Remember Jesus is the Reason for this Season

It has been a fun month starting with Tim's Birthday on the 3rd and then Kaeden's Mad Scientist Party at the Parish Hall on the 11th,Kollier's party on the 6th and Kristyl's is the 17th!!! We had another Cookie Making Extravaganza last Sunday and the Huber girls (Emily, Mary and Sarah) joined us once again...they are soooo sweet! I want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas!

Contentment

by Max Lucado

A businessman bought popcorn from an old street vendor each day after lunch. He once arrived to find the peddler closing up his stand at noon. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

A smile wrinkled the seller's leathery face. "By no means. All is well."

"Then why are you closing your popcorn stand?"

"So I can go to my house, sit on my porch, and sip tea with my wife."

The man of commerce objected. "But the day is still young. You can still sell."

"No need to," the stand owner replied. "I've made enough money for today."

"Enough? Absurd. You should keep working."

The spry old man stopped and stared at his well-dressed visitor. "And why should I keep working?"

"To sell more popcorn."

"And why sell more popcorn?"

"Because the more popcorn you sell, the more money you make. The more money you make, the richer you are. The richer you are, the more popcorn stands you can buy. The more popcorn stands you buy, the more peddlers sell your product, and the richer you become. And when you have enough, you can stop working, sell your popcorn stands, stay home, and sit on the porch with your wife and drink tea."

The popcorn man smiled. "I can do that today. I guess I have enough."

Wise was the one who wrote, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (Eccles. 5:10 NIV).

Don't heed greed.

Greed makes a poor job counselor.

Greed has a growling stomach. Feed it, and you risk more than budget-busting debt. You risk losing purpose. Greed can seduce you out of your sweet spot.

Before you change your job title, examine your perspective toward life. Success is not defined by position or pay scale but by this: doing the most what you do the best.

Parents, give that counsel to your kids. Tell them to do what they love to do so well that someone pays them to do it.

Spouses, urge your mate to choose satisfaction over salary. Better to be married to a happy person who has a thin wallet than a miserable person with a thick one. Besides, "a pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life" (Prov. 13:7 MSG).

Pursue the virtue of contentment. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim. 6:6 NIV). When choosing or changing jobs, be careful. Consult your design. Consult your Designer. But never consult your greed.

Jacob's Soccer Game

Ciarnan's 2nd Birthday Party..OH MY!

Today, this day is a good day!

I have finished the studies, at least the design/painting, and I just updated my website...it needed it! My sister Barbie is going to NY to preach the word of God to fellow believers and I am so thankful for what He is accomplishing through her and her Spiritual Spa. This weekend we will go to Columbus to watch my nephew play in a soccer tournament and on Sunday we will go to Ciarnan's birthday party...it is a good week!!

Spooky

Trick or Treat

overnight at Nana's and such

Kollier, Caitlyn and Kamden

We had a fantastic weekend. The three little girls spent the night along with Kristyl. Marla's family came over Friday and then returned Saturday to play cards with Tim and I and the "Uber's". Tomorrow we will go to Upper Arlington to go trick or treating with Cait and Ciarnan. It is always a treat! Tonight we will pass out candy at church for our "Trunk Or Treat". I will post some pictures when I finish the last of my online class studies...all 9 are due in November...ugh!
Life is good and God is in control.

Happy Birthday Jamey

Happy Birthday Jamey

I love you bunches and bunches
Mommy

Words of Life"Nevertheless..." (II Corinthians 7:6)

Dr. Mark Rutland is the new president of Oral Roberts University and the author of Nevertheless: The Most Powerful Word You Can Use to Defeat the Enemy.

John Wesley said, "I know of no holiness save social holiness." He meant that we do not live out our piety in relationship with God alone but in community with others. The downside of community is that no one can test your sanctification like your brother-in-law, the antichrist. The upside is that just when you are ready to collapse under the unbearable weight of grief and suffering, Titus shows up with love letters from Corinth.

Some believers tend to so over-spiritualize their faith that the relational aspect gets lost in the glow. Jesus painfully peeled away the soft spiritual goo to reveal the hard core realities of relational holiness as no other teacher ever has. Probably, that was a large part of what got Him killed.

The golden thematic thread that runs through the entire tapestry of the Sermon on the Mount is relational holiness. In that great teaching, theology (spiritual theory) was not Jesus' point. It was human application (spiritual practices). He was teaching, not about what we ought to believe, but about how we should act, love, live, and forgive. You want to get folks angry enough to kill you, just leave the theoretical realm and deal with horizontal, relational reality. Preach on love and win medals. Talk to a man about how he treats his mother-in-law and wind up nailed to the wall.

Jesus taught that everything, even, or perhaps especially, offerings to God, must be seen in the light of human relationships. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matt. 5:23-24)

The Bible never envisioned our being reconciled to God apart from our being reconciled to each other. No amount of spiritual language can change that. Nevertheless beautifully bridges the gap between the spiritual and the pragmatic.

Ciarnan

Endure

by Max Lucado

If you live in a world darkened by sin, you may be its victim.

Jesus is honest about the life we are called to lead. There is no guarantee that just because we belong to him we will go unscathed. No promise is found in Scripture that says when you follow the king you are exempt from battle. No, often just the opposite is the case.

How do we survive the battle? How do we endure the fray?

Jesus says: "Those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13 NCV).

He doesn't say if you succeed you will be saved. Or if you come out on top you will be saved. He says if you endure.

Cait's Field Trip

The Miller Family’s loss

Mickey's little sister has passed away at the age of 51. I remember Molly so well from our teenage years…I always loved spending time at the Miller house. It is hard to lose someone so young. My prayers go out to Molly and her family.

Memories

It takes strength to remember, to hold on to memories even though they prick your heart, make your tough skin bleed.

It takes a certain kind of courage to know that memory's flaws are nothing more than a human tendency to refuse what hurts them.

After all, who wants pain?

But there is something beneath the shallow surface of hurt--acceptance of what has happened before,

and the knowledge that the future has better things in store.

 

May we all find our way home to where we belong….

where there is no pain and every tear shall be dried

 

From the song "Where I Belong" by MercyMe
Everybody hopes
That maybe somewhere down this road
We'd finally find that place where we belong
That place where we're complete
The one that occupies our dreams
That place we're lucky to call our home
Well, I have arrived
And I can't keep this inside

So I raise my hands
And shout Your name
To praise You with my song
My dream's at hand
I've found my place
The place where I belong

Everybody tries
To find the purpose for their life
In hopes that one more day is justified
But once you truly see
The very reason why you breathe
It becomes so much more than getting by
Well, I have arrived
And I can't keep this inside

 

Kris and the girls

Kami's 1st day of pre-school

The real facts about Health Care Reform

If You Have Health Insurance, the President's Plan: Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don't go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the "donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs.

If You Don't Have Insurance, the President's Plan: Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can't find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national "high risk" pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.

For All Americans, the President's Plan: Won't add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.

Summertime Fulton kids

Kaeden's back to school

Where do we find our identity?

Here's a thought:We develop our identities from our interaction with the rest of the world. What our families, friends and others say to us and about us helps form our opinion of who we are. Add to that all of the self-talk we have inside and we have most of the data we use to form our self concept. Here's the catch: If you form your identity based on the feedback of a fallen world, you will end up with a fallen identity.It is when we decide to choose to draw our self concept from what God says about us that we enter into our true identity.

Powerful words to ponder from Kevin Greiner's blog

Religion versus relationship

From Kevin's Blog….words of wisdom!

"Jimmy" is a model Christian. He's about as perfect as they come. His behavior is moral and kind. He attends church every week, leads a mid-week Bible study and teaches a Sunday school class. In addition, he has regular, daily devotions and is frequently reading Christian books.

Everyone speaks well of Jimmy. Everyone, that is, but God.

Jimmy's problem is not that he is doing anything wrong. In fact, he is doing things very well. The problem is a question of motive. You see, there are two ways we can approach God. The most common way is through religion. In religion, we attempt by our behavior to seek God's favor or blessing in our lives. The religious person, whether Hindu or Christian or Muslim, does what their religion requires out of a place of emptiness. They need God's blessing, so they do whatever their particular faith says is necessary to experience God's favor.

The Christian faith is the only faith that offers an alternative to religion - relationship. In relationship, we already know that we are fully accepted and loved by God. As a result, our behavior is no longer an attempt to earn His favor, but the response of a heart that knows it is truly loved.

Sadly, most Christians have never had a deep experience of the love of the Father, let alone an on-going sense of His favor. As a result, whether we realize it or not, we become like Jimmy and start living out of religion instead of relationship. That is because when we are empty inside, we will make getting our emptiness filled the motive for what we do, whether we realize it or not. Our outward behavior may be wonderful, but it is a form of manipulation, not adoration.

It is only when we are filled with the love of the Father that we are able to live unselfishly, because it is only then that we have no need we are desperate to meet. We are free to love others and serve God with no ulterior motive. Our life is now a response to being loved, not a desperate attempt to get love.

That is the true Christian - the one who lives their life as an outflow of a love relationship with God. Other followers of Jesus may indeed be born again, but they have not entered into the abundant life that God offers each one of us.

So how do we enter into this abundant life? It is not necessarily easy or quick. For me, it took several years of unlearning my performance-based Christianity and learning to make seeking God my top priority. When He became more important than all of my other Christian activities, then things began to change. Still, I needed a lot of emotional healing to be able to receive the love that God had for me.

The result is that much of the time I walk in an awareness that I am incredibly loved by the Father. That awareness changes the entire way I think about life, myself and other people. What matters most is simply loving God back and worshipping Him. Ambition, pride, selfishness are all crucified by the power of love.

Get the facts about Healthcare Reform

http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/jul/30/e-mail-analysis-health-bill-needs-check-/

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/settingtherecord

Happy Birthday Marla

July overnight at Nana's and Poo's

My prayer for you

May today be all you need it to be. May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears. May God manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered. I pray that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged. I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

A dear friend sent this to me today…I thought that I would share it with those I love!

Healing For The Rejection We All Experience

by Kevin H. Grenier "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3) My father died on my sixth birthday. Leukemia. I soon found that I had lost my mom as well. Her need to work and her own emotional pain crowded nurturing and time together out of my life. Then, two moves in the next three years made me the new kid in town that got picked on by everyone else. By seventh grade, things had changed. I was well-liked and accepted. But I had no friends -- no one to whom I revealed my true self. Why? I had experienced enough rejection by then that I was unwilling to risk being rejected again. There are three different types of rejection we can struggle with. The simplest is performance rejection. This occurs when we experience criticism for our actions that is not given in love. While such rejection stings, it is not devastating. A poor job evaluation is an example of performance rejection. The second type of rejection is very painful. Personhood rejection occurs when people reject who we are. Our identity is called deficient, not our conduct. I remember a teacher in fifth grade calling me names when I did not attend his class. My inability to please him (performance rejection) resulted in a rejection of who I was (personhood rejection). A small incident? Yes. But I remember it 37 years later. Rejection, like abuse, is not measured by what happens, but by the impact it has. The lack of affirmation is another part of personhood rejection. Just like flowers need water, we need affirmation. When affirmation is withheld, our sense of being acceptable withers and dies. Even though no one may say anything negative, the lack of anything positive is just as powerful a rejection. We rejected ones may become people pleasers, keeping everyone else happy regardless of the personal cost. Or we may seek rejection. We don't want it, but performance rejection is less painful than the personhood rejection we fear. In both cases, we end up living in emotional isolation. From there, it is a short distance to third type of rejection - self-rejection. In this place, we despise and punish ourselves for who we are. By rejecting ourselves, we are finally able to join everyone else who has rejected us. It has cost us happiness, but we don't think we deserve it anyway. Once rejected by others, it is easy for us to believe that God also rejects us. In fact, the more rejection we experience, the more difficult it is to have a relationship with God. We have already learned to perform for others and hide our true self away. When we do that with God, we find our relationship with Him as empty as relationships are with everyone else. Receiving healing from rejection brings us back to life emotionally. Intimacy is possible again and we feel more alive than ever. A significant part of this healing is found in allowing God access to our true selves. It is scary to do, but possible when we see that He is the ultimate recipient of rejection Read this short meditation slowly and prayerfully. Allow God to meet you in those sentences that emotionally parallel your own rejection. As you do, it will create the internal space needed for the Lord to comfort and heal. As the hammer descended onto the nails, the pain experienced by Jesus was intensely physical. Those blows and all the other abuse He experienced also carried with them the sting of rejection (Mark 9:12). Mankind had rejected its Maker. It was on the cross that Jesus experienced the culmination of a life of rejection. Herod tried to kill Him before He could do anything to deserve it (Matthew 2:16). He was thrown out of the synagogue and the people of his hometown tried to kill him (Luke 4:28-29). His family thought He was crazy and attempted to stop Him from doing His ministry (Mark 3:21). One of His closest followers betrayed Him for his own selfish purposes (Matthew 27:3). Another follower refused to admit he knew Him (Luke 22:57). Jesus experienced performance rejection when He did not do what everyone thought He should do. He experienced personhood rejection because He was not who everyone thought He should be. Yet, through it all, Jesus experienced the affirmation of the Father (Matthew 3:17). That is, until He hung on the cross. There in the midst of His deepest, loneliest and most agonizing hours, even the Father rejected Him (Mark 15:34). That rejection by the Father allowed God on the cross, who is as equally God as the Father (Colossians 1:19), to enter into the fullest and most painful expression of all human rejection the rejection of one's self. There is no road of rejection that we can walk where we will not find the footprints of the Savior. And in each step He has taken, we will see His blood, bringing forgiveness and healing to all who will receive it. This Week Ask the Lord each day to help you identify areas of rejection in your life. As things come to mind, forgive those who rejected you and forgive yourself for believing the rejection. Ask the Lord to heal the hurt and replace the rejection with His love. Prayer "Father, thank you that You experienced rejection, too. Thank you that I have a friend who sticks closer than a brother, even in times when I feel like no one is on my side. Lord, I want to have as close a relationship with You as possible. Please heal my rejection so that I can enter into that deeper place with You. Amen." Kevin Grenier is the author of Rejection . Learn more at gatheringhispeople.org.

A movie maker I am not!

http://www.youtube.com/carlacrosby
this is a link to my first video...don't laugh too hard!!

Kollier Louise..

In Nana's studio

memories

HECTIC that is my life

This video camera is giving me fits! Brad, our sound man from church, came over last night to set up the wireless mic. That went relatively well. The hard part is that it will not show up on the TV...just the audio, no video..and it will not transfer to my computer, ugh!! I have 5 days to get a piece painted, video taped and sent to the editor. HELP!! I will master this thing if it kills me...it might!

On a brighter note I had taken some video of Kollier Louise when they were here and I got to show her off to Brad! The art piece got shipped to DecoArt for Beijing...now if it only arrives there safely! I have most of the 72 tin pieces prepped for teaching at the Ohio Convention Center..progress!

Everyone have a blessed day...I am off to slay the video dragon...

July Picnic

Growing up in the Huber Family

Wow, what a hectic week it has been. Barb and Ron were here for a few days and are now traveling home. Cyndi and Art along with Josh are staying until Friday. Yesterday we had a cook out! All of the 6 siblings were there along with 18 of the next generation! I love my family, we have endured, and we have survived. Perfect, not hardly, but then again is any family perfect?

Dora the Explorer and Father's Day!

Yesterday, I went with Marla, Kristyl, Kaeden, Caitlyn and Kamden to see Dora the Explorer at the old Palace Theater. We had fun and we grown ups were louder than the little ones! Are you suprised? No, I didn't think so. We went swimming after the play at the Moloney's neighborhood pool. There is nothing more satisfying than to see your children being such good parents to their children. Mike and Marla are such wonderful hosts!

Kaeden informed me that he has won 18 games (including the one his team played against the dads') and only lost 2.

Caityln is insisting on a sleep over, at her house this time! Me thinks she thinks I am a child!! Her little purple rug, although inviting, may break Nana's back. Her little white bed, although charming, would be a smidgeon to small!! But I must admit I always have a good time at her house!

We took Dad and Mom to eat at the Roadhouse for Father's Day and then we played cards....the women won.....again!!

It is a beautiful day in Lancaster. We are going on our daily bike ride. Lancaster's bike trail rocks!!

Have a blessed day..

Thankful

I am sitting in my studio which overlooks a valley of trees listening to the birds and just feeling at peace. It may not happen often,this feeling, but I cherish it when it does. God is good and I am thankful for His creation!
Yesterday Ashley came by. She is so intelligent and stimulating to talk to. We discussed the year 2012 and all the things that are being forecast. I told her to place her trust in Jesus. He alone has the power to save. I am thankful for His loving mercies and the children He has given me.
I have been so busy with Convention teaching preparations...720 sheets to print, 72 tin pieces to basecoat..what fun. In the midst of this I am getting the equipment to video classes online for a paint company...anyone know anything about shooting video? I am thankful that He has given us sound minds!

In the News

Friday afternoon I went to Art & Clay to keep an eye on the babies so that Kaeden, Kristyl and his best bud Kam could paint a memory. A photographer from the Lancaster Eagle Gazette was there and shot a pic of the group of them painting...it is in the Sunday paper! We later went to "Uncle Al's" to have hot dogs! It was a fun time.

That evening Tim and I went with the Moloney's to their neighborhood Street Fair sponsored by a local radio station. It was a hoot! Caitlyn went home with us and spent the night. We watched Peter Pan! and ate timbits!!

Saturday, Kaeden's baseball team won the Championship!!! How cool is that?

Tim and I went to Friendship Indiana on Saturday...that is another story!!

Today my video camera is being delivered!! I also found out that Brad, our sound man for our Praise Team, does video taping....I am going to pick his brain for tips...look out Brad!!

learning to edit video

Family

A Visit from NC

God is for you!

by Max Lucado
If your God is Mighty enough to ignite the sun, could it be that He is mighty enough to light your path? God is for you. Not “may be,” not “has been,” not “was,” not “would be,” but “God is!” He is for you. Today. At this hour. At this minute. As you read this sentence. No need to wait in line or come back tomorrow. He is with you. He could not be closer than he is at this second. His loyalty won’t increase if you are better nor lessen if you are worse. He is for you.
God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. “I have written your name on my hand,” he declares (Isa. 49:16).

Art and Clay

Together

Kaeden's field trip to Lake Hope

Peter Pan

Yesterday Marla, Caitlyn, Kamden and I went to see the play "Peter Pan". The girls were so attentive. Afterwards, I got to be Peter Pan, while Cait was Wendy and Kami was Tinker Bell. Tim and Ciarnan spent the time while we were gone walking the streets and talking to the neighbor's dog! When Ciarnan made it known (in sign language) that he wanted something to eat... Poo said, "What" to which Ciarnan replied (as clear as a bell }"Apple Juice". It shocked Tim speechless!! Caitlyn decided her new favorite color is Orange. God only knows what Kamden thinks of us, she just looks at us like we are all crazy!! Family is such a gift!!

Fulton's Summer

Eric's Solo

Saint Peter and Paul presents "Make a Difference"

Together

Ethel and Lucy

I thank God for you!

My sister, My friend!

The 40 Year Breakfast Club

The shoes are finished!!

Ecole Francais presents "Caitlyn"

Our day..our life

Today is our Anniversary. I love my husband and the way that he cares for me. We share life together in our own very special way!! Last night after everyone went home from the cook out, Tim and I planted the rose bushes and the Clematis that the girls had gotten me for Mother's Day. Then we did our daily trip to Tim Hortons' for coffee and Burger king for a diet coke. Daily routines suit us so well.....I had warned Tim when we were dating that I am really a boring person, it is a good thing that he is too. We are easily satisfied with an ordinary life. It is soooooooooooo peaceful!!

It was nice to see Caitlyn's expression as she tried to understand that David is Nana's brother but is also Sarah's daddy...that Aunt Ruth is Nana's aunt but also Grandma Uber's sister ....family is special!! Mitch looked at the bath and studio that he is going to transform for us in the basement!! I enjoy my children and grandchildren.......It was a good Mother's Day!

Ruth's birthday is Tuesday. Mom, Sandy and I are going to Root's for lunch and to celebrate. Ruthie is very excited about it!!

Saturday night Mitch, Ashley, Mom and Dad went with us to Red Lobster to eat and I had another one of those crazy allergic reactions to shrimp? or whatever...it is getting old! I felt a little better by the time we got home from church thank goodness. I so appreciate good health!

I am going to meet some of my oldest and dearest friends this afternoon at Applebee's for lunch. Mickey is in town from Arizona and I haven't seen her for 6 months or more. It is always a good time!!

Between now and when we leave for North Carolina with Mom and Dad on Saturday, I have to paint 30 shoes. You heard me right, shoes. They will be the centerpieces for our Mother/Daughter Banquet the 23rd...... It sounded simple enough.....paint flowers on some shoes..but they have to be basecoated white first. Have you ever tried painting plastic, cloth and vinyl...it is not a pretty sight! Wish me luck!

Twinkle Twinkle Nana's Little Star

Say Cheese

Presenting "The Lollipops"

Grandparents Day and "The Dance"

The Huber Reunion

In memory of Ron