LOVE as Our Guidepost

Make it Beautiful...

2012-01-28T21:45:00.001-08:00

You Say...God Says...

2012-01-27T10:59:00.001-08:00

You will actually need to click on the picture to read it....sorry :(

Life...

2012-01-26T18:58:00.001-08:00

You Are Worth Far More

2012-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Thinking you are worthless today? God says "reconsider".
Read on... "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid. You are worth far more."

- Luke 12:6-7

Never...

2012-01-24T21:43:00.001-08:00

Pictures-Tabletop Monkey Dancers & Cukes

2012-01-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

Please excuse the quality of the picts......our camera.....sniff....broke....sob.....yes.....waiiiiiilllll...

I have resorted to snapping picts of our daily life with my very old fashioned cell phone camera :(

oh sad day. will someone please call my hubby and tell him a new camera is a need??? not just

a want????? (as i typed that out....visions of my sweet lil friends in haiti filled my mind...sigh)

ok....so it's not a necessity in the big picture of life....but still.....i am one who captures every

moment possible in these adorable monkey lives .... so i'm praying for a miracle in our budget.....

Pict#1---BabyMonkey thinks school is a necessity on the table top....she got sent directly to the principals office :)ha!

#2 & 3---oh look! BaMo is on that tabletop again!!! it's a babymonkey magnet!!! and you wonder how i get homeschooling, teaching 30 piano students, meals, laundry, cleaning, blogging, picking up, organizing, ANYTHING done???? (i'm just waiting for the moment i come around the corner

and she's dancing on that tabletop :)

#4--our new bunk beds....oh wait....that's our "DREAM BEDS" for the monkies...aren't they grand???

#5 & 6----MeeMee Monkey dropped off cukes to eat....guess who FOUGHT OVER THEM....

and ate them whole?!?!? and called them their cucumber yummy sticks?? yes...our kids....what nuts :)

#7-----My amazing hubby....so very very thankful for the Daddy he is...he's a keeper.

The Man in the Arena

2012-01-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly . . . who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions;... who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.

—TEDDY ROOSEVELT

Legalism/Holiness

2012-01-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

Legalism says, "I won't do this because I can't." A desire for holiness says, "I know I can do this but I don't want to."

Pursue the latter.

Great Giveaway!!!

2012-01-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Head over to my beautiful friend Christi's blog
http://godetchedyourname.blogspot.com/2012/01/great-giveaway-send-me.html
for some awesome giveaway particles!!!

Sermon Snippets

2012-01-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

1-"God wants us to "love the hell" out of others so we can shine and see the Heaven in all of us."
~Todd White

2-"Be big minded....not small."

3-"Go for the gold in people and forget the peripheral sights."

4-"There's a cost to being a disciple of Jesus...you have to die...and keep dying to self."

5-"What kind of righteousness are we hungry and thirsty for?"

6-"If you step out in the "uncomfortable"--that's when the "Comforter" can come in and work."
~Happy and Dianne Leman

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
Matthew 6:33

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled."
Matthew 5:6
Make sure to check out Todd White in the clips below...this man has an amazing testimony!
http://youtu.be/JhrGgwtgA5E

http://youtu.be/EvL-PDWrfBY

Be You...

2012-01-21T22:19:00.001-08:00

Monkey Barracade

2012-01-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

can you guess which monkies are trying to keep a certain other little monkey away from them???

We All Live,Lose,Love...

2012-01-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

“No matter how different our circumstances may be, we each live and lose and love and cry and work and let go and endure and break down and get back up. It is the universal tie that binds all of us together, and it matters deeply. I know that the fullness of how we love each other as human beings is in our understanding of how similar we really are, and how much we need each other to care. We truly were not meant to take this journey alone.”

~{w}hole

He's a Preacher...

2012-01-19T17:38:00.001-08:00

More than 24 years ago, Pam & her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own saf...ety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. Pam said the doctors didn't think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue. While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher. Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football. Pam’s son is Tim Tebow!!

Pictures-Winter Came

2012-01-18T22:18:00.000-08:00

Winter finally arrived.....Monkies G and E loved it....BabyMonkey...not so much....:)

Isaiah 58

2012-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

"Lighten the burden of those who work for you, Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share you food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. 'Yes I am here,' he will quickly reply."

Isaiah 58: 6-9

BaMo isn't even 2 yrs old yet...

2012-01-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

MamaMonkey Journal Entry#1052: BabyMonkey grabs the Wii remote today, gets into Netflix ,starts the LeapFrog movie, turns to me and laughs....she will be 2 yrs old in 1 month. BaMo pushes a stool over to the stove today, climbs on top and starts pushing buttons on the microwave. BaMo is not 2 yrs old YET. BaMo goes into laundry room today, pushes stool over to washmachine,opens lid and drops a pair of shorts in the top. BM is 1.9 yrs old. BaMo yells NO NO and tries to bite her 5 yr old big bro today when he takes a toy away from her. BaMo opens fridge door,gets a cup & attempts to pour herself a cup of juice today.*sigh* Sadly, PapaMonkey is correct when he makes jokes that our NOT EVEN 2 YR OLD YET is running the Strough house currently.....MamaM is now taking a very long vacation somewhere warm and exotic that includes blue waters,sandy beaches, and happy punch. Call me on my cell when Jason Strough has the baby under control :)

I Will Trust

2012-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 12:2

(NKJV)

" Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;

For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;

He also has become my salvation."

1000 Times I've Failed...

2012-01-15T17:41:00.001-08:00

Just Aired....

2012-01-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

on national TV!!!! woohoo!!!

http://youtu.be/5beoRa_HR8o

and that my friends.....is very cool :)

Hillbilly Commandments

2012-01-13T22:44:00.001-08:00

He Saves...

2012-01-12T22:22:00.001-08:00

Pictures-Global Warming??

2012-01-11T21:41:00.000-08:00

So while people chat about this odd warm weather in the middle of January in Illinois....I just thank God. Global Warming??? Eh......I say it's God Gifts....the monkies and I are soaking up every single drop of it before that predicted snow hits us.

And I may or may not be filling up bottles of it.....stashing it away in all the nooks and crannies I can possibly find. Just a lil moonshine....er... I mean sunshine :)...for those dreary winter February days up ahead :)

I Run...

2012-01-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

ROMANS 8:28

2012-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Goals for 2012

2012-01-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

Goals for 2012 from stuff around the house:

More playing with our monkies than this past year...

complete this amazing book....

Read these to the kiddos....

fill up these prayer boxes and stop whining..... :)

Rest in this thought up above...

homeschooling a very onery, energetic, stubborn kindergartener and not giving up on it :)
and teaching them the concept of tithing, saving, money, etc....

every day.....focusing on the positive stuff

and last but not least: BECOMING A TROPHY WIFE :)

Blessing Bags

2012-01-07T11:07:00.001-08:00

What an awesome idea! Guess what we're doing in homeschool this week? :)
http://kwavs.blogspot.com/2011/05/blessing-bags-how-to.html

Kahlua Cake

2012-01-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is on the agenda to make this weekend.....yum......

1 Box Duncan Hines devil food cake
1 3.4 Oz Box of Royal instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 Cups sour cream
3/4 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup Kahlua
2 eggs, (beat with fork)

Mix all ingredients with a BIG Spoon and leave lumpy.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a greased and floured Bundt Pan, bake for 45 minutes.
Let cool, dust top with powdered sugar.

Extraordinary...

2012-01-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

When God allows extraordinary trials for His people, He prepares extraordinary comforts for them.

~Corrie Ten Boom

{"For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13}

Pictures-Favorite Things

2012-01-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

One of the bestest Christmas presents ever: 4 flavors of coffee from Promises Coffeehouse in Watseka!!!

BabyMonkey snuggles when they are not feeling good

monkey cuddles

monkey business late at night

monkey naps after long, fun days

my piano students....love love love them!

Do It Anyway

2012-01-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-This version is credited to Mother Teresa

Love Like Crazy

2012-01-04T21:32:00.001-08:00

Silence of the Heart

2012-01-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

"Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart." ~Mother Teresa

Thankfulness

2012-01-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

So once a week....you will see this meal at our house....and in 2012, we may see it more than that.

In the process of teaching our kids THANKFULNESS....we are actually learning alot ourselves :)

2012-The Best is Yet to Come

2012-01-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

"Keep my commands in your heart.

They will help you live for many years.

They will bring you success.

Don't let love and truth ever leave you.

Tie them around your neck.

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will find favor and a good name in the eyes of God and people.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Do not depend on your own understanding.

In all your ways remember him.

Then he will make your paths smooth and straight."

~Prov. 3

I Will Protect Him

2012-01-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD,

“I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

~Psalm 91

Happy New Year's Eve!

2011-12-31T14:43:00.001-08:00

Jesus Carried Us...

2011-12-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

"Jesus has carried me in His own two everlasting arms. He has carried us and His rock-solid biceps often took the form of brick, mortar and wood. We’d think we’d come against something we couldn’t overcome, then He’d scoop us up and carry us kicking and screaming to the next season. Not fast enough to suit us, mind you, but eventually. Time and time again, Jesus took a needle and thread and sewed us loop by painful loop back together again. We’re so glad He did."

~Beth Moore

....this echos my heart looking back at 2011. Ready for a new year....new beginnings....new journals...new friends...new ideas...and exciting adventures with my monkies :)

Be STrong...

2011-12-29T22:59:00.001-08:00

Every Season...

2011-12-28T21:49:00.001-08:00

REMEMBER...

2011-12-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Remember...By Samantha Reed... From http://proverbs31.org/index.php

“Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.” Psalm 25:6 (NIV)

I sometimes struggle to see how God’s Word applies to me and my life. You see, I’ve been waiting a long, long time. For a walk down “the” aisle. For a cradle and arms full of soft cooing. For hearts of loved ones to fully turn to Jesus. For manna to rain from heaven.

The funny thing about waiting is it can be all-consuming. It inhales my attention, chews my focus and swallows my thoughts, leaving me in a place of uncertainty and doubt. I forget God’s power to fulfill my hopes for a husband, children and prayers answered. Its then, when I can’t see how He’s going to bring these things to pass, I have to rely on His faithfulness in the past.

Remembering God’s faithfulness in other’s lives in Scripture, reminds us of His faithfulness in our own.

When the waters rise, you’ve waited long for rescue and you feel God’s forgotten, remember… Genesis 8:1*: But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

When dust and debris threaten to replace passions, dreams and callings and you feel God’s forgotten, remember… Genesis 9:15: I will remember my covenant between me and you.

When the pitter-patter of little feet is silent and you feel God’s forgotten, remember… Genesis 30:22: Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

When fear, worry, doubt and anxiety enslave and you feel God’s forgotten, remember… Exodus 2:23a, 24a, 25b: During that long period…The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out…God heard their groaning and he remembered… and was concerned about them.

When you can’t sleep and restlessness sets in, remember… Psalm 63:6-7: On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

When guilt consumes and you fear God will never forget your sins, remember… Isaiah 43:25: I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

When all hope is lost, remember… Luke 24:6a-7: He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you…’The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’

When your marriage comes back from the brink of despair, remember… Deuteronomy 8:2: Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness.

When dreams come true and you’re thriving in your calling, remember… 1 Chronicles 16:12a, 15: Remember the wonders he has done… He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations…

Recalling these accounts in Scripture helps me remember His goodness in my own life. When I can’t see how He is moving on my behalf, I choose to remember that He promises to be just as present and faithful to me and you today as He was for others in the past.

When joy surrounds. When sorrow clobbers. When all’s right in our world. When the bottom drops out. When we feel loved and cherished. When we feel abandoned and alone, let’s remember… They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. (Psalm 78:35)

7 Years

2011-12-26T21:50:00.001-08:00

Happy 7 years to my favoritest dancing partner ever..........I love you Babe!

Give This Christmas Away

2011-12-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-12-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9:2

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined."

(NKJV)

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Christmas!!!!! Is coming!!!!

2011-12-23T00:06:00.001-08:00

Hope as an Anchor

2011-12-20T21:12:00.001-08:00

For the Kids

2011-12-19T22:15:00.001-08:00

You Are One of His Favorites

2011-12-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from "Kisses from Katie" her blog...http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

"The last few weeks have been so full of God’s blessings and extravagant surprises. Every day another gift, beautiful and unexpected. I feel spoiled rotten by the God of the universe, His love just too good and too perfect for little, broken me.

I shared this with a close friend recently, giggling with surprise and awe like a little girl who just received a marvelous present from her Daddy. His response was perfect. “He loves you, Katie. You’re one of His favorites.” He laughed and I laughed but it stuck.

One of His favorites. That is what I have felt like this last two weeks. Lavished with love. But isn’t that what He wants every one of His children to feel, all the time? Each and every one of us created perfectly in His image. Each one cherished. Each one “one of His favorites”. How would life change if we thought of each other as such? If each person that approached us we treated as beloved of God, cherished by God, one of God’s favorite people?

I carried it with me today. As I bought beads from women in a slum I thought of them as His favorite people. As I counseled a mother struggling with alcoholism I wept that one of God’s favorite people was struggling like this. I rejoiced with a grandmother who for the first time proclaimed Jesus after watching Him heal her granddaughter miraculously last week. And I smiled at the Joy that I knew God found in her – one of His favorites.

The God of the Universe delights, DELIGHTS in you. In me. In them. Could we rest in that? Could we live like that?

In a horribly atrocious accident, a traditional healer in Masese mutilated a sweet little boy’s throat and mouth. Believing it to be beyond repair I took him to the main government hospital where we spent the next 12 hours.

Most of the time I just breeze in and out of this place – drop someone off, bring someone food, welcome a new baby into the world. But today we just sat. One operating room and 12 patients ahead of us – we sat and sat. And it was as if I had been given new eyes. I looked at the cold hard cement floor and the cold hard faces of the people who work there. Glimpses of things I had just experienced at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital a few weeks earlier with my own daughter flashed in my brain in a horrible contrast to this place I was now seated.

Ward 9 is the accident ward. A little girl came in with her ear cut off. A mother carried a baby that had fallen into a pot of boiling water. A man came in with his hand mangled, ripped to shreds by a piece of machinery, in need of amputation. Someone’s wife died. Someone’s mother died. Someone’s baby died. All those people right there in that cold cement building and all of their lives drastically altered in just a moment. In just an instant their realities changed – forever. I couldn’t stop thinking as I sat there about how the next days weeks and months would play out for each one of them with their new, different realities. And I looked at all off them. All of that pain and all of that suffering and all of that sorrow and all I could think as I looked at each of those faces was “You. You are one of His favorite people.” And I prayed they would know it. I prayed they would know that God was holding all this chaos in the palm of His hand, even this pain having purpose.

A year ago today, I was one of them. I sat in a small cement room in a village hours away and life as I knew it fell apart. Ceased to exist. A little girl that had been mine for 2 years went back to live with the mother God has given her at birth. And thus began a journey, even that pain had a purpose.

Months later Jane and her birth mom, Nancy showed up at my doorstep. Nancy had lost her job and they had been evicted from their house. They were both sick and now they were homeless. So they moved in. After lots of loving and lots of encouraging and lots of days when I felt my heart would just be ripped out of my chest as I watched my baby girl learn to call Nancy “Mom” they moved out again. We had found Nancy a job translating and cooking for Amazima, we had enrolled Jane in Kindergarten, and it was time for Jane and Nancy to be their own family – still good friends with, but separate from ours.

I just longed to tell all those people in that hospital that a year later, I can say, “Yes. This is the hardest year I have ever done.” But I can also say, “I would do it again if He asked me.” Because Faithful God did not let go of our hands. This new life has been hard to learn. But we have learnt it. Life changes in an instant and God sees all of it, redeems all of it, uses all of it for His good.

And as I look back over this year I realize something. Such purpose in the pain. Our beautiful, spoiling, extravagant Daddy didn’t want to just give Jane a family. He wanted to give Nancy one too. This wonderful Father of ours, He didn’t want just Jane to come to know Him, He wants Nancy to come to know Him too.

Because Nancy, she is one of His favorites"

No Room

2011-12-18T04:57:00.000-08:00

No room...Oh wow...tears....go to this link to read their story.....

http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/2011/12/room.html

Pictures-Fun with Friends

2011-12-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

Always a fun time with our sweet friends Luke and Lisa and their sweet ElleMae

EllieJoy and ElleMae

Freedom

2011-12-16T22:10:00.001-08:00

"God's ways bring freedom, not bondage."

- Beth Moore

Walker for Sale

2011-12-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

Walker with seat and brakes for sale....only used a couple times. Great condition.

Call me if interested! #815-370-2623

Rich or Poor?

2011-12-14T22:34:00.001-08:00

If somebody collected a dollar from you every time you complained, and gave you a dollar every time you showed gratitude, would you be rich or poor?

Joy

2011-12-13T22:30:00.001-08:00

It’s not joy that makes us grateful; it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.
-Brene Brown

Begin...

2011-12-13T22:28:00.001-08:00

Begin with the end in mind. -Stephen Covey

He Gathers the lambs...

2011-12-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

"See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,

and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young."

~Isaiah 40:10

IT Will Not Betray you...

2011-12-13T22:03:00.001-08:00

Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be
There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be

People...

2011-12-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

Love...

2011-12-12T22:27:00.001-08:00

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE....

Wildly Love It

2011-12-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

"That’s one of the truth wonders of the Greatest Story ever told:

That the only way to make a thing loveable — is to wildly love it.

And this loving a life because of the Giver of it? This is what makes life a loveable thing."

~Ann Voskamp

Love Ruling

2011-12-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

"Between a man and his wife nothing ought to rule but love''

-William Penn

Heart Healthy

2011-12-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

Moments

2011-12-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

We have these moments to hold in our hands...and tuck in our hearts.

Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come.

And that's why we

gotta make every second count.

TODAY...

It's what we do in the here and now

that matters in the the then and there.

10 Ways to Love

2011-12-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Be You

2011-12-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

"Be you, because a mask only fools people on the outside. Pretending to be something you're not takes a toll on the real you, and the real you is more important than anyone else."
-Alex Gaskarth♥

Courage or No?

2011-12-07T09:28:00.001-08:00

"What would life be, if we had no courage to attempt anything?"
-Vincent Van Gogh

Pictures---Fun Times

2011-12-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

my little cousins....that are way too cute for their britches ;)

as well as these monkies ;)

armed and dangerous!

you never know what these 2 are up to her favorite spot....

and the monkey business continues...

playing house....

Hibity-bibity

2011-12-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

HeartTalk

2011-12-04T14:52:00.000-08:00

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you will be criticized anyways..."

- Eleanor Roosevelt..

Love & Peace

2011-12-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

Love and a strong decision to do whatever is necessary to live in peace are what hold people together in unity and harmony.

~Joyce Meyer

The Love Debt

2011-12-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”

Romans 13:8 NIV

Lets Talk Food

2011-12-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

so lets talk about some of my favorites around here......my coffee/hot chocolate addiction....ahem....i mean....selection....yum

i really don't think i can live without this white sauce from Heaven.....i'm a dipper.... and not a skinny one :)

and then there's this amazing stuff......although i haven't quite gotten used to the taste of acai berry yet.....the energy high it gives is definatley outa this world!

and no....i haven't become a "cowboy coffee" drinker yet...why drink it black when you can add these scrumpdillyiciousness to it?!?!?!?

ok so have you heard of Timeless Treats Bakery in Fairbury?!?!? yes....their buckeyes and double chocolate expresso cookies make MamaMonkey smile BIG......

and this little BabyMonkey has become quite the chore to feed.....since doing a trial run of taking her off her reflux medicine that she has been on since she was 3 mths old......she doesn't eat much except for babygood....yes you heard me.....our 1 1/2 yr old is back to eating babyfood. however......it's healthy and it keeps her happy. And we head back to see our favorite Dr down at Carle next week that has been such a blessing to us with all Gabe's issues too....hopefully he can straighten her out too :(

fresh fruit around here is yumminess for us.....so glad our monkies will eat it.

chips that Gabe can have.....and we like too!

and do you see that Cookies N Cream Muffin half devoured?? it had a layer of vanilla frosting with cookie crumbs on top until it was discovered by Swiper the babymonkey ;) and oh wait....where did it go??? countertop camouflage! compliments of Dave's Bakery....

and then there's co-jack cheese from Dave's Deli....yum......it's very common to see little monkey piles of cheese in our kitchen ;) as well as prunes ;) ha!

My Mama's homemade granola....amazingness.....and it's for sale if you want some!

and last but not least.....the BEST OF ALL....cannoli....oooohlala....with some fun winter decor to garnish it ;) the stuff is my best friend.....as is my hubby when he gets me some ;)

Christmas Favorites

2011-12-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.................Some of my favorite things.....white lights at nighttime all over the house.....

and love this mixture that makes the house smell amazing.....oranges & lemons cut up, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, add water and simmer.....

and we officially hava cowboy tree this year to go with our western family room in the basement!

Forever in His Presence

2011-12-01T21:35:00.000-08:00

If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, watching TV, going to the movies, or talking to friends rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence?

--Keith Green

Hold On...

2011-11-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

Dara Update

2011-11-29T21:34:00.001-08:00

For those of you still praying for my sweet friend Dara....thank you. She is such an amazing miracle.....here are the most recent updates from her husband David:

"Dara had a great day. She is off the IV and her BP is better, but still a little high. But it is best after she exercises. She has walked and walked today. Dara is determined and amazing the nurses. She is stretching and her muscles are feeling better. Still not ready to leave ICU, but getting better and better. The nurse questioned whether she will even need much rehab, though it's her cognition ...that needs the most work. Still praying for the blood pressure. We don't want to go on that drip again. Funny story. Today Dara said she realized for the first time that it's a miracle she's alive. She was, in her words, amazed that so many people are praying for her. I told her she won't believe all the stories she will hear in the next few months. She appreciates all the prayers. When she's home, we'll have a party and everyone who prayed can come and celebrate! But we're not out of the woods yet (I feel the need to keep saying this, because risks are still very real).

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Dara's BP is way better. It was stable through the night until around 5. Then it jumped extremely high before being brought under control again. She will be moved out of ICU today, though mostly because they need beds. So pray it is not too soon, that she is indeed stable. She will still need me here more than ever since she will not be getting one-on-one care. It's a good step and hopefully she will be in Chicago in a day or two. I know many of you have been waiting for a good time to see Dara. I don't think this is the time yet. We will see how she transitions. She is still in a great deal of pain from her muscles. And now is the best time in the last two weeks for her to get some real sleep. Prayer is still more important now than personal visits.

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Dara is now out of ICU and settling in to plush new digs. The room is quiet, there isn't as much beeping and the toilet is in a separate room. As we left ICU I thought of a Psalm shared with me by Todd Mikelson: For you, O God, have tested us; You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. Praise God for this victory. But we are not out of the hospital yet. Pray for sustained BP and a good night's rest. Regressing is too bitter to imagine, but God can still do as He pleases. Yet Dara is so close to being out, perhaps tomorrow night or Thursday. Also it is not too soon to pray for Dara's rehab in Chicago. She expressed to me tonight that she is concerned because it will be very, very hard. Yet if anyone can do it, Dara can. Pray that she will reach 100% before Christmas and be home with her lovely daughter. God is so gracious to us."

Succeeding

2011-11-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

“I’ve missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot…and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

~ Michael Jordan

Pictures-Thankful For Them

2011-11-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T22:16:00.001-08:00

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.

~W.T. Purkiser

Please Pray for Dara

2011-11-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

Here is my sweet friend Dara's story.....she had their baby: Isabelle Grace last week and things went downhill from there. The story is as follows with every paragraph from her husband David: Please, please pray for them!

David update: She is in intensive care. She is on a respirator and is sedated. She had something called an Amniotic embolism in which the amniotic fluid was sucked into her blood vessels and went, among other places, to her lungs. The mortality rate is extremely high. But so far all attempts have succeeded in getting her stabilized. When not sedated she is conscious. Please understand she is fighting for her life. We don't need anything here at the hospital. Just please pray today that God might continue healing her. The baby is healthy and fine and Dara is improving."

Update from David: Dara is strong and mentally alert. They had to up her sedation because she was waking out of sedation that would put most people under. That's a good sign that no brain damage has taken place and that she is strong. Pray that she would not fight against the restraints or the IVs or breathing tube as they try to bring her out of sedation. Dara can't stand being still let alone forced to lie down. But they must take her off sedation so they can take the breathing tube out. She can breathe on her own but she keeps getting agitated and she needs rest. Pray that God would communicate to her as she sleeps that she will be fine and she must trust the doctors. Pray also that talk of the baby would not upset her, as it seems to now. They are giving two more units of blood because her numbers were slightly low. Pray that she would stay stable and leveled out. Thanks for all the prayer everyone.

Update from David: Thanks for all the prayer. I am truly moved and I believe it is saving Dara's life. Prayer for the next 3-6 hours: they are going to try to wean Dara off the oxygen. Pray that she breathes on her own, which shouldn't be a problem. Pray that she would STOP fighting. She is so strong, which is good, but the strength that served her so well till now will hinder her recovery if she struggles and fights as they take her off sedative and remove the tube. God is a God of peace, not fear. Pray that Dara would have peace. And of course for her body to continue to balance and recover. Xrays all look good and blood too. Keep praying her to recovery.

Update from David: Dara worked very hard at breathing. She did a great job. She was calm and cooperative and off the sedative and alert. She got annoyed at me which means she's getting back to her old self. She did well enough to be taken off the respirator, but the specialist felt like she would benefit from another night's sleep. So she is still on the machine and lightly sedated. Pray that she would sleep and not be anxious. That her family coming might encourage her. That in the morning her blood levels would rise a little, that she would have that old Dara energy, and she would get off that machine. She wants to so badly you can see her determination. And everyone post on Todd Mikelson's page how awesome he was for being here and helping me out all day. Wouldn't have had the energy without him.

David Update: No change overnight. Dara slept well and is hopefully rested. I felt God tell me today that He is the healer, not doctors. Medical science is awesome but as one doctor told me, "Who knows. We just pumped the blood into her and hoped it would work." It was Christ working through Dara's body that did this. We are not out of the woods yet by any means. Keep praying that God would keep healing. He could choose to take Dara if He wished and He would still be a good God. But He is not immovable. He does yield to prayer. He is the healer and our hope, not doctors.

From David: "Thank God for His kindness to us. Dara is off the respirator, breathing great and very feisty. She just told me I'm fussing too much. Thanks for all the prayers. Keep them coming. Not sure how to direct your prayer yet. That she would be well enough to go to recovery and see her beautiful daughter."

From David: Most of you have heard the news, but just to make sure. Dara had a stroke during the events of Wednesday night. The stroke was "not big, not small" according to her (one of many) doctor. A hemorrhage formed on the spot where the stroke took place. It is getting smaller. They will keep checking to make sure the body absorbs it. How much of her condition is owing to the stroke and how much to stress, lack of sleep and emotional trauma remains to be seen. Therapy is in her future though. BIG prayers needed for the following: that her blood pressure would go down naturally; that the hemorrhage would dissipate, that the effects of the stroke would be minimal; that she would stay free of infection and her blood numbers return to normal; and above all that she would be lucid when she sees Isabelle. I would love for it to be a memory she cherishes forever. I feel as if all of you, many of whom I don't know, have carried us through this on your prayers. Please don't stop praying but pray us all the way home. Also, many of the medical staff are moved by what happened and by Dara's faith. Pray that God would use her miraculous continued recovery to bring many too him, while remembering that He can also use the opposite for the same purpose.

update from david:
Awesome story that just happened moments ago. My mom wanted to take me out to get something to eat. I wasn't sure about leaving, but I agreed to. On the way out I was sad as I passed hallways Dara and I had walked together on many an OB visit. But I don't turn back. We get in the car, my mom puts the key in the ignition and it won't turn. I tried and she tried. Will not turn. I said, "God doesn't want me to go. I'm going back to Dara."

My mom just told me the car started no problem as soon as I left. Back at Dara's side there was a brain doctor who was about to leave. He had ordered a procedure for Dara based on erroneous info. I was able to correct him and he cancelled the procedure. Now that's the kind of thing that's been going on here.

Please do NOT take this as proof that God will save Dara. I know from experience you can't draw such conclusions from these things. But do take it as proof that God is involved in all this to the level of car ignitions. How much more must He be involved within my wife's body?

David Update: 2:00 in the morning and Dara got to hold Isabelle again and feed her. Dara knows who Isabelle is and is VERY excited to see her. The primary concern now is Dara's hemorrhage and her memory problem. She doesn't know where she is, her date of birth, etc. She keeps calling Isabelle Elizabeth. Now this is huge progress considering six hours ago she didn't know she had a daughter and two hours ago she couldn't think of a name. Now she is starting to correct herself, realizing Elizabeth isn't right. Pray that the doctors have wisdom to see the improvement and don't rush into surgery. I believe with all my heart that much of the problem is that Dara cannot sleep for more than ten minutes with all the chaos going on all the time. The ICU nurses are the most amazing people on the planet, but the ICU is horrible on the mind. Pray, please, that she rests. Another CT scan at 4 AM.

From her husband David Watson: We had a setback today. Dara had a seizure this morning. This is not something new that requires testing, but a symptom of the hemorrhage/stroke. She is on anti-stroke medication and her blood pressure is coming down due to higher doses of meds. So we won't be getting out of ICU tonight. Please keep praying. After the seizure Dara ...said, "I don't want to be afraid," and she asked it we could pray. I told her how many people are praying for her and that we don't have to fear because so many are interceding for us. God has made clear to me that He has us here for a reason, and I believe it is a very specific reason. I feel God is telling us to be joyful and thankful, and the opposite of these is fear. Through your prayers God is strengthening Dara in Jesus that she might fulfill what it is God has for her to do.

Chris Tomlin Concert!!

2011-11-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

AMAZING night of Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, and Louie Giglio.....and time with friends.

Pictures-Fall Fun

2011-11-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Not only have we tried to enjoy the remainder of the warm fall days before winter comes....but we've gotten lotsa snuggle time in too ;)

And PapaMonkey thought it necessary to teach all small monkies how to climb trees....for real.

can we say yellow camoflouge?!?!?!

one of our most favoritest neighbor girls....we love love love her ;)

I Really Lived....

2011-11-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived. Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Against the Wind

2011-11-17T17:37:00.001-08:00

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

-Henry Ford

The Answer

2011-11-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

LOVE

is always the answer....

yesterday-today-tomorrow...

the answer will always be the same!

Our Angels

2011-11-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.awmi.net/devotion/jesus/nov_14

RECEIVE THE MINISTRY OF THE ANGELS
Luke 22:43 "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."

We have angels assigned to us. Hebrews 1:14 further reveals that their purpose is to minister to us, on our behalf. In the Old Testament, Psalm 91 teaches on the ministry of angels to God's people.

Some people who have realized this truth have taken it as far as to say that we are suppose to speak to our angels and they will obey our commands. There is no instruction in scripture to do this nor is there any example of that being done. We don't have the intelligence to administer all of the angels.

Many of the angels' protective duties described in Psalm 91 are preventative, and we certainly could not effectively command these activities.

Rather, these angels are dispatched exactly as this verse describes - by looking at the Father's face (Mat. 18:10). God Almighty controls them for us; however, we do have a part to play. Psalm 91 prefaces all of these promises about angels as being for those who dwell in the secret place of the most High. Verse 2 further instructs us to say that the Lord is our refuge and fortress and in Him we trust.

It is the combination of our faith in God and His faithfulness to us that releases the angels on our behalf. If it was solely up to God, His provision would be the same for everyone because of His mercy and grace. However, we have to receive God's grace by faith (Eph. 2:8). As we seek the Lord, become aware of His ministering spirits which were created to minister to us, and speak forth our faith in this area, He will send forth His angels on our behalf.

Favorite Meal-Haystacks

2011-11-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

One of the most favoritest meals in our house: Haystacks...AKA....Hillbilly Tacos...

Taco meat
Rice
Crushed cheesy dorritos
Crushed Tostitos
Secret homemade cheese sauce ;)
Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Black Olives
Shredded Cheese
French/Ranch Dressing
Shredded Carrots

*can add or take away any ingredients and build it with whatever sounds good!

Pumpkin Delight

2011-11-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

1 yellow cake mix
1 stick margarine-melted (I of course, being a country girl use only butter!!)
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin
1/2 c chopped pecans ( i did mini choc chips instead)
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c white sugar
2/3 c milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 stick margarine-melted (butter butter butter!!!! ;)

Reserve 1 c dry cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix with 1 stick melted margarine and 1 egg.
Press into greased 9x13 cake pan. Combine pumpkin, 3 eggs, 1/4 c of the white sugar, all of brown sugar, milk, and cinnmon. Spread over cake batter. Combine reserved cake mix, pecans (or mini choc chips) and 1/2 c white sugar with the 1/2 stick of melted marg. Mix til crumbly and spread over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 min. serve with cool whip ;)

Just had this warm outa the oven....it is scrump-dilly-icious!!!!!!!

Song of the Day

2011-11-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

http://youtu.be/r6nHLg1Y7-M

Oh God of heaven come and hem me in
Gather the pieces that are broken
Show me the wonder of You again
Oh God of heaven

God of my hope God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything

In all creation You call my name
In all the beauty that this world displays
Still I'm the one for whom Your heart aches
In all creation

God of my hope God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything
God of my everything

And when the mountains shake
You are my God You never change
And when the earth gives way
You are still God You never change

God of my hope God of my need
God of my pain that no one else will ever see
God of my healing God of my strength
God who has always and will forever reign
God of my everything

God of my everything
God of my everything
God of my everything

Oh God of heaven come and hem me in
Gather the pieces that are broken
Show me the wonder of You again

Photo Shoot Continued...

2011-11-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

Be a Visionary

2011-11-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

“the difference between a day dreamer and a visionary is having enough faith to act..."

God's Plan

2011-11-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

Photo Shoot-Part2

2011-11-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Worry

2011-11-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

God's Power

2011-11-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

“When you face two options and each seems to please God, consider the one that displays God’s glory, power and strength. This makes room for God to reveal Himself to you and show Himself through you. God wants us to see the wondrous things He will accomplish in us. Don’t be fearful about the hard road He may ask you to take. Be encouraged and excited about seeing His divine, supernatural activity in and through you. God’s voice commands the option that will display His power. He desires to show Himself strong in you and will encourage you to do things that require trust and faith.”
~Priscilla Shirer

Today

2011-11-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today's thoughts are tomorrow's actions.

Today's jealousy is tomorrow's temper tantrum.

Today's bigotry is tomorrow's hate crime.

Today's anger is tomorrow's abuse.

Today's lust is tomorrow's adultery.

Today's greed is tomorrow's embezzlement.

Today's guilt is tomorrow's fear.

~Max Lucado

Falltime Yumminess

2011-11-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm all about making the house smell yummy......and all about my crockpot.....so I do believe I will be trying this recipe very soonly!!!!

Ingredients
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 tablespoons orange liquor (optional)

Directions
Preheat a large crock-pot on high heat and preset it for 3 hours. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, margarine, and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the filling and place them in the crock-pot. Pour in the apple juice or cider and the liquor, if using. Cover and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

http://skinnychef.com/recipes/baked-apples

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

What a fun night of trunk or treat....I think it was the first time for our community...and for us!

A Velveteen Mother

2011-10-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

"And maybe that is all — a Velveteen Mother is a mother who keeps bending her worn knees with prayers that her child may walk straight paths. Never ceasing to pray for her own crooked heart.

Never forgetting — Train up a child in the way he should go and be ready to forgive him. The Way he should go is down a road named Grace.

Why do I forget that becoming Real — becoming a velveteen mother – it will hurt in a thousand ways?

The weary and the wearing away and it the most beautiful part."
~Ann Voskamp

Read more at:

http://www.incourage.me/2011/10/tiger-mothers-or-the-making-of-velveteen-mothers.html

Song of the Day

2011-10-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

http://youtu.be/FJFlY0mwFks

Faithful, forever You are faithful
Father to the fatherless
You uphold the one who feels forsaken
You are faithful, God

Faithful, forever You are faithful
Lover of the wounded heart
You defend the poor and the forgotten
You are faithful, God

And I will sing to the maker of Heaven and Earth
God, You reign forever and Your love will endure
Faithful and true is the name of the Lord
You are faithful, God

Faithful, forever You are faithful
Shelter for the fragile soul
You lift us up, You hold us all together
You are faithful, God

You are there in every season of my soul
You are there, You're the anchor that will hold
You are there, in the valley of the shadows
You are faithful, God