2.28.2011

God's Intervention of Mercy

We praise God together as a family for sparing my parents and 4 siblings in a serious accident Saturday evening.  Here is the story told by my dad.  I tear up every time I read it.  Only someone who has been in an accident can truly understand the emotional trauma that goes through your head during the accident and the effect it has on your life afterward.  I am continually thankful that no one was hurt!
Dear Family and Friends,

Last week many of you know we were in Mount Pleasant for the Home School basketball tournaments. Our last game finished at 6 PM.  we stayed to watch some friends play their games and then went to Subway for supper. We left for home around 9:15.  Cheryl and Matt were in the back seat, Anna and Trienna were laying down in the middle seat, Dan was driving and I was next to him.  All of us had our seat belts on.

With all the snow on the ground the best thing to do was follow the two track left by previous drivers on M 20 West from Mt Pleasant and later on M 66 South. We were traveling about 45 mph when we came to a right curve in the road. As usual the 2 track curved slightly less than the road itself and the right tires went so far to the right as to actually leave the tarred road bed.  The drop from the tar to the gravel was about 2". I saw it at the last second and reached out the assist Dan in keeping the car from turning right into the ditch. In doing so we shot back on to the road and with the road still curving top the right we were now in the left or oncoming lane.  No cars were coming at us but Dan over reacted and turned hard right to get back to the right lane.

The hard right caused our van to turn too far to the right and we were sliding through the intersection of M66/ Six Lakes road and Cutler Rd. Our van slid down the embankment on the SW corner and slammed into the electric pole about 30' off the corner. Crash!  Everything happened in slow motion and yet it was over in a few seconds. I still remember hitting the pole and then it seemed as if the pole was no longer there. Fact is, it wasn't. I remember the pole going up and over the front of the vehicle and slamming on to the ground next to us.  A large blue flash lit up the sky as power lines touched the stop sign and the corner street light went dark.  Our van settled to a stop abut 20' beyond where the pole once stood and with the van running still I called out, "Is everyone OK?" Cheryl and the girls immediately replied they were.  Nothing from Matt of Dan so I asked "Matt you OK?" Yeah, he said.  Dan was slumped over the steering wheel and I fearfully asked, "Dan, are you OK?"  Yeah, I'm OK too," he said somewhat quietly and with his head down on the wheel I opened the door to assess the damage and situation around us. I pulled out my phone and called 911 to report the incident. 
While on the phone cars had now stopped on the road and anxious drivers got out to ask about our welfare.  "Are you all right down there?"  Yeah, I think so, let me ask them again," I said not quite believing it myself. I heard them earlier saying it but when you take out an electric pole by sheering it completely off at it base you know there must be more serious injuries or fatalities. So I opened the door and asked everyone again while talking to the 911 operator and those on the road side.
Not knowing our exact location I was trying to read the street sign which was hanging up side down on the top of the stop sign and trying to stay away from the downed power lines.  Shaking like a leaf on a windy fall day, I kept talking to the operator at the back of the van who was asking "Do I need to send an ambulance? Is anyone hurt?" "No, no ambulance is needed but the power line is down and we are OK."

When you say things with you mouth but your mind does not agree with what you think you should be saying it is confusing to say the least.

After hanging up with 911 I went back into the van where Cheryl had now gotten up to the front to be with Dan who was now shaking uncontrollably like I was.  I said a prayer to thank the Lord for his mercy in sparing our lives through such an accident.  In the back of my mind I was going over and over again the scene of the accident as well as the fact that not one of us had a scratch on us. Absolutely nothing. Amazing how God can work in our lives to get our attention.

We stood by the side of the van for some time holding each other in our arms and he letting his emotions out on my chest. He drives on a permit and was concerned about losing his license. I tried to reassure him over and over that he was not going to be held responsible for this accident and that God would help us get our lives back together again.

The pictures I attached show the wheel where the wood from the pole is embedded between the rim and the tire from the force of hitting the pole in the sideways slide. The other pics show the damage on the driver side of the van where looking at it I think the location of the hit was in the strongest place possible for the van to "take" the hit and still be drivable home.  We were pulled out of the ditch after Consumers turned the power off and one of the firemen changed our tire and I drove the rest of the way home, still not quite believing what I was seeing or doing. We arrived home at 2 am.

Thank the Lord with us for his mercy to undeserving people and pray for us get back into our school and work routine soon.

The Moerdyk family

Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents.
 1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
         From whence comes my help?
 2 My help comes from the LORD,
         Who made heaven and earth.
   
 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
         He who keeps you will not slumber.
 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
         Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
   
 5 The LORD is your keeper;
         The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
 6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
         Nor the moon by night.
   
 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
         He shall preserve your soul.
 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
         From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Here are the pictures:




Menu Plan February 28 - March 5, 2011


Monday:
Dinner with the Girls
Hubby is on his own... don't worry, I made sure he had plenty of options to eat!

Tuesday:
Saussage
Mashed Potatoes
Corn

Wednesday:
Pizza

Thursday:
Leftovers

Friday:
Penne Sausage Pasta

Saturday:
Sloppy Joe


2.21.2011

Menu Plan February 21-26, 2011


Monday:
Breakfast!
Pancakes
Sunny Side Up Eggs
Bacon

Tuesday:
Pork
Potatoes
Beans

Wednesday:
Tomato Soup
Grilled Ham & Cheese

Thursday:
Leftovers

Friday:
Chicken
Garden Rice
Broccoli

Saturday:
Pizza


2.15.2011

KY Senate Passes Bill to Teach Bible in Public Schools

On a more positive level, compared to what I have recently posted in regards to persecution against Christianity, here is a story about Kentucky bringing prayer back into the PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!!  I think we can all be thankful for this fact, that despite all the criticism they will most likely receive from it, the Senate chose to bring prayer back into the schools.

"The Kentucky Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would add Bible classes to the curriculum in public schools.

The measure would direct the Kentucky Board of Education to create guidelines on a curriculum around the Bible. According to the proposal, students would be able to take a Bible course as a social studies elective centered on the Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament of the Bible, the New Testament, or a combination of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible. ..." 

You can read the rest of the article HERE.


2.14.2011

Menu Plan February 14-19, 2011


Monday:
Valentines Day Treat!
Out for Dinner - don't know where....but I'm sure Andrew knows! :)

Tuesday:
Chicken Dinner
Corn

Wednesday:
Stuffed Shells

Thursday:
Tacos

Friday:
Guests come for Dinner
Pork Tenderloin
Redskins
Green Bean Casserole

Saturday:
Leftovers




2.12.2011

Christian Broadcaster Gets The Canadian Boot

Not that we don't have similar things happening here in the US, but it still shows how the times are changing.

"A Canadian pastor has been kicked off one of two Christian stations in that country.

Dr. Charles McVety of Word TV first raised concerns with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council over comments he made about homosexuality. At that point, McVety was temporarily taken off the air at Crossroads Television System, but allowed back on with a warning that his shows would be screened before airing.

Now McVety tells OneNewsNow that his last three shows never made it on the air. In one, he talked about an upcoming debate with an atheist author. ..."

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

2.11.2011

'Bloodless Persecuation' Predicted for Christians

As Christians we knew that this would happen but it is still something that we need to be more and more prepared for as it soon will effect us personally.

"Christianity has been around what now is Europe since the first century, with some parts of the New Testament written to people in Greece and Rome. But a new report is warning that open hostility to Christianity across the continent is on the rise and intolerance is being paired with legislative power to attack and violate the religious rights of the faithful.


"There are signs that hostility towards free and open demonstrations of faith is growing. Christians are increasingly marginalized and are appearing more often in courts over matters related to faith. So I think that we are heading for a bloodless persecution," Gudrun Kugler told Mercatornet about her organization's newest report.


The report, called "Shadow Report on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe," cites page after page of examples of attacks on Christians and Christianity across Europe. ..."

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

2.10.2011

Decorating. Confusing?

I had the enjoyment of finding an item on Craig's List to add the the decor of our home.  However, upon informing my husband, I was faced with a confused individual who didn't understand the necessity of such decor.

This is what I found... I beautiful little iron bird cage with a little ivy wrapped around it.  See, now isn't that beautiful?  I thought so!

This is how the evening went:

(on the way there) Andrew: "What do you need a bird cage for?" me: "Because I am going to use it for decoration" Andrew: "Where?" me: "On the white buffet next to the front door" Andrew: "Are you planning on putting a bird in there?" me: "NO!  A bird would not fit in there! It is much too small for that!"

(on the way home) Andrew: "So, tell me again, why do we need this bird cage?" me: "Simply for decoration!" Andrew: "But I don't understand, why would you use a bird cage for decoration?" me: "Just trust me!"

(at home, after I set it in place) Andrew: "Do you like that bird cage?" me: "Yes!" Andrew: "I still don't understand! Is that antique?" So on and so forth.  We continued our bird cage discussion for a little while and I think he ended up just giving up.

I have since added a candle inside (for now) and I have it setting on our little buffet by our dining room table.
Here is a picture of the location for now, as I may end up moving it around a bit (I tend to do that a lot, to which Andrew just sits and shakes his head......sorry dear! ;) You married a designer!).



2.09.2011

Deals!


Go to www.restaurant.com and find a restaurant that you feel you would like to go to.  Click on the certificate that you would like to get.  At the checkout, use the promo LOVE and you will get 80% off your $25 gift certificate!  I just got one that only cost me $2 for a $25 certificate!  Yes, in the fine print, they want you to spend a certain amount at the restaurant while you are there, but I have figured it out.  By the time you spend $35, minus $25 for the gift certificate, you only ended up paying $10 plus the original $2 to get it!  That sounds like a deal to me!  Most of the restaurants listed are nice ones too where your average meal will be about $15 to $20 per person anyways.  It has to be a minimum of 2 people and so you can even go out with another couple and share the certificate if you wanted.  Another negative is that the certificates are not valid on holidays, but who cares!  I can wait till the next day or two in order to get the special pricing!  Check it out HERE!



2.07.2011

Menu Plan February 7-12, 2011


Monday:
Guests at the Kwekel's house

Tuesday:
Spaghetti & Meatballs

Wednesday:
Pizza

Thursday:
Leftovers

Friday:
Potluck night: Several couples coming over for dinner
My part: Chili
Fresh Biscuits

Saturday:
Hamburgers
Cold Veggies



2.05.2011

Keeping The Love Tank Full


Keeping the Love Tank Full by Dr. Gary Chapman

The need to feel loved by one's spouse is at the heart of marital desires. A man said to me recently, "What good is the house, the cars, the place at the beach, or any of the rest of it if your wife doesn't love you?" Do you understand what he was really saying? "More than anything, I want to be loved by my wife."


Material things are no replacement for human, emotional love. A wife says, "He ignores me all day long and then wants to jump in bed with me. I hate it." This is not a wife who hates sex; this is a wife desperately pleading for emotional love. Something in our nature cries out to be loved by another.


I believe this need can be met in any marriage, if each of them will discover the primary love language of their spouse and speak it regularly. There are only five love languages. Your spouse desperately craves one of them. Make it your goal to discover it and speak it, and their love tank will be full.



Article written by Dr. Gary Chapman. Based on the book, The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. Published by Moody Publishing. For a complete listing of Dr. Chapman's books and resources, click here.


2.04.2011

High-octane Women


I found this to be an interesting post by Dr. Murray on his blog Head Heart Hand.  It is a great reminder for us all as we go about our busy daily schedule.  Who are we trying to please as we rush around? God? Other people?  Check it out!


The Love Tank


The Love Tank by Dr. Gary Chapman

I liked the metaphor the first time I heard it: "Inside every child is an 'emotional tank' waiting to be filled with love. When a child really feels loved, he will develop normally, but when the love tank is empty, the child will misbehave. Much of the misbehavior of children is motivated by the cravings of an empty 'love tank.'" I was listening to Dr. Ross Campbell, a psychiatrist who has treated hundreds of children and adolescents.

As I listened, I thought of the hundreds of parents who had paraded the misdeeds of their children through my office. I had never visualized an empty love tank inside those children, but I had certainly seen the results of it. Their misbehavior was a misguided search for the love they did not feel. They were seeking love in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways.

I also realized that many of their parents were suffering from an empty love tank and that much of the misbehavior of married individuals was growing out of an empty love tank. This week we are visualizing this tank, inside all of us and talking about how to fill it.


Article written by Dr. Gary Chapman. Based on the book, The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. Published by Moody Publishing. For a complete listing of Dr. Chapman's books and resources, click here.



2.03.2011

The Love Dare


Check out THE LOVE DARE challenge happening over at Ordinary Inspirations. Traci is encouraging everyone to love intentionally 14 days leading up to Valentines Day. I don't know about you, but I am finding this to be a fun challenge for busy wives (like me) who get caught up in day to day life. This is certainly a reminder to always stop and encourage him, honor him, serve him, etc. I will be keeping my eye on the challenges as I know I could do a better job of encouraging my beloved husband.
Join the Challenge!

Love Is A Confusing Thing

This is a book that Andrew and I both read while we were dating. We found it to be very helpful in understanding the way men and women think. We both would highly recommend other to read the book as well, if you have not already.  This is another series of little snipits from the book, put together by Marriage Vine.



Love Is a Confusing Thing by Dr. Gary Chapman
 
Love is the most important word in the English language - and the most confusing. Both secular and religious thinkers agree that love plays a central role in life. We are told that "love is a many-splendored thing" and that "love makes the world go round." Thousands of books, songs, magazines, and movies are peppered with the word "love".

The apostle Paul said that in the last scene of the human drama, only three characters will remain: "faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Yet love is a most confusing word.

We use it in a thousand ways. We say, "I love hot dogs," and in the next breath, "I love my mother." We speak of loving activities: swimming, skiing, golfing. We love objects: food, cars and houses. We love animals. We love nature. We love people. We may even love God.

Our purpose this week is not to eliminate all the confusion, but rather to focus on the kind of love that is essential to our emotional health. The need to feel loved.




Article written by Dr. Gary Chapman. Based on the book, The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. Published by Moody Publishing. For a complete listing of Dr. Chapman's books and resources, click here.



2.02.2011

There's No Difference!

A friend shared this with me and I thought you would like to read it as well. It definitely puts the right perspective on abortion.


A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: ‘Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even one year old, and I’m pregnant again. I don’t want kids so close together.’

So the doctor said: ‘Ok and what do you want me to do?’

She said: ‘I want you to end my pregnancy, and I’m counting on your help with this.’

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: ‘I think I have a better solution for your problem. It’s less dangerous for you too.’ She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: ‘You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let’s kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we’re going to kill one of them, it doesn’t matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.’

The lady was horrified and said: ‘No doctor! How terrible! It’s a crime to kill a child!’

‘I agree’, the doctor replied. ‘But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.’

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that There is no difference in killing a child that’s already been born and one that’s still in the womb. The crime is the same!

2.01.2011

White Chicken Chili

One of the easiest recipes to make and a favorite for Andrew and I, especially when you have company coming for a relaxing evening or for a potluck.  This recipe makes a fairly large pot full and is very filling, so you don't end up eating a lot of it at once.  I like using this recipe when we have a larger group of people coming over and everyone is bringing a little something to add to the menu.


3 large Chicken Breasts
1 large can of White Northern Beans
1 large jar of Salsa - (your choice: mild, medium, or hot)
8 oz of Cheddar Cheese
4 oz of Pepper Jack Cheese

 Cube and Fry chicken.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large pot on medium heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
Add Chicken to the pot at any time, once it is cooked.
Serve with Tortilla Chips.
Takes about 20-30 minutes cook time.