Rockin Drummer Boy at New Pointe

Okay, I could have sent you to Danny and John's blogs to see this, but I couldn't resist posting it on my blog.

Me and My Big Mouth....

Joyce Meyer is talking all week about the power of the mouth. As usual, she revealed more truth to me that I didn’t know. I love her style. She doesn’t address the audience without telling on herself. She talked about the Angels that God sends us to look out for us. She paints a mental picture of these fearsome angels standing around with nothing to do, because we have rendered them powerless by our negative words. I laughed when she said angels are not fat babes with wings. They are towering spiritual warriors. I’m so glad God gifts speakers like her to help me in my walk.

While I'm blogging I want to mention as a precaution against viruses that I have my email account set up to not allow forwarded email. So, if you sent me a forwarded email requesting me to send it back to you if I love you, you might not have got a response. I do love you, though.

Christmas Eve Service...

Danny Bunnelle, Music Director at New Pointe Church, has a plan for music on Christmas Eve that is going to knock your socks off. I can't wait.

Also, for a good laugh, use my link to the Church blog. Than go to John Bunn's blog. He has "Goat O7" video on his blog. Very funny.

Happy Birthday Kevin...

Our son Kevin turned sixteen yesterday. I can't believe it. He's such a great person. So far ahead of where I was at his age. I wonder what God has in store for him.

Nativity...

Seasons Greetings.....

Diamond in the Rough....

I was listening to Alistair today. He compared humanity to a diamond. He said, "Even the most precious diamond still has flaws. That does not diminish it's value. Neither do our flaws diminish our values in God's eyes." Isn't that nice to know?

Funny Cat...

My sister-in-law, Karen, sent me this cute cat video. I had to share it with everyone.

News Flash....

Email received from Cindy Colucy @ New Pointe.......

On Thursday, December 6th, between Noon and 1 p.m., NewPointe will be featured on Channel 5 Cleveland (ABC affiliate), for a guest spot.
As most of us know, NewPointe has a different take on church, and Channel 5 found this newsworthy. Isn’t it exciting that the media wants to know more about what we are doing, and more importantly why we do what we do?
During the segment, Dwight will be featured for an interview, focused on our current Christmas series – All I Want for Christmas. Tune in for Dwight’s Television debut!

Tune in to see. Check out Tina's blog for picure of December stage.

The Reason for the Season...

This is a photo of my nativity set. I painted in a background using Adobe Photo. Merry Christmas everyone.

Vaccine warning.....

I just recently read a book by Jenny McCarthy. Her son had Autism. He was pulled out of Autism with a strict diet and mercury detox. The book was very interesting and eye opening.

Check out what I found out about childhood vaccines:

Thimerosal is the most common preservative that is used in vaccines and biologics that are marketed in the United States. Thimerosal is used to help prevent a vaccine from spoiling, for inactivating bacteria used to formulate several vaccines, and in preventing bacterial contamination of the final product. Several of the vaccines recommended routinely for children in the United States contain thimerosal. However, reports have surfaced linking thimerosal to mercury poisoning in infants often causing autism.
On July 7, 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued with the US Public Health Service (USPHS) a joint statement alerting clinicians and the public of concern about thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines. The reason for the warning is that thimerosal contains related mercury compound called ethyl mercury. Mercury is a toxic metal that can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions.

Even though they have this information, they are still using mercury in vaccines.

You can get more information at the following website:
http://www.mercuryexposure.org/index.php?page_id=37

Jenny recommends the following to parents of infants. Before vaccines are given demand an immunity test be done. If a child test results show a weak immune system, delay the vaccines.

The same website said mercury is also used in some flu vaccines. I think I just got my last flu shot.

Silent Auction Sunday.....

I'm donating the oil painting on wood that is pictured two blogs ago. It will be available for sale at the silent auction for Vernon Yoder on Sunday. Vernon is scheduled to have his second kidney transplant in December. There is also a baked potato lunch. The event runs 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the old Sugarcreek Free Methodist Church. Hope to see you there.

Message for Wyatt....

Hey Wyatt, I saw you did your "God Time". Way to go Dude!! Keep up the good work!

New Oil Painting.......

This blog is for Cousin Linda. It's a recent oil I did.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice......

Here are some pictures from the Sunday School class that I have the privilege to teach. What an incredible bunch of girls, every last one.

If you are not sure whether or not to volunteer, let me tell you. You don't know what your missing.

A Whole Lot of "Stuf" Going On....

Sorry, I've been away from my blog for awhile. I've been working hard on this particular blog. My prayer is that it will be a blessing to the people I chose to write about and for those in search of God.

About ten plus years ago our son was moving from kindergarten to his first grade Sunday-school class. He always had a hard time adjusting to a new class, so Dave and I would volunteer to work in the class with him. It turned out this wasn’t your ordinary Sunday-school class. The man in charge was Kevin West, Director of Family Life at the then Sugarcreek Free Methodist Church. He made Sunday-school fun. There was something contagious about him. We decided to stay for awhile. That was ten years ago. He said if we stayed we'd be part of something big. He was right.

Kevin introduced us to his vision. He said that there was a church in Georgia that had a children's program where kids can invite their parents. The program consisted of a live show that taught virtues to kids and parents at the same time. Kevin cast his vision to more and more people. He took Dave and other church members to Atlanta to tour the program there. When they returned they were all on fire with his vision. When God put it into Kevin’s heart to build Kidstuf He gifted Kevin with the leadership qualities and influence that he needed to fulfill the vision.

God brought volunteers across Kevin’s path like Vernon Yoder. Vernon was there from the beginning and played a large role in making Kidstuf a success. He is the world’s longest living recipient of a donor kidney. He is an inspiration to everyone and a great example that God can use anyone, no matter what their limitations are. I can’t go on without mentioning the critical roll that Jim Howard played in the construction and operation of Kidstuf. His comedic talents constantly left us all in stitches. He also devoted hours upon hours writing and producing and for a time ran the whole show. There are countless others who have contributed to the success of Kidstuf (actors, camera operators, computer techs, host team members, dancers, artists, carpenters). On Sundays Kevin would scan the crowds for any undiscovered talent that would help Kidstuf to grow.

Grow it did. The whole church was bursting at the seams. God orchestrated the purchase of property and plans were made to build what is now New Pointe Community Church. Despite several attempts from Satan to derail everything, New Pointe and Kidstuf are thriving.

When you have children, you want to give them everything. You soon find out that’s not possible. Even if you could, if they’re not saved, none of it matters anyway. The best gift you can give them is to expose them to the love of Jesus Christ. Thanks to Kidstuf, our son was saved at an early age. He has returned to Kidstuf as a teenager to volunteer on the tech team.

I hope parents seize the opportunity that Kidstuf brings. Here’s how it works. You bring your children to Velocity. Velocity is where children attend age appropriate classrooms while their parents attend worship service. They are introduced to a new virtue at the beginning of every month. They work on the same virtue for the whole month. In the classroom, they are given a “God Time”. This “God Time” has four daily lessons for the kids to do at home that don’t take more than a few minutes a day to do. If your kids lose their “God Time” it can be downloaded at the churches website. The lessons reinforce the virtue they learned in the classroom. After Velocity, kids can attend Kidstuf with their parents. The same virtue is acted out in music, dancing, and a live show. If that’s not enough, you can also buy a virtue pack at the bookstore that is jam packed with a CD and all kinds of fun stuff to do, again reinforcing the same virtue. How cool is that!

If you have kids from kindergarten through fourth grade and your mission is their salvation, there’s no better place to make it happen.

Make sure you pause the Ipod music on my blog before playing this video, otherwise they both play at the same time. Enjoy!

New Links......

I added two new links for you to check out. Becky's and Lee Ann's. Great stuff!!!
Sue's and Tina's are always interesting too.

Ten things that make me smile.....

1. When I feel God’s presence.
2. When my husband is happy.
3. When my son gets a hard subject.
4. When the little girls in my Sunday school class smile at me and tell me

their stories.
5. When I see a beautiful sunrise or sunset.
6. When the humming birds visit while I’m on the porch.
7. When my cat does something funny.
8. When I paint with Sue.
9. When I watch Three Stooges, I Love Lucy, Wonder Years, Andy Griffith,

etc.

10. When I get a bargain.

The next level.......

You know that next level of spirituality that I mentioned in an earlier blog…..my desire for a new revelation? Well the good news is I got my revelation. The bad news is……..I got my revelation.

God has a sense of humor, doesn’t he? When you pray for finances he sends you overtime. When you pray for a revelation he reveals things about yourself that aren’t very flattering. I had been searching in different directions for a new revelation; reading my Bible, reading good books, listening to my favorite speakers. The revelation came, but not from any single avenue. It came to me slowly as I contemplated what I’d read and heard from all my sources.

God revealed to me that my exterior didn’t match my interior. I am a fake. He wasn’t as blunt as that. The revelation trickled in gradually day-by-day so I wouldn’t be too offended. Being this way was having a negative effect on me. When I got around a lot of people for a while, it was so draining. It was hard work keeping up that “nice” façade. I couldn’t wait to get home to be my old grumpy self, which didn’t take any work. Some people excuse their dislike for crowds on their introverted personality. Impressed by their self-awareness, I started to use that same excuse. For them maybe it was true. I can’t say. But for me, now I know better. My prayer is for God to make what is on my inside match what I show people on the outside. Lord knows I can’t do that on my own.

Driving out to the church the other night, I started to realize a strong sense of God’s presence in my life. Then suddenly it dawned on me. He had been working quietly in the background of my mind for weeks. He seemed to have shown Himself about the time I started searching in more than one source. He had been looking over my shoulder the whole time, whispering to me. It was an awesome feeling.

I have four reasons to be hopeful about my future. One is that God has revealed to me a new weakness He will help me to overcome. The other three are the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

When God is hidden.....

I have been reading a book by Graham Cooke called When the Lights Go Out (Surprising Growth When God is Hidden). Kevin West, Director of Family Life, at New Pointe Church recommended Graham Cooke’s books. Kevin always reads great titles. Check out his blog for his favorites. You can get to it from my church link.

Anyhow, Mr. Cooke is at a spiritual level way above me. I can sense some of what he is saying. I agree that when you reach a certain level God will stop you there because he knows that you’re not ready for more. That's happend in my own walk. Some friends of mine read strictly from the KJV bible. As difficult as it is to read, they say that when God is ready to reveal to you what he wants you to know, you will understand exactly what it says. The first time I attempted to read it, that did happen. As time went on, it stopped happening. Maybe God doesn’t think I’m ready to move on yet. He revealed to me at that time what I was ready for. My search will continue. Anxiously, I await the next level. Maybe when Graham Cooke refers to “God being hidden” is during those times when I'm not ready for the next level.

Update on Haiti trip...

I’d like to update everyone on my August 3 blog with some pictures that Kevin Kate brought back from Haiti. He had an incredible ride down there; lots of God moments. He came home safe and sound. He and wife Linda will be going on a mission trip to Africa next. These two don’t let any dust settle. As always, we’ll be praying for them.


Kids waiting for water.

Two kids and a fence.

This just caught my eye.

Workers and Kevin Kate in

front of well

drilling machine.

Water gushing from well.

Praise God.

Family Central

This is an Adobe photo arrangement that I did from our recent reunion. The pictures are of my mom, her two brothers and sister.

The color dial in my head....

Recently I pulled out my oil paints. It’s time. They’ve been away for years now. I put them aside in exchange for motherhood. They bring back memories of those first paintings I did. There was something special about oils, the way they stayed wet for days, the way they blended, and the way they smelled. I loved the smell of linseed oil. When I first started using oils, it was like a dial was turned on in my head. My sense of color came alive. It was incredible. I would look at the clouds in the sky and see colors I never saw before-hues of purple and pink in clouds that were always just white and gray. It was like I got new eyes. When I discovered those new found colors I was wowed over and over. My friend, Nancy, who was teaching me, was not surprised. She’d heard that same story from others who were new to painting.
When I took a break from painting today, I went outside to look at the clouds. I was hoping to turn up that color dial in my head. I want to see colors even more vivid then before. It didn't happen today. Maybe it’s turned up as far as it will go.

More pictures

A fake outhouse I found interesting. Why? I don't know.

One of a hundred beautiful pictures

taken at Mohican.

If you ever get the chance,

go there. I was overwhelmed

with photo opportunities.

God gave us two short but

awesome days to enjoy with

our friends Mark and Chris and

family.

I really like this wagon wheel in the flowers.

That's all for now. My son is waiting

patiently for the computer.

New Pictures

These are some recent pictures I'd like to share with you. I hope you enjoy them.

Flowers at Mohican












Hummingbird on front porch















The gang at Mohican



Dave doing Frizbee Golf at Whispering Hills Campground

Music not working properly?

I've been having trouble with the music player. Some songs will just stop playing. I have to redo the player. If songs aren't playing for you, let me know.

Riding a roller coaster....

Kevin Kate, a member of our small group is going to Haiti next week to help drill water wells. I didn’t know quite what he was getting into, so I did a little search on the Internet about Haiti. They are listed as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. God is about to take Kevin on a ride he won’t forget.

I remember another ride God took Kevin, his family, and our whole small group on. We were all introduced to Helen, a widow from Sugarcreek. She had multiple strokes while living by herself. Over a period of time she lacked running water and her living conditions deteriorated. She was afraid to ask for help because she didn’t want to leave her dog. She let our small group into her home and her heart. We wanted to help her, but her situation was so bleak it took an act of God to bring the task to completion. Our small group had the privilege of watching that miracle unfold and being part of it.

Just this week I painted the railing on my porch. I was really sweating it out in eighty-degree temperatures and high humidity hoping under my breath I would be done soon. I’m all for taking care of the gifts God gives us, but you just don’t get the same sense of accomplishment that you do when your helping someone out. It was summer during the time we helped Helen. We all wiped our brows more than a few times. I think we all felt it was a ride worth sweating for.

Even though he’ll be roughing it for a couple of weeks in Haiti, I imagine Kevin Kate will be feeling that same way again, enduring another bittersweet ride. We are praying for him and his family while he is gone.

Here is a link to the Free Methodist Haiti Website http://fmmhaiti.org/project-wells.html
where I obtained the picture and mission information for this blog.

Busy Painting...

Sorry I haven't added anything new. I have been doing some painting at the church and at home. Sue and I have been painting murals. That part I enjoy. The painting at home I dread. I'm almost done.

Sue said she's posting photos of the murals on her blog. Check out her link to view them.

Joyce Meyer Broadcast...

I watched Joyce Meyer's broadcast today. It was so powerful it will surely move you. I have a link to her site on my blog.

Sewing Seeds....

Isn’t it interesting how God places people at just the right place and time in our lives to plant and water the seeds of himself?
Around my middle and high school years, my friend Barb and her mom would take me to their Mother/Daughter banquets at their church. They planted seeds of God in me. I imagine it must have been a real challenge just spending time with me, because I was really self-absorbed. In her early twenties Barb got married. We continued our friendship. I have fond memories of late night card games and sidesplitting laughter at her and her husband Jeff’s kitchen table. Many years have since passed. Details of the banquets have faded. But the seeds remained.

Later in my middle and late twenties, I had another friend named Sharon. Her Mom and Grandmother were very well versed in the Bible. They took me to church with them every time they got the chance. Between the three of them, they were determined to get me saved and they didn’t have any problem telling me so. They watered the seeds in me. Sharon and her Grandmother were very artistic. I longed to be as talented as they were. I had some artistic gifts that God was not ready to reveal yet. I enjoyed being around them and watching them paint and draw. Like Barb and her Mom, I haven’t forgotten them.

During those years, there was an occasion that required me to ride somewhere in a car with my Aunt Jackie. She was (and still is) very soft spoken and gracious. In that short ride, she spoke to me about God and how he loved me. She watered the seeds. I don’t remember anything else about that ride. I don’t even remember where we were going.

Then in my thirties my future husband came into my life, talking about God….living for God….watering the seeds of God. I’ve been growing in faith ever since, trying to plant my own God seeds.

Thank you John Brown

If you have time, listen to “On Fire” by Switchfoot. It sounds like they’re talking about a girl. They are really talking about God…..on fire for God. It inspires me every time I listen to it.

I was painting at the church yesterday. I put my wedding ring in my pants pocket. I changed my clothes before I left. I didn’t notice until 10:00 pm that the ring was not there. John Brown found it and got it back to me. Thanks soooooo…….much. I pray a million blessings on you.

Pardon my dust.....

My creative juices are flowing. I finally got music on the blog. I also changed my heading. If I am able to get my wallpaper on I'll be happy.......maybe. Anyway, sorry for all the changes.

Cowboy

Kevin and I are taking an Adobe Photo class at the Tuscarawas Center for the Arts. I needed a project to work on. So I did this item.

I'm not allowed to tell who it is.

The Office

Before I retired from the work force I worked in an office. The dynamics of an office are hard to explain unless you've ever worked in one. I found, on occasion, that a coworker would get under my skin. They would do things that were questionable, maybe unethical. These things may or may not cause my job to be more difficult; making too many personal phone calls, taking longer than allowed lunches…..things like that. I’ll admit (now) that I contributed my share of unethical behavior. Anyhow, people were always in and out of the boss’s office telling on each other. Relationships were always strained. It was not fun. I began to ask myself why it was always this way. God revealed to me my lack of integrity was part of the problem. You know the story….the telephone pole in your eye…..the tooth pick in theirs kind of thing.

I made a pledge to myself to have as much integrity as possible for one of a sinful nature as mine. If I used a stamp, I paid for it. If I was five minutes late for lunch, I worked ten minutes over. If I made a copy on the copier, I paid for it. Other than emergencies, personal phone calls were a thing of the past.

Now, when I told on someone for his or her indiscretions I’d be okay, right? Well….not really. I’d still have that bad feeling inside. Plus, the person I told on would be mad at me. It was the same thing every time. That’s not what I wanted. I just wanted him or her to stop doing what they were doing that caused me more work. “They’re doing wrong,” I reasoned. Inevitably I would always regret saying anything. I wondered again why that was. Why am I feeling so bad when they should be feeling bad? I found a passage in the bible somewhere. I can’t seem to find it again. But…..anyhow….it said something about criticizing always coming back on to the criticizer. “Hmmmmmm? Okay God,” I prayed. “Reveal to me what that means.”

He revealed to me that (even though I was telling the truth) by going over their head, I was really going behind their back, not giving them an opportunity to defend themselves. This was a sin. Sin always has a consequence. The bad feelings and poor relationships were the consequences for my sin. He wanted me to go the person I had the grievance with first. It used to be I couldn’t do that because my own closet wasn’t clean, so to speak. But, now that I practiced integrity I had freedom to go to that person and say, “Hay, we’ve got a problem here.”


Simple, right? No, it was difficult. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I’d have to pray for days to get up the courage. But, the funny thing was, when I did, I got this awesome blessing from it. It happened every time I “got real” with someone. We’d have it out, and then we’d become friends. When I retired I dearly loved each and every one I worked with.

So I put this into practice in every aspect of my life. It took a long time to undo past sins. Over time I have received many blessings by changing my bad behavior. I feel better about myself. Family ties are stronger because of it. Friendships are stronger. It has been a total blessing all around.

Buenos Dias...

Today I added Turbo our cat to my blog. Turbo describes him purrrrfectly.....

I'm taking Spanish lessons. It's kind of fun. I don't get many chances to use it in every day conversation. There isn't much opportunity to say, "La mujer y el nino tienen una pelota encima de la cabeza." In translation means, "The women and the boy have balls on their heads"

Humpty Dumpty

I can't complain about my life. Things are great. For some reason people's lives all around me are falling apart. God keeps putting me in the position to minister to them. There's so much pain. Where do I fit in here? What do I say? Do I say anything at all? I pray for the wisdom to say and do the right thing. Amen....

Why Blog?

People are asking, "Why blog?" I found myself asking the same question. I basically set up my blog as a link to my shop. Now I see the potential for more. I told some friends it's like scrap booking without the mess. I plan on posting some reunion pics as soon as I can to share with relatives in Louisiana and Arizona. It is also an opportunity to witness what God has done in my life. Maybe I can help someone who is going through the human struggle to find their way to God through my blog. Another opportunity is to say what a blessing home schooling has been.

Looking back to when Kevin was still in public school, I now see that we were living in a kind of bubble. Kevin did not fit in the bubble of sports, band, and academics contained therein. His success (or failure) was limited to what was offered. His talents lay outside the bubble. By breaking out of the bubble and finding opportunities not offered in school we found that Kevin's strengths lie in technology. He loves working at the Church with all the technology that is available there. He also loves playing guitar. Neither of those items would have been discovered in the bubble, because there was no time left to pursue them. God continues to strategically place Kevin where He wants him to be, despite the fact that I fight Him every inch of the way. God is great, isn't He.

Rescued photos

Thanks to Mark and Chris, my very best friends in the whole world, the photos on the CD were recovered. Kevin is the one with the Dover t-shirt. Those are the fish he caught. We were there at Lake Cumberland last year with Mark and Chris and their family. We always have an awesome time when we are with them.

I didn't want to lose this picture either. Only God can create a photo op like this.

I just figured out how to insert photos directly into my post. This picture is from Lake Cumberland on our vacation last year. We had a great time. I have a picture of Kevin with some really big fish he caught but the disk that the photos are on has an error. If I get that disk recovered I will post them later.

Daily Dose

We got an early start this morning at 7:00 AM. Kevin (my son) woke me and said there was a duck in the basement window well. I went down and checked. He was softly pecking on the window. How cute. He soon left with his mate at his side. They waddled off into the sunrise.

I'm going to Steve Brown's website and see if he's got any words of wisdom for me today. Gradually I have been abandoning my daily doses of getting in the word. The result was having a negative effect on me. My thought life was holding me hostage. In a desperate attempt to have God reveal to me what I was doing wrong, I decided to fast for a day. I ate nothing after breakfast and all day. The next morning I was feeling the effects. He still wasn't talking to me. By 4:00 PM He revealed to me that I was feeling sorry for myself. It was loud and clear. I've been doing better since. I've gotten back into God's word daily. I feel refocused.

I keep making the mistake of thinking that I have things under control, when in reality all my weaknesses are still there. They're just controlled by the Holy Spirit. When I don't get into the word daily, they come creeping back.

What do you think?

Greetings All
I'm spending way too much time setting up this blog. What do you think?

Getting Started

Greetings
I'm just getting started. I'd like to add more photos as I go. I hope you like them.