Daybook Once Again

Outside my window…

It's dark and cold. Real cold. Ice cold. Austin is happier about ice than he is about snow. He can hardly wait for ice skating. 

I am thinking…

... of how nice it is to be a part of a church where the men care about and for each other. They are able to work through the difficulties that arise. A tremendous blessing!

I am thankful for…

A warm place to be. Plenty of food. Good health. Javita coffee.

From the learning rooms…

Studying cursive. The Gold Rush. Blizzards. Fruits. Bears. Math. Always math.

From the kitchen…

I'm struggling along without a planned menu this week. I set my menu planner out on Saturday and asked the boys to fill in any ideas they had so I'm bouncing off a few of those ideas.

I am wearing…

A dark maroon colored dress. Pink Crocs clogs. A prayer veiling. 

I am creating…

Blog posts! 

I am going…

To a taffy pull with the youth group tomorrow evening.

I am reading…

Growing Up on the Edge of the World by Phil Callaway

I am hearing…

The boys doing dishes. Austin ordering Melvin to do his job. Christopher humming while cubing.

Around the house…

The quest for decluttering and making order continues. Slow but sure.

One of my favorite things…

A moonlit night.

A few plans for the rest of the week…

Bake zucchini bread for someone who missed it at the roadside stand. Bake some pies to take samples around the neighborhood. 

Here is a picture thought I am sharing….

Looks like we have another artist.

What was your day like?

Is it warm or cold where you are? 

Fried Beets

Have you ever tried this specialty? I don't know where the idea came from but I've been enjoying these since childhood days. Now my family eats them. I don't know how many of them really enjoy them. But most of five nice size beets got eaten in a meal.Here is how to prepare them.

Peel them.

Shred them.

Fry them in butter. Salt & pepper to taste.

Eat them. Always with mashed potatoes. Add spare ribs and cantaloupe.Yum!

Give it a try!

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day has interested me for many years. My father entered the world on this unique holiday. He filled us children in on this fact when we were quite young. Thus was born the intrigue.

                                 

What is this day all about? Folklore has it that if a groundhog emerges from his burrow, following his long winter sleep, on this particular day and sees his shadow he will make a hasty retreat back into his den. Consequently we know there will be six more weeks of winter.

                        

If his appearance brings no frightening shadow, he is happy to stay out of his abode and we are certain spring is just around the corner.

                         

On this day last week we had a sunny morning and a cloudy afternoon. So when did Mr Groundhog come out to see what the day was like?

                            

Really, I don't put any stock whatsoever in these signs. But maybe you do. Starting from Feb 2 you could count the weeks until spring and then you'll know how long it really is. Mr Groundhog has less than 40% accuracy anyway. Although Groundhog Day organizers will tell you the rodent is correct 75 - 90% of the time.

                                 

We humans like to know what's going to happen. We want to be in control. So we come up with ways to try to accomplish that. It can be quite hilarious at times what stock we put in the hearsay around us. Or the Almanac.

“It's going to be one heck of a winter!” we hear. So we prepare for it. Or, “The acorns aren't very thick this year. It will be a mild winter”. So we prepare for that.

I think God likes to “knock our socks off”. Give us stuff we never dreamed of. Never planned for. Maybe a bit difficult in this day and age when forecasters have gotten so good with weather predictions. But it does still happen!

When winter storm Jonas came they said we'd get 12-24 inches of snow. Of course, they really don't know what will happen! We were blessed with 30 inches. And no wind. They said there would be blizzard winds. It was both a good and bad thing to be minus the wind. Good because our dwellings stayed warmer. Good because drifts can be a problem. Bad because some roofs went down.

I like to take life as it comes and enjoy the moment.

Beauty this morning

How about you?

Javita coffee can help you enjoy the moment!

But don't stress if you don't have it. You can relax once you get some.

Click here to read more about Groundhog Day and the unique ways it is celebrated.

Cubing

Rubik's Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Wikipedia

And it has taken over in our house. At least for four fond folk. I never paid much attention to cubes myself. They just seemed a hopeless mess of colors. If I could ever get one side fixed with all the same color squares the rest was such a tangle that I'd have to tangle the first color to right another. A really vicious cycle. Not something I wanted to spend my life on.

The paper in his lap is a new method that came with his new cube.

In the last few months Austin found a cube around here and an instruction booklet with the correct algorithm(s) for solving it. Please don't ask me any technical questions here 'cause I'm lost! (I had to google that alg-- word to figure out how to spell it.) The ones involved are always talking about this or that algorithm. (There! I got it right without looking.) And they find new methods online that they print out.

It is quite amazing to watch their fingers fly as they try to beat their own records. They'll turn the sides with 3-4 fingers, the bottom with their pinkies and the top with forefingers.

There's even an online Cube Timer that starts and stops with a slam on the space bar.

Mixing the cube

Solved! (That's seconds and hundredths)

Austin bought two for himself, with at least another one on the way, and Christopher has his own. Maybe the M's will decide to get their own too. The original one they found is loud and clunky compared to the new ones.

Do you cube?

What's your record?

You might need some Flex to limber up your hands!

J.A.M.

Work has been underway for the 2016 J.A.M. Our church has been reaching out to the children in Romney for a couple years now with the young people doing a lot of the work. A church in Romney allowed us to use their building for our Thursday evening gatherings.

A typical evening went something like this. Gather at 6 pm for setup and prayer. The main area had to have a number of rows of chairs set up for groups 1, 2 & 3, the big girls and the big boys. Groups 1, 2. and 3 were quite young children. Then we had 10-13 yr old children in the big girl/big boy groups. 

At 6:30 the vans went out to pick up the children. As they arrived we gathered on the front lawn until we were all there. Then we organized into our groups and went into the building in an orderly fashion. Each child received a bracelet at this point. If they still had their bracelet at the end of the evening they received a sucker. The way to lose your bracelet was to be naughty.

The first activity was singing. Oh, how we love to sing! Next we got to watch the drama for the evening. The young men usually had a skit of some kind to teach a specific lesson. Following the skit we divided into groups for different classes. The younger children took turns going to the snack room, the craft room, the Bible story room and the game room. 

After the rounds were completed we all returned to the main room to sing another song and say the memory verse. Then we stood to sing Bind us Together and say the Lord's Prayer before heading back to the vans to go home. If their bracelets were still on, they got a sucker from Mr Allen on their way out the door. Sometimes everyone lost their bracelets if Mr Allen had to whistle 3 times for silence.

After the children left we would need to pick up all the chairs, sweep floors and return things to their original positions. When the drivers returned from the home deliveries we held a debriefing meeting yet before going home ourselves.

So what does that have to do with jam? J.A.M. stands for Jesus and Me. We want these children to be touched with the love of Jesus and for that to make a difference in their lives. Sessions ran once a week Thursday evening from the beginning of March to the end of October. 

We have had a few months' break now and time to reflect and regroup. We prayed about a different facility and God opened the doors for us to use an empty store building in Romney, owned by one of our church men. We have built walls to make a number of rooms for the different groups.

This year instead of different rooms for different activities, one group will stay in one room for their activities excepting game time. The way they planned the building will make dispersing simple and streamlined. Each row can pretty much march out of the main area directly to a room on their left without waiting for anyone else.

Having our own building will make it so much nicer in a lot of ways. The setup can stay set up from one week to the next. We have more space and therefore more children could be invited. The time will be changed to Tuesday evening because so often there were school activities on Thursday evening that kept the children from coming. 

One of the young ladies from church knows sign language and is wanting to work with children from the deaf school in Romney. It is exciting to be able to reach out in more ways.

Following are a few photos from today. The boys & I and Grandpa went to help with the painting. Thomas, Stephen and Austin finished the drywall earlier this week. Others were helping with the painting too.

Melvin

Kaleb

Kilmeny

Matthew

Austin

Grandpa

Grandma Judy

Ms Joanna (Oops! The mirror caught me)

Thomas

Ms Martha

Here you can see all the doorways on the right and the stage in the foreground. Thomas was putting leveler on it.

Another room where the window is and Melvin getting a snack in the foreground. (Banana with peanut butter)

What did you do today?

What ministry has God called you to?

Don't think any place of service is small!

Richly Blest

Work has been slow for Thomas these winter months. We continue to walk forward in faith as we felt called to purchase the place we were renting and move my parents in with us. These things take more finances. Where will the money come from if there isn't work?

Why worry when you can pray? Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32) As Corrie ten Boom would say, "Well, I think it's time for God to sell another cow." She reckoned that if the cattle upon a thousand hills belonged to Him (Psalm 50:10) it should be no problem for Him to sell one and give her the money for her needs.

This isn't a negligent attitude but one of active faith. If God has called us to a work that does not produce the money needed for the work, He has no problem sending us the necessary funds. Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14) Nothing is impossible with Him. (Luke 1:37) I believe God delights in giving His children things as they walk with and for Him in faith.

He also delights in giving us the work that will produce the funds. It seems a bit of a tight rope to walk. Trusting Him, yet doing your best to provide for your needs. As we step forward in faith the path is illuminated for us. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (Proverbs 4:18)

Sunday was a day of receiving from the Lord. We received tremendous encouragement from two young men involved in All-Nations Bible Translations. It was encouraging to hear their passion for getting God's Word into the hands of all unreached peoples. Those who have no copy of the Bible in their language.

My sister in Texas encouraged us with a pile of goodies which she sent up with another sister and bro-in-law who live close by us. Oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, potatoes and cauliflower. It is overwhelming to have so much to choose from after being limited to a few things the last month or two.

I was pleased to find bananas at Aldi for $0.29 @ lb. We can also get bushels of apples for $15 at the local market that I bake pies for. So at the present we have many options of ripe fruit. 

An anonymous donor left $400 in an envelope in our church mailbox. God's blessings rest on the person who blessed us!

And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall... give thee...houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD. Deuteronomy 6:10-12  

God forbid that we should forget Him! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all your gifts to us!

What has the Lord been doing for you?

Do you see the things He does?

Are you so full you've forgotten Him?

Fun With the Young People

But I'm young too. So who are the young people? These are the younger ones who are 16 and older but unmarried. We have had the pleasure of associating with this group from our church since the beginning of July last year. Helping to plan and participate in wholesome activities.

We asked two young families, Mike & Monica and Gene & Dorcas, to plan and host an evening activity for this group of energetic people. They invited us to Gene's house. When we arrived we were directed to the basement where an outdoor sign welcomed us to a Mexican Fiesta. A tub was sitting there filled with Coke and Fanta in glass pop bottles nestled in ice.

Inside we were greeted with lively Mexican music. The colors were bright; the lights dim. Tables were set with colorful napkins, silverware and cute little appetizer cups filled with beans, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, onions and black olives and adorned with a paper mustache. This was a dip for chips.

The main spread consisted of taco shells to be filled with burger, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Build your own taco. One of the young ladies has been a school teacher in El Salvador for the last three years. She made some authentic papusas and brought in a cabbage salad from a restaurant. Just the kind of food our family takes to.

The dessert table had a beautiful display of fruits. Fruit kabobs and Tres Leche Cake were a lovely finish to the meal. I didn't try any cake until I found out it was gluten free. Dorcas said she doesn't make cake unless it's gluten free. Gene does not tolerate gluten and the school teacher who lives in their basement is also intolerant.

After supper we played some games. First we had a paper full of Spanish and English words to match. Then we did a relay race where one sucked up a dried bean with a straw and carried it to the end of the table. There it was dropped into a cup. Two teams competed and the team with the most beans in the cup at the end of the time limit won.

After this we played musical chairs. The last few people got quite dizzy. Some Rook, Uno and Skip-Bo games and some good visiting finished up the evening.

I helped some with entertaining this cutie 

How do you have fun?

Do you enjoy the younger people?

Oh, but who doesn't! :)