Leaving a legacy for my children

Deuteronomy 6:6&7 says "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."


Growing up, I went to church every Sunday. My brother and I would go to Sunday School while our parents went to church. However, that's where it started and stopped. I don't recall ever talking about God during the week, nor do I recall ever seeing my parents read the Bible or pray. I didn't have the assurance that no matter what happened, my parents were praying for me. No one asked me how my walk with the Lord was going and once my brother and I were confirmed my parents quit going to church.

I want so much more for my children. I want them to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that their mom is praying for them each and every day. I want them to remember going to worship the Lord together as a family and how we looked forward to it instead of dreading it as just another obligation. I want to make learning about the Lord an exciting adventure, to make Jesus so real to them that they will continue to love and serve Him long after they leave our home. I believe with all my heart that the Lord will help me with this but I have to do my part as well. So many things compete for our time and it's time to make Jesus the top priority. After all, He has made us His.

1 Thessolonians 5:11

Since I'm relatively new to the blogging world, I don't know how to find awards to give to people. So, I'm going to create my own.

1 Thessolonians 5:11 says "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Diane, over at http://auntdisexperimentallife.blogspot.com/ is such a person. She always has a kind word for people and no matter how rough things can get, she can always make me feel better. Despite what may be going on in her own life, she is always there to lend an ear or build people up, encouraging them to live up to their full potential in the Lord.

So, I'm dedicating this post to Diane, my friend and my sister in Christ. I love you!

Life is slowly getting back to normal

Businesses were allowed to reopen last week and the schools were in session today. Porta potties still line the streets of my town but even there people are making the best of it. Many of them are decorated with Christmas lights, flowers and reading material hung on the doors. The river is continuing to go down despite the snow we received yesterday. (it is April, isn't it?)

Throughout all of this, God has continued to be faithful. Neighbor helping neighbor and strangers pitching in as well. This was spreading the Gospel through actions rather than words.

We had church yesterday and what a service it was. Brothers and sisters in Christ, lifting their voices to God the Father, praising Him for His protection. It felt so good to be in His house!!

It also feels good to be back here again. I missed my blogger friends! I hope this post finds all of you well!!

Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever

This is a picture of what residents of my town now have to use. Our sewer system has failed so there is no water usage of any kind. Porta Potties like this one have been placed all over town. School is cancelled for another week and alternatives are being checked out for the remainder of the year as our sewer could take a month or more to fix. The mayor is begging people to leave town but that's not an option for everyone.

Through it all, I have to remember to praise the Lord. Praise that very few houses have been lost and no lives as far as I know. Praise that the river seems to have stopped rising although it will remain high for at least another week. Praise that the Lord brought just the right people to help out. Praise that my family lives out of town so we still have running water and a working septic tank so we can offer our home to those who need a shower or to do some laundry. Most of all, praise that despite how it looks, God is still in control and is giving us His strength to deal with all these issues. We are not walking through this alone.

God is still in control

April 15th
The U-S Army Corps of Engineers has revised its flood crest prediction for Valley City and now says the Sheyenne River may have already crested at 20.63 feet on April 13th.

The above news release raised everyone's spirits last night. Maybe the worst was over and we could rest just a bit while still being watchful. Below is what I saw when I checked the weather this morning. Maybe we're not out of the woods yet. Regardless of what the future holds, it won't come as a surprise to the Lord. He alone controls the water and He will tell the river where to flow. "Great is His faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning."

FORECAST...THE SHEYENNE RIVER AT VALLEY CITY HAS NOT YET CRESTED. ALTHOUGH LOCAL RUNOFF IS DIMINISHING...INFLOW ABOVE BALDHILL DAM CONTINUES. AS A RESULT...THE OUTFLOW FROM THE DAM MAY INCREASE LATER THIS WEEK...WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE RIVER LEVEL TO RESUME RISING MORE STEADILY.

The pictures I posted show how our town is beginning to look like a war zone. We are all so grateful for the National Guard and all their hard work. The Black Hawk helicopters are truly a sight to see. I live about a mile from the Barnes County airport so we were able to see them take off and land. It's an awesome sight to behold.

Half of our town has been asked to evacuate but there's no word yet on how many have complied. Traffic is very light in town so people are staying off the roads. Many non essential businesses have closed to save water and stress on the sewer system. An announcement will be made tomorrow regarding when the schools may start again. Valley City State University has closed the campus for the rest of the semester and the classes will all be finished online.

So, that's the latest from Valley City. I have truly seen the hands and feet of Jesus thoughout this whole ordeal.

Preparing for the flood

The first picture is of one of the parks in my town. The second picture is of the only bridge left open in Valley City. The river is expected to crest tomorrow night or Wednesday. We've had 2 levees with leaks so far and school was cancelled today. The southwest part of town was urged to evacuate earlier today while they worked to repair the breached dike. We had Blackhawk helicopters dropping 1,000 pound sand bags on the dike and the National Guard was out covering manhole covers with sand. It looks like a war zone but through it all, I know that God is in control.

I will try to keep you all updated as much as possible.

He's Alive

Sin couldn't keep our Lord on that cross but His love for us did. The devil only thought he had won but Jesus rose from the dead! He conquered death and sin and now we'll spend eternity with Him as long as we believe!! As the old song says "We've only just begun."