Our dry sink! Yes, this is how it's being done in our house! Fetch water from the basement and then fill the container to wash the dishes. Life truly is exciting!

We found this Christmas tree at a Thrift Store, marked 75% off! I wonder why it was so cheap! This truly is a Charlie Brown Christmas!

Seriously, I remember so well at how God provided both in Russia and Romania just simple things like a Christmas tree. Sure they were about 4 1/2 foot tall trees but it was such a blessing to see how God provided for our kids hearts. Sure some of these things are cultural things, but it sure is nice to be able to brag on Jesus and how He came through again. God and His people are the greatest, I have no stones to throw!

Thanks again for all of your prayers! God is good, all of the time!

We enjoyed a very nice Thanksgiving with friends!

May God bless each and every one of you!

My sister was recently on a business trip to IN, so we were honored to get to see her, as well as my Uncle and Aunt. We had a wonderful time at a nearby restaurant. My aunt is the one taking the picture, so she wasn't quite quick enough to push the button and run and sit down at the same time.

A young pilgrim girl and the uninvited field mouse. There just had to be a field mouse at the first Thanksgiving!

BTW: If you'd like to be reminded of a list of things I'm thankful for, just for a start, go back to November of 2007 and check out my blog posts and you'll get an idea.

We are blessed more than we deserve!

Thanksgiving Home School Party!

Here's our home schoolers from our church! They recently had a wonderful Thanksgiving get together!

God performed a miracle for one of the boys. He had major back surgery 6 days before the party and it didn't look like he would be able to come. Our great God intervened and the young lad was able to enjoy the time amidst the pain and weariness!

We have a lot to be Thankful for, just go ahead and start listing all of the blessings!

Another one of God's blessings! Our girls are blessed to have a wonderful teacher by the name of Martha Miller. Natasha had the privilege to perform in a special piano concert just recently and everyone did a fine job. Thank you Mrs. Miller for the wonderful job you do! May God bless you as you labor for Him!

Here you go Moma! This picture is just for you!

My Mother-in-law wanted us to put a picture up of the Living Room Curtain that they helped get up. So here it is!

So now we are "camping out" in our new home. There is still lots of work that needs to be done but God is helping us. We just try to keep the finished project in mind.

Thanks Bro. Eisenhart for reminding us that God does this type of work on us. He sees the finished project in us and takes a broken, cracked, and messed up life and makes it something beautiful.

We had grilled chicken for dinner today. I cooked it on the "George Foreman" grill that was given to us. Since we don't have a stove operating yet and any tables we have are filled, I cooked it while sitting on the floor. Don't you just love life.

Trust me, I'm not discouraged or asking for sympathy! Life truly is exciting and we are move blessed than we ever deserve. Don't forget, "there is hope for the future, because God's already there."

We would appreciate your continued prayers the physical needs and the leadership of God. As if working full-time and remodeling a house wasn't enough, I decided to enroll in a class at a University. God has helped in the class and I'm very thankful but we need God's divine leadership in this particular area as far as the future goes.

On a Sunday afternoon, while we were still "camping out" at our place of lodging it got very windy. The air was warm and getting pretty bad windy. I hadn't heard that they were calling for 30 MPH winds, but this reminded me of Hurricane time in FL. The air was very warm and getting worse all the time. I knew the winds had to be pretty strong. My guess was 50-60! Later I found out that the wind gusts were up to 86 MPH. Not quite like FL but bad enough. Large trees were falling on the camp ground we were staying at and lots of power was gone. Well, come to find out, a tree also fell on our house and caused some damage.

I'm reminded of a gospel song that has meant a lot to me over the last couple of years! "God sees the storm from the other side. He knows the lessons learned and just beyond the clouds He sees clear skies." He speaks peace to the raging storm, when peace could not be found. He already sees the rainbow, when we see only clouds." (sung by the Collingsworths)

Well, in August we moved out of the house we were renting, but only for a couple weeks because God had opened up a real cheap house for us to buy. it needed and still needs lots of work but it was cheap! I'm all for that! Well, as you know, a couple of weeks turned into months because of bank issues, etc. etc. etc. Financially, it seemed a whole lot wiser use of God's money to put it into a house than someone else's pocket. In fact, the money used for a couple years of rent, could buy this whole house! Praise the Lord!

Just a side note: This "housing crisis" was not something that came out of nowhere. The severity of it could have been avoided! It's a man-made problem! Trust me, I've been out there looking at houses, talking with Realtors, bankers, etc. Greed and covetousness played a large part!

Like I said, "it needs lots of work, but it's got potential." That's the only kind of house we can afford, "one that has potential." Even our kids know that word now because we've used it so much!

Here's the kitchen cabinets after they were removed!

While on part 1 of our "camping" trip, we got some the best sweet corn! Everyone got involved by either shucking, par-boiling, or cutting and freezing it.

Just think, the poor young man who left his fathers home, lived it up for a while ate the corn husks that the pigs left behind. His money was gone, his friends were gone, and all he had was his smelly grunting "friends".

However, whenever we come to the end of ourselves, if we'll confess our need of a Saviour and repent of our sins, God will always "welcome us back", just like the Prodigal Sons' father did.

We've had a lot of things happen over the last 4 months or so but to update you, basically we've been camping out. We are so thankful for all of our friends who have been so gracious to allow us to store things, give us shelter, food, and be of such a help to us. God's family is truly the best!

We've also had a historic election just recently with much animosity on both sides! After getting up early on Election Day, voting and heading to work, God flooded my heart with such peace and it came with the song, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name." From that time on, God has reminded me what our job is. Our job is to share Christs' love to the world, not stick our heads in the sand! Scripture says, "...the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." That means we are to be on the offensive for the Kingdom of God, not the DEFENSIVE. Wake up church, and that means you too Daryl! It's our job to love, witness, share Christ, get out of our cozy homes and get into the worlds' world.

These are exciting times and at the times of crisis in our world, it's in those times that Christ shines brightest.

Are you trusting in our political system or in Jesus Christ?

Happy Birthday!

Yes we are still alive and kicking! I'll update a few things later but for now we congratulate our daughter on her 13th Birthday! We enjoyed celebrating it at some friends house!