Precious Memories...

There is one thing I can say I have plenty of...and that is relatives! My parents had several brothers and sisters and thus I was blessed with lots and lots of cousins!

Growing up in a small town we spent every holiday and so many other events with the my mom and dad's parents, sisters, brothers and all their kids! There were large gatherings and many great memories! There was never a dull moment!

Life was simple back then when kids knew how to entertain themselves. We didn't need Wii games or X BOX video games. It was kick the can, Red Rover, and kick ball...not too high tech but it worked! We had picnics, swimming pool parties, biked and hiked...making memories together.

This past weekend I spent time "catching up" with my aunts, uncles and cousins from Idaho, Illinois, California, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and Canada. Our family reunions are every couple of years and we try to stay connected to those we share so much with. Grandpa and Grandpa believed in family ties...as the hymn says Blessed Be The Tie That Binds...thanks Grandma and Grandpa for giving us so many precious family memories for all these years!

Love, laugh and live close to your family!!

Gone but not forgotten...

Sitting out at the Memorial Day service today near the little town where I grew up. I saw the flags waving in the breeze, heard the community choir singing patriotic songs, the sound of guns shooting blanks 21 times, and the sad sound of taps playing in the distance. I remember as a little girl carrying the wreaths and flags to the gravestones of these soldiers from so many Wars ago...the names sounded familiar...two of them especially...my husband's dad and my husband's grandfather.

Joel's grandpa Russell Shaffer was killed in France during World War II by a land mine at the age of 23. Joel's mother was just two years old and would never get to know her father. Grandma Gertie still has the purple heart tucked away in her old wooden trunk along with old photos and the letters from her husband... he was so anxious to come home to be with his girls! Today we remember those brave souls who gave their lives for our freedom!! Today I am thankful for those men and women who fought to protect and preserve this land. May God Bless the USA!

Finding Hope at HIS Ranch!

I am excited to introduce you to a great mission being offered by my cousin Susan and her husband Shannon in Taylor Missouri.

HIS Ranch is a working ranch that helps disadvantaged children by giving them a chance to visit and take an active role in a horse Ranch where the kids can participate in horse chores, riding horses, gardening and other ranch activities.

Please take a moment to read their blog site at http://hisranchblog.blogspot.com/ to learn about how this mission began. It is based on the book Hope Rising and a real working Ranch called Crystal Peaks. It began as a way to reach out to the kids that are hurting and in need of a positive activity to bring them some hope.

We were fortunate to hear their story when they spoke about this mission project at our church last summer. It is so cool to hear their passion for kids and how the Holy Spirit is working to bring some joy to the kids that are in need...where an afternoon ride on a horse can bring some hope in a hurting world...where they can love, learn and empower!

Leaving a Legacy...



Spring planting season always seems a bit stressful for my husband but not as much as it was a decade ago when he went out to plant the crops for the first time after his father had passed away. Joel had always had his dad a mile down the road to assist him and give him advice on how to plant the seed his first few years of farming. His dad had always insisted on planting the corn for Joel so that it was "done right" and that was ok...let dad plant! He has the experience and wants to help...until the spring of 1997. Joel remembers how his dad said to him, "I want you to plant the corn and beans this spring just in case something would happen to me and I am not here to help you do this someday. You need to learn how to plant without me"...little did we know that Howard would pass away of a sudden heart attack after harvest that year! Joel said it was like he knew it was time to let go and let him try it on his own. Now watching Joel plant this field alone as his dad and grandfather had done so many years ago it reminded me of how he has followed in their footstep through the same fields for so many years. Joel's grandpa farmed with horses on this land so many years ago. His father continued the legacy of farming through years of plenty and through the lean years. I walked through the old farm machinery in the grove from the early 1930's like a museum of long ago. I really never understood what this "farming thing" meant to my husband, his father or his father's father...but I think I do now. It is something not tangible but if you stand at the top of the hill overlooking the fields of freshly tilled soil and the sky that goes on forever...you come to realize it... "Oh, so this is why....so THIS is why they believed in farming?!" I read this plaque that Joel's dad had hanging in shed that reads;

I Believe In Farming~ I believe a man's greatest possession is his dignity and that no calling bestows this more abundantly than farming. I believe hard work and honest sweat are the building blocks of a person's character. I believe that farming, despite its hardships and disappointments, is the most honest and honorable way a man can spend his days on earth. I believe my children are learning values that will last a lifetime and can be learned in no other way. I believe many of the best things in life are indeed free: the splendor of a sunrise, the rapture of wide open spaces, the exhilarating sight of your land greening each spring. I believe true happiness comes from watching your crops ripen in the field, your children grow tall in the sun, your whole family feel the pride that springs from their shared experience. I believe when a man grows old and sums up his days he should be able to stand tall and feel pride in the life he's lived. I believe in farming because it makes all this possible.



If you read the post by my dear blogger friend, Jennifer at http://gettingdownwithjesus.blogspot.com/ you will see a similar story of her husband's first planting season without his dad and I thought it was very touching. I just wanted to share Joel's experience as it reminded me so much of what he felt that first spring...and the legacy he hopes to pass on to his children someday if they choose to accept it!

Walking just be"CAUSE"...we care!

Today was the 21st annual Race Against Breast Cancer event that my team of coworkers and I have been involved in for over a dozen years!

Some walk either the 5 K or 1.5 mile fun walk while some of the more athletically inclined run the 5 K or 10 K race!

We joined over 4800 enthusiastic women, men and children to help raise funds for our local Avera Breast Cancer Foundation. They have helped thousands of women with breast cancer prevention, treatment and other services to assist them in their fight against this all too common disease.

In my profession as a registered Mammographer I have seen countless women some young, some old, some with family history of breast cancer, some without. I am not sure why I chose to specialize in this area for 17 years now and have now performed over 20,000 mammograms in my career. Maybe it's because those close to me have dealt with this disease at sometime in their lifetime as my mother, grandmother, aunt and cousin have all heard the words..."you have breast cancer". I know how with the help of self exams and early detection there is a much better survival rate as they find new ways to detect cancers in their early stages. I have seen the newest digital mammograms, the breast sonograms, the MRI studies, and now the new Tomosynthesis mammograms which are being tested around the nation for approval by the FDA. These new technologies are bringing this disease to it's knees... if you hear the words "you have breast cancer" you can be assured to know there is a high probability you will SURVIVE it!! There is also the new saliva tests being developed to detect DCIS (ductal cancer insitu) that is very promising...so many new technologies and new techniques to detect and cure this awful disease. So stay tuned...it's coming in our lifetime due to the hard work of researchers around the nation that are resolved to find a cure for breast cancer. Together we can STAY STRONG and bring HOPE to all that fight breast cancer just be"cause" we love them!!

Life under construction...A few weeks ago, while cleaning out my closet, I sorted through dozens of books that I have collected over the years. Some non fiction, fiction, countless bible study workbooks, books on relationships, financial advice, parenting techniques and Christian authors offering insight to help in my walk with Christ. How does someone who has read all these wonderful books still have so many areas of her life "under construction"? I have read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Don't Sweat The Small Stuff ,Power in Praise, The Purpose Driven Life, The Power of A Praying Mom...and the list goes on. Truth be told the older I get the more I realize I am still "a work in progress"! I have all the knowledge of what changes I need to make in my life and yet in so many areas I still fail to achieve the level of perfection I strive for! That is okay...in the Scriptures we can read of how God uses those who are weak to glorify Him. He uses us for His "purpose" as we seek His will for our life. I know by leaning on God's word and through the power of prayer I have found strength to overcome so many struggles in my life. I still have a long way to go and am fortunate to have the support of family and friends praying me through when I have needed it. I rejoice in knowing that my strength comes from the Lord and I hope you can rely on His awesome power in your life as well! Until then never mind the "road cones" in my life...I am pretty sure they will always be there!

Dealing with "change"

You may be feeling the way I do lately with all the recent social, economic, and political changes going on in our world. Maybe it really is true that the only thing we can count on is CHANGE! I must becoming a bit old fashioned in this regard because I am beginning to wish things didn't have to change all the time. I kind of like my corner of the world the way it is...for the most part. I mean there is a few changes I like...the change of seasons, the changes in fashion, changing the paint colors on the walls for decorating updates and hairstyle changes... now THAT is the change I can believe in...the other BIG stuff...well not so much!
The reality is that changes are a part of life and that is when I realized the truth in the simple prayer our Grandpa Wally used to say,"God grant me the Serenity to Accept the things I cannot change; The Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference"...the Serenity Prayer...remembering I am not in control but thankfully GOD is!