I realize...

I realize that Duluth is not dealing with as cold of temps as they are further up north on the Iron Range or in Alaska, but most of those people don't have a newspaper route that causes them to be outside for 2 hours in the middle of the night. I get out of my car about 80-90 times a day. There isn't much time for a warm up when your opening the door every minute. Now, I've learned how to keep somewhat warm-it's called 4 pairs of pants and running. However the problem with running while wearing 4 pairs of pants and 3 shirts plus a winter jacket and all the accessories (hat, mittens, scarf, ear headband) is that you sweat! And sweating in 35 degree's below zero weather is none to pleasant. I'm anxiously awaiting spring when sweating in 40 degree's above 0 doesn't cause me to go into hypothermia when I change.

Things on the home front have been good. Luke just got his report card and it was good-no major problem area's. His language arts slipped a little so we struck a reading deal. He has to read for half an hour everyday to earn his computer time. If you can log an extra hour he gets another half hour and so on and so forth. He thought it was a great idea, we'll see. Kirsten's report card hasn't come home yet (don't worry she's not hiding it, the teacher had an emergency with her own son over the weekend).

I'm anxiously awaiting next weekend (Feb 1-3). I'll be going on another scrapbooking retreat with some of the same girls from last time plus a few that I've not met yet. I'm really excited as I feel that I need this weekend off more than ever. I can't wait to lounge around and not have any obligations to anything or anyone.

This weekend I will be serving at our church's food shelf called Fruit of the Vine. It's the 3rd largest food shelf in Duluth, serving around 400-500 families a month. Last weekend we had a free medical clinic with a doctor, nurses to check blood pressure, glucose, prescription medication lists, people were on hand to pray with those that wanted it, a chiropractor, also a message therapist, and several other things going on. I loved being able to help out. It never fails to amaze me to watch God work as you reach out to his people. Our church is dedicated to the Kingdom work. We do all sorts of things to reach out to the needy, the poor, the unchurched, the spiritually hungry.

I've learned so much about the person that God created me to be. I love being vulnerable in the presence of the Holy Spirit. God has dissected things in my past and put healing on issue's that I had been harboring all the way back to my youngest years. I've come full circle in the past year. I continue to find more passion for God's work and I'm filled with compassion for God's people, regardless of where they've come from or there present circumstances. I'm able to see people the way that God does and I've even experienced some heartbreak in a way that showed me the way God's heart breaks for his people. I really feel that God is leading me to take on a small group leader roll of some sort. I can't yet see what kind of small group he wants for me, but I do know it's down the road quit a ways. I would like to start a scrapbooking group of some sort but I'm not sure how God would want it used for his purpose, so I continue to pray for direction for that. I also believe that I will lead a small group in a home setting as well but again through prayer I know God will reveal that in time. I'm able to hear God speak to me. It's an amazing feeling to know that your not making choices blindly but that God is guiding you through every bit of life. I continue to pray for more understanding, knowledge, more compassion, gifts of healing, discernment, and anything else he wants to pour into me.

On another note, Scott and I are joining a new fitness facility today called Snap Fitness. Were really looking forward to it. I'm excited to see Scott really take a step towards wanting to be healthier before it becomes a big issue. I'm also just excited to have something else to do with him. We've grown so much in our relationship over the past year. It seems that we have more understanding for each other's needs and were generally just more in tune with one another. I love him more deeply than ever before. God- 1,387,456/ me- 0 :)

I've put in a few random pictures for you to look at.

This is Luke making his invention. In fourth grade all the students have to come up with and make an invention to be judged. It can be something completely new or a better version of something already available that improves on the design. Luke made a "Food Carrier" He put a screw with a hook in the bottom of a basket for hanging bananas and the basket hold apples and oranges. There is 4 other hooks on the outside rim for holding bags of onions, garlic, peppers etc... All the classes in the school get to vote and the top 20 go to the area judging show. Luke's was chosen! I was floored since we only put it together the day before it was due (talk about last minute! 8) Anyways, the judging event is on Feb 1rst.