GOD is Good

Always a first

On Sunday we had several firsts. One of them was the unspeakable:

BARN CHRISTMAS PARTY.

Who would have thought that would ever happen? But it did! We love each other now. Yippieh!


We even brought (horse related of course) presents and food...


Which brings me to another first: I cooked little calzones. Yes, fancy with real dough that I had to roll out and stuff with Italian sausage, tomato, mozarella and garlick! Normally, I don't take the first attempt to a eating, just in case, but I think these turned out pretty good, except for the ones that were a little "flame kissed'.



Here lately, I am a real cook! That must stop! That's not like me! So, today I went and ordered us a smoked turkey for Christmas from Shane's. Mmh...looking forward to one, never had a smoked turkey! I am not cooking at Christmas! I might make a salad or garlic bread, but that's it! This year it's just Paul and I and the dogs, and the cat... By the way: meet Klaus: His typical facial expression....



Another first on Sunday: At the barn party I won a bracelet with horse stuff dangling off it! I've always wanted one like that! This one has horse heads, cowboy boots and horse shoes on it. Kelly made it herself. It is pretty. Thanks, Kelly!

Amish Friendship Bread

I have never heard anything like this before? Mush the bag for 7 days? Then divide the batter in 5 parts and give 4 away and bake the rest? Huh? How old is that batter? Yuk!

These were my thoughts at the barn that day when Kelly talked me into taking this goop in a ziplock back from her, called "Amish Friendship Bread". I have to say, I was not a good "musher". I poked it rather - 3 pokes a day...Paul would ask: did you mush the bag today? I'd say, uh-oh....thinking..oh, I better mash it once or twice before I go to bed....

Well, I found out that this is how sour dough works. Oma tells me that in our bakeries in Germany, bakers always keep some of their sour dough for the following day to start a new batter...so, I guess you can say the actual batter is ancient! Almost gross...how many hands have been in it? How many germs have jumped in it?

Even in the olden days, the batter has been kept and "fed" continuously. Past down from generation to generation. Who knows, this batter right here could be from Abraham's days!

No matter the age, it turned out pretty good! I even started to experiment: made one with vanilla pudding, one with chocolate, one in a 9x13 pan with apples on top etc. Took one to Sunday school, one to work and sent one to Paul's work. Those breads or cakes taste delicious and so moist. The one I took to work today lasted about 1 hour! People thought I was Amish, not German.

My first experience with sour dough. My brother Eric is a baker: This post is to you, Eric. Auch deine Schwester kann jetzt mit Sauerteig backen. Da staunste, was!?

Seuarkraut

Yes, I am venting...
Went in to work early this morning and even had to stay late too.
And what do I come home to? No not a messy house, BUT a plate full of Sauerkraut... YUK...

My loving wife knows that I hate Sauerkraut, but for some reason she thinks that I forgot that I don't like this stuff. So I threw a FIT!!! Yes I know you are thinking how good sweet little Paul do something like that? A Fit... Well it was not hard. I saw sour-crap on my plate and it was on.
After I got through showing my @#%, then she is still going to ask me to at least try it. I think she has lost her mind...
So she rakes the sour-crap off my plate onto hers,

NOW I'M THE BAD GUY...

Stop the Madness...........

Baby!

Na, how do I look with a baby? Aren't I a natural? I'm tickling the toe here. I don't think she's too impressed...

This is little Lara in Germany. She is is about 6 months old in the picture. I saw her during my visit in Germany 2 months ago. What a friendly baby. Always laughing and quietly playing. A role model for my future child for sure...:-) I'm sure her mom Nicole, my childhood friend, is very proud of her.

Schoene Gruesse Nach Wiesbaden an Euch, Nicolette!

Customer Service Anyone?

Okay, they tell us the economy is in a slump. People are loosing their jobs. Companies are going bankrupt. Then why is it at the company I work for we can't see light at the end of the tunnel as all we see is this mountain of work. Worse yet: WE NEED PEOPLE!

In my team, we have been one customer service respresentative short since MAY! Yes, almost 7 months we have been looking for a customer service person and why can't we find anyone? In fact, before th 7 months we have been looking to add a person, now we are merely struggeling to go fill the gap.
We have been interviewing and interviewing. Talking to employment agencies. It seems like all these folks are looking for is a "no-career" job. No one wants to work in a company they can grow old in? No one wants to move up inside a growing organization? No one wants to learn a new position? What's up with that? Where's the need? Where's the desperation? Where's the SLUMP, people? I don't see it!

So, if you are not the customer service person, but know someone who wants to work with architects, contractors, suppliers for building products and run a project from inception to bills paid, contact me. I am serious! I am tired of being tired when coming home from work, because 2 are doing the work of 4.
Check out our website at http://www.gordonceilings.com/Corporate/employment.aspx. This may be the opportunity you have been looking for! Don't wait, do it now!

I don't like rain

I want to ride! I don't like rain and dreery mud weather with rain and fog and mist and cold wind. BRRRRR!! When you take a step it goes SLUSH, SMASH, PRSCHHH.
Lacy and I bought this "After Work Out Conditioner" with Lavender that you don't have to rinse out. We must work out, to try it.
SUN - PLEASE COME BACK and warm us up.

M-M-Good!

Horse Jell-O is some kinda good!

Copper and King are going crazy over it. They have been spending way to much time at that bucket under the tree. Can't get enough of it. King was so impatient with it that he was pawing his right front hoof square!

"Free Choice" is being abused!

Can you see the molasses stuck there? It's all gewey and hangs under her chin in the hairs...yuk! I have to clean her up every day.

Watch this video from this evening:

The names of God

You might want to pause the music before you click on "PLAY" to watch this beautiful video about the names of God.

We were talking about this tonight at the barn. When you can't sleep at night, name the names of God in alphabetical order. Here is a compilation that I found. There seems to be no name with Q, U, V, X, Y or Z.

ABBA.............................Romans 8:15
ADVOCATE.........................I John 2:1 (kjv)
ALMIGHTY.........................Genesis 17:1
ALPHA............................Revelation 22:13
AMEN.............................Revelation 3:14
ANCIENT OF DAYS..................Daniel 7:9
ANOINTED ONE.....................Psalm 2:2
APOSTLE..........................Hebrews 3:1
ARM OF THE LORD..................Isaiah 53:1
AUTHOR OF LIFE...................Acts 3:15
AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH..............Hebrews 12:2

BEGINNING.........................Revelation 21:6
BLESSED & HOLY RULER..............1 Timothy 6:15
BRANCH............................Jeremiah 33:15
BREAD OF GOD......................John 6:33
BREAD OF LIFE.....................John 6:35
BRIDEGROOM........................Isaiah 62:56
BRIGHT MORNING STAR...............Revelation 22:16

CHIEF SHEPHERD.....................1 Peter 5:4
CHOSEN ONE.........................Isaiah 42:1
CHRIST.............................Matthew 22:42
CHRIST OF GOD......................Luke 9:20
CHRIST THE LORD....................Luke 2:11
CHRIST, SON OF LIVING GOD..........Matthew 16:16
COMFORTER..........................John 14:26(kjv)
COMMANDER..........................Isaiah 55:4
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL...............Luke 2:25
CONSUMING FIRE......................Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29
CORNERSTONE.........................Isaiah 28:16
COUNSELOR...........................Isaiah 9:6
CREATOR.............................1 Peter 4:19

DELIVERER..............................Romans 11:26
DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS.................Haggai 2:7
DOOR...................................John 10:7(kjv)

END....................................Revelation 21:6
ETERNAL GOD............................Deut. 33:27
EVERLASTING FATHER.....................Isaiah 9:6

FAITHFUL & TRUE........................Revelation 19:11
FAITHFUL WITNESS.......................Revelation 1:5
FATHER.................................Matthew 6:9
FIRSTBORN (3)........................................Rom.8:29,Rev.1:5,Col.1:15
FIRSTFRUITS............................1 Cor.15:20-23
FOUNDATION.............................1 Cor. 3:11
FRIEND OF TAX COLLECTORS & SINNERS.....Matthew 11:19

GENTLE WHISPER.........................1 Kings 19:12
GIFT OF GOD............................John 4:10
GLORY OF THE LORD......................Isaiah 40:5
GOD....................................Genesis 1:1
GOD ALMIGHTY...........................Genesis 17:1
GOD OVER ALL...........................Romans 9:5
GOD WHO SEES ME........................Genesis 16:13
GOOD SHEPHERD..........................John 10:11
GREAT HIGH PRIEST......................Hebrews 4:14
GREAT SHEPHERD.........................Hebrews 13:20
GUIDE..................................Psalm 48:14

HEAD OF THE BODY.......................Colossians 1:18
HEAD OF THE CHURCH.....................Ephesians 5:23
HEIR OF ALL THINGS.....................Hebrews 1:2
HIGH PRIEST............................Hebrews 3:1
HIGH PRIEST FOREVER....................Hebrews 6:20
HOLY ONE...............................Acts 2:27
HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.....................Isaiah 49:7
HOLY SPIRIT............................John 16:26
HOPE...................................Titus 2:13
HORN OF SALVATION......................Luke 1:69

I AM....................................Exodus 3:14, John 8:58
IMAGE OF GOD............................2 Cor. 4:4
IMAGE OF HIS PERSON.....................Hebrews 1:3 (kjv)
IMMANUEL................................Isaiah 7:14

JEALOUS..............................Exodus 34:14 (kjv)
JEHOVAH..............................Psalm 83:18 (kjv)
JESUS................................Matthew 1:21
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD................Romans 6:23
JUDGE................................Isaiah 33:22, Acts 10:42

KING.................................Zechariah 9:9
KING ETERNAL.........................1 Timothy 1:17
KING OF KINGS........................1 Timothy 6:15
KING OF THE AGES.....................Revelation 15:3

LAMB OF GOD...........................John 1:29
LAST ADAM.............................1 Cor. 15:45
LAWGIVER..............................Isaiah 33:22
LEADER................................Isaiah 55:4
LIFE..................................John 14:6
LIGHT OF THE WORLD....................John 8:12
LIKE AN EAGLE.........................Deut. 32:11
LILY OF THE VALLEYS...................Song 2:1
LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH............Revelation 5:5
LIVING STONE..........................1 Peter 2:4
LIVING WATER..........................John 4:10
LORD..................................John 13:13
LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.....................Revelation 15:3
LORD JESUS CHRIST.....................1 Cor. 15:57
LORD OF ALL...........................Acts 10:36
LORD OF GLORY ........................1 Cor. 2:8
LORD OF LORDS.........................1 Tim. 6:15
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS..............Jeremiah 23:6
LOVE.................................1 John 4:8

MAN OF SORROWS.........................Isaiah 53:3
MASTER..................................Luke 5:5
MEDIATOR................................1 Timothy 2:5
MERCIFUL GOD............................Jeremiah 3:12
MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT................Malachi 3:1
MESSIAH................................. John 4:25
MIGHTY GOD...............................Isaiah 9:6
MIGHTY ONE...............................Isaiah 60:16

NAZARENE.................................Matthew 2:23

OFFSPRING OF DAVID.......................Revelation 22:16
OMEGA....................................Revelation 22:13
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON........................John 1:18(kjv)
OUR PASSOVER LAMB........................1 Cor. 5:7
OUR PEACE................................Ephesians 2:14

POTTER...................................Isaiah 64:8
POWER OF GOD.............................1 Cor. 1:24
PRINCE OF PEACE..........................Isaiah 9:6
PROPHET..................................Acts 3:22
PURIFIER.................................Malachi 3:3

RABBONI (TEACHER)........................John 20:16
RADIANCE OF GOD'S GLORY..................Heb.1:3
REDEEMER.................................Job 19:25
REFINER'S FIRE...........................Malachi 3:2
RESURRECTION.............................John 11:25
RIGHTEOUS ONE............................1 John 2:1
ROCK.....................................1 Cor.10:4
ROOT OF DAVID............................Rev. 22:16
ROSE OF SHARON...........................Song 2:1
RULER OF GOD'S CREATION..................Rev. 3:14
RULER OVER KINGS OF EARTH................Rev 1:5
RULER OVER ISRAEL........................Micah 5:2

SAVIOR...................................Luke 2:11
SCEPTER OUT OF ISRAEL....................Numbers 24:17
SEED.....................................Genesis 3:15
SERVANT..................................Isaiah 42:1
SHEPHERD OF OUR SOULS....................1Peter 2:25
SHIELD...................................Genesis 15:1
SON OF DAVID.............................Matthew 1:1
SON OF GOD...............................Matthew 27:54
SON OF MAN...............................Matthew 8:20
SON OF THE MOST HIGH.....................Luke 1:32
SOURCE...................................Hebrews 5:9
SPIRIT OF GOD............................Genesis 1:2
STAR OUT OF JACOB........................Numbers 24:17
STONE....................................1 Peter 2:8
SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.....................Malachi 4:2

TEACHER...................................John 13:13
TRUE LIGHT................................John 1:9
TRUE WITNESS..............................Revelation 3:14
TRUTH.....................................John 14:6

VINE......................................John 15:5

WAY........................................John 14:6
WISDOM OF GOD..............................1 Cor. 1:24
WITNESS....................................Isaiah 55:4
WONDERFUL..................................Isaiah 9:6
WORD.......................................John 1:1
WORD OF GOD................................Revelation 19:13

Vast Land

Wish you had property like this?

Ride on a sunny Sunday afternoon all you want and no one is around. Can't even see a house all the way to the horizon...

Lacey went with us this time. What fun! We were galopping up that hill and giggled all the way. When we arrived on top she said "her teeth got dry".

Sunny Day Ride

Sunday was a great day to ride: Not too hot, not too cold and best of all: NO BUGS!!

Bella Goes to Charm School

It's time for Bella to go to Charm School.

Let's see if they can bring out any charm in her...

They already have a lot of charm...if it works for them, it should work for her, right?

They are leading her away....:-(

Oh - no! She does not want go onto the concrete!

She is getting familiar with the pole of knowledge. Will it work?

Riding demonstration.

The deal is made: She's off to Boot Camp. Ha!

This is how God works

A typical example on how God works:

So, I come back from Germany and have 55 Euros left over. I go to the bank to have them changed back to Dollars. They tell me it would have to equal $150.00 or more for them to change it back. This made me upset because I had planned on using the cash to buy hay.

I go home, mad, and console myself with the thought that I can use the Euros for my next trip.
I tell husband about it and he says I should have been more firm and asked for the manager, telling them that they should have let me know of this policy at time of purchase. At least then, I could have either spent everything during the trip or brought back enough.

Oh, well, I did not want to get all aggrevated, so I dropped the issue....

But God...

Today I come home during my lunch break and I had a message on my AM from the bank, a courtesy call, asking how their service is. I thought "what a coincidence!". I call the lady back and tell her the story. She empathetically passes me to their foreign exchange lady who tells me that there IS NO MINIMUM and the $150.00 is wrong and they should know better. So, she tells me that 55 Euros equals $64.79 and there is a $5.00 fee. So, I think: this is just under 10 bales of hay!
She said she would call the branch and tell them that I am coming.

Whoop-dee-doo, I race back to the branch (only 30 minutes left in my lunch break).
Finally I reach the counter, do my request and after 25 minutes of hassle because they had to call to verify I have $64.79 in cash. Yes, the $5.00 had already been taken out of the originally quoted amount. Blessing No. 2.

10 bales of hay are secured.

So, the lesson from this story:

Don't cause any fuss, because God will handle it for you!

Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland

The weather expressed my mood on that last day:

It was cold, rainy, foggy.

(This is what you see when you step outside of Marco & Eric's front door)Below is a shot taken at the Leipzig Airport, Terminal 24, waiting to board the small plane to Frankfurt. I am the first one there (see my carry on luggage) It was nice, but I am also ready to go home. Mixed emotions: happy & sad at the same time. Weird feeling: You want to cry in either case and move the corners of your mouth once up and then down while tears are rolling down your cheaks and your lips tremble...

Thankful for God being near. I am revived spiritually.

A real German Bakery

This is Bakery Boehm in the little village of Gefell where Eric (right) is their baker.Inside the store - mmh, if the picture had smell you would love the smell once you enter!

You can see the breads in the back and the sweets in front. We arrived just after noon, so the shelves were getting empty. Everything is made fresh every day.
This is the Backstube, where all the magic happens. As you can see they are still using most of the traditional baking machines.
Below you can see raw sour dough for bread making. This has to sit another 24 hrs and will be ready for processing in the morning.
One thing I miss from Germany: REAL BAKERIES!

The party

I was not able to write for a while because I was not near internet access. And then, I came back to the States and was exhausted. However, here are some pictures of the 60th Wedding anniversary, which was the reason for my visit.

This is Marco & Eric with their Wartburg 312 in front of my uncle & aunts house:

Eric made the cake with the GrandParents' wedding picture (see forthcoming posting about his bakery):

The first dance: Oma & Opa are dancing together and are crying to whole time.
Uncle Dieter is doing the "Holzmichel", which is a funny skit.
Everyone has to play along:

Marco is telling a funny story about buying "nichts" (nothing) in the store for them. Uncle Dieter is slinging me around...

Tuesday

Busy day today.
First we went to a Horse store, which was wonderful. It was a huge store! Mostly English Riding products: bridles, crops, saddles, helmets, horse wraps, blankets, riding clothes as well as care products. I was particularly looking for hoof creme. I found it! The exact same we used to use long time ago at the riding stable. Yippieh. I am so excited. See below a snap shot. They also had some western items:

Marco also outdid himself today for us and cooked us rabbit with dumplings. Later we had cake and coffe, as always around 3 pm.In the evening we visited Uncle Dieter for his birthday. Yes, you guessed right: we ate again, but we ate well: Thuringian bratwurst and Rostbrädel. Paul, I'm sure you expected it: Uncle brought out all his different kinds of bottles of beer, champagne, schnaps, liquor...all for us to "try". I tried my best not to get tipsy while being nice...

He really loved his western shirt with bolo and said he will immediately wear it to work. I am glad that it fits him perfectly.

Aunt Brigitte loved her purse, but of course particularly liked the quilted table runner, which she and Ute (the neighbor) studied closely.

Here's you one for your brain cells:
Check out this English Translation and let me know if you understand
what this means
(someone tried to remember something from their English class many years ago, seems like):

Send me your results! The winner will receive a bar of German Chocolate.

Thanks

We went to my uncle's house today for his birthday and we found out great news:
Opa is doing better!
Thanks for your prayers. My brothers just witnessed it work since we prayed together yesterday and are giving credit to God. Thanks to you who helped with your prayers.

It is great to see that the boys are starting to realize that our God is Alive and with us!

HELP - Opa is sick

Only 2 more days till the Wedding and Opa is in bed sick.
Yesterday emergency had to come to check him out and they left fever medicince.
He's had the flu for the last 5 days as far as I know. If he won't get better he will miss his big party on Thursday!

The boys and I prayed for him yesterday and trust that God will heal him. We also need your prayer support.

Please pray for Opa that God will heal him so that he can give Him the glory.

Erfurt

We shopped till we dropped. We spent 6 hours shopping in Erfurt and one could think we suddenly became millionaires we shopped so much. But we also ate! When we first arrived in downtown Erfurt we had Bratwurst with mustard, Rostbraedel (sorta like a schnitzel in a bun) and shared a beer. Then we went shopping. We took a shopping break later and had coffee and cake in a cafe. Amongst the 3 of us we ate 6 large pieces of cake! Shopping makes you hungry! Then with new strength, we continued our shopping spree. Don't worry, Paul. I still have a few pennies left...not broke yet :-)
The weather, however was not so nice: rain, rain, rain. On the way up there, we tried to avoid the traffic jam which was announced to us on radio and Marcos Nav system and it took us longer than being stuck in the actual traffic jam. It's a good think Marco is a good driver in this weather - it was horrible racing down the Autobahn with these idiots in the fog and rain while big trucks splash you with water the hole time and you never know if traffic is stopped after the next curve.

Then it was a challenge finding a parking place in down town. But, the Lord was with us again: A man was just leaving and had over an hour left on his parking ticket and gave it to us. Sure, it was not nearly enough, but we put it in the window and when we came back, 6 hours later, we had no penalty ticket, but everyone else did!!

We had a great bonding time - it was us 3 siblings again. I don't think they still remember my name though: they keep calling me "Schwester", which is sister in German.

Hello from the USA. I see you are having a good time. That is great. Just to let you know Kelly gave me a piece of Cheese Cake today man was it good... So Kelly if you read this it was mmmm GOOD. Every thing here is as you left it. I am running out of clean clothes, so you need to hurry back.... Well maybe Kelly will wash for me. ha ha !! I know not a chance there. But Maybe I bribe her with some BON-BON. If that don't work I will wear my HOT STUFF TEE SHIRT... That should do it. :-) I miss you, and the dogs miss you, don't ask about the cat, he has taken over your side of the bed. Have fun tell everyone I said hello
PAUL

Fresh Air

I went for a walk as planned.

Isn't it like Fairy Tale Forest? I was just waiting to see the little dwarfs come out of their mushroom houses. The entire ground is covered solid in moss. When my dad was young he would always take naps in this forest, because the ground was clean and soft.

I inhaled the crisp, clean fresh air deeply to rid my lungs from the hot swamp air. Here are no mosquitos and no bugs. Yes, you heard me right! No bugs and a hole lot of trails, riding trails that is!!Isnt that a pretty pasture? Already has electric fence around all 80 or so acres. The pasture ends down in the valley where the trees begin.

The wind was bending and twisting the trees and made them moan and rush. The gras seemed to be hissing...
Here is proof that I found proper head gear: