What I've Learned This Week

This has been quite a week - not because of anything external that has happened in my life, but because of what I've been thinking about and learning about myself. In Bible Study this week we talked about honesty - how important it is to be honest with God, with others, and with myself. So I am beginning to practice.
I have realized this week that I have always depended on my husband for my security. I believed that he would always work hard to provide for our needs. I believed that he would always have a job because there are always jobs for truckers. Now I know that I have depended on him more than I have depended on God. God needs to be my security. So, I have begun to have discussions with God about this, confessing that I have not always put Him first.
Craig and I have been talking about the cabin. When we were looking for a cabin 10 years ago we were just looking for a place to go to get away from the city. However, the cabin has become the place we want to live. We began to dream about how we could move up there - first we talked about retirement, and then about just living up there always.
When we took an honest look at life we realized a couple of things:

• the cabin is not in a good area for finding a job year round.
• we are not even close to retirement. We need to work for at least 10 more years.

We need to enjoy the cabin when we can go up there, but not dream about living there. At least not yet.

Finally, one more area of my life that I've been examining is my quiet time, my devotions. I say that I am a Christian, and I do love the Lord and have asked Him into my heart years ago , but I fall far short in the amount if time I spend with Him. It's so easy to be too busy to have devotions. Some of my excuses: I'm too tired and He deserves to have time with me when I am better able to focus; I have to get these tasks done first; I've already prayed in the car or read my devotion while at work; etc. I'm really going to try to give God some of my best time - and sit at His feet instead of getting busy doing other things.

God Owes Me Nothing

My son, Brenton, posted a blog about this yesterday, March 26, and I started thinking about it. Does God owe me anything? Do I act as if He does? Here are some of the things I've decided:

• God does not owe me anything because of what I've done. Life is not about me. It's about Him.
• However, God has given me some specific promises in His Word, and because He is God, and He is truth, He has to keep those promises. Some examples are: He has promised never to leave me or forsake me. He has promised that if I confess my sins He will forgive my sins. He promises to give me rest if I come to Him. His word is full of promises.
• I think that sometimes I do expect God to answer my prayers and make my life easier just because I am a Christian. I agree with Brenton, who said: "I live like God is supposed to make much of me instead of me making much of him in all circumstances. "

more later . . .

The Verdict on the Truck Is In

Craig and his mechanic friend, Lonnie, tore the truck engine apart yesterday to see what's making the noises Craig heard on his way home from Illinois. Here is what they found: The cam shaft needs to be replaced. It needs a new head gasket. The radiator is old and needs to be rebuilt. Various other parts are getting worn and need to be replaced. The verdict: the engine needs to be rebuilt. Cost? About $10,000. We've decided that he should go ahead and rebuild it. The truck is good, the engine itself is good - just worn , and he likes driving this truck. It would cost about $80,000 to buy another used truck - with no guarantees that that truck wouldn't need repairs. So the repairs will be a great tax deduction/business expense. And the truck should run for many more years before needing anything else this major.
Craig has also decided to stay with Autumn Transport until God provides something else. There isn't really another job he'd rather do. He doesn't really want to drive in Mpls. traffic anymore even though he doesn't like being gone now.
Finally, the blessing for Craig about working on his truck with Lonnie is that he found out that Lonnie has become a Christian and is on fire for the Lord. they are having a good time in fellowship while they're up to their elbows in truck parts and grease.

Limping Along

Craig and his truck both made it home last night. He limped the truck home. He was told - don't put any extra stress on the engine because that's when things really break down. So he came home empty all the way from Illinois and he took his time to protect the engine from further damage.
I wonder if he took the same care of himself. Excess stress takes its toll on the human body too. He came home discouraged and wondering if he's doing the right things - with the truck and in his choice of job.
How often do I feel as if I'm just limping along through the day - just trying to make it home?
Praise God that He fixes my engine -

"but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

" Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Hope Springs Eternal

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13

I'm so glad that God has given us hope, that hope abides. After going to bed last night with a heavy heart, wondering why Craig is having so many problems with his job, why we've gone through so many changes in the last year, etc. I woke up this morning with hope. I know that God will continue to work in our lives, continue to provide for our needs, and will continue to give us hope. I saw the beautiful sunrise. As I drove to work in the fog I came to the top of a hill. I could see the blue sky and the beauty of the sun above the fog and mist. And I thought about heaven. When I was in the valley all I could see was fog. The sun shone dimly through. But on top of the hill I could see above and beyond the fog. And it was so beautiful!! So it will be when we get to heaven. We will be able to see clearly. We will bask in the glory of the Lord. This vision gave me hope. And joy!

Prayer requests

I am asking for prayer because this week is not starting out very well. This afternoon I went to close my electric garage door. I pushed the button, the motor hummed but nothing moved and the motor stopped. I finally got the garage door down manually and locked it, with the car outside.
Then tonight Craig called and he's having engine trouble. He's trying to decided if he can deliver his load and make it back to Mpls. to get the truck fixed or not. Will he do more damage to the engine by driving it farther?
And what will we do without his wages this week, not to mention paying for repairs?
Please pray that we will make the right decisions about the truck, and that nothing else will break down. Thanks!
My daughter-in-law, Stephanie, wrote in her blog about why God lets people suffer. I think it also applies to life's problems. Why does life have to be so hard? Why do we have hard times, disappointments, loneliness, etc.? I guess it's so we depend on Him completely.
Lord, be with Craig tonight. Help him make the right decisions about the truck. Help him to know that You are there with him. You will help him through these tough times. You are his strength. You have met our needs in the past, and will continue to take care of us. Help me too, Lord, to trust you to take care of Craig, and to take care of me. Amen

It's no fun alone

I am watching the MN Gophers play the ND Fighting Sioux and I realized something again. Most things are no fun to do alone. Last weekend Craig and I watched these same two teams play each other and we had a great time. Today Craig is on his way to Illinois.
Yesterday Craig and I went for a bike ride. Today I went alone. It was still good exercise, but not as much fun.
This must be a little like what Adam felt in the garden - and God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." God has made us to share life, either with a mate or with a church family. And nothing's the same when you're alone.
However, I am so thankful that I am never really alone. I have a friend who is always with me - Jesus. He is helping me to make it through each day while Craig is gone and while Carrie is in Guatemala. He puts peace in my heart, He helps me to sleep well each night, He comforts me so that I don't feel so lonely, He gives me hope for the future.

U-P-D-A-T-E

"Someone" left a comment on my last post asking for an update. The reason I haven't blogged since Monday is that I've come down with a cold. I hate colds! This year I've been pretty healthy. Usually I get two or three colds during the winter. Maybe the reason I got one now is because I was telling people how healthy I've been this winter!
Becasue I can't think too well with this cold, I'll just put down a few rambling thoughts:

• I'm so glad that the weather is turinging warmer. I'm tired of winter.
• I can't wait for Spring Break, which is April 2-6.
• I wish the septic system up at our cabin wasn't frozen - I want to be up there, but it's no fun when we can't use the toilet or shower.
• I need to make spaghetti this weekend - I need some pasta.
• I'm thankful that Craig is having a better week at work. We have a lot of bills coming due.
• I can't believe Carrie's been in Guatemala almost two months already! That means her time there is half gone - she'll be home before I know it.
• I love looking at pictures of my grandchildren. They went to the Childrens' Museum recently. I wish I could have gone too - it looks like fun.
• I have been obsessed with stamping cards for the last month. I can't wait to get home tonight and try out a few new ideas. (That is, if I don't fall alseep! This cold makes me so tired.)

Well, that's so random I can't even continue! Bye for now-

Humility

This weekend my husband showed me a good article in JobDig - a publication he picked up at a truckstop. The article was about humility in business. Click on "humility" to read the article yourself.
Then I sat down to work on by Bible study for this week and guess what the topic is this week- that's right: humility. What a "coincidence"? I guess I need to ask God to show me the areas of my life where I need to work on being humble.

The Cabin - Heaven on Earth

Yesterday we went to the cabin. With every mile we drive I leave a little more stress behind. As we drive down Whitetail Drive, the last mile to the cabin, I can hardly wait to be there. I remember when we had our boxer dog, Major. He'd sleep almost the whole way to the cabin. He'd wake up and smell the air when we went around Lake Mille Lacs, but then he'd settle down again to doze until we got to Whitetail Drive. Then he'd sit up, stick his nose by the window, and get more and more excited until we pulled into the driveway at the cabin and we'd let him out of the car. I felt a little like that. I couldn't wait to be there. And it was everything I'd remembered - peaceful, absolutely beautiful, and home. It really is home.
We only stayed one night but the weekend felt wonderfully long.
I went for a long walk out on the lake, enjoying the blue sky, warm sunshine and crisp air - and the fact that I was "walking on water." The ice is still over 2 feet thick. There was and SUV driving out on the ice. But I still thought about how I was standing on water (under the ice) in the middle of the lake, looking back at the shoreline. And I marvelled at Peter's courage to step out of the boat and start walking across the water to Jesus. I don't think I could have even got out of the boat. I was standing on ice so thick it would support an SUV vehicle, but I still wondered if I was going to go through the ice. And I thanked God for the beauty of the world around me, and for loving me even though I am so fearful.
Craig spent the afternoon at his shop - putsing around and loving every minute.
For supper Craig fried up crappies that he had caught himself back in December when he went ice fishing on our lake.
Then we watched the MN Gophers play the ND Sioux for the WCHA championship. I don't think I've ever seen two hockey teams play a better game. Both teams played with incredible intensity - skating fast and hard, checking even harder, making great shots on the net and each goalie making unbelievable saves. It was a tremendous game.
This morning we woke up to grey skies and cooler weather. But we were still at the cabin - and the magic was still in the air. We went out for breakfast with Rick and Lynn, and then came back to the cabin to soak in the peace.
We decided to drive home midafternoon because it was starting to snow. The peace of the cabin goes with me.
So now I will remember the cabin as I go through the week. I will remember the beauty, the magic. I will thank God for the cabin. And I will get excited as Friday comes closer and I can go up north once again.

Trust and Obey...

for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus.

It's so easy to sing that hymn, and so hard to put into practice.
Trust
It's easy to say that I am trusting Jesus when I have nothing big to trust Him for. And I'm afraid to be tested in that. I don't want any big issues in my life that I can't handle.
So this spring I am being tested - still not in huge issues (no life or death things) but times, nevertheless, when I can't do anything but pray. I cannot be in Guatemala with Carrie so I need to trust God to take care of her. I cannot find Craig the perfect job, and I cannot be with him when he's bored or frustrated with his dispatchers becasue they don't have work for him. So I put him in god's hands. I can't go in the basement and dig up enough money to pay all our bills with some left over. I do my best to be frugal, and trust God to give us enough for our needs (and give Him my wants.) I can't find a job for Jeff, so I pray that God will help him find a job...
and the list goes on. Trusting really involves letting go, acknowledging that I can't do anything, but God can do everything. And trusting also means that I know that I don't see the whole picture, but God does. So His answers are perfect. His timing is perfect.
Obey
It's hard to obey when you don't know what or who to obey. So I need to get deeper into God's Word to find out who He is, and what He wants me to do. But there's a good place to start: Matthew 22:34-40

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he (Jesus) had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

So if I start by loving God with all my heart, soul and mind, and then love my neighbors as myself then I am obeying God. Loving God (and then my neighbors) is more important than trying to find out what God wants me to do - for a job, who to marry, where to live, etc. But if we are loving Him we will want to read His Word to know Him better and we will want to pray to talk with Him. The more we read and pray the more we know what else He desires us to obey.

Wonderful Grandchildren

I love being a grandma. I love the conversations I have with my grandchildren, the games we play, the hugs and kisses, and all the love they give me.
Last night I brought Jake, Izzy and Drew home to my house while Brenton and Stephanie had a class at Open Door. I was going to take them to their house, but they wanted to come to my house. (That made me feel great!)
We had the best time watching the Donut Man videos and playing. Jake and Izzy are really growing up fast. They are able to entertain themselves but they still like it when I play too. And then there's Andrew. He's crawling now, and he just loved moving from one toy to the next, coming back to my lap occasionally before getting interested in another toy. Actually, it didn't even need to be a toy. He played with anything that was on the floor.
When it was time to go I got lots of hugs and kisses. It was a great evening.
I am looking forward to summer when we can play outside together, go to the park, have picnics, and even some weekends at the cabin.

Toward or Towards?

This morning one of my kindergarten teachers asked me whether she should use the word "toward" or "towards" in a comment on a progress report. I don't know how I became the one to ask about grammar - maybe it goes along with being the secretary? Anyways, I don't know what the rule is about these two words. When do you add the "s"? I couldn't find out anything specific from the dictionary. Do you know?

Memorizing Scripture

The people at New Joy Church have a passage of Scripture to memorize each month. Colossians 1:17-20 is the passage for March, so Craig and I have begun to memorize it. I have found out that:
It is harder to memorize verses now than when I was young.
Memorizing verses helps me to think about them, and I am learning so much.

Here is the passage for this month. Maybe you will want to memorize it with us!!

17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Hockey Ends - for this season

Last night the Bethel Royals lost to St. Norbert's College 4-1 and their season comes to an end. I am sad that I was not at Green Bay to see the last game - although it sounds like Bethel did not play their best game of the year. I am sad that I have to wait until November to see Jeff play again - and that next year will be his last year at Bethel?
However, I am happy for the Bethel team, for the great successes they have experienced this year - beating St. Thomas 3 times in one year, ending the season in first place, winning the MIAC championship, beating River Falls, having such strong fan support at each game- home and away, and many other highlights. It was a great year!
I am especially tickled that the Topeka kids topped the team in points - Nick Miller, Steve Eastman, and Jeff. These three played hockey together for one year in Topeka, became great friends, and came back together after a year apart to play at Bethel. Congratulations, guys!

Amazing Grace

Yesterday Craig and I went to see the movie, Amazing Grace. I did not know too much about it, except that it was about William Wilberforce, and was produced by a Christian company. (I think, or at least a company who is trying to make movies good for the whole family)
I really enjoyed the movie and I learned a lot. The movie did not have any bad language, no sex or violence, and had a good message.
Early in the movie William is involved in politics and he finds God. So he wonders, should he go into the ministry and serve God or stay in the the Biritsh Parliament and try to change the world. His friend William Pitt suggests that he can do both. And so he does. He was moved by the stories of the slave ships - the terrible conditions, the loss of life, etc. and he introduces a bill to abolish the slave trade. It takes 27 years before the bill is passed. During that time he loses his health, loses his singing voice, and almost loses his will to keep fighting. But he is encouraged by another friend, John Newton - the author of the song "Amazing Grace." How often do you get to go see a movie in a public theater where one of the lines is "I am a great sinner but I have a great Saviour"?
This is a movie worth going to see!

Congratulations To . . .

1. Jeff Balvin, Kent Bostrom, Neal Carlson, Aaron Damjanovich, Steve Eastman, and Nick Miller for been selected to the MIAC All-Conference Team for 2006-2007.


2. Aaron Damjanovch for making the All-Rookie team.


3. Dan Bonne, Jon Kramer, and Brad Peterson who got an honorable mention.


4. Ryan Adams, for making the all-sportsmanship team.


5. Coach Peter Aus, who was inducted last night into the MHCA (Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association) Hall of Fame.

Intelligence Quiz

I took the Intelligenct Quiz, and this is what I am:

Your Dominant Intelligence is Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

You are great at finding patterns and relationships between things.
Always curious about how things work, you love to set up experiments.
You need for the world to make sense - and are good at making sense of it.
You have a head for numbers and math ... and you can solve almost any logic puzzle.

You would make a great scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, or mathematician.

I read about this quiz on Stephanie's blog (my daughter-in-law) and on my son Brenton's blog.

Pajama Day

I love pajama day.
Every year at school we have a spirit day called pajama day. It's the day when it's okay to wear your pajamas to school. Everyone dresses for this day. Some just come in sweats, others have flannel pj's, some wear their slippers, others wear their robes. Some do all of the above. The staff members have as much fun with this day as the kids.
So here I am, sitting at my desk in the office, wearing a comfy t-shirt, jeans, and my bathrobe. My robe is a thick, soft long robe. It's navy blue with light blue snowflakes on it. It's so warm and comfy that it almost puts me to sleep.
Some parents forgot that it is pajama day today. They come into the office and give me a funny look. Then I can tell that comprehension dawns - that's right! It's pajama day! Some have even gotten jealous that they can't be going to work in their pj's.
It's just one of the many perks of working in an elementary school.

To Go or Not to Go (to the hockey game)

Jeff, and the rest of the Bethel Royals hockey team, have a game on Saturday night in Green Bay Wisconsin at St. Norbert College. I just can't decide if I want to go or not. My sister-in-law, Lynn, wants to go and has suggested that the four of us - Lynn and her husband Rick, and Craig and I - go together.
I want to go because-

1. I've never been to a game there before
2. Bethel has never been in the NCAA championship before so it would be exciting to go with them
3. The only times Jeff has gotten hurt and been taken from the game by ambluance are the times when I'm not at the game. (Of course he's played lots of games when I haven't been there and he's been fine - it's just the mom in me worrying!)
4. It would be fun to take a road trip

I don't want to go because-

1. It's a five hour drive
2. It would be a longer drive home if they lose
3. Weekends are the only times I get to be with Craig. Do either of us really want to spend so much of the weekend driving?
4. I need to work on our taxes this weekend

As I look at my lists I realize that one reason I want to go is the same reason I don't want to go. How confusing is that?

Craig and I are going to talk again tomorrow.

Stay tuned for the final decision, and the outcome of the game, in a future post.

Bethel Keeps On Winning!

I just got home from a great hockey game in River Falls, WI where the Bethel Royals defeated the River Falls Falcons 2-1 in the first game of the NCAA Division 3 hockey tournament. The Bethel fans were awesome. I think there were more Bethel fans than Falcon fans!
The first couple minutes of the game were scary. River Falls came out very strong, and Bethel couldn't hardly get the puck out of their own end. I thought it was going to be a very long game. But then the Royals got going and we had a game. Just thirty seconds into the second period Bethel tied the game at 1-1 on a rebound goal by Bill Menozzi. Bethel went ahead on a goal by Duhamel about half way through the third period while Jeff and a River Falls player were in the penalty box. Bethel outshot the Falcons 38-30. Both goalies put on an impressive performance. One highlight besides the goals was the fight in the second period. The ref blew the whistle to call a penalty and then a Falcon player pulled Bonne down on the ice. Everyone else on the ice jumped in and started fighting. Both teams ended up with 3 guys in the penalty box. It was almost like being at a juniors hockey game.
There were lots of flurries on both ends during the third period, and River Falls even pulled their goalie, but Bethel was not to be denied. Bethel's power play units didn't look too good tonight, but their penalty kill is awesome.
Bethel now travels to Green Bay on Saturday to play St. Norbert's. Each win is a milestone for Bethel. Keep up the great hockey, Bethel!
Read a little more about the game here: http://www.ncaasports.com/icehockey/mens/recaps/d3_0307_0101/2007/2007

What do you miss?

On my daughter's blog she listed things she misses about Minnesota and things she doesn't. That got me to thinking...
With all the changes in my life from last year to this ... what do I miss and what don't I miss.
Here's my list:
I miss-

• having Craig home every night
• having the kids stop home often (we're farther away so they don't come home as much)
• our trees
• the stained glass window in the livingroom
• the big dining room, and the fireplace
• living on a farm
• Maple Grove Covenant Church

Things I don't miss:

• the box elder bugs and japanese beetles
• the musty smell in the house
• the house always feeling cold
• the muddy driveway
• walking in from the garage every night
• the mice
• not having a familyroom
• worrying about the septic system
• worrying about making house payments
• raking leaves, all that grass to cut
• having to take the garbage out behind the shed
• having only one shower
• small closets
• having to work in the lunchroom and go out for recess at school
• working two jobs

My daughter said today that she is going to try to live in the moment - I think that's a very good idea.

Hurray for Gmail

Tonight my daughter introduced me to gmail. She's in Guatemala, and I'm here in Minnesota and we were able to chat online for an hour. It was amazing! It was just as good - or even better maybe- than talking on the phone because we didn't have to worry about paying or minutes. This weekend she was sad - and that made me sad. But tonight she "sounded" like her old self and that made me happy. I look forward to many more gmail chats with her!!

Happy Birthday to me

This weekend I celebrated my birthday and it was a great birthday - because I got to be with my family (most of them, anyways). My husband gave me a great gift - he sent me to get a set of acrylic fingernails at a nail salon. I picked out "Pearl of Ruby" for the polish color. (When my grandson saw them, he said "Nana what's on your fingers?) Now I have to say that I think the nails are a gift for me and my husband because he loves getting his back scratched with these acrylic nails!
My son, Jeff, played for Bethel in the MIAC men's hockey championship game and they won!
It's Bethel's 1st championship - so that was a pretty sweet birthday present. We saw all three of my boys at the hockey game. Then on Sunday after we spent a great morning worshipping the Lord at New Joy Church in Rogers, Jeff spent the afternoon at home and Brenton and Steph and their kids (my grandchildren) came over for supper. They gave me a beautiful teal and brown bowl and we had a delightful time playing and talking together. Jake, Izzy and Drew were all dressed in identical shirts. You can see my grandchildren here.
So, the only sad part of the day was that my daugther was not here. I talked with her though. We'll have to have a big party and celebrate everyone's birthday when she gets back from Guatemala.

Here I go again!

I e-mailed the Pioneer Press after not being able to find an article online about last night's hockey game. We'll see if they respond. Here's my letter:
Hi-
Where's the article about the MIAC Men's championship game between Bethel and St. Thomas?
If you weren't there, you missed out on a great story. There was a sell out crowd of 1300 people at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine last night. Bethel was down 3-1 and they came back to win the MIAC championship 5-3. This is Bethel's 1st MIAC championship ever. In 2005 and 2006 Bethel lost to St. Thomas in the playoffs in overtime both years. Before this season St. Thomas was 46-1 against Bethel, but Bethel won all three games against them this year. What a story!
I couldn't find it online - but maybe it's in your printed paper? I will post this letter on my blog, and hope to get reply, which I will also post. I encourage you to cover more MIAC hockey in the future.
Kris

Bethel Boys are the Champs!

The Bethel Royals men's hockey team beat St Thomas in the MIAC Championship game 5-3 last night at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine. They played before a sell out crowd. It was awesome. You can read about it here: http://cas.bethel.edu/athletics/Hockey/2007/gamestories/030307ustmiacchamp.htm

It was a hard game for me to watch at times. I worried a bit about Jeff getting hit along the boards. And I remembered the outcome of the games against St. Thomas from the last two seasons of tournament play when Bethel was winning for most of the game, and then lost in overtime. But this year was different! Way to go, Bethel!

Jeff and his good friend, Steve, celebrating after the game.

Jeff's biggest fans are his brothers, Brenton and Aaron, and his sister Carrie. Here is Brenton and his wife, Stephanie and their youngest son, Andrew. (my third grandchild!)

Star Tribune Reply

I received this reply to my e-mail to the Star Tribune:

Hello Kris, Thanks for taking the time to send your thoughts on the MIAC coverage. I'll share them with the editors.

Kate Parry
Reader's Representative


So I guess now I have to wait to see if there's any news in the paper, or any more e-mails. I'll keep you posted!

Winter Wonderland

Here's our winter wonderland in Hanover. Craig finally made it home Friday in time for supper. It was quite a drive for him- he came from St. James, MN. He drove from Newell, IA to Worthington, MN in the storm on Thursday, and then on to St. James where the highway patrol had shut the roads down. They had blizzard conditions with lots of wind and snow. Criag stayed warm in his truck. He even met an old friend at the truck stop on Friday morning and they spent the morning talking trucks. Craig also had a chance to witness to his friend.

About Friday noon they opened the roads again and away Craig went. Nothing was going to stop him from getting home. The roads were snow covered. A lot of cars were in the ditches. Even some trucks were jack-knifed. We are so thankful that he made ithome safely.

Today, Saturday, the sun is shining. There's still a cold bite to the wind, but the sun is already melting the snow on the driveway.

Here's a few more snowy pictures:

God's Peace

Last night I experienced God's peace. I got a phone call at 10 p.m It was my son, Aaron, telling me that they had taken Jeff by ambulance to the hospital after his hockey game last night. Jeff had gotten checked from behind into the boards with 3 minutes left in the game. Both Brenton and Aaron said that it wasn't intentional - Jeff just spun away from the guy at the wrong moment. I had heard about the check when I was listening online. But I didn't realize that Jeff was hurt. The announcer said that Jeff skated off the ice on his own power. I had also called Brenton right away and he thought Jeff was okay. So when the phone rang, I thought maybe one of the boys was in the ditch or something.
Aaron explained that Jeff hadn't wanted him to call me. He didn't want me to worry. But Aaron thought I should know. When Jeff had skated off the ice he couldn't lift his head up without severe neck pain. Then his fingers started tingling. So the trainers called the ambulance.
After I talked with Aaron I began praying, and then I read Psalm 91. I made God my dwelling, my refuge. I trusted in Him. He told me that because Jeff loves Him he will rescue him. He will protect him. He will be with him in trouble and he will deliver him.
Later on Aaron called back to say that he had not broken any bones, that it was just a muscle strain, and that they were releasing Jeff from the hospital. Praise the Lord!!
I was able to go to bed and sleep - no nightmares, no sleepless worrying. God's peace in my heart.

Let It Snow - Part 4

No - don't let it snow anymore!
I am sitting in my family room looking out the window. Our family room is on the lower first level, so we have windows that are right along the ground. If I look out the east window, the snow is piled over half way up the window. And it's still snowing!
My wonderful neighbors were over before 6 a.m. this morning blowing out my driveway in case I had to go to work. Thankfully, I did not. I think every school in the Twin Cities, and maybe in most of Minnesota, is closed today. Lots of businesses and state and local offices are closed too. Even roads have been closed. (More about that later!)
Even though they blew out the driveway early, I still had plenty of snow to shovel when I went out about 10 a.m. And it's getting harder to shovel because the drifts on the sides of the driveway are about up to my waist. I don't know if all the snow was new snow, or just stuff that had blown in. I guess it doesn't really matter - I still had to shovel it.
I started thinking about the last time we had this much snow - or this long of a storm. It's hard to even remember one. Since we've only lived in this house for about 10 months, all my memories are from our farm. Craig would use his oliver tractor to clear the driveway there. I remember some pretty big snow piles, but we also had a pretty big driveway. I remember way back when we had goats, when the boys were pretty little, Craig was trucking and we had a snowstorm. It looked like I was living on "The Little House on the Prairie". I had a path shoveled from the house to the barn so I could feed the goats.
Today I was hoping that Craig would make it home. He got stopped yesterday in St. James, MN when they closed the roads. I talked with him this morning and the roads are still closed. He is so sad. He is tired of being in that little truck cab and sleeper, tired of being on the road. I think if he knew a way to get home by back roads where the roads were clear, he'd be on his way. God has given me peace about it - that He's taking care of Craig and keeping him safe, just as He's taking care of me.
Let's hope the snow stops soon. Until then, I'm going to enjoy my snow day at home!

The Royals win the semi-final game!

The Bethel Royals have just beaten St. Olaf 5-1 at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine. Bethel now advances to the championship game. They will play the winner of the St. Thomas vs. Augsburg semi-final game, which is also taking place tonight. The final game will be this Saturday, March 3 on Bethel's home ice at the Super Rink in Blaine.
Way to go Royals!!!

Where's MIAC hockey news in the Star Tribune?

I have e-mailed this question to the Star Tribune paper. Here is a copy of the e-mail, and I will post any responses I get:
Hi-
Last Monday I e-mailed three different sports writers and asked about coverage in the Star Tribune of MIAC hockey. Usually I can hardly even find the scores of the games let alone any articles about it.
There are quite a few players in the MIAC that we watched and read about when they played high school hockey. In addition, the level of play in the MIAC is excellent. These young men and women deserve to have some ink in the Star Tribune.
I would like to know who covers college hockey for the paper, and if I can expect to read about the playoffs which are currently taking place. I would appreciate it if you would respond, or forward my e-mail to someone who could answer my questions. I am posting a copy of this e-mail on my blog, and I will post any responses from the Star Tribune.
Thank you.
Kris Balvin
kristenbalvin.blogspot.com

Staying Safe and Warm

As I sit here, safe and warm in my home, I reflect back on the day . . .
Today was a crazy day. When I got up at 5:15 a.m. there was over 3 inches of snow in my driveway, and the snow plow had gone by. So I slipped on some clothes and went out to shovel. The snow was so heavy that I only shoveled enough to get the car out.
Then I went in to work. The phone calls started about 7:30 - "Are you open?" "Is there school today" "Are you going to close early?" "What happens if you have to close early?""Is there going to be afternoon kindergarten?" I probably answered those questions over 75 times before lunchtime. I couldn't get any work done - I just spent the time answering the phone and talking with parents who came into the office.
The weather was so weird. When I was driving to work it was sleeting. A little later it started snowing lightly. Every time I looked outside it looked different - snow, no snow; wind, no wind; light snow, heavy snow. I was glad that I was inside. The students did go outside for recess. They loved it - but I'm sure the paras wished that they could have stayed inside.
The afternoon continued in the same way - lots of phone calls- "Are you closing early?" Are there any after school classes?" "Could you get a message to my child to have him bring his snowpants home?" "Will there be school tomorrow?" "Are the buses going to be on time?" "Would you tell my child to take the bus home?" "Will you tell my children that I will pick them up today?"
By 4:15 p.m. all the children - and all the teachers- had gone home. And the office was finally quiet. Now I had a decision to make- should I drive to Blaine for the Bethel hockey game?
When I looked out the window at school, the snow was almost up to the bottom of the window, and it was still snowing heavily. The forecasters were predicting 6-8 more inches of snow for the evening, plus strong winds. I decided to go home. The Bethel game will be broadcast on the internet - a first for Bethel hockey - and so I will listen at home. . .
So tonight I have many things to thank God for. I am counting my blessings.
1. I am safe and warm
2.I have a house I love
3.My husband, Craig, loves me completely (and I love him with all my heart)
4.Craig is safe and warm in his truck in St. James, MN (The highway patrol closed the roads or he'd have tried to drive home through the snow tonight)
5.I have 4 wonderful, loving children, a very special daughter-in-law, and 3 especially beautiful smart courageous loving grandchildren
6.I love my job
7.I have found a Bible study group to belong to
8.God's Word has been so alive to me, meeting me at my points of need
9.My Saviour, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for my sins, rose again and is preparing a place for me in heaven
10.I had loving Christian parents (my dad is still living, and is doing well)
11.I have a super mother-in-law
12.I have enough food to eat for every meal
13.I have clothes to wear that I like
14.I have the freedom to go to church and worship
15.I have hobbies I love (stamping & scrapbooking)
16.I have my sight,my hearing, my health,etc.
17.I have a computer
18.I was not afraid to drive in the snow today
19.I had some milk chocolate for dessert tonight
20.I have great neighbors who have used their snowblowers several times to clear my driveway
The list goes on and on!
Have you ever tried to count your blessings? How many simple things there are like good health, food to eat, etc. do we so often take for granted?
I have one more blessing to add - I am safe and warm on a very wintery night.
Praise the Lord for all these blessings and more!