Our life...

More New Beginnings!

2011-06-08T09:53:00.003-05:00

This post on here is a little late but Hubby and I are expecting our first baby in Nov! I'm going ahead and putting it on my blog b/c lately I have really wanted to start posting on here more. I guess we will see if that happens. And if anyone will end up reading it. :)

Just to make a quick post (b/c I have a jazillion other things that need to be done) the pregnancy seems to be progressing smoothly and on track. We are very excited about the baby and are just praying everything continues to go well. :) We're trying to get everything ready in the house for the baby's arrival. Hubby is also very busy with youth minister related-activities such as VBS and the various camps him and the kids are attending this summer. I was tutoring two kids this past school semester and will continue to tutor those two plus one this summer.

Funny how you can think of everything to write when you're nowhere near the computer but when you sit down to type you can't think of a thing. :) Anyways, I guess I will add more later.

New Beginnings

2011-02-26T23:50:00.004-06:00

2011 began with a new town, new house, and new everything! Last November, Hubby was offered a youth ministry job in AR that we gladly accepted. Our new church family is a wonderful group of caring individuals and the kids are so much fun. We are also excited about being closer to both of our families now. I'm eager to see what God has in store for us for the rest of the year. He has blessed us so much in this new year already and we are so grateful. I feel like a lifetime has gone by in the past year and I'm ready to "get back in the swing of things!"

Helloooo? Anyone out there?

2009-07-20T13:28:00.004-05:00

Well, I guess I'm back. Its been a busy summer around here so far. First my brother came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. He usually finishes school before everyone else and has made it a sort of tradition to come spend a week with us and also go to our Vacation Bible School at church. Speaking of VBS, it went very well. We used Group's Crocodile Dock. It was really cute and everyone seemed to enjoy it. About a week later, Hubby took the youth group on a mission trip in south Texas and used the same VBS materials there as well. They also did construction work and they were able to go floating on the river at the end of the trip. I finished my summer semester on July 2nd. Had a fun 4th. I finally drove the motorcycle by myself. After finally driving around the huge front yard at our friend's house (outside city limits) I then proceeded to end my first ride by gunning the gas as I was trying to brake, wobbling from side to side, going "Ohh.....ooooh.....augkk!" and laying it over. Fortunately all I had to show for that adventure was a scratch on the back of my knee and a misaligned motorcycle (oops!).

Anyways.... we just got back from church camp. We had a really good time together. This was our first time to go to church camp together and my first time as a staff member. I was able to help with the registration lists, serve food, help w/hubby's class, and with the annual banquet. Hubby preached (and did an EXCELLENT job!), taught 2 classes a day, and led our cell group of freshmen. We had a our own room and bathroom in a cabin we shared with other staff members. I had a really great time meeting all of Hub's friends and we loved the beautiful nature and weather.

We just got back from camp this weekend, had a little house guest for a few hours (the neighbor's dog), heard about the great work EEM is doing, and getting ready to go to another VBS tonight where Hubby will lead the singing for the kids. I guess that's about all there is to update right now. The dogs are good and our tomatoes are growing! We've already picked four and have two more to pick today. Also we have some smaller green ones already growing so we know we will have some more. I really didn't think that any would grow, much less turn red and be edible. :)

Anyways, I will post some photos when I get home this evening.

- Linz -

Leadership Training for Christ

2009-04-28T16:54:00.007-05:00

Our church recently participated for the first time in Leadership Training for Christ. The Great Plains Leadership Training for Christ convention is one of 10 conventions, with 12 convention sites total. This year's theme was "Light - Life - Word" and the Bible Bowl/Quiz book we studied was John.

We had 10 teenagers participate in our group and we brought home 40 medals, half of which were gold! :) That is really great, especially for a group that started studying late in the game and didn't know what to really expect! Our puppet, banner, and bulletin board teams received gold. Our bible quiz teams received silver and bronze. Our 2 girls received a gold and silver in songleading and one also received a silver in sign language. Our youngest participate received a gold for bible reading. Our 3 oldest teens received gold in the leadership challenge and 4 of our teens received gold in the service challenge. We also had 3 guys participate in photography and drawing in which they brought home 2 golds and a silver. I will post a picture of an LTC plaque with medals attached later. The participants were in grades 3 - 12.

I started attending the Great Plains convention when it started in 1997 in Tulsa, OK. (Recently it has been moved to Rogers, AR.) I had such a great experience with LTC and Bible Bowl all through my junior high and high school years that it has always been a desire of mine to have the kids at our church participate in these too. Now that our big first year (theirs to participate, mine to coordinate) is behind our belts, I am so excited about this next convention in 2010 and can't wait to start working on it. The theme for 2010 is "The Rock" and the book of the Bible is 2 Samuel. I am especially excited about this year because 2 Samuel was theme for my second LTC convention in 1998. :)

I am so grateful for the founding of this important program and feel very blessed to have been able to participate as long as I have. Here are a couple of photos from LTC.

above: A lot of teens getting ready for the Bible Quiz competition. Probably Round 1. This picture does not do the room justice at all. I was somewhere in the middle of the room.

above: The banner our Banner Team made earlier this year. The picture is not great quality but a lot of hard work and detail went into this banner. The judges recognized that and rewarded the kids with a gold!
(by the way, "year" refers to "April - April." From the previous convention till the next.)

You can read more about the Bible Bowl aspect of LTC at MaddieLynn's blog

Poster Print Giveaway

2009-04-22T12:40:00.006-05:00

MyfriendConnie over at Smockity Frocks is hosting another giveaway by Digital Room. Digital Room has offered to give away a 16 x 20 poster print to one of her readers. If you comment over at her site she will enter your name in the drawing and if you blog about it (like I am doing) she will enter your name into the drawing a second time. So head on over there and enter for this neat giveaway.

I posted on her comments section that I would probably have either a recent family photo made into a poster print and give it to my parents or I would have a poster print of my hubby, me and the dogs. Since the dogs are our "kids" and we actually don't have a photo of the four of us yet, I thought it would be cool. Or I thought the picture of my hubby to the right would make a neat poster print.

Red Envelope Day

2009-04-03T11:48:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week my hubby and I participated in the Red Envelope Project. Many of our friends and our church participated as well. According to a recent update I saw via Smockityville over 2,000,000 red envelopes are on their way to the White House and hopefully to the President himself. This website gives a brief explanation of the Red Envelope Project now that the website is closing soon. Smockityville also has some posts on this project as well. My friend Maddielynn also wrote a post about Red Envelope Day on her personal blog.

I was really excited to participate in this project even though I was not able to send out very many envelopes. This was also my first "letter" to send to a president and I'm glad this cause was the reason. This past year or so I have really wanted to become more active in issues like this. Its so important that we stand up for our beliefs and rights.

christmas break

2008-12-16T23:35:00.004-06:00

I just finished my (technically) 4th round of classes since going back to school last spring. I went back to school in Jan 2008 and took a full load through the summer and then this past semester. I finished the fall semester with three A's and one B so far. I'm still waiting on one other class to see what my gpa for the semester will be. So far its a 3.75 and I'm hoping it will stay around there. It's been a long year to say the least. I feel like I've been driving back and forth to school for forever now. Its approximately an hour and half each way and on average I go to school four days a week. Tired? definitely. :|

I enjoyed a day of vacation last Friday after finals, and then started a new class for winter intersession yesterday. Other than the driving and getting up early (which I've never ever been fond of during my life) I really like the class. Great teacher - who I know and have already had once before - and a good group to work with on our project - good blessings.

Stinky made her debut this past December in our town's Christmas parade. Her and I were signed up to ride on the local animal shelter's float (she's a rescue dog from OK) but at the last minute we rode on a church member's float with the hubby. My profile picture was taken at the parade. Notice the lopsided reindeer ears. The following picture was taken at home.

Stinky has also been subjected to numerous holiday photograph sessions. She does not like to sit still. At least not where I try to put her. When she's not hiding from the camera she will walk up to me and sit down right in front of my knees and stick her nose into the camera. I scoot back, she moves forward, and that continues until she gets fed up and walks away with reindeer ears and Christmas bandannas falling off her head. The following photograph is one of my favorites, although sadly it did not make the Christmas card (our very first photo card!)

*Christmas song of the week: Drummer Boy*
Hubby doesn't care for this one but I seem to always hear it in the car lately and I really like the newer versions I've heard this year.

Well Hello Again...

2008-11-21T18:48:00.008-06:00

So to catch up on the past ~~year~~ month of our lives here I go... Hubby's been super-busy at work and I've been super-de-duper busy with school. That's about it. Oh yea, I can't think of anything to blog about unless I'm no where near my laptop and then I forget later what I was going to blog about. So yea...

I guess there is some picture blogging to do though so this is a very small "scrapbook of the past month or so.

Stinky dressed up as a lobster, or as we liked to call her, "our pet crawfish." We were cajun hillbillies but I'd rather not post those pictures at the moment. ;)
Stinky didn't know what to think of hubby's "Sponge Bob pumpkin."
Hubby and I went with the young families group to the corn maize and pumpkin patch.

Without needing to be responsible for anyone we really didn't know what to do. Finally we relaxed a bit and acted like ourselves.

Hubby went away for the weekend and left me in charge one Sunday evening game night.
We've also had two recent baptisms. I only have a picture of one right now that I can upload.Praise God!
And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21

Works for Me Wednesday: Cookie Storage

2008-10-15T11:17:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I made some cookies for two women at church, an elderly married woman and a recent widow. The first batch got left in the oven a little too long but I took them to the first woman because I knew she wouldn't notice and they were still fine. The widow wasn't home, I didn't seal the cookies properly so the next day when I was going to take them to her Hubby discovered they weren't good anymore. So I bought some more dough (you know, the break-apart kind!) later at the grocery store and baked the second batch....much better!

Now here's the part that works for me....Hubby told me to put a piece of bread in the plastic container that I was using to take the cookies in. I have never heard this but I put the bread in, the cookies in, the lid on, and took the cookies over. I stored the leftover cookies in the same way and noticed they were getting softer each day. The thing that clinched it for me though - I completely overbaked the cookies for our youth event recently. Not a big deal, they had chocolate chips and pecans in them....people ate them. I stored the leftovers in the same way and two days later they were softer and tasted way better than before! Hubby said he heard the bread keeps them fresh but it definitely softens them too and fixes any overbaking mistakes. So this may be dumb but since my baking is never predictable, this definitely works for me. =)

"This will do your heart good"

2008-10-01T16:16:00.002-05:00

The following link brightened my day so much.

http://www.heraldleaderphoto.com/2008/05/31/adam-bender/

back to school

2008-08-25T22:54:00.003-05:00

Well, its back to school tomorrow for me, although I guess technically it started today with my online classes... I have an early morning class again, then I'll go buy my books and have lunch, and then I have two classes in the afternoon, a break for a quick dinner, another class on tuesdays, and then get home as quick as I can. Poor Stinky is going to have a rough day tomorrow with her mama gone all day. I am grateful though that I get to spend Hubby's day off with him on Mondays. That was hard to get used too and especially hard getting up and going during the last semester. Please pray for my stress level though. My eczema has already started flaring up again. It had really almost gone away during the past two weeks since summer school ended, but the past day or two its come back with a vengeance. So apparently I'm already stressed and I know I have to calm down to make it go away so I'm trying to do that but I don't know why I'm already stressing so that in turn stresses me out more and then I know the stress will increase. Oh did I mention my allergies have gone awry? aughh : )

Other than school starting I'm excited about the new school year. : ) I'm looking forward to seeing old friends from school soon and I'm looking forward to the activities we have planned with the youth group at church. I always feel like my "new year's" is really during the month of August when the new school year begins. I'm hopeful my resolutions for this new "year" will pan out. This month we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and it is also Hubby's 2 year anniversary as a youth minister and with our church. I'm so proud of him. : )

It's Raining on Parade Day....

2008-08-16T16:39:00.005-05:00

So what do I do now uh? I, like the children over in Smockityville, have been counting the days for the last week and a half till parade day. I'm only 20-something and there's plenty of candy at this parade, even for the old people so don't ever tell me I'm too old for this candypalooza. :D

Anyways, so what do I do now that my morning plan has been thrown off schedule? I decide to go ahead and go grocery shopping. But this grocery shopping trip is different..more like an extravaganza. I have decided to become the prima donna homemaker this week. I'm going to cook 2 new recipes and 2 old favorites and try my best to keep us from eating out and eating junk food. My grocery shopping trip ends up consisting of 1 Walmart, 1 United Grocery Store, 1 Braum's (milk), 3 slow old people with buggies, 6 creepy men, 1 24 pk of Sam's Choice water, 8 or 9 bags of groceries that are overstuffed and too heavy, 1 conversation with mom about the art of cooking a roast and the all-important ingredients of goup, and my sister asking me if I'm with child yet and to hurry it up because she wants to be an aunt. And there's more I'm sure but oh well.

Oh yes, also we don't have guttering on our house so you can imagine the Niagra Falls effect on the front porch while I'm trying to unload said groceries.

Good news though - I never lost my cool during this, even when people started running into my buggy with the gimp wheels while it wasn't moving. Honest. Yay for me. :o)

I've got lots more to try and do today, cleaning & organizing-wise before Hubby gets home from a youth event.

Update

2008-08-13T22:58:00.007-05:00

So we've been quite busy over here and what better way to recap than through pictures and get it over with quickly. I've also had a little trouble figuring out what to blog about lately. I've had plenty but just not able to put it down.

All spring and summer I have been constantly driving to school. I've missed a lot of summer activities with the youth group so this "recap of summer 08" will be short and sweet.

Earlier this summer, I hosted a baby shower. There was a small turnout which disappointed me but I had a good time planning it, the mom-to-be enjoyed herself, and I finally had an opportunity to make a diaper cake for the first time.
the punch at the shower

The youth minister hubby went to summer camp for a week again and as usual loved it.
Vacation Bible School finally came and went. Good but smaller attendance than last year. But grateful for each and every child's presence and hope that we did our job of planting/watering the seeds well.
My brother came to visit us for the week of V.B.S. and we went to the local museum. We really had a great time with him and I was able to see my mom and dad for awhile as well. We recently celebrated our 3rd anniversary! For part of it we celebrated a day early while we were in OKC and went to Toby Keith's restaurant for the first time.

We've also had plenty of youth group stuff going on including one of our seniors graduating this past May. We're also changing up a lot of stuff in our youth program which will hopefully be beneficial to our kids. Anyways, that's the short recap, I'm sure I'll think of more later.

PhotoHunt: Cloud(s)

2008-08-02T09:24:00.002-05:00

It's not the best quality but I was driving *gasp* and I had already missed a really great picture and by jove I wasn't gonna miss another. I was running late (as usual) so I couldn't stop.

Go check out more great pics at the PhotoHunt!

The Greatest Teaching Strategy

2008-07-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

I thought this "rendition" of a popular Bible passage was cute and a good reminder of what truly matters when teaching in any way.

Though I have all the Elmer's glue and scissors and have read the lesson five times and have not love, I am not a teacher. And though I have all the construction paper, glitter, and Bible posters, puzzles, and unit activities and have been in a special planning session and have not love, I am not a teacher. For being a teacher is more than being on time, present, Bible in hand, and a lesson prepared. It's even more than faithfully attending the church services. A teacher is kind and smiles a lot. A teacher looks neat and is not easily provoked when something is wrong with the heating or cooling system. A teacher is not envious of other's talents, but uses his/her own creativity and talents to the best of his/her ability. A teacher seeketh not for his/her name to be praised, but works for the glory of God. They beareth the problems, believeth and hopeth the best for all the children they teach, for a teacher's work is in vain unless he/she has true interest in the children. Where there be magic markers, they shall dry up. Where there be chalk and blackboards, they shall crumble. Where there be printed literature, it shall fade. But a right relationship to God will endure forever, as it is shared in the lives of your children. All work is a result of His love. And now abideth planning, preparation and love, these three. But the greatest of these is love. For without God's love all work is for naught.

Unknown

Songs of Summer

2008-07-24T23:11:00.002-05:00

MaddieLynn tagged me to list my 7 favorite songs. The rules of this tag are:

List seven songs that you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your Summer of 2008.

(Keep in mind I teach the 5 yr old class every Wednesday Night!)

1. The Hippo Song
2. The Lord's Army
3. The New Testament Books
4. Whatever You're Doing ~ Sanctus Real
5. I've Always Loved You ~ Third Day
6. Amarillo by Morning (literally, everyday!) ~ George Strait
7. You're Gonna Miss This ~ Trace Adkins

You're the One

2008-07-16T00:43:00.004-05:00

You're The One (guys sing; girls echo)

Lord the people praise You Lift You up and raise You You are the Holy One You're the one, You're the only one
(Chorus) Halle, Halle, Hallelu All the glory is due You You are the Holy One You're the one, You're the only one.
Lord the people love You Place nobody above You You are the Holy One You're the one, You're the only one.
(chorus)
Bless Your name Lord Jesus The only name that frees us You are the Holy One, You're the one, You're the only one.
(chorus)
We will praise You right here and now, Lest the hills and the rocks cry out. You are the Holy One, You're the one, You're the only one.
(chorus)
If we had ten thousand hands, We would bless You as You command. You are the Holy One, You're the one, You're the only one.
(chorus)
If we had ten thousand tongues, We would bless you with every one. You are the Holy One, You're the one, You're the only one.
(chorus)

Sno Cone Survey

2008-06-25T23:24:00.004-05:00

Myfriendconnie is having a sno cone survey and giving away a prize to the random winner.

My favorite flavors are cherry, grape, and tiger's blood. All of these must have at least an extra squirt of flavor in them. Preferably three though. I refuse to touch with a 10-ft pole the following flavors....banana (ugh), pickle juice (double ugh), and leche (dry heaving ugh). I like an occasional pina colada sno cone, but I do not like flavors like coconut or vanilla in my drinks of any kind.

Be sure to go check out everyone else's flavors.

garden update

2008-06-06T10:37:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to taking some more pictures of the plants awhile ago. Summer school just started so I got kinda busy. They're doing really good as well as the flower seeds I put in the front yard, but I haven't taken a recent photo of those yet.

Who needs a pen when you got the dog -

2008-05-28T00:50:00.003-05:00

You may have to watch it again after it loads to hear the balloon pop. I'll post another one later where he pops some more.

Some Quirky Things About Me

2008-05-26T19:37:00.003-05:00

I was recently tagged by Connie at Smockity Frocks. I'm to list six quirky things about me. I'm sure I'll realize I have much more other interesting quirky qualities after I post this but thanks for reading. :o)

1. I have a moth phobia. Seriously. I do not like those things in my house...car...my personal bubble, ect.

2. I can not go to sleep if my closet door is open in the least bit.

3. Occasionally I'll get this burst of energy and break out into random annoying renditions of various songs. I might also make up my own. Hubby gets annoyed very quickly by this.

4. My knees are double-jointed so if anyone grabs them while they're straight (like for instance to help me onto a bunk-bed) I freak out for no apparent reason.

5. I don't like to vacuum up certain bugs. Even with the hand-held attachment. Too close to my hands. :o)

6. Dr. Pepper energizes me, calms me down, and cures my allergies, as well as many other miraculous things. Panic attack? Feeling a lil' blah? Give me a D.P. asap and I'm good to go!

I'm supposed to tag six people.
* Sarah *
* Kendon *
* MaddieLynn * (who has already been tagged by her mom and posted. go read!)
And I don't have a lot of time to figure out who else to link to for right now so I'm gonna go ahead and post this and try to add others later. :o)

These are the rules:
- Link the person who tagged you.
- Mention the rules in your blog.
- Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
- Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking them.

Prayers Needed

2008-05-22T15:42:00.004-05:00

Please keep this family, the Lockwoods, in your daily prayers.

I will put my trust in Him. Hebrews 2:13

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. Psalm 121:1

Works for Me Wednesday: Eczema & Hempz Lotions

2008-05-20T23:18:00.009-05:00

*edited b/c this long post is bugging me* :)

I have dealt with eczema since about junior high. There were times where I was completely miserable. My hands were red and itched constantly and my legs were even worse. I saw the dermatologist and was diagnosed with eczema and eventually it "settled down" sometime during my freshman year of college. However it took awhile and nothing really worked well enough for me it seemed. Since then I have made a lot of changes and never used any bath soaps or lotions with a lot of dye or anything.

I have always had very dry skin so I didn't really notice when it began getting worse. After moving to Colorado my hands were unbearably dry. Soon it was obvious that it was beyond normal, even climate change. One day in class I discovered that I didn't have any of my 20 gazillion bottles of lotion in my backpack. I quietly showed my husband my gross hands, gave him a "there's nothing in there" gesture towards my backpack and headed upstairs in search of anything. I didn't care at this point. My hands hurt! The secretary let me try the lotion on her desk and after making sure it didn't sting or anything I got some more and headed back to my class. I sat down at my desk, was about to start typing and noticed that for the first time in what seemed like forever my hands looked like everyone else's - normal. Seriously. Very "normal" looking hands. And very moisturized hands. :o)

A girl who went to church with us at the time (who had given the school secretary that bottle of lotion) also has eczema. She gave me some other types of lotions to try as well as a container of the Hempz Body Butter which immensely helped me with my legs. Her friendship, the body butter and the herbal moisturizer were an answer to my prayers. Literally. :o) My skin looked and felt a lot better. It was really an impressive change.

I am having to deal with a different set of obstacles this summer down south but so far the Hempz products are still one of the best things that work for me. A little pricey but they last for awhile and if you have eczema you probably won't mind. They're not made for people with severe dry skin or eczema like Eucerin and others are so that's why I chose to blog about it this week. Maybe someone who has eczema and is still searching for something that works better, for them, might benefit from this. Its a lot cheaper than going to the dermatologist. I've also realized that sometimes a type of lotion can be just as important as those allergy pills.

This week I will be trying this product and hopefully it will help my hands and arms deal with this *blistering* heat. I am also reading up on natural alternatives for things that seem to aggravate my eczema.

adoption

2008-05-18T22:25:00.003-05:00

Our family's like a patchwork quilt,
With kindness gently sewn.
Each piece is an original,
With beauty of its own.
With threads of warmth and happiness,
It's tightly stitched together.
To last in love throughout the years,

Our family is forever.

knock, knock...

2008-05-15T22:25:00.004-05:00

Note to Self: Mute the next Alltel commercial that comes on while the dog is within ear shot. Continue muting Alltel commercials until they start running a new one. Apparently the doorbell ring they use sounds exactly like ours to our little black mutt. EVERY TIME - multiple times within the hour - the commercial comes on she runs full speed to the door, ready to tear to pieces the ~~unlucky visitor~~ burglar she apparently thinks is on the porch.

It was cute at first...now its just getting annoying.

In fact - commercial just came on again. Not joking. Honest. She's awake and is now turned towards the front door to keep watch.

At least we know we're all safe with her around. Jumpy and stressed.....but definitely safe.

30 Days with Jesus

2008-05-12T17:16:00.005-05:00

I found this "bible reading plan" I guess you would say, entitled "30 Days with Jesus" so I decided to try and stick with it. No reason why. There's no questions, discussions, or anything fancy about it. Just basically a chapter each day. It seemed a little long, even intimidating (each day's reading) but I was bored (that's an awful reason to read my bible i know...i guess i just wasn't focused on anything yesterday afternoon...seemed like a wake-up call afterwards) so I turned to the first chapter and began reading. I think this will help me in my personal study time (which is severely lacking momentum right now - not material...momentum). Something for me. just me. The first day's reading was John 1:1-51. Today's (the second day) is Luke 2:1-52 which I will read tonight after dinner. I'm really trying to read carefully and pay attention to details with these readings. I know this will be beneficial even if its simply reading the chapter. I just hope I can stick to it. :)

spring gardening

2008-05-06T22:11:00.003-05:00

A week or so ago (however long it took for them to grow) a friend from church and I planted some veggie seeds in a hotbed in one of her flowerbeds. She made the hotbed by making a boundary around the flower bed to fit an old glass door which we laid on top. Then she made sure the seeds were watered (everyday) along with the dirt around the cups so that when the door was laid on top the moisture and sun would create the steam needed for the hotbed. Pretty spiffy. Today I was able to go out and see some of the sprouts that have appeared over the last day or two. Cantaloupe, pumpkin, various kinds of squash and maybe zucchini (i don't remember for sure) have sprouted. You can see the glare from the door in the first picture and i have no idea why the second one is so blurry. Also I planted some flowers in some containers and brought them home. One of those has sprouted as well!

Library Booksale Part 1

2008-04-04T22:33:00.005-05:00

Today...I bought this book (huge hardcover, list price of $29.99) for a quarter my friends.

.......

Did you hear me?! I said a QUARTER. Pure frugal bliss. I can turn around and sell this book for at least $15 - $20. This totally rocked my day.

All hail the annual "friends of the library book sale." More great deals coming this weekend.

Library Etiquette

2008-03-31T14:31:00.003-05:00

For those who have never been taught proper library etiquette or for those rebelling b/c the high school librarian isn't here to shush you, let me remind you....

~ Don't leave your stuff at a study space and bounce. There's nothing more annoying than trudging to the library only to find all the desks "occupied," half of them by phantom students who left their books there to claim territory.

~ Don't take up more than one desk.

~ Call your mom and tell her all your troubles somewhere else. Please. I don't care if so and so has stolen your clothes and quite frankly while I am an animal lover, I could care less that sweet Fifi has passed on. The old term for cell phone - "mobile phone" - so mobile your way on back to the dorms if you wish to talk and let me study.

~ Speaking of mobile. Please walk all the way over to the librarian and ask her quietly for whatever it is you need. I don't need to know where to find Shakespeare. I need the education books and the coffee bar. On second thought...ask her that for me while you're over there so I don't have to get up. ;o)

~ Don't take off your shoes if you know your feet may poison the air - especially rain boots after your socks are sopping wet, moldy, and have been fermenting for hours.

~ As much as you may love that song, it's not necessary to share it with the world. If the music on your headphones is turned up so high we can hear what you're listening to, it's too loud.

~ Also don't share that song with us by way of your "lovely" singing voice. Go down the sidewalk to the fine arts center, find a sound proof room and study there.

~ There's whispering and then there's "just-as-loud-as-talking whispering." We're sure the gossip is juicy like whoa, but we don't care.

~ If you gotta sleep, don't snore. Please.

Courtesy of the Harvard Crimson and my own tragic experiences.

PhotoHunt: Metal

2008-03-22T13:35:00.002-05:00

took this when we went horseback riding at a friend's house.

Be sure to check out this week's links over at the PhotoHunt.

romans 6:4

2008-03-21T00:20:00.004-05:00

"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Romans 6:4

Watch Where You're Going!

2008-03-07T11:50:00.004-06:00

The new epidemic and the ingenious methods to cure it...

My question is what are they going to do about crossing the street? Or people aimlessly walking out into the street? Are they gonna pad the cars or people?

Just wondering.

WFMW: Backwords Edition

2008-03-05T14:52:00.003-06:00

I don't really know if there's an answer for this question but I might as well give it a shot! :o)

In the past week our pilot light has gone out at least 3 times because of the horrible wind in our part of the state. I was wondering if anyone has found a creative and safe way to keep it from going out every time the wind blows. This is an especially irritating issue to me right now. I wake up every morning about 5:30 to shower and drive an hour and a half to the "local" university. I need my morning shower. I do. But I gotta tell ya...its rather unpleasant (to say the least) for this non-morning person to unsuspectingly stumble and trip into the bathroom, sleepy boogers and all, only to be meant with a horrid scream-inducing shot of COLD liquid as she realizes that her attempt at closing the shower door needs to be quickly redirected at trying to get it back open (b/c of course it just shut).

Not funny as I told my husband, not funny at all. He says there's nothing that can be done but I am ~~fervently praying~~ hoping that someone out there is more creative than we are.

PhotoHunt: Party

2008-02-29T23:37:00.004-06:00

*~*!*~*PAR-TAY*~*!*~*

Go over to the Photo Hunt for more party photos! Check the comments section for everyone's links.

Book Meme

2008-02-24T13:34:00.002-06:00

I've been tagged by myfriendconnie over at Smockity Frocks to participate in a book meme. Sorry this took so long! But I finally found a book over 123 pages that did not have pg 123 as a full page color map or the bibliography!

Here are the directions: Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages). Open the book to page 123. Find the fifth sentence. Post the next three sentences. Tag five people.

My closest book is A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I'm reading this for a weekly book club.

"Hadassah did not respond. What he said was true enough. Marcus saw only dismay in her expression."

Now aren't you glad I posted that? ;o) Just my luck those were the sentences I was supposed to post for this - short and simple. The book really does have longer sentences and does require some deeper thinking. I promise. :o)

I will tag just 3 people today instead of 5:

Sting My Heart

Sarah

Free Bird Chronicles

PhotoHunt: Free

2008-02-16T18:29:00.002-06:00

Free dogs...'nuff said! ;o)

PhotoHunt: Heavy

2008-02-09T10:02:00.001-06:00

These are two photos are of one of myfriendconnie's daughter's helping out at her recent baby shower. Isn't she cute?

For more photos head on over to the PhotoHunt!

2008-02-08T22:19:00.001-06:00

"Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may, drag downwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside."

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12

I just like it....especially the last part about God's love.

2008-02-04T10:48:00.002-06:00

The 'LITTLE' Things

As you might know, the head of a company survived
9/11 because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accident.

One of them
Missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
Time to change.

One's
Car wouldn't start.

One went back to
Answer the telephone.

One had a child that dawdled
And didn't get ready as soon as he should have.

One couldn't
Get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man
Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
Took the various means to get to work
But before he got there, he developed
a blister on his foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today.

Now when I am
Stuck in traffic,
; Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone...
All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
I am supposed to be at this very moment...

Next time your morning seems to be
Going wrong,
The children are slow getting dressed,
You can't seem to find the car keys,
You hit every traffic light,
Don't get mad or frustrated;
God is at work watching over you.

May God continue to bless you
With all those annoying little things
And may you remember their possible purpose.

Pass this on to someone else, if you'd like...

There is NO LUCK attached.
If you delete this, it's okay:
God's Love Is Not Dependent On E-Mail !!

have a great day

PhotoHunt: Narrow

2008-02-02T09:52:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I's trip to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Canyon City, CO. We are riding on the incline railway and looking up... :\

For more narrow photos head on over to the Photo Hunt!

Friday's Family Recipe

2008-02-01T17:10:00.000-06:00

My husband tried this recipe yesterday for our weekly meal we provide through our church for the local high school students. The students pay $3 for a hot (all you can eat pretty much) lunch, dessert, and drink. The kids loved it and so do we! We got this recipe from our family cookbook. It's loaded with some awesome recipes from my husband's side of the family. I don't know how original this one is. All I know is that Aunt K stole it from her husband's cousin. :o)

Taco Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. hamburger meat (brown and drain)
1 17oz. corn (whole kernel and juice)
1 16oz. can pinto beans
1 16oz. can kidney beans
1 16oz. black beans
1 can 4oz. chopped green chilies
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. dry ranch seasoning
1 can mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can regular stewed tomatoes

DO NOT DRAIN ANY CANS! Cook for several hours (at least 4 hours or day before) on low to medium heat (simmer). Serve with Frito corn chips and shredded cheese. Enjoy.

Very simple recipe but quite a few ingredients. I was surprised it wasn't very hot for me and I loved it. I also eat it with tortilla chips instead of Fritos.

Do you have any favorite family recipes? Or any new favorite recipes your family has recently discovered/been given?

huckabee video

2008-01-31T14:25:00.001-06:00

It's a little blurry but I really like the illustration he uses and how he applies it.

PhotoHunt: Old Fashioned

2008-01-26T16:13:00.000-06:00

Old fashioned fun with Nanny (above)

Two photos from the Ladies' Graduation Tea, Summer 2006 (below&above)

For more Old fashioned Photographs go over to the Photo Hunt and look in the comment section.

PhotoHunt: Important

2008-01-18T22:36:00.000-06:00

I was about to give up on trying to figure out what photo to use for this week's theme until I ran across this one....
In my husband's right hand is part of the pipe from our kitchen sink. In his left hand is what formed/solidified and was clogging up our drain on the left side of the kitchen sink. This picture is to emphasize the importance of having a...well, I have no idea b/c I don't think occasional food going down the drain on this rarely used side of the sink is what created this nasty thing. Maybe it's to emphasize the importance of having a garbage disposal and if you don't (like us!) then you must be very careful of what goes down the kitchen sink.

But I think it might just be another reminder of the little things you need to check in your recently bought home after you find the mold in the shower, you've had to replace the thermostat and all electrical outlets, and before you find the hole in the fireplace where the mice are coming in.

But that's just me.

2008-01-11T23:15:00.000-06:00

I have found (literally) that the most motivating factor in cleaning out the dark closets of your house is the $green paper$ you keep finding inside... Rock. On. :o)

PhotoHunt: Delicious

2008-01-05T21:11:00.000-06:00

A delicious pb&j on a hot summer day during a bible/medical mission trip in Mexico.

Go over to the PhotoHunt for some more photos.

2008-01-04T21:44:00.000-06:00

Yay for Date Night ! :o)

Christmas Songs

2007-12-14T22:37:00.001-06:00

Musings of a Housewife is hosting a lil party about her top 10 Christmas Songs. Here are mine (listed randomly) and some honorable mentions (old family favorites).

Christmas Eve Sarajevo - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Mary Did You Know? - Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd

Holly Jolly Christmas

Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer

Believe (Polar Express song) - Josh Groban

O Holy Night - I think I like the Josh Groban version the best now

The Christmas Song - Alvin and the Chipmunks!!! This is still one of my VERY FAVORITES. :)

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Mr. Grinch!

Sleigh Ride

Other favorites: Silver Bells, Winter Wonderland, White Christmas

This is her first time hosting a *party* with Mr. Linky so go on over and participate! :)

Frito Pie Casserole

2007-12-12T12:41:00.001-06:00

Here's the recipe for this super-easy dinner that I'm fixing tonight.

Ingredients:
1 lb Hamburger Meat
Cheddar Cheese SOUP
1 Can Spanish Rice
16 oz. Can Chili Beans
Fritos (approx. 1 Cup)

Directions:
Brown hamburger meat.
Add soup, rice, and beans; mix together.
Then add chips, mixing slightly.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Serve Hot! Yum! :o)

I actually bought a bag of Great Value's Instant Spanish Rice b/c I couldn't find a can of rice. I've never even seen one? This is an old recipe though. I also just bought a regular bag of Fritos but that's probably just b/c I LOVE LOTS of Fritos. :o)

I planned this dinner earlier this week thinking that the weather would be just plain nasty and this would be a fun and simple recipe to warm us up before going out in the cold to church. It's still pretty cold though (even though the gorgeous sun is out!). I'm so thankful for the mild weather we've had, compared to what my family in Oklahoma has been experiencing! Please keep all those affected by the ice storm in your thoughts and prayers.

"Well, it's kind of working..." - Hubby, Dec 3, 2007

2007-12-05T00:16:00.000-06:00

SOoo We bought a BARK Collar yesterday at PetSmart... Chief has NOT barked ONCE since we ARRIVED home with it. He sat at the back door Listening to Hubby watch the instructional video and then he wore it for awhile. The entire time he had it on he sat at the back door motionless. And then he did not bark the ENTIRE NIGHT even though Hubby had taken the collar off! (b/c Hubby's supposed to be around the first time it happens or so the video said) Chief is actually refusing to bark now.

Its like he knows...

WFMW: What Do I Fix?

2007-12-04T23:24:00.000-06:00

It's theme time over at Works for Me Wednesday! :) This week we're all pitching in our recipes for those last minute, crunch-time meals. Right now it's just me and my husband but man can we get cranky and indecisive when we're hungry! ;) Here are two dinner ideas that work really well for us.

1) I'm still learning my way around the kitchen and Hubby's tastebuds but there is one recipe that I could probably make in my sleep. My mom used to make it all the time and it's definitely one of my all-time favs! It's even quicker if you have your meat already cooked.
"Goup" - (Hamburger-Noodle Casserole)
Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger meat
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
10 oz pkg egg noodles
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese

Directions:
Brown hamburger meat & green pepper.
Drain meat.
Add tomato and mushroom soup.
Cut cheese into chunks (mom always gave us a piece or two to eat! yum!) and add to meat.
Simmer.
Cook noodles according to directions on package. DRAIN Noodles well.
Add noodles to meat and mix.
Salt and pepper to taste. Heat through well.

2) This year we've also found a new favorite in the frozen food section - Hibachi House Spicy Teriyaki Chicken! I was skeptical the first time we bought it but we both were pleasantly surprised and now we both love it. For the price of an (unhealthy) McDonald's Combo we can get this box to share with plenty to spare. This is definitely our favorite last-minute meal. :)

Go over to Rocks in My Dryer to find some great last minute dinner ideas!! :)

Fall 2007 Reading Challenge

2007-12-03T00:21:00.001-06:00

Katrina over at Callapidder Days is hosting another Reading Challenge! I am so excited about this because I didn't stick to the first one so I've been hoping she would do another this fall/winter so I could redeem myself. : ) Here are my books I just started reading and hope to finish by Dec. 21st.

Fiction (aka: my Michael Phillips' books I need to finish!)
* The Crown and the Crucible - by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella

* Angels Watching Over Me - Michael Phillips

* Escape to Freedom, Vol. 3 - Michael Phillips

Nonfiction
* Woman to Woman: A Guide to Teaching and Leading Women - Edited by Debbie Bumbalough and Dwina Willis This book is written by ladies from the church of Christ, including one of my former professors.

* Created To Be His Help Meet - Debi Pearl Recommended and borrowed from MyCoolFriendConnie. : )

* Seasoning Your Words: God's Recipe For Controlling Your Tongue - Nancy Eichman

* Out with Doubt: A Look at the Evidence for Christianity - Kyle Butt, M.A.

Fall Into Reading 2007 is an easy and simple reading challenge to get us motivated about our reading goals. If you want to join in just head on over to Callapidder Days and read Katrina's posts for more information! : )

thanksgiving recap

2007-12-01T12:37:00.000-06:00

Just some pictures from Thanksgiving. My dad, brothers, and grandparents were able to come this time. My mom was sick and my sister wasn't able to make the long trip.

This was Hubby and I's third Thanksgiving as a married couple. Our second Thanksgiving to spend at home (our first in Colorado by ourselves) and our first to host at our very own house. :)

below: we had to borrow a table & some chairs from church

below: i don't think dad took a normal picture that day!

below: i forget what they were doing. the kitchen got very small very quickly. ;)

below: grandpa making gravy

below: i think the turkey was supposed to be in the picture too

below: the important table

below: "Thank You Grandma for the ham bone!"

below: the next(?) day - "let me in mom!"

the worst time to get sick....

2007-11-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

....is right after a holiday (such as a week after thanksgiving for example). Why? Because even though I'm battling what I hope is just a sinus infection and I've had an unheard of amount of drainage and my nose has gone through 3 roles of Charmin Ultra Strong I am sitting here eating ice cream w/fudge topping.

I started getting sick about Tuesday and about Thursday (when it really hit) began getting extremely sick of thanksgiving leftovers. I'm craving chicken, steak, mashed potatoes, apple pie, ice cream, choc hershey bars (all non-thanksgiving food for us). Hubby made me some comfort food last night (grandma's chicken strips) but after an entire day of not drinking anything but sprite and water, I drank just a Little Bit of Dr. Pepper. And ya know what was sooo pathetic about it? It made me feel SO MUCH BETTER. That's how addicted I apparently am. So I've drank a little bit more of it today. Shhh ;) But, I've taken my meds, drank my clear liquids, taken naps, ect. All things considered I've been trying to get better. Really. I have.

Until.... hubby not only came back from Braum's today with the milk (which is cheaper there and hormone free) but also peppermint ice cream and hot fudge (not to mention the vanilla ice cream already in the fridge).... ya know I'm not made of steel here! Who cares about tomorrow morning and all the drainage that I will have as a result of my delicious snack tonight. Is it sad that I will rationalize it as 'Who knows if the Lord will give me tomorrow (to eat this wonderful ice cream & fudge)?' (j/k)

I just ate a little bit. I am feeling a little better. I'll still pay for it in the morning though. While I'm blowing my nose tomorrow though someone please remind me to stay away from the freezer and the coke. :\

Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-28T00:22:00.000-06:00

My first Wordless Wednesday with a photo of my dog's first outdoor bath.

Go check out more photos over at 5 Minutes for Mom!

2007-11-27T23:00:00.000-06:00

OOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO ToTally watching a DUGGAR RERUN! :D

PhotoHunt: Hot

2007-11-23T22:39:00.000-06:00

I thought I had a photo of our main Thanksgiving dinner dishes for this post but I guess I'll have to wait and see the ones my grandma took. This photo is a family photo but was actually taken by one of my in-laws. This photo is of my adorable niece spending a weekend out on the lake earlier this year. It was hot but she sure does know how to cool off. :)Head on over to the Photo Hunt for more great pictures!

Tuesday post (I got distracted and forgot about it)

2007-11-21T23:52:00.000-06:00

Well, Thanksgiving dinner is coming together quite nicely. My dad and brothers are here (Mom is sick so she wasn't able to make the trip) and my grandparents are arriving early on Thanksgiving morning. The desserts are all ready. The green bean & corn casseroles are ready to bake. I'll make the rest in the morning and Hubby is finishing the turkey in the morning as well. Should be a great Thanksgiving tomorrow. A little colder than we're (hubby and I) used too but great nonetheless. :)

Hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends! And Thank You so much for your encouragement and suggestions in my last post. :)

**Remember, that no matter what, everyone always has something to be thankful for!**

Funny stuff....

2007-11-15T21:12:00.000-06:00

This post has to seriously be one of the funniest things I've heard/seen in a long time. You'll love it. I promise. :)

I thought family was a good thing?!

2007-11-15T09:47:00.000-06:00

What IN the World?! Okay, so my husband and I decided that after last year's extremely ~~busy and insulting~~ wonderful holiday pilgrimage to see all our family and friends and consequently not getting to see half of them (because that's the way it always works right?) that we would have Turkey Day at our house this year. Our first Thanksgiving as a married couple we spent in Colorado with our friends from preaching school and it wasn't too terribly great but much better than last year's. We had a dinner to go to on Thanksgiving night and then that Saturday night we made a really great dinner, cooked a turkey ourselves, and saved a bunch of money that would normally be spent on gas and convenience store snacks. And I'll just save you the details from last year. Let's just say that we have 2 big families to try and see and certain people on my side of the family seemed to immediately notice and comment on my weight gain. Thank. You. Very. Much.
And so ... this year my immediate family (the non-commenting about the weight people) is coming to our house for Thanksgiving (cleaning house is way less stressful than a trek across the great plains with our dogs. plus we get to stay home!). And we'll spend Christmas with dear hubby's family.

SOOoo Anyways.... I'm like freaking out b/c I just realized Turkey Day is exactly a week away and my parents will be here Wednesday! So being the resourceful one I am I googled "planning for family during the holidays". Please tell me if this sounds negative?! Because for the first 2 result pages I received advice on:
how to avoid family discord
how to plan a wedding during the holidays (come on, do we not already have enough planning and gifts to buy?)
keeping the family sane
how to cope with family during the holidays
how to explain to your child that/why adults may be drinking during the holidays *?!hellooo?!areyouserious?!*
how to avoid family during the holidays

It wasn't until the third page that I got to something even remotely helpful (but yet not what I was searching for) - Holiday Dangers to Pets

So now I know how to deal with all these random useless things and I still don't have helpful tips for preparing my home and refrigerator for my hungry family. Maybe I should just google the last part of that sentence? Or perhaps search for holiday tips for the abnormal family? No. That would probably just give me more stuff to rant on in the next post. Why do people not look forward to seeing their families? I understand about family problems (and that's a whole other issue) but how did we get to the point where whenever you hear/see the words "family" and "holidays" - in the morning news shows, magazine articles, ect - they're always being used in a negative sense? It's like the entire United States expects the holidays to be horrible. And yet we still spend tons of money to get to our destinations just to complain? Whatever. Maybe we just like to have the best horrible family holiday story at the office? I understand. A fun holiday spent with your family where you play football, stuff yourselves with turkey and pie, and then risk your life on the roof to put up Christmas lights just isn't as cool right? I didn't think so. What might be cool though is if I push my little brother off the roof. Maybe put ground up dog food in the sausage balls? That would definitely be something to talk about later. hehe... (i am kidding. ... i think.) ;)

And I am realizing this sounds ironic b/c of what I just said about last year's Thanksgiving but realllly - we do look forward to seeing our family. honest.

Sweet Poem of Thanks

2007-11-01T18:32:00.001-05:00

Here's a very sweet poem that an elderly widow from church wrote for my husband and the men from church who helped her move recently. My husband was really touched and thought it was very neat that she took the time to write something so nice.

Many Thanks

They came in pairs, all six of 'em,
With a prayer in their heart
And a smile on their face.
Having shed their suits and ties
And traded shiny shoes for boots
Everyone was here to work
As God supported the effort
Suspenders supported their jeans.
Here to do a job, they wasted no time
Their trucks and their dollys,
Even knew what to do.
With a whole lot of effort
And not much time, one could see
The washer, dryer all hooked up.
Furniture all in place
Computer ready for action
Dozens of boxes all in a row.
Visible wings and halos
On these big men,
Big in Christ, just doing their thing.

Thank you, Men of God,
E. Warner

Apron Giveaway!

2007-10-30T17:14:00.001-05:00

Look at this apron - I'm absolutely in love with! Go over to the Apronista and it will lead you to some beautiful aprons. Pick your favorite and join the contest by Friday, November 2nd for a chance to win a free apron! Then go over to Rocks in My Dryer for links to some more fabulous giveaways this week!

Enjoy God's Blessings Today!! :)

great link

2007-10-28T21:58:00.000-05:00

THIS is a REALLY GREAT Post.

And this needs to be said over and over and over again.

Thanks for sharing it with us Connie.

PhotoHunt: Pink

2007-10-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

Like many others, I couldn't quite decide which picture to post this week. It always seems we either can't find a picture to post for the theme or we have too many doesn't it? :)

This first photo is of our 2nd (most recent) anniversary cake. A really sweet lady and her family from church helped Hubby plan a special weekend for us and she also made us this cake. It was kinda tricky trying to celebrate our anniversary this year since it was over the weekend and Hubby is a youth minister but the family helped Hubby plan and we had a really great time.

I took this photo on a mission trip in Mexico this summer. Isn't she a doll? :) The whole experience was great. I was able to go with my parents and their church family (who always treat Hubby & I like their own) and it was very encouraging for me. The main reason I liked it - We were able to help people in a variety of ways while first and foremost spreading the gospel and helping out the local churches.

For more *Pink* photos go over to the PHoToHuNT!

- Lindsey -

Ah - dorable!

2007-10-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

*My 2 ADORABLE nieces (again!)* Miss Kaylin (now - 1 week old, pics - still in the hospital) and Miss Kamber (7 months old). Kamber is my brother-in-law's daughter and Kaylin is my sister-in-law's daughter. I can not wait to meet Kaylin this Christmas! :D

my nieces (notice that's plural now!)

2007-10-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

*Welcome to the world Miss Kaylin Grace!*My amazing sister-in-law holding her first baby girl, Kaylin Grace, and also holding our niece Miss Kamber (7 months). :)

4th generation....

2007-10-11T22:11:00.001-05:00

So my hubby and I came home from a trip recently with seven boxes (and i mean moving type boxes) of various ministry books and videos. Just as I had hoped there were some books written by and for women. Maybe a dozen. And I already had a couple of them but nothing beats opening the cover of a women's bible study book and seeing not only your mother's name, but your grandmother's name and your great-grandmother's name on the first page. Wow! I can't even describe the feeling I had as I flipped through the book. It was a-mazing to see 3 generations of notes on those pages. I never knew my great-grandmother "Granny." She died long before I was born but I have always heard so much about her and her faith from my dad and it was just SO NEAT to read her notes, even when they were just "filling in the blanks" on some pages. She really became real to me in that moment. (I know..that's probably the dorkiest sentence ever and probably grammatically incorrect but you know what I mean right?) And then to see my mother's writing....she must have used parts of the book to put together a lady's class or something. :) wow, I'll have to ask her soon, especially to find out what the lesson was and if she still has it.

PhotoHunt: Paper

2007-09-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

School Supplies for the Kids in the Community!
I would put more pictures but I would have to edit them too b/c of the kids' addresses and names and I just don't have time. This was lots of fun though and a good outreach to the community from the church.

For more paper photos go over to PhotoHunt!

Ooops!

2007-09-22T01:06:00.000-05:00

Man...I completely messed up and thought "plastic" was the theme for this time! I was out of town last Saturday and just plain forgot. :) Well I have to post my pictures for last week's theme real quick and then go find some new ones for "paper!"

~*~The Chief~*~

For LOTS of other photos go over to the Photo Hunt!

PhotoHunt: Music

2007-09-08T14:07:00.001-05:00

edited: minor descriptions included. Thanks for your comments!! :)

"Haunting of Elfman" Citrus Bowl Parade (photo above)

"Haunting of Elman" - Home Fball Game Performance (above photo)

"Distorted Reality" - About to perform at a Home Football Game (above photo)

"Distorted Reality" - BOA Grand Nationals Performance (above photo)

PhotoHunt

2007-09-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

Strangers in The Box

Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures of black and white,
Faces proud, still, and serene.

I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories,
Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like,
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.

If only someone had taken time,
To tell, who, what, where, and when,
These faces of my heritage,
Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate,
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories,
Someday to be passed away?

Take time to save your stories,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours,
Could be strangers in the box.

5 Things You Don't Know About Me.....Maybe?

2007-09-03T16:35:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged by mycoolfriendConnie over at SmockityFrocks to tell you (whoever you may be) 5 things you might not know about me.

1. I marched in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade for 2 consecutive years.

2. I am severely addicted to Blistex..........severely. Just ask my husband.

3. I am the daughter of a preacher/former youth minister and the wife of a youth minister. They both graduated from BVBID. My momma is a teacher and i'm in the process of earning my teaching degree.

4. One reason I want to be a history teacher is for the field trips. ;)

5. I want to write a book someday.

Umm...I don't know a lot of people on here yet but I guess I'll tag Sarah - b/c she probably has some cool stuff - and Kendon - who hopefully will have time to do this! :)

WFMW

2007-08-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

This is a fairly simple and in my opinion, one of my more lamer (is that a word...) ideas for WFMW but Shannon's tip reminded me of what happened this week so here it goes. My hubby and I have two dogs now, "Stinky" and "Bud" (just their nicknames....and yes, we have nicknames for our dogs). Stinky is the small one and she's ~~completely spoiled rotten~~ a little pampered. But this works for her and us. She's been a very good little dog, however...then we decided to get Hubby a chocolate lab ~~monstrosity~~ puppy. He's an excellent guard dog but sometimes - like for instance the wee hours of the morning - he barks at squirrels and growls at the neighbor's tiny little dog who's outside randomly. Well this week its just getting plain old. He's driving me crazy. I'm fed up to say the least. Today I wasn't sure if Bud was trying to play with the dog on the other side of the fence or simply kill it. I've tried to remain calm but I've even resorted to ~~smacking~~ poking the neighbor's dog through the fence with the newspaper in an attempt to get it to go away. Anyways, the point of this pointless story is that a spray bottle with water works just as well on dogs as hoses do on children. Especially when your lab and mutt do Not like water splashed in their faces. All I do is yell out the door so they come back or march out there and spray them a couple of times. They'll tend to give you a pathetic look and slink off and just when you're starting to feel a little sorry for your wonderful pet you'll either have to go back and spray them again b/c this takes a day or two for it to sink in with dumb dogs or you'll realize that you can finally ~~watch tv~~ fold your laundry in peace. So instead of losing your voice or destroying the newspaper, simply fill up a spray bottle, stick it through the crack in the door and spray. It (thankfully) works for me. at least for now.

For actual tips go over to the fabulous WFMW links at Rocks in My Dryer! :)

NOw if you'll excuse me...someone has not learned his lesson today and I still need to figure out how to keep them from eating the apples.

~Sweet Surprise~

2007-08-20T21:24:00.001-05:00

Look at what my dear hubby surprised me with today! :)

The pic is a little dark but it says "I 'heart'" and then two arrows on each side of the heart, pointing to me of course. :) (he made the heart so big he didn't have room for the "u" haha)

So sweet, fun, and totally completely unexpected. And it tastes great too! He is a fantastic cook but for him to make a cake is just not really his favorite thing to do which of course made it even better. :)

How to Beat the Heat

2007-08-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

1. Refresh your mind by reading the 'good news' in the Bible.
2. Face the billowy breeze of the Holy Spirit.
3. Swim continually in God's love.
4. Shower yourself with God's beautiful blessings.
5. Drink from the springs of living water that will quench your thirst forever.
6. Keep cool and calm in the middle of an argument.
7. When you receive lemons, make tasty lemonade.
8. Break the ice with someone with whom you are holding a grudge.
9. Create a pleasant climate in your home where joy can grow.
10. Splash on all of God's gifts and become a sweet smelling fragrance.

2007-08-14T01:35:00.000-05:00

Ohh. my. goodness.

there's just not words

The Bible

2007-08-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

THE BIBLE

THIS BOOK CONTAINS: THE MIND OF GOD, THE STATE OF MAN, THE WAY OF SALVATION, DOOM OF SINNERS AND HAPPINESS OF BELIEVERS. ITS DOCTRINES ARE HOLY, ITS PRECEPTS ARE BINDING, ITS HISTORIES ARE TRUE AND ITS DECISIONS IMMUTABLE. READ IT TO BE WISE, BELIEVE IT TO BE SAFE AND PRACTICE IT TO BE HOLY. IT CONTAINS LIGHT TO DIRECT YOU, FOOD TO SUPPORT YOU & COMFORT TO CHEER YOU. IT IS THE TRAVELER'S MAP, THE PILGRIM'S STAFF, THE PILOT'S COMPASS, THE SOLDIER'S SWORD, THE CHRISTIAN'S CHARTER. HERE PARADISE IS RESTORED. HEAVEN OPENED AND THE GATES OF HELL DISCLOSED. CHRIST IS ITS GRAND SUBJECT, OUR GOOD ITS DESIGN & THE GLORY OF GOD ITS END. IT SHOULD FILL THE MEMORY, RULE THE HEART & GUIDE THE FEET. READ IT SLOWLY, FREQUENTLY, PRAYERFULLY. IT IS A MINE OF WEALTH, A PARADISE OF GLORY & A RIVER OF PLEASURE. IT IS GIVEN YOU IN LIFE, WILL BE OPEN AT THE JUDGMENT AND BE REMEMBERED FOREVER. IT INVOLVES THE HIGHEST RESPONSIBILITY, REWARDS THE GREATEST LABOR, AND CONDEMNS ALL WHO TRIFLE WITH ITS HOLY CONTENTS.

BY T.W. PHILLIPS

GOD LIVES IN THE HEARTS OF CHRISTIANS

lady sticks her hand into salamander habitat! read all about it!

2007-07-09T14:13:00.000-05:00

i did it!!! i changed chunk's water by myself! annnnnd....i fed him! food pellets but nevertheless i stuck my hand into the aquarium. hubby will be so proud.

bored...

2007-07-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

Just sitting here thinking, "hey...i was gonna make a post earlier!" Nothing too exciting though. Just some pictures from addie's first outdoor bath and introducing our new family members. First is the Venus Vonn Fly Trapp Family! We have Victor, Victoria (Vickie for short), Van, Vinny, Vanessa, Valerie, and Vladimir.

Our newest family member is Chunk the Salamander. He joined our family on the 4th of July. He's been moved to a much nicer habitat/aquarium that hubby made but I don't have a good picture of it yet and hubby took the camera with him. MOre pictures of Chunk later though. He's been a pretty good little salamander except for his diet....ewww.

And Addie's first outdoor bath, a cute picture of her and Chief, and a picture of Chief's doghouse with a unique tropical -looking tree.

Just felt like putting up some pictures. :)

Psalm 33:6-22

2007-07-05T00:11:00.000-05:00

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of the His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.

Chill Bill....

2007-06-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

We have new neighbors!!! I wanted to give them something to say "welcome new neighbors" so I baked some chocolate chip cookies and found this cute jar and ribbon. Simple yes, but they were actually watching a movie when I stopped by so the cookies were a perfect mid-movie snack and the jar was cheap, but nice and definitely reusable. They live a few houses down from us but they're the same age as we are and get this - they were married the day after we were on the same year! I just think that is so neat and it has to be a good "sign" or whatever you want to call it. Haven't got a chance to really get to know them with this last weekend being Father's Day but I'm looking forward to seeing if they'll accept ours and others invitations to visit our church. : )

And now to the main attraction -

This is the surprise Hubby brought me home Monday night. His (or possibly her) name is Bill. : )

He's a wild baby rabbit. Friends of ours - who live on the edge of town - were mowing and ran over the nest. There were four but one ran off Monday night. Hubby just picked out this one to bring home, all because he thought I'd love to see him (which I did!!). Hard to believe but I've never seen a baby rabbit before! At least not one this small that I can remember. Anyways, we took care of Bill last night (please read on to ensure that this picture does not accurately reflect how Bill spent the night. He had a blanket, food, water, and formula all just incase). He stayed in the laundry basket and stayed far away from Addie, who I might add is worse than Elmer Fudd.

This little booger was FAST! He hopped - no, ran - away from us in the living room that night and then Tuesday morning I took him to Hubby's office for a little bit b/c I had to go to work (and Hubby was going to return Bill to his [new] nest but instead he waited for me). So while Hubby was being a dear and dropping off a Dr. Pepper for me after his errands, Bill was apparently practicing his hopping skills and hopped right out of the box! Luckily he is just big enough to where he can't fit under Hubby's office door. Anyways, getting ahead of myself... So along with the formula we had, we went to Walmart Monday night and got a few things to try and make him more comfortable (which of course are not in any of these pictures). We read up on wild bunnies half of the night and I was so happy when I found a rabbit society webpage this morning that said the mother rabbit will go back to look for a missing baby for up to a week.! She feeds them once in the middle of the night and will come back at night to call if she has any missing babies.

Sooo...tonight we took Bill back to see his siblings. It was soo cute! Bill was definitely the braver one out of the three (probably b/c after being with us he can handle just about anything now, haha). They all three spent some time together in the crate while me and Hubby spent some time on the four-wheeler. TOtally my first time to ride a four-wheeler. :D

We had a blast tonight. We haven't done anything like this in over a year and with the sunset and lightening and rain in the background it was not only really fun but kinda romantic too. : )

As for Bill and his siblings... we rebuilt the nest in the same spot like all the experts said to do, put a wheelbarrel over it to shelter it and packed those bunnies in there tight.... although I think it was Bill who hopped out after David walked away. : )
He was hopping over to go under the trailor so I think he'll be fine and I'm sure he's probably already back in the nest or with his momma.

And........if this basically pointless and rambling post isn't already long enough here's what I ran into while trying to type it up. Addie and her pear that she apparently snagged from Chief, lol. Poor thing wasn't too happy when I took it and threw it away.

2007-06-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

this may sound odd, but its sooooo nice to just be able to stay home for one day and do housework. :D

some eternally unanswered questions....

2007-05-21T21:16:00.001-05:00

we all know there are many "timeless" questions...classics if you will -

to be or not to be?

which came first - the chicken or the egg? (the chicken by the way....whether you "believe in the Bible" or not.....but let's not get started on all the ridiculous websites i found for this question)

is the whole thing about "eating" 8 spiders while you sleep in a year true? ( i reallllllllly don't want this answer, i'm paranoid enough)

why does your husband go ten paces slower than usual when he knows you're stressed and hurried?

who names the crayola crayons?

why doesn't the dog ever go in the (nice, handbuilt by owner) doghouse during thunderstorms??

silly dog...

2007-05-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

EDIT: Before I forget again, I did get the puppy returned to her owner. And it was a 10 yr old girl so I felt better. I was getting attached to that little booger.

It was a great night tonight. Nothing unique (at least not here). Didn't think I would enjoy it so much, especially since it began with taco bell (ugh).

Chief (the choc. lab) was barking and facing the corner of the back porch so I thought maybe he found another "crunchy bug" as they're called at our house. He kept barking for waaaaay too long and was starting to sound a little mean so I start to wonder if maybe he's found like a large worm/small snake creature out there. (I know...I'm a dork.) I go out there and look behind the chimnae (or however you spell it) and there's this HUGE toad! hehe. So I try to distract Chief while hubby moves behind the chimnae to get it (b/c of course i'm not touching it) and then we run through the house to the front porch. Why? B/c there are HUNDREDS of BUGS out there. It's gross, completely gross. Prime dining experience for a toad. Hubby caught two moths and placed them right in front of Alfred (I didn't name him...). It took awhile but he finally caught the first one and then we got him catching the last one on video! it was so icky, lol. (is there a way to put a video clip on here??) Then, after releasing Alfred into the front flower garden, we went inside, watched the video, and ended up watching a bunch of other videos we had taken earlier too. It was our first time to watch "old" home videos (not old but ya know, the ones we'd already forgotten about). We laughed so hard. I totally loved it, moths and all.

I was complaining (we were talking about fixing up the house, but still...) about our front porch (or the lack thereof) earlier today and was kind of reprimanded when I turned around and saw the front door hanging (italics and bold for emphasis) - "Having a place to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both is a blessing." That reminder and watching home videos with the one I adore was great. Makes me truly, truly thankful for all the things I have, both little and big. But then again, I guess all blessings from God are big. :)

"...for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need."
Gen. 33:11

not-even-close-to-having-a-green-thumb

2007-05-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

My mother-in-law gave me this cool little plant the last time I was in town. I just commented on it and then later she ended up giving it to me. It was just a small one that she picked up at Lowe's for a few bucks. It's an air plant. AIR plant...AIR plant... That means I don't have to water it? She said she misted it occassionally when it looked a little parched. I'm excited - I mean I LOVE this plant. I'm thinking I can handle this and I finally have my first plant for my house. It's an airplant (have I said that enough yet?) That means I should be able to handle it right?

It's dying. :(

I've only had it since Easter weekend. How on earth can my AIRPLANT be dying?! I mean how can it already be dying with so little time in my care? My clumsy self hasn't even had a chance to send it down the road of death. My dog hasn't had a chance to eat the leaves. I haven't had the chance to knock it over, spill some chemical on it, or anything. It's been sitting there the whole time with nothing bothering it. I've looked after it and tried to help it but I haven't done anything extreme. This is bad. How can I make and keep a garden outside that needs care and supervision if I can't keep my little airplant alive!? :\
I'm looking online but I need help b/c I know ziltch. Does anyone know anything about air plants?? I would be grateful.

welp, here's my sign....

2007-05-07T22:36:00.001-05:00

so i'm not a puppy person. maybe it was all the foster puppies my family took care of. or maybe the foster puppies brought out my anti-puppy side. the point is - not a puppy person and i can barely handle them. regardless, for some reason i picked up a puppy on the side of the road today. don't ask me why, i have no idea! i already had a headache and i usually don't pick dogs up randomly. but then again i never can catch them and they're not usually puppies that are extremely happy to see me. i couldn't help it. it was running across one street towards the main street in town and i just knew it was going to get hurt. i feel so sorry for it though. it was so hungry earlier and seems attention-deprived. i don't know...the collar (with no tag, i thought it had one though) looks like one a little girl or young woman would buy. ya know...the cute kind with the "rhinestones." i'm trying not to get attached though. as long as i don't name her, lol. :)

i guess we'll just see what happens tomorrow. but goodness....the whimpering....it's gonna be a long night....at least Ms. A likes her though. :)

Spring Reading 2007

2007-04-29T15:27:00.001-05:00

Check out the challenge and everyone's reading lists at Callapidder Days!

Alright...so here's my pathetic attempt at the Spring Reading 2007 challenge. I LOVE to read. I've got a million different little lists of books I want to read so I'm actually very happy with this opportunity to keep track of the books I'm reading and want to read. Hopefully I'll continue it past this spring! :) I'm starting this late though and am not sure I'll be doing this the right way so I apologize in advance if I miss something. Here's the beginning of my list. Some I think I'll probably like and some I'll just have to wait and see.... :)

**Edit**The Secret of the Rose Series #3 - Escape to Freedom by Michael Phillips

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian (sort of currently reading)
A Gentle & Quiet Spirit: Discover the Truth about These Misunderstood Qualities by Virginia Lefler
Where the Wild Rose Blooms by Lori Wick (currently reading)
Whispers of Moonlight by Lori Wick - I actually don't own this book or know if the local library has it but it's the 2nd book in the series. My mom bought me books #1 and #3 (b/c I've been pleased with Mrs. Wick's books so far) for Christmas. I guess she couldn't find #2.
To Know Her By Name by Lori Wick
The Girl in the Red Coat by Roma Ligocka
The Grapes of the Wrath by John Steinbeck
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (if i can find it. i'm just intrigued i guess)
Marley and Me by John Grogan (i think i'm finally in the mood to read this now that we have Chief)
Lady in Waiting by Debbie Jones & Jackie Kendall - reread for young women's Bible study

EDITED: 5/7/07

2007-04-19T00:29:00.001-05:00

"Do not let your hearts
be troubled. Trust in
God; trust also in
Me." - John 14:1

Works For Me Wednesday

2007-04-17T15:15:00.000-05:00

I'm sure there are a lot of moms out there who already know about this cd but I was just amazed at how quickly it really does work. I know I'm not a mom yet but I had an experience with this cd with my niece over Easter weekend and I was A-mazed. The cd is called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, M.D. There are some other products including a book and dvd. Anyways, my sister-in-law and I were driving home from a family birthday celebration with a VERY cranky, tired, and hungry 3 week old niece who had been passed around quite a bit between family members (and I'm sure my blinding her with my camera all night didn't help much either!). So there we are in the car and this baby is furious poor thing! Finally my sister-in-law finds this cd and puts it in and my niece was fine in just a matter of minute or two. Anyways, you have to listen to this cd. Maybe it was just me, but it was unreal how my niece quieted down and stuff just like the back of the cd said. And I understand these are sounds heard in the womb but if you're not a doctor or mommy then they'll probably sound just as weird to you as they first sounded to me. But then again, I'm sure like me you'll probably forget how weird it sounds when you realize the baby is quiet. :)
And apparently you get used to the weird looks from other people in their cars when they notice the odd sounds coming through your window from your car stereo. Lot better than that baby crying. ;)

Other Link:
Happiest Baby CD

Cabin Fever

2007-04-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

Sooo....It's been stormy all night and day and I'm sitting here all mornin' thinking "I realllly hope he grows up fast..." But then, as I was looking through another blog at old posts, I was reminded that pulling trash bags out of the trash can and whining incessently is annoying but thankfully (especially on this cold day) he's not anything like this (and hopefully I didn't just jink myself)...

October 20, 2004 - fall break? oh goodness..... we lost a dog this weekend.....her name is brownie....she completely spazzed and ran for the woods behind the park in our neighborhood.....a lady gave it to us to adopt out... so then what happens you ask? we look for the dog for 2-3 days, tell the lady at church what happened...monday night she's going to give us a puppy now.....it spazzed out at her house.... so scratch that idea.....so she brings us this 3rd dog - brownie's daughter, emma sue. backing up - brownie was kept in the garage for a day or two. we have 2 other dogs and brownie had never been kept in a yard before anyways. then my parents put her in the dog run. she escapes into the yard and then digs out underneath the big fence and then begins spazzing once more as she jets off into the evening sky. so back to brownie's daughter, emma sue. (don't you just love all the random dog names?) so we're not going to let that happen, emma goes in the garage monday night.. she doesn't spaz as in she runs off never to be seen again.....no.....she spazzes out by hiding: underneath the folded up ping-pong table, in between the bikes, under dad's old desk, and last, but certaintly the most exciting......she spazzes out by attempting to climb up INTO the built-in shelves on the back wall.
anyone else see a pattern here? perhaps spazzing out??

Works For Me Wednesday: Car Edition

2007-04-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

This week I wanted to finally participate in Works for Me Wednesday! I've found the other editions extremely helpful although since I don't have kids yet I'm storing away a lot of the tips for future reference. :)
I thought since this edition was cars it would be a little easier but...I couldnt think of anything!? (If I eventually remembered one little thing and I'm not sure how much of a wow factor or show-stopper this one will be but here it goes~ Usually when it comes time to change the oil (or any other car liquid) around my house the funnel can not be located to help pour in the new oil. I don't remember who thought of it first, probably hubby, but now if we can't find the funnel we get a piece of paper, roll it into a funnel, usually stick a piece of tape or paperclip on there and it works just the same. For some reason when we first tried it I was skeptical but it works great.

My other works for me tip for car maintance stuff is if I can't figure it out - which is most of the time! - then I get grandpa to fix it and that's what really works for me! ;)

Find more (and probably better!) tips at Rocks In My Dryer! :)

Those Lazy, Hazy, Not-So-Crazy Days...

2007-04-03T00:15:00.000-05:00

Almost made an outdoor dog of her today...but then she panicked around 7pm and insisted on coming back inside...muddy paws and all...

2007-03-27T22:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Madison!

...

2007-02-25T00:31:00.000-06:00

original post: dailybreadbearvalley

"BENNY HINN'S TRANSLATOR"
Neal Pollard
Early this morning, I caught a few moments of Benny Hinn's program. It was taped in Mombai, India. Throngs of people filled the audience. As Benny was speaking to the crowd, he followed his usual format of talking about specific people in his live audience as well as those watching him at home. He spoke of specific ailments and even boldly spoke about specific individuals, calling them by name and mentioning very specific struggles with which they dealt. Apparently, this approach of Hinn's has proven very successful. A cohort of his, taking the microphone, spoke of the Hinn Ministry's ten satellites and worldwide thirty city tour that even included Jerusalem. The people in the audience were paying rapt attention, hanging on both men's every word. Of course, they could only understand Benny and his fellow-laborer through the work of an articulate, but unseen, translator. The man who purports to heal diseases, speak in tongues, have Spirit-led abilities to identify specific people and problems, and to have a supernaturally-given message...needed a translator.
1 John 4:1, talking about the false message of the Gnostics, urges, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." You could tell that Gnostics were false teachers because they denied that Jesus had come in the flesh. A broader point is that the Bible is always an accurate "tester" of any person's assertions or doctrine. If there is inconsistency or contradiction, be careful! A man claiming so many gifts of the Spirit should not need an interpreter, should he?
Several websites exist that give line by line proof testing the claims and teaching of Mr. Hinn (see, for example,http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/tbn.htm, http://www.rapidnet.com/ ~jbeard/bdm/exposes/hinn/general.htm, http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/bhinn.html ad nauseum). Untold numbers of people offer financial support to false teachers, never once testing their message or assertions by God's Word. Whoever the teacher is and whatever his professed religious affiliation--and that includes even those among us--he should be measured against the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). The Bible is the ultimate measuring stick, and nobody's practice or profession should be in conflict with it.