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).