Just Popping In To Say Hi:o).

My niece and nephew wanted to come to the library to check out some movies, so that would explain the internet access and a blog post:o). This has been such a sweet time of fellowship for me with my brother and his family, especially since my sister-in-law just lost her father only two weeks ago. The Lord's way is always best because He placed me here to be an encouragement and blessing to my family, particularly my sister-in-law during this first Christmas without her dad.

The best part about this trip has been the quality time we've spent together. We haven't jam-packed the trip chock full of amazing places to see, but it has been filled with lots of love, giggles, and grins. When my 5-year-old nephew saw me last Thursday morning (remember he's autistic) he said, "Auntie Anne, you're alive!!!" So although the nights have been late (I'm talking 1 or 2 AM every night!) it's been a blast! I trust you all have been as blessed as I have been during this Christmas season. And I think I forgot to mention the best part of it all: uninterrupted quiet time with the Lord in the morning... not having to worry about rushing out the door to get to school. That has been the sweetest time of my day...



Feel free to enter the contest in the post below. I plan on closing it out on Thursday January 3rd so you still have some time:o).

Well Nothing Says Christmas...

... like going on a trip! It's been so quiet around this little blog because of an incredibly busy weekend and it's gearing up to be a busy day tomorrow. I fly out of Philadelphia (oh the joy of flying from Philadelphia ) tomorrow night into Chicago with a layover in between the two. That layover consists of 49 minutes exactly, and Philadelphia is known for delays at this time of year, so if you wouldn't mind praying for a delay-free exit from Philadelphia, I would appreciate it!

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Last night both of my brothers and their families came over for dinner so I just can't resist posting a picture of Ethan:o).

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Posting is going to be slim to none until the New Year because I'm seriously questioning the internet access where I'm going, so I thought I would hold a little contest for all of your faithful (and new!) readers while I'm gone:o).

A few years ago I went to a Princess House show in Florida with my sister and won these four little snowflake holders! The hostess very excitedly told me I could use them as a candle holder (as pictured above) or as a placeholder for name tags for a dinner.

It was a really good idea and for a while I shared her enthusiasm, but since I came home from that trip, I haven't used them once (except to take the pictures for this post!). So I figured it was time to let someone else enjoy them!

All you have to do to enter this contest is to leave a comment on this post. It would also be great if you linked here as well, but that's not necessary:o). When I come back from my adventures in the mid-west, I'll pick the winner!

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I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas - whether you spend it with family or friends! Let's not forget the real reason for Christmas and take the opportunity to share the love of Christ.

Merry Christmas!

Wishin'.

I wrote the missionary family I stayed with in Thailand to let them know I was praying for them and this is the reply I got:

Thanks Anne, We are praying for you also. Wish you were here ;-)

Chao Praya River, Thailand

Yeah, me too...

Lord willing, this next year will find me back in Thailand...

Christmas Fun!

Jendi tagged me for this meme a little bit ago and since I forwarded this along to about 20 girls via e-mail, I figured I would post it here too:o). Feel free to consider yourself tagged in doing this meme if you haven't done it yet!


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I normally go with gift bags unless I'm watching a movie and want something "to do" and then I wrap.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real:o)
3 . When do you put up the tree? For the past couple of years we haven't done one; when we used to do it, it was usually early December. This year we actually got one for free so we'll be putting it up soon!
4. When do you take the tree down? Right around January 6th or 7th.
5. Do you like egg nog? Nope.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Pound Puppy... he was my favorite for years!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? My mom has a pretty ceramic one she made.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Without a doubt, my dad.
9 . Easiest person to buy for? My sisters.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail Christmas cards for sure!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A sketching pad when I was about 7... I hated to draw and it was one of a couple gifts I got that year.
12 . Favorite Christmas movie? I like Little Women because it starts out being Christmas. I guess It's A Wonderful Life would have to be the classic Christmas movie:o).
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As I see things all throughout the year.
14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? If I wasn't going to use it then yes.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Poppy seed Roll.
16 . Clear lights or colored on the tree? It depends... if all the decorations are quaint and elegant then clear. But if everything is a little more festive then color.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Hmmm... I'm not sure. I guess when I think of all the "traditional" songs it would have to be "Little Drummer Boy". But we've done cantatas for several years now and I always remember the song "Let the Joy Begin" (the real title is Joy to the World, but that could get confusing:o).
18. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.
19. When do you open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Sometime on Christmas Day. We would always wait until everyone in the house came downstairs and then we would open the gifts one at a time, starting with Dad and finally ending with me! It was a really nice way to do it, and that way we got to share in everyone's gifts.
20 . Most annoying thing about this time of year? The covetousness.
21 . Favorite ornament theme or color? I have a few ornaments that were handmade by people who are no longer alive so those are kinda special.
22. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I'm not too picky besides having Cranberry Sauce! I LOVE cranberry!!!
23. Favorite Christmas memory? When we had 20 family members over for dinner.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I don't want anything (unless it's a ticket back to Thailand!) The Lord has abundantly blessed me by meeting my needs.

It REALLY Is Common.

So I'm not sure if it's the meds the doc gave me, the Subway I ate at 9:35 PM, or just the great evening of fun I had, but here I am at 3ish in the morning, wide-awake and really dreading the day ahead of me:o).

What do most normal people do in a situation like that? Blog, of course! So here I am...

I went to the doctor's Monday afternoon and was shocked to see his son is now a doctor practicing with him! When did that happen? Oh sometime within the past ten years, seeings that I haven't been there since I was 14:o). After being checked by both doctor-son and doctor-doctor, they came to the conclusion I have a common cold.

While that's not as impressive-sounding as walking pneumonia or bronchitis (in my defense it has been a month-long process, so I was expecting something a little more than the common cold), I'm also thankful that I did go to find out what the problem is and that it wasn't the two mentioned above. I've never been to the hospital before (I mean for me. I've visited people in the hospital though:o), and I didn't want to start now!

So that's all it was. I do appreciate your prayers; I was expecting to pay $57.00 for the visit and medication, but instead the Lord graciously allowed me to pay $42.00! And when saving pennies for trips to visit the mid-west family next week and for Thailand, then every bargain truly helps!

The Babe... The Christ.

Do you worship the Babe in the manger,
But reject the Christ of the Cross?
Your redemption comes not by the manger,
But the death of Christ on the Cross.

If you worship the Babe in the manger,
But ignore the blood of God’s Son,
To you Christ is only a stranger,
Til you trust the work He has done.

The Babe in the manger was God’s only Son,
Who came to the world to die.
The Babe in the manger could never have done
The work of His God on high.

The Babe left the manger and went to the Cross
To pay the wages of sin.
Your way of forgiveness is not by the Babe,
But the Christ who died for your sin.

– W. S. and Mildred Dillon

Would Ya Pray?

It all started rather innocently - a sore, scratchy throat one Thursday morning. By Saturday, it had turned into a full-blown cough, making cantata practice interesting! This cough has been a part of my life for almost a month now, so I'm finally going to the doctor on Monday. I've been told dozens of times within the past month, "You sound horrible!" and while I'm sure that statement has always been mentioned in the nicest way possible (!), I'm ready to be over it.

This sounds selfish asking for prayer, but would you please pray the appointment and medicine wouldn't be too costly?!? I have no insurance (because I'm rarely sick - thanks be to God!) so I'm paying full cost for this one. To add to the whole interesting dilemma, my doctor is 50 miles away (yup, you read that right). I can't tell you the last time I stepped into his office, but it had to be at least eight years ago! I really like my doctor too... he's got this great accent and always clucks his tongue:o). I just try not to see him very often;o).

Thanks for praying!

In The Arena.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and 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...

~Theodore Roosevelt~

(One of my student's had to memorize this quote for Civics , and I was challenged by the man who is actually giving it his best by being in the arena...take it or leave it for what it's worth!)

It's Christmastime In The City!

Four friends and I ventured into New York City on Saturday to see the city at Christmastime and we weren't disappointed! We parked in Jersey City and took the subway into the city and just started lookin'!

"They don't have these in Macungie!"... Emily really needs to get out more :o)

After a quick lunch break, we were ready to go!

We started off in China Town, but didn't find that too interesting (I'm sorry to say it, but after being in foreign countries and seeing pretty much the same stuff, there really wasn't any attraction!) we headed up to Macy's and barely squeezed our way into the door! My one question is, how can anyone shop here???

The busyness of New York streets!

While making our way to Rockefeller Center, my friend and I busted out laughing when we heard one man say, "It's not that difficult people! Just put one foot in front of the other!" That pretty much sums up our trip to the Center. It was like herding cattle:o) so this was my quick shot of the tree. (Oh, thanks to Emily and her instant Internet access, we found out that this tree has 5 miles of lights on it:o).

I thought this was a pretty cool display! Somebody was thinkin' :o).

Emily and I at the counter for dinner. While the piece of pizza I got was the most expensive I've ever eaten, it was good so I'm not complaining:o).

Two Quick Pics.

I wanted to share a rather humorous story that happened at the church office today (Three Blondes = Trouble!) but some friends and I are heading to the Big Apple in the mornin' so I'll just leave you with this:


With a sky like the one I saw on Wednesday, I marvel that some people say there is no God...

Standing With The God Of The Bible.

I am a Christian because God says so, and I did what he told me to do, and I stand on God's Word and if the Book goes down, I'll go down with it. If God goes down, I'll go with Him, and if there were any other kind of God, except that God, I would have been shipwrecked long ago.

Twenty-seven years ago in Chicago I piled all I had, my reputation, my character, my wife, children, home; I staked my soul, everything I had, on the God of the Bible, and the Christ of that Bible, and I won.

~Billy Sunday~

So...

...apparently I wasn't the only person in my township raking leaves today...

After 5 trips to the compost site, and several contractor bags full of leaves, I called it a day. That doesn't even include all the raking my mom has done in the past few weeks!

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Oh, just for the official record, I think he's cute:o).

Smudge on the forehead included!

Thanksgiving Blessing.

As I started watching the Dallas-Jets football game today (yes, I'm one of those girls who not only understands football but also likes it:D), I felt a shiver go up and down my back as a giant American flag was held in the middle of the field while the National Anthem was sung. But then that shiver turned into disgust as I watched the camera pan across the football players. While some stood there respectfully, hand over their heart, others just stood there or kept moving to keep warm while our National Anthem was playing. I was disappointed to see these men obviously bored with the song and the message behind it. In light of that, I've come up with a list of patriotic blessings for which I am thankful:

1 ~ That I am a United States citizen. I'm not a Pennsylvania Dutch-American or a Slovakian-American or an European-American. I am an AMERICAN.
2 ~ I live in America, and more specifically in Pennsylvania... which just so happens to be my favorite state!
3 ~ I may worship my precious Lord and Savior in America.
4 ~ I may display the flag of America freely.
5 ~ Soldiers have bravely fought (and are fighting) to preserve my freedom.
6 ~ I have the opportunity to work without discrimination.
7 ~ I speak the English language and that was taught to me by some teachers who thought education was important.
8 ~ American history has been documented beautifully. I can go within a three-hour's drive and find months and months worth of history.
9 ~ This nation was founded on Christian principles.
10 ~ The Gospel came to America and as a result, I am saved.

How thankful I am to live in the United States of America! On this day that is set aside to give thanks, don't forget to do just that!

Works For Me: Thanksgiving.

Last night for our Thanksgiving service, our Christian school's Principal's dad (did you get all that?!?! It guess it would be easier to say we had a guest speaker:o), spoke about "thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." Something during his message struck me though when he said that temptation can be avoided if we just remove ourselves from it. Why sit there and look at temptation when moving away from it will solve the problem? With that in mind, I thought of a temptation from which the Lord has graciously allowed me to walk away. It's not sure-fire, but for now, it's working for me!

My temptation is being an impulsive buyer and although I can normally talk myself out of buying something (what's weird is that I'm also very cheap... I don't like to spend money!), there were some occasions when I did not and the bill would prove it. After thinking about it for a while, and realizing it would take me 10 years to save enough money to go back to Thailand (at the rate I was going!), I decided to give my credit card and Kohl's card to my mom and also the money I'm saving for Thailand.

Let me tell ya, it has increased my prayer time! Gone was the freedom of putting __________ on my credit card, if I didn't have any cash. There have been literally weeks on end that the only thing I bought/paid for was the toll on the Turnpike and that was it. But do you know what? God has been so faithful! He knows I am weak and He is my strength! It was a big step to give it up, but I would do it all again just to see Him provide it the best ways!

For instance, I am going to my sister's for Thanksgiving, and although she said I didn't have to bring anything (since I'll be helping her make everything!), I still wanted to, but had no money to go buy the ingredients. Well after the church service last night, my mom and I were getting ready to go home when one of the ladies at church stopped me and said, "Here's a note for you that was on the secret pal table." Here my secret pal had made me a pumpkin roll! Isn't that a blessing?!?! I wanted to make something, but wasn't about to ask my mom for my credit card to buy the ingredients, and the Lord answered with a ready-made dessert!

So that's what works for me! In this season of buying, buying, buying we'll soon find ourselves in, just be careful that you don't get into debt and ask the Lord to help you!

For more works for me ideas, go see Shannon!

Your Turn!

I saw this on Melissa's blog (I always have this urge to call her Missy; boy, does that bring up old school memories!). Take the test, see how you do, and come back and tell me:o). Oh and don't forget to go enter Melissa's Christmas giveaway on her blog!

You Passed Your Driver's Test

Congratulations, you got 7/10 correct. You're a good driver - at least, when you want to be.

Are You a Good Driver?

The FIRST!

Rachel saw a snowflake (or two!) on Friday, but I think it's official today!!!

My Pennsylvania world is a mixture of fall leaves still gracing our trees...

... and the evergreens finally getting dressed in their white, wintery finery!


Psalm 51: 7 ~ "...wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Happy Birthday Mom!

We love you!

(My brother Phil, Mom, Myself, and my brother Tom)

Faith Like Rahab.

Tonight the single girls group met with my pastor's wife to have a Bible Study on Rahab. I was so blessed by the study, that I thought I would share with the rest of you (and for those girls who were at the study, you can just skip over this post if you want:o)).

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Some background

- Rahab lived in a successful financial section of Jericho.
- Jericho was a large city with many visitors constantly coming and going.

-Rahab's house was the only one left standing when Jericho's wall came tumbling down.
- Rahab was a Gentile harl-t, but she wound up in a place where every Jewish mother wanted to be: in the Messiah's lineage.
- Sarah and Rahab are listed in Hebrews 11 (the only women!) as examples of great faith.

- Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth were all in the lineage of Jesus. These women had reputations of ill repute, yet God offers them as a testimony of forgiveness and a changed life.

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Some lessons learned (these lessons were a compilation from all the girls and my pastor's wife)

#1 ~ Rahab's statement of faith was made based on what she heard, not on what she saw.

#2 ~ Rahab told all her family members about the promise of sparing their lives if they entered and stayed in her house.

#3 ~ Rahab's one action of faith (which seemed so small) affected so many people, including you and me!

#4 ~ Ordinary events of day to day life will have a deep impact someday.

#5 ~ Rahab was ready at a moment; she was prepared to give an answer to those who questioned her.

#6 ~ Rahab was trustworthy. When questioned where the spies went, she told the questioners that they went to the mountains, and they believed her without doubting!

#7 ~ Rahab's faith was immediate in that she let down the scarlet rope immediately after the spies left her house.

#8 ~ Rahab wasn't in the best of circumstances, but she still made the right choice.

#9 ~ Rahab had to sustain her own faith because it was a while before the spies (with the rest of the nation of Israel!!) came back. While the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho, Rahab and her family stayed inside and waited. and waited. and waited, not knowing when the Israelites would attack.

#10 ~ God's mercy is extended to all.

#11 ~ There's nothing that your or I have done that is so awful it can separate us from God's love.

#12 ~ God is looking to us to spread His Word.

#13 ~ God must prepare a person's heart to receive His Word.

#14 ~ We need to be concerned about the salvation of others.

#15 ~ Rahab was the only one in Jericho who turned her back on her gods and received the One True God.

#16 ~ Our faith is revealed by our actions.

#17 ~ Nothing is impossible with God!

#18 ~ My choices determine my eternal destiny.

#19 ~ All sin is equal in the eyes of God.

So Random... So True.

This might sound random, but I am so very thankful that I'm in the church I'm in! Out of all the churches I've been in, home is always the best!

And it just doesn't get any better than that...:o).

Veterans.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

(Words and history here)
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A sight that is sure to bring a tear to your eye when you are overseas is the American flag. I can't tell you how many times my eyes have watered, but I am so thankful to be an American. Today is a day that is set aside to honor Veterans. I think if I could ask my grandfather why he served in World War II, he would say it was his duty... his privilege... his opportunity to serve his country.

As we enjoy so many freedoms today in the United States, please stop for a moment and remember how those freedoms were earned... and if you meet a Veteran, remember to say thank you. I'm sure those men and women would look you straight in the eye and say, "It was my privilege."

Frugal Fridays.

3-4 years ago, a few friends and I agreed together to get a membership at the local movie store. This meant we would pay a couple of dollars to rent a movie, and if we were really good, we would get it buy-one-get-one-free! Not too long after we signed up, I was in the library and realized that the library has a good collection of movies and they were free to borrow! I laughed at ourselves for being so silly to get a membership card to the movie store (where I wouldn't watch 95% of the movies anyway), and have been checking the library for free movies ever since:o).

I'm sure this varies from library to library (at another library I had to pay 50 cents or a dollar to get a movie), but it's definitely worth looking into, especially if you like to watch a movie on Friday nights:o).

Go over to Crystal's blog for more money-saving tips!

Too Much?

So what do you think? Is my new hat too much???

:o)

Election Day.

Last night I actually had some free time (volleyball's over ya know!) so I went to the library to get a book. (Side note: on the bus on Thursday, several of the girls, Rachel, and I were playing Catch Phrase and one girl was trying to describe reading a book: "um, ok, you do this when you're bored.... um, etc." It took her quite a while to convey the message READ A BOOK and I shudder to think what we as teachers have been teaching her regarding reading. But in our defense, this is her first year in our school, so hopefully we can guide her a little better! Anyway...)

As I approached the library entrance, I noticed three older gentleman standing around. The one then turned to leave and the other two respectfully stopped me from boredom:o). "Excuse me miss? Are you registered to vote?" When I replied in the affirmative, the man continued on, "And you know to vote ________?" I agreed with him again and was bidden "good night". I won't even begin to tell you how I was impressed with their gentlemanly behavior, but it did remind me of one very important thing!

Today is Election Day, a day most Americans will remember within a year's time, but sadly 70% of the people living in my area (so I'm assuming that statistic could easily be said for the rest of the USA) will not go and vote today.

May I ask a simple question of Why?

Polls just opened a couple of minutes ago (7 AM) and will remain open until 8 PM tonight. As a American, please find time in your day today to vote! I'm planning to do so, and it is a precious right, for if I'm back in Thailand at this time next year, I will be filling out an absentee ballot for sure!

Please vote today...

Just Couldn't Resist:o).

I just couldn't resist posting two pictures of my cutie nephews:o). Andrew is turning two soon... where did the time go??? Happy Birthday big boy! Auntie Anne loves you!

Of course I had to post a picture of Ethan too:o). Don't you just love their smiles?!?! Ethan loves his grammie... that's for sure!

A L-O-N-G Trip.

We headed out on Thursday morning to go the the Creation Museum, but I knew we were in for it when I saw all the Mountain Dew soda and candy being loaded on to the bus! So I was (pleasantly!) surprised when the teens kept the noise level to a minimum for the first 10 hours of the trip:o).

Doesn't our bus look so small next to the big rigs?!?! It's funny how it looks huge until it's next to something even bigger:o).

The trip out was so pretty! I love driving through Pennsylvania, and this was one of the beautiful scenes I saw.

Of course the whole reason why we did this field trip was to give our teenagers a Christian perspective on science. The first thing we did was go to the planetarium, and to see all the stars, planets, and galaxies made me think of the verse, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" It's enough to make you realize how insignificant you really are in the grand scheme of things.

I'm sure most of you know this, but this is not unusual to see one of my student's taller than me:o).

The front of the museum...

We had plenty of chaperones go along, but I think (at this moment anyway!) these two were the tiredest!

After we were done in Kentucky, we headed to Dayton, Ohio to go to the (free!) Air Force Museum. It was interesting to walk through (my group made it through 4 of the 5 hangers before they called it quits... I give them credit for that since most girls aren't interested in airplanes!) If the history of the airplane is your thing, I would recommend you pay this museum a visit (and as I said, it is free!)

There was a memorial park right outside the museum...

Of course no trip is complete without a mishap, and in our case, it was a blown fuse for the headlights. We parked outside a Seven-Eleven for about an hour and the manager was gracious enough to give us free coffee! But judging by the look on their faces, these girls didn't need any (that was true enough!) and it took them several hours to calm down from all that caffeine! But all in all it was a really good trip, and I would like to go back again sometime.... just not with 30 teenagers;o).

Just Because...

... I thought you might need some extra reading over the weekend:o), hence the three (three!) posts in one day. I found this blog recently (blog-hopping:o)), and then I read this article tonight and thought this was a rather well-written post on the issue of being too content as a single. This paragraph kinda sums in up (emphasis mine):

Another thing we should be cautious about, I think, is being too perfectly happy as singles. How does that work with finding contentedness in each season of our lives? I think the message we should be sending isn't 'I'm quite happy as I am right now, thank you very much, and I don't need anything else', but rather, 'I'm happy, but I feel ready to move on to the next stage, and I'm eagerly anticipating it.'

So while this will probably not be applicable to 98% of my readers:o), I figured that it might explain what I've often thought but never put into words. So hopefully you can read it, and maybe things would make a little more sense to you in understanding what I do and why I do it... all the time waiting for what I believe God has in store for me one day (but not pining and moping away my time as a single.)

Confused yet?:o)

Then that's life with me... in a nutshell!

Taking Weird To A New Level.

Ya'll have got to go over to A Maryland Girl's blog and check out her post. I have absolutely no idea where she finds the pictures, but these have got to be the best (?) she has ever posted!!!! Let me know what you think...

WFMW: A Packing Tip.

Tomorrow I'm heading out on an "extended" field trip to the new Creation Museum in Kentucky with about 30 students and 10 other chaperones... so the bus ride should be a little crazy to say the least! (It's about 14 hours, but that does NOT mean whines and complaints of "Are we there yet?" are allowed!) My goal as a chaperone is to make it back in one piece:o).

I don't ever stress about packing for a trip (when I went on my 3-month trip to Thailand, I packed about 12 hours before I left for the airport!) and this one handy-dandy tip has saved me quite a bit of stress over the years. I have, for lack of a more original term, a toiletry bag that I always keep packed with the essentials: shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, spray, etc. Everything is all ready to go in that little bag that I don't ever worry about the little stuff when it comes to packing right before I leave. So tonight when I get home from church, it should take me about 5 minutes to pack for the two-day trip and that's what works for me!

For more works-for-me ideas, go pay a visit to Shannon:o).

I Have Decided...

(I heard this song sung today on two different occasions, and was deeply challenged...)

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

God Owns The Cattle On A Thousand Hills.

Psalm 50:10 ~ "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."

In reading that verse the other day, I thought about this song that says,

"God owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
The wealth in every mine;
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine.

Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell -

He is my Father so they're mine as well;

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills -

I know that He will care for me."

Yesterday while e-mailing a friend in regards to going back to Thailand I commented, "I've started saving for the next trip over, but I think it will be 2010 before I get there at the rate I'm saving!"

But God, who knows my each and every need, brought encouragement along at the right time! You see, my volleyball team had a party yesterday afternoon since we're finishing up our season on Monday, and they gave me this for a gift:

As I turned over what appeared to be a 5-dollar bill, one of the girls said, "This 50 dollars is for your trip to Thailand."

Isn't God good?!?! Just like the Shunammite woman was commanded by Elisha to "borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few", so I too need to bring empty vessels to place before the Lord! He wants to fill them, all I need to do is bring the vessels.

Frugal Friday And A Blessing!

Crystal over at Biblical Womanhood is gracious enough to host Frugal Friday each week, so I thought I would share a tip and a blessing all rolled into one!

My Frugal Friday tip is very simple, but as the saying goes, "a penny saved is a penny earned" (Thanks Benjamin Franklin!), so here's my tip on saving those pennies.

A local gas station (Wawa in M-town, for those of you who are local) has two prices out on their marquee: one price for those who pay with a debt/credit card and another price for those paying with cash. The cash price is significantly lower (it can be up to 7 cents cheaper) than the credit card price. The nice thing for me is that they have my bank's ATM right inside the store, so if I don't have cash on me, then I can go to the ATM, take out the amount I need and pay for the gas. By doing it this way, I save pennies each time... and this time it was 51 cents!

Now the blessing. Tonight I stopped to fill up the gas tank (I think I was beyond empty!), and as I pulled in, I remembered a challenge my Pastor gave last night in the church service. He was talking about Personal Evangelism and then he said this: "Why don't you pray and ask the Lord to give you one person to witness to within the next 24 hours. Give yourself a time limit."

Oh me of little faith "kinda" prayed for the opportunity, but I *knew* that no such opportunity would come along because I would be at church all day. The only slightest chance might have been a repairman or salesman stopping by church.

Like I said, oh me of little faith!

God gave me an opportunity to give my personal testimony tract to the guy behind the counter and it was an opportunity I didn't even think could happen! Because my friend Emily had asked me to come to her house tonight for a game night (thanks Em!), I had to fill up my gas tank and it just so happened that the Lord provided an opportunity to give a person a tract!

God is good, all the time... all the time, God is good!

So there's my Frugal Friday post and blessing all wrapped into one:o).

And We Have...

...A Winner:o)

But first, let me say thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway! I must say as the comments came in, I wished I could give everyone the book or CD that they mentioned!

I truly am blessed to have a good, solid, KJV-only bookstore right in my very own church! Plus I work for Challenge Press, so I've read so many of the books as I've printed them off... the problem I have is that I wouldn't be able to afford all the books!

But I'm sure ya'll are curious as to who won the gift certificate...

First of all, I must say I drew the name in a very scientific way:o). I put all the names on the exact same type of paper (minus those who commented twice. I figured that would be an unfair advantage!) Then I folded the papers up and even went so far as to tape them shut so that one wouldn't get "stuck" inside of another. Finally I had my mom pick out the name (thanks Mom!) and after spending several seconds trying to get the tape off:o), Mom opened it up and the person whose name was on the paper was the person who wanted the Logos Christian Software for $450.00 (that's Four Hundred And Fifty Dollars!) Here's what Katina wrote:

Wow Anne, you got a lot of comments...I didn't realize you were giving away a freebie...cool! I'll take the Logos Christian Software.........scared ya didn't I! :) Would $450 really be too pricey for a good friend?! :)If I could pick anything I would pick, "Don't Make Me Count to Three"...b/c I find myself counting around here quite often some days. :)

So there you have it! I had so much fun doing this giveaway and just wanted to thank ya'll again for participating:o). And who knows? I just might do this again in the future.... :o).

In A Nutshell...

This weekend was as busy as I anticipated it to be! On Friday my team was waiting for the other school to arrive in the middle of a rainstorm when a rainbow peeked out and reminded me that God always keeps His Promises! It was a small blessing, but it meant so much to me ~ it sure brightened my day!


After the rainbow, I decided to gather the team together to start taking pictures. You know how that goes ~ reverse psychology: We take pictures and the other team arrives! So here is my sweet volleyball team and I'm happy to report they did a great job on Friday! It was very intense at times, but good Christian competition:o).

Saturday was just a crazy, chaotic day in so many ways. In the middle of the day we went to the wedding. My Mom is pictured below at the reception...

Sunday was busy as well. I was able to attend Sunday School and participate in the ongoing study of Abraham's life. In the morning service I had junior church with the 2 and 3 year olds and at night I was in the nursery, so I'm looking forward to being in church tomorrow night:o). During the afternoon, several family members came over, including two of our youngest ones! Ethan recently got a hair cut and Andrew is gaining weight, so it sure was sweet to see my little nephews:o).

My sister and brother were both able to come, and it was nice to spend family time with them that always seems to be too short...

Ann and I don't often get our pictures taken together and there's even a family joke about that. You see, back at Ann's baby shower, we had asked my sister (pictured above) to take a picture of Ann and I. After she took the picture, Ann asked if it turned out alright. Mary glanced at the camera and said, "yup, it's fine" so Ann and I didn't think to have another one taken. Well later on we were looking at the picture and here my head was cut off! So we jokingly told Mary she can't take our picture anymore:o).

The family time continued on last night, but I forgot to bring my camera for that. My cousin flew in from Charlotte, so my Aunt and I went down to Philadelphia to pick her up and spend some time with her. I'm excited because she is moving to NYC next week, so that means she'll be living closer (and I'll have a point of reference in the city too;o).

Somewhere along the way I caught a cold, for I've been sniffling and sneezing my way through the day today. Hopefully I'll get rid of it soon, but a little R and R should do the trick:o).

In the meanwhile, there is still time to enter the giveaway... I'm planning on closing it sometime Wednesday night; probably 9 PM. And I am completely impressed with the fact that after faithfully reading my blog since the beginning, I finally have a comment from a friend who shall remain anonymous... thanks for commenting!

This Is A First.

I'm in for a rather long (and busy!) weekend with a volleyball game, wedding of a longtime friend, and hosting a fall gathering of about 30 people so I've decided to do something that I've never done before and we'll see how it goes!

As many of you know, my church has a big printing ministry in addition to having a bookstore. I would like to give away a $15.00 gift certificate at the end of next Wednesday night.

So here's where you come in! Go to the Challenge Press/Book Heaven website, browse around, and come back and tell me one book/CD you would want if you won the gift certificate. I'll work out the details with the winner later (Hmm, can I see some LVBCers coming out in droves for a gift certificate? Well, it's free, so I'm sure that will be motivation:o)), but just leave a comment and I'll close the give away out next Wednesday night.

Happy browsing!

Another Works-For-Me!

About a year ago I read on someone's blog (you know how that goes! Blog hopping, that is... :o)) about an opportunity to earn free gift certificates. With thoughts like "yeah right" running through my head, I apprehensively e-mailed the lady and she referred me to MyPoints.com. I then signed up with MyPoints and did earn gift certificates!

Here's how it works:

• You read the e-mail offers MyPoints sends to you.
• You then click on the orange box that says "Act Now!" "Take Survey Now!", or something like that and instantly earn 5 points.
• You close out the window, delete the e-mail, and that's it:o).

Now I will say I'm not a big fan of spending money so normally I just click on the link and get the points. I've only ever bought one thing off of MyPoints and it was something I was going to use anyway. Their big emphasis (of course) is for you to buy something with the companies they advertise, but you don't have to do that:o).

I received $50.00 in gift certificates and it came at a good time too ~ right before I headed to Thailand for three months! I'm just about ready to get another $50.00 in gift certificates, but I'm having a problem deciding what to get (Christmas is coming you know!).

It's really easy and it takes me one, maybe two, minutes in the morning when I check my e-mail. I can definitely do that and as a result earn gift certificates. If you are interested in trying it out, go to my profile and e-mail me. I'll then "refer" you (and get points for doing so!) and you can start earning gift certificates too:o).

For more "Works-For-Me" ideas, go to Rocks In My Dryer ... just be prepared to spend a while reading!

Stay In The Castle.

Chantel wrote a good post regarding this book, "Stay In The Castle". I was just 16 years old when I first read it, but it impacted my young life greatly. The story is about a young maiden who wishes to find her Prince but was given an earnest warning from her father, the King: Stay in the castle! In other words, don't go wandering around outside the castle, trying to find what you think would work for you. If you do, you will miss the special man that God has waiting for you.

From the day I put the book down, I determined I was going to wait for the Lord to bring my Prince along. It's been 8 years since I've read that book, and I've seen many a friend and relative get married. Just because time has elapsed doesn't mean the command from my King is any less important. I've posted this quote on here before, but it's one of my favorites:

"Wait for God's time to bring it round and He will do it without any heartbreak or disappointment."

~Oswald Chambers~

Just recently I heard about someone I knew long ago who had the same desire that I have, but then impatience got in the way. Now that person is married, but it's not the best situation. My heart broke when I heard that story because patience did not have her perfect work!

I've pondered all my years since I read that book and realized it's not been a bad wait at all, but lest I was tempted to "throw the towel in", I was reminded as to why I'm waiting! I would rather remain single all of my days and be in the center of God's Will than to marry outside of God's Will. There is no safety in stepping outside of God's plan and Chantel's post and the story I heard were good reminders of that.

And so, I stay in the castle. To the ridicule of some and the sympathy of others, I wait. Only God truly knows my heart's desire, so I wait. Because the dangers of stepping outside of the castle are not worth it.

Burdens ARE Lifted At Calvary!

Days are filled with sorrow and care,
Hearts are lonely and drear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.

Chorus: Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Calvary, Calvary,
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.

Cast your care on Jesus today,
Leave your worry and fear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.

Troubled soul, the Saviour can see,
Ev'ry heartache and tear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary
Jesus is very near.

~John M. Moore~

A Surprise Trip.

Lest some of you think I fell off the face of the earth... I did not:o). I knew I was in for a pretty busy week with Revival Services last week and towards the end of the week, I went with a family in my church to Tennessee ~ a complete surprise to all the kids in the family and my sister-in-law who came down from Indiana! The plan was concocted a few weeks ago, but my friend agreed to keep the whole thing a secret, telling only her husband. So after church Thursday night, I headed out to her house and was met by several of her confused daughters who couldn't figure out why I was there until it dawned on them that I was coming with them:o).


The main purpose of the trip was to help the family out with a house they recently bought ~ beautiful, but in need of a lot of work! So we spent the weekend cleaning, painting (the whole first floor was painted in yellow... I like yellow, but this was a little extreme!), and just general work...

An added bonus was the opportunity to see my sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. Originally my brother and other nephew were coming too, but in the end it worked out to be the three of them. The secret of the past two weeks was completely worth it... my sister-in-law shrieked when she saw me! Since she wasn't expecting to see me for another two months, this was a huge surprise!

(Hopefully she doesn't cause great harm to me for posting this picture!)

The weekend was so fun, peaceful, and quiet... well, quiet is a relative term. There were 10 females in the house and one very active 5-year-old-boy, so it wasn't quiet in the realm of noise but it was a very relaxing weekend. I've found yet another place I would love to go back and visit someday... Muddy Pond, Tennessee!

Seeing my nephew is always such a highlight for me. He is talking more and it's understandable too! Towards the end of the trip, he began to say "we go home now", but Kim and I knew he was definitely done with Tennessee when he said to me, "Good-bye Auntie Anne"! I'm looking forward to see that whole gang come December:o).

The whole trip was very pleasant, minus having a queasy stomach early Tuesday morning and having a tire blow out on the trailer two hours from home. Thankfully I feel much better now and two very nice men (one from Mississippi and one from Carlisle, PA) helped us out with the tire, which was a huge relief to us!

There's no place like home, but I sure do love taking these trips... and the next one's coming up in just a couple of weeks!