He is Risen!!

Just wanted to say Happy Easter to all of my friends out there! Remember, "He is not here, for He is risen as He said!" I pray that you have a blessed Easter and celebrate the joy of the true meaning of the day. Check out the video here for a blessing!

Easter Sacrifice

Tonight, we remembered the sacrifice that the Lord made for us on the cross by receiving communion. It is such a powerful experience for my family, one that I don't know that I can even put into words. To think of what Jesus did for me is humbling, to say the least. Easter is the most powerful holiday to me - to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. To remember that He went through it all for me. For my family. For all of you. How can I not love Him and serve Him and give my all to Him after all that He did for me?

Dr. Kloepper reminded us that there are 3 important truths we must remember:

1. We are ALL sinners. We can not do or be good enough. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

2. We ALL need a Savior. None of us can do anything to save ourselves.

3. That Savior is JESUS. He died on the cross for my sins, for your sins.

Without the sacrifice of what He did for me, I would have no hope in this world. Do you know that He died for YOU? Do you know that without Him, you would have no hope in this world?

The old song says it best.

'What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow, that washes pure as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.'

It is my prayer that you remember what Easter is truly about throughout this weekend. That you realize that all that He did, He did for each one of us. To give us hope that this world can not give. If you let that truth sink in, it will change your life!

When I call on Jesus, ALL things are possible!

I had to come in and post this really quick - for someone! Some of you know that our pump went out on our pool last week. So, for a week, there has been 10,000 gallons of stagnant water in my backyard - not good! I am not wanting to grow tadpoles. Well, yesterday, we took the old one to a motor repair store and got it fixed. I brought it home, good as new, for Mark to hook up.

Well, when the guy fixed it, he added some things to make it more efficient, but the one piece was now in the way of us being able to hook it back up. By the time we realized this, he was closed. So, that meant that I needed to take it back in today.

However, Mark forgot to detach it from the pipes and since we are out of town for a field trip tomorrow, we HAVE to get this thing running TODAY!!! Well, I went out there and tried with all of my measly strength to get them off, to no avail. I called the guy at the motor store for help and he said, yeah - those are really hard (his emphasis) to get off - you need a tool or something.

Oh, boy. I was feeling a little nervous about how long this pool has had no pump. So, I called my husband. He suggested that I go to the neighbor and see if they have the tool (which Mark had in his truck!).

I went to 3 doors and no one was home anywhere! (These are people who work from home and they were not there. 3 of them!)

Well, I came home and went out to that pump. And you know what. I was desperate. I had tried everything I could think of, with no effect. Why do I wait until then to call on Jesus? Why does this tend to be a pattern in my life? Well, I don't know why, but here's what I did.

I prayed over that pump. Out loud. I prayed for me - for supernatural strength. I prayed for the pump - that it would loosen easily. I prayed In JESUS Name. Then, I tried again to turn that thing - with ALL my strength.

Let me tell you, God does have a sense of humor. Because I used ALL my strength and that thing flew off so fast that I face planted onto the pump. I even cut the inside of my lip! (not too bad)

I should have known better, because when I call on Jesus, in His name, ALL things are possible! I did not need all of my strength any more - because I was asking for His.

So, there you go. My testimony for today! Be encouraged that whatever you are going through, God is just waiting for us to call on Him to take over where our own strength fails. His strength truly is made perfect in my weakness.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

It has been so windy here. When I was growing up we said that if March blew in like a lamb, it would blow out like a lion and vice versa. Well, this year, February blew out like a lion, March blew in like a lion, March blew out like a lion and so far, April has done nothing but blow like a lion! It does make for good kite flying weather, though. So, Mark decided to show Caleb how it was done. Here is the event in pictures.

Mark shows Caleb how to get it started:


Caleb is feeling like he is ready to give it a try on his own:


Getting it started:


Off the ground:

Flying high:


He kept that kite up there for quite a while while we all watched:


So pretty:


What are you doing to enjoy your spring days with your family?

An Unexpected Blessing

For the past couple of years, there have been a few items on my "wish list." These are not things that I need, they are just things that I would like to have! They are things that, when I go out, I keep an eye out to see if I can find a really good deal on them. Since I don't really need them, I refuse even more than normal to spend full price! Well, one of those items is something like a pie safe or some sort of cabinet type item for the kitchen for all of my bread supplies. I look everywhere and when I can find them, they are over $300, or they are way too big for the space that I have. So, there is the background info on what I am about to tell you.

Saturday, we decided to go out to the flea market in Mt. Dora. We weren't planning to buy anything, just sounded like something different to do for the day! Well, when we go to this flea market, there is one door that we ALWAYS go in. My 2 favorite little shops of the whole place are on this row, and I just like to start there. Well, for some reason, this time we decided to start on the whole opposite end! In fact, we started outside!

We found a vendor who had things that I really like, so the girls and I went in. (Mark and Caleb were looking at guns and knives - guy stuff!) As we were walking, I noticed a cabinet against the back wall of her little area and we headed for it. It looked just right, but we asked for a tape measure to make sure that it would work and sure enough - just right! Next was the price. Well, it was close to that $300 mark that we always find and I stood there thinking, Lord, why is it always that much? Why can't it ever be 1/2 that?

I no sooner thought that, when the lady who owned it walked up behind me and said, "Oh, by the way, that is 1/2 off today!" Well, that was a quick answer to an unspoken prayer if I ever had one! (Maybe I should have asked for 75% off??!!) So, I proceeded to take stock of all that it had and that everything worked. I opened a door and saw some dishes, right as the owner came up behind me and said, "Oh, and those dishes are included in the price!!" Oh my - can it get any better?!

I called Mark to come and look and he loved it too and we decided that it would be my Mother's Day and Bday presents all in one. The lady there was so nice. We told her what we wanted to use it for and she hugged me, so happy that a family who would truly appreciate it was buying it! She proceeded to offer Holly and MaKenna 3 tins full of paints - oil based and latex - very good quality, nice paints.

OK, so we bought the piece, now to get it home! We had all of us, the pool pump (whole nother story!) 3 empty chlorine jugs (2 1/2 gallons each!) and my quizzing cart in the van and had to get this thing home. Where there is a will, there is a way! We managed to squeeze everything in, but it was tight! Here is a pic looking back:

MaKenna is sitting on my quizzing cart! The piece that we bought is taking up the whole back of the van.

The next problem, though, was that the back couldn't shut and we had nothing with us. Well, Cat, the owner, went to find anything and came back with a pair of men's suspenders! Mark tied it up just right and would you believe, they took us the whole way home! Caleb used them for crazy praise today!


Here is the beautiful blessing, partially set up. The picture really doesn't do it justice.


I didn't like how the mill and bread maker fit on it, so I left them on the other cart. You can see them to the right in the picture.

And here are the dishes that came with it - they are from Czechoslovakia, numbered and everything! It came with a soup tureen and gravy bowl:


A teapot, creamer and sugar bowl and service for 6 - cups, plates and bowls:


Even though it was a big splurge for us, I am thankful for the blessing of such a great deal on something that we all love.

Fusion week

Well, you probably wonder why I haven't been posting much lately. There is just so much going on around here these days! Last weekend was Fusion, the Annual Youth Conference at our church. There were lots of practices and prayer meetings in preparation for that event. I had a surprise for them that weekend too! Jess, their best friend, was coming to town and was spending the night after the Friday night service. I did not get pictures because of timing and schedules, but here are a few that Holly took. (Next time, I will make sure that I get some pictures!)

This is Jess, MaKenna and Holly on Saturday. I was so sad that we didn't get any on Friday - they just had to be there so early and we had so many other things going on at the same time, that it just didn't happen.


This is on the platform, inside the sanctuary:


We didn't get home on Friday night until about 1:30AM and stayed up talking and catching up until 4. I got back up early to make them a nice breakfast before they had to be back for day 2. Jess got to come home with us again on Saturday, but we were all so tired that we just sat around and talked and relaxed! My dad came over, too, for a while and visited with us - such a busy day!

I have so much to be thankful for this week! Mark's truck and my van are fixed and up and running; my kids love Jesus and had a great time at the youth event; good friends who invite us over for yummy food, fun, fellowship and "confession"!!; a good, hard working husband; provision at all times; being tired from working at something that is satisfying and fulfilling; and blessings that come from nowhere, among so many other things.

Spring Has SpRuNg!!!!

It is always such an exciting time of the year to me when all things become new again. What was dead is now alive! Surely God has a plan and we get to see it unfold every year. I took some pictures of the new life happening around here to give hope to those of you still in the woes of winter =P

OK, this one is not really spring, but the kids and I thought that it was so cool - a homeschoolers opportunity. Do you see all the cloud formations in this one picture? What a great time to teach - while enjoying a beautiful day outside with my children!

The first new leaves on our crepe myrtle tree:


Our azaleas in bloom:

Our big maple (?) tree out front - I love when this one gets new leaves - every day there are more of them and they are open more:

I saved the most exciting one (to me!!) for last. We have had 2 little orange trees since Holly was about 9. When we moved in here, 2 1/2 years ago, they came with us. We planted them and fertilized them, but never have we noticed that they are growing or doing anything. Well, this year, we have blossoms on one of the trees! Aren't they beautiful!

We are going to try to plant a few new things this year and maybe some herbs or veggies, too.

What I really want is a chicken tractor!!!!!!!!