a grand mal seizure around midnight. He has been seizure free since last winter, and had taken all his meds. I doubt a person ever gets used to seeing people they love go through something like that. He is just exhausted for about an hour afterward and did not want to go back to bed. He came down to the living room and we slept on the floor down there under a bunch of comforters.

I was thankful for my gas cooktop. I also had ran a few gallons of water in pitchers before the lights went out. (They flickered a few times before going out for good). We had our eggs and grilled bread for breakfast and heated our soup back up for lunch. Our corded phone still worked and I could still get email on my phone and we each have cell phones, so Little House on the Prarie we were not... We scooped snow away from the garage and hauled the generator back down to the shop so we could get the shop door open and get the big tractor and scoop out so he could move snow. We had no idea how long the power would be out and he wanted to try to get to town to get more gas for the generator. Power did come back on after lunch and Michael went straight down and put a movie on and worked on another puzzle in his beloved basement. =) These are photos of where Blum's used to live, a mile east around the corner.

Steve called them and asked if they needed help digging out. They were so grateful!!

Their little boys were loving all this snow!!

We did not have that big of drifts at our place..especially up around the house.

This was our biggest drift...down around the grain bins. Steve had to cut through this because he needs to keep hauling beans and corn....
This is in front of our garage as I am standing on our deck. I have had enough snow....hope this is it for a while..... =)

Morning Devotion....

2009-12-22T07:14:00.001-06:00

In our celebration of the birth of Christ, we know the focus of Christmas must always be on remembering the eternal gift given through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This season ought to irresistibly draw us near to God as we reflect on His gift of love.

The birth of Jesus gives great insight into the character of God. For one, we see His methods are far different from our own; "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways" (Isaiah 55:8). How many of us would bring the King of Kings into the world through two common young people in a dirty stable? But God had a purpose!

These lowest of beginnings set the example for a life of humility. Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe! "For by Him all things were created" (Colossians 1:16). Yet, He humbled Himself to the point of being born with the animals and continued by humbly walking all the way to the cross.

As we reflect on His humility, how can we then make prideful demands on life? How can we assume there is a standard to which we are entitled? Jesus set the standard for humility and we are now called to follow; "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).

But perhaps the greatest insight we can learn from the birth of our Savior is simply that He came. Our sin must have been detestable and vile to One so holy, but He came to live with us...and love us! Without Jesus Christ, we have absolutely no hope - we can do nothing to save ourselves from the bondage of sin and an eternal separation from God. We can do nothing, yet God made the first move to set us free. He took the initiative in our Salvation by providing a way and calling us Home.

1 John 4:9
"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him."

God clearly saw our sinful condition; and yet, He loved us enough to send His Son so we might be restored to a right relationship with Him. He sent His Son so we might live! God made the first move 2000 years ago and He continues to make the first move in our lives today (even with giving specific direction). He calls long before we even recognize His voice, and He continues to call us to surrender our life and live with Him in a deeper and more intimate relationship.

If you hear His call today, please respond! It's a great privilege to hear His call, so be encouraged...but then respond! His call cost Him dearly, and it represents a love we will never fully understand. Let's boldly answer and follow wherever He leads. And remember, He loved us enough to make the first move.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Christmas Ad for Paper

2009-12-15T04:47:00.003-06:00

My sis-in-law was asking about the ad I designed for the local paper for my clinic. My boss wanted my other boss to be the Grinch, so this is what I came up with and I told the rest of my co-workers it was fun working with them for the last couple of years...... =)

He did fire me, but he has done that several times before and I just keep coming back. He was fine after I baked him an apple pie.....

Heading Home Tomorrow....

2009-12-07T15:49:00.003-06:00

We have had a WONDERFUL stay in South Carolina! I can't believe how fast our time went here and had so much fun and have many photos to post when we get home. Now we are praying that we can just get back to NE. We are scheduled to leave a 9:40 am tomorrow and arrive in Chicago at 10:50. We leave there at 12:20 and arrive in Omaha at 1:57. We heard we are supposed to have blizzard conditions in NE so will be praying that our flight is not cancelled. Cheryl, are you home tomorrow night if we get stuck in Chicago??? =) The weather radar looks good there for now, but we will see by noon tomorrow. ....

Fall field work...

2009-12-01T15:31:00.003-06:00

Cute Farmer has been going like crazy doing fall field work. The ground is supposed to freeze up tomorrow night. Virgil has been helping. I got a little Christmas shopping done today after I cleaned at church. I wanted to get to town in time to go to the ladies study, but had two appt's right away and made it too late. Got the bags out and getting ready to pack. Can't wait to see the kids in SC!!! Have several Christmas parties coming up, too.

Hey family, I also got the annual bowling night lined up. I'll send out the details to all in an email, but it is the same as always... =)

Here we come kids... =)

2009-11-19T16:00:00.003-06:00

I finally talked cute farmer into letting me get airline tickets to go see the kids next month. We (Kristin and I =) wanted to get there for Thanksgiving weekend, but I'm still not sure we will get SJ done with harvest and my guy wants, in the worst way, to still get some fall field work since the ground is not frozen yet, and the rain and snow has stayed at bay... I called a around and think I have my work covered while I am gone. We can only stay a few days, but any time is great with me!!!

Got my bookwork caught up today and emailed my files to our taxman. We always do a pre-end-of-year to see if there is anything we need to adjust before the end of this year. That is one good thing about having to do it each month...keeps you caught up. Not sure when or if we will actually get in for an appointment...might have to do it from cell phones from the tractor.. =)

I also spent about half an hour deleting old emails from both accounts. I hate to admit it, but I had over 5000 emails in the inbox of my yahoo account. They went back as far as 2008. Now I need to go dust, and make a pot of ham and bean soup and cornbread muffins to take to work tomorrow.

Long Days....

2009-11-13T03:34:00.005-06:00

We get up around 5:30 and the guys head up to the elevator to get in the trucks at about 7 am. They get filled the night before and taken up to get them in line. Yesterday, it took all day to get five truckloads of corn in. ...the hurry up and wait game. They are picking corn on the "Ernies" farm and SJ's field connected to it to the east, his "Wilgus- east" farm.

I go to work today, so packed up six lunches for the harvesters, and two more for Michael and I. Steve N came last night from Colorado, Mike S. (neighbor of Steve J.) and I think Tim is hauling for us this afternoon, so I just wanted to make sure there were enough lunches to go around.

They are trying to find another semi today from some that are done harvesting. I'm praying the dryer keeps running today. We will be on the third tank of propane this week. I am talking 500 gal tank......., but thankful to have all the corn, and it is dryer on this farm, so we are thankful for the warm temps and breezy days to keep drying it down a little.

Happy Birthday, Daut!!

2009-11-12T05:22:00.002-06:00

Save us some cake! We love you!!

Harvest is going well....

2009-11-11T12:10:00.004-06:00

We have been drying a lot of our grain as the moisture content is too high and we get docked for that at the elevator. During the weekend, every time cute farmer would leave the place, the crazy dryer would shut down. They could not figure out what was the matter. Finally, day before yesterday, he just stayed and worked on things and heard the blower shut off first, and went and checked it and it was hot. He put a big fan on it to cool it off and it has been running since. He amazes me so many times! He can fix just about anything. He wanted to try to fix the computer, but I begged him to just leave it alone and just let Brian look at it....... The lines are unbelievably long at the elevator. In the photo below, I am a mile out of town and you can see them lined up in both directions from the corner that they turn to go around a block before they even get on the elevator property.

Below, I am just coming in closer to town....

I have turned the corner and gone to the other end of the block where they turn in the photo below....They will go all around that huge building. There are probably 20 to 25 more trucks ahead of that little red one, just waiting to go across the scale and more ahead of that waiting to dump the grain and more ahead of that waiting to go back across the scale to weigh out and head back to their farm. We were blessed with an abundant crop (most of which is still too wet) and we are very thankful! =)

You can't see it from this angle, but there are about 10 trucks lined up behind the little red one....

I boxed up some old clothes and coats and am going to take them to a new consignment store that opened in Wahoo this afternoon. I stopped in there the other day and they have some nice things, but didn't find anything I couldn't live without....I am, of course, trying to get rid of stuff...hehe... Thought I would give it a try. I have been giving everything to the thrift store, but would be nice to get a little something out of a few things that I know I won't wear anymore.

Finished Bean Harvest Tonight!!!

2009-11-05T22:43:00.004-06:00

We are so thankful to have the last beanfield cut tonight! Whew...never took this long ever before! Now they will concentrate on the corn and the forecast is warm, breezy and dry, so hope it drys down naturally so we don't have to keep running it through the dryers. I watched the dryer here at home today while they harvested over on our ground by SJ's.

We are thankful to have this beautiful crop.... =)

Wish you could all come!! =)

2009-11-01T17:47:00.001-06:00

Most graphics are from Shabby Miss Jenn, and leaf alpha from Pickleberry Pop

My Treats.... =)

2009-11-01T14:46:00.002-06:00

The folks and kids came out to watch the NE game with us and spend the day. I made a batch of sugar cookie dough and we cut them out and let the grandbabies decorate them.

The both did a great job! =)

Calvin finally decided to just eat the decorations instead of put them on the cookies... =)

We had a fun time with them. We played cards in the evening and Cami and Calvin spent the night and went back with us this morning for church.

It is 69 degrees out this afternoon. One of the neighbors is out picking corn. I think we will start in again tomorrow. Loving this "Indian Summer" weather.... =)

Soup's on...

2009-10-31T08:01:00.003-05:00

The chili is in the crock pot and "Cheryl's" cinnamon rolls are made. Come on out kids! =) Probably no harvesting until Monday. We had another 1.25 inches of rain Thurs-Friday.

I hate to complain about our road being graded, because he is just trying to get it in shape before the ground freezes, but he was out last Tuesday before it rained and again this Tuesday before it rained. It is like driving on a minimum maintinence road and I am not even driving into the garage. Our suburban and pickup are both gray with mud.....

We celebrated niece Rachael's 18th birthday last night at Lone.Star steakhouse in Lincoln. Good to get together with family again and even planning Thanksgiving. Wow...that is just around the corner!

Copious Sunshine

2009-10-31T07:52:00.004-05:00

5-day Forecast

Saturday Hi: 60

Sunday Lo: 34 Hi: 65

Monday Lo: 35 Hi: 57

Tuesday Lo: 44 Hi: 56

Wednesday Lo: 33 Hi: 59

So far no rain in the forecast.....we'll pray this is true.

2009-10-29T06:35:00.002-05:00

It rained again, but we only have about 80 acres of beans left and can concentrate on getting the corn out. We are thankful!! Sounds like a pretty dry week next week.

Heading to town today to get my cleaning done at church and a couple other errands.

Andy, Anna and the kids are coming out this weekend to help harvest and play!=) Trying to decide what to fix to eat.... Andy...whatcha hungry for??? =)

Something to think about.........

2009-10-28T10:12:00.002-05:00

On October 14th 2009, Lord Christopher Monckton, a noted climate change expert, gave a presentation at Bethel College in St. Paul, MN in which he issued a dire warning regarding the United Nations Climate Change Treaty which is scheduled to be signed in Copenhagen in December 2009.

Back in the Field....

2009-10-27T13:14:00.002-05:00

The guys got back in the field yesterday on some of our bottom ground. They have to be careful unloading. As they drive through the field, there is still standing water (right ahead of them here as they are unloading...)

The auger wagon had to turn around just seconds after taking this photo because the tires started spinning and he almost got stuck....

These bales are on our east road a half mile north of our house. I always they look pretty scattered across the field....

The farm that they are picking corn on is just north of this road. This is a field road, but this is how muddy it is in the field they are picking in....you can just see it better without all of the corn husks covering the top of it.....

I just heard them say they are quitting here and moving over to the beanfields by brother Steve. They still have a little over 200 acres of beans to harvest. I don't remember us ever having soybeans in the field this late in the year. I pray we finish before the next rain (70% chance on Thursday).

Happy 7th Birthday, Xander!!! =)

2009-10-25T23:26:00.001-05:00

I remember mommy bringing you out when you were only a week or two old and Sis and Wilson went for a ride in the combine (on Tarpenning's farm) and you stayed back in the suburban and we had such a nice visit. =)....and now you are 7 years old!!! We love you Xan-man!! =) I can't wait to see the photos from your party!!

Michael is HOME!! =)

2009-10-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

Michael had a GREAT trip! They got back to Wahoo around 9:45. Joyce told me he said he didn't want to go home when they were packing to go to the airport. =) He only took a couple of photos with his camera, but they are going to combine all of their photos and give each one a disk, so I will make him a book (and post some when I get them). It is fun to hear him talk about it. He got a nice t-shirt from Disney (splash mountain). I'm sure he will be taking every trip he can now... =)

Michael is HOME!! =)

2009-10-24T10:37:00.001-05:00

2009-10-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

Michael update... =)

2009-10-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

God has answered my prayers two times this week! When I was in the drug store yesterday a staff member from Region.V was in and said she had talked to the staff member that is with Michael in Florida. She said they had a good flight and that all were tired by the time they got to their condo, but also had a good and busy day on Monday. Today, another staff member brought in a patient at work, and had talked to 'Michael's staff member". She said they had gone to the ocean and Michael was having a ball 'jumping waves'. They also took an air boat ride. She said Michael was not going to go on it, but she said he had to, because they all were going and there was nowhere for him to stay. He went on and by the time it got going, he was all smiles and was smiling and clapping when they got done and got off. He was glad he went. She told me Joyce asked Michael if he wanted to call home and he said, "no, that's ok". I'm glad, because if he did want to call, I would think he was homesick! I'm so glad he is having fun. Today is Disney day! I might call her tomorrow and see how his day was and tell them to call my cell phone when they get back on Friday evening. We sure miss him, but are so thankful he had that opportunity to go!!

Back in the fields...

2009-10-19T11:00:00.002-05:00

The guys picked corn yesterday afternoon and finally got back in the bean field around 4 pm. yesterday. The sun is shining (after morning fog) now and they have been working on the combine all morning. They will hopefully be cutting beans after lunch.

My crazy desktop computer has decided to be naughty, so I put her in 'time-out' and unplugged her and have my laptop back up as our main computer again. The desktop kept shutting off by itself, and I am afraid, one of these times, it will not turn back on. I'll take it down to the family Dr. this winter! =)

I do NOT like an empty nest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michael left for Florida yesterday morning at 4 am. I have not heard from them, and don't know if they will call, but I know one thing.......it is going to be a long week for us!!! I hope he has fun and I hope he/they take lots of photos. We are used to leaving him with family and going off, not having HIM leave us!! =)

I am going to work this afternoon ...... =)

Patience......

2009-10-15T11:22:00.003-05:00

....is a fruit of the spirit...and we are praying that we can keep it until the sun comes back out and can continue to harvest. We had less than an inch of rain, but the cool, damp weather continues to keep us out of the field. We are so very pleased that we have out as much as we do, though. The forcast is for warmer weather, but there is a chance of showers thrown in about every other day.

I work three days this week. I am working on our 'graveyard' files..a little there and more at home. I am just completely going through them and organizing them and making sure the notes are in order, etc. I have to admit, it will be good to get to "Z", but it kind of makes me smile as I go through them and remember many of the people and some of the conversations that we had, etc.

My computer has the flu...I think. It will only stay on about three hours and then it shuts off by itself. I am glad that so far it hasn't done it while I was working on something...especially farm books, or in the middle of a photoshop project, but at any rate, it is still annoying and I fear that it won't turn back on one of these times. I will be hauling it to AZ this winter for the computer Dr. to have a look at it..... speaking of patience.....=) ...thanks, Brian, for all you do for me!!!!!

Another Dr Appt....

2009-10-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

Steve had his appt. with the Infectious Disease Dr. this morning. To keep a short story short, all the test results are coming back negative, and because he is not having any adverse symptoms, he feels we should just keep watching it and do nothing at this time. HE does not think it was started with Valley Fever. He thinks it is from mold or fungus, farm related. He has another appt with the lung Dr. in December and they will do another CT or x-ray then unless some symptoms develop before then. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

Dr. Appt today.....

2009-10-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

Well, we are very thankful that Steve's test results have ruled out the real bad things, cancer, etc. What we did find out is that they still aren't sure what it IS. It still appears to be related to a mold, from the only test that came back so far that wasn't negative. There are still many 'culture' tests that the results are not back yet. His white count is up a bit and another level in his blood that would indicate some infection...normal is around 20 and his was in the 40's. He wants Steve to see the 'Infectious Disease' Dr. next. He is scheduled to see her next Tuesday morning. He is also scheduled to go back to the lung Dr. in late December and will probably get another CT scan at that time. It is not impossible that it could just improve on its own, but he thinks this other Dr. will study his results and recommend treatment. There is also the possibility that he will need to have a surgical biopsy done still (we are not looking forward to that) but will again, wait to see what this next Dr. recommends....

We are thankful we live this close to Drs and hospitals, and in all, the Lord knows exactly what he has and how this all will turn out!!!

Thanks for your prayers!! love to all!!

Bean Harvest

2009-10-07T18:29:00.002-05:00

The guys got back out in the field this afternoon. It is supposed to rain again by morning, so I'm sure they will go tonight, as long as the stems keep cutting and the beans keep popping out of the pods... This is just south of our house.
They are putting some in the bin while they wait for the big semi to get back from the elevator.
They use the small semi as a 'dump pit' and it augers up into the bin. They just run it slow, so it won't run out while the tractor and auger wagon go back out and catch another load and bring it back in to dump. They all have it down to a science. It is fun to listen to them all talking on the radios. I feel like I am with them all day.... =)

Michael was so excited about supper in a box. He couldn't wait to come home from work and went right out and got in the combine. He couldn't stand it. He rode two rounds and came back in to see if I was cooking. I had it all ready. Roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn. I didn't even have his in the box yet!!! I told him I was not wasting a box while he was in the house. He didn't care...he just wanted supper!! =)

In Whom We Trust.....

2009-10-07T18:22:00.000-05:00

(loved this today....)

Hezekiah became the king of Judah soon after the northern tribes of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians. Judah was now being threatened by this same Assyrian army. Hezekiah was young and had a strong desire to do right in the eyes of God, but his faith was being greatly tested.

Seeing his kingdom would soon be under attack, Hezekiah sought help through an alliance with Egypt. Though this alliance was not wrong in itself, the action was taken out of fear and without consulting God. This action was not only foolish, it was sin!

Isaiah 31:1
"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord."

Hezekiah made the same mistake all too common among believers today. We say we believe God's Word is true, but fail to trust Him with the real trials of our life. It was easier for Hezekiah to place his trust in what he could see, than in the Hand of God which he "believed" but remained unseen.

When the Assyrian's actually attacked Jerusalem, Hezekiah's faith had greatly increased. As he spoke with his soldiers, Hezekiah demonstrated full confidence in God.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles."

Where do we turn when the enemy threatens? If our faith is restricted to the inside of church walls on Sunday morning, we are definitely ill-prepared. We must learn to walk in the presence of God all through our day so we KNOW God is with us.

When we trust Him and love Him with ALL our heart, we begin to walk in victory regardless of the physical outcome of a particular battle. God may certainly direct us to protect ourselves, or avoid conflict; but with our eyes firmly set on Jesus, we must understand the real war has already been won. This truth is worth repeating! Regardless of the outcome in each of life's many battles, the end of the Book has already been written...Jesus wins!! When we are under attack, let's put substance to our faith and allow our lives to demonstrate in Whom we trust!

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries