Sunday, January 31, 2010

Snow MUCH fun - Part 2

 The Burtons have had SNOW so much fun this weekend.  Jordyn had never had snow cream in her short life time, so we indulged last night:

(The Pioneer Woman ain't got nothing on us....well, okay, maybe she does!)

 
Ingredients (snow, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla)

 


 
 Watch out Maggie Moos JoJo made some mean snow cream!

This morning I was chompin' at the bit.   The kid in me just had get outside and play!  I am the only snow-lover in my family so I went outside alone to have some fun.   Here is my attempt at my snowman blob.



I think Jim felt sorry for me and did the one of the sweetest, sacrifical acts of love I could imagine.  Before I show you the pictures, let me tell you that my man hates cold weather and really, really dislikes SNOW.  With that said:

drum roll please
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Jim built me a snowman. :)

Here he is suffering for me. 

 
 Tilli swimming through the snow

Jordyn finding out her Humanities class has been canceled tomorrow.  (Poor unsocialized, homeschool kid!)

 
I heart my snowman.  Made with love.




Saturday, January 30, 2010

Suzy came to visit


My dear friend, Suzy (as in Suzy Snowflake) came tapping on my window pane last night.  I just love her!   This is one of the biggest snow storms we have had in our area in years.  I have so much I need to do...but am so fascinated and distracted from the beautiful stuff falling outside.  Everything is closing down in the area and I'm sad to say but church has been canceled for tomorrow.  Nonetheless, The Burton family is making the most of the snow storm and enjoying our precious time together.  So my motto today has been, "As for me and my household, we will ENJOY the SNOW!"


 
Take a guess as to what I am doing?  yep--PTL

Tilli hates the snow and was trying to hide.

Just had to go walking....

 
Tilli didn't want to go out with us, she wanted IN!


My snow angel attempt


What this does NOT show is Jim helping me up...it took a few mins. lol


Love them!


Jordy's artistic pic on her new camera

Another of Jordyn's cool pics


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Just a prinkin'

I have heard it said women have spaghetti brains. Things are always just blurring together up there in our brains. One thought leads to another and then jumps to the next, and on and on. Our minds never seem to stop and thoughts run together.

Case in point my conversation with Jim yesterday. I was telling him about something that I "thought" I had prayed for but wasn't sure if I had prayed or not.


He said, "What do you mean you "think" you prayed?"


"Well, I am pretty sure I prayed. You know..I was prinking!"


He looked at me rather befuddled.


So I had to explain my Beckism.


A Beckums prink = prayer + think


So if I was "prinking" then I was praying and thinking at the same time!


Spaghetti. Yep that's me! Maybe a few meatballs too!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Oh Deer!

My house vomited itself.  At least it appeared that way this morning.  Thus my daily "to-do" list pretty much consisted of "clean, fold, wash, dust, scrub, try the moonwalk in my socks on the kitchen floor--repeat".   Voila, several hours later--done. With a little inspiration from some of my favorite 80's tunes my mission was accomplished.

Somehow in the cleaning frenzy I had experience, I completely forgot that I needed to cook dinner.  Well, maybe it was a deliberate attempt to get out of cooking.  Regardless, I trudged to the freezer to see what I could find.  There awaiting me was a massive assortment of deer meat.  We are beyond blessed to have a few "deer" friends (pun intended) who keep our freezer stocked with venison.  I am thankful but I must admit I have to psych myself out before I eat deer meat.  The mental pictures of Bambi haunted me as I stared at a package of ground venison.   Deer spagetti it would be.  Sigh.  (Let me just add that I understand the health benefits of deer meat.  Lean.  Protein...blah, blah, blah.  I am rather partial to my ground turkey version of spaghetti).  In addition, I don't have good luck with deer meat.  Cooking it or digesting it.  Just yesterday morning I had a bad experience.  I tried a deer sausage biscuit at church and it left me interrupting my Women's Bible Study class two times with some 'almost disorderly conduct' as I quickly made an exit for the restroom.

Standing over the ground meat that was frying in the pan I was doing everything I could to be positive about the situation .  In a desperate attempt to not vomit, I uttered "WWSD?" (What would Sarah (Palin) do?  I imagined her smiling as she sautéed her moose meat.). I love Sarah so the "WWSD" thought assisted me through the sauteeing process and even gave me courage.  "I think I can, I think I can".

At last I found mysef at the dinner table.  Jim and Jordyn were all about the spaghetti (imagine that!!  Me cooking something that brings rave reviews from the family!  SCORE!).  As for me, I was snarling my nose and flicking large chunks of meat away from my noodles as fast as I could.  I wanted my bad attitude to be known by ALL.  Then suddenly I was humbled.  In the middle of a flick, I heard a little still voice, "Remember the people of Haiti".

I was instantly humbled.  The people of Haiti.  How could I be so arrogant and ungrateful? How could I forget that they are starving?  How could I take for granted the fact that I have a house with electricity to prepare dinner?  Yes, I need to remember the people of Haiti.  I am sure they would do anything for a plate of deer meat spaghetti right now (even if I did cook it for them).

There are times when we just need to get over ourselves and suck it up.  We are pretty pampered here in America.  I need to be more deliberate about being grateful for all the blessings I have, including deer meat.

Here is another of my favorite organizations  that is providing relief to Haiti.  Will you consider donating and helping the Haitian people through Samaritians Purse?






Thursday, January 14, 2010

Haiti Relief Fund

Like you, I find myself thinking non-stop about the precious people of Haiti and their suffering. Heartbreaking.  I just want to do something.  Don't you?  In addition to prayer perhaps you will consider the following:

Brooklyn Tabernacle Missions to Haiti - Carribbean Grace Tabernacle

You may need to scroll down Brooklyn Tabernacle's page a bit to find information about the current status of their Haitian mission work, as well as their missionary, Elsie who survived the earthquake.

 

Purple Pinky Prayer Partners

Purple Pinky Prayer Partners

 Check out the new prayer blog that I created:  www.purplepinkyprayerpartners.blogspot.com

In case you are wondering what Purple Pinky Prayer Partners is all about, here is my quick version of the story:

Purple Pinky Prayer Partners (P4)  started by accident one Saturday night in 2008 when I randomly picked up my daughter's polish and painted my pinky nail purple (my favorite color). When I arrived at church the next day I realized I had not taken the polish off. As I was about to scrape the polish off my fingernail, I realized it was not an accident at all. I believe The Lord wanted the purple nail to serve as a visual reminder to me and the women at my church (CCF) to pray for one of our sisters-in-Christ, Jennifer Davis Langston, who had been diagnosed with cancer. (Jenny was a young, beautiful woman who just happened to love the color purple too!!)

What started as prayer support for Jennifer has continued to this day with the women of Community Christian Fellowship as a visual reminder to pray for women who are hurting and have needs. In addition, a "purple pinky" is a great conversation starter. Our prayer is that you will have the opportunity to share the gospel, as well as, the power of prayer when someone stops and asks you about your "purple pinky".  



So as you are out and about in your daily routine (sportin' your purple pinky), ask women that you meet how you can pray for them.  Let them know you will be praying and so will the Purple Pinky Prayer Partners.  (Don't forget to send us the prayer request or post it on the blog)..  It is an honor to go before The Throne and pray for each request.

I
t would be a privilege to pray with you and for you. Please go to the blog and post your prayer requests.  You will be prayed for by some very dedicated prayer warriors.   
You can also email your requests to: purplepinky@ccfnet1.org

Saturday, January 09, 2010

20 people + 2 dogs in a den = A church

Today is January 9th.  It is a precious day to me.  Today is Community Christian Fellowship’s 5th anniversary.  So what’s the big deal?  Many churches have anniversaries.  That is true.  Yet-today finds me misty eyed and filled with gratitude for all The Lord has done.


About eight years ago, The Lord started speaking to me and Jim about starting a church.  To be quite honest, it freaked us out!  This was not the avenue of ministry we had seen ourselves serving in.   Missionaries in a foreign country, quite possible.  But a church?  Really God?  “Yes, really”, He said.    God had spoken and we must go forth.   Like the story of Abraham we had no idea where we were going or what would happen (and we still don’t!).  We just knew we were to leave what was comfortable and what we had known and “go”.  Regardless of the cost, we wanted to obey The Lord with everything in us.

After years of praying, seeking Godly counsel, praying, praying (and did I mention praying)  on January 9, 2005 a group of 20 people and two dogs met in our den.  Community Christian Fellowship began.   The verse about God choosing the “unwise and lowly” of the earth instantly had new meaning!   A small group of people coming together with a vision.  We had no denominational support. No resources. Nada—not even a building.  But the one thing we had was the only thing we needed and that was The Lord.   This little group of 20 people believed that prayer was the engine that drives the church. No amount of planning or strategizing mattered if we were not on our face seeking what The Lord wanted from us.  So, together we cried out to Him for His guidance and direction.  He answered.

As with any church we have experienced our ups, downs and in betweens.  We have seen miracles, healings and provisions too numerous to count.  In October 2008, CCF  had everything we owned (in a trailer) stolen that was never recovered. However,  The Lord provided and replaced above and beyond what was stolen.   This is just one of many stories I could share of His faithfulness.

The Lord has shown us things that have left us in “awe” of Him.   Lives transformed, addicts delivered, people healed, babies born, marriages mended.   Of course, we have experienced loss.  Loss so deep our hearts broke.  Loss so deep we didn't think we would be able to keep going.  There were times we have asked “why?” but we still believed.  Through these times, once again, The Lord has left us in “awe” of Who He is.     He has kept us under His protective wing. 

I am thankful for the amazing group of people The Lord has placed at CCF.  Just a group of real and transparent people:

Men  and  Women

Old  and  Young

      Black and White

Married and  Single

Hearing and   Deaf

Tattooted and non-tattooted

Bald and Mohawks

English and Spanish

 Educated and Uneducated

People from all walks of life.  Each with a testimony to share. Our common denominator is that we are all sinners in need of a Savior’s grace.  It is the bond of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, that ties us all together.  This is my family and I love them!   We laugh together, cry together.  Rejoice together, hurt together.  We bear with one another in love (thank you for bearing with me!).  I know if I have a need for anything that I can call on my CCF family and they would be here for me.  Why?  Because the love of Jesus is in them.  The Holy Spirit is guiding them.

Five years has come and gone.  Five years later we are still a group of people who believe in the power of prayer.  We continue to cry out to God for direction and guidance.  What an amazing journey it has been.   Even though we now have more than 20 people (no dogs--though an occasional one show up from time to time), we still have no denominational support, not many resources and still no a building (we meet in a school).  But these things are okay.  Together we have unity through Jesus Christ.  And He is the only thing we need. He will not fail us, nor forsake us.  He is faithful. As the world seems to have gone mad from time to time, we have each other to encourage and love on.

Community Christian Fellowship is His work and He alone receives all the praise and glory.   As Jim has said many times through the years, “It is ALL God’s work and we just have front row seats!”

It is an honor and privilege to serve Him at CCF.  I am so thankful for the past five years. I look forward to the next five.  Thank you Jesus!


Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Zebra Turtle-neck Mamas

Happy New Year!  Hope the New Year finds you back in the swing of things and possibly getting organized, working out, clipping coupons to save money, eating healthy and all those other "New Year resolution" related things.

Just a quick post to share a picture of Amanda and her husband, Josh.  This picture is from Christmas Day. She is 5 months pregnant with baby Jaelynn.  I think she looks so cute!  And check out that turtle neck she is wearing!  Like mother, like daughter.



She is most definitely my child.  She was in Colorado and I was in Virginia.  Little did we know that we were Zebra Turtle-neck Wearing Mamas at the same time.  Never in a million years could I have convinced her to dress like me when she lived at home.  Never!  So, does this count as another Christmas miracle?



(me and my mom doing our yearly duet on Christmas Eve--singing into candle sticks.  I think I need to buy my mom a zebra turtle-neck!!)








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