Why are we surpised???

Are you ever surprised when God answers your prayers? Has it ever taken you two days to realize that two days ago is when He answered a certain prayer? I don't know about you but I do it quite often. Now sometimes I think it is because the answers to our prayers aren't always that obvious, they don't always come all wrapped up with ribbons and bows with a flashing card that sings, "An answer for you, from God." Usually the answers are more subtle, but sometimes I wonder why I am surprised when God answers my prayers... Did I not think He would or could do it?

~~~

Anyway, all of that to say, God has been teaching me a couple of things, the first one being: He has the ability to do anything, and yet even in this position of power, cares enough about us to answer our prayers, even when our prayers are over little vain things. He has made it very evident that He is the God that still answers prayers. When you call out for help He will send someone, or several "someones" to help and encourage you. I would like to thank the several "someones," who have been councilors and encourager's to me in the past several weeks. God sent you to help me... and I just want to say thanks.

The second thing God has been teaching me is to just trust Him. Trust, trust, trust... I have heard or seen that word many times in the last week and finally I realized, "God must be trying to tell me something."

Proverbs 3:5-6 is a passage of scripture that most of us are very familiar with, most of us had it memorized by the time we were five. It was so much easier trusting God when I was five. Do you need to go back to a five year olds mentality of just trusting? I know that I do. I need to have the trust of a five year old. As a grown up, it is way to easy to just grab the reins and take control away from God. If we could just trust him and willingly give Him the reins to our lives, I believe He would drive us to places that are beyond our comprehension, better then we ever could have imagined...

Sometimes we just have to give up the reins and trust Him.

~ Proverbs 3:5-6 ~

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

Can 't

by Edgar Guest

Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken;

Doing more harm here then slander and lies;

On it is many a strong spirit broken,

And with it many a good purpose dies.

It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning

And robs us of courage we need through the day:

It rings in our ears like a timely sent warning

And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.

• Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,
• The parent of terror and halfhearted work;
• It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
• And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
• It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
• It stifles in infancy many a plan;
• It greets honest toiling with open derision
• And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a man.

Can't is a word none should speak without blushing;

To utter it should be a symbol of shame;

Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;

It blights a man's purpose and shortens his aim.

Despise it with all of your hatred of error;

Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;

Arm against it as a creature of terror,

And all that you dream of you someday shall gain.

• Can't is the word that is foe to ambition,
• An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
• Its prey is forever the man with a mission
• And bows but to courage and patience and skill
• Hate it, with hatred that's deep and undying,
• For once it is welcomed 'twill break any man;
• Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
• And answer this demon by saying: "I can."

A Belated Birthday Song...

A very Happy Birthday to you Mr. Guthrie! I hope you enjoy it too Jake!

( I am posting the lyrics below for your convenience.)

We Saw the Lights

• We wandered so aimless down Guthrie Lane,
• We couldn't see through all of the rain.
• Then we were blinded by something so bright,
• Praise the Lord! We saw the birthday lights!

We saw the lights! We saw the lights!
No more darkness the cakes much to bright
Now were so happy we celebrate tonight
Praise the Lord! We saw the birthday lights!

• We saw the porches, your sons, they did make
• 54 candles on top of your cake.
• You won't need your flashlight to illuminate the night
• Praise the Lord! We saw the birthday lights!

We saw the lights! We saw the lights!
No more darkness the cakes much to bright
Now were so happy we celebrate tonight
Praise the Lord! We saw the birthday lights!

• We hope you've enjoyed this version of the song,
• And tell your 9 children they must sing along.
• So Happy, Happy Birthday, and enjoy your cake!
• Thank your newest son-in-law, This ones from Jake!

We saw the lights! We saw the lights!
No more darkness the cakes much to bright
Now were so happy we celebrate tonight
Praise the Lord! We saw the birthday lights!

All right....

I will now release all of you who are wondering and those of you who know/figured it out and make it public.

I am pregnant!!!!!

Come May Curtiss and I are expecting a bouncing baby_________
(insert boy/girl your guess is as good as mine :)


The picture of the stork was one that I took while in Romania this last spring. Storks are a common sight over there and most villages have at least one nest up on top of one of the cement electric poles. The one in that picture wasn't from the village we lived in but in the next village over. We have been saving it for just such an announcement as this :)

For those of you who will be wondering....

I am feeling good considering the circumstances :)
Most days I don't have much if any energy but I have for the most part gotten over the morning sickness and it's not an infrequent thing to hear me say that I am hungry :)
If any of you ever have a hankering to do dishes or clean the bathroom by all means come on over since there will most likely be at least one of those things that needs doing :)
I have decided that I don't like being a lazy person, life is much too boring when you don't do anything but I keep reminding myself that the cobwebs in the corner aren't the most important thing in life and even though I don't have the energy to cook gourmet meals (or anything at all for that matter), or keep my house spotlessly clean, my body is very busy bringing another life into the world and that is one of the most awesome things that any woman can do.

One Year ago today...

It hardly seems possible that a year could've gone by already since Curtiss and I said our wedding vows.

And yet so much has happened in that time that I sometimes wonder how we fit it all in :)



I just want to say how thankful I am to the Lord for where he has placed me and the lot he has given me. I am blessed beyond anything I could've ever dreamed.