Catching Up

Wow!  It has been way too long since I have posted on here.  I am planning to do my best to get back to blogging twice a week from here on out...but sometimes life just happens!

First of all, thank you to those who took the time to read my article that I wrote for Money Help for Christians last month.  It was part of the Money Help for Christians Writers Challenge.  Depending on how many Facebook shares, Tweets, and Google+ shares my article received determined my placement in the final standings.  And I'm very excited to say that with your help, I won the contest!  Thank you all so much.  If you did not get a chance to read the article, please click here to read it.

Our family hosted our congregation's Shavuot Weekend Gathering with Brad Scott as our guest speaker.  We had about 50 people in attendance for the weekend, and everyone had a fabulous time.  The food was delicious, the teaching was loaded with truth, and the fellowship was sweet.  I just posted a memory video to YouTube.  You can watch it by clicking here.  I've also posted pictures which you can see by clicking here.

My family is staying busy with our home based bakery as well as the family farm.  My mom has been struggling with high eye pressure which when it is high is causing quite a bit of discomfort.  Please keep her in your prayers.  We appreciate it!  Also, we had a calf (Midrash) born on the farm about a month ago to Maggie, our cow.  You can see a picture of him by clicking here.   And we even slipped in time to take in a Paul Wilbur concert.  You can see picture by clicking here. 

I was recently interviewed for Walkabout - Interviews with Members of the Messianic Family, an internet radio show.  I was able to talk about quite a variety of topics including Biblical Finances, my ministry, our family farm, my trip to Israel, and the Messianic Youth Camp that I serve at every summer.  You can hear the interview by clicking here.  Due to a technical error, the first few minutes of the hour long interview were lost.  That was the part where I talked about the importance of finances from a Biblical perspective, being debt free, and having a spending plan.  The live audience did here this portion; it's just not on the recording.  The host, Susan invited me back (probably late Fall time frame) to talk more about finances.

Next month, I will be going out to Oklahoma and again serving at Camp Yeshua, the largest Messianic Youth Camp in the US.  This is always a treat and blessing to me personally as well as encouraging to see the impact made in the next generation's life.

I had the privilege of recently interviewing Brad Scott of Wildbranch Ministries at my congregations recent Shavuot (Pentecost) gathering. His words of insight into the Hebrew Language, walking the Torah walk, and training up the next generation makes this a definite do not miss! Plus he coins a new term just for my interview.  Please check it out by clicking here.

Well, I will close now and blog again soon!  It's good to be back!

Fun and More Fun...

Well, these past few days have been busy yet fun.  We enjoyed baking as a family on Wednesday.  I especially enjoyed making the Challah bread which is my specialty.  :)  Then on Thursday, I went with my Dad to help him with his bread class at the LEI Institute on the OSU Marion Campus.  He did a fabulous job teaching and got rave reviews on his class.  We also sold really well on our baked goods including selling out of my Challah!

Then that night and Friday, we got the house cleaned, errands run, etc in preparation for Shabbat.  Shabbat was very relaxing.  We enjoyed listening to Bill Cloud speak at Monte's Erve Shabbat Service on Friday night.  Then on Shabbat, we listened to a couple of messages by Brad Scott who will be speaking at our congregation for Shavuot.  We also got a family walk in too!  It was a good and refreshing day.  

On Sunday, the young people of our congregation went bowling! Nicole, Joseph, and I had a lot of fun.  Joseph royally beat us girls even though we did our best to give him a run for his money.  I figured out that I had not been bowling in about 10 years, and it was so good to be back in the "game."  :)  We ate supper at the cafe there.  Their taco salad was as amazing as a remembered which was the best taco salad I have ever eaten!  Then we bowled one more game (our third game) and headed to the ice cream parlor for desert!  :)  Nicole was able to come home with me and spend the night.  We enjoyed the girl time.  We are very close...like sisters...and had not been able to spend quality time together with our schedules in the last few weeks...so we were more than ready for it!

Sunday and Monday, I caught up on things around the house which made me feel good.  Then on Tuesday, I had my house cleaning job which went well.  I ran by the library on my way home, got a shower, and then went grocery shopping with Momma!  We went up to see Gaga after supper.  He had pneumonia right now; however, since he has been back on his antibiotic, he has been doing so much better.  With him being 87, we are always very concerned when he gets sick and have to be very proactive in making sure he is taken care of.

Today, I met one of my board members for lunch, and we brainstormed for the ministry as well as worked on where do I want to focus on.  That was very helpful.  I came home for some other pending work items...then I've been working on my book.  Now, I'm heading off to go gather the kitties and go for a walk with my mom!