........Things From Me

2011-09-07T18:57:00.002-04:00

Summer camp at Mahaffey was wonderful in July, and August was a restful month. I've enjoyed the summer except for the extreme heat that we had in July. I'm bummed to see it go and the cooler weather come.

We changed the name of our church which became effective September 1. Our new website is www.crosswindsalliance.org.

As I prepare for a new women's study and upcoming events, I look to the one who is worthy of all praise and honor for direction and guidance. May these things glorify Him and advance His kingdom. We pray the Holy Spirit to do an amazing work among us.

June

2011-06-16T13:49:00.003-04:00

This month has lots of good stuff for us, though with some of the planning I've had to do since last month, I'm ready for a break in July.

My hubby and I had a great retreat last Fri-Sat., and then some of us women prepared a father's day dinner on Saturday for the men. I have a women's retreat this coming weekend, which should be a great, blessed event, and then we have a governing board picnic here at home the following Saturday.

This coming Tuesday is our women's Wow Night at church. Those nights are such a sweet time, and with our theme "Grab Your Flyswatter," we'll have fun.

The next day after prayer at church, we're going out to lunch with our fellow prayer-warriors. We really appreciate their faithfulness, and we know God has done so much because of their prayers.

The last Sunday of this month is our annual Celebration of Freedom at church outside at the pavilion. With a brunch beforehand and a picnic afterwards, we'll also have our fill of food! We praise God for our country's freedoms. May we use them for His glory.

I pray the Lord gives us nice weather for all these things. He has been faithful to provide it in the past when we've asked.

Whew! June...what a blessed month of weather, events, and so much more!

Big Crumbs When You Shop Online

2011-06-07T18:02:00.004-04:00

I want to let you know about a free site called Big Crumbs that you can use to get cash back when you shop at eBay, Wal-Mart.com, Target.com, Gap.com, and over 800 other stores. You also get deals and coupon codes on top of getting the cash back. It's free because BigCrumbs gets paid by the stores. No minimum amount in your account to be paid monthly. I've been a member since 2007. Good company!

Crocheting

2011-01-28T20:47:00.003-05:00

Only one of seven showed up for the crochet night. Different excuses and two didn't tell me they weren't coming. But it worked out well with the one who came because I could help her figure out her afghan stitches. I hope to get together with one who couldn' t make it to help her learn how to crochet. I'm working on small projects for the summer camp craft store. I'm enjoying getting together with two other women weekly where I work on my projects while they sew. They make many nice things to give away. I'm thankful that I can make things to give to people, especially for their babies!

2011-01-20T00:22:00.002-05:00

Wow! Haven't posted in awhile. Had a great holiday with our daughters all home and now I'm enjoying the quiet month of January. I have three planning meetings this month, though. My women's leadership team has planned a great year of events and we're looking forward to all the God will do through them. The district team is planning district-wide events, and the Area planning meeting is going to make plans for the Butler Area Spring Event. I'm looking forward to having some women over for a crochet night next week.

Past week

2010-11-30T10:13:00.002-05:00

What a great time over Thanksgiving having our three daughters home with us! We had some fun family time and played a new game for us called Farkle. Ridiculous name, but it was so funny to say it during the game. The game has been around a long time, but we'd not seen it before. We went to both of our parents' homes on Thanksgiving day, and I enjoyed the time with them and my sister and her family who were there. We missed my husband's sister who wasn't with us this year due to work. I stayed over my folks that night and had a nice lunch with my sister and two brothers the next day. We traveled back home later that day and had a very late night with our daughter's friend and four more of his friends over for a night of games, riddles and fun. I loved having the girls help me decorate for Christmas on Sunday. They have new ideas that I wouldn't have thought of for some of our old decorations. We made gingerbread cookies together, too. They are for the cookie exchange at church so I need to make more for us because we love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-19T17:52:00.003-05:00

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"
2 Corinthians 9:15

We cannot not thank Him enough for all He's done for us, especially the awesome gift of salvation through Jesus our Savior.

Try Fasting

2010-11-02T14:40:00.005-04:00

I'm finding out alot of helpful information about fasting and its benefits. It definitely has a Spiritual benefit of drawing closer to the Lord and seeking Him for a need.

We make many poor choices eating and need to cleanse our bodies, give them a rest and allow them to heal themselves.

I decided to try a four-day water-only fast, but started to eat a little after 3 1/2 days. It was good for me in many ways eventhough it was tough to do. It gets easier each time you do it. You need very little sleep since your body is at rest, so the nights were long. Laying or sitting around all day was nice the first day, but it got boring for me the 2nd and 3rd day.

I got this insightful information from the book, How and When to Become Your Own Doctor by Isabel Moser (I got it free on my Kindle). I always choose the natural method before conventional medicine. The way she conveys the workings of our bodies is so helpful! God has made our bodies to heal themselves if we get out of the way and let them. He is so amazing! The author states that a generally healthy person can fast up to 14 days but no longer. People can go 40 but don't need to if we're generally healthy. That would be a serious illness situation according to her.

I'm trying to combat an expected allergy that I got last year around Thanksgiving. It was awful and I don't want to repeat it. I'm eating fruits and vegetables now and will give this a go as long as I can. It's hard because my hubby is always bringing home junk food and I like salty things. It's nice right now, though, because my sugar cravings have diminished from doing the fast.

What a week!

2010-10-25T13:26:00.003-04:00

I had quite an interesting week with both church and other events going on. I went to a World Vision house party which was a great time. After consideration, my husband and I are going to sponsor a 12 year old from the Dominican Republic. Here is her party link to check out WV for yourselves http://sn.im/1102v6 and see if you'd like to make a life-changing decison for a child.

Sunday was Pastor Appreciation Sunday and the love and support we received was overwhelming! After a good service, they held a dinner for my husband and spoke words of encouragement and blessing over the both of us. They gave us cards and monetary gifts. It was a wonderful day with our church family!

2010-10-18T09:01:00.001-04:00

"May those who fear You rejoice when they see me for I have put my hope in Your word."
Psalm 119:74

Apple Fest

2010-10-12T11:54:00.003-04:00

Gorgeous weekend to be at the Mahaffey Apple Fest. We also went to see an authentic log cabin called Bloody Knox Log Cabin near Curwensville and a very old covered bridge near the camp where we stay.

Wow Night

2010-09-23T09:19:00.003-04:00

This ladies' event was a hoot during the game time. It turned out well eventhough we missed ones who didn't make it. Our theme was "Apples of Gold" from Proverbs 25:11. That scripture shows us how important and impactual our words are, just like looking at pure gold on a silver platter.

Looks like we're pretty "close" in this pic, but we're actually trying to pass an apple with our necks. We did it (but our team lost)! Hilarious time :)

Yellow jackets

2010-09-14T18:58:00.002-04:00

These pesky insects are building a nest in one of our windows. When trying to spray them, they found a way inside! Finished off a couple dozen of them so far in the house, but at least they are not being aggresive. We hope to end this all going after them each night.

2010-09-09T11:22:00.003-04:00

My husband and I had a really nice time away last weekend as we went to a hotel and then Mahaffey Camp. We swam for the first time in years so that was fun. And we enjoyed having the whole west end of the campground to ourselves on Monday. Very quiet!

I'm so glad my girls have adjusted to being back to college. I hope that my youngest one will have the food situation worked out for her so she'll have more options of good foods to be able to eat. Our middle daughter is living in an apartment for the first time, so she gets to experience the fun of life's bills.

There are some fun events coming up this month with our women. We're going to the Penn's Colony just nearby, visit Mars Alliance Church for their Missions Brunch, and have a Wow night.

I just love fall with the beautiful colors and cooler weather! Such a wonderful time of year to reflect on how blessed we are through the many seasons of our lives.

2010-08-18T17:17:00.002-04:00

I'm preparing for a new fall study that starts September 1. I hope lots of ladies participate! And I look forward to our next Wow Night in September. Those are fun and have an impact on us.

My youngest has just gone back to college and my oldest who visited the past week has gone back to her home in OH. We had a good time as a family. This summer has just flown by!

We've had so many gone from church this summer while they fit in their travels and vacations, so it will be nice to see them again soon.

We got some needed mulch put around the house yesterday and I think it looks so nice! We hope that some helpers come out to put it around the church tomorrow.

I've been practicing my next sign song that I'm doing on August 29 at church. I really enjoy doing them and putting that kind of emphasis on the truth of the songs I do. Our God is so wonderful and promises us so much now and in the exciting eternal life to come!

The Treasure Principle

2010-08-07T20:09:00.002-04:00

by Randy Alcorn

Great book about learning to store up your "treasures" in eternity, not here. Alot of truth about why God wants us to and helpful ways to know how to do that. What am I holding on to that's robbing me of my present joy and future reward? Wherever you spend your money, there your heart will naturally follow! So I don't want my heart to be wrapped up in "things" but would rather store up the treasure for my future reward in eternity.

Mahaffey

2010-07-14T12:45:00.003-04:00

Off to Mahaffey Camp today where Jim and I will stay in our camper. We'll work at the Recreation Snack stand that we set up daily in the afternoon and we'll be blessed seeing freinds and going to the great services. I pray the Holy Spirit moves in a mighty way over this camping season and people turn their hearts to God.

McConnells Mill

2010-07-11T18:24:00.002-04:00

Jim and I enjoyed a visit to this mill. It's a very interesting place to visit and the park is beautiful. I suggest that you avoid the steep staircase up the hill!

2010-06-30T13:39:00.002-04:00

My middle daughter turned 21 this month, I attended a great women's retreat, and have a family reunion this coming weekend. June has been a beautiful, but hot month. I'm enjoying the pretty flowers blooming and the annuals people have planted and how my plants are taking off. I finished the women's newsletter. I hope they get alot out it!

Dayton

2010-06-06T15:53:00.003-04:00

I had a great visit going to see my oldest daughter this past week who now lives in Dayton, OH. That's her on the right and my youngest daughter went with me. She's the ridicously dark one in the middle! My daughter's apartment is pretty nice and I really liked the city. This picture is near the place where five bodies of water meet.

May

2010-05-26T13:23:00.002-04:00

May has been beautiful with so many gorgeous flowers and bushes to enjoy this year. I got two azaleas for Mother's day and hope to enjoy them next year when they flower. A friend gave me some Solomon's Seal which I put out by the garage, and some lilies which I put by our fence. I had some pretty annuals which I just put in yesterday with my daughter's help. We took an Easter lily and put that out at the corner of the house to see if it will come next year.

Our thermometer says 93 today! It's humid, too.

The church's Youth rummage sale went well last weekend. There was so much good stuff that was donated! Friday's weather was perfect for it but Saturday's weather rained most of the day so not many came out that day.

I'm looking forward to going to visit my oldest daughter in Ohio next weeek, taking my other daughter along, too.

For Memorial Day we plan to go camping. Hope the weather will be nice!

Married 24 years today!

2010-05-03T11:27:00.004-04:00

Met 4/82 and married 5/3/86.

We have been so blessed and thank and praise God for what He has done in our lives.

April

2010-04-22T09:03:00.004-04:00

Wow! A month has gone by like "that!" What wonderful blessings we've had with the spring beauty all around. The colors are magnificent! It's been sweet to be able to sit outside on our deck and take in the sunshine.

This is a picture of our kids' Easter party at church. My youngest daughter is telling them directions.

How great that our oldest daughter came back east to live! Now she's only 5 hours away instead of the the whole country. Easter was sweet this year being able to visit both of our families and their spending time with her. Then my sister and her kids came in for a quick visit.

April is very busy with many events, especially the women's ones.

I can't say enough about the blessings in our lives! God is doing a great work in our services and ministries. And we look forward to our submission to His work as we press on. He wants to do extraordinary work and I want to see it!

Spring!

2010-03-20T19:09:00.004-04:00

Yeah! It has felt like spring here for over a week. I'm definitely ready for it and enjoying seeing the birds and new buds. New life in spring always reminds me of my new life in Christ since becoming a believer 20 years ago. I'm forever grateful of what Jesus has done for me.

We had some great events lately through the church. Some ladies went out to Sunnyview and ministered to the residents this month. That was a blessing to us. We had a few fun fellowship times at church with a dominos day and facebook night, and the ladies who shared testimonies on our girlfriends night did a wonderful job! We loved hearing what God had done in their lives. The youth's pancake breakfast went really well. Hopefully, they can get all the money raised they need for them to go to the amazing LIFE event in June. Our prayer services seem to have new life in them. Yes! We hope that the monthly night one will grow. The mission Sunday in February went very well. Below is a pic of me, the missionary Gail and another woman from church.

My hubby and I are looking forward to a prayer retreat we are going to.

The services at church have been just wonderful! We keep praying that God will work in them and in the lives of those who come.

Yeah!

2010-02-17T17:45:00.005-05:00

Despite the crummy snowy weather, we had a great ladies' event last night at church called "Enduring Love," celebrating the wonderful, amazing love of Jesus. I'm so thankful for the good turnout and for those who also wanted to come but couldn't. God is doing such a great work in our women's ministry!

2010-02-06T13:06:00.001-05:00

What a great surprise we had for my mom yesterday celebrating her 70th birthday which actually is next week. We enjoyed a fun dinner party with all the family and spouses.

Groundhog!

2010-02-03T19:03:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed a Groundhog Gathering at church last night just for some fun fellowship. The chili and soup were delicious and we had DQ cake for dessert. The designs on the cakes were very good! Only bummer was that the the Punxsy groundhog saw his shadow which means 6 more weeks of winter. No surprise there!

Good stuff!

2010-01-24T18:48:00.002-05:00

Our group prayer last Wednesday was very powerful! So thankful for the small group of us who prayed together in unity. Friday's movie with the women was a fun time. I enjoyed the movie, "Fern Hill." Seems like a good family movie. And I saw God answer some prayers as people showed up in church that hadn't been there in a while. What a good service! Though the praise team experienced an extra volume "blast" in our monitors, we thank God for the worship, word and wonderful fellowship today! We pray for the many ill and afflicted ones in our church body who need a healing touch from the Lord.

January!

2010-01-13T18:25:00.003-05:00

Not loving this cold weather and the effect it (and the snow) have had on church events and driving! Even so, I tried to think up some reasons on Sunday that I am thankful for this season so I'm not a big complainer:

1) no bugs!

2) no weeds to pull

3) no other yard work

4) no overheating and sweating

5) fun to cuddle in a chair or on the couch with my Snuggie

6) hot cocoa

7) snow angels and snow men (but I haven't done either yet)

Have a blessed, safe January!

Plans

2010-01-04T18:01:00.002-05:00

My women's ministry team will be making 2010 plans this week if we are able to meet. We had such a good first year and we look forward to what will happen this year! I thank God for these women who are willing to serve in this capacity. We still pray for a missions coordinator to fill the gap in that area of our ministry.

Christmas

2009-12-28T08:55:00.003-05:00

I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas celebration. We were blessed to be able to travel safely to see our families. It was new for us this year to wake up Christmas morning somewhere other than home, but it was fun to help make the famous noodles my husband always talks about having! We had a memorable time this year even as we missed our oldest daughter. She had sent a well-made video of her time in CA that we watched together, and it was funny trying to get it going. I'm also thankful that her Christmas went well this year as she missed us and felt so far away.

Tree and cookies

2009-12-18T13:23:00.006-05:00

Will be getting our tree decorated tonight because our one daughter is coming home from school today. My husband will be at a men's Christmas party for the guys at church. I made some gingerbread cookies this week to mail to my daughter in CA. She always has loved them. My youngest daughter and I had fun decorating some of them!

Too Busy??

2009-12-16T19:29:00.000-05:00

I'm disappointed that no one showed up to pray tonight at church. I guess this is the way of things now in most churches, but people are too busy not to PRAY.

Decorating

2009-12-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

We had such fun tonight decorating the church for Christmas! It was a special time and with all the help of folks who came, it was enjoyable, easy, and quick. Afterwards the time of relaxing with some cocoa was special. I thank the Lord for such special people in our fellowship!

The Season

2009-12-08T18:32:00.005-05:00

With a cookie swap, praise and worship night of singing, a pastor appreciation dinner for my husband, decorating the church for Christmas, caroling at two resident living homes, a Church Christmas program,a Christmas Eve service, a women's leadership team meeting, and singing with my two daughters at church this month, I'll be ready to relax on Christmas day!
I hope you all have a blessed Christmas season and take time to know God's peace during it, reflecting on His great love in sending His Son Jesus. We look forward to Your next promised Coming!

2009-12-01T15:01:00.002-05:00

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving. I enjoyed the time with family. I developed a cold on Thanksgiving Day which was a bummer, but I still had a good time, especially going out to lunch with my sister and two brothers the day after. I'm thankful for the special relationship I've had with my sister for many years.

Week

2009-11-20T09:38:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe my youngest has turned 19! God has greatly blessed her and helped her to become a wonderful young woman.

We had a wonderful turnout for last Sunday's service to hear a missionary and share a dinner afterwards. The missionary was young and so interesting! People loved her and she was so encouraged being with us.

Our women's event this week was so blessed with the amount of women that came and the fun and fellowship we shared. Thank You, Lord! I left with such joy over what took place at it with the praises and joy in the Lord.

Our new prayer night has worship and good fellowship but we're not getting many out to it. This week just one other man besides my husband and me came. Prayer is the least attended event in most churches.

I'm very thankful for the fact that people want to come out to church and fellowship events, but I hope that hearts would be fully committed to the Lord and also want pray together so we will see God do his supernatural work here.

Secret Sisters

2009-11-09T13:06:00.002-05:00

I was so surprised last Saturday at our annual Secret Sister luncheon to find out who had me all year! She was so good at keeping it from me. She blessed me greatly throughout the year through cards and gifts! We had a fun time revealing our sisters through gifts at this luncheon and just enjoyed this gathering. I hope we all will encourage and bless one another as we go through this next year. Sometimes women drop out because they didn't hear from their sister and my hope is that they would do it again because they are such a blessing to someone else. This ministry (and every other one!) is not self-centered, it's others-centered.

October

2009-11-04T08:55:00.002-05:00

Wow! October flew by. I enjoyed different events and outing and vacation time. I went bowling with the ladies, had book club, and went to an Apple Festival in Franklin. That place was packed! I enjoyed time at our camper while we also went to visit family, friends, and the Johnstown Flood Memorial. Apple Fest at camp was down in attendance from the cold and rainy weekend, but still a good time seeing friends. Our missions celebration at church went well as we heard from both a retired missionary and one who has just left the field and is seeking new direction. Our women's ministry team has finalized plans for the fall. The new prayer night at church has low attendance but a wonderful spirit of worship and prayer. The area women's event in Bakerstown was great as we worshipped, had fun, and heard from our missionary. At the Jesus and Jeans event at church, we had so much refreshing laughter as we watched a comedy video. Our women's bible study went on weekly and that has been going well as we look through the book, "Giving God Your All." Great study! Then Jim and I took our daughter to a college loan interview downtown Pittsburgh for my hope is to simplify her loans and get away from higher interest ones. What a month! So many good and interesting things to be thankful for.

Recent happenings

2009-09-21T08:48:00.005-04:00

I've been participating in some different, enjoyable events this month. I went to the former prison in Moundsville, WV. That was quite a eye opener! I'm so thankful I didn't go down that path!

We had an Outdoor Cafe at church after our Invite-a-Friend service last week. This was enjoyed by all...including the yellow jackets (have they been coming uninvited to your picnics?)!

Our women's event "Head of the Class" was great! We enjoyed being students of God and the fun things we did with it.

We started a new prayer event at church, "Fresh Encounter." Though only four of us were there, we had wonderful, spirit-filled experience of worship and seeking God.

Though I'm not in this category yet, I went to the over 50 fire Friday night. This was fun as we enjoyed the gorgeous night and fellowship around a fire.

God blessed us again with a beautiful day yesterday! We had a Steelers Tailgate party after the service. We had fun with this kind of fellowship as many of us wore our black and gold colors and ate some different foods.

Mahaffey

2009-09-01T17:52:00.002-04:00

Went to Mahaffey Camp one night last weekend for a church planting retreat and enjoyed time with fellows pastors and wives. Labor Day we'll spend some time there again and maybe visit the festivities in my hubby's hometown.

This is our first Empty Nest day!

2009-08-26T09:15:00.003-04:00

Our remaining daughter leaves today (second from left). It will be sad to drop her off although she's not going to be far away. I praise God that I had the blessing of homeschooling them all and they came through it well. The Lord was gracious to us through it. When I finished in 2009 it was odd to think that those years were done. I enjoyed the gradeschool years the most with the planning and activities, but more freedom came as they got older so that was a nice season in our lives. I like these college years and pray that the girls will each have had an enriching experience by the time they finish.

Week info

2009-08-20T17:55:00.004-04:00

This week I enjoyed a nice lunch with a couple from church (she really spoiled us!), a women's pj party at church (funny!), and a sweet lunch with another woman from church at Panera Bread (a place we both enjoy). God surely blesses us with good friends, fun events, safe travels, and so many other blessings.

Both our girls are off to college this month. That leaves us empty nesters for the first time! A new chapter in our life begins.

Events

2009-08-10T10:38:00.002-04:00

Recent events at church have been great! The governing board picnic was very enjoyable. We had alot of laughs. And the kids' outreach, though small in attendance, was outstanding because we had two young boys pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I was priveleged to pray with one of them. Awesome! Their names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

My youngest daughter had her wisdom teeth out last week and is having a slow recovery. My middle daughter had her left pinky operated on because of break that didn't heal correctly. She has to wear devices on it for 2-6 months, so hopefully only two! She's going to college this month and this will be very inconvenient. She adapts well, though.

I'm looking forward to a ministry team retreat that we're having this month. It will be a blessing to build our relationships and pray about the future women's events.

Camp

2009-07-28T15:34:00.006-04:00

I haven't been posting because of busyness and preparing for and going to Mahaffey Camp which was July 17-26. We left for camp the 15th and set up for our job the 16th. It was a great camp with speakers Charles Shepson in the morning and Mickey Noel in the evenings. The Holy Spirit's work there was evident. We had rain almost every day, but it didn't keep us from worshipping the Lord and fellowshipping with the great friends we have there.

This rock is one of the numerous ones that were unearthed during the sewage project. The scriptures on them are very applicable to their position in the camp.

God Bless America! Thank You, Lord!

2009-07-03T13:51:00.006-04:00

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

Mission Trip

2009-06-24T14:57:00.003-04:00

I was greatly blessed going to the Dominican Republic June 15-22 with Meeting God in Missions. Nine of us from our church (along with 73 others) stayed in Hato Mayor which is a poor city. I experienced many different things there, some hard and some fun and exciting. I helped the optical team by going to four different villages and giving people reading glasses. We prayed with each person and 12 people prayed to recieve Christ! Hallelujah!

I was greatly impacted by this trip seeing another culture, the poverty, and the people dealing with living like that. The children were very lovable and friendly. We also had some fun going to different churches and riding on cow trucks through the woody areas to get there. It was wonderful to worship with the believers there. They used alot of rhythm instruments. I was impressed with the young boys being so good at it!

I praise the Lord for allowing me the privilege to serve like this. I know He wanted me to see it, minister there, and learn from it. I hope what we did there draws many more into His kingdom.

Getting ready

2009-06-08T12:29:00.002-04:00

I have lots to do as I prepare for my first missions trip which leaves June 15. I'm excited for this opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic and what God will do both in me and through me!

Wonderful Council!

2009-06-02T08:34:00.003-04:00

As many people gathered for the "Jesus Only" C&MA National Council in Louisville, KY last week, an awesome time was had. The unity of workers and lay people and the work of the Holy Spirit was inspiring, and great services, renewed friendships, and wonderful worship created a memorable 2009 Council.

Memorial Day

2009-05-22T17:38:00.001-04:00

Off to Louisville, KY on Memorial Day for National Council. I'm really looking forward to this experience since I don't travel much.

May you be reminded of all of our deceased veterans who greatly sacrificed for us so we could have our freedom today.

Visits

2009-05-16T11:28:00.002-04:00

Glad to have our oldest daughter coming to visit this weekend in addition to her boyfriend coming to see her. We hope to have a few sweet days together. The Sunday soup social looks to be a great time and the Monday outreach of our women's group should be fruitful for the kingdom. Our visit next weekend to the flower conservatory will be a time of wonder and awe as we see the many beautiful creations of our God.

I'm getting ready to go to Kentucky at the end of the month so I look forward to that week of activities there and what God will do in my life as I have this new experience.

Prayer

2009-04-30T15:57:00.002-04:00

Prayer is the primary work of God's people.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occassions." Eph 6:18
"Pray continually." 1 Thess 5:17

WINGS

2009-04-25T11:35:00.002-04:00

I'm so thankful for the way our new women's ministry WINGS (Women in God's Strength) kicked off last Tuesday night at church! The women were excited to come and be a part of it. Other good things this week included a district women's luncheon in Altoona, a Crazy Friday cookout at the church last night, and a tonight a Parent Prayer Gathering. We want to bring our teens and younger children before the throne of God and beseech Him for help. I'm so glad for the new faces in church and the wonderful things the Lord is doing through and in His people. "Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lion may grow weak and hungry but those who fear the Lord lack no good thing." (from Psalm 34). Awesome!

The Week

2009-04-17T14:33:00.003-04:00

The Easter events at church were a great blessing this past weekend. It was a great joy to celebrate Jesus and what He has done for us! We had a fun ice cream social with 55+ folks at church this past Wednesday. This was a sweet time of fellowship and it was good to hear the fond memories we all had of ice cream.

I'm thankful the Lord saved one of my molars this week so that it's still strong and I didn't need a crown on it. I pray that He will spare us from that expense. I just got a new dryer yesterday and love it! The old one has been around for 23+ years and was taking 2 cycles to dry clothes (sometimes more time!). God is so faithful in this area of our lives. Our appliances and possesions last long because we are being good stewards with what we have. I want to honor Him in this area of our lives...He is our wonderful Provider!

I also want to honor Him by taking better care of myself, eating better, less, and only what is really needed. I want to bring down my cholesterol, and I want to hit my ideal body weight goal by the time I go on a missions trip in June.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-07T15:13:00.003-04:00

May your celebration be filled with joy as you

delight in what Jesus Christ has done for you!

*********************

Month of blessings

2009-03-29T18:09:00.005-04:00

March has been filled with good things, both in our home and in our church. It has also had some hard news to take, but God is still good! He's the One I can turn to and also point others to in time of need. What's your need today? As the song says, "take it to the Lord in prayer."

The First and Final 15

2009-03-12T16:31:00.002-04:00

What you think about in the first 15 minutes after waking up will affect your day. Start your day with joy. Develop the habit of thinking good thoughts when your first wake up by thanking God, praising Him, and dwelling on good things that you have or will do.

The absolute worst time to be negative, discouraged, argue, or deal with junk is right before bedtime! Your subconscious mind has its guard down and is very receptive to suggestive influence in the last few minutes before you fall asleep. Seal your day with joy in the final 15 minutes of your day by dwelling on good things, reading an uplifting book, or praising God for the blessings of your day.

How do you accept change?

2009-03-06T09:21:00.002-05:00

A great short read, Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson will open your eyes to the aspect of change, how you deal with it, and better yet, how you should deal with it.

Enjoy!

The Power of Your Mind

2009-02-28T11:47:00.005-05:00

"The secret conversations you hold in in privacy of your own mind are shaping your destiny, little by little."

"The way you think can either multiply or shrink your gifts and talents."

"If you dwell on your strengths, blessings, goals, and all the pepole who love you, then you will attract even more blessings, love and accomplishments." from The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry

Start changing the way you think today!

*****************************************

Good week!

2009-02-21T09:35:00.002-05:00

God's blessings are so evident! I thank Him for the help and blessings that came my way this past week. He helped me in different situations, gave us enjoyable fellowship with others, gifted us, and gave me special times with other believers. Our daughter backed into someone else's car this week, but it ended up not being a big deal, and our other daughter out in CA celebrated her birthday last Sunday. Lots of different things happened this past week, and I see God's blessings and help in each one.

2009-02-13T16:49:00.006-05:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

" I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Jeremiah 31:3

Adversity

2009-02-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

We must face today as children of tomorrow.

We must meet the uncertainties of this world

with the certainty of the world to come.

~Tozer, A. W.

Blessings!

2009-01-31T11:07:00.003-05:00

I have been praying for the money to go on the Dominican Republic missions trip with our church in June of this year. I've been saving and sacrificing some things and figured I could have the deposit for March. The other day I was doing the fun tax thing and found out that we will get money refunded from the state which will cover my whole trip (shots included as well)! Then my dad called yesterday and said that he was given unexpected money from an estate and was sending each of his children some money. Thank You, Lord!

Keep praying for what you need...He answers in unexpected ways and more than we ask for!

2009-01-21T22:48:00.004-05:00

GO STEELERS!

PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL...HERE WE GO!

2009-01-20T10:41:00.005-05:00

A real old fashioned winter is here! It makes me long for spring already. I hope you keep safe and have a blessed week despite the restrictions this puts on us.

Please pray for our new President, Barak Obama, that he will have much wisdom to lead our nation and that he will seek the Lord.

Week of bad weather

2009-01-10T18:32:00.003-05:00

This week was what I hope will be the worst one this winter. I had to cancel two women's functions and another one I was to be a part of today was cancelled. So far we have about 7 inches and are due to get more this evening. This puts a damper on attendace for Sunday services I expect, but we'll all hopefully go with the right heart to worship the Lord, enjoy the fellowship and apply what we learn.

Good New Year

2009-01-05T14:09:00.003-05:00

I pray you each enjoy a healthy good year as you look forward to realizing all the blessings from God in your life. Be very thankful!

Off on her own!

2008-12-29T09:57:00.005-05:00

Well our oldest daughter has now gone out on her own. She left this past weekend with a loaded car and headed to California where she plans to work at an all girls boarding school for a year. It is a school for troubled teens. A friend went along with her for the drive, and they plan to see some great sites along the way. She has an interesting year ahead and we do, too, as we think about her and miss her.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-23T09:19:00.002-05:00

Have a safe, blessed, and enjoyable Christmas with your family and friends.

"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given. And the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

2008-12-05T09:21:00.002-05:00

Our youngest daughter has been diagnosed with mono after a week of wondering what all her symptoms meant. Since a day before Thanksgiving she's had swollen eyelids, fevers, cold symptoms, sore throat, and nauseousness. She went to the ER this week with a 104.5 fever and after another visit to her PCP, we found out it's all due to mono. Mono can have up to an 8-week incubation period before symptoms appear. Her acute symptoms have diminished since yesterday. She's feeling much better! You can have the symptoms for about three weeks.

She's 18 and is attending college. She ran cross country and has been training for track. She'll be out of that until after the Christmas break.

2008-11-24T14:13:00.002-05:00

May your Thanksgiving day be blessed and

may you remember to thank God for all your blessings!

------------------------------------------------

Pastor Appreciation

2008-11-16T15:40:00.002-05:00

What a blessing to experience our church's appreciation of my husband (their pastor) and our family today! We're thankful for their kindness and generosity.

"I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus."
(1 Corinthians 1:4)

Events

2008-11-09T21:33:00.003-05:00

Fun times of fellowship at Family Game Night on 11/7 and the Secret Sister Luncheon on 11/8. Today's service was great seeing the awesome work of the Lord in people's lives. So many came to the front to pray! We enjoyed going out to eat lunch with some of the faithful ones at church. Tonight was annual elections which went smoothly and we thank the Lord for placing people in each of the positions and their willingness to serve. May He greatly bless their ministry in the upcoming year. This coming Wednesday is the last night of the women's study that I lead. It has gone so well and the women have enjoyed it, been encouraged and spoken to from the Lord about areas in their life where we need to see growth and our worth. Next Sunday the congregation has planned a Pastor Appreciation luncheon which will be sweet and really bless my husband.

2008-11-01T14:06:00.004-04:00

Bowling with the ladies last night was alot of fun! Eventhough I personally can't bowl well, I enjoyed the time and how nice the alley was. It's especially nice to have a smoke-free environment when you are a non-smoker. The nicknames we put on the scoreboard had us chuckling many times.

Next Friday night is a family game night at church. We're doing board games this time. Last month I played so hard at the Wii night that I had sore upper back muscles for a couple days! This board game night will be much less strenous!

Happy birthday, SIS!

2008-10-25T12:41:00.003-04:00

An interesting week with our daughters who each are dealing with some issue (as most of us do!)--the oldest backed her car into anonther's on Monday as she left work, the middle daughter got a cortisone shot in her little pinky that is still trying to heal from a fall in June, and our youngest had to have an x-ray on her shins to see if her shin splints from running had developed into stress fractures. Thankfully the x-ray was negative on that.

I was fun to go to the free Christian Movie Festival that was nearby. Seeing "Saving God" was a good time. We are having a movie night this Sunday night at church showing "Facing the Giants" which is a great movie about God's work in our lives.

LEAVES

2008-10-17T09:24:00.006-04:00

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow.

~Elsie Brady

Church to Visit

2008-10-06T18:50:00.003-04:00

http://freeportroadalliance.org

Visit our website and then stop by for a visit on Sunday!

Four Main Personality Types

2008-10-03T21:32:00.003-04:00

This was in our women's study and I've also seen it before and really enjoyed finding this out about myself and others. Each of us might be a blend of two or more of these four personality types, but there is usually one dominant temperament that drives us. Knowing this information is a tool that helps us understand ourselves and learn to appreciate others.

1) Sanguines (extroverts) love to have fun. They are easy to get along with; people generally like them. Sanguines are very expressive, enthusiastic, and emotional; they have a sense of humor, are creative and enjoy people. They need attention, affection, approval and acceptance. They are youthful and helpful. On the downside, they are usually considered scatterbrained or disorganized, not detail oriented, often gullible or naive, childish, not a good listener, and seldom serious minded.

2) Cholerics (extroverts) are considered natural-born leaders. They are the ones who get things done--their way. Cholerics believe they are always right and know exactly the way something should be handled. They are great in an emergency because they make quick, correct judgments, but they can sometimes blow the wind out of an unsuspecting sanguine who is not as organized or as driven. They are visionaries. From others, cholerics need to feel a sense of obedience, appreciation for accomplishments, and credit for a job well done. In the negative, cholerics are often considered too bossy, insensitive, prideful, too serious, and impatient. They pressure others to conform.

3) Melancholics (introverts) are thinkers. Many artists, poets and musicians are melancholics. Their analytical minds also make them great in mathematic and engineering fields. Much more reserved than extroverts, melancholics prefer a quiet atmosphere and choose friends cautiously. They often exhibit a servant's heart from which other temperaments can learn. They have a need for a sense of stability, space, silence and support. They are passionate, creative, compassionate, thorough, and organized. On the downside, melancholics can become moody and easily depressed. They dislike change. Perfectionist attitudes can also give way to criticism of self and others.

4) Phlegmatics (introverts) are natural peacemakers. They are the quiet observers in the group, content to sit back and take one day at a time without getting their feathers ruffled. They are calm in the storm and balanced. Phlegmatics get along with practically everybody. They need a sense of respect, feeling of worth and emotional support. When easy going and contentedness are taken to the extreme, the phlegmatic can be seen as indecisive, lazy, and unmotivated. They procrastinate, are too secretive, and dislike change. And under all that reserve, there is a hidden stubbornness.

Note that if you feel you are one certain temperament, it doesn't mean you have all the traits shown under that temperament. But it can show you how the grace of God has helped you have victory over a weakness for that temperament as well.

I feel that I am primarily a phlegmatic but also have melancholy traits added in. My phlegmatic side would be unorganized, but I am very organized. Both parts of me dislike change! I am content to sit back and watch people and am usually pretty calm. I am self-motivated, so I've overcome any laziness tendencies probably because of my parents' structure and discipline. That perfectionist part of me is tough at times, but I can see how I've relaxed in that area and I don't have to "fix" everything so it's perfect.

All of the weakness in our temperaments can be overcome with the Lord's help. Ask Him to show you a weakness that you can begin improving on. Ask God to develop your strengths and show you the best way to can love and serve others.

Women's study

2008-09-26T14:21:00.004-04:00

I was so blessed to see the participation of the women in the new study this past Wednesday night at church. We're doing the book Women of Worth which will really speak to our hearts as we go through the study. The book is available at christianbook.com if you want to see it. I pray that each of us in the group will be very encouraged, find good fellowship and realize what God wants to show and teach us through this.

Missions Celebration

2008-09-22T21:33:00.003-04:00

Our church celebrated missions this past weekend by having missionaries from both Ecuador and Gabon speak to us and share what God is doing in that part of the world. We enjoyed dinner, snacks, pizza, breakfast and fellowship during this time. Attendance was alot lower at some things than I thought it would be so that was disappointing. But for those of us who went, we were blessed. It was encouraging to see how the Lord is continuing His mighty work around the globe until the gospel is preached to all the nations. Then our Savior Jesus Christ will return! Praise the Lord!

Difficulties

2008-09-17T21:45:00.001-04:00

All our difficulties are only platforms for the manifestation of His grace, power, and love.

~Hudson Taylor

2008-09-09T12:48:00.001-04:00

The Lord is doing great things at our church...

how about yours??

Here is a picture of my pastor husband sharing

the Word.

September

2008-09-03T18:51:00.002-04:00

This month has many good things in store for us...Promise Keepers for my husband, continuing the Parenting Your Teenager series at church, a Pirate Game, Missions Celebration with different events at church, a new women's study, and a night of special music at church. For our girls, it's new jobs and our youngest getting ready for her first cross country races at college.

Attendance for the summer months is lower at church so it will be nice to see alot of those people back and be a part of the ministries.

The change of seasons will begin and that is always so nice to watch and enjoy.

The blessings of the Lord never cease!

Worship

2008-08-31T21:04:00.001-04:00

Nothing prepares the heart more for worship of the Lord than to contemplate his beauty and perfection.

~Gabelein, Frank

2008-08-30T17:35:00.005-04:00

This month has flown by...now we've taken our youngest daughter to college so that's an adjustment for us. Our middle daughter is still home going to community college and our oldest is now seeking employment and only the Lord knows where she'll end up! Hopefully it's in the U.S. and preferably on the eastern coast.

My husband and I finally got a picture taken of just the two of us recently so here it is!

2008-08-07T12:50:00.002-04:00

Our daughter is on her way home from Italy today...yeah! We will see what she will pursue after this, whether a job offer in another state or what. We hope that she'd live close enough to see her, but God's will for her is more important.

2008-07-29T12:47:00.002-04:00

Camp time was great--we enjoyed seeing old friends, alot of laughter and the night services that we attended. I don't know if the gas prices kept some people from attending, but attendance was down this year. Even so, the spiritual time was awesome, and God accomplished alot during this camp. Hopefully, we all take home and put into practice what He taught us and convicted us of.

Camping Time!

2008-07-16T12:41:00.002-04:00

We're headed to family camp where we'll enjoy services, friends, work and of course food! It's a blessed time every year.

2008-07-11T21:58:00.003-04:00

The summer is just rolling by nicely. The 4th seems to mark that time for me when the summer just flies by after that. So many family, friend, and church events to enjoy that mark this special time of year. My brother is getting married in August. My daughter is really cherishing her Italy experience. Our other two daughters are going to different fun things with friends, and we are getting ready to enjoy our yearly family church camp that happens this month which is always a special time of year.

2008-06-17T13:47:00.004-04:00

Well, this homeschooling mom has graduated! My youngest daughter graduated high school so that season of my life is done. We were so blessed from the time I started in 1994 until we struggled through this last year of changes. We enjoyed having a graduation party for our daughter using the pavilion right next to our house.

Our oldest daughter just graduated from college and has gone to Italy to work for 6 weeks.

It's been so sweet getting used to our new surroundings. We love having a bigger backyard and watching the variety of small animals. It's been a good springtime and we have some good summer events that we will enjoy.

2008-04-28T20:51:00.002-04:00

I praise the Lord that spring seems to be here to stay and it's beautiful! The flowers and trees are blooming and the grass already needs cut! It's been a joy watching the birds come to our feeder.

I'm almost done homeschooling my youngest daughter who is very anxious to be done. She's excited to go to college in the fall, and it will be quite a change to no longer be doing school at home.

Be sure to lift up some prayers for our nation this Thursday on the National Day of Prayer.

Update

2008-02-25T13:09:00.002-05:00

I've been lax in posting as I settle in to this home, church, and community. I'm really looking forward to spring to be able to enjoy the beauty around us and have the warm weather to be outside.

Our church is moving forward in being relevant to this culture as we implement more use of the media for power point and videos, begin introducing more musicians for songs of praise, and plan outreaches and fellowship events. Hopefully we'll get an updated website soon as well. We're excited about new people coming.

Recently we had a Valentine's dinner for all adults, had a ladies luncheon to welcome me and my daughters, began a 6-week adult self-defense course and had Youth Sunday. My daughters sang together on Sunday morning a couple weeks ago. That was a blessing and hopefully they can do more of that.

I'd like to share more about Mineral Girlz to folks and show you what great products they have with very good prices. I think the shipping is relatively low which also makes this company worth trying. Try our mineral powder foundation. It's so light and I even sleep with it on some nights because it won't harm your skin. The soaps and other body products are enjoyable to use. Check us out at www.mineralgirlz.com/members/kunes5

2007-12-30T18:43:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

God bless and keep you.
May you grow closer to Him this year
and thrive in your relationship with Him.

Moved!

2007-12-19T20:53:00.000-05:00

We're now moved. Had a hectic weekend last Saturday and Sunday. Getting settled in this week. We're serving at a new church and will come to love these people as much as our other church.

God bless!

Getting ready to move

2007-11-26T17:40:00.001-05:00

We have lots to do as we prepare to move in December, just one week before Christmas. My husband is taking a new church. I just look around at all the "stuff" and realize how much we have! God has always blessed us, but I think we've taken the word "need" to mean what "want" always used to mean.

Well, we'll weed through this all and be fine.

I hope your Thanksgiving was great and you have a great Christmas season.

November

2007-11-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

Leaves falling, colder weather, turning clocks back, voting, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving...what a great month! And so much to be thankful for. Have you given God your thanks today?

Hot Deals

2007-10-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

Check out the Hot Deals in my mall at My Power Mall. I've joined the team to help find great deals from the 1000+ stores in our mall. We're regularly finding excellent and seasonal deals. The deals change daily so check it out and if you don't have your own free mall, get one today! Just click "Get Your Own Power Mall" at the top.

FAITH

2007-10-12T15:00:00.000-04:00

True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie. It is enough that God has said it. ~A.W. Tozer

Weekend to Remember

2007-10-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

My hubby and I attended a Family Life marriage conference called a Weekend to Remember. Very enjoyable and enriching. The speakers are great! They share funny stories, life experiences, and valuable truths that open your eyes up to the differences between husbands and wives and what we both want or need.

Attend a WTR with your spouse if one comes near you. You won't regret it!

On a side note, read the book, Men Are Like Waffles and Women Are Like Spaghetti, for some amazing facts. This book will make you laugh and see your spouse for how God made them.

Prayer Truths

2007-09-27T17:33:00.000-04:00

God can refuse nothing from a praying congregation. ~John of Chrysostom
You know the value of prayer; it is precious beyond all price. Never, never neglect it. ~Thomas Buxton
Young man, learn to plead the promises of God! ~Ambrose Whaley
You can't get a thousand-dollar answer from a ten-cent prayer. ~Armin Gesswein
Jesus built only one church~a praying church. ~Fred A. Hartley, III