The last week in pictures........

Ashley and Tucker

The girls with a very nervous dog, in the pool!

Duane trying to get Tucker to warm up to him...I am not sure how bondage helps in that process, but it had something to do with keeping Tucker close to him in order to get acquainted.

Nikki, after her haircut tonight

The kid crew watching movies and eating popcorn tonight

Some of the kids eating dinner in the tent last week

Camping out in the backyard

Anita crawling out of the tent in the dark of night (she is going to kill me!)

Nikki and her new best friend...Tucker!

Alex is really not choking the dog

Nikki and Alyssa hanging out, waiting to swim.

Kenlee getting ready for the plunge in the pool!

Snuggle time!

The girls playing with Tucker

Fetch!!

Coming soon.....

I'm here, I'm here!!! I haven't died or fallen off the face of the earth....just very busy!

I will blog later today, and I have several pictures to share.

Come As a Child

We are in the middle of company....we have had and are having a great time with the our friends, the Haight's!

Kevin and Anita are caregivers for an elderly man with down syndrome. Leroy is 64 years old, and has the mind of a six year old child. It takes a lot of being around him to understand what he is saying.
His days of vacation (and most every other day) consist of coloring. He always has a coloring book and his bucket of crayons handy. Yesterday, he started his coloring at about 12:00 pm, and colored for the rest of the day!!
He loves it when anyone stops for a moment to look at his masterpieces. One interesting element in his art, is that he colors an entire page, from corner to corner, one color.....and only one color.
Nikki loves to sit and color with him, and he is always gracious enough to let her use many different colors on her page!
Yesterday, I overheard her saying to him, "Leroy, you are doing a great job!!" That made him very happy!

Another one of the things that I love about Leroy, is that he loves to sing!! I had our TV tuned into Serius Spirit. So, there was worship and praise music playing from it most of the day.
As Leroy colored, he also sang. His words didn't match any one of the songs, but I doubt that matters much to His Creator!
Last night, Aaron and Cher joined us for a BBQ, and after we ate, we sat and watched a Phillips Craig and Dean DVD. Leroy sat on the sofa and sang along. When the song would become very worshipful, he would close his eyes and raise his hand in the air and sing! When the song was exciting, Leroy promptly got to his feet to dance!

When Randy Phillips prayed on the DVD, Leroy closed his eyes and with tears streaming down his cheeks, he mumbled over and over words that to my ears weren't understandable, but to the ears and heart of God, I believe they were words of authentic love and adoration to God!!

The rest of us tried not to let him see us watching him......but as I sat there and watched this old man, who has spent his entire 64 years being like a child, I felt something happen inside of me.....Christ asked us to come as little children, just as Leroy was doing!

Many of you and myself are going through battles and feeling like we are fighting things that are too hard to bear, but last night, I realized that I could also come as a child to the one who knows all, sees all, hears all....

"God May Be Up To Something!!"

(Warning...this is going to be a long one!)

A few months ago, Duane watched a DVD in his Men's Group at our church, of Andy Stanley speaking about, "Praying Big". He came home excited and challenged, and shared the message with me. Together we committed to start praying big prayers about some things in our lives.

One of the prayers I have been praying is that God would take me out of my cozy, small comfort zone, and do a new work in my life! It is scary to pray that way! I mean it! What will God ask of me, if I tell him that I am ready to move up!! The saying goes, "Be careful what you ask for... it will surely come to you!"

I had NO idea what God was getting ready to do! So, while God was preparing the way, I was praying big!

In May, we attended a class given through our church called, "Network". It is a class that helps identify what your spiritual gifts are and includes your personality strengths and ministry passion. It basically identifies where you are most likely going to be effective in ministry!
I walked away from that class realizing that I had a ministry passion burning deep in my heart, and it had been quietly smoldering there, unrecognized, for many years.

I still had NO idea what God was getting ready to do! I was praying big!

The next weekend, I attended the Beth Moore Conference in Boise. It was an amazing time of worship and Bible teaching from the book of 2 Timothy!
One of the things that Beth taught us that weekend, is that God will take our pain and turn it into our passion, and He will take our misery and turn it into our ministry!! When she said that....a light bulb went off in my brain. Pain/Misery into Passion/Ministry......Ministry Passion!! She shared that it is in the intersection of Passion and Ministry where a Holy God dwells!! That is where the fire takes place. She pleaded with us to "fan your flame!!" (I could hardly sit still!!)

I still had no idea what God was getting ready to do! I was just praying big!

I am doing a Summer Bible Study (Beth Moore) on the Psalms of Ascent, with some friends. I was sitting quietly on a particular morning, studying that day's lesson. There was a question that asked me to share how and when I came to know Christ as my Saviour. I started to give the appropriate answer, and it was like a streak of lightening, bolted across the sky above me!!
The answer to the question caused me to realize for the first time EVER, that at the age of 14, my life of pain and misery had ended and it was in that same year, that I now believe my Ministry Passion was born!!
The realization that morning, will be a moment that I will never forget!

I had NO idea what God was getting ready to do....I was still praying big prayers!!

So a couple of weeks ago, Duane and I sat down with Lynn (Ministries Pastor), and she went over what we identified in Network Class. I shared what my passion is, and she wrote it all down. She asked me to be praying about how God would want to use me and also that I would know and sense God leading me.
I got in the car to come home and thought (prayed)........"Ok, God! I am a willing vessel. I am available to you. I don't know what you have in mind for me....just know that I am ready!"
I seriously thought that it would be weeks, maybe even months before anything BIG happened!! I went to bed that night, not knowing what God had planned for the next morning!!

I woke up, did my morning doings, and sat down to read my emails. I saw one from Lynn (Ministries Pastor). I clicked on it and this was the opening line.......

"Hey Sheila!! You will never believe what just happened!" "God may be up to something!!"

I went on to read the email, and sat in utter shock at what God had just done! All of the things that had been happening over the last month, had led up to that single moment!!

Lynn shared a story with me, and then went on to say, that the staff believes that "this" is for me! She asked me to pray about it, and talk to Duane about it!! :) Believe me....I did both, fervently!!

So, that brings me to this moment. I have just today said "Yes" to what God has placed in my hands! I am so overwhelmed at how BIG this is!! I started out being so nervous, and I have to say that I still am...but I am also full of peace! I don't know where this will take me, but I know who is leading me! This is my offering of obedience.

I am not going to share details, because it is still very new and personal. Please just pray that I will seek God's face every single step of the way!!

Philippians 1:6 (Message)........
"There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears."

Garlic Bubble Bread

Garlic Bubble Bread...this is so delicious! I served it with my Chicken Rice Casserole tonight, and it was a hit!!

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough or 17 frozen dinner rolls divided in half, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried parsley or basil
1/4 tsp. salt

Divide dough into 34 pieces. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over pieces of dough and gently stir until dough is coated. Pour into a lightly greased bundt pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. or until golden brown.
Serve warm!

My Children's Daddy...Happy Father's Day

Duane and Ashley have a very special bond...after all, she is his first baby girl! She still will confide in her Dad and share her heart with him, faster than with anyone else.

Duane and Alex....Buddies!! Alex idolizes his dad! He always wants to do what dad is doing, he wants to be like his dad and with his dad...he is a Daddy's boy! When I don't quite understand what is going on in his "little boy head", thankfully his Daddy "gets it"!

Duane and Nikki...Daddy's Baby Girl!! This one has her Daddy wrapped tight around her little finger! She wants to marry a boy "just like Daddy" someday! There is something beautiful about the adoration a little girl has for her daddy!

Duane is the Father to our children, that I always knew he would be!! He is so gentle and compassionate with them! Where I tend to react, Duane slowly evaluates what is going on, and responds with calmness and a willingness to find out what is really going on!
He is living close to the heart of God, and is pointing our children to the Saviour through his life. I look at my three kids and the authentic relationships that they have with their earthly Father, and am convinced that will have a great impact on their relationship with their Heavenly Father.
Happy Father's Day, Babe!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the three Dad's in my life (I will be blogging about my children's dad next).
To my Dad, Steve...Happy Father's Day!! Thank you for teaching me the spirit of adventure and spontaneity. I have great memories of being woke up with the news that we were going to go do something fun!! To this day, I love to pick up and go!
I also have been told that I get my artistic flair and creativity from you. I remember you showing me how to arrange weeds, and they would be beautiful! Thank you for nurturing the love for beauty in me!
I love you, Dad!

To my other Father, Bob (Davenport)...I have told you many times, that God knew exactly what I needed in a Father, and He gave me you!! You are as close to having the Father-Heart-of-God as it gets!! Your unconditional love and undying support for me, means more than my humble words will ever be able to say!
Watching you choose to love my mom, and then embracing children that weren't officially yours....thank you!!
I love you & I am so grateful for you!

To the Father of my Husband, Bob (Taylor)....When I was dating Duane, you quickly became someone who I could respect and love as a Dad! I used to think, "I sure hope I can marry Duane, and have Bob for a Father in Law! You always were kind to me, and your comforting hugs and steady support through some of my hardest times....I have never forgotten them!
Thank you too, for fathering the man who is my husband! You have modeled for him, a love for family, a love for others, but mostly, you modeled a love for God! He is an amazing dad, and I believe you had a part in that!!
I love you!
Your Favorite Daughter-in-law! (Ha!!)

To all my brother's....Aaron, Matt, Terry, Marc & Brian,
Happy Father's Day!!

Pondering...........

My mother shared this with me this morning, over the phone, and it went deep into my heart!

My Upmost For His Highest" (Oswald Chambers)

"Come ye after Me." Mark 1:17

One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of temperament. We make our temperament and our natural affinities barriers to coming to Jesus. The first thing we realize when we come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatever to our natural affinities.

We have the notion that we can consecrate our gifts to God. You cannot consecrate what is not yours; there is only one thing you can consecrate to God, and that is your right to yourself (Romans 12:1).

If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you.

God's experiments always succeed.

The one mark of a saint is the moral originality which springs from abandonment to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing wellspring of original life all the time; the Spirit of God is a well of water springing up, perennially fresh. The saint realizes that it is God who engineers circumstances, consequently there is no whine, but a reckless abandon to Jesus. Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you.

If you abandon to Jesus, and come when He says "Come," He will continue to say "Come" through you; you will go out into life reproducing the echo of Christ's "Come." That is the result in every soul who has abandoned and come to Jesus.

Have I come to Jesus? Will I come now?

Cooking Day!

Today, my small group friends came over to my house and for two hours, we cooked together.

I have always loved this concept, and while I have done it once before as meals for a friend, this time....I get to keep the meals!

Each lady brought all the ingredients for two recipes and made four (9x13) pans from each recipe. That would be eight pans, per lady. When it was all said and done, we had made 32 pans of food all together! Each one of us, now has 8 separate meals in our freezers tonight!

Here is our Menu:

Sheila....Lasagna & Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

Rose....Pizza Casserole & Chicken Enchiladas

Tina....Beef Stroganoff & Chicken Tortilla Soup

Vicki....South of the Boarder Casserole & Baked Bean Casserole

We had our meats pre-cooked and all our vegetables chopped, before hand! That makes a huge difference on time! But two hours of cooking for one week of dinner meals....not bad at all!!
I would like to do this often, and as we learn and polish the process....maybe do once a month cooking!! I love that idea!
All I have to do is pull a meal out of the freezer to thaw, stick it in the oven, make a fresh garden salad or side dish to accompany the meal....set the table and holler..."Dinner's Ready!!"

A Family Favorite!

Morning Glory Muffins

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins or craisans
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I leave these out due to allergies)
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 Fugi apple - peeled, cored and shredded
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup applesauce (this replaces oil)
• 1 cup of crushed pineapple, drained
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple and pineapple.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
4. Fill each muffin cup to the brim, and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a cooling rack.
   

These are scrumptious the same day and keep very well for a couple of days, if there are any left!
Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary!

Duane's parents, Bob and Margaret, celebrated their thirty-ninth wedding anniversary today, so we treated them to dinner at our house tonight.


Alex, my kitchen assistant, was intent on eating outside. So, we braved the chance of rain, hauled the table out onto the patio, and it turned out beautiful!

Nikki wanted to write the Anniversary Wishes on the chalkboard in the kitchen.

Asian Sesame Grilled Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Bread, and Strawberry Shortcake...Simple, yet delicious!

Ash, Alex and Nikki....they wanted to help with this meal, and so I oversaw it, and they did alot of the work!
We had a delightful evening!

When I was 14...it was a very good year!

I have just had a stunning, amazing revelation occur to me! I find myself so blown away that it never occurred to me before this moment!!

For a small snippet of background.....
I, along with six other gals, began a Beth Moore Bible Study yesterday, led my my sister-in-law, Talisha. We are studying the "Psalms of the Ascent" in a series entitled, Stepping Up.

So, back to my story.....
I was doing today's homework just moments ago, and was having to answer the question, "How long has my journey with God been, thus far?"
I had to stop and figure it up. I was fourteen...that was twenty-two years ago! So, I answered the question with the number "22".

The next question was "How did it begin?"
I got on my knees beside my bed and with no one around, I asked Jesus to forgive me and redeem me. I was desperate!!

My life was a mess, and I was a mess!
I had just spent twelve of my fourteen years being hurt by someone who was supposed to love me, not ever hurt me!
My parents were separating...my life was in ashes!! I was at the end of myself!

I felt like I had no one I could turn to...looking back, I can see how God was drawing me toward himself! That was probably the first time I can remember visualizing God picking me up, setting me on his lap, and wrapping his BIG arms around me!
I still use that visual when I need his Holy comfort!

So, my revelation tonight was this........

The abuse stopped and my journey with Christ began, both--when I was 14!

For some of you, that may be a "Wake up, Sheila" moment. But I have never put those two events together! As separate events, I have always known how old I was....but never has it dawned on me the significance of... "A lifetime of pain ending and a new life beginning" almost at the very same moment!
My Pain intersecting with His Joy...My Shame intersecting with His Salvation--WOW!

That revelation/breakthrough caused me to praise tonight, and this song came to my heart!!!



By the way....I stood outside my 14 year old, Ashley's, bedroom tonight, and heard her reading out-loud her John 3:16 for Teen's book, by Max Lucado...and I stood there and praised God, that she is already on her own personal journey with Christ!

The sinful cycle of abuse, that defined my childhood.....HAS ENDED!! My children will not suffer with that pain! HALLELUJAH!!

Another laughable moment!

Tonight I was making Nikki get in the tub, so that we could once again clean her wounded toe. She doesn't like it for obvious reasons...it really hurts!! She walked into my closet to disrobe, and when she came out this is what she said.......

"Me, myself and I had a little meeting, and we don't want to take a bath!"

Much to her dismay, all of "them" got a bath anyway!

P.S. Her toe is healing! We are very happy!

Pomegranates and Pomeranians

This morning, Alex was drinking a yogurt smoothy that had pomegranate juice in it. He took a big swig, and said in all seriousness,

"This yogurt has Pomeranian's in it, and it is so sour!"

I had to duck and laughed my head off! I love the funny things my kids say!! :)

"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens...these are a few of my favorite things!!"

These are my roses this morning!!
I can't help it! They call out to me and beg me to capture them in all of their adornment!! No, I am not "falling off the ship", I'm just amazed at the rain-drenched beauty around me and want to praise my Creator!

If you are weary of my tendency to take rose pictures often....sorry!

Nikki, the Patient

Nikki hurt her toe so badly yesterday morning before church. In an attempt to not gross out any of my blog readers, I will not be sharing the story or how bad it was. Just take my word for it, it involved a heavy door and her big toe, and it is not good! She is going to be ok...but right now, she is having to take Tylenol and Advil every two hours to keep it bearable.
Today, she is being a couch potato, with three servants...Mom, Ashley and Alex, at her every beck and call! She informed me at one point, that she needed her Tylenol, but that she would also be needing some "butter toast". Ashley even set up a spa/salon for her earlier this morning, and gave her the star treatment-hair and nails! Well, what are big sisters for anyway! (smile)

I Couldn't Say It Any Better.........

I got this in an email from a friend, and do not know it's origin. Nevertheless, it is worth repeating and I am finding it very applicable today!

THE GARBAGE TRUCK

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.
My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!
The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy and I mean he was really friendly.
So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'
That is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of
disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.
Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so.....
'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.'

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it.