Monday, August 20, 2007

Progress

We finally have a baby room somewhat together!! We still have 3 weeks to go, but I am ready to have this baby any day now. Dan and I went shopping for baby furniture on our 3 year wedding anniversary and found a beautiful crib and dresser at Baby Depot. Two weeks ago my mom came to visit for 3 days and sewed a gorgeous quilt, curtains, and dust ruffle. She even made some mattress pads and sheets for the crib and cradle. We got a lot done in a short amount of time. There are still plenty of finishing touches to do in the room, but it's stocked with diapers, wipes, and clothing. The "extra" stuff can wait for a while.

Did I mention that mom and I made this quilt up from scratch? Here was the process. We picked out wooden animals at Micheal's to use as pattern pieces. We blew them up on the copy machine and mapped out the quilt on grid paper.

Then we picked out fun and tectured material to make each animal look like the wooden one.


Then mom amazingly sewed it all together into a beautiful quilt!
Here are all the finished projects together in the baby room.This final picture is me at 37 weeks. Like I said I'm ready to have this baby in our arms!

Friday, August 17, 2007

Thoughts for Aug. 17, 2007


Does God owe us anything?
Does God owe us a job? Does God owe us a higher pay scale if we are working hard but only making $15,000 or working hard and making $65,000? Does God owe us a promotion over other employees who are less qualified than us or who work less hard?
Does God owe us safety driving over bridges or skiing on a lake or driving a golf cart recklessly?
Does God owe us answers to our prayers? If we really know our future plans would be perfect does God owe us then? Does God owe us our hearts desire for our dream career?
Does God owe us our dream house with everything in it we will ever need to raise our kids perfectly? Does God owe us children? Healthy children? Able-bodied children? Obiedient children?
Does God owe us a spouse who loves us and helps us with everything we need or want?
Does God owe us loving parents who give us good gifts and help when we need it or love when we need it or financial support to help us?

NO

This topic has been on my mind the last many days. It seems I have had different things pulling me in my life and in many different directions. And maybe as life changes and we seem out of control I realize more fully who is in control. God is in control and I fully trust Him with my life. I fear Him and know everything is working out His master plan.

But aren't we in control? As long as we continue to go to work I will always have a job and a paycheck and money to pay the bills and buy clothes and have fun and live life and be happy.

NO

Our hardest work is but rubbish if done for our gain. Our work should be for God's glory. Our children, our jobs, our talents, our gifts, our wages, our love; they should be for God. All of the things we have in our life are truly His first and we don't deserve any of it. I look down and see my heart pumping through my chest. Can I keep it going? What a wonder! My heart is pumping and Lord-willing will continue for many years to come. It just keeps on going, working very hard, doing the intent of it's creator. I realize very quickly I am powerless. Then in the next minute I think an evil thought about someone and deserve to be struck down. My sins constantly are piling up under the weight of God's wrath and nothing I do can remove them.
But scripture says:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. Psalm 103:8-13.

We should praise His name for the many blessings we have, for saving us from the pit, for giving us new life, for allowing us another day on this earth, for giving us eyes to see, yes eyes. Can you imagine getting up this morning and not having eyes for a day. What an eternity before that day would be over and our life could move on! What an inconvenience! But when was the last time we thanked God for those bodily things that sustain us.

Monday, August 6, 2007

'Dar's gold in ye barn!

Sarah: Get up my love, and do not dally for there's gold in ye barn!
Dan: Now, now, darling, for it's not gold at the bottom of the rainbow. It's #2 yellow corn and it's in our wagon not in a pot.

Yesterday morning when I went out to feed our calves it was lightly raining and yet brightly sunny resulting in a very nice rainbow. It went from left to right and was complete. There has been only one time when I saw a better rainbow and it was actually a double rainbow with the bottom one complete from left to right and one partial one above it. I like rainbows because of the spectrum of colors. It is quite amazing.

God immediately comes to my mind when I see a rainbow and of his covenant faithfulness to us. He brings us the sun and the rain but never again will he bring a flood to destroy the earth. As it is written in Genesis 9 vs. 13-16:

13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Rathbun

My soul is yearning for more vacation fun as I compose this blog. My heart desires being back on the lake soaking up the sun, tubing, knee-boarding and skiing.

Sarah and I, along with Scott & Chelsie, went to Lake Rathbun this past weekend for what has become an annual getaway. It was awesome. Nothing spectacular like roller coasters or supersized cruise ships. It was simply quiet and relaxing. The lake was for the most part very quiet. The picture below of me tubing was on a portion of the south fork and we were the only boat using this area.
This picture of Sarah and I was taken on Sat. night at the dam. There was a band having a concert on the shore and supposedly there were fireworks to follow. We stayed until 11:00pm when we thought the band was done playing and then they said, "we will break for an intermission and be right back." At that point we decided to head back to camp and have s'mores and broom stick pies over the fire. The squiggly lines in the picture are other boat lights.
This picture is of our camper we slept in. An airconditioned camper was the key to making this an enjoyable camping trip for Sarah. The site was shady and close to the showers so that also made it very comfortable.

This picture I had to add because it is the best picture I have of Scott's boat. I believe it is yet unnamed but one suggestion so far is "winking owl." Send your suggestions to Scott.