Working it!

For Christmas I requested a gym membership. =) I checked it out and explored the place. It just makes sense up here. Since I can't/won't go outside and walk every day. And I am getting FAT.

And Jake gave it to me!!! YAY. He was sweet and asked me a very serious question, "But if someone were to give you a membership to a gym, wouldn't you think they were saying you were fat?" And my response, "Not since it's what I asked for. If I hadn't asked for the membership that might be a different thing... I know it's what I want. I want to exercise, and I hate being cold."

So, for the last 2 days, I've dropped Abigail off at pre-school and gone a couple of blocks over to Planet Fitness. The first day I did 30 minutes on a treadmill, and the second day I did 30 minutes on a stationary bike. And now I am tired.

But I have kept my goal! (only 2 days, but that's okay, 'cuz every day counts.)

Beauty Will Rise

I have been a Steven Curtis Chapman fan for a long time. I don't remember when I first heard his music, probably in college sometime around '92 or '93. He's written some okay stuff, but the majority of his music is excellent. And a couple of his songs contain lyrics which connect to my walk with Jesus in ways that are amazing.

Until around 3 or 4 years ago, his music has reflected my relationship with Christ- close, passionate, peaceful. Right around then I entered into a dark period of of questions and doubs, and I've mostly been listening to the radio since then (KLov is the only Christian radio we've had up here until recently).

I don't know why the radio has worked for me, but it has- I guess I don't get deep enough into one artist's material to start questioning where God is, what He is up to, or why we are here. I've been pretty surface in my relationship with Christ- Kind of going through the motions, kind of 'just getting by'. I don't listen to very much non-Christian stuff right now though, 'cuz I get SERIOUSLY depressed if I listen to more than one or two non-Christian songs.

But Chapman's latest album, Beauty Will Rise, has resonated with me. In May of 2008, Steven and his wife Mary Beth lost their youngest daughter, Maria in a car accident. Beauty Will Rise was written during the year after her death. The songs on the album reflect his journey through grief and loss- doubt, sadness, anger, hope...
Although I haven't lost a child, I have found peace and healing as I've listened over and over and over to this album.
One of the songs from the album-


I Will Trust You
by Steven Curtis Chapman

I don't even wanna breathe right now
All I wanna do is close my eyes
But I don't wanna open them again
Until I'm standing on the other side

I don't even wanna be right now
I don't wanna think another thought
And I don't wanna feel this pain I feel
And right now, pain is all I've got

It feels like it's all I've got,
but I know it's not
No, I know You're all I've got

And I will trust You,
I'll trust You
Trust You, God, I will
Even when I don't understand,
even then I will say again
You are my God, and I will trust You

God, I'm longing for the day to come
When this cloudy glass I'm looking through
Is shattered in a million pieces
And finally I can just see You
God, You know I believe it's true
I know I will see You
But until the day I do

I will trust You, trust You
Trust You, God, I will
Even when I don't understand
Even then I will say again
You are my God, and I'll trust You

And with every breath I take
And for every day that breaks
I will trust You I will trust You
And when nothing is making sense
Even then I will say again God,
I trust You
I will trust You

I know Your heart is good
I know Your love is strong
And I know Your plans for me
Are much better than my own
So I will trust You, trust You
I trust You, God, I do
Even when I can't see the end

And I will trust You
I will trust You, I will
Even when I don't understand
Even then I will say again
I will trust You, I will trust You,
I will I know Your heart is good,
Your love is strong,
Your plans for me are better than my own

Yeah, Your heart is good
Your love is strong
Your plans for me are better than my own
And I trust You
You are my God
And I will trust You


To hear bits of the songs: http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Will-Steven-Curtis-Chapman/dp/B002O5Y25I

Metal-smithing!

I am going to take a metal-smithing class starting in January!
Beth has already taken a semester, and now I get to join her. I'm VERY excited, and rather nervous. New skills, new tools...
However, I LOVE the idea of making my own components. My own rings, pendants and pieces to use with my wire and beadwork. It will make my work more valuable to me, and to others.
I found all these pictures on Etsy. We're hoping to have our own stuff on Etsy soon!

However, I LOVE the idea of making my own componenets.

I'll be COLD for Christmas...

We ran out of heating fuel on Christmas day! Nobody delivered over the break. (We really didn't want to pay all the extra to get them to deliver...)
So, Jake got about 45 gallons of diesel & we hunkered down at a lower temp (68-70-ish) to wait until the break was over. We got a fuel delivery on Monday, but it just didn't warm up.
We figured out there was a problem with the furnace after waiting a day or so for it to warm up...
It got down to about 56-58.
But the tech was here after waiting for him only one day.... AND now it is finally getting WARM!!!! YAY! =)
PS- Yes, I know this is a HORRID picture of me, but aren't my babies cute? =)

Merry Christmas!

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus dwell richly in your heart. May the light of Christ illuminate the darkness around you.
Merry Christmas!

God With Us

Immanuel
By Michael Card

A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity
The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His son
But gave him for us all
On earth there is no power
There is no depth or height
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ

ImmanuelOur God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

For Now See

God never does only one thing. In everything he does he is doing thousands of things. Of these we know perhaps half a dozen.
John Piper

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12

All the times I wish I knew what God was doing- It just might be too much for me to understand and accept...

Schools Kill Creativity

Must see video... Fascinating.

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity

Born Artists

All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.
Pablo Picasso

Mistakes Are Not the Worst Thing That Can Happen To You

If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.
Sir Ken Robinson

North Pole Plaza Re-Cap

Sold one thing. For two days of setting up, that's pretty lousy. :(
Met a new friend, she sells Scentsy warmers and candles. Pretty cool.

We'll be in town at Shopper's Forum (across from the library, and next to Planet Fitness, where Gottschalk's used to be) this weekend from 10-4. We'd LOVE to see you there.

Christmas?

Very frustrated today... My girls have been BEGGING to have the tree up, but there are so many steps... And everyone requires somebody's cooperation to get it done.

The girls had to help clean up the living room. I have to push them.
Mom had to help clean up the corner where the tree goes.
Jake has to help me get the tree and the ornaments, 'cuz I can't lift it all. And getting him to do it is like dragging a moose through mud.
Beth refused to help in any way. Refused to move her stuff. Refused to help with anyone else's stuff...
I wanted to have the living room vaccuumed before putting up the tree, but my asthma is SO bad. As soon as I start vaccuuming I'm sucking on my inhaler.
Mom can't vaccuum 'cuz of her leg. Again, Beth refused to help.
I wish I could just magically make it all happen.

I'm going to give up for the day. Just tired of dragging everyone else to someplace they apparently don't want to go.

Very frustrated. Very, very frustrated.

OH, MY!

I have been directing the children's Christmas musical at church this year. Remember, I've done this before. A lot, in fact... I've now officially directed 12 full-out performances with kids, not including this latest one.

That was the WORST rehearsal I have ever directed in my life.

Several kids were missing. Two of them had solos. Four of them had speaking parts (all small).
We had worked out easy choreography/moving across the stage for one of the songs- NOBODY remembered what they were supposed to do. Not even sort of...

I had one poor kid who kept asking me what he was supposed to be doing (he's in kindergarten, so I can't really blame him, but at this point I'd rather he just stand there instead of coming to me and saying 'where am I supposed to be?').

One of the main characters doesn't have any lines memorized yet...

Plus, I had been at a bazaar all morning, so didn't get time to get the five or six props I was supposed to bring....

AAAAAAH!!! Really, really bad.

There's more. Character/acting type stuff- one of the main characters just wants to sit and say all his lines kinda mumbly, one of the narrators tends to go so fast you can't understand a word she's saying, and the other narrator goes so far into the country accent that it starts twitching her body around... One of the wonderful/sweet/kind volunteer adults has never done any acting before, and he keeps turning his back to the audience and he doesn't seem to remember stuff I've said before. I am so glad he's there!!! Don't get me wrong. But I just wish he'd remember to face the audience...

*****

Oh, God! Help us! Please!
Please let the excitement and energy of performing help them all focus. Please let Austin memorize his lines. Please help me let go of the things that aren't really important. Please bless this and let it go, if not well, at least okay. Please let it come together and work out...
Help me remember that the play is really all about you, and not about how it works out. Please touch it with your presence and blessing and cause it rise above all problems and touch people with the story of your amazing grace and love.
Thank you!

Two Sisters & Our Jewelry

Next week on Saturday, December 12th, we will be out at the North Pole Plaza mall from 9 til 4. We'd love to see you!

Proust Quiz

Interesting quiz. Passed on from Robert
Another FaceBook thing.
****
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
my family, music, around a campfire, singing songs

2. Which living person do you most admire?
My mom- My father was so terribly sick for so long before he passed away, I can't believe all she gave up to take care of him. Years. Her health. Peace. Even with all that I believe she only regrets not being able to do more for him...

3. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
having it all, being wealthy.

4. What is your greatest extravagance?
BEADS! I'm so horrible at trying to limit my spending...

5. What is your current state of mind?
Annoyed at myself for failing ONCE AGAIN to take care of something I badly needed to do...
Pleased that I got some stuff done today that I really needed to do...

6. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
One thing? HA!
I wish I wasn't so ditzy & unorganized, I wish I got stuff done, I wish I wasn't so terribly shy, I wish I had more energy, I wish I wasn't a procrastinator, I wish I wasn't so negative, I wish I went to bed at a normal time, I wish I was there more for my girls and my husband...

7. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Making the decision to stay home with my girls- it's the hardest thing I've ever done. I MISS teaching, and doing drama. I know it's the right choice for them, but it's hard.

8. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Kitty cat- in a nice warm house where I could sleep all day.

9. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Alone with no hope, no family, no friends

10. What do you most value in your friends?
just being there, time, persistence, faithfulness

11. Who are your favorite writers?
How many can I list? =)
Mercedes Lackey, Kathy Reichs, J.A. Jantz, Dean Koontz, Tamora Pierce, Andre Norton, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Dianna Wynne Jones, S.E. Hinton, Charlaine Harris, Shakespeare, Nora Roberts, Jennifer Roberson, Robert Parker, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Eoin Colfer, Anne McCaffrey, Ray Bradbury, Kay Hooper, Simon Green, E.M. Forster, Harper Lee, Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder...
I think I'll stop there for right now.

12. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
The young women created by Tamora Pierce- I love how she portrays their inner fears & difficulties and still allows them to triumph over them.

13. Who are your heroes in real life?
The faithful- those who stick it out

14. What are your favorite names?
Those with meaning to them, more than 'they just sound cool'... My daughter's middle name is Mikalyn because her daddy's middle name is Mickael and my middle name is Lyn. My middle name is Lyn because my Grammy's name was Evelyn and my mom's middle name is Roylyn.

15. What is it that you most dislike?
deliberate unfairness, choosing to ignore a need

16. What is your greatest regret?
Not hearing God

17. How would you like to die?
NOT yet! I want to be there for my girls, for my family.

18. What is your greatest fear?
That I'm missing out on what God planned for me.

19. What is your most marked characteristic?
stubborn persistence

20. Where would you like to live?
Washington or Oregon

Farmer's Market Bazaar

Thank you!
We had a FANTASTIC bazaar yesterday at West Valley. =)
Sold lots. Saw friends. Had fun. YAY!

Next week on Saturday, December 12th, we will be out at the North Pole Plaza mall from 9 til 4. We'd love to see you!

Pioneer Park Bazaar Re-Cap

I actually did very well last weekend. =) Beth did well, too.
I am always delighted to see friends!

I am really looking forward to the Christmas Bazaar this weekend- We'll be at West Valley high school with the Farmer's Market bazaar.

I love the fact that EVERYTHING there is handmade by the person selling.
(Not that I don't like Mary Kay, The Pampered Chef, Scentsy, Pink Papaya, Cookie Lee, etc., etc.) I just enjoy the atmosphere when everything is handmade. We draw a different crowd.

Anyway, we'd love to see you!!!

West Valley High School off Geist, on this Saturday December 5th, from 10 to 4.

Blessed

This year I am thankful for so many things-
a family who loves me,
a tender sweet husband,
beautiful & growing daughters,
good friends,
good food,
a home,
warm beds,
a kitty to cuddle,
a car that drives,
books to read,
a library in town,
tv shows I enjoy,
a place to write,
plenty of beads to play with,
the fact that no-one in our house has had surgery since March!!,
art to explore & create,
schools & teachers I like for my girls,
extra money so the girls can take dancing,
time with God,
God's grace & forgiveness,
God's kindness and lavish love...
I am blessed beyond belief.

My husband recently read that there are over 800 individuals in our community who are homeless. More than 250 are children, most are adults. They live on the streets, flop on friends' couches, and hunt food. About half the children are escaping abusive situations, and the others left home because they chose not to follow house rules, were addicts or pregnant.

The adults are a mixed group. Some are addicts who have difficulty maintaining a regular job. Some lost their job and subsequently their home. Some are vets dealing with PTSD. Some have fallen into homelessness and cannot escape, and some have chosen this way of live.

Today is shockingly warm at +21 F. But it's been -20 lately... Can you imagine being homeless at those temperatures? Where do you go? You can't hang around in the library, or shopping centers. There is a shelter here, but it can't accomodate that many people. I don't even know if they can feed that many...

Without my mom we would be homeless. I find myself particularly thankful for her at this time of year...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. We did!
Merry Christmas and Happy Thanksgiving!

Costumes

Here were the girls costumes this year:










Abigail's favorite part was her tail, and Deborah's favorite part was her skirt. =)










My little kitty.
My little mermaid.

Yes, this is Alaska. October 31st occurred with snow, and temps below 0.