Keep Praying.

I visited a blog (Selah ~ Pause, Ponder, Praise) tonight that really really touched my heart!!! She doesn't live in Fargo/Moorhead, but she is praying! It makes me feel good knowing that there are people around the world that care and that take things like this to God. She shared an amazing song on her blog. I will possibly post it here later (because I love it), however, you can go to her site and listen to it. It is SO GOOD. God is SO GOOD.

Marshmallow fun.

I bought the girls placemats at the Dollar Store. They just loved them and felt so special to have their very own placemat.




Here we are making Marshmallow candy for Maci's Party. While we were making them Sierra kept saying..."I'm not done." I think it was because she was having so much fun making them, she wanted to keep doing it. :)


And of course Jae had to show Hannah how to make "taffy" with a marshmallow. There was NO WAY Sierra was going to do it...she would get dirty and that would not go well with her!

Prayers are being heard

It seems as if the River is slowing down and receding. We are thankful!! It is just watch and wait now. It will take several days for the threat of flooding to be over so there will still be alot of activity in Fargo/Moorhead this week. Amy is staying with Destiny for now. Will just see from day to day how it goes. I had wanted Amy to come home this weekend to help me with Maci's party, but she did not want to be stuck here and not able to get back for work. Even though the school's are closed all next week it sounds like she will need...well...get to work! That is a blessing too! Destiny's place of work has moved all of it's residents to other towns so I am not sure when she will be able to work again. I hope it's not too long of a wait. Keep praying.

I have the girls tonight and we've been really busy so I will be posting some fun pictures after I get them downloaded.

More flooding

It's really getting tough in Fargo/Moorhead. So MANY places closing down. No school anywhere most of the week. People are being evacuated. This morning I read that even more are being evacuated in both Fargo and Moorhead. It appears that Amy and Destiny are still in a safe area....but it really makes me nervous!!! I'm praying....lots. Please pray too. Thanks.

The breaking news at Fargo

"It's time to get busy again:" Area flood-fight leaders plead for massive volunteer effort as crest level raised to 41 feet; rising Red now near 36 feet.

As I post Amy, Destiny, Joel and another friend are doing their part. It is amazing the efforts that ALL of the community is putting forward to fight this huge battle. Please continue to pray for everyone involved.

I have found this site to be a good place of updates.

Flooding

I've been talking to Amy and reading the Fargo paper online. This is so serious!! This is the Breaking News Headline: "Fargo says, Sandbaggers still 'Desperatly Needed'". I know that Amy and Destiny are going to try to get out there tomorrow. Amy said it's all anybody there is talking about. So many schools are closed so that the high schoolers can help with the sandbagging, even businesses are letting employees go to sandbag! She is planning to come home for the weekend, but now I see that part of the interstate is actually closed due to flooding. Please keep them all in your prayers as they fight this incredible situation.

Storm

Well NO work today! It's snowing and very very windy. No travel advised in most of central ND. Alot of schools are closed. It's a blizzard out there!! I had a feeling that winter was not done with us. It is predicted that we could get a foot of new snow. The only thing that is encouraging about it coming this time of year is that it shouldn't last too long ~ it IS spring. Glen just went to check out the roads to see if he can get going. I highly doubt he'll be able to go far
I have SO much to do that a day at home will be nice I suppose. But that means, I have to get busy and DO all the things I have to do. :) .

Back from a weekend of ....planning.

I had to privilege of spending the weekend with some of God's daughters. I had a wonderful time. We got all our planning for the September Retreat done. And we managed to eat a little and do some laughing! Ok....we ate ALOT and laughed most of the weekend. :) I always find it so interesting when everything just fits together. Our theme for this years retreat is The Redemption of A Woman. It was a bit difficult to come up with favors and finding just the right text. But we did it.....with prayer.
Anne ~ our fearless leader, brought gifts for each of us and she always trys to fit our personalities in the gift. We each received a cup, saucer and spoon. All different. Mine features a Poppy! I LOVE poppies!!! Anne didn't know about our Poppy. When I was little my parents had a foster child and her name, well I think nickname, was Poppy! I always think of the sacrifice that my parents, especially my mom gave in helping other kids by taking care of them in their time of difficulty. My brother and I didn't always like having these kids playing with our toys and stuff. I think that Poppy just really sticks out in my mind and reminds me ~ 1. There are kids who need people like my mom. 2. I need to be willing to share my life with "difficult" people and with a smile! God's telling me something here! 3. Even though I don't know Poppy today, she was and is one of God's daughter's too. I pray her life is good today....and hopefully my mom's giving made a good impact on her.

Here's our cups....mine is the orange Poppy one in the front. They are all beautiful.

These next two pictures are of our group.
Back row: Ruth (our hostess), Anne (our leader), Brenna (the new one...well not really, she's just back after taking time off to go to school....she's really nice too). Front row: Cleo (our mentor), Sandy (our get it done girl), Janice (our funny girl) and Jen (our creative one).
Did I do ok, girls?? :)And this second one has me in it instead of Jen. Somebody had to take the picture. :)

Sharing my heart with a green pepper.

I have something I want to share, but I am not a writer, so hang with me, if you can. :)
I love analogy's, illustrations, etc. And that's where this post will go.
Yesterday I bought ingredients for a pasta salad I need to make for the weekend. I had a green pepper that was just lovely, crispy, green...mmmm...well that is until I cut it opened! It was BLACK inside!!! Like really gross black! I immediately dropped the pepper back into the sink and backed away. How in the world did this happen to that beautiful green pepper, and what was it?? I grabbed a plastic bag (I no longer wanted to touch it) and picked it up out of the sink and threw it in the garbage....and the garbage went out to the dumpster! Now I have to buy a new green pepper. I needed it, that's one of the reason's I bought it, but I did not have a problem throwing it away that's for sure!
It made me think about our hearts ~ mine.
On the outside I think I'm a pretty good person, I smile, I work, I do good things, I take a shower everyday ~well ok, I miss a Sunday or two once in a while.
Overall, I'm clean, I'm good.
BUT
what does my heart really look like?
I am seeing some things that make me think it might be kinda black inside too.
And I am not ok with that!
Although I like the color black, in spiritual talk black does not represent God so
what does it represent?
White ~ like those seeds where suppose to be ~ is like God. Black ~ like those seeds where ~ represents ~ I hate to even say it, but ok, evil. How's that? I'm telling you those seeds were UGLY!!! Scary even.
I threw that pepper away ~ but thank goodness I have a Father that loves me no matter what and He forgives me ~ AND He can change my ugly heart! How exciting is that!! :)
I don't have to be thrown away.
He tells us in 1 Samuel 10:8-10 that "As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day".
Here's a favorite of mine Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
As you listen to the video to one of my favorite songs...
let God change your heart if that's what it needs.

Change my heart oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart oh God, may I be like You.
You are the potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me, this is what I pray.

I'm off to spend the weekend with the girls from the Dakota Conference Women's Ministries planning team. I think I will be blessed and hopefully get my heart cleaned up a bit. :)

Word Filled Wednesday

For even I, the son of man came here not to be served but to serve others and to give my life as a ransom for many - Matthew 20:28

Thought I'd add this to my blog today. It is such a great verse. Guess I'm feeling a bit like I need to remember what God taught about serving others.

Kids

Last night I went out to supper with Billie Jo, the little girls, Grandma, Marc, Crystal and Amelia. Try taking 4 little girls, one pre-teen and an 87 year old Grandmother out to eat....all at the same time!!! :) We took up 3 booths! It was a nice time though...but so busy. One thing that happened that was so incredibly funny was Hannah was drinking a malt, without a straw and without a lid. So as she is trying to "drink" this malt she had to tip the cup farther and farther up (it was a THICK malt). All of a sudden I looked over at her and she had a face full of chocolate malt!!! She had tipped it so far up that it fell out onto her. Imagine freezing cold chocolate all over your face and even up your nose!!! Well we got her cleaned up...only to have the very same thing happen AGAIN 5 minutes later! I wish I would have had the camera along. It would have been a good picture. But then again we were so busy cleaning her up that taking a picture just wasn't even a thought. Oh to have these "little" situations every day. Kids are so fun. :)

What you find in blog hopping.

I LOVE blog hopping. I think that's what it's called. :) I go from blog to blog to blog. THAT'S why I don't get anything done around here. All these unfinished projects....it's because of the wonderful blogs I find and must read!! So today....I started out on Bakerella (one of my favorite blogs) and I ended up with finding Wild Olive Tees. They sell women's tees that spread the word of God. AND, they are very very cool looking. Very trendy and unique. I'm certainly impressed. I can't decide on which Tee I like best....but this one really catches my eye.

That's another story of mine....making a decision! Anyway, if you like to wear Tees and you want to spread the Word..check them out here. Thru March 31 shipping is free. How cool is that?? AND on their blog they have a contest going to win $75 in free merchandise!