A special Sabbath treat

Happy Sabbath everyone!

I just found this video and HAD to share it. You know me.  :)

What a wonderful life we have as God's redeemed! Now we have hope because of Christ's death!!!
No longer must we be separated from God because of our sins.  He loves us as children.  We ARE God's children if we have repented of our sins and asked God to cover them with the shed blood of Christ on the cross.  As Pastor Prince says, "Hallelujah!"

AMEN?

It is finished

What a perfect thought to end 2012 with.  It is finished and so is my struggling to perform perfectly for other people's approval!

  This year has been awesome in so many ways but I think that the best way is that I discovered Pastor Joseph Prince this year.  Here is his devotional for today--a perfect thought for the end of the year. 

If you haven't signed up yet for his daily devotional, I cannot urge you enough to do so.  It's free.  It's as free as the grace Pastor Prince preaches about.  All struggling to be accepted be God was ended at the cross.

On to a new year filled with God's grace covering all doubts, perfectionism, and self-hatred with his marvelous grace! 

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus....

Dawn

It Is Finished!

John 19:30 30So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Imagine looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre museum. Would you think of adding more brush strokes to it? Of course not! It was done by a master, so what could you possibly add to the painting to improve it? In the same way, that is how we are to look at Jesus’ work on the cross. He cried out, “It is finished!” You cannot complete a completed work. You cannot finish a finished work. Our salvation is won. Our sins are all forgiven. We are made forever righteous by His blood. Christ paid completely and perfectly for our total forgiveness, righteousness and every blessing! In fact, these three words, “It is finished”, come from one Greek word teleo. In the days of Jesus, a servant would use it when reporting to his master: “I have completed the work assigned to me.” (John 17:4) The word means, “It is finished, it stands finished and it will always be finished!” Perhaps the most significant meaning of teleo is how it is used by merchants: “The debt is paid in full!” When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He met fully the righteous demands of the law. He paid our debts in full! Today, it is not our works that will bring us the blessings. It is Christ’s finished work. Christian living is not about doing, but believing in His finished work. Under the law, we must do. Under grace, it is done! Maybe you are faced with overwhelming odds today. Jesus promises, “It is finished!” You are not going to be delivered because you have already been delivered. You are not going to be healed because you are already the healed! God healed you 2,000 years ago! Isaiah 53:5 declares, “By His stripes you are healed!” You are already pregnant with healing. Keep resting in His finished work and it will manifest! My friend, the work is finished. The victory is won. Our blessings have been bought by His blood! Live life knowing that there is nothing for you to do — only believe! It is finished!

God loves us!

Happy Sabbath everyone!

I was just blessed by watching this 3 minute video featuring Billy Graham.

 I know that God loves me but sometimes it's hard for me to grasp that God loves everyone. I mean God loves our President and legislators and my father, mother, and brothers. God loves EVERYONE.

If you have trouble grasping this, like I do, then I urge you to watch this short video. I think it will make it a bit easier to grasp how special ALL of humankind is to God.

Hugs,

Dawn

Appleseed video just released and I'm in it!

This Spring I went with Andrew to the Minot indoor range for an Appleseed shoot. I knew that the Bartletts were working on a video and was pleased to be a part of it. The production was just released and I think it's awesome. I share it here with the hopes that it will inspire YOU to attend a shoot next year. You'll be so impressed with yourself with how you can improve in such a short time. Come on, you can do it!!!


 

Awesome birthday

My 55th birthday, December 25, 2012, was a fantastic day in my life.  We got up; did chores; and headed for Mandan to spend the morning and afternoon with Robert's folks.  It was a pleasant time together and I received such an awesome birthday card from my in-laws that I just HAD to share it here. 

On the outside it says, "For a special daughter-in-law," with the subtitle being, "The Gift of Family."  The rest of the poem, written by Amanda Bradley reads like this:

One of the greatest gifts that life can give to anyone

Is the very special love that families share.

As years go by, it's good to know that there will always be,

Certain people in our lives who care.

For there are countless things that only families have in common,

And memories that no one else can make.

And these precious ties that bind a family together

Are bonds that time and distance cannot break.

How fortunate we are when we have

Relatives who love us;

It makes the world a happy place to be.

Few gifts in life will last as long

Or touch the heart as deeply

As the very special gift of family!


On the inside of the card are found these words.

You've added to our family life
 in such a special way.

That you deserve an extra share
 of happiness today.

And so this brings warm wishes
on this once-a-year occasion

For someone who deserves
a very special celebration!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

and it was signed, "Mom & Dad B."

That made my day and the wonderful feast of turkey and stuffing... was awesome too. 

When we came home, the children went into Cora's room to stuff things in a whole array of lovely gift bags the likes I've never seen before.  What was in the birthday bags? I can hear you thinking.  Well let me see.

I received from Cora an adorable snowman plaque which says, "Families are forever because love never melts."  She also blessed me with some lovely hair clips; some folders for my business; what we used to call Dickie's but much prettier with LACE even; laminator pouches; some adorable note cards; a book of Amish proverbs; a couple of CDs to help myself and other's with healing from grief and another for finding strength in the midst of cancer, and a birthday cake. ;)  You can ask Cora what was special about that.

From Jacob I received a brand new bathroom scale.  Yes, I had said that I would like one as ours is totally undependable.  It's time to start taking this problem seriously and now I have new hope in the book I just found called, "The Virgin Diet."  Anyone tried it?

Andrew gave me the silliest game in the world but one, I hope, which will help me to get over more of my money hatred.  It's called, "Last Will."

Robert had a clever idea and he sold our class rings and laid $144 into my hand for something that was just laying around.  I'm going to buy the beautiful pearls at VibesUp and some bracelets to sell unless I find something else that I cannot resist.  :)

After a full day of feasting, I couldn't get to sleep with such a full belly so I saw 2:30 this morning.  Maybe I was just too excited to be so loved by my incredible family AND my in-laws.

Just in case anyone was wondering, there was not a word from my father--again.  However, my brother Russell ho-ho-hoed his way into our hearts.  It's nice to have SOME little bit of family.  sigh.

Cora also gave me 2 DVDs with Christmas movies so we watched them both seeing as it was Christmas day.  I liked them both but I especially liked, "The Christmas Card," but then I always love to see how God brings sweethearts together.  This one was from opposite sides of the world so it was special.

  The other big news here is that we're buying 40 2 year old cows so, as usual, there's much work to be done.  I love it, though, as idle hands are the devil's playground.  I reckon that one day of being idle won't ruin me too much.  It's the bathroom scale that's got me thinking now but I will have to write about that later.

Before I close, I'll share the lovely card which Robert gave to me yesterday.  The first page says, "For a wife who does it all--A loving birthday message.

Life moves so fast;
in so many directions,
and you have so many roles to play,
you must feel like
there's never enough of YOU
to go around.....

On your birthday,
I just want to tell you
what a remarkable job you do.
You're an amazing woman
and a wonderful wife,
and I'm an awfully lucky guy
to have you!

Happy birthday with love,

Robert

This blessing, hand written, was on the back of the card.

As you move into new horizons of your life, you and your love will only
expand to meet the needs of those precious to you.

Proud of you,

Love,

Robert

When I saw the, "Proud of you" part, my heart melted with joy.  I don't know if anyone has ever told me that they are proud of me.  They probably did but I wasn't in the receiving mode but yesterday I was!!!

Robert is proud of me!!!  YIPPEE!!!

Love to all is I head back to work!

Dawn

Hate ended

I've been preaching here about peace on Earth ever since I started my blog 3 years ago but I'm a hypocrite in one area of my life.

  You see, I have hated money all my life. I hated how my parents loved it and valued it above the value of human beings--even their own children. How many times I watched them loving money and hurting people with it, I suppose I won't ever know. I do know that I was never as important to them as money was.

Once, about 15 years ago, I said to my mother, "Some people love their money more than they love their own children." Do you know what she did in response? She jumped out of her chair; stomped over to me; and SLAPPED my face as hard as she possibly could. Do you suppose that it hit a little too close to home for her?

The Lord has slowly been helping me to shed this hatred of money. It's been easing out of my thinking over the past couple of years as I see people using money for good. I love doing the same and truly helping people with my money.

Who can know the human heart but God? I suppose I may have to eat these words sometime in the future, but I truly feel like my life-long hatred of money has just ended. You can watch this video and see what I mean, if you like, or you can skip it. I urge you, though, to take 3 minutes of your precious time and see how money truly CAN be used for good--even the ultimate good!!!

God bless,

Dawn on her last day of being 54 years old and hopefully--a little wiser!

This IS America--for awhile

I just listened to Rand, Ron Paul's son, explain what is at stake in our country.  Can it register in our brains, those of us raised in freedom, that freedom is on the brink of extinction even in America?  PLEASE take a few minutes and listen to this video and then contribute to RandPak.  We MUST fight together NOW!!!!!!!!!!!