Birthdays

We are headed into the birthday months in this family. We have them for four months in a row. Mine gets to be first! And today is my birthday!!! There was a beautiful snowfall this morning to greet me! Yay God!

I am humbled and thankful for my life. I don't think I could have always said that over the years. But now I feel honored that God chose to give me life so I could honor Him. There are so many things and people He has blessed me with.

Even after all these years I still get goofy and excited about my birthday. I have self-appointed rules of no housework and no cooking. I'm trying to decide where I want to take myself out to lunch today. I may just watch episodes of The Office all day... But the most exciting part of the day is that tonight I and three of my most favorite people are going to see this:


We are going to a dinner theater in the Big City!!! I am so excited. Megan helped me shop for a new outfit last weekend and I am looking forward to dressing up.

YAY FOR BIRTHDAYS!!! :)

(And for the presents sitting on the coffee table that I get to look at all day!!)

Pictures from Hawaii

This is what our town looked like a few days before we left for Hawaii. It was beautiful, but cold.

We went from frost on the trees to PALM TREES! This is of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. It was nice and warm that day!


Here is the view out our hotel window. This is Diamond Head. Wow! It was stunning.

The main thing I wanted to do in Honolulu was see Pearl Harbor. This is a picture of the memorial over the USS Arizona. Below is a shot of part of the ship above water and a view back into Pearl Harbor. I love seeing things in real life that I have only seen in pictures. It was moving to see this knowing what a big piece of history this is for our country.

Caleb & Megan playing in the Pacific Ocean on Waikiki Beach on Christmas Eve Eve.

Our cruise ship "The Pride of Hawaii"



Our stateroom. The balcony was great to sit on and see the wonderful scenery. The first night we were on the ship I went outside on it and saw the almost full moon reflecting off the ocean. It was so beautiful it made me gasp in awe.


The top deck of the ship.



Megan and her cousin Julia and their matching Luau dresses.


Caleb and Megan with their "tattoos" (really just an ink stamp) at the Luau.



Pete and me at the Luau. Like our leis?

Christmas Vacation

I have had the privilege of having a few really great Christmas breaks. The first one was in 1999 when we went to New Zealand for 10 days. That was an amazing trip. It is wonderful to see different parts of the world and see what God has made. That trip we got to go whale watching, see hot sulphur springs, see amazingly beautiful sheep covered mountains and ocean in one view, and worship in a church with New Zealanders on Christmas morning.

The next Christmas was in 2000 in NE Australia. That was complete with snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef on Christmas Eve. What an imagination our great God has with all those beautiful tropical fish! We saw rain forests, koalas, brightly colored birds in the wild (parrots I think), we had steaks on the BBQ by the pool on Christmas Day, and got to celebrate New Years Eve with some good friends and watch fireworks (on TV) on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

This Christmas we had the privilege of going to HAWAII!!! We flew to Honolulu and then cruised around the islands from Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve. Here is a preview. We got to see volcanoes (no hot lava though), a HUGE banyan tree (it filled up a city block), experience life on a cruise ship for a week, eat cruise food (yummy), and we got to get a tan in the middle of winter!

I will add some pictures in the next few days. I need to get some laundry done, put Christmas stuff away, and clean my terribly messy house. But other than that I have so much free time... Haha.

I am excited to think about where another Christmas break may be spent. In some ways I think doing something different to celebrate Christmas makes me stop and think a bit harder about the real meaning of Christmas.

Spirituality Creates Leaders or Why Hanging Out With Teenagers is Beneficial to Their Spiritual Growth

I have been reading Sacred Thirst by: M. Craig Barnes. I never thought I would be interested in a book like this, but my husband had me read a chapter out of it -- then I wanted to read the whole thing! I was reading this today while I was getting a pedicure. I though it was very thought provoking and may help encourage those who work with youth. The following is part of what I read today:

Churches can't simply put young men and women in front of crowds and expect them to lead. The church itself must set before its young people great heavenly visions. In youth groups today all across the world, teenagers are being confronted with a holy purpose for their lives.
...it takes a number of different voices to really declare the gospel so we can hear it. Teenagers need to hear it from someone who knows how to hang out.
God did not simply throw holy words down to us from heaven but allowed the Word to become incarnate, to become flesh, in Jesus Christ. So also do we mold the lives of young leaders, not just with our many right words, but by being God's incarnational witness to them. We spend time, and even waste time with them. We confront them, in their coming and going, with our own commitment to Jesus and His living water, the Holy Spirit. We cannot make them believe, but we can at least make it clear that we believe.
As they come to believe, and continue struggling with unbelief, ever so slowly a holy purpose begins to shape their character. It takes their lives, and they know deep down that they were created for sacred purposes. Then, someday, they will lead us close to God's hopeful future.

Frankly, I think this applies to more than just reaching teenagers. I know there have been Christians in my adult life that have hung out with me and that have encouraged my belief. And these have been the same age as me and older than me and younger than me. God certainly isn't limited to using ANY ONE of ANY AGE in my life.

ALOHA HAWAII !!!

Friday we are flying to HAWAII!!!








Friday night Saturday night and Sunday night we will be staying in a hotel on this beach!!













Christmas Eve through New Year's Eve we will be on this ship!!!















Tomorrow I'm getting a pedicure and packing shorts and capris!
All I can say is, "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

FRIENDS

Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times..."

I've been thinking about what my friends mean to me and what they bring to my life. Here are some of my thoughts. I'm sure that it is probably not conclusive.

Pete: My bestest friend EVER.
I can talk to him about ANYTHING.
I love that we so so many years of memories together and, Lord willing, will have many more.
For more detail on this guy see this.
Dave & Barb: A couple who REALLY get my sense of humor! So refreshing to me.
Wonderful to talk about my faith with.
Offer great advice on how to live out that faith.
Have been through hard stuff and can empathize with anyone.
Cheryl: Tells me I'm a good mother especially when I don't feel like it.
Accepts me in her home no matter what she's in the middle of doing.
Great buddy for a LONG car trip.
Never run out of things to talk about.
Loves my kids.
I love her kids and her grandkids.
Dan: Helps answer hard questions.
Asks hard questions.
Points me to the Bible.
Loves my kids.
Zach: Fun to hassle and be hassled by.
Doesn't hesitate to answer any crazy question I come up with.
Is serious about his Christian walk.
Fun to include in our family activities.
Has a great laugh and crazy sense of humor.
Karen: Someone I can share prayer requests with and KNOW they will be prayed for.
Patti: Long time friend.
Always a friend no matter where we live.
Fun to talk with on the phone.
Jackie: Helped me survive the ex-pat life.
Drove me all over Singapore and could park that Toyota van anywhere!
Introduced me to quilting.
Understands what it's like to be an expatriate and the struggle to repatriate.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13

Winter!!!

Isaiah 1:18 - Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow.

It is definitely winter here in Minnesota! Here's a look out our bedroom window. Sadly, there are no birds feeding at this feeder. A few days before the first big snow we had it was very windy and somehow the top blew open. Yep, then it snowed and filled up with snow. I tried to put some bird seed in it today, but it's all frozen at the bottom! Sorry birds! Maybe if it warms up a bit and we have some sunny days it will thaw out.






Here's another pretty winter picture out our window of the neighbor's tree. Maybe that's where the birds are eating!







Megan and the Victorian Carolers from the high school sang at church this past Sunday morning. They sing Christmas Carols accapella. Not a great picture, I know, but my flash doesn't reach very far!