How have you seen God at work in our marriage???

**Tissue Alert
I found this on Godtube.com this morning.
I love Ian’s take on the question in the title bar- “a better question would be: how have I not seen Him at work in my marriage”
Watch it…

I know for a fact, He is at work in our marriage, Brenda puts up with me and my quirkiness, daily!!!
I love you, Brenda!
How have you seen God work in your marriage?
Go read Ian and Larissa Murphy’s blog at  http://prayforian.blogspot.com/ which looks like will be sending you to http://www.ianandlarissa.com/ soon if it already isn't. What a wonderful message this couple is sharing. Blessings to them and prayers offered up for Ian’s continued healing.

New Favorite Thing...

My first share is my new favorite thing to do. It is to stream music videos to my Google Chromecast. For those of you wondering what a Chromecast is, let's call it a HDMI thumb drive. Below is what it looks like and a diagram of how it connects.

 

It plugs into an open HDMI port on your HD TV and then it also requires a power connection that can usually be plugged straight in to the TV's USB port or the small power supply that comes with the device. Once it is connected and setup you simply stream content, videos and music from a device, to your TV. Currently the apps that are supported consist of Netflix, YouTube, HBOGo, HuluPLUS, Pandora, and GooglePlay Movies. You can also mirror stream right from Google Chrome from any PC, which means what you see on your PC's display in one tab of chrome is what you see on your TV. It is also cross platform, Apple and Android devices are able to stream. Keep in mind that to use this device with Netflix, HBOGo, and HuluPLUS you have to be a subscriber to each service. With GooglePlay Movies, you just have to purchase the videos or watch ones that are free. 

I am absolutely amazed at how well this system works. There is talk among the tech communities that there will be more apps available in the future. I can't wait to see what is next for this little device. The price of a Chromecast is $35.00, I picked mine up at Best Buy and I have noticed them at quite a few of the other stores I frequently visit, for the same price. This would make a great stocking stuffer for those tech enthusiasts in your family.

Another share, a video I really enjoy, by Phil Wickham recorded live by Klove Radio.

Snow Day

Today I deviate from the typical Wordless Wednesday post and do a Words on Wednesday post, because it's a snow day here in Western Pennsylvania.
The girls insisted that we had to make a snowman, the snow was perfect for building stuff...so out we went.

It was not long into the process and Bethany had the snowman named, Fred.

I know it won't be long and the girls may be too old to want to do this with their Daddy, so I took advantage of them asking me to come outside and play with them. I also took advantage of them giving me permission to take photos and post them here on the blog. (That does not happen very often.) I even got them to kiss Fred...he definitely is sporting a pretty sweet looking twig-hawk...I have to mention that this in no way gives them my permission to kiss anything or anyone else sporting a twig-hawk or a mo-hawk. Just sayin'...
 

I enjoyed building Fred with the girls. I hope they had fun as well.
What do you enjoy doing on a Snow Day??

Omelet

I made everyone eggs this morning, Brenda had egg sandwiches, Bethany and Bridget had ham and cheese omelets, an I had this:

A three duck eggs, broccoli, onion, ham and cheese omelet, topped with some hot sauce and Heinz ketchup (there is no other ketchup, just FYI). Oh, the picture doesn't do the flavors justice. I love me an omelet with whatever is left over, inside of it!!

Here I go: Song #1

This is something I have never done before. Singing on my blog. Most of  you know I have been singing in our Praise Team at Church for almost four years now. Recently due to circumstances I won’t go into, I stepped down for a break. I have enjoyed worshipping from the other side of the pulpit. But I have also really missed singing praises to God. These seven weeks have given me a  time of reflection. I know in my heart if I focus on Him, everything else will fall into place. He is ultimately in control of all of this and has a plan. This was simply a part of his plan. I will be working on focusing more on him as I continue this journey.
On to the song, it is called And My Life Song Sings by Casting Crowns. I love to sing this song and the message it contains. A little history about me and my piano skills. I did take piano lessons for a year when I was 11 or 12 years old. So I can read some music, but not read and play both my left and right hand, let alone do it while sining. Keep this in mind when watching the song. I picked this song up by ear, so it may not be exactly like you may hear it on a cd. I  had several takes of this and finally decided if I waited to record the perfect take it would never happen. So it is what it is, flaws and all, kind of like me. I do hope you enjoy.

Thankful

You cannot imagine how much I am looking forward to “Turkey Day”. This time of year is so busy, but worth all the chaos that comes with it.
Yesterday I visited Bridget’s class for their Thanksgiving Feast. I took in green beans and I was supposed to carve the turkey. Thankfully Bridget’s teacher decided to carve the turkey at home so instead  I was assigned to serve out gravy to the kiddos. It was a great time and I really enjoyed spending time with the kids.
Today is Bethany’s ninth birthday, she too has a Thanksgiving feast today that I will be attending. I am sure it too will be a great time. Happy Birthday Bethany, you make your Daddy and Mommy so proud.
Tomorrow is Turkey Day, I can’t wait to smell that bird roasting in our kitchen. Brenda always does a great job with the big holiday dinners.
Friday we are having a Whittington Fish Fry with Brenda’s Aunt and Uncle. In the fryer walleye, crappie, perch and probably a little bass. The fish we contribute is from last year since we did not have such a good year this time around. I hope we have better luck next year.
I am so thankful this year for our family, friends and of course my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Everyone have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!
Now it’s your turn, what are you thankful for?

Potty Talk

This is something I stumbled upon thanks to @tatood1 over at Caffeinated Faith. He posted a video about regrets, after watching it I found this. He has some great stuff posted over there. This is video funny and touching all at the same time. It was created by Igniter Media Group. I highly suggest you check out both of these links. Here is the video:

Recall

My father-in-law (I call him the old man, but his real name is Gary) sent this on as a forward in an email. I could not pass up posting it here. It is a little long, but cute. My favorite part is Knee-Mail.

:: RECALL NOTICE

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of The same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction

2. Foul vocal emissions

3. Amnesia of origin

4. Lack of peace and joy

5. Selfish or violent behavior

6. Depression or confusion in the mental component

7. Fearfulness

8.. Idolatry

9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love

2. Joy

3. Peace

4. Patience

5. Kindness

6. Goodness

7. Faithfulness

8. Gentleness

9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. ("Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth") for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING:

Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER:

The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!
- GOD

P.S. - Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'. Because He Lives!

Thank You Old Man!

Something New

This Monday is no different from any other mad Monday, just with a little twist. I was asked by our church’s children’s ministry director if I would help with watching the 0-5 year olds in a Mom’s Morning Out for a couple of hours each week for the next few months. I am honored that she thought of me for the position. It will be a blast, I just love the little ones. This afternoon I need to do laundry as we had no time to do any this weekend.
A little recap of our weekend:
Saturday my brother in law came over and showed me the tricks to the second coat of drywall compound (mudding). I am glad to say we got quite a bit of it done, I will be working in the later part of the week to finish it, so that this Saturday we can start the third coat. I am also proud of myself, this is my first time of finishing drywall, and I got his stamp of approval. That really  means something, he has a very high standard of workmanship. The bitter part of this bitter-sweat moment is,  Brenda will expect this standard on future projects. I hope is not a fluke!
Saturday night the family and I went to see my niece perform in Bye Bye Birdie at her high school musical. The girls really enjoyed the show, and I was amazed at the amount of talent within the group. It was a great program.
Sunday Brenda fell ill with some sort of stomach bug. The girls and I went to Church but skipped Sunday School since we did not get to bed until 11:30. After Church we had a quick lunch here at home and then both girls went to pool party for the afternoon(as noted in a post below via a photo). They had a lot of fun, but were exhausted this morning. It was a challenge getting them on the bus, a lot of moans and groans. But we did it. Brenda was actually back to normal yesterday evening. Good because someone has to make the money around here. All I seem to do is figure out new ways to spend it. Just kidding!
Thanks for taking time to visit. You might have noticed the changes I made on Sunday to this blog. Thanks for those leaving input, and if you have any suggestions or questions of how I created this multipage blog within blogger drop me a line from the contact page.

School Closed

Okay, today should not be a day of madness being the kids don’t have school. All because of this one band of lake effect snow. We will take it, maybe we will go sledding. It is all moving south east and hammering us.

Today I have lots of cleaning and laundry to do also. We have been busy in the attic. Last weekend we hung drywall in the high portions of the attic with the help of Brenda’s Cousin and Brother-in law. This weekend My Father-in law and brother-in law came and we hung almost the rest of it. I will be posting a video showing the progress we have made and what we have to do still. Because of the stairways leading to the attic, we have been cutting the drywall to size in the garage and carrying them up. Needless to say the floors are filthy. Thanks for your visit, hope this finds everyone rested and well on this Monday morning!
God Bless!

Are Wii Happy Now

I would like to introduce you to Vince Marotte, I read his blog everyday. You can follow him on twitter here. He is a guest poster on my blog because his is down. Enough with the details....here it is:


Did you get what you wanted for Christmas?

Remember when you were a kid and you would do anything for that one thing that would make your life complete. I think I still do this to be honest...ok; I still do this.

So you now have a Wii. Awesome. It's everything you dreamed and more. Let's be candid for a second; the Wii has changed gaming for ever!

Here's the downer. There is an entire universe of things that you didn't know you were missing until you got that little white box.

Nun chucks, more controllers, God only knows how many games you need now. How many times can you play Tiger Woods golf?

We do this to ourselves all the time. My wife will buy a new shirt and the next thing you know she is back at the store looking for shoes or something to go with it.

When will I ever be happy? There is always one more thing I want. There is always one more thing I need to accomplish.

Then, maybe I will be complete....right?

I think a really wise man spoke about this one time.

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.
  If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

-Solomon

Favorite Holiday Moment/Holiday Recap

Okay, you can call me a blogging slacker, so it is time to catch up. It has been chaotic here for the holidays, no not really, I have been enjoying spending time with my family. Brenda and the girls have been off for a week and a half. They go back to work and school on Monday.
We had a wonderful Christmas. We spent time with my family the weekend before the big day, it was nice to see everyone. All of us were there except for my youngest sister’s family, they live in Denver, CO. We exchanged gifts and ate of course. There was quite a spread of food, everyone brings a little something. Good Grub!
Both girls did get sick on the day before Christmas Eve. The illness was nasty, but short lived. By Christmas Eve they were fine. I was happy that we were able to go to my second favorite service of the year (my most favorite is sunrise service on Easter Sunday). Candlelight Christmas Eve services just give me the chills. Awesome!!
Christmas Day was great. We stuck with our tradition of staying home! We made a ham dinner for Brenda’s family and exchanged gifts. It was a nice relaxing day, the way the girls like it.
Friday morning we decided we would go shopping for some deals. I was shocked that WalMart was completely dead, there were probably dozens of return registers opened, but only a few of them had customers the whole time we were there. We were looking for a Christmas tree for the attic, but did not find one that we liked. We did spend our gift cards we received from my father-in-law, on a battery for the van. It struggled a bit to start that morning. So instead of being stranded somewhere we decided it would be smart to replace it, Merry Christmas Brenda. The girls on the other hand had their gift cards they got from PapPap in hand and were ready to spend them. They got all kinds of stuff! It is fun to watch them shop. The rest of the day was quite at home with leftover ham for dinner, Yum!
Saturday we woke up to 50 degree temps and decided with the highs going to run into the 60’s, we would do some work outside. First we replaced the battery on the van, then we ventured out to my father-in-laws house to install a motion light we gave to him for Christmas. For the rest of the day, we hung out with him .
Sunday we went to Church, then the girls went to a friends house while we watched the Steelers stomp on the Cleveland Browns.
Monday our attic project was placed back into the crosshairs. We framed and insulated the last dormer. Whew, done insulating until we get the new windows installed, and insulating around them will be easy in comparison.
Tuesday Brenda had a meeting at church in the morning, while she was there I cleaned up the attic, vacuuming up all the fiberglass fibers so the girls could help us safely. After lunch Brenda started drilling for wiring while I starting to install our recessed lighting, it was then I realized that the lights we purchased were too deep. So, Brenda and I both worked on wiring and got quite a bit of prep work done and about 25% of the wire ran. After eating some killer chili I cooked in the slow cooker (Our slow cooker is our best friend when working in the attic, who wants to cook after working all day in the attic?) The girls were invited to a dear friends house to make something for us for Christmas, they were supposed to go there on the day they were sick. While they were there, we went to return the wrong lights for the right ones at one of our local home improvement mega stores.
Today we will continue to work in the attic, wiring and lights. Gary, my brother-in-law, might swing by later to build some of the last four walls. One of them we will need to be able to complete the wiring. It is the one that our switches will be located on. We will be staying home for this New Years Eve, mostly because we will be tired. We will probably be sleeping by 10. I know for a fact the Bridget our youngest will not be awake when we welcome the new year, she always falls asleep between 6 and 8,  but Bethany wants to stay up. We will see if it happens.
Bethany, received a new digital camera from Santa, so I am going to have her take the next update video “Attic Renovations Part 4 – Insulation & Wiring”. Be looking for it here soon.
So anyway, this is my recap of the holiday. To pick one moment as my favorite is hard, so here is two:
1. Spending time with my family.
2. Christmas Eve Candlelight service.
What were some of your favorite moments of this Christmas?
Have any exciting plans for tonight?

Not a Typical Monday

After this busy weekend, this was not a mad Monday. After all, the girls did not have school. So I did laundry and we watched some tv together. Brenda won't be home for dinner tonight some I'm taking the girls to their favorite, OCB (Old Country Buffet). Here is a picture of us on our bed with Romy. We just finished watching a documentary on Niagra Falls. Maybe next year we can go camping somewhere up there so the girls can see the falls.