To tell the truth...

Wow, where has this year gone? Honestly, my mind is in a jumble. I have been in a fog...
Ever feel that way? I don't like admitting that I've had more downs than ups this year, but it's true. Being real with others is sometimes hard to do. But I want to be real and that means admitting to stumbling around at times.

Thankfully, I am not alone. I know that is true although I haven't had anyone tell me they too have been stumbling around lately. Why is that? None of us wants to admit that we struggle in a very real way. I especially, at my age want you to think that I am doing fine. But I have been lonely, stressed and discouraged. Why do I admit this? Because I want you to know that I have been through struggles and it has made me love Him more.

I was reading Kept For the Master's Use by Frances Ridley Havergal. This little book looks at the song Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. You know that song! You, like myself have probably sung it many times and meant it too! I so much want this for myself and you; to be consecrated to the Lord of Glory!

" Consecration is not so much a step as a course. It is not so much an act as a position to which a course of action inseparably belongs. Insofar as it is a course and a position, there must naturally be a definite entrance upon it and a time when that entrance is made. That is when we say, "Take." But we do not want to go on taking the first step over and over again."

" What we want now is to be maintained in that position and to fulfill that course. So let us go on to another prayer. Having already said, "Take my life, " let us now say - with deepened conviction that without Christ we really can do nothing - "Keep my life, for I cannot keep it for Thee."

My friends, the keeping of my life is not in my hands. Now I have known this. It is not new to me. But, life happens and we can become so weary in it's course that we sometimes forget that the Lord "keeps" us.

"For with the deepest and sweetest consciousness that He has indeed taken our lives to be His very own, the need of His active and actual keeping of them in every detail and at every moment is most fully realized. But then we have the promise of our faithful God, "I, the Lord, am its keeper... I guard it night and day" (Isaiah 27:3)

Meditating upon this thought that the Lord is my Keeper, I began to search scripture for this.

Ps. 121 " I will lift up my eyes to the hills––From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore."

My heart is encouraged. The Lord so kindly has brought me through difficulty again. He is faithful beyond my understanding. I am kept by His gracious, omnipotent hand. Kept to continue on, to press forward and by His keeping to bring glory to Him.

And by the way, Joel is kept by this same One and I have no need to worry about him. My God is able.

Just wanted to share some fun pics from New Mexico.

These girls are following Kens "great" advice. He says as he draws a cartoon woman, that if you might be lacking in good looks, you can always make up for it with Big Hair! Here's some more!

Ken is in New Mexico right now doing some training on starting a kids club. He's also doing a mens conference over the weekend. Busy boy.... pray for his stamina and voice as he was speaking 8 different times between Wed and Sun.

Think before you look and then PRAY!

Many have asked to see pictures of Joel. They aren't pretty pics and I wouldn't post
all we took. Each day we took a pic so we could see his improvement. It's amazing how fast the body heals, especially when your young.

It has been 4 months since his accident. God has healed his body. His long and short term memory are so much better. There is still need for growth in his reasoning, attitude and overall cognitive thinking skills. My prayer is for him to soon be able to get back into the work field as well as get some technical trainging for his future. All in the Lords time.

Joel will be baptised in a few weeks. He wants to continue to grow and change as a "new man" in Christ. Please pray with me that God will open his eyes to see how he needs to be faithfully in the Word and find new and solid Christian friends.

Maybe you can tell, once again I have been having a fight with the computer to get the formatting of these just right. Yes, the computer is winning. Will I ever learn?



I did have two other pictures on here but they disappeared into some other world. But these will suffice.

Certainly God is good and we rejoice in His kindness towards us. May Joel ever be reminded by his own scars of the grace of God towards him.

Time for an update!

Ok - I am still trying to figure things out here. I obviously don't know how to center my posts like I want! So what!? I wanted to share some of our vacation with you. We've had a great time in Florida! My grand kids have been a joy to be around.


Kaitlin and Joel have bonded! It's been fun watching Joel interact with the kids. He's even helped with baby Doug!


Grandpa put his artistic abilities to work here. He made a monster with Kaitlin here after they made a sand castle with a moat.

This little sweetie is known by name at the local Dairy Queen! Just kidding, but her dad for sure is making a name for himself there!

I Did It!!

Just wanted you all to know, I figured it out -
ON MY OWN!
I now have links posted and I am exhausted!

This is nothing exciting to most of you but to me it is huge!
I am learning, slowly but surely......

Baby Doug!

What do you think he's thinking?

Just experimenting this evening and ran across this sweet picture of

Christina's new son, now over a month old!

I am SO Blessed!

Wow! One month has passed and I haven't posted a thing. Life is busier than ever.

Joel is doing very well. His wounds are healing but there are still things that we are dealing with in regards to the accident.

He had surgery last Wed. the 20th on his thumb. The doctor didn't feel it was healing as it should and felt he needed a pin in it. There is a 60% chance of full recovery. This of course means that Joel will not be driving as soon as he had hoped. But I keep reminding him that God is working what is best and he is sweetly taking each day as it comes.

I am so blessed in our relationship right now. Joel is no longer the young may you once knew him to be. I would that you could all visit with him and see and hear the difference, it is amazing. There is a real spiritual work going on and Joel is a willing participant. He is asking for baptism but our busy schedule (Ken's out of town camp and vbs work) as well as Joels cast on his wrist, not to mention the things going on with my father have kept us from being able to visit with the elders about it. This too we leave in the Lords hands. I wouldn't want anything other than His timing and purposes.

He does have an appt. to look at his knee on Tue. as it is swelling quite a bit. Not sure what will happen there. The Lord also provided another therapy scholarship so we can have another month of therapy (cognitive) that his therapist said he really needed. She is doing an excellent job. I sit in with them and am fascinated with the work they are doing with him. It helps me know how to help him at home too.

Some of you may have heard that my father was admitted to the hospital last week also. He has some internal bleeding and the doctors are uncertain as to where it is. He has an upper GI scheduled for tomorrow. His colonoscopy was negative as to bleeding. They had to give him 2 units of blood over the weekend. He is stronger since then. He also has congestive heart failure and they are draining fluid from around his heart and lungs via diuretics.

If you read this, will you encourage others to come here for updates? Brandon and Grace have been so busy with - well, life. You know how it is!

I did have my little granddaughter Elisa over the week end. What a joy she was. Indeed, children's children are the crown of old age!

Gods blessings upon you today. Remember, He orders our steps and today especially He is caring for you!