A Window into my soul....

LATEST OIL PAINTING ON WOOD

2011-11-05T16:56:00.003-04:00

I have these wood plaques that Dave and I hang outside the house as a welcome sign. My goal is to have one for every season so that I can change them up. These are my latest.

SOME NEW POINTE PICS THAT I HAVE BEEN HOLDING ONTO

2011-11-05T16:48:00.002-04:00

I've had these pics for awhile. This is the first opportunity I've had to get them off the camera.

FINAL PICS FROM NEW POINTE CANTON MURAL

2011-09-28T21:23:00.003-04:00

Couldn't have got this done without these two ladies.

I forgot to get final pics of the pond side. I'll have to remedy that.

BEAUTIFUL SKIES

2011-09-26T19:16:00.003-04:00

Sunday night lightening show:

Monday sunset:

MORE NEW POINTE COMMUNITY CHURCH CANTON CAMPUS MURAL PICS.

2011-09-24T07:37:00.003-04:00

Volunteering at New Pointe is fun!!!!

MAX THE CAT SWEEPS THE FLOOR

2011-09-17T15:24:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Cats 101. Vrooooooom!

MCROBIE PRECISION DIFFERENTIAL. THE DIFFERENCE IN DIFFERENTIALS.

2011-09-16T17:29:00.001-04:00

Dover, Ohio

MORE NEW POINTE CANTON MURAL

2011-09-07T21:10:00.003-04:00

NEW POINTE CANTON CAMPUS MURAL PROJECT

2011-09-03T19:07:00.021-04:00

Debby Burick, Sue Kauffman, Faye Stingel, Cookie Stingel,
myself

Doreen's Monkey
Doreen's other monkey, and combined effort of Faye, Cookie, and myself on greenery and flowers.
Faye and Sue's wall
Sue's wall
Doreen St. John
Faye Stingel and flowers
Cookie Stingel and flowers

Bonnie Bixler
Bonnie's Fish. When we projected this fish on the wall we noticed that because of the curve of the wall the fish became distorted. We decided to embrace that distortion, because it gave the fish the illusion of being seen through an aquarium glass. Bonnie successfully completed the illusion.
Debby's wall
Debby's hippo, Cookie's fish

Combined effort Faye, Cookie, myself

CAT AND DOLPHIN PLAY

2011-05-23T20:32:00.002-04:00

Although this is not my cat, it reminds me of our tabby Turbo who went to cat Heaven a couple of years ago. The similarities are strong. Precious.

GRUMPY TREE

2011-05-13T14:23:00.003-04:00

Remember the trees in the Wizard of Oz that attacked Dorthy on the way to Oz. I came upon one on my walk today. He was not happy about being photographed.

HUMMINGBIRD WITH BRAINFREEZE?

2011-04-30T15:37:00.003-04:00

If it's possible, I think my hummingbird got brainfreeze from my feeder when it was cold out. I saw him at the feeder. Next thing I know, he was on the cement on his back. I tried to pick him up to put him in a towel to keep him warm. He laid there for a moment. Then he got up and flew away.

PICK YOUR BATTLES

2011-04-12T19:40:00.003-04:00

A person who enjoys working with Adobe needs children who like to get their picture taken. Unfortunately I do not have that luxury. Kevin was going to drop off some resumes. But, I wouldn't let him out the door before I took some pictures. It took me ten tries just to get the frown off his face. Anyhow, this was the result.

OUT OF THE WORKING WILDERNESS

2011-03-30T12:37:00.000-04:00

For thirty-two years Dave has been in the working wilderness while God chiseled away at him, refining him through the maize of grueling factory work. Ready or not, God has opened the door for something Dave has longed for. Specifically, God has opened the door for a job at New Pointe Community Church. The only thing that would be more poignant would be if he had worked forty years in the factory. But, let's not even go there.

KEVIN IN NEW POINTE'S WORSHIP BAND FOR THE WAREHOUSE

2011-03-23T19:23:00.005-04:00

KEVIN SUBS IN NEW POINTE'S WAREHOUSE WORSHIP BAND

2011-03-23T19:17:00.009-04:00

Kevin's friend Nate who plays in New Pointe's Warehouse Worship Band was scheduled to be on tour with his other band last Sunday. So Kevin got to sub for him. I had a "that's my boy" opportunity to video their set. Don't forget to turn off the ipod music before you start this video. Otherwise, they'll play simultaneously.

SEABIRD LANDS AT NEWPOINTE

2011-03-22T20:10:00.009-04:00

Dave, Kevin, and I were priviledged to volunteer at another awesome event at NewPointe Community Church. HSM at NewPointe sponsored a concert event with Seabird, an excellent band whose genre is described as alternative/indie/rock. Several local artists combined talents to open for the concert including Steve Lowry from the band Third From First and NewPointe's own Danny Bunnelle. If I remember right, I believe Seabird has played at Alive and will be playing there again this year. In a spare moment I took the opportunity to snap some photos.

HAVING FUN AT VELOCITY

2011-03-22T19:29:00.002-04:00

These are pictures of Velocity First Grade Girls along with Velocity Director, Matt Beres, and student teacher, Samantha Schaar. Velocity is so much fun. I enjoy working under Matt's leadership. I also enjoy working with Samantha . She's a blessing. The girls adore her. In addition, I love this class of girls. There's no lack of sugar and spice in this bunch.

PRETTY SKY

2011-02-15T19:48:00.004-05:00

DO UNTO OTHERS

2011-02-15T19:44:00.002-05:00

This months memory verse in Velocity. Demonstrated by Elena, Sarah, Aleia, Lauren, Maggie, and Faith. Aren't they adorable!

YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE

2011-02-10T15:45:00.003-05:00

To the viewers that are attempting to use my blog to spread inappropriate garbage, you're not welcome here and I will not be visiting your URL, nor will I publish your URL. You're waisting your time here.

NEW SONG ADDED TO PLAYLIST

2011-02-05T01:28:00.002-05:00

I added Everything by Lifehouse to my play list. I love that song.

HELLO TO POLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS

2011-02-04T20:31:00.006-05:00

We had an ice storm that covered several states. I ran out and took a picture of the ice covered tree.

We had some visitors yesterday. It's really cold out and snow covered. The geese found some green grass. The deer wanted to see what was so interesting. He didn't find anything. So, he soon left. The geese stayed all day.

BE PREPARED TO BE MOVED

2011-01-04T01:17:00.003-05:00

As a good friend said, if you're not moved by this you better check your pulse.

SIMPLY WONDERFUL

2010-12-11T15:12:00.003-05:00

Due to life moving faster then the speed of sound I haven't posted for quite awhile. While going over Sunday's agenda for teaching first grade girls I came across this picture that one of the girls drew. You know how a smiley face is so simple yet says so much. Well this drawing speaks volumes. I was zipping around the house, when I pulled it out of my tote bag. It stopped me in my tracks. I'm not sure which of the girls drew it. I must find out so I can tell her how much it speaks to me.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SACRED FIRE BY PETER LILLBACK

2010-11-13T00:54:00.006-05:00

I've been reading George Washington's Sacred Fire by Peter Lillback. I'm not through the whole book yet. From what I've read so far, Washington was an incredible person. I'm really struck by his courage and reliance of God.
In one instance, not receiving word that a company of allied soldiers was approaching, soldiers under Washington's command were lined up to begin firing at what they thought were the enemy. When he somehow became aware that they were instead allies, Washington tried to stop his troops from firing by riding in front of them and used his sword to push their rifles to the sky to avoid killing anyone.
In addition, Mr. Lillback documents Washington's seemingly endless providential protection. In one of many examples, he mentioned a time when Mr. Washington was riding his horse in battle and a cannon ball struck at his horse's feet, throwing dirt at him. He continued giving orders unfettered by the near miss. There were an endless number of victories for Washington that by all odds should have been defeats and near misses that could have ended in death had it not been for Divine providence.
George Washington was not only courageous, he was on his knees constantly relying on God not only to lead, but in his daily walk. Oh how I pray there is someone out there today with his wisdom, integrity and courage that will step forward and make the sacrifice to lead this country in 2012....if there is a still a country left to lead.

SUNDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

2010-10-04T10:41:00.010-04:00

Dave and Kevin were asked to referee at a senior high event called Sunday Night Lights which was organized by the senior-high staff from New Pointe Community Church. The event took place at New Phila's Quaker Stadium. I thought it would be nice for Dave, Kevin and me to serve together as a family, so I volunteered too. Like everything else that New Pointe does, the event was first class. A great Christian rock band call Third From First played. I worked with other volunteers at the concession stand beside the band. As a result, I had a clear view of the crowd of kids as they gathered around the stage at the start of the event. The band began to play. Although it was cold, I got chills of a different kind when I looked out at the faces in the crowd. It was exciting to be part of such a fine, God-centered, Christian event. After the band played a few songs, the kids played flag football. The band played about five different sets during the entire event which lasted a couple of hours. Sunday Night Lights did not disappoint. It was an excellent event for the high school kids. In addition, it was a great serving opportunity just as I hoped it would be.

My niece, Jessica

2010-09-28T18:54:00.001-04:00

I got bored yesterday and worked on Adobe with my nieces photo. She's very pretty.

MORE DISNEY PICS

2010-09-04T17:57:00.004-04:00

Near Miss

2010-08-16T16:42:00.005-04:00

This is a picture of a video of a picture. It's a long story. We were on the Dinosaur ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom, one of my favs.

I'll Take One to Go, Please

2010-08-16T13:37:00.004-04:00

I was trying to take a picture but had the camera in video mode. Kayla was loving this car at Disney's Test Track.

More Disney Pics

2010-08-15T20:02:00.004-04:00

Three crash dummies

Fight, fight, fight......that's all they know how to do.

The Lion King Musical

More Lion King

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PICS FROM OUR RECENT DISNEY TRIP

2010-08-13T15:00:00.006-04:00

These are four out of over three hundred pics. I will be posting more as time allows. Enjoy.

Wyatt In Uniform

2010-07-25T21:56:00.003-04:00

This is a fun project I did of my Nephew Wyatt. The only problem is I'm not sure if I have the right troops in the background. It was a black and white background off of photo bucket. I'm sure Wyatt will tell me. He's quite the history buff.

Beautiful End to an Ugly Day

2010-07-09T21:24:00.001-04:00

Rained all day here. This was the sunset.

Glorious Day

2010-07-09T12:15:00.003-04:00

When I first opened this picture up, my first thought was the song Glorius Day. How fitting.

Tickling Slow Loris-Cute

2010-06-26T04:35:00.006-04:00

2010-06-24T08:45:00.000-04:00

I know, it's morning, not morny. I laugh at myself.

Morning Glory

2010-06-23T22:33:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom

2010-06-23T09:36:00.001-04:00

I pray for moments that steal your breath away.

Clouds

2010-06-20T17:25:00.011-04:00

Not a thing will catch my eye,
As when a cloud goes strolling by.
For a brief moment it will stay,
And quickly steal my breath away.

Velocity 101

2010-05-17T20:32:00.007-04:00

Every Sunday I attend Velocity at New Pointe and a bunch of first grade girls show up and teach me about God. I know it's supposed to be the other way around, but I get as much out of it as they do. Some girls just dig their way deep into your heart and take a part of it with them when they move on. I have a feeling this one will be back as a teenager to be teaching a class of her own. You can see it in her eyes.

2010-05-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

My lovely niece allowed me to take her picture.

God's Paintbrush

2010-05-05T21:19:00.001-04:00

Easter by Morgan

2010-04-11T15:21:00.003-04:00

This pretty picture was drawn by Morgan, a sweet little girl in my first grade Sunday School class at New Pointe.

Thanks Morgan, I love it.

Snow on McHill

2010-02-09T19:30:00.001-05:00

T-shirt Design for Band

2010-02-01T21:03:00.007-05:00

This is a work in progress. I'm still dealing with monitor issues. I can't tell if the colors are right. So, I'm posting it on line so that I can see how it looks on different monitors.

Water Wells to Drill

2010-01-21T21:12:00.003-05:00

Kevin Kate is leaving for Haiti on Monday, the 25th to assist in drilling water wells for Haiti. I was concerned about the aftershocks. As a friend reminded him, he in turn reminded me, God didn't part the water until Moses put his foot in. Thanks for putting that into perspective. We are looking forward to updates from Haiti.

2010-01-19T12:55:00.007-05:00

I am currently monitor challenged. My monitor is wearing out and does not show color as it is in reality. I have to make adjustments and email Kevin a copy to open up on his computer to see how it really looks. His computer does not have adobe on it, but has a better monitor. I enjoy doing these photos. Kevin wishes I'd find another subject.

Missionaries Still Missing

2010-01-19T02:06:00.002-05:00

With profound sadness, Free Methodist World Missions reports Rev. Jeanne Acheson-Munos, Merle West, and Gene Dufour, the three missionaries who have been unaccounted for, have not been located and are now presumed to not be alive. Today Bishop David Roller conducted a funeral service at the site of the building they were in which collapsed when Tuesday's earthquake hit. These three individuals gave their lives in service to the Haitian people whom they loved deeply. Read more at:
http://lapeerfreemethodistchurch.org/

The only comfort that we can take from this is that they are all together at the feet of their lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayers for Haiti

2010-01-15T18:59:00.001-05:00

Our good friend Kevin Kate was scheduled to leave for Haiti to help drill water wells when the Earthquate hit. Fortunately he had not left yet. Others involved in the drilling were already there. They had left for the drilling site when the quake hit. The residence they were staying in collapsed after they left. They all survived. There is however a Free Methodist Minister by the name of Jeanie Munos (give me grace on the spelling) who was in a building at the time. They have not found her yet. Two other workers are also missing. Dave and I pray for all of their safety and the health and safety of everyone in Haiti. We thank God that Kevin had not left yet.

2009-11-22T23:08:00.002-05:00

2009-11-03T14:17:00.008-05:00

School Assignment

2009-10-18T17:24:00.002-04:00

This was Kevin's school assignment.

An Unknown Fate Has Befallen the Chipster

2009-09-25T18:28:00.002-04:00

I haven't seen the chipmunk for about two weeks now. Turbo goes to the door everyday to see if his friend will show up. But not.

It's Time to Stand Up Video

2009-09-09T02:15:00.001-04:00

A very powerful video headlines Opaque Transparency. Be sure to visit and watch.

Is Anyone Home?

2009-09-05T20:34:00.002-04:00

Look at this guy sitting up and looking in the back door to see if anyone is home. He's so cute.

Another Beautiful Ride Home

2009-09-05T20:29:00.003-04:00

I tweaked the hue and saturation on this photo. It was another beautiful sunrise on the way home from work. I wish I could pull over on the side of the road and get this just coming over the hill past Weaver Furniture. The sun was huge and orange like a fruit. I just can't seam to capture the true beauty on film. I'll keep trying.

God's Country

2009-08-26T19:50:00.006-04:00

I recently got a job as a night auditor at a local Amish Country Inn. I work from 10:30 PM until 7:00 AM. You would think that at 7:00 AM I would need toothpicks to hold my eyes open during the drive home, but the glory of God's creation is so evident at 7:00 AM that I just had to stop by NewPointe's parking lot to take these photos. They don't do the beauty justice.

When I accepted this job, I was just looking forward to some extra income. God, your so great to give me this extra bonus on top of everything else.

Do You Ever Get the Feeling You're Being Watched?

2009-08-23T18:44:00.001-04:00

Interesting Picture

2009-08-16T20:39:00.002-04:00

Hunting for the Local Eagles Nest

2009-08-16T20:35:00.003-04:00

My Mom and I went looking for a local eagles nest. We didn't find it, but we had a good time.

Turbo Is Not a Car Part

2009-08-16T20:29:00.003-04:00

Chippy (we call him that) the chipmunk has taken to scratching on the door when he wants some cracker crumbs. Our cat, Turbo, has begun to look forward to his visits. He stares him down while the chipmunk sits defiantly and stuffs his cheeks with crackers.

Animals are so human sometimes. Turbo likes to get combed daily while he eats. If I don’t take it upon myself to do so, he struts and dances and meows under my feet until I do it. The other day I followed him to his dish and sat down to comb him. I did so for several minutes. I thought he was sufficiently combed. Having other stuff to do, I got up and started walking up the stairs. Apparently he felt differently. In a huff, he came after me up the stairs swiping at my legs with his clawless paws. Then he ran back down the stairs and resumed eating. If it weren’t so funny, I would have been offended.

My Home School Blessing

2009-07-18T20:09:00.004-04:00

It’s been four years now. I remember sitting at my computer. I just got done listening to David Jeremiah do an online sermon on Genesis 22, when God tested Abraham’s obedience. This was an appropriate message at the time because I was having my own ongoing battle with God. He wanted me to take Kevin out of public school. School was unbearable from the start. I, like every parent, wanted the best public school experience for Kevin, one full of accolades, honor rolls, sports trophies, tons of friends, everything school wasn’t for me. God had other plans. Kevin had a learning style not supported by a public school classroom. For him, there was no distinction between an “A” and an “F”. He wasn’t the least bit motivated by an honor roll. Every year from Kindergarten on was a bad experience. I kept telling myself, “Next year will be better.” Then next year would come and go, more horrible then the last. There were a few wonderful teachers who laid a good foundation for Kevin that I am eternally grateful for and I always let them know how much I appreciated them. However, if it wasn’t a bad teacher, it was troublesome peers, or inappropriate curriculum, or multiple teachers assigning too much homework or a combination of all the above.

During those years, God would introduce me to people that I was unaware even existed until the day I met one, a home school parent. What in the world is home schooling? I didn’t know you could do that.

I met a few more home school families on several occasions throughout Kevin’s public school duration. Days after meeting and having conversations with a home school parent I would find myself thinking about how great they made it sound, this home schooling. I was beginning to feel drawn in that direction. Then came the internal debate. I could never do it. I played around in high school. I never took the hard stuff. I barely passed Algebra Half and General Science. There’s no way I could do it. I just can’t. Can I? No, I can’t.

Then came seventh grade. I dreaded the start of the school year as much or more then Kevin. All year long there were endless hours of homework, sometimes six hours a night. God would continue to bring more home school parents in and out of my life. As time went by He whispered to me through introductions to home school families, he nudged me with ongoing bad public school experiences, and convicted me through caring friends. That year he used a hard-nosed, school principal and one, I’ll be gracious when I use the term, misguided teacher to bring me to my knees. That was the day I sat at the computer and said, “Okay God, you win. I’ll do it. I don’t know why You want me to do it, but it’s obvious to me that You do. I never felt His presence more strongly then I did at that moment.

I never looked back. The dread Kevin and I felt at the beginning of every school year was gone. We had our ups and downs and power struggles. Overall, there was no comparison. Home school was a monumental win. Here we are four years later. Kevin has passed his Ohio Graduation Test and qualified for Post Secondary at Stark State College. He will be going to college his senior year of high school. How’s that for a blessing? Somehow I think it’s just the beginning. I told Kevin that God worked so hard to get you out of there, he must have really big plans for you. I can’t wait to see what they are.

Kevin has turned out to be a great young man who gives freely of his time at New Pointe Community Church. At the same time, New Pointe is blessed to have some really great sound and computer technology at their disposal along with some fabulous mentors that have generously given their time to teach Kevin about this technology. God’s gain has been Kevin’s gain. In return Kevin has decided to pursue a degree in commercial music technology. I can’t imagine having missed all this had I continued to have it my way.

Rod Shares a Boat Ride

2009-07-16T16:10:00.002-04:00

Our good friend Rod took us to Atwood and shared an enjoyable boat ride with us.

Lowering His Cholesterol

2009-07-16T16:03:00.002-04:00

The chipmunk did not like the Cheerios. So the squirrel said he would partake.

2009-07-11T12:32:00.007-04:00

This is a coffee table I purchased. It had a pie edge on it. The edge was cracked. Dave and I thought maybe we could repair it, but decided instead to remove the pie edge, put a bevel on it, and refinish it. It came out great. It is for sale for $65.00. I will have it at my garage sale on the 18th.

This is a picture of the original state.

Priceless

2009-07-10T19:51:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Wyatt. Don't ever grow up.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

2009-07-08T17:41:00.004-04:00

These are all first grade girls from Sunday morning Velocity at New Pointe Community Church. I really enjoy seeing them on Sunday. I made them a card using these photo arrangements because they will be moving up to second grade when school starts. Their personalities are wide ranging. I have one who makes hardly a sound from the moment she steps in the door until the time she leaves. Sometimes we sit quietly together and draw, small talk not required. I have another one who brings an energy to the class never before seen. When she is there, the whole dynamic of the class changes. She makes me work harder because she won't settle for boring. If I don't make it fun, she does. I think she will be president someday. Can you tell which one is which? They are all precious in their own way.

My New Little Friend

2009-07-07T20:56:00.001-04:00

He lets me slip walnuts under the storm door. He teases the our cat.

Volunteers

2009-06-24T20:52:00.002-04:00

The Right to Life booth will be at First Town Days. They're always looking for volunteers to operate the booth a couple hours in a day. Let me know. I'll get you in touch with the right people. It's a good time. See you there.

Kids with a heart for God

2009-05-31T19:54:00.007-04:00

Pause my IPOD by clicking the bottom arrow on the IPOD before playing these, or they'll play simultaneously.
.

The second appearance from New Pointe's High School Worship Band. This is team B.
Big applause due for these for kids.
They did a great job! Again, my digital camera fails to take good videos. My apologies

Something uplifting

2009-05-28T18:58:00.003-04:00

As always, turn off the IPOD by placing your curser on the bottom arrow of the IPOD to pause it so that it is not playing the same time as the video. Enjoy.

Music is back

2009-05-26T18:59:00.000-04:00

I lost my music for awhile. I'm happy I got it back again, for now.

Chocolate lovers rejoice!!!!

2009-04-21T17:08:00.002-04:00

Walmart lowered their six pack Hershey bar price from $3.64 to $2.50. Chocolate lovers rejoice!! I bought two.

Stop the music

2009-03-30T07:34:00.002-04:00

DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE MUSIC ON THE IPOD BY CLICKING THE BOTTOM ARROW BEFORE YOU PLAY THE NEWPOINTE WORSHIP BAND VIDEO. OTHERWISE, YOU'LL BE HEARING THEM BOTH PLAY SIMULTANEOUSLY.

A great day

2009-03-29T21:41:00.003-04:00

Today was an awesome day that I think I will remember for a long time. We have to be at church on Sundays at 7:00 AM because of the areas we are serving in. Most days I love being there early because after I get my classroom ready and pray, I go and watch the bands rehearse. It’s just a great place to be. I try to get to bed early on Saturday, but this Saturday I was unable to do so. I was really tired and my brain was in a fog. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to teach my Sunday school class well because I was unable to focus well. I passed our lead Pastor, Dwight Mason in the hallway on the way in to church. He asked me how I was and I said that I was a bit tired. He stopped in his tracks and prayed for me. I prayed again before class started because I knew I was in for a struggle. On top of that, the computers went down and we had to do manual check in. The girls poured in and we got started. I felt the Holy Spirit take over and class went amazingly well. In fact, it was the best class I had done in weeks. Without the Holy Spirit I would never have made it.

After class my son Kevin played for the first time in the Praise and Worship Band. Earlier in the week he got his braces off. I still feel like crap but today was a great day anyway. Thanks God, you’re awesome!

Praise and Worship

2009-03-29T17:27:00.007-04:00

I have two videos to share of the premiere of NewPointe's High School Praise and Worship Band. The videos are taken with my digital camera and are quite fuzzy. The kids did really well for the first time. Don't you think?

Update on last blog

2009-02-23T11:41:00.001-05:00

I've been poking around some more on how to determine how much house a person can afford. Apparently that 30% of your income amount should include your real estate taxes and insurance. When I take those two items yearly total and divide them by 12 and add the two together, they nearly equal my current house payment. The house payment, insurance, and real estate still only equal 25% of our gross income. If your looking to buy a house I wouldn't dare go higher than that.

Home Sweet Home

2009-02-21T19:27:00.006-05:00

I heard on Fox News that our government would help people refinance their mortgages to get a more affordable payment, if your payment was over 30% of your income. That’s the same figure our bank said Dave and I could afford way back when we got our loan in the 90’s. We looked at what 30% of our income was. It was more then double what we knew we could afford. The banks were telling anyone with good credit back then that you could afford a house payment that did not exceed 30% of your income. Maybe if you don’t eat, don’t have any utilities, don’t buy gas or own a car at all, etc. It’s totally unrealistic. I can remember sitting across the desk at the bank when we were told that figure and the look on Dave’s face. We still had time to talk it over, so we went home and discussed it. We were building a house, so we could have made it bigger. We chose not to. We’re only high school grads, but we knew that a payment that was 30% of our income was way too high. We had several friends who were building at the time. I can remember conversations with them about the amount the banks were saying they could afford. I’ll admit it was a boost to our egos to think we could afford a payment that big. I had visions of Jacuzzi tubs and marble counter tops dancing in my head. Dave was envisioning a four-car attached garage. Then the Holy Spirit jerked us back to reality. I’m so glad we didn’t get caught up in that. Twenty percent is more realistic, if you have a weakness for…… say…….food.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank map at the following website http://data.newyorkfed.org/creditconditionsmap/, most states in American are showing only an average of 1% to 3% of mortgages are 90 days delinquent. Only Southern California and Florida rates are higher, coming in at 6% to 7%. That means that about 95% of American mortgages are current or less than 90 days. Why the government intervention? If they're gone to refinance loans to get a lower payment, I surely hope they get their payment down to 20% of they're income or they will just default all over again.

View from my back door for sale

2009-02-11T15:24:00.002-05:00

I decided to list one of my paintings on wood on Ebay. Item # 320340079691. I'm also for hire to paint anything and everything. Times are tough. We need to use our gifts for God's glory first. Then he may allow us to use them to survive. May God bless your gifts.

Update on Helen

2009-01-05T19:47:00.001-05:00

My friend Helen made it through her surgery. She will be recovering at Walnut Hills Nursing home and will anxiously await going home to see her beloved dog, Ginger. I recently had the flu, so I won’t be able to visit her for a while. I will continue to pray for her recovery.

Pardon my Dust

2009-01-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

When I have anxiety about talking to people, is it a sign that my heart is not in line with God? When I was younger every time I opened my mouth I would offend someone. After I had Kevin, I was too busy chasing him around to even have a conversation with anyone. I noticed that the amount of people I usually offended dropped dramatically. Not because I had better things to say, but because I didn’t have time to say anything. I had this mini-revelation that if I talked little I’d offend less. So then became my mission to say as little as possible. It’s funny how I deceived myself into thinking I had discovered this great way of getting along with everyone. I still had this unresolved question. Why do I make people mad when I do open my mouth? Maybe its because I have this critical, judgmental heart. I wasn’t saying it, but I was still thinking it; critiquing, judging, assuming the worst. When I would say something all that ugliness just came spewing out.

Like a master sculptor, God chips away at me. My heart is softening. My anxiety is lessening as I look at people and respond to them differently. I react with more compassion, grace, and understanding then I did before the Holy Spirit moved in. Sometimes I have to talk whether I want to or not. I still have anxiety when I do have to say something, but it is lessening. Thankfully He never tires of this work in progress. Maybe I should wear a sign that says pardon my dust.

Prayer request

2008-12-26T18:32:00.003-05:00

Helen Patterson is a good friend. I met her over three years ago through my small group at church. She's an eighty-one year young ornery spitfire who can talk and cook up a storm. She went into the hospital last week. They put off surgery hoping she could get better without it. I stopped in the last two days only to find her peacefully sleeping. Thinking she needed her rest, I left. I went back today to find her gone. Panicked, I ran for the nurses station to find she was in Intensive Care from post surgery. How awful! They let me in to see her. She was aware I was there, but was too weak to speak. They say she will be okay. She will have a long recovery. Pray for her. She's so special.

Twas the Night Before Jesus Came

2008-12-18T20:38:00.003-05:00

I'm happy and honored to say I have permission to reprint this thought provoking poem:

Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
in hopes that Jesus would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed
not once even kneeling or bowing a head.
and Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
was watching the late show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose such a clatter
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
but angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must the THE DAY!
The light of His face made me cover my head.
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth
I cried when I saw Him is spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name,
when He said, "It's not here," my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound,
while all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late.
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight.
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear.
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
we'll find that the Bible was true after all!

Used with permission by the Author 12/18/08

Dear Anonymous

2008-12-18T13:57:00.002-05:00

I'd love to see your item. How do I get you my email without publishing it?

Thanks

2008-12-17T15:02:00.005-05:00

Dear Anonymous
Thank you for telling me who the author of the poem "Twas the Night before Jesus". I see there is a copyright on it. Out of respect to the author I will remove the poem until/unless I get permission to use it. I accidently deleted your comment. Could you tell me who that was again so I could give them credit and contact them? Thanks again.

What's your worship style?

2008-12-15T18:59:00.012-05:00

My son, Kevin, is a big fan of You tube. He enjoys funny videos, but he also likes to watch New Pointe videos. Apparently the motor cross video created quite a controversy with viewers. Motorcycles and rock-n-roll music in the service offended some. Kevin tried in vain to sway one person toward his view that rock-n-roll is okay. He or she didn’t buy it.

Wanting to keep an open mind, I’m pondering the situation myself. Do you suppose God is offended by the sour notes of a child attempting to sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know….?” Or, is he pleased at the sincerity to worship Him no matter what the sound, or style of music, or how loud it is.

Ideally during service at any church no matter what kind of music is playing the congregation should be in true worship, focusing heart and soul on how awesome God is, how our God created the whole universe, yet knows every hair on our head and singing praises to Him and only Him.

While all this is going on, I’ll just bet there are a few in any congregation at any church during any style of music thinking, “Wow, the music is great.” Every Sunday the Holy Spirit convicts me of this. Let’s face it. We’ve been blessed with some serious musical talent at New Pointe, but if I’m thinking about anything other than the God I am trying to worship, does it really matter what style of music is playing? True worship comes from the heart of the individual who, while singing, is totally focused on his/her Creator. I don’t believe the style of music makes any difference.

Picture in your mind a small country church with stained glass windows, hymn-books, wooden pews, and a choir. The style of music is traditional, conservative. Sons and daughters are singing in the choir. During the worship service Mom and Dad might be a bit puffed up about their kids in the choir rather then focusing on God. The music is not rock-n-roll, but what’s the object of their worship?

Really listen to the words from “Beautiful Letdown” or “On Fire” by Switchfoot. It makes me sad to think that anyone could be offended by those words just because their genre is rock-n-roll.

No matter what the genre of the music at New Pointe, the words to the music they choose always glorify God. I will be there come Sunday and will sing those words to my God as I focus my thoughts on Him. For a moment my thoughts will wander. I will think how great the music is. The Holy Spirit will nudge me back into focus. He’s so gracious about my failings.

I think it grieves the Holy Spirit when we criticize other’s worship style. It makes His job more difficult. When the unsaved hear us taking shots at each other, it just gives them reason to not want to be a Christian. I don’t want to be responsible for prolonging anyone’s decision to be saved.

Back In Business

2008-12-07T20:23:00.002-05:00

Okay. I haven't felt like blogging. I haven't really had the time lately. I found a good reason for a post. The K through 4th grade Velocity classes at New Pointe have been challenging the kids to memorize the books of the bible. A few girls in my class have succeeded at half the Old Testament. They are getting bored. I am attaching a link to a word search puzzle to help get them interested again. Here is the link to the Old Testament puzzle.
http://www.biblestudygames.com/biblegames/wordsearchpuzzle/game8.htm
Here is the link to the New Testament puzzle.
http://www.biblestudygames.com/biblegames/wordsearchpuzzle/game9.htm

Blessings Girls
See you next Sunday

Doug and Wyatt

2008-10-05T16:01:00.003-04:00

Dear Doug,
If you can read this on your side of Heaven, you probably know how the Kidstuf Theatre was filled with people who got to hear the salvation message because of your going to be with Jesus. We'll be seeing you, someday.
Love Dave, Karen, and Kevin

The good folks at dotPhoto.com created a photo slideshow as a tribute to Doug. Use this link to see it. http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=mcrobie&SID=229846&Show=Y&p=

I'll take a large fry and a cheeseburger please...

2008-09-09T19:21:00.003-04:00

I just got on the floor to do my exercise during which I was listening to Alistair on the computer when I looked over at the window. There floated a humming bird looking in at me. I'm no Doctor Doolittle, but I thought maybe he was telling me he was out of food. So I got up and paused Alistair. I opened the front door and looked. Sure enough the feeder was empty. They do have a way of telling you what they want. I think I made friends when I rescued two out of the garage the other day.

Sue's Blog

2008-08-31T15:10:00.002-04:00

Sue put some new pics in of a project we and others have been working on together. That's why I've been away for so long. Check out her blog from my link on the side bar.

Matt Loves His Seat and I Love This Video

2008-08-31T14:54:00.002-04:00

Furry Spotted Visitors

2008-07-24T20:13:00.005-04:00

No, these are not new additions to the Reign Forest at New Pointe. They are two young deer who apparently got separated from Mom yesterday. They stayed around all day waiting for her. They did not seem to mind too much when I came around. Today they were gone.

Picture from Kevin's Florida Trip

2008-07-24T20:06:00.003-04:00

This is a view from the audience during the worship at Bigstuf Camp that Kevin went to. I believe there were over a thousand teens there.

New pictures

2008-07-19T20:26:00.008-04:00

Sorry Tina, out of all those fireworks pictures I took, I couldn't find one worth posting. My camera is not doing well on action shots.

We went canoing with our friends Mark and Chris, their daughter and friend, and Kevin and friend. These were worth sharing.

At the campgrounds we stayed they were having a vintage camper convention. The whole place was filled with historical campers. Some were beautifully restored. Some not. The gentleman talking to Dave owned the one in the other picture. He claimed to be Jay Leno's mechanic. Interesting!

Happy Birthday Marianne West

2008-07-07T10:39:00.003-04:00

Saturday, Sunday, Monday......Whatever day it is I hope it's filled with many blessings. Maybe I'll get it right next year.

Happy Birthday Wyatt

2008-07-07T09:47:00.003-04:00

He's a warrior, a baseball player, a racecar driver, and a big game hunter, all in one small package. He's also my nephew.

Even a child knows the value of a life

2008-07-06T18:30:00.007-04:00

Over the Fourth of July weekend we had the privilege to work at the Town Days Festival, Right to Life Booth. We’ve been volunteering for around ten years now. There was a baby girl that stole our hearts when she was hugging the life-like babies on display. So I took a picture of her. Isn't she adorable! Children seem to know instinctively the value of a life. We can either nurture that instinct or teach them that life doesn’t matter.

The weather broke for a change and allowed for a nice fireworks display. Several friends were there to share the moments. Kudos to Kevin and Marianne West who ran the 5K race at the festival.

Happy Birthday Big C

2008-06-28T15:23:00.002-04:00

Dave's Dad's birthday was last Thursday. He and Wanda are coming out to see Kevin off today. Then they're coming out for supper. They're the best and we love them.