Busy week

I can't imagine that this is all that I accomplished this week. I feels like about ten times more than that. I am so glad to have that done. It will be wonderful this winter!

I ended up with 16 jars of apple butter, yummmm. I also did another batch of tomato juice, I did pickled peppers, one batch of "hot" and one batch of "mild". I then canned chicken. I got 17 pints, although I only processed 16 0f them.

I really like to can. It's one of those things that I can do by myself, with the house all quiet, I can do laundry in between batches, or what ever else I need to do like run the sweeper. All of which I did yesterday between batches.

Yesterday was Micah's 24 Birthday. Wow, he's getting old!

We are so proud of him! We found out that he will be ordained on January 11, 2009, so we'll have to visit Virginia for that! He has quite a testimony, from a shy quiet guy not one to "rock the boat", to a real "boat rocker" in high school. He decided that when he went back to school in his sophomore year he didn't want people to look at him and think about him being Liz's brother, the girl that was murdered. He didn't want their pity! He wanted to be popular, and to be known by his peers. He then started to step out and try some things that we truly had no idea that he was doing.

He was drinking, and we had no idea. He was very good at hiding it. Of course after we moved to the farm, he had his own house, that he referred to as the shed, (I affectionately called it the "chicken house", just to bug him.)

Anyway, he could cover it up pretty well. Parents: don't think "Oh, I'll know if my kids are doing things they shouldn't be." That is what Jeff and I thought. We would certainly notice if our kids are doing things like drinking or drugs. We'd know what to look for since Jeff and I did both things! WRONG. We were so fooled! He continued drinking even at college. He went to a christian college, we thought it was safe there...

There was a "group" of partiers there and he found them.

He did that up until his sophomore year. He started out as a business major, but before his sophomore year began knew that was not what he was called to. He was going to transfer to Mount Vernon Nazarene University, so he could be closer to home and to his girlfriend. (That relationship came to an abrupt end in the spring. Blamed on Micah's poor choices.) After going to MVNU during the summer and signing up for classes, paying the transfer fees, getting roommates and so on, he decided upon leaving MVNU and heading home that he needed to stay at IWU.

I was with him for that trip. It was a "God thing" anyway. While we were there I met a woman named Helen, and that led to sharing my testimony with her. She then asked me if we would be willing to share our testimony at a camp in Crooksville. We agreed, and did so later in the summer. From that point we got another phone call from someone that heard us at that camp, and wanted us to share at their church in Lancaster Ohio. That was a blessing because we had many raised hands at those meetings! God used our visit to MVNU to touch at least 400 lives! Micah allowed God to turn his life around. He changed his major to Worship Leading, and is now on his way to being Worship Pastor! God is good!!!! That's the story in a "nutshell".

Chris now resides in the shed when he is home. It is not much to look at on the outside but really nice inside.

Needless to say, our children are less than perfect (don't tell them that) and we most assuredly are far less than perfect parents, but God uses willing vessels. As the saying goes "God does not call the equipped, He equips the called". Glory to God!

If I have lost you somewhere along the line...Sorry! I do have a habit of going off an rabbit trails.,.,.,.,.,

See, here is further proof: Did anyone see the sky this morning? It was beautiful. I know "red sky at night sailors delight, red sky at morning sailors take warning" or something close to that. But honestly is was awe inspiring.

GLORIOUS!!!!