Life in Nebraska ....

My favorite deck flower. Mothers Day gift.  It's being used often....this little quiet spot of mine!   We had a lovely Sunday Evening with Johnny and Nellie and Arla.  In June? I think.... And this little guy.  Micheal Dean.  He's a comfort to hug.   I bought a few Southwestern books this summer.  A sweet girl from Estonia stopped by and sold them to me.  I am just banking on answers to all my school problems now!  Hehe!   We've been enjoying a family campfire now and then this summer.  Mathias' photography skills are something else...but not bad for six. Sometime in this busy summer I decided we needed to play a little.  So we spent the day at Pawnee. It was WONDERFUL! At the end of the day we visited the ice cream shop.  Exhausted but happy!   Later on that evening we took a drive with Matt to look at a repair job.  Soaked in the time together and  the suns...

Something I heard yesterday in the Sunday sermon....  Something about being zealous in our relationship with God.   And I had a picture in my mind of all the hopeful young people around us just on the rim of the deep canyons of life.  And how they are anxious to learn and experience and so hopeful.  And so zealous.  And I love that desire in them.  And I think that the best thing ever we can give to our youth is our support.  I've been in a good spot in my relationship with God and right at critical times I've been cut down by an unintentional comment or action.  And because I have a sure foundation I've been able to get back up and find joy again.  But those young ones......let's care for them and encourage them and let them know they are doing a good job.  Let's give them room to grow and a safe good place to come to when the experiences are heavy and hard.  Be intentional in our comments and actions.  Never unintentiona...

Life is full of complexities but I'm learning to choose things that make sense of the complex.  Like Love, Grace and Gratitude.  When you make room in your life for these things you actually have a life to look back on with no regrets.  Because of Jesus, I can have these things.   Someone suggested Zerrick read the book, Unbroken .  I found it at the library and read it going to and from our weekend in Warsaw.  An excellent read about a most interesting man's story.  Several things in the book really impressed me: "Dignity is as essential to human life as water food and oxygen,  Degradation could be as lethal as a bullet."  And ^^^ the paragraph above.  When we think we must be vindicated or must have revenge we are chaining ourselves to our tormentors. At the end of the book Louie finds forgiveness for his past and a way to forgive his POW persecutors because of Jesus. And he ended up living a rich long full life.  "His...

1 In looking thro' my tears one day, I found Mount Calvary, Beneath the cross there flowed a stream Of grace, enough for me. Chorus: Grace is flowing from Calvary, Grace as fathomless as the sea, Grace for time and eternity, Grace enough for me. 2 While standing there, my trembling heart, Once full of agony, Could scarce believe the sight I saw Of grace, enough for me. [Chorus] 3 When I beheld my ev'ry sin Nailed to the cruel tree, I felt a flood go thro' my soul Of grace, enough for me. [Chorus] 4 When I am safe within the veil, My portion there will be, To sing thro' all the years to come Of grace, enough for me. [Chorus] Source:  Tabernacle Hymns Number Four: a choice collection of hymns and songs for every religious use #211 All full texts  •  Compare texts ^ top Author:  E. O. Excell I was just talking to my mom on the phone and a month ago a similar conversation with Dad and  those conversations made me think of this song. ...

   It's a beautiful rainy day and I've had two hours of quietness while the kids sleep in.  School is done.  Summer vacation time is happening for real.  It is absolutely lovely.      I just want to share today a little peek about what comfort and blessing and truth God has reassured me of lately.   1, God's word is Truth. I had lost track of that for a bit.  2, I can whole heartedly believe God's truth.  I'm a critical reader so I tend to hesitate to believe everything I read, hear or see.  With what God says though, I can believe. 3,. Believing gives so much peace.  There are so many avenues for things to believe about ones self.  And I find that I begin to believe all the voices.  So believing what God says about me has brought so much assurance.   Satan brings so much fear and lies and condemnation.  But he's sneaky.  So his ways of bringing those lies to me are some times c...

These last days are the hardest.  Especially when it's so nice out.  I become the worst mom anywhere according to the third grader.  I get all overwhelmed with everything that has to happen in the next few weeks.   Filing. Reordering. Clearing my brain of anything school for the summer.  Letting the house go and ignoring what I really need to be doing.  Actually this is the time of year where I can't find my rhythm.  I can't remember what to do next.  I go to bed at night and lay there and remember that I was suppose to have done something and I think of  all the times I could have done them.....but I was probably sitting by a boy with a school book and schlurping coffee and wondering how to crank out some diy attitude in him.       I keep getting this attitude about why do I need school....and this is boring.....and whoever thought up the idea of  school.  Sucker that I am I launch into a long epistle...

I saw this sign at one of the fun stores Cheri took us too.  It is the words I need right now in my life.  Good reminders and words that bring life.   Here's a quick picture post of the most fun fun weekend I've had in such a very long time!  I know I'm being over dramatic again but oh it was so refreshing!  So a quick run down.  Friday was finishing our week of school, laundry, grocery shopping and baking bread.  I finished up at 10:30 pm.  On Saturday morning Jeanie and I left at 7 am for Kansas to see Cheri at Hesston.  Francis and Anne and Jenny and Gwen went with us.  Sunday was Zerrick's baptism.  And Sunday evening we had a house full of good friends here.  Gene's had gone mushroom picking and brought them over to share the experience with us.  So last night was midnight till everyone left.  Today is slow and running behind.  But we'll recuperate and get this week going sometime today.   Che...