hAPpy haLLOwEeN & Big ideas

Well, today I have some mixed feelings. It's Halloween. For many years now, our church would have this HUGE party called the Hallelujah Party for the community at our beloved Colonial (I miss that place!) as a fun, safe alternative to Halloween trick or treating. Since there's no Colonial, there's no party. I wonder how many people are going to show up there because they didn't know?? Well, OLOP has the FunFrolic going on and the Classic Cruisers have an adult bash at the KC hall so there's cool stuff going on to keep some off the streets, but they all cost $$. The fun frolic is an OLOP school fundraiser and you need a lot of money to play games and eat. Our party was free. We would serve 800-1100 people. We had games, prizes, music, food, a skit, an opportunity to receive the Lord................... I do not think this outreach of our ministry will die though because it's too good of one. I'm sure we'll have more down the road. I should have a firepit tonight. maybe i will.
I was watching a clip about this dude running for some office somewhere that needed $25,000 for his campaign. He made a website with some stick-people cartoons hoping he could get around 3000 people to donate $8.33 or something like that. He had the money and then some in less than like 3 hours. Now, I rarely watch tv. I was very glad to have seen this though because my wheels are turning to create something similar to raise money for the youth building... but we need around $100,000. which would be 12,000 donors at $8.33 a piece. which means reaching out past the community. Fine, except this is a building located in this community so I need to get creative. I got to thinking about how we get a lot of tourists in the winter because of ski season and our 5 beautiful ski resorts...we're going to build a beautiful retro outdoor skating rink right off the building. This is very marketable. So. I am working on this and will present it forth. People that donate get a gift, I'm working on that too. like some small marketing stuff with the new building name on it so we're advertising at the same time. :-) Maybe I could get the Worship team to make a live worship dvd for the bigger donors. They could sell them too and make BIG$$ for our music ministry. I know for a fact that those would sell. Our worship team is right up there with the best in this country if not the world. and I am not being biased. (Danny, we need to work on producing this dvd. *my people will be in touch with your people* We'll have to do a conference call or something soon) :-) oh my gosh, the ideas are rolling out of my head like crazy this morning! I love this new Folgers House blend. mmmmmmmmHmm.lol well, praise the Lord. Now I'm happy. I really feel the Lord is leading all this somewhere and it's SO exciting!

Petition Spot

A place of their own, we really miss it

I firmly believe that God reveals His glory through the local church.
We need genuine relationships there, to encourage one another to be more like Christ.
One of my visions as a parent is to raise my kids to live their life for the glory of God.

I MISS THE COLONIAL omgsh, so sosososoooooooooo much. THERE IS NO WHERE, I MEAN NO WHERE FOR THESE KIDS TO GO. A christian kid (or unchurched kid) has no where in the community to go to just hang out and chill or be goofy. My heart's cry is for the new youth building at LFC. God, hear my prayer!


Remember the theme song to the tv show CHEERS?
(love that song...)

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Ya, that place was a bar, but the local church is like that too. Christians being around others happy to see you and feeling like family (they are, in Christ). The youth need a place too.
God, hear my prayer.

Praise Report on my dad!

The cancer was contained to a segment of the colon, they removed 18 inches, it has not spread, there will be no need for chemo or radiation! He is going to undergo a Petscan to check out his lungs as there is some questionable looking stuff but he has fibrosis so that is the likely reason. We confess this: Richard was diagnosed with cancer but he does not HAVE cancer. By the stripes of Jesus Christ, he was healed. We believe that with everything we've got. and it's soooooooooooooooooo true.

Prayer is so good, prayer is so powerful, and so essential.
Thank you, God.

baskets from grass

If ever an art form was becoming extinct before our eyes, basket making would rank right on top. Here's one made from grass. The grass, called sea grass or salt water grass, only grows in certain areas under specific conditions and is prevalent only in Sanikiluaq on the Belcher Islands in Nunavut, Inukjuaq in Nunavik and in certain communities in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, particularly Rigolet. In some areas of the North the artist prefers to pick the grass, by the arm load, in the spring while it is still wet and pliable. In Nunatisavut, the sewers prefer to pick in the fall. They dry the grass and store it until it is needed. Then they dampen it before use. It takes a lot of time, skill, work and patience to make a good basket and it is not uncommon for a woman to spend over a month creating a larger one.


Artist:
Annie (Emily) Emikatailuk

Community:
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut Canada

Materials:
Grass, Argilite



She is so talanted. I love this.

It's all good

Recipe
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake by Paula Deen
Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Family
Today is a big day. My dad is going in for surgery to get almost a foot of his colon taken out courtesy of cancer. I'm glad I work at the hospital so I will be kept informed how things are going all day. He'll be in intensive care at first and then moved to a different room until Sunday or Monday. We proclaim this: he was diagnosed with cancer, but does not have cancer. :-)

My brother Danny is making dvd copies for our church. He really likes "us" alot, he's a devoted catholic but enjoys coming to our services on Wed pm every now and then. He's honored to help LFC...I think that's so cool. He's a good guy.
A lighter note about my fuzzbutts: THEY ARE FULL OF IT THIS MORNING! Omgsh! They're acting crazzzzzzzzy! It's mostly the 9 yr old, Maggie, she has more energy than my two 6 yr olds combined! My cat is runnning back and forth and bouncing off the patio doors and my golden girl, Maggie is chasing her one minute and throwing her tennis ball around the next, I do not see how anyone in this house is still sleeping. omgsh. I love my home, I really do. Life is good. Eternal life is better. But, life is really good.
Exercise
Last night I went to my first yoga class at work! The community health gal does a free class every Tues from 4:30-5:30 for employees and I decided to go! I have been doing yoga at home for about a month now, just the moves and stretches so I kinda knew some moves. It was fun and very good for relieving any sTrESs. I will be a regular! They do not reference any type of religious anything there. I have done Nameste Yoga at home and I notice they acknowledge something but I'm not sure what. I always just say praise the Lord if I'm not sure. Are they buddists or something? I gotta find out the shpeal. ANyway, I am feeling my muscles very good this morning. :-)
Church
The one and only Janny Grein is at our church tonight and tomorrow. I'm missing tonight for sure. The kids will be there for Praise and Worship but coming out to the hospital right after. I don't know if we'll be there tomorrow depending on how today goes with my dad.
I gotta talk to my pastor about some stuff. Outside of my hubby and my mom, it's him that I can open up to and totally trust. There are a few things that I need to talk about. He's so good. I wish I could give him a million dollars for Pastor Appreciation Month. I should do a fundraising drive. seriously, he's the best and deserves at least that much! :-)
Homeschool
Put it this way, we'll be having Saturday school this week.

be an example.

Church is good. People are good generally. There are some people who do not realize what they are doing to the church as a whole by the way they live. They talk the talk but their walk is way out of line. People are quitting the church because of the whole issue! But in a sense, they are judging. I mean, this goes on in every church around the world, not one is immune to hypocrisy. Lead by example....why do so many people choose the easy way out and QUIT? Be a part of the solution. Let's talk about the problem and get over things.
I had the awesome opportunity to talk with some church members and visitors yesterday, one about the above issue I just blogged about, one is highly depressed, one just tried to commit suicide last Thursday, there are big issues that others have and I am going to get them addressed. Why? Because I love my church and there are many others there full of love. and Love never fails....NEVER.

my muscles

Just a little side journal entry about my exercise this week:
I did 4 days of strength training. I worked my shoulders, chest, back, arms, abs, legs, my buuuuutt. It was intense, but awesome. It is a very good habit to be forming and reduces stress quite a bit. I walked 3 days but need to do more. I will next week. for real.

David Nevue

I simply adore this man's talent. My husband and I want to own all ten of his cds. I want to open my gift shop and sell them there. I want his music playing in the background during my hours. We want to have him come do a home concert and firepit evening (and you'd be invited!). I believe God introduced the music of David Nevue to me in the most perfect timing; it has brought much peace to me during a difficult time of my life. I am forever grateful.

www.davidnevue.com
Listen to the music. Buy his cds. Buy the sheet music, get his dvd; I want it too! ah, I just REALLY like listening to this pianist's music immensely. Give it a listen. (It's playing below!)

My Saturday

Something was making a small racket in the basement a few minutes ago. All of a sudden, I heard the furnace rumble on. The distinct smell of the heat coming through ducts that have had idle air since the end of April began to fill the house. Soon after, my body felt happy and warm. It was 23* early this morning in Ironwood. My husband, Mike came upstairs to ask me the date because today, October 4th, marks the beginning of the Skoviera's 2008-2009 home heating season! I know this is so exciting! I figured I'd blog the event. We spent over $5000 last season to heat our house (we kept the thermostat at 67*) This year we are trying to keep the cost under $3000. Mike has been working very diligently to achieve this goal by doing these projects himself:

blowing insulation in our two attics ($380 from Menards, free blower use from Trollas),

rolling insulation in-between the floor joists in the basement (free),

installing new basement windows & sealing around them (free),

putting a storm door up($190 from Menards),

enclosing the porch to keep the effects of cold winter winds minimal ($12 Cash Liquidators),

and now today, Mike will be enclosing around the patio doors with heavy duty plastic held with wood strip framing. (don't know the cost of that yet.)

We will be purchasing insulated curtains, maybe around Christmas. We have to pay off the initial propane order first. We have 400 gallons to start us off. Isn't this exciting?! Thought I'd share. :-)

Nikki is setting up for Seal America communion at the church for me. I think she's picking up my mom too. I can't drive for awhile. I had a seizure on Tuesday and they're running some tests. Until they come back, I'm not suppossed to be behind the wheel. I think everything is good. Anyway, there is a practice at one o'clock for a song that Cynthia is singing at church tomorrow. I know that's going to last long. It's the way that is. After that, the youth is practicing. They'll be home by 5. We're having my parents over for dinner tonight.
The menu: Turkey dinner
Turkey and stuffing
mashed potatoes and gravy
sweet potatoes
homemade bread
carrots from our garden, pickles, salad

If I get to baking vegan cookies very soon, we'll have those but I do have banana bread that I made last night. Here's the recipe:

Stir together:
1&1/2 cups flour
1&1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt

Now stir together in a large bowl:
2 egg whites, slighlty beaten
1 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil

Add the flour mix to the large bowl of wet ingredients and mix just until moistened.
Spray a bread pan with some non-stick spray coating. Pour batter in pan and bake in a 350* oven 45-50 minutes. I always test with a toothpick. insert it in the middle and if it comes out clean, it's done. This is a very good and moist recipe. You will like it if you try it.

125 cal a slice, 2g protein, 22 g carbs, 4 g fat, omg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 73 mg potassium

I had a handful of crushed pecans that I threw in so that will add some more calories, fat, and protein to the nutrition info but I am unsure of the numbers as I did not measure.

Love Nancy