Mustang Spirit

Update...

2011-12-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

For those who didn't get our family picture...

Katie 'n Justin

Our sweet little girl who's not so little anymore!

2011-12-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

There are several songs that have meant a lot to me lately, so I thought I would share!

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages cleft for me let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure save from wrath and make me pure.

Could my tears forever flow, could my zeal no langour know,

Nothing could for sin atone- Thou must save and thou alone:

In my hand no price I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.

While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyes shall close in death,

When I rise to worlds unknown, and behold Thee on Thy throne,

Rock of Ages cleft for me let me hide myself in Thee.

The Haven of Rest

My Soul in sad exile was out on life's sea so burdened with sin and distress

til I heard a sweet voice saying “Make me your choice!” And I entered the Haven of Rest.

I've anchored my soul in the Have of Rest, I'll sail the wild seas no more

The tempest may sweep o'er the wild, stormy deep, But in Jesus, I'm safe evermore.

I yielded myself to His tender embrace, And Faith taking hold of the Word, My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul- The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.

The song of my sould since the Lord made me whole, has been the old story so blest

Of Jesus, who'll save whosoever will have A home in the Haven of Rest!

O come to the Saviour He patiently waits To save by His power divine; Come, anchor your soul in the Have of Rest, And say My beloved is mine.

I've anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest, I”ll sail the wild seas no more; The tempest may sweep o'er the wild stormy deep But in Jesus I'm safe evermore.

Under His Wings

Under His wings I am safely abiding, Tho the night deepens and tempests are wild; still I can trust Him- I know He will keep me, He has redeened me and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings, Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever.

Under his wings, what a refuge in sorrow! How the hear yearningly turns to His rest! Often when earth has no balm for my healing, There I find comfort and there I am blest.

Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment! There will I hide till life's trials are o'er;

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me, resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.

Under His wings, under His wings, Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings, my soul shall abide, Safely abide forever.

What a comfort to know that our Father will always be there; He has already been through anything and everything that we may be going through; none of the circumstances in our lives catch Him by surprise.

I often see situations and want to “do” something about them. Having been given the spiritual gift of exhortation, I desire to “warn” everyone of the things I see. It's not that I want everyone to be exactly like me, not at all, but it is so painful to see others walking directly away from God and making decisions that have future and eternal consequences. God has been teaching me to let go; to trust Him with the lives of those around me. O how hard it is, but it has driven me to my knees in prayer. Sometimes it is my responsibility to say something, but God is showing me that He is able, He is willing, and He desires to make His power known in the lives of men. I think that we often hinder his ways with our limited knowledge and understanding. May we open our hearts to His perfect will, seeking not our own desires, but His deepest longings! How I desire for my heart to be as my Father's! To be so close to Him that my heart truly longs for His desires and His will to be fulfilled!

The Touch of the Master's Hand

2011-09-14T11:04:00.001-07:00

I thought I had posted this several weeks back, but apparently I hadn't, so here it is!

As I think back on the events of this year, it has probably been one of the hardest year of my life up to this point. When I chose at the beginning of the year to give every part of my life into my Father's hands, I hadn't the least idea of all the trials that would come my way and the way of my family. Between a couple of close wake-up/warning calls in my family, the suicide of my brother-in-law, huge problems in the families of close friends, and more family problems in extended family, I sometimes felt like asking God how much more I could take. Everything has dealt with people that I am so close to.

On a brighter side, this year has been one of the best of my life. When I finally chose to give everything into the hands of my God, He has proved Himself so everlastingly faithful. I sit back in wonder at His gracious love, His mercy, His great kindness, and His never failing forgiveness. Through every storm that has beat about me, He has carried me on His wings. He has loved me and cared for me; He has calmed my heart with His peace, and given me perfect rest and quiet in His arms. I can truly say that I am, as Fanny Crosby put it, “Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast.” He has given me peace that passes all understanding, He has taken away all fears. In all my years of knowing Him, this year has brought me ever so much closer to His side. Yes, I have known about His love, I have known about His faithfulness, I have known about His mercy, but never before have I experienced it to this degree of fullness. I can tell you that my God is faithful, because He has carried me when I could not stand; I know that my God is true, because the promises of His Word are being fulfilled in my life daily; I can tell you of my Father's mercy, because He has extended it to me when I am helpless; I know of His forgiveness, because I have wronged Him exceedingly and He has given me grace, pardon, and renewal of fellowship with Him. Oh how sweet is that fellowship!!!! It can never be known until it has been experienced, and it can never be experienced until my will is entirely submitted to His perfect will. I rest in my Jesus because He is faithful, and He is true. He will never give me a burden that I cannot bear; but I have learned (am learning!) to lay my burdens at His feet and leave them there. Oh how badly I desire to pick them up again sometimes, and yet, I'm learning that not only is His way perfect, but His timing is perfect. I must simply trust Him and, not so simply,.....wait....

Through everything that has come my way, my heavenly Father has given me a more perfect peace than I ever imagined possible. I have been shown examples of true godly love displayed in the lives of fellow believers that I would never have seen, had some of these “tragedies” not occurred. I have been touched by lives that from the world's standpoint have been torn apart.

All of this can only be explained as: The touch of the Master's hand.

Just Some Pretty Flowers!

2011-08-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

More...

2011-08-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

This cow was very intrigued by my quad!

Daddy and his girl!

Combine....

2011-08-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

That header is 36 ft. long!

How would you like to drive this machine?

Katie says: "I'll show you how!" :-)

A Big Sky sunset

Around the Ranch

2011-08-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Combine blades

Replacing the dull and chipped blades

Tony replacing damaged teeth on the header

Still at it....

Goin' for a ride with Daddy!

Four-Wheeling with Hubby

2011-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Comin' through a dip..

Rarin' ta go!

Shadows....

Swathing Hay!

2011-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

That field waaaay out there is the one Tony was cutting

Tony learning the ropes...

I have to wonder what would happen if a combine came down the road from the other direction??? :-) This swather has a 21 ft. header, and the combines have 36-40 ft. headers!

Dam at Fort Peck

2011-08-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

The backwaters

At a lookout..

Everybody shot!

The Missouri River

A Montana valley!

The spillway at the dam.

They have hay fields on the side of the dam!

Bonding time with Grandpa :-)

2011-08-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Picnic at the park...

How's this for loading a quad?

Voila!

2011-08-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Heading out to check cows at the Penner ranch

How's that for a water tank? They have the spring rigged up so that it flows from underground right into the center of the tire!

Finally found them! (that herd anyway :-))

Little straggler... poor guy's leg was hurt pretty bad.

My handsome chauffeur...

Dad and Mom with Uncle Gerry and Aunt Bonnie

Finally got to meet Mike, Nora, Lilly, and Ella

If this isn't cute, what is?

Lilly playing with trucks

...and talking to Aunt Becky

Trip Part 2 - Minnesota

2011-08-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Our awesome hosts and hostess - Gordy, Roxanne, and Brian Engebretson!

At the pioneer village...

The headwaters of the Mississippi

I walked all the way across the Mississippi!!!! :-)

At the Itasca State Park museum

Trip Part 1

2011-08-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous little picnic spot in the U.P

Daddy/Katie time

This girl LOVED climbing on the rocks!

Happy girl! :-)

Talking on Grandpa's phone

Gettin' our exercise before we have to pile back in the car!

Tubing - Part 2

2011-08-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Doesn't she look like a little sailor? :-)

Napping...

Awwwww......

Tubing!!!!!

2011-08-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hangin' out...

Headin' out!

Aunt Krista's new flip-flops are comfy!!!!

In Retrospect....

2011-08-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

On a brighter side, this year has been one of the best of my life. When I finally chose to give everything into the hands of my God, He has proved Himself so everlastingly faithful. I sit back in wonder at His gracious love, His mercy, His great kindness, and His never failing forgiveness. Through every storm that has beat about me, He has carried me on His wings. He has loved me and cared for me; He has calmed my heart with His peace, and given me perfect rest and quiet in His arms. I can truly say that I am, as Fanny Crosby put it, “Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast, there by His love o're shaded sweetly my soul shall rest.” He has given me peace that passes all understanding, He has taken away all fears. In all my years of knowing Him, this year has brought me ever so much closer to His side. Yes, I have known about His love, I have known about His faithfulness, I have known about His mercy, but never before have I experienced it to this degree of fullness. I can tell you that my God is faithful, because He has carried me when I could not stand; I know that my God is true, because the promises of His Word are being fulfilled in my life daily; I can tell you of my Father's mercy, because He has extended it to me when I am helpless; I know of His forgiveness, because I have wronged Him exceedingly and He has given me grace, pardon, and renewal of fellowship with Him. Oh how sweet is that fellowship!!!! It can never be known until it has been experienced, and it can never be experienced until my will is entirely submitted to His perfect will. I rest in my Jesus because He is faithful, and He is true. He will never give me a burden that I cannot bear; but I have learned (am learning!) to lay my burdens at His feet and leave them there. Oh how badly I desire to pick them up again sometimes, and yet, I'm learning that not only is His way perfect, but His timing is perfect. I must simply trust Him and, not so simply,.....wait....

All of this can only be explained as: The touch of the Master's hand.

Playdate at the Park!

2011-07-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

This is how Katie went down the slide every time! :-)

Love the static in his hair!

She totally LOVED the swing!

Want some juice?

What a gentleman; taking the lady for a drive! :-)

Strawberry Pickin'

2011-07-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Feedin' Daddy! :-)

Caught red-handed!

"Honest! I picked it myself!"

Yummy!

2011-06-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, I got these in the wrong order, but look at them backwords and you'll get what's going on here!

Anyone Want a Quarter Horse???? :-)

2011-06-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

Tony is now my handler...

Sliding stops anyone?

Eating Lunch...

2011-05-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it look yummy?

I had so much fun watching her do this!

2011-03-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have often been told that people frequently give way too much credit to Satan for things that happen. Those people in turn, give credit to God for pretty much everything - including bad things. My problem with this thinking is that the Bible itself gives Satan credit for a great many things! It may sound holy and righteous to attribute everything to God, but is it Biblical? We see in James 1:13 "Let not man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." This specifically prohibits us from attributing the works of Satan to God. Just as not good thing can come from the devil, no evil thing can come from God. God may use it to accomplish something, but it is not from Him. James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." it is obvious from I Chronicles 21:1, 2 Timothy 2:26, and James 4:7 that the devil is very much alive and well!

I Chronicles 21:1
"And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel."

2 Timothy 2:26
"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

James 4:7
" Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Satan is very busily at work! We see that he works his evil deeds in the lives of Christians as well as the unsaved. If he was not actively working to tear us down, we would not have been told to resist him.
Websters 1828 -Resist - 1. To stand against; to withstand; hence, to act in opposition, or to oppose. 2. To strive against; to endeavor to counteract, defeat, or frustrate.
Notice that "resist" does not mean just standing unmoving and unshaken while the devil beats on you. "Resist" is proactive - we must be passionately taking an aggresive offense against him. We often see "resist" as a defensive action but it is also an offensive action. Our aim is to defeat the devil, not just hold him off. When we say "Oh well, God allowed it so He must have a reason" we are already giving in to defeat at Satan's hands. God receives great glory from victory. He allows temptation so that we may resit and defear Satan through His power. Our Father loves to see Satan lying in the dust of defeat while His children rise victorious.
Sadly, it's not often that we allow our Lord to view that scene. All to often we fall defeated because we have trusted our own power to maintain rather than trusting in our Father's power to overcome. His desire is that we would give the battle back to Him and allow Him to fight it for us. Then the victory is sure!
Unless we recognize the works of Satan as being from him, we will never be able to effectively resist and overcome him. God has warned us about Satan's deceptive wiles. It's time we started acknowledging his power and fighting him with the greatest weapons of all - our Father, and His Word!

Victory or Supression?

2011-03-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we as parents expect our children to display character that we ourselves do not possess? How is it that we can be angry towards our children and yet expect them to respond in a quiet and submissive manner? Ah, we're trying to teach them the right response and hope that they will not end up with the same faults that we have. We expect victory in our childrens' lives that we do not have in our own. I wonder how many of us realize that though we might teach our children to suppress their anger, it still seethes inside them every time they see us display an angry countenance. The only way to conquer their anger and more importantly ours, is to claim God's victory and believe in it. We must give our anger problem to God and allow him to fight the battle. That means giving up every part of self to His divine control. Only through His power can we have any hope of overcoming. It's time we understood that He doesn't want to help us fight the battle, he wants to do it Himself. All of it. For me, I feel that my children will be better off getting away with an occasional outburst of passion/anger and me staying calm, than them not getting away with it and yet me being angry. They must see calm control in our lives or they will never possess it themselves. They must see peace and calm when things are not going our way far more than seeing it when things are all great and good.
Colossians 3:21
" Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest the be discouraged."
Matthew 18:6
" But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea."
Does this shine a more clear light on the subject? This is how precious children are to our heavenly Father, and yet we offend and provoke them to anger when we speak harshly, when our frustration is displayed, when we get angry with them for any little (or big) fault. I'm not saying that parents should not discipline their children - God forbid! What I am saying is that the attitudes that we display are the attitudes that our children will display, and if we can't discipline our child in a calm godly way that draws them closer to us and to God, then we have no business correcting them.
I am not in any way trying to make myself an authority on this subject. I am so very far from my own ideal, nevertheless my Father's. This is just something that God is teaching me and through His power I aim to enact it in my life and in my attitude towards my children. What could glorify our precious Saviour more than us reflecting His image to our children and them in turn reflecting that image back to Him?

A Call For Mothers

2011-03-08T05:11:00.000-08:00

The Lord is giving me such a vision of what He wants me to be. Where, where did we come up with the version of Christianity that we have today? Where did we come up with the idea that it's normal for habitual sin to rule a Christian's life? When did it become "normal" for a Christian mom to be stressed, frustrated and angry most of her waking hours?
Colossians 1:9-14
" For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

Verse 11 is what I would like to bring attention to. I understand that this is for all Christians, but having a child of my own now is making my responsibilities very sobering! So, let's apply this to moms. I understand this verse to say that through Christ's strength and power we are to CONTINUALLY be in a state of patience, longsuffering, and joyfulness. Most moms (even Christians) today would say that that's impossible when you have several children - is it? I believe that not only is it possible, it is God's divine plan for every Christian mother and that it is our DUTY before Him to fulfill it! I know, you're going, "wait a minute, slow down here" but I meant exactly what I said. This is the only hope for our children! Our responsibility is to show Christ to our children - how if not through our daily lives? It doesn't matter how often you tell your kids that God gives you strength for each day. If they see you (and me!) living in a state of stress and frustration, it will effect their very image of God. They will conclude - and rightly so - that God apparently doesn't have enough power over our lives to allow us to live in victory.
What about the fact that Christ DIED to give us victory in this very area? When God showed me this it literally brought me to tears. We live in a state of habitual sin ruling our lives (we don't see frustration and stress as sin do we?) and are therefore boldly stating that Christ's sacrifice was not enough. Verse 13 says "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness..." - He already has! Why don't we believe it? Why don't we claim it? Sure, we can put on a front of patience and joy when others are around, but how do our kids see us? I'm not saying that we'll never fall, but I am saying that our continual habit will be patience and joy. Christ has a far, far higher standard for us than we've settled for. We accept that "fact" that "that's just the way moms are - it's our lot in life" NO IT'S NOT! Christ did not die so that we could live in sin and say "well, God hasn't changed me yet, so until he does...." Every time we give in to sin (that includes a snap at a child!) we cut Christ to the heart - He fought so hard for this victory, and we carelessly toss it aside because we don't believe Him enough to trust that He WILL grant us the power to overcome.
This isn't meant to bash anyone. It's meant to call us to a higher standard. We as mothers help to define the identity of our children. We demand respect and yet treat them like dogs, all the while quoting "children obey your parents". It's not a wonder at all that our children leave and we have no influence in their lives. We've shown them a Christ that is not desirable in any way. They see that we claim Christ and yet live in constant defeat - why would they want a Savior like that?
It's time that we began relying on Christ's power to live a set-apart life that is in His image. Not just the world seeing Christ in us, but our children seeing Christ in us. No it doesn't come easily, it only comes by our lives being completely consumed by our love for Jesus. We'll spend hours of intimate time with Him, we'll sing about Him, our voices and lives will reflect an abundance of His love, and our children will see that He IS our life. Only then will they desire to follow the path that He has chosen for them. They MUST see Him in us - we define their reality!

Happy Birthday Katie!!!!

2011-02-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Laughing with Papa

Beloved dolly

More toys!

Reading Grandpa and Grandma's card

Can't forget the presents....!

Good stuff!

Yummy!

Grandma and puppy - what more could one want?

Pizza!!!!

Sorry these are backwards - she woke up to a houseful of people!

Cowgirl Tough?

2011-02-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

Well, even tough cowgirls still need their dog...

She was so upset at me for making her sit there so Lydia could take these pics - look closely and you can see a tear in her right cheek!

Ahhhhh..... Thanks Lydia for the AMAZING photo job!

Will His Work Be Finished?

2011-02-23T06:57:00.001-08:00

I've been studying the subject of prayer, so I'm going through John 17 verse by verse. Today was on verses 18-19 and was just praying that the Lord would teach me. Oh how I was humbled!

18. "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Why was Christ sent to the world? Definitely for a very specific purpose! Part of that was dying, but he was also sent to make His Father known to the world. He was sent to minister to the poor and the sick, he was sent to teach His disciples, and the list goes on and on. Christ tells His Father that He has sent us into the world, just as His Father sent Him. Other scriptures confirm that Christ sent us to this world to continue His ministry until He returns. The question is will His work be finished when He arrives? Christians in this day and in this country are not continuing Christ's work. They are following their own selfish desires, and living their lives for their own pleasure. We can't count on their help, so the job is up to us! If Christ's work is to be finished when He returns, we must each use every moment of our lives to continue the work that He sent us to do. My goal is to not only do my part, but to fill in every possible gap left by others. I can't do it all myself, but nothing is impossible with God. He will give me strength to do His work that I could never have of myself alone. If we are willing to do what He has asked, He will provide the way. Will we be found faithful?

Free to Sin, or Free From Sin?

2011-02-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

I hear more and more people saying that we have "freedom in Christ" or we should not be "in bondage" or the most rampant, "that's legalistic". These could be true, but from my observation, they are used when excusing some particular "thing" that that particular person wants to do or be engaged in. What is "freedom in Christ"? It is freedom from spiritual bondage to habitual sin. Oh, you say, but we're no longer under the law, we're under grace, and grace covers all our sin. True, true, but let's look at Romans 6...
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
This explains so clearly what our lives are to be like! If we are truly allowing Christ to be Lord of our lives, we will NOT live in sin! Look at the last verse posted - "...ye have your fruit unto holiness..." Where is the fruit unto holiness in today's Christianity? You have to look awfully hard to find any at all! I keep seeing people whom I once looked at with high regard and respect for their Christian testimony, now justifying all kinds of things that the Bible does not specifically prohibit, yet gives dire warnings against. They walk the line seeing how close the can get to sin without actually sinning. What happens then? You guessed it - they fall in! Christ has called us to follow in His footsteps. I've heard it explained that for Christians, there should not be a line, but a gap. May I challenge that with the idea that Christians are to be walking a line as well? The difference is that while some may walk the horizontal line between sin and um, can I use the word"unsin" (if it's that close to sin it's definitely not righteous), Christians are to be walking a vertical line, ever upward, closer and closer to their precious Saviour.
Oh, but I'm forgetting that extra special verse that gives us liscense aren't I? 1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me....." Mhm, what does it say next? "...but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." Paul sums it up a little later 31 " Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32. Give none offense, neither to the Jews, not to the Gentiles, not to the church of God. 33. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many that they might be saved." If you want to say that all things are lawful for you, maybe you should check to see if that particular thing you want to do glorifies God! Notice that we are to do "all" to the glory of God. Another question you might ask is whether that particular thing could possibly cause offense to someone or cause them to stumble! I know a person, no names. I remember her asking prayer in church for some friends who had been in a car accident. I was a little kid when I heard this, so I don't remember all the details. What I do remember is that the people in the accident had been drinking, most of them were hurt badly, and there was at least one death involved. This lady was sobbing as she asked prayer, and I clearly remember her stating that she was overwhelmed with guilt because before she got saved she used to go out drinking with them. That same lady, who still claims to be a Christian is now justifying her "right" to drink. What has happened to us as Christians???? We get saved and are thrilled that Christ has taken away our sin. After a while we grow complacent, and it's just not as big a deal as it used to be.
Christ continually asks us to give of ourselves to Him, and we refuse. The truth is that we're afraid He's going to "put us in bondage"! What He wants to do is make you more free than you ever imagined possible! Ok, that's good enough to say, but where's the reality? Most of the people we know that claim to be really holy are legalistic jerks. For many of us we have to look into history to see anyone who really displayed true Christian freedom, and even at that, there's no way we would want to live the life that they did, because it couldn't be "fun". Or there would be too much stuff we couldn't have or do. Or worse yet, I would have to give up many of my pet "things", whatever that may be. If we could only understand the glory that God has stored up for us if we'll be willing to follow in His footsteps! We think that there could be no joy in being completely set apart for Christ and yet, the joy that he gives us when we are, could never even come close to comparing with what we call "joy" in our worldly pursuits. It is time that we gave up our lives to His calling.
Funny how we're always searching for "the will of God" - did you know that He's shown you His will? His will is for us to give every part of ourselves to His control, and allow Him to steer our ship - without giving Him advice on His course, I might add! His will is for us to be His hands and feet to those in need, all the while giving Him the honor and glory due to His name. You can read this post and maybe even think it's good, but unless you're willing to give over every part of your life to the God who saved you, you'll never be any different. You'll continue paddling around in a life of lukewarm water that God will spew out of His mouth. How do I know? Because this has been the story of my life. Only when I fell on my face, cried out and asked Him to be in charge of every aspect of my being has He given me this peace and joy that I write about. May He do the same for you!

2011-02-01T05:23:00.000-08:00

I know I don't usually post much text, but I'm just brimming with what God has shown me this morning. I was doing some serious soul searching and praying that God would reveal himself to me. I started looking up a few verses on prayer, and God just started hitting me with each one. The first one was I Samuel 12:23 " Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way." I knew that I didn't pray like I should, but I never, ever realized that it was a SIN not to!!!!! If each of us saw ceasing to pray as a sin and confessed it to God every time we failed would it change our pattern of praying? I hope so!!!!! The next verse I came across was Psalm 55:17 "Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." That means praying at least 3 times a day, and no, thanking the Lord for you food at mealtimes doesn't count! (that is, unless you use that time to cry out to the Lord aloud, but from my experience, mealtime prayers are a trite ritual) Also, David cried aloud to the Lord. Even in our personal prayer time, how many of us really cry out to God? I've always had plenty of things to pray for, but this morning I was to the point of crying out to my heavenly Father to change me; to make me like Him; to help me believe not only that He can, but that He WILL!
David believed with every ounce of his being that God would hear his prayer. Why don't we? Ah, it's the fear that maybe there is something in the way that might be hindering, but we're not sure what. Oh, but maybe what I'm praying for isn't God's will. Well, I've learned something in the last couple days, I'm making sure (through prayer) that there's nothing between my soul and the Savior, and then choosing to ask for one thing that I know is in alignment with His will, and now I've made a decision to believe. I believe with all my heart that God will do as I asked. I don't know when, or exactly how He's going to go about it, but I am confident that He has begun a good work in me, and that my request will part of His performing that until the day of Jesus Christ!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

Katie's new rocking horse that Dan and Krista got her!

Ride 'em cowgirl!

New dress from Grandma...

"Can't believe they're letting me rip the paper!"

Family 2010

2010-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Susanna's Wedding

2010-12-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

Her Aunt Kathy did an awesome job with the decorating!

The cake!!!!

Cousins!

2010-11-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Love this one!!!

New Projects

2010-11-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Tony thinks the cap looks like a mushroom

My pretty little girl....:-)

Frankfort Lighthouse During Windstorm

2010-11-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

My favorite...

Loved it when the light came on!

Don't think I would have liked to be on the pier!

Lookout Towards Grand Island

2010-10-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

East Channel Light House

Municing Falls

2010-10-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

In Our Front Yard...

2010-10-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

Katie's Horsies

2010-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Awww... I love him!

Ridin' with Daddy

Good ole Essie...

Evening at the Smith's

2010-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Chillin' with Grandma...

Tony wanted to see what Katie would do with a steak bone - he found out!

Katie.....

2010-09-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, I can't figure out how to rotate this, and it's already rotated properly in my program, sooo....

Watch out - she's learning to drive!

Bath Time ;-)

2010-09-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't the look on her face here priceless???!!!!

Grandpa and Grandma's House

2010-08-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

I think Grandpa was trying to teach Katie how to crawl, but she has it down now, so it won't be long before she's far faster! ;-)

Smiling for Grandma!

Awww....

"I'm tired, just let me go to sleep"

First attempts at crawling!

Meg's Baby Shower

2010-08-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

The cake that Jubilee and I made

Doesn't she look good?!

Katie Going for a Ride!

2010-08-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

She loved it!

Cousins!

2010-07-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Not sure exactly what was so fascinating about Katie's ears, but Renee had a great time playing with them!

Rachel found the matching jumpers at a yard sale - aren't they cute? And they both fit perfectly!

Goodbye to Uncle Caleb

2010-07-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

Pastor's VERY FIRST Ride Ever!

2010-07-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

Notice that he made sure Bethany was in control of the horse! ;-)

After his close call - looks almost like he's praying!

Hike on the North Country Trail

2010-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Family shot....

Daddy and Katie

Fun on the Beach!

2010-06-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

If this isn't cute, tell me what is!

By the lake at a Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Random...

2010-06-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

She almost looks like a biker or something!

Way too cute!

Her pants were on when I laid her down, but she scooted and wiggled enough to get them off one leg! Notice she got off her blankets too!

Ashley and Manny's Wedding

2010-06-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Awesome decorations!

Waiting...

At this point the ringbearer fell flat on his face, and I was laughing so hard I forgot to take a picture! ;-)

Here comes the bride...

Love this one!

Simply gorgeous!

The ceremony

I love the way the sun's shining on her hair!

Beautiful bride...

Exchanging rings

Awwww...

OK, I admit, I took this one while they were praying, but I love it!

Happy couple!

My favorite!

The cake.....

Cutting the cake

Stuck.....

2010-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

The dress I made Katie to match mine..

I laid Katie on her tummy in her boppy just for a change of position. Well, she wiggled her way over the side and got stuck in this position. I let her try for quite a long time to get over the edge, but that's as far as she could get! ;-)

Pretty in Pink

2010-05-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

She's getting sooo big!!!!

Playin' With the Horses

2010-04-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Katie's first ride

Talk about scary!

Random...

2010-04-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Looks like she likes the idea of being a cowgirl!

Yee-haw!!!!

Daddy's girl

My Happy Girl!

2010-04-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

This is definitely a favorite in my book!

Gotta love those smiles!!!!!

Cousins!

2010-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Renee and Katie watching Marty, Rachel and me play tennis.

6 Weeks

2010-03-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Sitting in her boppy

She didn't like that basket very well!

Almost a smile...

Li'l cutie...

Wow!! A Month Old Already!

2010-03-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Sleeping in the blanket Aunt Krista made.

Wide awake....

Tired, but not quite ready to go to sleep!

Sleepy.....

2010-02-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

My precious little girl!

Sleeping with Daddy...

She looks so peaceful.....

Readin' with Daddy

2010-02-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

Our Li'l Cowgirl

2010-02-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

I finally dressed Katie up for the first time. We got some pictures and then it was nap time. When she woke up I picked her up to change her diaper, and realized we'd had an explosion. I am now trying to get yellow stains out of all her "cute" little clothes!

More Katie

2010-02-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more recent pix.

I LOVE this one!

Welcome, Katie Grace!

2010-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

These were taken shortly after she was born. I'll try to get some more updated ones soon.

Water Bottle Holders

2010-01-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

Bethany and I got tired of having to take either a backpack or saddlebags when we went riding just so we could have water, so we came up with an alternative! I'll post pictures of Bethany's when she gets it done.

Took a little experimenting to come up with a pattern, but we thought they turned out kind of cool! :-)

Gettin' Close!

2010-01-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

I forgot to have Tony take an 8 month picture, so here's an 8 1/2 month.

Miss Renee

2010-01-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

Happy girl!

Big blue eyes! :-)

Gettin' sleepy

Here she was kicking and waving her arms - that explains the look on her face! :-)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

LUKE 2:1-20

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2.(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; ( because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6.And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto then, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15. And it came to pass, ans the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20. And the shepherds returned, glorifing and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

7 Month Pic

2009-12-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

I know this is really weird because I look bigger in the 6 month than I do in the 7 month, but that's just the way they came out.

6 Month Pic

2009-12-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

I'll try to get a 7 month one up here when I can - before much longer I'm going to have to be posting an 8 month one!

Brian and Bonnie's Wedding

2009-12-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

It was neat to see Brian sooo happy! :-)

Just beaming....

Awwww...

The vows...

Free Giveaway!

2009-12-14T06:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a giveaway from Arbonne! Click here or below to enter!

Holiday Giveaway!

Elise and Gabriel's Wedding

2009-11-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

Happy couple! :-)

Awww...

Beautiful girls!

Just Havin' Fun

2009-10-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Bethany lost her hat and Cash is checking it out!

Photoshoot Fun

2009-10-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried riding sidesaddle in a roping saddle?

Astride is much better! :-)

Looks a little different on Western horse, but it's still cool!

Hughstons Cow Camp Rodeo

2009-09-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

These last few got out of order, so just bear with me...

The bulls were moving fast enough that I didn't really get any good pictures.

This one was part Brahman, but he didn't seem too bad.

This is when it get dangerous - the clowns can't get between the bull and the thrown rider if the bull stays that close to the chute!

Saddle bronc rider getting thrown (that happened to most of them!)

Calf tying - those guys are fast! A lot of them had 16-17 second times!

Okay, this one should be right after the one before...

Calf roping - this looks like a lot of fun!

Another saddle bronc rider...

This was the first bronc and he was GORGEOUS!!!!!

After the rodeo, they let all the broncs out in the arena just loose and free. Tony immediately turned to me and said "No, you can't have one."!

My Adorable Niece!

2009-09-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't she sweet?

It was really cool when I was holding her like this because I could feel my baby kicking against her!

Happy mom!

I can't wait - 5 months seems like soooo long!

Lots of Horse Pix

2009-08-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

Asking him to jump...

He decides to go for it...

Nice one!

Bethany learning how to jump! If the picture wasn't quite so dark, you'd see that there is nothing but air between her and the horse - sure made for a cool pic though!

Essie was getting a little ornery so I straightened her out.

Much nicer! :-)

Bethany practicing her bareback riding... it's tougher than some of you would think!

Working on getting Cash to spin his hindquarters.

Asking...

I like this one.

You can see in this one how she's asking him to move over with her leg.

It took a bit to get him to cooperate

Seems like Cash is becoming Bethany's horse! Not that she minds at all:-)

A few pix from our ride along the river...

I'm hoping to get fall and winter pix of the same spot - if I remember...

Should I edit out the ears?

2009-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Tony's tractor!

My helpers watching over the garden :-)

Getting the Hay In

2009-08-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Some of the hay down at the farm

Boy is that elevator nice!

Just standin' around...

Uncle Ken trying to keep up...

It started raining, so the rest of the hay has yet to be done.

Rain clouds moving in...

Checking out the hay before starting to bale.

Shadow

2009-08-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Tony took me to see the horse that he had for years.

Very fat and spoiled!

The roll on top of her neck makes her look like part draft!

She's 23 now, but you'd never know it!

I don't think she remembered Tony

Flowers and Garden

2009-08-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

My pansy planter that doesn't look so great right now! :-

)
One of my roses that survived...

Fresh salad anyone?

Finally! - A Post!

2009-07-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

A sweet lil' Bandit!

Cash and Essie were both glad to be turned out into a new pasture!

Hopefully more pictures soon!

New Floors!!!!!

2009-04-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

The entry will have tile that matches the stuff in the laundry room.

Please ignore my countertops!!! I had been making lunch!

Here's my man - working hard as usual :-)

Bandit Doing What He Does Best!

2009-03-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Watch for where Cash hits him and sends him rolling!

More at Blue Springs

2009-02-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

A Sea Turtle
Her babies...

The whole family! The big one had her back foot out the whole time - I'm not sure why!

An interesting bird - I had to use 48x zoom to get him, so it's not very clear.

More manatee..... there were literally tons of them. I'd say we saw at least 100.

The Manatee (Sea Cows)

2009-02-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

Some big fish in the springs. (This is Blue Springs - another hot spring)

This one swam right by the dock!

This is by far the clearest picture I got.

Hot Springs

2009-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

The hot springs ran the sugar mill where we had breakfast. The water is always 72*.

A little "falls"

A different angle of the sugar mill.

A tree in the yard!!!!!!!!! (The green on top of the branches is ferns.)

Breakfast at the Sugar Mill

2009-02-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa
Wouldn't know who this is

They brought you batter and you got to fry your own pancakes there at your table. They gave you choices of all kinds of things that you could put in them - blueberries, choco. chips, pecans, etc.

This is the outside.

Cowboy?

2009-02-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

We found a Western store, and Tony dressed up.
Needless to say, we didn't buy everything because it would have amounted to over $350!!!

Beach Pix

2009-02-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

I like this one.

Random

2009-02-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

An imprint in a concrete path we were walking on
My camera wouldn't focus properly, so please excuse the quality on these!

Beautiful Atlantic!

2009-02-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

Afternoon with the Shafers

2009-02-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Day with Ashley

2009-02-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Melody Norris (an old friend who happened to be visiting)

We went for a ride and this is the horse that I was on. His name is Big Boy and he's a 16hh Tennessee Walker. He's definintely the biggest TW I've ever seen, but boy was he nice to ride!

It was awesome to be able to spend the day with these girls!

At the Courters

2009-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Caleb and Aaron
Bekah

Lincoln and Elijah

Aaron and Tony visiting

Fighting over the baby

Esther and Anna

Isn't she cute?

Hearing all about how a solar pathfinder works!

Mr. Courter giving the lecture.

It snowed in Tn the day after we arrived!!!!

2009-02-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Courter kids had a blast!
Even Bonnie got in the middle of it!

Pretty dog!

Is it just me or does he look like he's gonna git somebody?

2009-02-03T10:04:00.001-08:00

Allen digging into his dirt cake - yum!
Boaz looks like he wants more!

Johanna and Rachel.

Fixin' dinner!

On the road.....