Busy Days

This has been the busiest summer I can remember.! We just returned from Nebraska where we visited friends, watched our grandsons compete in a one mile race which was part of the town's festival, (one of our grandsons from Illinois who was visiting his cousins, won the youth competition in the race) and then enjoyed the festival parade as the two Nebraska grandsons drove their go cart in it to advertise their pumpkin business.  It was a fun weekend!

This week one of our granddaughters is staying with us so we are trying to keep up with her job schedule and cross country practice while working on preparations for the Redneck Pool Party this weekend.  It is one of our most popular events with the children in town and one of the most fun for us as we attempt to improve on building the swimming pool out of straw bales.  Every year we have a 'pool failure' when the bales begin to separate and water spills over the side.  Of course, the kids don't mind--they use the spilling as a waterfall and enjoy that part of the party, too!  Last year we used a piece of tarp from the grain elevator's corn pile as an 80 foot long slip and slide--a new addition which the kids loved!  Here are a couple of photos from last year:


It is quite the job spreading out the huge tarp to cut pieces to use for all the pools/slide/hot tub, but a great way to make use of the otherwise useless tarp that has been removed from the grain pile.

How To Live Naturally Supernatural by Mark Virkler

      I received this email from Mark Virkler's Communion with God Ministries and thought I would pass it on in case any of you are interested in watching the videos which he is making available the next 4 days for free.

He who abides in Me…bears much fruit… apart from Me you can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). Wow! Jesus, are You really saying I can’t do anything on my own? I find that hard to swallow. You should watch me. It seems to me like I can get quite a bit done on my own. Not that I am calling You a liar, it is just that what You are saying is so far removed from reality as I picture it, I don’t know if I can wrap my head around it. However, I do want a fruitful life, in every area: marriage, family, finances, ministry, business, health. So, yes! Teach me how to abide. I need to learn to see things the way You see them. Click Here to Watch Now Do you "grow weary in well-doing," regularly trying with all your might to resist the power of sin and live a good Christian life? Do you sometimes feel like only the strong-willed can be "overcomers"? How do we naturally let Jesus live through us? Would you describe your Christian life as one of "rest"? Do you ever wonder if maybe we are missing something in the Gospel message that New Testament believers knew? If so, this message is for you. It is time for you to release Christ continuously, effortlessly and powerfully! But don't take my word for it. Here is just one of the many testimonies we have received about this teaching: “This course radically changed my life in every way possible. When once the Christian life was somewhat of a duty and chore, it is now a lifestyle of rest. What was once my trying to be good for the Lord is now having Him be good out through me. What was striving to serve Him in every aspect of my life is now simply loving Him and yielding to His Spirit to live out of me. By understanding, experiencing and living out the revelation truth of abiding, my life in every way and dimension has been radically changed.” For the next 4 days, I am posting a full set of videos that will clearly teach you four key truths, and lead you into applying them in your life. Click here to watch this complete video series for free. Blessings, Dr. Mark Virkler President of Christian Leadership University and founder of Communion With God Ministries

Linn Park Gardens are looking beautiful right now.

I worked on the Linn Park Gardens over the weekend.  The lilies are still blooming and the roses have re-bloomed so they are beautiful right now.  Here are photos of the same garden from opposite ends. 

A New Interstate Banner

We were so pleased ot be able to advertise Heritage Days on the semi-trailer parked near Interstate 70 (see blog post here) that we decided to promote our small town with a larger banner when we took  the first one down.

This job was a little more difficult since the new banner is 38'x8' instead of 18'x8',   It took almost  two hours and 5 people to get it up!  And of course, we chose one of the hottest days!  98 degrees! But we are glad to have it done!  We will see how long it lasts--hopefully several months at least!





I was disappointed with the printing of the banner so we probably won't use that company again--Best Of Signs.  I thought the quality and construction was fine on both banners.  Here is what it was supposed to look like:  

The same thing happened with the first banner.  There was only a small area of color across the top instead of it blending into the bottom color gradually.  Since we used the same company, I have contacted them to let them know of my disappointment. I thought the first might have been my mistake but I was very careful to make sure the colors blended on the second one.   We'll see if their customer service is helpful.

Here is what the first banner was supposed to look like:  

And how it actually looked:

Brian Simmons: I HEAR HIS WHISPER... "My radiant friend"

I love Brian Simmons' (of the Passion Translation) semi-weekly emails.

View this email in your browser

As believers we are now "in Christ." Choosing us to be His very own, Christ wants you to know every aspect of your identity in Him.      Brian Simmons and Your TPT Team I HEAR HIS WHISPER... "My radiant friend" Come and learn of Me. Learn My ways as you hear My voice. Step into your place next to Me. Step into My heart. You are seated next to Me in the realm of My glory. Surrounding you are the angels, My messengers of power. Filling the atmosphere where we sit are the songs that cause all to cry, 'Holy.' I call you to take your place and now live in Me. See yourself as I see you. See yourself as My radiant friend, the one I have chosen. Speak the words of adoration as you take your place at My side. Speak over your life and your longings the words that affirm your place in Me. I gave to My servant Joshua every place that he set his foot upon. I give to you every heavenly truth you trust in and rest upon. To Joshua it was from the Great River to the Great Sea. For you I give a River of Life and bring you to My sea of glass. Earthly blessings came to My servants of old, but now every heavenly blessing I give to you, as your Father. Am I not the Father of Lights? I have made you My light to the world. Light and truth will draw you nearer to Me. The heavenly realm is yours. I have placed you already in the secret Stairway of the sky and call you My dove. You are not a caged bird, but the Dove of My heart. Fly to Me and live in Me. The Kingdom of Heaven is My gift to you. Bring your heart into My kingdom until you are transformed from the inside out. The kingdoms of the earth will fade and fall, but My Kingdom will increase and take you from glory into glory. Seated with Me all is at rest. Faith becomes the flow of life when you see yourself at My side. Miracles are nothing more than My Kingdom piercing the veil and coming into the earthly realm. Faith is the currency of heaven that brings miracles into your life. Take your place of rest and believe, for My day of power is upon you. So come and learn of Me and I will teach you My ways and unveil My heart to you. Sit under mercy's fountain and live in Me, for I am your God. Ephesians 1:3-6 The Passion Translation Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us as one with Christ from the beginning, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence. For it was always in His perfect plan to adopt us as His delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace—for the same love he has for his Beloved One, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!

How the weather changes!

One of my favorite places we visited on our Germany, Switzerland, Austria trip was Hallstatt, Austria.  When we arrived at the Lake the Tour group went on a boat ride around the lake ending up at the hotel we would be staying in overnight. 

 Our hotel room was perfect!  It overlooked the lake, with a small balcony decorated with beautiful flowers.   I could have sat there all day!
Unfortunately, we could only stay one night.  Here is a view from the balcony when we arrived.

 This is how it looked the next morning when we awoke.  I guess it was God's way of helping us move on to other adventures.

Hubert von Goisern und Die Alpinkatzen - Heast as net

We just returned from a Rick Steves' Best of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland Tour.  Our wonderful guide, Andrea Wolf, played this song as we were traveling through the Alps. It gave me goose bumps!   I LOVE it!

 I was not familiar with Hubert von Goisern but have listened to more of his songs on YouTube.  In some he combines rock music with the accordion and yodeling--interesting and creative!