Fabulous Friday

It's hard to believe that Friday is here already and that September is right around the corner.
Where has the summer gone? Oh yes, it has been spent painting and moving...and yes we loved every minute of it. We are still not totally finished with the touch ups as yesterday was not a work day. I had granddaughter and hubby was down at Children's holding the youngest baby girl.
I did want to thank you all for your prayers for our Peanut. Although we don't have the results of the tests yet, I will tell you that the procedure went well compared to last year. The initial results should be back next week and then the other results will take several weeks. Our daughter and sil did find out that our Peanuts acid output, last year, was sky high and that she would have reflux every three minutes. NO wonder the girl was miserable and crying all the time. I can't imagine it as an adult, let alone a toddler. Our prayers are that she would be healed of this or grow out of it but that many would see the faithfulness of our God. Today they will be released from the hospital and head home. I also want to thank you for your prayers for Linny's family and for Jubilee. This family is such an example of perseverance and faith. Pop on our to Linny's if you didn't read her post from yesterday.
Hubby and I will continue to work on our house, finishing one room at a time and then moving to the next. I'm so ready to be over there but trying to just finish up things before we move in.
What are your plans for the weekend? May the joy of the Lord be your strength today.
Weekend Blessings, Noreen

Over the past year, many of you have read that one of our grand daughter's, age 2, has Acid Reflux Disease and also some Sensory Issues. Today, she is at Children's Hospital undergoing a 24 hour test, actually a retest, to compare and see if any healing has taken place over the last year. She will be put under a general and be monitored for two days. Her mom, dad, and baby sister will be at the hospital as well but only one parent will be able to be with her at a time due to the baby. We would cherish your prayers for our little Peanut-that the Great Physician would be glorified by the testimony of the healing from His hand that has taken place in her little body.


Also, many of you became acquainted with Linny@http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ when she asked us to pray for a dear christian sister, wife, mom of 10 adopted children who had terminal brain cancer. For those who are new to my blog, Linny is a pastor's wife, intercessor and mother of 10 who wrote a very important post yesterday entitled: Would You Please Pray and/or Fast With Us? With her permission, I have copied it here for you to read and I too ask that you would lift Linny, her family and precious Jubilee up in prayer.
Linny writes "It is a long story, which I cannot go into, but due to circumstances that were completely out of our control we have not been able to file our paperwork with immigration. (It is near done, but not quite.)
This morning, while grocery shopping I received a phone call from our agency. They had just received word that Ch*na was troubled by the length of time it has taken for our paperwork to get to Immigration, thus they are withdrawing their acceptance of us as Jubilee's parents. Meaning, we no longer have permission from Ch*na to adopt Jubilee.
I asked our agency what do we do now and they said, "We don't know. Ch*na has never done this before." Of course it hasn't.
Dw and I are grieved, have been crying, and are petitioning the Lord. We believe that one reason we have this blog and you bloggy friends is to join together "for such a time as this." If you think you cannot believe all the things that have happened to us this year, trust me, we cannot either.
Jubilee is our daughter. She has been our daughter for 18 months as we have dreamed about her, bought things for her and prayed for her. She will be 8 the day after Christmas. She needs to come home. She needs to come home now.
We need a mountain moved, a miracle to happen and great favor to be issued. We are asking God to move on the Ch*nese Government and rescind that decision and allow us to proceed - we are about 2 days from ready to send it.
Hence, we turn to the Almighty-God of the Universe, who we refer to as the Miracle-working, Mountain-moving, Awe-inspiring, Gasp-giving God....He is the ONLY one able to move this mountain.
Would any of you be willing to pray and/or fast with us tomorrow, Thursday, August 26, 2009? Please pray for Jubilee's protection as well. There is no doubt that things are going on in the supernatural.
PS Please ask any prayer warrior or prayer chain to pray - please? And feel free to post it on your blog. "

I am so very thankful today, this thankful Thursday for you.
Be blessed. Noreen

Monday Morning Praise

Good morning friends! What a great weekend we had~it began with our whole crew coming over to help. One sil and his family, pregnant daughter included, moved our garage things over and helped finish moving my sewing room over as well. The other sil helped hubby with yet more painting and our other daughter helped where needed with putting boxes in the appropriate place. Are we done yet? No but getting closer. Sat. eve we attended a Rockies baseball game in Denver; they are playing the San Francisco Giants(our old home team) and we had a blast. It was one of the best games we've ever seen and although it didn't look good at the beginning the Rockies won...go team. Sunday we ran errands and had dinner, a fish fry, at some good friends house with another couple.

As always, I love how the Lord does this for me, I woke up with a song of praise in my head...so here it is for you today.

Lord You Are Beautiful by Rebecca St James

Lord You're beautiful Your face is all I seek
For when your eyes are on this child Your grace abounds to me (repeat)
I want to take your word
And shine it all around First help me just to live it Lord
And when I'm doing well
Help me to never seek a crown For my reward is giving glory to you
Lord please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear I want to take your word
And shine it all around
First help me just to live it Lord
And when I'm doing well
Help me to never seek a crown
For my reward is giving glory to you
Lord you're beautiful Your face is all I seek
For when your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me I can see your face now I can feel your grace now (repeat)
It's all I seek It's all I seek © 1998 Forefront

May you seek His face above all else today.
Be blessed.

As many of you know we are in the process of redoing our house before we move in. So far we have worked non-stop on it for two weeks straight-getting old carpets and padding ripped up, getting walls painted and baseboards & trim sanded and painted...it has been a long hard job but hubby and I are loving it. Last Friday we got the carpet installed in our family room(except for one corner where we needed to adjust a baseboard) and this morning I took hubby's seascape over. Ta da-here is what it looks like-our work in progress. I love how the seascape matches the walls perfectly.

I can't wait until the upstairs carpet is installed this Friday....more photos to come!

God's Creation

Yesterday morning a good friend and I were out for a morning walk. We happened upon two hawks sitting on a fence and I did what any good blogger without her camera does-I used my cell phone but of course the pics didn't turn out. So bright and early this morning I told hubby we had to go back to the same place with our camera. Although there was only one on the fence this morning he was quite cooperative! There had to have been a family of hawks nearby because we saw at least 3 others in trees in the immediate vicinity. I had taken my telephoto off because today I am meeting a fellow blogger for lunch and wanted to get photos of her flowers and yard-maybe even some of us together.

This morning I awoke with a song in my head and although I couldn't track down the lyrics for you I wanted to share what is going around and around in my spirit.

How can I keep from praising Your name

How amazing is Your love

How can I keep from praising Your name

I will never get enough.....

May you see the blessings around you today!

Noreen

On Being Thankful

Over a year ago, after reading Ann @ Holy Experience on Thankful Lists, I began purposely looking at the world through new eyes. Shortly there after I also began my blog because I truly desire to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. During these summer months when busy days have overtaken hubby and I, I have forgotten to stop, look and listen to the all that my Lord has blessed me with. Mind you, I am grateful for all the blessings but haven't slowed down enough lately. Today while reading Ann's post on her daughter's gratitude list it blessed my spirit and made me sit a bit longer and reflect on all the Lord has done for me. Somehow writing it down though makes it last a little longer in my memory and helps me to really cultivate a thankful heart.
So ladies, even though it isn't Thursday these are just a few of the things I'm grateful for today.
For the Lord's saving grace, His redeeming me and restoring me to Himself. For His word and His presence.
For life, waking up each day with a relatively healthy body.
For my dear sweet hubby who loves me patiently even at those times I drive him crazy. For 31 years of marriage, sanctified by the Lord.
For my incredible daughters, the wonderful women, wives and mothers they are and most of all for their love, encouragement and friendship with me.
For the sons of my heart-what incredible godly men my girls are blessed with; with how devoted they are to their wives and to their children.
For all my wonderful grandkids-for those to come as well. They are the joy of my heart, make me sing and laugh and stay young. Grow strong in the Lord! I'm thankful that both families have chosen to homeschool.
For my brother and his wife-"sister of my heart" and the promise of spending Thanksgiving with them here.
For friends and family who have so enriched my life.
For bloggy friends who bless me daily with their writings and also their comments on mine. May our Lord richly bless you as you seek Him.
For the hint of Autumn in the air these days.

Have a joyous and thankful day....
until we meet again. Noreen

Aren't these greeting cards just beautiful! My blogging friend, Nellie of Nellie's Cozy Place blog, had a contest to see who could name the location where these photos were taken and I won. My prize is 6 cards with photos from her son's Appalachian Trail Adventure. They are so beautiful~they could be framed and hung on the wall. Thank you Nellie-I love them!

This is our guest bedroom, freshly painted-still awaiting baseboards and finishing touches...but that means that 50% of our upstairs is done....there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We get our new carpet installed tomorrow in our family room....Yippee!

This is my laundry room and although I don't have any decorations up yet, I hope to find an old-fashioned scrub board and possibly something else for the wall. I love the storage and how big it is!

Camping In Colorado

My love for camping started after I graduated high school and friends introduced me to it. I also tried my hand at backpacking and although I loved being out in the wilderness, I weighed about 85 lbs and carrying a 35 lb pack just didn't work for me. After I was married, I introduced dear hubby to camping and that tradition has continued on with our daughters, their hubbies and their children. In fact, our decisionto move to Colorado, for our entire family, was made around a campfire two years ago. One stipulation my hubby has always had for campsites is that there has to be showers available. O.k. so call us spoiled California campers....the shoe certainly fits! Last year our entire group went camping up the Poudre canyon and it was beautiful; there was only one problem(and it's a big one)~pit toilets, no showers and no sinks in the bathrooms. I thought maybe this was a unusual campsite and started checking into it. At my age, I feel pretty good that we still sleep on the ground but there is only so much one can do without. It would seem that the state campgrounds that I've checked into don't have flush toilets, sinks or showers. My oldest said there may be some private campsites that have these amenities. Last weekend our oldest and her family went on a church camping trip up to Glendo, Wyoming and it is the same way up there. So bloggy friends that live here in Colorado I'm asking you if you know of any campgrounds that have these amenities for one spoiled lady. If we could take a motor home I would but being on a fixed income that is out of the question. My hat is off to all of you that camp in the more rustic settings-you go! I need your help for next year....
any suggestions?

Have a great day!!!!

Photo: July 2008, Colorado

Nuggets From The Psalms

Good Morning Friends~ This morning as I've spent time in the Word and going through the Psalms I decided to share some of my favorite verses. I love all of God's word and am hard pressed to pick out just a few nuggets but here is a small sampling. Enjoy.

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in it season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." Ps.1:1-3
"I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely." Ps. 6:8,9. This is the verse that I was memorizing when I was involved in the third bank robbery at the bank where I worked five years ago.
"One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple." Ps.27:4
"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living: Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let yourheart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." Ps. 27:13,14

I could spend all day meditating on God's word and these are just a couple of verses that have touched my heart over the years~I pray they touch yours today.

Blessings, Noreen

Movie Review

Last night hubby and I rented a video so we could relax and enjoy the evening after a long day's work. I choose the video "Rivers End" and it is the story of a troubled teen aged boy who takes a canoe trip. There is suspense and beautiful scenery plus no sex and limited bad language.
I would recommend this but suggest you preview it prior to watching with children.

Another series of videos we've rented lately are "The Librarian" which are similar to Indiana Jones but on a level a bit more corny. Having said that we enjoyed the first two but I can't recommend the third one, The Judas Cup, due to the content. If you can get beyond the mystical things that occur in the library you might just enjoy these movies.

We are still in the midst of painting and I hope to get some photos soon. Enjoy your day!!!

Happy Saturday Friends! Just stopping in to tell you that I am up to my elbows in paint, sanding baseboards, painting baseboards etc etc....so you know that I am running around like a mad woman. I will try to get photos of my laundry room today that is now finished; we pulled up the old carpet downstairs and are getting ready for new carpet next weekend. In the middle of all this our landlord has been showing this house so that means we scurry around making it look like a model home; until this morning when I awoke to find ants in the kitchen. I promptly told the Lord I didn't have time to deal with them and I know He understood.

I also want to ask you all to continue to pray for Cindy's family~ her husband Howard and their children for although we know she is free from pain and suffering her family has suffered a great loss. There are also many others who are battling cancer and I'm praying about doing a regular fast for those I know who are ill. Will you consider if this is something the Lord might have for you as well.

Have a joyous and blessed weekend.
In His Strength, Noreen

Many of you faithfully joined in the call to fast for a dear sister, Cindy, who was battling cancer. This morning I was visiting Linny's blog and saw this update from yesterday. Today I am grateful that death has no sting over us because our Lord and Savior conquered death. I also firmly believe that the Father in His Wisdom sometimes heals our loved ones in an ultimate healing-that of taking them to glory. I firmly believe that the saints who have gone before us would not choose to come back but would rather stay with our Beloved. Please read Linny's post below.

"With a grieving heart I have to tell you that Monday night at about 10:37 pm our sweet bloggy friend Cindy went to be with the Lord. I don't really know many details, but I had not heard from her since before the fast. I guessed that she had gotten really bad very quickly.

I am confident that if Cindy could speak to us she would say something like, "Thank you my dear bloggy friends and family. Please do not allow my death to keep you from fasting - because it was not in vain. Please pray for my family. Please pray for my sweet Howard and please pray for my precious treasures. Please bloggy friends - keep fighting the fight and press in to knowing Christ deeper."

There are so many fighting for their health, their very lives; disease touches each family. Do not be discouraged, "Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world".

With love, Noreen

I am currently reading Beth Moore's "Believing God"; I love Beth's books and studies. Tonight as I was reading one of the chapters it touched me in a profound way. May it encourage your heart today.
"God exerts an incomparable power in the lives of those who continue believing Him. Hear it again: Nothing on earth compares to the strength God is willing to interject into lives caught in the act of believing. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul likens it to the stunning power God exerted when He raised His Son from the dead! Do you hear that, Beloved? Can you think of any need you might have that would require more strength than God exercised to raise the dead? Me either, God can raise marriages from the dead, and He can restore life and purpose to those who have given up. He can forgive and purify the vilest sinner. God's speciality is raising dead things to life and making impossible things possible. You don't have the need that exceeds His power." Again, you don't have any need that exceeds God's power.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have been challenged this week in my thinking about the character and nature of God.
Over the years I've done studies on His character, many on the names of God and praying according to His character. This last Sunday our pastor challenged our belief in how we view God. So many of us grew up in churches that focused on only one character trait: I grew up in a traditional church that focused only on God being Judge. Many friends grew up focusing on His mercy while others grew up only focused on Jesus or the Holy Spirit but we need to remember the Totality of God-He is all of these and many more. When we isolate just one facet of God's character we minimize Who He is. When we seek Him, do we just focus on His provision? As a parent I love blessing my children with gifts and when they were little I delighted in meeting their needs. They did not need to manipulate me although I'm sure at times they tried. Why do we question whether our loving Father will provide for us? Of course He will but He will not be used or manipulated, He is not a puppet~He Alone Is God. One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 23-I am always touched by how this chapter portrays the love of God for us.
As our Shepherd He will provide for us. He is in relationship with us, cares for us, protects us, leads us, defends us,comforts us and gives us rest and peace. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, He will not forsake us. There are many character traits you can dwell on throughout the day-so many we could spend the rest of our days focused just on what a mighty God we have.
It is a so reassuring to remember that though the world may fall around us, His hand will hold us firm and close to Him.
Today be assured of His great love for you!

Walk in His Love today, Noreen

from Beth Moore "Believing God" chapter 2, pages 22 and 23

Weekend Transformation

As you know we have begun painting our home before we move into it. I decided to take before and after photos of this journey. The top photo is the family before we added color.

The color looks a bit more pastel in this photo but it is a grey blue and reminds me of the ocean; it changes the look depending on the time of day. The color is a very calming, tranquil color. Oh yes, we will be getting new carpets and all the trim will be painted white including the baseboards.

This is the color for the walls in most of the house and it is a warm color. The family room now reminds me of the beach, sand and the ocean. Hubby has seascapes that his dad painted and I know they will look lovely in this room. I can't wait until all the work is done; in fact this may become one of my favorite rooms in our home.

Have a wonderful peaceful kind of day!