Sabbath Bliss 2

My Sabbath started out with a beautiful thunder storm passing through while I was sitting at the table eating breakfast. I watched as the lightning bolts cut through the clouds and thunder rumbled. The rain started as a sprinkle and then gradually increased to a brief downpour before subsiding again. By the time I left for church it was all over and the clouds were starting to dissipate. I was chorister so that alone always gets me energized. I just love singing praises to God and sharing His Word. I also got to lead out in the children's Sabbath School and we sang songs from VBS, the lesson was about the sermon on the mount and I gave a nature talk about birds (another of my passions). It was a small group and they were all quite attentive so it was very fun. Brad Bohl gave the sermon and I have to tell you the Lord has filled him with the Spirit because his sermons are always thought provoking and from the heart. He makes the correlation between the stories in the Bible and how they all were a forshadowing of Christ and His life. Then he talked about how we shouldn't be shy about praying together and should do more of it and had everyone get in small groups and put our hands on each other and pray. Well, I never have felt comfortable praying in front of others, not even with Curt. That's why I never liked going to prayer groups. But yesterday opened my eyes to see that we should never be ashamed or embarrassed to lift up our praises and petitions to the Lord. I always felt that my prayers weren't as eloquent as others but I have to stop thinking about me and remember it's all about Him. Ben D. invited me to join him and Brad and Corey and I felt so blessed and renewed afterwards. It was life-changing. I really think the Lord will do great things in our church through the young adults.
Bud and Carolyn Paasch were visiting in church and she had offered to have special music so I stopped to talk to her after church to thank her and we ended up having a nice chat and Shirley M. was there also and we got talking about her mother-in-law who is going to be 99 next month and she certainly doesn't look it. Of course the conversation went to how important eating a healthy diet is and I shared how I have never been convicted to be a vegetarian but these Sabbath School lessons have been making me think. Last week one of the verses kept going through my mind all week, "Whatsoever you eat or drink do all to the glory of God". And then I opened the "Signs of the Times" and there was an article entitled, "Does God Care What You Eat". I was thinking that this is a sign from God and then when I'm talking to Carolyn she gives me these two books about the 8 laws of health and "Foods that Heal". She also gave me a CD of hers. So when I left church I was feeling so blessed by everything! I just prayed the God would help the rest of my Sabbath be as special. I listened to her CD while I had lunch and then went out of the deck and read the magazine "Amazing Health, 8 Bible Secrets for a longer and stronger life!". It was a beautiful afternoon soaking up my daily dose of Vitamin D.
Later on I talked to Amy and then Curt and I watched "Prince Caspian" while listening to the soothing gentle rain outside. It was a most blessed Sabbath!!

Today is the Day

I started my weight loss campaign back in January and in one month I lost 15 pounds. Then what happened I don't know. I guess I started slipping back into my old habits and for the last few months I've been trying valiantly to keep those pounds off but am losing the fight. So today I am getting back on track and my goal is to lose 20 pounds by August 1, when we leave for the Star Trek convention in LasVages. Yes, maybe it's a steep goal but why not shoot for the moon. I decided I am giving a dollar for investment for every pound lost so maybe it will motivate me and help me stop and think before I eat something I shouldn't or at least not in excess. I went shopping today and bought lots of fruit and got it all cut up so I can just bag it up and take it to work. Remember me and Curt in your prayers.

Fun and Exercise

Yesterday Curt and I went to Aberdeen to celebrate Father's Day. After a great lunch of grilled chicken and asparagus and all the extras we went to the waterpark and spent the afternoon. It was a perfect day, in the 80's, sunny with a slight breeze. They have 3 waterslides there. One in which you go down in a tube, one very fast one and one that you twist and turn. It's really fun but Curt wouldn't go down any of them with me. We did go tubing on the lazy river several times because at the main swimming pool they were having a swim meet so we couldn't actually go swimming. I met a family who had gone to VBS and they were just down for the day also. I didn't wear any sunscreen so I did get a little sunburned but not so much that I'm uncomfortable. When we got back Curt's mom grilled steaks and potatoes for supper. We never go hungry when we go for a visit.
Today we went out to the cabin and Curt mowed the lawn while I started hauling up some of the branches from when the tree got cut down. Wow, a few trips up the steps sure made me realize how out of shape I am! After Curt got done with the lawn he helped me and we ended up taking two loads to the brush pile. I did a little weed pulling on the slope also and right now I am totally wiped out after my shower. It feels good to just relax. But it was another fantastic day out, in the high 70's with a nice breeze. We are getting spoiled!

Sabbath Bliss

It is such a beautiful day today! I would say it doesn't get much better than this. The Sabbath School lesson caused an enjoyable debate giving one something to think about regarding what we eat and doing all to the glory of God. The sermon was on the "Top Ten Reasons to Worship" and then we had potluck. Not many stayed so it was more enjoyable that way, I always feel. You get to visit more. When we got home Curt and I went for a walk out by the reservoir. Even though it was afternoon the birds were still letting me know they were there. When we got home Curt fixed some lemonade and we sat out on the deck for the 2nd time since we've had it. It is in the high 70's with just a light breeze and just a few whispy white clouds. Thank you Lord, for you are good!

Our "High Seas" finale

Thursday night we had our final VBS program. Unfortunately, not all the kids could come due to other commitment with sports. But we had a great turnout and everyone seemed to enjoy it. There were many favorable comments made afterwards. The kids sang so well and knew the motions to the songs, it was beautiful! It is always amazing to me to see the kids memorize so quickly what has taken me a month to learn and they learn it in 4 days. Teree Rittenbach does such a great job with the slide show and the kids and parents enjoy seeing what their kids have done all week. We had a final count of 55 kids, not all came everyday but it's definately a record! I got Curt to take some pictures for me because usually I'm so busy I never get to take any. Enjoy!

God Sightings

We started VBS on Monday, High Seas Expedition, and it's been great! God has blessed us with more kids than we've ever had before. I think we are close to 50. But of course that posed a problem for me because I didn't plan for that many and so we are running out of our "Bible buddies", crafts and such. So my faith was tested yesterday as I was having a major melt down after I got home from VBS, worrying about how I was going to rectify this dilemma. All the time I was laying on my bed crying the words to our VBS songs kept running through my head..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart...", "and I won't worry about tomorrow, I'll trust in what You say...". And I thought, "I am not living out what I am trying to teach the children this week". So I asked for forgiveness and the Lord gave the peace I needed and helped me find a solution to my problems. And then this morning He blessed me with such a beautiful day that I just had to go for a bike ride. It was perfect! The birds were singing their hearts out and it gave me such enjoyment. Once again I was overwhelmed with what an awesome God I serve! (God sightings are moments during your day when you see God being revealed to you. It's what the kids are looking for everyday and we record them and are making a very long paper chain to display at the program.)

The Sioux Falls Renaissance Festival

On Sunday, June 6 Curt and I went to the Renaissance Festival at Sioux Falls. We really didn't know what to expect, comparing it to the Minnesota one but it was a delightful surprise. We had a great time. There was good entertainment and vendors and several good eating spots. The weather was perfect. It had a small town feel but big time experience. Enjoy the pictures!

Back in the saddle again

Well, I did it! Got back on my bike after almost 2 years. A couple years ago I got this urge to try some once in a lifetime thing, which was to ride in the CANDISC (cycling around North Dakota in Sacajawea country). The ride ended up in Medora and I thought it would be a most beautiful ride. Well, beautiful maybe but it was the hills I didn't consider. So needless to say it was a very grueling and painful experience for me. I made it to Medora but did not go the return route. I got on my bike a couple times that fall but last summer could not force myself to get back on. But this morning I pumped up the tires and dusted her off and took to the bike path. I only went about 6.5 miles but my hands are still a bit shakey as I am writing this and my legs are quivery. As you can tell, I am very out of shape but I will continue to ride from time to time and try and regain the joy I used to feel when I was biking. ( I did a biking journal during my training in the summer of 2008)

Memorial Day

Yesterday was a beautiful day! Sunny, with a light breeze. Curt went to the memorial service at the KC Hall,which then went to Nickeus park to float a wreath down the river for the naval heroes and on to Fort Seward where they placed a wreath at the memorial wall and had a gun salute. Curt said it was a nice service and I had planned to go with him but after working all night and having to work again at 6 p.m. I opted to sleep but was up by 1 p.m. anyway so Curt fired up the grill and we had hotdogs and a good old picnic on the patio. It was so beautiful to just sit in my lounge chair and soak up the sun, listen to the birds, and remember all the things I have to be thankful for. God is so very good!