Keeping busy in Colorado

We are in the middle of our busy time here.  The garden is coming on....and it is HOT outside, so must water alot.. and we have lots of birthdays in the summer. 

We got together for the July birthdays this last week. Marilyn and Michael and girls were here from Northglenn too, AND we had Mike and Tanya and baby Malakhi with us too.  Passed off the camera to Summer my amateur

photographer, she loves taking pictures.

 

Almost as much as she loves being an aunt!

Mike and Tanya are such a good Mom and Dad!

Lots of playing...

and eating.....







and snuggling!

This week it is back to busy work on my days off... so much needs done, and it keeps us on the go.

Had our first picking of green beans this year.  Gave away about 5 pounds, and have another 5  here to can.  We have begun to pick tomatoes and cucumbers and our eggplant is almost ready to pick.  We are eagerly watching our watermelon, we have 2 plants, and one is really putting on a show... and has several watermelons growing.

Our other show off is our hibiscus... these blossoms are 8 inches across!  They last for one day and die back, so you can see this bush is very busy!

We are busy and blessed here.... hope you are too!

Hugs, Ma and Pa





Waldo Canyon Heroes!

Just read this story in the Gazette, about a fire team that worked in the fire the night Mountain Shadows had the fire storm.  Brought tears to my eyes.  These men saved my sisters house on Champagne Drive.  God Bless them!

As this story says they have now "moved on" to other fires.

If you see any of these heroes out there please give them the love and respect and honor they deserve!  It is not just doing a job, it is saving a future for so many.

Thankful for these heroes.
 The Tahoe National Forest strike team!

Ma and Pa

God's Recycle.

Are you like me?  Wanting to be a "Fix-it-myself-somehow" person?   Raise your hand... I know you are out there!

God has been working on me to give Him, all my worries, concerns, and stress.  All my life, even the smallest thing that I would think He would not bother with.

Worry does not add a moment to our lives, and God is not in heaven wringing His hands wondering what is going to happen next.  HE is in control!

One day after a back and forth day of trying to figure out things in my own strength, God stopped me and gave me this illustration so I will always remember to trust Him.

Using the all to familiar recycle clip art, He showed me to continue the circle.... until I got it from my head to my heart.  God's Recycle! 

So what about you what are you holding onto?  What part of me have I not given to Him?

Shortly after this revelation I was on one of my favorite sites, The Elijah's List . I go there as often as I can to soak in God's word from many people.  On May 23, 2012

Eileen Fisher Ministries, had a word that spoke exactly to what God was trying to show me.  Her word of "Putting everything on the alter of sacrifice" reinforced what God wanted me to know, showing me in more detail... I am to put All on the alter.  Yes my problems, but my goals, my dreams, everything I do.  I do hope you go to this and read it, and soak it in.  It is awesome.

So, if you come by Ma and Pa's house you will see many little recycle signs through out the house.  Some people ask why, and I get to share the true meaning of God's Recycle.

I hope now when you see the recycle sign, you will remember what it really means!

Hugs, Ma and Pa

Update on Wildfires 7/3/12

Thank you Firefighters for your very, very, hard work, it is paying off for Colorado!

On facebook today... so fitting!

These men gave their all to save our precious state, and just saying Thank You, does not seem enough.

Here is today's totals for the fires that remain to date here.

Waldo Canyon Fire(Colorado Springs) is 70 % contained. *

High Park ( Fort Collins) is 100 % PTL.

Pine Ridge (our fire near Debeque) 90%.

Little Sand (near Pagosa Springs) 40%.

Weber ( near Mancos) 85 %. *

Treasure (Leadville) 100% PTL.

Lightner (Durango) 80%. *

Flagstaff ( SW of Boulder) 90 %.

Springer (Lake George) 100% PTL. *

Sunrise Mine (Paradox) 100%. *

* = Human caused.

The biggest praise for our family is my sister and family are back in their home in Mountain Shadows subdivision in Colorado Springs!  Thank you Lord and Firefighters!

We continue to pray for complete containment. Also for our sister states that are all fighting fires of their own. So many of them, and they all have losses that we need to pray for.

Again, thanks you so much for your service firefights, bless you! Thank you blog friends for your prayers. You indeed are a God-send blessing.

Very thankful for you!

Ma and Pa

Malakhi is here!

We got the call that Tanya would be induced yesterday at 6pm, so this grandma had to get busy and finish the felt booties she was making.

I found the design on Pinterst here. The theme is my own and I cut the pattern down 1/4 inch all the way around. I made the ties by braiding 3 strands of the embrodery thread. They are tiny and cute.  Mom and Dad loved them. I also had a ball making them.

Now for the good part.

Malakhi came into the world at 12:23 pm today. He weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. And this great grandpa and grandma thinks he is precious.  He has a few problems they are monitoring tonight, but we know all will turn out well. God is an awsome God.

Here is our daughter Sherry (34) holding her Grandson. They look like a pretty happy pair to me!

So are G (Great grand) Ma and G-Pa!

Let Go and Let God!

First I want to thank all of you for your prayers for Colorado! God's mercies are new every morning! He will bring beauty from these ashes, and good will come out of it all! I will keep you posted now and then as to how things are going with the wildfires, but for now I want to share what God has been whispering the last few days. Finally, I got quiet enough to listen!

So often when things like the past week happen, we are so swept up in what WE are going to do. Or, concentrate on the crisis at hand so much we do not have a quiet time with God. To give HIM this crisis, and be still!

It took me getting back in the garden to finally be quiet so that He could show me His Love.

Mattew 13 is a chapter of sowing seeds. Many sermons have been preached about The Parable of the sower, as to how we receive God's word in our lives,

But do you remember further in Matthew 13 there is a Parable of the weeds?

24. Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.

26. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads the weeds also appeared.

Jesus later explained that the one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man (Jesus), the field is the world, the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom (believers), and the weeds are sons of the enemy, the devil. They were seperated at harvest.

As I was on my hands and knees weeding, I began to think of what weeds are in my life. I weed and weed, and in a week or two I have to weed again. Why?

If the plants, the good seed, is like the word of God in my life, what are the weeds?

Stress, discontentment, unforgiveness, worry? How about pride, angry words spoken in haste, lust for more "things" of this world? The list could go on and on... strongholds, addictions, and a cold heart.

God wants his word to take root in our lives. He wants us to not be stangled by the weeds of this world. But that takes a choise on our part.

To nuture His word, like we do our garden. We water it, till it. And remove the weeds so the plants (His word) can grow.

Perhaps I have to continue to weed (in my life)  because I have allowed to much of the world to crowd into my life and crowd His word sowen in my heart.

Changing is a choise.  So as I was weeding , and on my knees (good position :)  ), I began to pull the weeds and ask God for forgiveness in my letting some of my weeds in.  Made me realize how much I have been doing that lately.

So, each weed had a name.... there goes worry.... there goes frustration... 

By the time I had weeded the small area, I felt better in more ways than one.  We all are a "work in progress", and God is always tending us. Nurturing us and Loving us. 

His mercies are new every morning for all of us!

Hugs, Ma and Pa

Flying W Ranch cattle survive firestorm | ranch, flying, center - WALDO CANYON FIRE - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

Flying W Ranch cattle survive firestorm | ranch, flying, center - WALDO CANYON FIRE - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

Sharing a wonderful miracle from the Waldo Canyon Fire!

Here at the home front I just woke up to smoke.  Wind has shifted from the west, we are getting smoke from the Pine Ridge fire.  So, shut off the cooler, and shut the windows, Pa Jim has COPD.

Please continue to pray for all the fires!

Hugs, Ma and Pa