Yeller Dog Ranch

Boys and Girls

2010-03-05T17:34:00.000-06:00

It was a hard-fought battle. The Army men landed by helicopter at the water's edge and waded to shore.

One of the men didn't make it. He lay there, bleeding profusely into the shallows just at land's edge.

Once they got to dry land, one of them began to build a fire to dry themselves out.

They were exhausted.

General Isaac was very pleased with the performance of his mighty men.

Back at home, lovely Ellie needed a change. She had been campaigning for months for a haircut. Here is her new "short" hair.

Miss Ellie is very pleased!

Spring!

2010-03-03T16:41:00.001-06:00

It's a wonderful thing to see in March. I refer to the dripping from the roof. The sunshine is strong and warm and Minnesotans are filled with energy and excitement in anticipation of Spring.

I finished a wrap for my Mother-In-Law. It is a shawl that can also be used as a lap throw. Just in time for Spring. [insert wry facial expression here.] I hope she can use it, and it doesn't just take up space. Space is so limited where she is. I know she likes pretty things, so I'm hoping it will bring her pleasure.

I'm busy knitting up something else too. It's a Birthday surprise.

The yarn is my homespun which was an especially difficult batch. I made just about every kind of error on this yarn a person could make. I bought the fiber on the cheap, sight unseen, and the wool was poor quality. Short, full of second cuts, yellowing, and manure. It was good for making mistakes on, though. I had to wash like crazy, and took out more of the lanolin that I would have liked. Then I over-did it with the dye, and "cooked" it in the dye bath, so I ended up with fibers which were a bit crispy. Then I did not yet have my new wool carders, and was using some fragile antique ones which made it very difficult to get a good result. (Plus me being a n00b!) The resulting yarn is rough to the touch, uneven, and very color saturated.

And actually, in spite of all that, I think it's kind of cute for the right application.

I'll post an "after" shot later - unless it's perfectly dreadful, in which case we'll all ignore it. Okay?

My Dear Valentine

2010-02-12T09:20:00.000-06:00

When Tom and I started dating, this is the song I heard on the radio that said it all. Hearing this song today made me cry with happiness. It has been a wonderful 11 1/2 years.
Happy (almost) Valentines Day Sweetheart!

Saturday at Home with Madame Butterfly

2010-01-23T16:09:00.000-06:00

Saturdays around here can get pretty hectic sometimes. Today it's snow, rain and sleet outside so we're mostly staying home. I got dinner in the oven then had an hour to wait. Tom was in town running errands, so I indulged myself. I grabbed a cup of coffee (plenty of creamer and a sugar cube added), my knitting, and selected the genre "Opera" in Media Player.

Ahhhhhh....

I suspect Tom may not be all that enamored with opera so it's a special treat I have for myself when he is absent.

I think back to what first drew me to the sounds of opera and I recall some specific times when songs embedded themselves into my soul.

First there was Carmen and Gilligan's Island.
In one episode the characters put on a performance and as near as I can recall, The Professor had Shakespeare's "Hamlet" on his three-hour cruise and Thurston Howell the Third had a record of "Carmen"
They put the two together in their play. I still can't separate the two in my head to this day. Whenever I hear the words "Neither a borrower nor a lender be..." I hear the tune "Votre Toast, je peux vous le rendre" from "Carmen". When I hear "Votre Toast, je peux vous le rendre" my brain overlays Shakespeare's line. There's more there, but this is what drifts to the forefront. I loved it when I heard it as a child. I bet I'm not the only one who had the same experience.

Then there was "Madame Butterfly" with Shirley MacLaine in "My Geisha". I saw it on TV when I was in my very early teens. Shirley performed in "Madame Butterfly" as part of the plot. It captured me then. I can't hear Madame Butterfly without seeing Shirley's face crying and with her hand reaching out to her husband. I don't remember much about the movie, but I loved that opera from then on.

And then, as an adult, I learned that many of the tunes accompanying my favorite cartoons were in fact, opera excerpts. I had no idea!

Knitting

2010-01-11T08:22:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I know the subject of knitting may be boring to non-knitters. I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's a minor passion.

Knitting fills some of my gaps.

I like meticulous perfection. My home with two small children and two men is far from perfect, so little spots of perfection are so satisfying.

I like art and need to indulge my creative impulses occasionally. The creation of yarn and the application of it in pattern and process works for me. There are so many areas and variables to tweak. Pattern. Yarn. Color. Fiber. Technique.

Speaking of technique, I like working on technique. I enjoy finding a better way to do something. I like to streamline a process for efficiency and effect.

I like wool. I like how it's efficient at keeping me warm by wicking and retaining heat so much better than manufactured fibers. I like that it comes from sweet sheep. I like how it feels and the great variety of textures there are.

I like doing something useful that my mother, my grandmothers, and generations of ancesters have done. It connects me with them.

I like the community of modern knitters I see in blogs, on Ravelry, in gatherings of like-minded people. I like their knitting humor. This one's been around awhile, but I've been singing it around the house again lately. It's great.

My family thinks I'm weird.

Christmastime

2009-12-22T11:20:00.000-06:00

We are remembering our Christ this season. We rented "The Nativity Story" and watched it a couple of times with the kids. It's replaced "It's a Wonderful Life" as my favorite Christmas movie. In fact, it is one of my favorite movies, period.

I discovered this Christmas song also. I had not heard it before today. I love it.

Let the Christmas Season Begin!

2009-11-27T09:44:00.000-06:00

I don't think any comment is required here. :)

Giving Thanks

2009-11-25T11:13:00.000-06:00

I read today a post about Christian Thanksgiving by Albert Mohler on the Gospel Coalition Blog.

I needed that.

I have been busy thinking like Martha today instead of being Mary. Martha's work is important, but I need to remember to reflect on God's goodness foremost. And to bring my children into that reflection with me.

In light of that, I will not spend much time on this post today, but will list only five of the things I am thankful for.

1.    The Almighty Supreme Being loves ME, who deserves nothing. He loves me enough to have suffered and died for me and for us.

2.    Love. The reflection of Him in our lives.

3.    Family. Not less than the foundation of civilization and a source of refuge and great joy.

4.    Justice. The peace in knowing that we may not have justice in this world, but it will come.

5.    Beauty. Glimpses into the heart of God.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving as you also reflect on God's many gifts!

Pony Rides and Mittens

2009-11-18T20:39:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a beautiful day. Perfect for pony rides. Cupcake is such a sweet pony. He is very patient and gentle. My dad's chickens (who have moved to our place) looked on.

Both kids got their turn. Daddy enjoyed himself too. Grandma and I watched and chatted. These are the kinds of days our happy memories are made of.

It's been a beautiful November, but this is Minnesota. We're getting ready for winter. I've been knitting mittens lately with bits of leftover yarn. It's a good feeling, like making something out of nothing.

Memorizing the Ten Commandments

2009-11-17T18:07:00.000-06:00

The kids and I had been working for weeks on memorizing the Ten Commandments. I don't know what the problem was, but we just couldn't get them solidly memorized in order. Especially me.

Today I read this post:

http://runwatchplaywait.blogspot.com/2009/04/teaching-10-commandments.html

We know them now.
What a fantastic help this was!
(Thanks Kristi!)

Baking and Trapping Gophers: My Well-Rounded Daughter

2009-11-16T23:04:00.000-06:00

Ellie adores her Daddy. She follows him everywhere and is interested in everything he does. He has earned every bit of that adoration, as he is a loving, gentle, patient father who dotes on her. They have been trapping gophers out by the pasture this week. Tom is holding today's catch and Ellie is holding the traps. Spot the cat is waiting to see if they will share their booty with her. They did, and Spot was very pleased. Some of Tom's happiest memories are of trapping with his dad, and he is enjoying doing the same with his children.

Later, Ellie decided to bake some pumpkin bars (Daddy's favorites) all by herself today. It was the second time she had baked anything and even though I felt compelled to loosely monitor her activity, she read the ingredients and put the recipe together herself. I helped put the pan into and out of the oven, but that was all. I am so proud of my big seven year-old.

School subjects learned and practiced today?

History in the morning, her favorite subject. (Today: The ancient Phoenicians, Tyre, and the establishment of Carthage. We watched a demonstration of glass blowing and she worked on a map of the major colonies and Mediterranean trade routes and colored a drawing of a Phoenician trading vessel. Later this week we will be dyeing some fabric purple, but won't be using snails to make the dye like the ancient Phoenicians did!) I feel I owe a debt of gratitude to Susan Wise Bauer for her history books and workbooks. They are simply wonderful. Ellie and I both love history with Susan's books.

We did some work in her Explode the Code, book 4, I read aloud from their current "fun" book, Stuart Little then...

Baking was a great exercise in general math concepts as she's beginning to understand fractions and measurements without even realizing it. She also got in some great practice reading. I was surprised at how easily she read the recipe as she seems to struggle more when doing reading as "schoolwork". This type of activity is a great confidence-builder.

I'm learning to be more relaxed and deviate from our schedule when opportunities arise. I love homeschooling. There is reward and satisfaction around every corner.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, the day we have scheduled for Science. I think we'll study gophers.

Seen Enough Hats Yet?

2009-11-10T19:28:00.000-06:00

Help! I can't seem to stop the hats! This particular pattern by Tienne is very rewarding and knits up so quickly, it's like almost-instant gratification. I have another one in the planning stages as well. My husband wants one in this style. I'm digging through my stash for some manly colors. I may have to get out the dye pot... Hard to picture this as a manly hat when looking at this cute little number isn't it? It can be done! I've been looking on Ravelry at this pattern (here for Ravelry members) already done for men, and some of them are really good. Of course, it will be about twice as big so it won't be quite as quick, but I will be satisfied if he likes it.

Sweet Little Baby Hat

2009-11-05T12:28:00.002-06:00

Another project done. I was surprised it went so quickly. It was my first attempt at Fair Isle (stranded color knitting in two colors). It was also my first try at I-Cords (the ties). The pattern is the Norwegian Star Earflap Hat (pdf) by Tiennie. I knit it in Knit Picks' Andean Silk, Chocolate and Bluebell. Andean Silk is lovely yarn, made with 55% Super Fine Alpaca, 23% Silk, 22% Merino Wool.

I knitted it as a gift for the baby boy of an old friend. I am quite delinquent in sending a gift. (So what else is new?) I really hope she likes it and forgives me for ignoring her new baby.

I am a member of Ravelry, an exceptional online knitting and crochet community which has been an incredible benefit to me in learning to knit, as well as a source of inspiration and patterns. If you are a new or experienced knitter, this is a must-join site. If you join up, look for me and "friend" me! I am YellerDog (formerly CarolJumpIn) there.

Slow Going

2009-11-04T16:43:00.000-06:00

I've been working on this shawl since July and am only about 20% done. I had hoped to be done by fall. - Missed that mark by a long shot! The pattern is Madli's Shawl from Nancy Bush's book "Knitted Lace of Estonia". I am doing it in a silk/yak blend cobweb weight yarn that is a beautiful taupe color. Because the yarn is so fine, it is slow going and very fussy. I like the result, but it is much harder to work than laceweight yarn, which my other shawls were done in. Next time I think I'll go back to laceweight for a big project.

Lace looks clumpy and messy until it is blocked. That's the last step in the process which really brings out the beauty of the stitches. Even this last picture with the lace spread out gives only a hint of what the finished shawl will look like. The little balls of yarn you see in there are called "nupps" and are a feature of Estonian lace. They add a lot of interest and texture to the pattern.

Because I've been running out of steam on the shawl, I've been knitting socks and hats. I'm working on another hat now, my first try at stranded colorwork. (Just two colors though.) It is quick and going fine. Maybe this weekend I'll get back to the shawl for awhile. I would like to see it finished.

Thomas the Train, Hula Girl, and Socks

2009-11-03T19:42:00.001-06:00

Once a year the kids have a great excuse to leave the house in costume. They go to a sweet little party at our church where the older kids have planned games for them with prizes of candy and small toys. Some of the games are Bible-themed with points for knowing Bible verses and such. The costumes and decorations are not scary, but fun. It is great to see the older kids interacting with the younger ones and is a good experience for both age groups. The parents sit around eating popcorn, cookies, drinking coffee or cider and chatting. This is our church's answer to Halloween, and I think it works. The kids look forward to it all year. The older kids benefit as well because they have something to engage them during this very active secular holiday. I believe this is a God-honoring way to deal with the culture, and I am grateful that our church supports this event.

I finished up a pair of (luscious Merino/Silk leftover yarn) socks for the Little Man. He likes them, which is all the thanks I could want. They are not the best pair of socks I've ever done, technically speaking, but how fussy do you get with socks for a 4 year-old?

Jack-O-Lanterns

2009-10-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

We had a bumper crop of pumpkins. I've never grown them before and watched this summer as they took over the garden. (!)

I made a year's worth of pumpkin puree, did a "welcome" display in the front yard and finally, we carved the last few.

I've seen enough pumpkins for this year. Maybe enough for next year too.

Pretty Socks

2009-10-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

I finished my "Monkey Socks", pattern by Cookie A. This was a great pattern and a lot of fun to knit. So why did it take me since last February to get it done? I've been doing lace projects last spring and all summer and finally needed a break.

Well, it's October in Minnesota and I started having cold feet again so finished these up. They are made with the beautiful 70% Merino, 30% Silk Gloss Sock Yarn in the color Porcini. Lovely stuff.

When I do socks for myself, I find I generally have enough left over to do a small pair of socks for the kids too. If I do them toe-up I can use all the remaining yarn. I just weigh the ball, divide it in half and off I go. No waste, no danger of running out.

I try to keep my sock knitting low-key as they get pretty excited to have a new hand-knitted pair. Is that weird? I mean, what kind of children get excited by socks? ...Ummm, I guess they take after their mother.

An "Ewwwww" Moment, No Need to Thank Me.

2009-10-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

OK, I have officially seen everything. Let's just stop right there and not go any further.

The kids and I watched this together. I believe Isaac likes Daddy's version of manliness better. I do too.

Timberbeast Thorpe

2009-10-20T17:01:00.000-05:00

I finished a hat for Tom. He wanted something warm for tromping through the woods and picked out this pattern: Kirsten Kapur's "Thorpe". Her blog is "Through the Loops".

This was a fun hat to knit, very easy, and even Grey liked it. (He didn't mind modeling it for me too much. - Isn't he handsome??) I increased the gauge just a bit since my husband has a large head and I wanted a fairly loose fit because the wool was a tiny bit itchy. Not too itchy at all, but loose was more comfortable. I also skipped the crocheted edge, because I liked the way it was without the finish, and it was already plenty big enough.

The wool was from Daphne, a Shetland/Icelandic/CVM mix belonging to friends who generously gave me a large batch of different varieties of wool that I could practice spinning on. Daphne was my second attempt at spinning. Since I am such a novice, it was quite uneven and I plied it into a bulky yarn that spoke "rustic hat" to me. It was a lot of fun taking this hat through the stages beginning with a wool batt, spinning it, plying it, then knitting it.

"Timberbeast" in the name refers to my dear husband who describes himself as such.

Song

2009-10-19T10:12:00.000-05:00

I don't really sing well but do so anyway. Songs like this thrill me down to my toes.

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

The tune is great, but it's really the lyrics that get to me. I makes me cry joyful tears. I need to memorize this one so I can walk around singing it all day. I do that with other songs. My family doesn't seem to mind too much, thankfully.

I theorize that my imperfect pitch is related to the Fall and the associated deterioration of Creation, and with new bodies things like pitch and brain capacity will be restored.

We will finally be what He created us to be. Happy Day!

Ellie does the Macarena Bones song

2009-10-14T20:59:00.000-05:00

Ellie shows a bit of what she's been learning in homeschool. Her brother makes a cameo appearance.

Science: The Water Cycle

2009-10-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

These two songs have made our water cycle study a boatload of fun. It runs through our heads all day. We play it outside of school time, and we want to keep reviewing and reviewing the water cycle.... We're a mite odd, I suppose, but it's fun!

and

I love YouTube. Too bad my satellite ISP does not. I keep bumping into the upper limits of my allowed usage. I am now cowering in anticipation of a penalty threat letter and speed reductions. I got a little carried away last week listening to various lectures and sermons. Can't blame it on the older two kids this time.

Isaac's Turn

2009-10-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

Recently I posted a picture of little Ellie with some of her art work. Not to be outdone by his sister, Isaac determined that he would produce a work of art to display on my blog as well.

This is a deer along with a palette of paint so it can be "painted" any color you, the viewer want. I love his artistic imagination. My little guy.

God's Provision

2009-10-09T23:42:00.000-05:00

I have made reference before to my utter sinfulness.

I thought now would be a good time to document just a few details of my life and how I've come to the place where I am now, living in Joy.

I was raised by a Christian mother but I was an unhappy child. When I was in High School, an upperclassman invited me to attend a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting. I did so and found that there was much more to faith in God than I had previously realized. I absorbed some of it. I learned a lot, prayed, but had not yet learned to give over my life to God. I understood the salvation message but He still existed in the abstract for me. I didn't know Him as a person as I do now.

When I got to college I foolishly made a conscious choice to make my own decisions and not look to God for guidance. I was at college, I wanted to have fun, and more than anything, I wanted to be a normal person. Christians just are not normal. Sometimes Christian friends can be embarrasing if you are trying to look "cool".

I will, at this point, gloss over a recounting of the depths of my depravity over the next 19 years. It is enough to say that because I knew better than others (who may be ignorant of what the Savior offers), that my sins were much worse than theirs because my sins were done with knowledge of Him.

During this time of shadows, I married and bore two beautiful children, but my life was spiraling downward. I could not find a way to make a happy home for my children. Among many other serious problems, my husband and I had financial difficulties that we could never seem to solve. Our incomes would increase, and the finances would not improve. There were many events and stresses that began to erode and finally to end my marriage, and I did not see a way to prevent it.

During that last year, in the summer of 1995, in the midst of financial chaos, I was at my wits' end. We were behind on all of our bills and I was fielding creditor calls. I sat on my sofa alone and prayed. For the first time in 19 years, I really prayed. I asked God specifically for $900 to meet our immediate need. I didn't really expect an answer, I knew I deserved nothing.

By the next day I promptly forgot about the prayer and went about my life. Four days later I received a check in the mail. From the IRS. Apparently they had been checking their books and found that we had overpaid our taxes once two years previously and they were reimbursing us $905. I was stunned. It could not have been a clearer message. God was telling me "I am here. I have been waiting for you."

My life changed. I turned back to God. I then prayed for my marriage to continue, for the changes that needed to happen, but that prayer was not answered the way I hoped. My husband and I divorced.

But God's provision continued. That year, I had begun working a temporary clerical job making $6.50 an hour. I needed to find someplace for my kids and I and our little dog to live. After cashing out my half of our small retirement account and dividing it and the remaining bills, I was $250 dollars in the hole. My parents offered their basement. They lived an hour north of my job, but you can't beat free rent! We made plans to move in and continued to search for someplace to rent. Just before moving, on a housing search trip with my kids, we saw a beautiful double rainbow from the car window. I had never seen a double rainbow before. I felt sure it was a sign encouraging me to be confident in His provision and shared that assurance with my children. I pictured us being held in God's cupped hand.

I could not find a rental that would allow me to bring our little dog. After separating from their father, I could not bear to separate my children from our dog too. My employer had decided for some reason (Some reason? GOD was the reason!) to increase my pay to $8.50 an hour and my parents broached the preposterous idea that I might be able to buy something instead of rent. Was it possible? I thought I might be able to buy an old farmhouse or a couple of acres out in the country with a mobile home on it. I wasn't picky, I just needed a roof over our heads. I spoke to a banker who said she thought I could look at building instead of buying since there were not a lot of cheap houses available at that time. I wondered just how clearly she had seen my loan application! I proceeded forward, seeing only one step at a time, but always knowing I was in His care.

In the meantime, my employer offered me a permanent clerical job. It was more money, with benefits, and much more secure. I knew I was not well-suited for it and I was confident this was not where God was leading me. I turned them down. My parents were aghast that I would refuse it. I remained an office temp, but my employer later instructed the temp agency to increase my wages to $10.00 an hour, just because. (They didn't know it, but I knew they were an instrument of God, providing for us.)

It is hard to portray the feeling I had all through this time. I made my decisions confidently, feeling securely held in God's hands.

I found some beautiful land to buy (40 acres!) in February 1996 and obtained my loan for it while I was still working as an Office Temporary. In June I was offered another kind of job by the same employer.

I had discovered in the early 1990s that I enjoyed playing with computers and databases and spent personal time learning about them. In my temporary job, this fact had become evident to my employer. I was offered a job (Thank you Kevin R. and Chris B.!!) to do some application programming - to assist in setting up a new lab management system (database). I happily accepted the position. I received a nice wage increase and I really enjoyed my new job. (I had no experience and no training for this type of work, but God arranges things!)

At home in my parents' basement, I was designing my house and finding a builder. And in July 1996 an old love/new love stepped into my life.

The last thing in the world I wanted was a man. Tom, however, wasn't just any man. He and his younger brother, my younger brother and I were friends all through our teen-aged years. He was a farm boy that lived near my parents' cabin and we spent our happiest times there on various adventures, shooting, working, swimming, fishing, and playing card games. I adored him. He was no ordinary boy. He was Honorable and Silly, Gentle and Strong. I was always totally at ease with him. I trusted him completely. I also had a secret passion for him as a teen, but a romance had never occurred to him. I was not the kind of girl to bring up the subject, so we went our separate ways as we grew into adulthood. My passion for him mellowed into a platonic love, which stayed with me through the years.

He never married and I would see him occasionally when we were at the cabin. After my marriage ended I saw him at the cabin and I could tell that now, after all these years, he was interested in romance. We were both now 39 years old. He came by the cabin to visit a few times when we were there, and finally awkwardly asked me for a date. I still loved him, but was not interested in dating anyone. But this was Tom! I accepted. I knew within two dates that I would marry him if given the chance. It took him a full year to decide that he loved me and another six months to ask me to marry him. We married in August 1998.

In the meantime, my new house had been built and finished in May 1997. The first week the kids and I were in the house I looked out my new bedroom window and what did I see? A double rainbow. The second one I'd ever seen. God was reminding me that He was providing for me. All my needs.

At this point I was single with two children and facing house payments that were daunting. Before I made my first payment, my employer, (remember they were headquartered in California) was looking for a Network Administrator in Minnesota. They had been unsuccessful in finding one. Someone suggested to me that I should apply for the job. I laughed. Me?? I knew nothing about networks! I applied anyway, admitted how little I knew, but was willing to learn, and was hired with a substantial pay increase. (Thanks Joe M. and Tim T.!) No one was more surprised than me. My boss Tim later told me they "would have hired a monkey for the job" they were so desperate. (LOL!) Not very flattering to me, but I was happy they found their monkey. I learned how to administer a network "on the job" and three months later they decided I wasn't making enough money, so I got a nice raise, and a few months later got another big one. I never asked for any of it. It was all a gift. God proved Himself over and over to me. I worked there in the IT department for nine more years. It was a great gift.

Businesses were booming in 1999. Especially High-Tech. The company stock options we received began to dramatically increase in value. In 2000, they increased enough that Tom and I were able to cash in enough stock to completely pay off the mortgage on the house I had built. It was a gift to all of my co-workers as well. (I held the secret opinion that they were all benefiting from God's continued provision for me!) Tom and I were thrilled and thankful. We were free from any debt. This was a short three years after the house had been built. This meant we were free.

Because of one small prayer in 1995, God brought me from desperate circumstances to peace and joy. His love carried me through the most traumatic time of my life. There are many other side stories from these years. My children suffered through their parents' divorce because of my sins and their adjustment was not easy. Everything wasn't always rosy. I am still a sinner. But I have learned through those times, and understood clearly and without the slightest doubt that God will care for us. He will always provide what we need.

Luke 12: 22-26
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

The Artist

2009-10-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

Ellie drew a picture on the marker board before school today. I decided to photograph it before I erased it, as I thought it was cute. (Digital cameras are wonderful, aren't they?) Ellie saw me with the camera and wanted me to take a picture for my blog. So, here she is.

She'll be pleased to see this tomorrow.