Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts

Saturday, December 30, 2023

A Blessed Christmas Season

Some people start their Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving. Not us! We actually wait until about the second week of December, when we go to the Nutcracker, put on by Northern Plains Dance. (Plus, this year, both of us were still recovering from covid in November!) Every year, Faith loves to see her friends perform onstage and visit with them afterward. We have been going to this performance since 2017, and it never ceases to amaze us! It's been so fun to watch the growth of her ballet friends as they take on more challenging parts each year. 

Enjoying the Nutcracker for the 6th year in a row! 

One new thing that I was able to do this year was go to the Lorie Line Christmas Concert. She has been coming to Bismarck for 30 years and I have always wanted to go, but it has never worked out. This year I was going to try to go with my parents, but then decided not to, as by the time I was going to get tickets, it looked nearly sold out. But then a friend of mine asked if I could help transport her grandma (who uses a wheelchair) in our van to the concert. In exchange for helping, she bought me a ticket to the concert! 

I was just expecting to sit there and listen to Lorie Line play the piano, but it was so much more! She and her husband both interacted with the audience quite a bit and at one point, she even took requests. As people shouted out their favorite songs, she wrote them down and then came up with a medley that included several of the songs! The featured vocalist (Jimmy Finch) was a professional opera singer. He even sang my favorite Christmas carol, "O Holy Night". I just might have to make this event a tradition as well! 

Lorie Line Christmas concert - such a wonderful experience! 

On Saturday, the 23rd, Faith's dad came for a visit. She had a nice time hanging out with him and got to open a few gifts. On Christmas Eve, Faith and I went to church in the morning and then the candlelight service in the evening. My sisters met us there, which I was very surprised and happy about! It was a nice service and afterward, Faith and I drove around and looked at Christmas lights. 


Opening some gifts. 

At church for the Christmas Eve service. Photo credit: Tesa Graff 
Checking out some of the Christmas lights! 

The next day, Faith did a video chat with her Auntie Joh in Canada and got to see her two kitties. Finally, it was time for the big event at Grandma and Grandpa's. There was lots of food, fun, and laughter. 

Along with all the people, there was also a dog named Josie (who came with her family from Nebraska) and the Grinch. My brother and his family from South Dakota had also traveled to Bismarck. After a lively gift exchange game, Faith was tuckered out, so we ventured home. 

Gift exchange game. 
Faith's aunties, Tesa and Dawn helping her during the gift exchange game. 
Faith with Grandma, Grandpa, her cousins, and Josie the dog. 

No one will ever know what it took to get that Christmas tree placed there for family photos! 

Dawn and Faith taking a break from all the chaos and then the Grinch shows up. 

Another thing we have been blessed with this Christmas season is the nice weather. It hasn't been near as cold or snowy like last year. In fact, we have hardly gotten any snow at all and the temps in December have been well above freezing. That all changed overnight when half of the state got hit with a major ice storm! We began getting freezing rain overnight and by the time Tuesday morning rolled around, the streets and sidewalks had become a skating rink. Needless to say, Faith did not make it to therapy or her day program! 

That evening, I received a text from my mom asking for prayer for my brother-in-law who had slipped on the ice at their place and cracked his head open. I started praying right away. Thankfully, despite the ice-covered streets, my brother and his wife were able to get him to the ER in record time (good thing they have a brand-new truck with 4WD). My brother-in-law ended up needing stitches and got a concussion, but we are all so thankful that it wasn't worse. 

Look how shiny the ice made our street! 

The next day, the sun came out in full force and the temperatures reached above freezing, which helped to begin the thawing process. By the time I took Faith to her day program, the no travel advisory had been lifted and things had improved immensely. Another thing to be thankful for was that our power didn't go out, which happened to many people in the southeast part of the state. 

On Friday after taking Faith to her day program, I met my sister, her husband, and one of their sons, along with my parents, for lunch at the Pizza Ranch. That evening, my sister and her boys came over for one final visit, during which we played a fun game of, "Do You Really Know Your Family?" Faith had a blast hanging out with her cousins. 

Faith with her auntie and cousins. 

While it's fun to partake in so many events, do the decorating, eat the goodies, exchange gifts, and be with family, let us not forget the true reason for the season. God came to us in such a humble way, through a baby named Jesus born in a stable, and then died on a cross 33 years later so that our sins could be forgiven. 

Not only that, but those who believe in Him are sealed by the Holy Spirit, have full assurance of salvation, and will live with Him for eternity, which is much more than we could ever deserve! This is why we celebrate Christmas - He truly is the Reason for the Season! 


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours! (Photo credit: Amber Lawlar) 




Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Historic Blizzard Keeps Us Stuck Inside All Week

A snowy Century Ave.
Last Tuesday at this time, most of North Dakota was getting blasted with a historic blizzard that lasted 3 days. We have experienced blizzards before, but this was probably the worst most people in the state had ever gone through. For me, it brought back memories of the catastrophic blizzard that occurred at the beginning of April in 1997. At that time, I lived in Fargo. 

What made that storm so bad is that many parts of the state had already received 100 inches of snow throughout the winter. That wasn't the case this year, as the central and western parts of the state have had severe drought conditions. While most people were thankful for the moisture this blizzard brought, it didn't come without its challenges (especially for the ranchers who were in the midst of calving).

The good news is, the storm was not unexpected. As a result, people could make preparations in advance. The most I needed to do to prepare was make sure we had plenty of groceries and that Faith had all the supplies she needed to make it through at least a week. I couldn't run those errands, however, because our van was in the shop (it had a leak in the EVAP system).

My dad came to the rescue and drove me around so I could run my errands. The last stop I made was the grocery store. The store was jam packed and a lot of the shelves were bare. Everyone seemed to be preparing for the Apocalypse instead of a major snow storm! Even though there was no snow yet, schools and businesses were already closing. I knew Faith would not be going to therapy or her day program the next day. She took the news surprisingly well. I have tried to instill in her that there are three things that can cause plans to change: the weather, sickness, and car trouble (or elevator trouble in our case!) 

Sure enough, early Tuesday morning, we were covered in a sea of white and it didn't quit snowing and blowing until Thursday night. Finally on Friday, the snow stopped long enough for people to start digging out with their snow plows, snow blowers, and shovels. My dad used his Bobcat to clear out their yard and on Friday he and my mom were able to pick up my fixed fan. Our parking didn't get clear until late that night so they brought the van here on Saturday. 

Faith had been doing well through most of this, but I could tell her patience was coming to an end. She was also getting anxious because she did not want to miss church on Sunday. And we didn't, despite the fact we had gotten more snow earlier that morning and the wind had picked up. Our once cleared parking lot was once again filled with snow. I wasn't sure I was going to make it out of our parking spot, but I did! (Thanks to the van being backed in and the all-season tires). The roads weren't the best, but we made it safely to church and back. When it was all said and done, Bismarck got over 20 inches of snow, beating the previous record for the snowiest April ever. North of us, Minot got 36 inches of snow. It was definitely an Easter to remember for us and others across the state.

Faith is a super happy camper today because she got to go back to occupational therapy and her day program. But alas, another storm is on the way. I better start preparing for that one!

Century Avenue is eerily quiet on the first night of the blizzard.

Our parking lot on Thursday afternoon.

My dad trying hard to stay on top of things at his place.

Phew! We made it to church on Easter Sunday!

A car we passed on the way back home.

The blizzard isn't going to stop us from hitting Caribou Coffee - it's back there somewhere!

Coming in to our plowed parking lot.
Bismarck's snowiest April ever!

Faith is super happy the blizzard is over!


Sunday, May 16, 2021

Ready for Summer (And Some Rain)


Every year in May, Faith and I run into the same problem. It's hard to focus on school this time of the year! I know most families are probably in the same boat. What makes it extra hard for us is that Faith's homeschooling group, Inspire Collective, ends the last week in April.  In her mind, Faith is already done with school! This beautiful weather does not make doing school any easier. However, it is great for doing some fun activities, like the things we have done this weekend.

On Fridays, Faith and I usually take a trip to the library. It was during this past Friday that I realized in the evening the Band Day Parade would pass close by the library. 

We have gone in the past and Faith loved the marching bands! This might sound strange considering she gets startled by loud noises, but for some reason, she just loves them! She also really likes parades. It was the perfect evening for one. 

Faith and I enjoyed "dog watching" and seeing all the different kinds of dogs people brought to the parade. I fell a little bit in love by an orange puffball of a Pomeranian that came over to say hi to us. The parade itself was fun, and the marching bands were great. (Like this band in the video, that represented several schools from the southwest corner of the state. Can you guess what song they are playing?)

Besides taking in the parade, we also took in the kindness of others. One lady in front of us made a point to move so Faith could see better. Another lady offered Faith some of the candy that had been thrown her way. One lady that was in the parade came running over to us, said "Hi" to Faith and gave me a hug saying, "God bless you." Faith just looked at me and said, "Why did she say God bless you, it's not even Sunday!" I honestly don't know why she did that, but it did bless me! There was also a five-year-old boy who made friends with Faith and introduced us to his older brother and younger sister.  

The next day, Faith was super excited to finally go to the Northern Plains Dance production, "Sleeping Beauty." This has become a tradition for us ever since the mom of Faith's friends gave us complimentary tickets one year to "The Nutcracker." We have gone to that production every year since then and also their spring productions.

Me with Faith and my great niece
Last year, the spring production was canceled and we also had to watch "The Nutcracker" via livestream. That was fine, but it's just not the same as being at the Belle Mehus in person! This year, Faith's grandma and cousin came along. It's always special to share these wonderful experiences with others. (When Faith asked where grandpa was, grandma said he was home watering trees). Faith also saw a few of her Inspire friends after the program. 

Honestly, we don't usually do so much in one weekend, so I wasn't sure if Faith would be up to going to church the next day. She said she wanted to go, however. I'm so glad we did! We went to a church we had visited last week. When we pulled into the parking lot, where they actually had an open handicap parking spot, there was another van just like ours! Same make, model, and color.  (Note to churches: those handicap spots fill up fast, maybe think about adding more!) 

When we rolled into the sanctuary, I was trying to find a place in the back and a lady came over and asked if we wanted to sit with her family. She grabbed me a chair and Faith sat next to her son, who was also in a wheelchair. Turns out, they got their van in the same way we got ours, through a fundraising effort. It was nice to share stories about how God provided for every one of our children's needs! 

Still thankful to my brother for helping us get our van (and the paperwork taken care of!)

 We truly had a blessed weekend. Tomorrow is Monday and Faith heads to occupational therapy (OT), which she does twice a week. I will have to write a separate post about that, because it's been really interesting and helpful for her. We will also try hard to finish our last 10 days of school!

It's supposed to be nice all week in our neck of the woods, so hopefully everyone can get out and enjoy the nice weather. Although, if it rains, nobody will complain, as we desperately need it.


Thursday, October 26, 2017

Faith's Fourteenth Birthday

Last year I had a tough time getting used to the idea that my daughter had somehow turned into a teenager. This year, I'm having a hard time believing that my daughter is 14 years old. 14!

How in the world did that happen?

Admittedly, her birthday started a little rough with Faith waking up saying she didn't want to celebrate. I chalked it up to her being really tired due to her long day on Tuesday which had begun at 7:30 a.m. If you know Faith, you know that is really early for her.

Somehow in the midst of her crankiness, we managed to get her up and into her chair for her first feeding of the day without the occurrence of any major battles.

When Faith heard her auntie Joh singing Happy Birthday to her while leaving a message, her mood shifted to being happy and joyful. We called Joh back, who had taken time during her lunch break to make the birthday call. We also talked to her grandparents in Canada, which helped as well. After the phone calls, she decided she did want to celebrate her birthday after all, which included going ahead with her party (Thank goodness!).

Knowing Faith would probably be tired (she has a big day on Tuesday which involves a homeschooling group), we decided to have a smaller party with her grandparents and some people who live in our building that we have befriended. Since a few of the people have disabilities and don't drive, we figured the community room in our downstairs lobby would work well.


 


Faith did well for most of her party but began running out of steam toward the end. After we cleaned up, we asked her if she wanted to go to church. New Life had been having a special speaker all week and Wednesday evening was the last service.
 
She totally surprised us by saying she wanted to go! So off we went to continue her birthday celebration. She even wore her "Birthday Girl" ribbon that had been pinned to her shirt for her party, so several people from church wished her a Happy Birthday - which she loved!

Toward the end of the message, nearly everyone in attendance went to the alter for prayer. After Faith had gotten prayed for, a friend of ours on the worship team asked if she wanted to go up and worship with her. Faith hesitated at first, but when she realized I would go with her, she decided to give it a try. She wasn't too sure what to think at first, but she eventually relaxed.


What a wonderful experience and the perfect ending for
what turned out to be an amazing birthday for a 14-year-old!


Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Faith Loves Immersed Night of Worship


It can be hard for Faith to try new things. She loves routine, which makes it hard to adjust to change. While that’s true for many us, it can be nearly impossible to get her to try something different. There are some things I just know she’ll love if she’s able to give it a chance. And that’s exactly what happened a couple of years ago with New Life’s Immersed Night of Worship. A lady from the worship team started the monthly event, and even though Faith was a little hesitant about going at first, she has come to truly love it.


At Immersed, Monica simply stands at her keyboard and sings worship music. Those who attend can worship in whatever way they want to - by singing, dancing, sitting quietly, or even lying down. It's a night that the Holy Spirit is free to move and Monica lets the Spirit lead.



Over the past several months, there has been as many as 30-some people filling the small room at the church office. Other times, there has been less than 10. People come with expectant hearts to spend time with the Lord and soak in His presence.



Faith loves it because it's just one voice and one instrument, and not really loud like the worship music can get in a church setting. Faith has memorized many of the songs and she doesn't hold anything back when she's singing along. I can't help but think how much God must absolutely love that! Personally, I think He loves it when we worship with total abandon. You can hear Faith in the video snippet below singing along to a song Monica wrote.





Faith has come to realize that every time we go to worship night (as we call it), it's different every time. A few things are the same - Monica usually does a short teaching or shares something that God has laid on her heart, plus she always asks if anyone has a testimony to share. While some things are the same, the Holy Spirit shows up in different ways each time. Sometimes, it's all very calm and quiet, while at other times, it can get loud and people are clapping and singing praises at the top of their lungs. Oftentimes it ends in people receiving prayer.
 
At first, Faith was too anxious to take part in things like having people gather around her to pray for her, but as she has become more comfortable, she willingly wants to take part.

Faith loves her friend Monica!

The other night, we did something called a "fire tunnel" where everyone lined up opposite one another forming two lines, forming a "tunnel." Then, one by one, each person walked through, and as they did people reached out and prayed for them.


One time we did the fire tunnel and Faith was too nervous, but the other night she wanted to do it. Rob pushed her through and she had a blast! She also loved seeing everyone else go through it. 

Last month Monica did a Facebook Live version of worship night and Faith has probably watched that video a hundred times! During the most recent Immersed Night of Worship, I recorded the event just so Faith had a new worship video to watch.


Faith loves Immersed Night of Worship so much that she's already looking forward to next month's event!