A belated Merry Christmas and Happy new Year

We have survived yet another holiday season. This year was busy but fun. Between puppet shows, band concerts parties and travel the month of December seems like a blur. The kids performed in 4 puppet shows the first week of Dec. Two band concerts and another puppet show the second week. We were blessed to have the Steed family(visiting from China) stay with us part of the third week and then off to Omaha on the week of Christmas. There seemed to be lots of snow and lots of bad weather in December too.
For New Years, Molly babysat for the neighbors so we took Abby and Jared out for pizza and then bowling. We went with our friends the Buchheit's and had lots of fun.
School starts tomorrow and I am not ready! I feel like I need a vacation from vacation. :-) It's going to be slow going this week as I have surgery on Wed. The kids are going to be my hands and feet for a little while. Should be interesting.

No more cancer

A beautiful lady from church passed away yesterday. Lynne has battled cancer for many years now. The road was so rough for her, Dave and the family. It seemed like it was years of remissions and then relapses. Lynne was always smiling and never complaining or talking about herself. She was always asking how the kids were or what we were up to. I am reminded of her water walking at Flora pool in the summers. I would walk with her for a time and then I would get tired out but she would walk for hours! She was battling cancer but had more endurance than my so called healthy body. It showed me how much I take for granted my health. How hard she worked at keeping her physical body going and how much I neglect mine.
What about our spiritual bodies? Do we neglect them till some evil infiltrates and demands we take better care of ourselves? Am I willing to fight long and hard...maybe years...to maintain a healthy spiritual life or am one to give up easy and just let it deteriorate. I sometimes just pray that Jesus would comeback and end all the struggles here in earth but I also wonder if that is a cowardly prayer. Just wanting the easy way out.
We will miss you Lynne, but we will see ya later...and for eternity. :-)

Beautiful Banquet

Last night was the Clarity Clinic/Pregnancy Center's annual banquet. Jerry has recently joined the board and this was our first year to go. It was wonderful. They had over 300 people this year and it was awesome to see so many people who were devoted to saving the lives of unborn babies. The speaker was Luana Stoltenberg and her story was amazing. I'm anxious to hear how the fund raising went. Planned Parenthood just opened in Dubuque and we need to be able to offer the truth to scared and confused women and girls.

Not so new pictures

I just finally figured out how to get these pictures onto my computer. They were taken in Aug. HA! I'm a little slow!

Are you on the offense or defense?

It's been very interesting this week in studying 2Tim chapter 2. We were focusing on verses 1-4. Paul tells Timothy to "suffer hardship" with him as a good soldier of Christ. First this struck me as so against our society's thinking of "no one should ever have to suffer". We avoid hard time or suffering at all cost. If trials come, we do all we can to avoid them or flee from them. Scripture does not tell us to flee or hide, it tells us to act as a soldier of Christ. What kind of soldier would I be if I was only concerned with my safety and well being all the time. Now I am not talking about going out and looking for trouble or looking for a chance to be a "martyr". But then, when did the term martyr become a bad thing?? In times past it was a honorable thing to be a martyr for the cause of Christ. I think the problem has been that the focus of the martyrdom has been transferred from Christ to us. Sometimes people want to be know for what THEY have suffered. The attention is not on Christ but on what they have done. We are so me, me, me in mentality sometimes.

As a soldier I am to expect trials and suffering and I am to still be on the offense for Christ. Attacking the enemy and not hiding in a bunker somewhere hoping to avoid hardships. I wonder about people who want to be missionaries but who also are concerned with going to places that are "safe". Paul went straight into the places he knew would be dangerous and would likely be imprisoned...even killed. I must admit, this is all very hard for me. I am a creature of comfort and like to share my faith when the "occasion so arises" out of convenience.

The world is changing and next months election could bring huge changes for our country. Severe persecution of Christians was something I only thought of in relation to other countries. My world view and home country view are starting to intertwine. I may not always feel safe in my environment but I know I am safe in the hand of my redeemer. :-)

2 Timothy

Well my new precepts Bible study is on 2 Timothy. I did Philippians last winter and loved it. It was just what I needed for the time... "Joy in all things." Now on to 2 Timothy..."Do not be ashamed"! OK....God is out to work on every poor character trait I have and He is doing it one precepts class at a time. I feel for the other women taking the classes and wonder if they are curious at to what my other flaws are and what our next study will be on! ;-) I do thank God for His convicting power that reminds me He has not given up on me yet.

Another School year

Wow! I haven't posted in a long time. Seems like there is either nothing to write about or too much to write about so I just don't. :-) Summer is over and we are all back in the swing here. Jerry started work officially on Sept 1st. He passed all his tests this summer with no problems. It was nice having him home for the summer but it was really time for him to get back to an office somewhere and have a little less "together" time. He is now getting all our insurance switched over, finishing his training and trying to find new clients. Lots of pressure for the poor guy. He also is joining the board of directors for the Clarity Clinic. (formerly Crisis pregnancy center) there is some fund raiser coming up soon.

The kids are back at school now in our sun room. It's a great set up, we don't have to haul stuff out to the kitchen table anymore. I'll get curtains made for the French doors and then you won't see the mess out here at all this winter. Molly and Abby are busy in band. Molly was asked by her band director to start tenor sax and by 1/2 way through the year he wants her on baritone sax. He needs a baritone sax player for the jazz band and that suits Molly just fine. Abby has been asked by Molly's director to join the 6th grade band as they are short on alto sax players. She will practice 2 times a week with her 5th grade band and 3 times a week with the 6th grade. Just some of the privileges these home schooled kids have with flexible schedules. Jared will be starting trumpet soon with the beginner 4th grade band.

I am running lots now with school, work, Bible studies, and being puppeteer mom. Since school started I haven't been walking with my neighbor and friend Marianne. As much as I disliked getting up early this summer I really miss our walks.

Maybe now that we are out here in the sun room for school every day I'll be better at posting....we'll see!