Redeeming Love - Take My Challenge!

When my eldest sister sees the above picture, I can just imagine her rolling her eyes! Not because of this amazingly incredible book, but because of my incessant commentaries on this wonderful read!

Last week I went to Wal-Mart looking for another book to pour myself into. I had just finished reading the Francine Rivers book "The Last Sin Eater" that my mother-in-law gave me for my birthday. It was such a good book I wondered if I could find another Francine Rivers book. Rivers writes with such great visual descriptions, I feel like I'm watching a movie when I read her books! When I saw Redeeming Love on Wal-Mart's "Christian" or was it "Religious" section I remembered that one of my dear friends, Carla, had recommended this book to me a LONG time ago. I knew I needed to buy it and I now know it was one of the best $10 I ever spent!!!

If you're looking for a great summer read, look NO further....Redeeming Love will turn the non-reader or the casual reader into a full-fledged - can't stop reading - reader! Here's an enticing description from the WaterBrook Press website...

Best-selling author Francine Rivers skillfully retells the biblical love story of Gomer and Hosea in a tale set against the exciting backdrop of the California Gold Rush. The heroine, Angel, is a young woman who was sold into prostitution as a child. Michael Hosea is a godly man sent into Angel’s life to draw her into the Savior’s redeeming love. This remarkable novel has sold over a million copies globally and has been a fixture on the CBA bestsellers list for nearly a decade. A six-part reading guide, suitable for individual use or group discussion, is included in this best-selling novel.

http://www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601420619

In the introduction of this GREAT READ is a "rating" of PG-13 for this book. Why? Well, it deals with lots of endearing marital Song of Solomon-type descriptions. It deals with prostitution, adultery and the likes. Personally, I kept thinking...wow! The love Michael Hosea had for his bride is just a glimpse of the love Christ has for me! The book moved me to see God the Father in such an endearing way and it also moved me to see my husband in a new way. I hope you take my challenge to you and READ THIS BOOK...perhaps you'll find those around you rolling their eyes at you, too, as you incessantly talk about this wonderful read!

How truly BLESSED we are and Riding on the Rail

We don't know how good we have it here in America! Opportunities and freedoms are around every corner here in the good ol' U.S.A.!!! I'm still reflecting on the sweet memory of Mother's Day 2009. It was such a joyful day, let me reminisce...

Early Sunday morning, May 10 my little family of four ventured in our minivan off to church. A healthy growing church that holds 2 services with Sunday School for all in between the services. Our church is eagerly awaiting the arrival a teaching pastor and his wife who will arrive from Colorado within the next few weeks. A number of things to be thankful for already - a well-maintained minivan that is quite reliable, a church that is truly blessed, AND all of these things within a FREE country - ah! The joy of not fearing persecution! Truly we are blessed here in America!

Little Bear waving Ol' Glory

Where else can my 2 sisters, my mom, and 2 other dear friends and our families enjoy the blessing of NOT COOKING on Mother's Day?!!? Okay, I'm sure there are other places around the world where one could go to a restaurant and order a meal, but as one missionary from our church recently pointed out - the food may not be as quality! (Boiled termites, rat or cat...any takers??)

In our neck of the lower 48 great, we did our Mother's Day meal on a train! How cool was that?!!? It's our 3rd time on the Mother's Day Dinner Car and every year it exceeds our expectations! This year we invited my brother-in-law's mother, sister and her family to join us! It was such a treat!

Mom on the cell making sure everyone will be arriving for our noon train

Mom and Me

My 5-year-old Nephew and Our Darling Little Bear

Gotta be one of my favorite pictures of our Pretty Little Princess and my 7-year-old Niece

My 9-year-old Niece and her baby cousin

My awesomely amazing parents

My eldest sister and her hubby

My middle sister with her 2 sons

My brother-in-law's sister and her hubby...she's so pretty...doesn't look like she just had a baby!

My brother-in-law, his mom and my 7-year-old nephew

The train ride is over and we're still have oodles of fun - Pretty Little Princess and my 11-year-old Nephew

My Family, My parents, 2 Sisters and Their Families

My brother-in-law, his mom and his sister's family

A Great Train Ride

The delightful day was topped off with a trip to the local movie theatre to see Hannah Montana the Movie! My brother-in-law's precious mother was so thoughtfully generous to give our family a gift card to the movies...so we went to the movies practically for free!!!! How good is our God?!! If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it! My hottie hubby even enjoyed it! The kiddos LOVED the music, the story, the whole thing!!!!

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/hannahmontanamovie/#/home

Ode to....Ah Ah Achoo...Jerad!

Jer..ACHOO..ad!

Sorry seasonal allergies have you BLOWIN'

Let me know if there's anything I can be DOIN'

I ACHOO love you!

achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo

My dear hubby, this baby panda is feeling your pain...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk&NR=1

achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo

Allergy Joke:

I took my young son to the doctor for a routine physical. All the way I had to reassure him that he would not be getting a shot. He went through his eye exam, hearing test, etc. The nurse came into the exam room and started to ask me routine questions. When she got to "Is he allergic to anything" my four-year-old son stood up and said,

"YES, I'm allergic to shots!"

Seriously, Jerad would love to have an allergy to shots, but that's another story!

achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo

Some more allergy jokes....

A sign was noticed in an allergist's office which showed a picture of a beautiful cat and a caption which said,

"We got rid of the kids ......... the cat was allergic!"

achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo

As part of the admission procedure in the hospital where I work, I ask the patients if they are allergic to anything. If they are, I print it on an allergy band placed on the patients' wrists. Once when I asked an elderly woman if she had any allergies, she said she couldn't eat bananas. Imagine my surprise when several hours later a very irate son came out to the nurses' station demanding,

"Who's responsible for labelling my mother 'bananas'?"

achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo achoo

I know I'm making light of my hottie hubby's seasonal allergy nightmare, but please post a comment if you have any medicines or remedies that work for you and your seasonal allergies! My husband will probably shun me for posting this picture (haha) but his head feels as inflamed as his hair does in this picture. (This picture was taken one mother's day when I was allowed to "comb" Jerad's curly hair)

To redeem myself, I thought I'd better post a picture of my truly hottie hubby....isn't he adorable? I heart his curls!

The Hype over Hippos

As you may have read, our Pretty Little Princess graduated from preschool last Thursday night. On Monday, Little Bear went on a field trip to the Zoo. So what do these two events have in common? One word: Hippopotamuses! Along with the other Preschool Graduates, the Pretty Little Princess sang a delightful song about Hippopotamuses. It's adorable and I thought you'd enjoy this little YouTube video. (Our daughter is the precious, most beautiful little lady - don't you see her? At the very end of the video, you'll be able to pick her out...she's the one showing her daddy and me the "I love you" sign)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf6Wq7zNKvg&feature=channel_page

I had a couple of questions for Little Bear when he came home from the Zoo on Monday afternoon. One of the questions I asked him was, "What was your favorite animal you saw today?" His response: "The Hippopotamus!"

I found a website that had some fun facts about hippopotamuses...you'll see how President George Washington had a connection with a hippopotamus...it's quite interesting! Check out this link....

http://creation.com/hippo-habits

Our Pretty Princess Graduates!

It's hard to believe but our Pretty Little Princess has officially gradutated from....Preschool! :o) The "graduation ceremony" was just adorable! Here's some precious pictures from the eventful evening last Thursday night....

Pretty Little Princess waiting for her name to be called

"That's Me!"

Brother Bear cheering for Sister Bear

The Princess with Daddy

The Princess and her Friend

Happy Mother's Day

My Mom, my 2 Sisters and Me

Words could never express my love for my bestest girlfriend, my mom! She's the one who God used to bring me to a saving knowledge of Him. She taught me all kinds of wonderful things and she showed me how to love. She showed me how to treat my husband and how to care for my children. She is so generous, kind and thoughtful - my children often mention how GENEROUS their MeMa is when they're praising God for her!

Thank you, Mom, for teaching me so many things and for loving me and sticking by me through the ups and downs of life! I love you!

Proverbs 31:28-30 sums it up so well: "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Rainy Day

Where I live, it's raining out today. Rain can make the day seem so dreary and yet it's for our benefit that God sends us the rain.

"I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit." Leviticus 26:4

Trials, hardships, tragedies, and disappointments may also make the day, the month or the season so dreary too, but it is for our benefit that God allows us to experience the "rain."

"Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back."

Isaiah 38:17

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

James 1:2-3

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

1 Peter 5:6-7

May you see the SUNSHINE in the midst of your RAIN today!