Search me, O God, and know my heart today;

Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;

See if there be some wicked way in me;

Cleanse me from ev'ry sin, and set me free.

I praise Thee Lord, for cleansing me from sin;

Fulfill Thy Word, and make me pure within;

Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;

Grant my desire to magnify They name.

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;

Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;

Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;

I now surrender; Lord in me abide

O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;

Send a revival, start the work in me;

Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;

For blessing now, O Lord, I humbly plead.

--J. Edwin Orr

BECAUSE HE IS RISEN I live, I live, because he is risen

I live, I live, with power over sin

I live, I live, because he is risen I

live, I live, to worship him

Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus!

Because you're alive,

because you're alive,

because you're alive, I live!

It's very exciting to sit back and watch God work. I wish that we'd just learn to relax and wait and to not get in His way. He is moving and it is awesome. When we get out of the way and finally say "yes", He works!

We had a wonderful ladies breakfast at church yesterday morning. We had several new ladies and we had a great lesson on God's hiding from us. We had wonderful discussion and the Holy Spirit led me to think of things I had not previously thought of. To top it off, the songs we sang at church this morning actually spoke to many of the things that were discussed. God was certainly driving home the message of His majesty and holiness.

I'm excited to see the new things He is going to do!!

Politics is still an interesting aspect of my life. I've learned that it can be very rewarding and at the same time, it can be extremely disheartening. When you maintain the status quo, it is somewhat discouraging, but when you step out ethically and take the high road, it can be a lot of fun. I must admit, though, that I'll be glad to not spend so much time on it and be able to focus more on church things. There is a lot of work to be done for the women of our church and I'm finally feeling focused.

A verse for today:

Isaiah 6:1b (NIV)
I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

He is exalted! He is mighty! He is GOD!!

Pride...

Pride=
Title: Holman Bible Dictionary
Author:
PRIDE Undue confidence in and attention to one’s own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than to define, easier to recognize in others than in oneself. Many biblical words describe this concept, each with its own emphasis. Some of the synonyms for pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, and high-mindedness. It is the opposite of humility, the proper attitude one should have in relation to God. Pride is rebellion against God because it attributes to self the honor and glory due to God alone. Proud persons do not think it necessary to ask forgiveness because they do not admit their sinful condition. This attitude toward God finds expression in one’s attitude toward others, often causing people to have a low estimate of the ability and worth of others and therefore to treat them with either contempt or cruelty. Some have considered pride to be the root and essence of sin. Others consider it to be sin in its final form. In either case, it is a grievous sin.

Pride is a sin I've struggled with. I believe that if we were all honest, we would all have to confess to certain level of pride. It can be a real struggle for me, though. You see, my spiritual gifts are pastor/shepherd and exhortation. I see others sin, I want to point it out and encourage them to seek God's merciful forgiveness. I want to encourage them to seek God's best for their life, to live out their faith, to trust God's Word and take Him at His Word. But, I often question my motives. Is it for God's glory or my own? Most of the time, I believe that it is for God's glory, but sometimes I see that it is for my own. Lord, please forgive me. Help me to use my gifts for Your glory, not my own!

It's so easy to get caught up in our own agenda. To have all the answers to everyone's problems, to think we can fix everything. But, I don't think that we are supposed to fix everything. If we did, we'd get in God's way. He wouldn't be able to work in people's lives in a way that brings growth and maturity.

James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Trials are important in our lives. They are there for a purpose. They cause us to mature, they cause us to run to God, they cause us to discover what is important in our lives, they help us to see spiritually. Just as Jesus was led to the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tested by Satan, I believe that we are led into the desert to be tested. The desert is not always a bad place. Growth and maturity are often in the desert. The desert causes us to hunger and thirst. The only place to turn is to the ONE that can give us spiritual water and bread. Jesus!

He is doing amazing things in my life right now, granting me focus and purpose. I'm excited to see what He is going to do and I want to be a willing participant and servant--without pride.

Just making sure Picasa is really working! Liberty is enjoying a quick nap in a strange position!! I'll be back shortly to do a better update! 

Baby M's sweater is done. It's quite dapper! I really don't have to worry about any baby sweaters until after the first of the year now. So, I've been working on my shawl and several pairs of socks. I have several things that I want to make for Christmas, so it will nice to concentrate on just those things.

You know, God's really been working on my heart to get back into the Word, work on our relationship. It's been great. There have been many challenges recently and God has been reminding me of His sufficiency.

I just finished listening to Candace Cameron Bure's testimony (you can get it at Way of the Master). She played D.J. on Full House. Wow, what a powerful testimony. It's so easy to get complacent, but we have so much to be thankful for! Where would we be without God's mercy? I feel for those that are in the dark, yet they believe they are the enlightened ones! God is so merciful and so kind, yet people (including myself 13 year ago) kick against His Word, kick against His love, kick against His commands.

I've recently posted on our newspapers website regarding someone's taking Scripture out of context, but they didn't get it. They want to continue in their sin. Yes, Christ taught peace and love, but He didn't tolerate. He did not tolerate sin. He told people to repent and sin no more. If we don't repent of our sins, for which He died, His death was in vain. That makes no sense.

Why was my blog fine the other day and now the stuff on the side is down at the bottom? I've tried fixing it from the template page, but it won't fix. Ugh!!

I'm wearing my Cyclone t-shirt, listening to the Iowa/Iowa State game on the radio. Iowa State has already scored!! Yeah!

The liberals seem to be getting more and more scary. This week, Rosie O'Donnell compared radical Christians to radical Muslims. Huh? Sean Penn declared that President Bush has done serious damage to humanity. Huh? If only the rest of the world would stop listening to celebrities.

I'm not going to worry about it, God is in control. His plan will not be thwarted.

Back to knitting! Go Cyclones!!

I'm slowly getting the hang of this new blogger. Once the bugs are worked out, I think that I'm going to like it.

Do you ever think that everything is just going crazy? It just seems like there is so much conflict, drama, struggle. I can't elaborate yet, but there is a lot of prayer going up these days for several situations.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of September 11. As the day has approached, I've found myself reflecting more and more. What a sad, scary day that was. Just as everyone else, I remember it like it was yesterday. The images, the feelings, they are all there with full clarity. I remember the kid's reactions, too. How scared my son was, at 11-years-old, it seemed that his world was crashing to an end. At the time, I didn't know anyone that perished, but I mourned for the loss of security, the awful loss of life, the loss of our naivete. Now, I know the widow of one the thousands lost, her daughter attends my church and I've had the priviledge of getting to know them both. I mourn for her husband, Jim, and I pray that as she returns tomorrow she will find a little bit of closure. His body was never recovered. She spoke to him after the first plane hit, he was at the hotel and was going to head home. She never heard from him again.

It was all so sudden. It was all so harsh.

It saddens me to think how many people we have in our country who just don't get it. They believe we were attacked for our politics. They don't seem to want to understand that we were attacked because of our religion, because we are "infidels". We were attacked for our way of life, whether the lives of true followers of Christ or followers of a decadent lifestyle, it matters not. This struggle goes back to the beginning of time. It will not be solved with diplomacy or war, God will solve it, it is His battle to fight.

Deuteronomy 20:2-4(NIV)
When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army.
He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

God will have His victory. In the mean time, we pray, we reach, we teach.

This is my first post with Beta Blogger. I have messed with my template. Not sure I like the blue, but the colors aren't very muted, which I would prefer.

I'm supposed to be working on a brochure for my candidate, but I don't have a lot of ambition. I've been dinking on the internet all morning! I guess I'd better get the laundry going and get the brochure done!

Witnesses tell of freak death of Steve Irwin | NEWS.com.au

Witnesses tell of freak death of Steve Irwin NEWS.com.au

How sad! I remember when the kids were little, we'd watch him every Saturday morning. I feel so bad for his family, his 8-year-old daughter was with him when the accident happened. Of course, the saddest part was his relationship with God. I can only hope.

Lorna's Laces Child's Play socks 

Baby DG's Marble sweater. It's much prettier in person.
My Socks that Rock yarn, Fairgrounds colorway. Can't wait! 

I'm so excited! I got my first "Socks that Rock" sock yarn and the Rock and Weave. I can't wait to get started, but I'm going to have to, there are too many other things to finish! I'm almost done with the last August baby's sweater and I have to make a bigger sweater for Baby M. Soon, I'll be able to concentrate on Christmas gifts and other items.

I do have other activities vying for my time. I'm acting campaign manager for a young man in our district running for the state House of Representatives. This will consume quite a bit of my time for the next couple of months. It's a great opportunity for the kids, as well. How many kids get to do a campaign "unit study" for the first part of the school year? It's a great opportunity for us all.

I've been trying to do some reading also. I'm getting into the 5th Yada Yada book. They are awesome books, really make you think about your prayer life, judgements against others, etc.

I praise God for His continued faithfulness. This summer has not been easy, but God continues to show me that I do not need to worry, He has everything in His hands and He will deal with it all.

We're sitting at my mom's, waiting to hear if my uncle's flight is delayed or canceled. He's coming in for my aunts funeral. It's been a very stressful week. Stuff going on with my oldest dd and my aunts passing. I crave my knitting when things are this stressful, but I don't get much done.

One thing I know, God is faithful! He is totally in control of the entire situation.

Baby K's sweater. It came out really cute. I like this pattern and it was quick to knit in Encore DK, so I'm using the same pattern for the last August baby. I'm using a different DK yarn, it's called Marble and it's got a neat self-striping effect. It will be nice to have all the baby sweaters out of the way this early, then I can focus on projects for Christmas and a couple of left-overs I need to get done. 

After we visited Baby M, we made a stop at our new racetrack. The Richard Petty Driving Experience is here through Sunday and we were able to see several ride-alongs. We weren't to sure that the track would be a good thing, but since Rusty Wallace designed it and is extremely involved, it looks like it's going to be a great thing for our community.


I love NASCAR, so it's exciting to have some of the cars so close to home. We live about 10-12 miles away and I could hear the cars going around the track with the south breeze we have blowing. While NASCAR hasn't signed on yet, they are coming to test on the track before the final 10 races. It could get very exciting. 

Baby A, she's 14 months now and is taking her first steps! 

This is Baby A's baby brother, Baby M! Welcome to the world!! He was born at 39 weeks! Praise God!!! Since he was full-term, his sweater is way tooooo small. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 8 oz, and is 22 1/4" long. He was able to be born at the birthing center with the midwife, rather than the hospital. He's absolutely perfect!! He looks like his daddy. Baby A likes him and is being very gentle with him.

I still have a couple of August babies to knit for, but I've been able to keep up. 4 have been born in the last week and a half. 

Baby J's sweater. Dale Erle, made with Dale Baby Uhl. Only 2 more August babies to go!

We're obviously back from vacation. We had a wonderful time and when I get the chance, I'll post photos of the highlights. Suffice it to say, we'd move there if we could. 

In the Basic Life seminar, Bill Gothard talks about our lives being cyclical. I do believe it's true. I've always struggled through March (don't know why for sure, by my dr. suggested SAD and it's my birthday month) and I struggle a lot in the summer. Sin rears its ugly head. Food and old habits take hold in my life. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost. My heart races from the carbs and sugar. So, I started wondering about why summer is so hard for me in the food area...

We buried my step-dad 29 years ago today! That entire summer, before and after, had been very stressful. He was laid off, struggling with many things in his life, getting deep into things he shouldn't have been involved in, and then he died. Everyone brought the young widow and their 13-year-old daughter tons of food!! It was totally acceptable for me to eat and eat. We couldn't let it go to waste. The rest of the summer (and for several years), life was sad. Sometimes, it was out of control. The next summer, his natural children finally found my step-grandparents (we lived in a different house, but on the same farm. We were very close). My step-grandparents were thrilled that their grandchildren had found them. I went from being their pride and joy (I was an only child, as well as my step-dad being their only child-they were so heartsick when he died) to being Kenny's step-daughter. That hurt my heart. It was summer, again, and I had now lost my grandparents. The kids came to visit that summer and oh, the joy! We had to show them off, take them everywhere (the boy was 2 years older than myself, and the girl was a month younger than myself). Everywhere, we ate. I sucked it up and went along with all the fun, but I look back now and realize that my heart was broken and I was hurting.

That relationship, with my grandparents, was never the same and within 4 years, we were estranged. My grandpa came down with cancer and died-I never saw him during that process.

I've learned to face March with prayer and an understanding that it's okay to "coast" as the dr put it, I guess I'm going to have to approach summer with the same preparation. I've got to give myself a little break (while gently making changes) and remember that this is somewhat programmed into my being. Lord, help me face this cyclical times in my life filled with your grace and mercy!

I had an amazing experience at the county fair the other night. There were members of the Christian Motorcycle Association (yes, B, you know several of them!). I got to chatting with them and shared my story of Moose. They let me know that they know of someone that goes to the clubhouses and shares the Gospel. I know that God is going to do a mighty work in Moose's heart, the same as He did in the hearts of the men I met the other night.

We also walked in the parade. Oh my goodness, it was so hot!! I was feeling it yesterday morning when I woke up. I definitly had the "sun-kissed" look!!

Today is cleaning day, as well as getting a bunch of magazines sent off that I auctioned off on ebay. Vacation is just a few days away!!

Baby N's little matinee sweater. I made it with Dreambaby Dk and the pattern in off the internet (shells & columns).