Hiking on Blodgett Trail

We went for a hike today on Blodgett Trail. From the moment we left the trailhead, the steep path took my breathe away. I didn't think I would make it far.

Steve asked if we should turn back. I shook my head no and kept walking. As I took more steps I could hear Bob and Jillian from the Biggest Loser. "Dig deeper" and "You can do it".

We made it about half way to the summit of Blodgett Peak (9,400 feet) and enjoyed the most beautiful view of Colorado Springs.

It was well worth the effort!

Happy Mother's Day

I love you Mom and I'm thankful for the wonderful Mother you are. You have always been there for me, you love me unconditionally and you pray for me.

I am so thankful you took me to church as a young child and taught me about Jesus. My relationship with Him today is founded on those teachings.

It's so wonderful to be back home and spend time with you and Dad. I cherish the memories of our time together.

Many blessings to you on your special day.

Happy Mother's Day!

"Here I Am, Lord Send Me"

A few months ago I joined a writers critique group. The leaders, Scoti and Beth, are published authors and awesome ladies. They share their time and expertise and help us become better writers.

At the last critique meeting, Beth mentioned finding a Scripture verse or inspirational quote as a daily reminder of my passion for writing. I actually have a song that describes my heart perfectly. I heard it one night after a Springs Writers meeting and cried all the way home.

"Here I am, Lord send me."
Isaiah 6:8

Sometimes Your calling, comes in dreams
Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity

But I'm a man, of dust and stains,
You move in me, so I can say

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand
I know that You will finish what You began

And these broken parts You will redeem
Become the song that I can sing

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces,
I can't put this together but You can

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

Here I Am, all my life an offering to You, to You
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan
Here I am

Blessed with a Car for One Dollar

Recently Steve bought this car from a co-worker for one dollar. He spent about $150 to replace parts and has a great running car.

We've cut our fuel bill in half and we are so thrilled. What a blessing!

UPDATE on 5/3/10: Today at work the former owner gave Steve a set of new brakes for this car. Wow! Thank you God. You always provide!

Unfailing God

Memory Book

A family reunion last year sparked an interest to know more about my dad's ancestry.

So for the last six months we've been digging into the family tree and found some interesting stories and facts.

Then my dad had a conversation recently with his sister, my aunt Karen, about writing down their childhood memories. Within a few weeks, Dad had written over 50 pages of memories on a yellow legal pad.

As I typed his words, I learned things about him I never knew. His memory book will certainly be a blessing to our family members and will be passed down through generations.

Thanks Dad for taking the time to put your stories and memories on paper to share with us!

I Love Saving Money!

I found several bargains while grocery shopping yesterday and saved $15.40 with coupons. My total saving so far this month is $42.20. Awesome!

The new coupon system is working great. There were several good buys yesterday that I couldn't pass up. With the coupon binder system, I located the appropriate coupon very quickly.

It's amazing what a wonderful feeling it is to save money. My only regret is that I didn't start using this system sooner!

Worthy is the Lamb

Saving Money at the Grocery Store

I've been looking for ways to save money this year. We are priveleged enough to shop at the commissary at the Air Force base here in town and can save 20-30% on most items.

I've always been intrigued by the shopper that buys $100 in groceries and only pays a few dollars. I'm not sure if I'll ever get there but have been researching different systems to save money at the grocery store.

As I clip and save coupons I've been looking for better methods to store and find them because I've thrown away too many good ones lately that had expired.

Finally I decided to try a large zipper 3 ring binder and added blank pages from a photo album that never quite materialized! :)

The four "sleeves" on each page are a perfect size for coupons and they can be seen at a glance without removing.

Then I made a page for each category of coupons and added a tab to the outer edge.

I added a color coded list to the front of the binder. The header for each section matches the color and description on each tab. But this list will go a step further and list each item in that section for easy referreal.

The beauty of this system is to set it up for my own individual tastes and shopping habits. Some like to categorize by aisles in the grocery store or alphabetize by item. I prefer to separate by categories such as "Dairy", "Frozen", "Health and Beauty", etc.

The zipper binder protects my shopping list, unclipped coupon booklets, coupons, scissors and other misc. items. When open, the binder sits very nicely in the shopping cart and I can place coupons I want to use in a zippered pouch. When I reach the check out it is a simple process to gather them for the checker.

I've noticed a few stares and funny looks from other shoppers. But that's okay. I saved $26.80 on the last shopping trip and it was well worth it!

Where do ideas come from?

The other day I was walking down the hall at work on my way to the fitness center. My favorite snack came to mind - cashews and chocolate chips. Yum! The next image was melting them together in the mircowave. Then I remembered a recipe I made at Christmas with crushed oreos, cream cheese and chocolate chips melted in the microwave.

This thought led to a writing idea. Should I write some articles about the challenges of living full time in an RV? My Christmas recipe was basically chosen because our RV oven does not bake evenly. So I don't even attempt to make cookies, etc. Instead I look for easy stovetop or microwave recipes.

There are quite a few life adjustments we've made since living fulltime in this RV. I may just start writing about them!

A Beautiful Memorial Service

My mother-in-law looked very nice and so at peace. It was a beautiful service.

The pastor was blessing. We all really liked him. He read numerous scriptures and he and his wife sang "The Old Rugged Cross", one of Mom's favorites.

The flowers were lovely and many people came to pay their respects. It was nice to see many relatives we haven't seen in years.

I was touched by the grandkids (Michelle's four children). The oldest, Nathan, really took care of his brother and sisters. They were all huddled together with his long arms around them and wept for the grandma they miss so much.

After the service we went to the Roadhouse for a meal. A covered pool table was loaded with food. I talked to quite a few relatives about the family tree I'm working on. Got lots of good information.

Later the kids came to the hotel to swim in the pool. Steve was sick (probably from the cigarette smoke at the Roadhouse) and stayed in our room. I enjoyed visiting with my sister-in-laws and all the kids.

Wisconsin

We made it to Wisconsin today for the memorial service on Saturday.

It was an 1100 mile trip! We planned to stop for the night but changed our minds when snow was forecast. So we took turns driving while the other slept. It was rough but better than getting caught in a snow storm.

We arrived around 8 am and were so blessed when the hotel let us check in early. We stayed at Barkers Inn on Barkers Island in the Lake Superior Bay. It was fun looking at the frozen lake and seeing the "shacks" used for ice fishing.

The room is decent and I really enjoyed the bathtub! :) (We only have a shower at home.)

More tomorrow!

Audrey Christenson (Jul 27, 1936 - Feb 16, 2010)

My mother-in-law passed away last night. After being sick for years, it is a blessing for her to be at peace. But her family is grieving and really misses her!

I met her in November of 1977 when I was dating her son. Though many mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws don't get along, we sure did.

She was a caring mother and friend to many. She always had a compassionate heart toward others.

We miss you Mom and look forward to seeing you some day in heaven!

Relationships

Relationships. We all have them. Some that bring great joy and some that cause great pain.

Our pastor talked today about “the refining fire of relationships”.

John 13:20 “He was troubled in spirit over a relationship”? Jesus is speaking of His relationship with Judas Iscariot. (how have I never seen this scripture before???)

I’ve been in a few relationships that have troubled my spirit and caused extreme pain. And I’ve wondered why God allowed it. Though I’ve forgiven, the memories are still there.

Pastor Matt asked us to ponder this question. “How can God use the hurt/rejection/betrayal for His purposes in my life?”

This is my question to ponder this week.

FBD Progress

Down 5 pounds and back into my black size 8 jeans.....Woo hoo!

Making the Most of Every Opportunity

For several years I’ve chosen a theme for the new year. The word or phrase becomes my “mantra” to help me focus on my attitude, actions and decisions. So far I’ve used gratitude and consistency.

This year I chose the phrase “Make the Most of Every Opportunity”. I look back and see how I’ve let wonderful opportunities slip by. When I pray and ask for God’s guidance I know He answers and provides for me. This year I want to take full advantage of each and every opportunity He lays before me.

How will I “unpack” this phrase in real day-to-day terms? The five things that came to me this morning:

1. Pray each morning and ask for God’s wisdom and guidance for the day.
2. Stay current on events that I am interested in such as writing and genealogy to be aware of opportunities.
3. Spend quality time with my family, including extended family.
4. Simplify my life and have more time to do the things I really enjoy.
5. Step out in faith. When I stop making excuses, God will give me more opportunities.

I am ready to make the most of every opportunity!

Writers Critique Group

One of my goals this year is to join a writers critique group. I’ve actually wanted to do this for a long time because I need the accountability and the honest feedback from other writers.

Last Saturday I attended the first meeting of a new critique group in my area. It was a pleasure to sit with other writers and read their work. Though I was nervous at first, I relished the honest and helpful feedback they gave me on my submission.

I’m so grateful to the two ladies that started this group. They actually have been in a critique group together for over 7 years and have helped either other immensely. Their goal is to teach us to critique and form several new groups.

It is an exciting journey and I’m looking forward to the future!

Small Group

Steve and I attended a small group launch at our church last Sunday. We are interested in joining with others and meeting once a week to fellowship, study the Word and do “life” together.

It’s interesting how the Lord put us with people with common interests. One lady is from the St. Louis area where we lived for seven years. Another lady previously worked at Focus and I had met her a few times.

We will meet again the next two Sundays to get to know each other and discuss the logistics of the group. Then we will have a six month “test run” to see how the group evolves.

We are excited about new friendships and the endless possibilities of ministry.

Flat Belly Diet - Progress

At the beginning of every year it seems I’m searching for a new eating plan. The extra holiday pounds are "weighing heavy" and I’m ready to get rid of them!

This year I came across the “Flat Belly Diet” by Prevention magazine. The basic thought is to eat four times a day, 3 meals and one snack that each total 400 calories. The main thing is to eat every four hours.

The program starts with a four day “jump start” of 1200 calories. I lost 3.5 lbs on it. Then the main program is set up for 28 days and can be repeated as desired. If there is a special function, dress to wear, etc. the jump start can also be repeated for additional weight loss.

This plan has been excellent for me. I’ve always lost weight when I eat small meals and do not overindulge. The five core foods of the plan are olive oil, avocadoes, olives, dark chocolate and nuts and seeds. Five foods that I love and have no problem incorporating into my meals.

My goal is to lose 12.5 lbs. My first mini goal is to be down 7 lbs or more by Feb 17th when I have a yearly physical and blood work.

Weekly Projects

Sundays are always filled with weekly projects. Since we are now attending church on Saturday nights, Sunday is a day of reflection, rest and getting stuff done!

Today's To Do list:

1. Finish up our budget and start using the envelope system
2. Review my plan for Tuesdays start of the "Flat Belly Diet"
3. Work on the family geneaology...starting with the Wood family
4. Scan pictures and plan photo book
5. E-mail critique material for Saturday's critique writing group
6. Finish laundry
7. Vaccuum
8. Update blog

The Flat Belly Diet

To accomplish goal #7 of my new years goals, I've been thinking about a new eating plan. Several have worked for me in the past and but I would like to try something different.

I came across "The Flat Belly Diet" by Prevention magazine. My belly as always been my "biggest" challenge (ha ha) and this eating plan really appealed to me.

I checked out a copy of the book from the local library yesterday and immediately liked what I saw. It is normal food, easy to prepare and easy on the food budget.

The first four days are a jump start and then the eating plan is 28 days. I can do anything for 32 days but I think this one is a real winner.

I'm starting on Tuesday, Jan 12 and will update on my progress.

New Years Goals

New years resolutions always seem to get broken. I much prefer goals.


2010 Goals

1. Spend quiet time with God every day
2. Make the most of every opportunity
3. Join a small group at Woodmen Valley Chapel
4. Exercise a minimum of 3x a week
5. Say what I mean, mean what I say and don't be mean when I say it!
6. Follow a budget; pay off the truck and credit card this year
7. Eat healthy, lose 10 lbs and maintain
8. Hike and travel in Colorado
9. Complete family geneaology project
10. Blog a minimum of 3x a week