Wednesday, February 22, 2012

You know you're from Alaska when.......

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a motor home on the highway
2. "Vacation" means going to Anchorage for the weekend
3. You measure distance in hours
4. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events
5. You think of the major food groups as: moose meat, fish, canned food and berries


6. There are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at the grocery store at any given time
7. You know what Bunny Boots are
8. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow
9. You can go to McDonalds to order off the $1.50 menu which they feel is equivalent to the $0.99 menu 
10. You go to school, work, or both in the dark and come out in the dark 

11. 30 degrees is shorts weather 
12. You tell people you live in an igloo for kicks 
13. You don’t swim in natural bodies of water for fear of swimmers itch or beaver fever...or leeches 
14. Having a moose in your front yard is a legitimate excuse for being late to school 
15. You refer to the continental US as the "lower 48" or “the states”


16. You get an attitude when you have to pay tax in the lower 48 
17. Salmon isn't a delicacy, it's a staple 
18. You don't sleep in the summer because it's too short to miss a minute of it 
19. Half your friends own a snow machine and you think people that call them snow mobiles are dumb 

Nasa Rocket sent into Northern Lights - 2012
20. You've seen the northern lights and you know why they are such a "big deal" 
21. You only watch the news when they announce the amount of the year’s PFD
22. You wear flips flops all year without getting sick 
23. You've never seen cotton or tobacco growing, but your neighbor has a 30 acre pot field 
24. You know the term "studs" isn't referring to hot guys. 

25. You give up and tell people in the lower 48 that you DO live in an igloo and you DO have a pet polar bear named Mishka when they refuse to believe otherwise. 
26. You call someone without a crack in their windshield a tourist 
27. When you go to the Lower 48 you wonder where everybody's block heater cable is 

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Alaska - Land I love!!

ALASKA!!!  
Land of the Midnight Sun. The Majestic Land of my Birth! I was just going through my memory cards recently, trying to clean them off for a big project I and others are working on.... might tell you about that sometime. ;)  I had a great time looking at all the pictures from Rock Crossing Bible Camp and other occasions in Alaska during the past couple years. Thought I would share some pictures with you all. After looking at all the pictures, I am ready for camp again!!! :D 
always an adventure when flying in a small plane! 

the copilot seat is the best! (and sometimes scariest)

over interior Alaska

nearing in on Fairbanks

south Fairbanks!
along the Tanana River - one of my favorite places in the world! 

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Coffee!!!! and yummy food!

Just wanted to share a few pictures of some yummy things I've made lately. :) Sometimes food looks just as good as it tastes, so thought I would share.  

shish kabobs on charcoal grill!

amazing cheesecake with fruit. yum!!

had a ladies tea at our house
good times!!! :) 

In honor of my friend Tanna, who just finished a whole year of no chocolate, (way to go, Tanna!!) I decided to do no chocolate or coffee for the month of January. The coffee was harder for me than the chocolate. I enjoyed a wonderful cup yesterday (and today too, of course). O the aroma! It was doubly nice because of another friend, Heather who sent me a coffee grinder, french press and Alaskan coffee for Christmas. Yesterday I finally used it all and enjoyed the coffee immensely!!! Thanks Heather!!! 
I prefer a french press to a coffee brewer. The taste is so much richer. :) 

grinder, french press and my "I <3 NYC" mug 

Monday, January 30, 2012

Spiritual Economics

I recently began a couple online courses with UAF - still trying to finish up my Associate's degree. Should be completed by this summer, but I digress. One of the courses I am taking this spring is Macroeconomics. Last year I took Microecon and enjoyed it, so thought I would continue with it. Besides it doesn't require a lot of writing like my other course. To start off the semester, we are currently reviewing all the basics of economics. The entire basis of Economics is that every person makes choices and those choices interact and affect other people. My choices to buy, sell, trade, etc. in some way affect you. So everyone is in some way, big or small, affecting those around them. 
Mongolia 2007
So, this idea of how my life affects others has been on my mind.... Yesterday I was doing my devotions and I came across this verse - "For as by one man's disobedience many are made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Romans 5:19 The first man it is speaking of in the verse is Adam. Because of his disobedience, we all are born sinners. And the second half of the verse talks about Jesus, the Precious, Righteous Son of God who came to earth  to provide a way of salvation for us sinners! Praise His name! However, when I read this verse, the Lord impressed something upon my heart.... I am one. And if I as one person am obedient to the Lord's command of sharing the Truth of the Gospel, then through my life I too, can make a difference in others. Of course I can not save anyone from their sins, only God can do that. But remember in Romans 10:14 - "....and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?..."
If I don't share the Gospel, then how many people may not have the opportunity to trust the Lord for salvation? So my life does make a difference in other's lives. I pray that God will strengthen and embolden me to be a better witness for Him. And may you too, seek out those that God wants you to reach out to. 

Friday, January 13, 2012

God's Promises

This past weekend I heard from a friend that a young man I knew in California had gone to Glory Saturday night.  A few years back, he had had some heart problems, but all seemed be well for quite some time. Then Saturday night while he was out walking, he had a heart attack and died. He was just 22 years old. It was a little bit of a rough weekend to say the least. But I am comforted by the fact that I will see him again. For God's Word say that all those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal and only Saviour will live forever. Michael had done this, so I am confident that one day we will meet again up in heaven.

over the school building
God's promises are sure. I was reminded of that fact just this past Tuesday. I left the school building thinking of Michael, when I looked behind me, I saw the most vivid, vibrant rainbow I think I have ever seen. The rainbow is another of God's promises to mankind and it reminded me of all God's promises. Course I didn't have my camera with me that moment and be the time I walked to my house and got it, the rainbow wasn't as vivid. But here is a picture of it anyways. Within 15 minutes the rainbow had completely disappeared from the sky. But God's promises never fade!!! 


Friday, January 6, 2012

One Day at a Time!!!

The Lord has been impressing on my heart lately the fact that I only have today to live. I am such a planner. I love looking ahead in life and planning out what I want to do in a month or 6 months or even a year away. While there is nothing really wrong with that, sometimes it takes my focus off living today the way I should. 
I am not promised tomorrow, so I need to focus on living today in such a way that it brings glory to my Saviour's name. So many times, I think of things I want to accomplish in a new year, but big things are accomplished by doing little things first. For example, I am still working on a quilt that I started, oh about 6 years ago... That quilt as much as I'd like it to, is not completed all in one day. It takes many small steps to put it all together.

So, my verse for this month is Isaiah 28:10 - "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"
And my goal is to accomplish thing I've wanted to do for a long.... by simply LIVING TODAY!

some pics from last years trip to Lithuania

"as a tree planted by the river..."