Steak Night

So my brother in law raises good old grass fed Idaho beef (Black Angus I believe).  Since I have been on the Rotation Diet, I have not been able to eat any beef for a couple of weeks now.  That ended tonight with one hecka tender steak! I have tried my best to stay on my rotation diet but food keeps getting in the way!

Good times...really Matt!

My steak was ooohhhh so good along with my pepper fried potatoes and Jerry's grilled pineapple.

Showing the grandparents a thing or two.

Good food...Good View

Next year's steak night!

Craft Day in Nampa

My Monogram

The little pink purse can emboss almost anything!

Whenever the Schrock girls get together, crafts and creativity are at the center of the commotion.  Today we made cards.  I have to say, I don't whip them out as fast as the others do.

Showing our cards off...

The Schrock Girls: Joyce, Lynn, Hilda & Bonnie

My cards

Relaxing and Eating

Abby is my best friend when I have food...

An Idaho Journey - Nampa, Idaho

The Snake River: Without it, Idaho would be brown.

Beautiful Skies on the way to the Janzen Ranch

At Home on the Janzen Ranch

An Idaho Journey - Wyoming to Idaho

...where the deer and the antelope play... 

Cattle Dog Going 80

Checking out the road ahead of him

Hang 10!

Some wives should never leave their husbands alone...

Entering God's Country

Going through the pass

An Idaho Journey - Iowa to Wyoming

Beginning the Day in Des Moines, Iowa

It's funny, but when I was a kid, I hated the drive across Iowa & Nebraska.  It seemed like it took forever on Highway 30 and the scenery bored me, but now when ever I see the change from Eastern Nebraska to Ogallala, it just reminds me of family and memories of my childhood.  My dad's parents were from Grant, Nebraska and many of my mom's sisters were from Ogallala, Nebraska. My grandmother Leona Celestia Railsback lived in Joes, Colorado for most of my childhood, but moved back to Ogallala after my grandpa died.  We lived with her my Sophmore year in high school while my dad was stationed in Thailand. 

The information booth heading into town.

Maxine Brown to the left and Imogene Davison to the right are two of my mother's older sisters. Imogene reminded me that I had not been to Ogallala since 1993.  I guess my visit was long overdue.

My cousin Debbie Brown Foust

Saying goodbye after my very short visit.  It was so good to see you guys!  Love You!

We were planning on making it to at least Cheyenne, but we needed to feed Hilda so we decided to call it a night in Sidney, Nebraska.  We ate at a locally owned steakhouse called Dude's which was established in 1952.

Dude's is the local place to be.

The decor was so typical of small western towns.  Our waitress, Cassie was born and raised here.  She said she would like to get out of town and move somewhere else.  Marlin told her that big city people want to get out of the city and want to move to small towns. Funny thing, this town has a Cabella's.  In fact, I think their corporate offices are here.  What a contrast the HUGE houses on the hill are from the rest of the town which looks just like it did when I was a little girl.

Vernon said that was the best Prime Rib Sandwich he has ever eaten.

The sun was setting after supper and everyone agreed it was time to go to the motel and rest up for tomorrow.  We covered 600 miles today with 850 more to go.

An Idaho Journey - Indiana to Iowa

 Day 1 brought us wonderful weather and a good day of traveling.  We didn't leave until 10 this morning, but we made it to Des Moines, Iowa for the night.  Our first stop was in Gilman, Illinois for a quick lunch.  The folks are happy to be on the road headed out west again after so many years.  Can you see Vernon's smile getting bigger the farther west we drive?

 This was a first for Hilda & Vernon.  They had never been to The Cheesecake Factory.  Unfortunately, we were all too full so we didn't even order any cheesecake, but I told them at least they can say they've been there!

Not Goodbye...God Be With You Til We Meet Again!

Bittersweet!  That is the definition of September 19, 2011.  It's always sad to see your children move, but at the same time, you are excited to see them move on to such an exciting time of their lives.  A lot of love went with Logan & Emilie as they drove out the driveway today. So for now, it's not Goodbye, It's God Be With You Til We Meet Again!

The Story Behind...  "God Be With You Wil We Meet Again"

God be with you til we meet again,

By His counsels guide, uphold you;

With His sheep securely fold you;

God be with you til we meet again

Till we meet, till we meet

Till we meet at Jesus' feet;

Till we meet, till we meet,

God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again,

'Neath His wings protecting hide you,

Daily manna still provide you,

God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again,

Keep love's banner floating o'er you,

Smite death's threatening eve before you,

God be with you till we meet again.

We all say the familiar, "goodbye" so often that we may not realize we are using a shortened form of the phrase, "God be with you." Dr. J.E. Rankin, then a pastor in Washington D.C., thought it too bad that we should lose the really beautiful meaning underlying the simpler words.  His melodious song, "God Be with You," was wrought out of this idea to form a Christian benediction hymn. In fact, we used to sing this song at one of the churches we attended when I was growing up as our closing hymn each Sunday. My mom used to play a record by Jim Reeves over and over and this song was on it so I heard it often as a child. Perhaps it brought her comfort being away from her family each time the Air Force shipped us to a new country or location. Today, this song holds a whole new meaning for me. The children that were given to us on loan are now fully equipped to carry on the work that God has planned.  Oh how exciting it will be to watch the hand of God work through them!

Garage Sales Really Are Legit!

Emilie's Garage Sale was a success!

It was work...I'm not going to say it wasn't, but it surely paid off. Lots of earthly goods got sold this past weekend, but the memories will remain forever.  It was good to have my daughter at home these past few weeks and it was very good to work beside her and talk about life and such things. The garage sale gave Emilie a chance to say goodbye to her college friends as they stopped by to look at her things and buy a little piece of Emilie to keep with them.  New memories were made throughout the garage sale when things were purchased like the pillow I bought for the girls when they moved into the lodges or dresses that the girls had shared these past few years.  Some dressed up in items and entertained us.  Laughter is always bountiful when Kayla is around (whoops!  Did I say that out loud?  Haha!) Many gave Emilie endearing hugs and a few tears were even shared. Stories were told and new ones made. Both of us were exhausted by the time that Saturday night rolled around, but one more thing is left...saying our first of married life goodbyes...

Food is the only Medicine I need

 "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." ~Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine.

 By George, I think he's got it!  I'm on the road to recovery.  After being overwhelmed that I have IgG Food Allergies (lots of them), I've found that a rotation diet is working for me! I can even eat in normal restaurants without hyper-worrying about gluten (although I am still not trusting gluten at this point even though it was low on the allergy list).

How Great Thou Art!

Emilie & Logan Hoffman

This morning I had a flashback as I often do when I hear this song.  I was visiting Emilie in her new church at Princeton Alliance Church in Princeton, New Jersey.  I leaned over and told her that this is the song that was playing when I accepted Christ. I'm not sure if I have ever told her that before. It was sometime around 1967 or so.  I was at church camp in Jamestown, North Dakota.  I had begged my parents to send me to church camp although I knew no one else that was going.  It was just something I wanted to do as a fourth grader.  I'm not even sure how I found out about this camp or why I asked to go, but I'm glad I did because I met Christ for the first time in a really personal way. I'm not even sure that I really understood the scope of my commitment that summer because it wasn't until later that it totally connected. To this day, it is one of my favorite hymns along with two others that Emilie just happened to pick for her wedding. I love the old hymns and I'm sad that more churches don't teach them to their young ones. I love every stanza of this hymn and the message that it brings.

"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859-1940) in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song.  It was translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own composition.

How Great Thou Art
Lyrics ~ Carl Boberg, 1859 - 1940

Stanza 1:

O Lord my God,

When I in awesome wonder

Consider all

The works Thy Hand hath made,

I see the stars,

I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy pow'r throughout

The universe displayed;

Stanza 2:

When through the woods

And forest glades I wander

I hear the birds

Sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down

From lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook

And feel the gentle breeze;

Refrain:

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Stanza 3:

When Christ shall come,

With shouts of acclamation,

And take me home,

What joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow

In humble adoration

And there proclaim,

"My God, how great Thou art!"

Refrain:

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Dancing Silhouettes

When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I lived in Guam.  I was involved in a Silhouette Group each Christmas that told the story of Jesus Birth.  It was alot like this except that we acted out the parts instead of dancing them.  This was during the time of the Vietnam War (68-70) and Guam had a huge Navy Hospital where wounded soldiers came for surgery and recovery.  We would put on shows for the wounded soldiers that were well enough to be wheeled down to the auditorium in the hospital to watch the show.  Afterwards, we would go out and visit with them bringing them a slice of home into their lives.  I don't think I realized back then what a good thing it was for these soldiers, but they were always very appreciative and many had tears in their eyes. War became up close and personal to me for the first time even though I had been raised all of my life in a military family. I wonder if there are groups like this preforming for soldiers in Afganistan and Iraq?  I surely hope so...

It is Well...

When I was little, I believed that when a break opened up in the clouds and rays rained down upon the earth, God was taking someone to heaven to live with him.  I have no idea where I got that idea, but to this day when I see the rays coming down, I am comforted that God is here, always present in our world... so when we hear talk of destruction, economic peril, or heart breaking happenings, we can be assured that if we are one of His, he will hold us forever in His right hand...and when our time on this earth is done, He will call our name and we will live with Him forever and ever.

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well, with my soul,
     It is well, it is well, with my soul.
4. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
5. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
6. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
7. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
8. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

A Wonderful Weekend With Alex

 This past Friday night, I drove up to Chesterton to celebrate the 6th birthday of my eldest grandchild, Alexander Dale Schrock. His momma & poppa rented one of those jumpy castles.  There were 12 boys present for the party and 6 of those stayed the night.  It was Alex's first sleepover and I was amazed at how successful it was! All of the boys got along wonderfully and even though they stayed up late watching Mater Tales and Rio, I thought they went down rather well.  I chose to sleep downstairs with the crew.  It was like old times for me.  Haley reminded me of Emilie in that sea of boys with no girls.                                                                                                                                               

Monica's brother's girlfriend made the cake.  Alex wanted a Zombie Cake this year so it was quite the work of art.  I didn't taste it since it wasn't gluten free, but everyone said it was quite good.  When we were opening presents, I noticed that Moses disappeared.  Where did I find him?  Standing on a chair helping himself to the cake.  He had green icing all over the front of his shirt.  Oh, he is his father's child!  You can see in this picture that he was already wanting to get up close and personal!

Alex with his mom & dad and cousin Daylen.

Of course, no party is complete without a pinata!  Here we see Alex taking a swing at it.

...and here we see all the boys picking up the spoils!  

 

Longsuffering and thorns of the flesh

I don't have a bad life.  In fact, I am truly blessed. I have a husband that loves me (even if he doesn't understand me most of the time).  I have raised four healthy independent children who have given me 7 of the most beautiful grandchildren an Oma could ever ask for.  Yet, why do I let my life get me down so?  I wish I could be more like Joseph who was the poster child for longsuffering or Paul who lived boldly with his thorn in the flesh. I've never asked God to remove my thorn because I always truly believed that it would produce perseverance and character and hope, but today I'm not feeling so much of the hope part, and this world is getting just a little too much for me.  I'm ready  to move on to a better place.  As Jenny prayed in Forest Gump..."make me a bird so I can fly far away..." 

I think the secret is holding on to God so tightly that the two of you become one. Yep, I wish I could be more like the Joseph as described here in my devotions by David Jeremiah:

We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

Recommended Reading: Genesis 42-44

In our modern society, it is difficult to digest the concept of longsuffering. When we find ourselves in a thorny situation, we often resign to our challenge and wait for the end to come. And if we do suffer, our confrontations are often short lived. How many of us have had to suffer for years . . . or most of our lives?

Joseph did. And he could have easily given in to his inevitably horrible situation. Sold by his brothers, taken to a foreign land, accused wrongly by his master's wife, put in prison--yet Joseph refused to give up. Instead, he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, became a ruling official, and saved the lives of many during the years of famine . . . including the brothers who betrayed him.

Joseph patiently served God, making the most of his situation while exhibiting the sweetness of long-suffering. He had no way of knowing what God had in store for him in the midst of his pain. The emotions he experienced reuniting with his father and saving his family from famine gave him great joy--erasing the years of sorrow. Like Joseph, we need to rest in God's purpose and plan when faced with trials.

If a bird is flying for pleasure, it flies with the wind; but if it meets danger, it turns and faces the wind in order that it may fly higher. Corrie ten Boom