Christmas

Sorry that I haven't blogged lately, I have been very busy with all the preparations that come with Christmas. The decorating, baking, gift shopping/wrapping/giving, Christmas concerts/programs, snowmobiling, and many family get togethers. It is a wonderful time of year to spend with friends and family celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

 

This Christmas season started with decorating the church.

 

Jimmy & Isaiah

 

Decorating the tree

Oh the enthusiasm for decorating!

 

Mikula Christmas:

Everyone opening presents

Shawn modeling Shannon's pink socks

Grandma, Grandpa & all of the grandchildren

All of us plus the spouses

Shawn & I

Grandma, Grandpa & all their kids and spouses.

 

Buhrow Christmas

All gathered in Grandpa and Grandma's living room to open presents.

Amy & I getting ready for a pull behind the snowmobile.

Irma going on a snowmobile ride.

 

I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas! 

 

 



Sound of Music Live!

I don't normally do reviews for movies but, I will make an exception for this:



(sorry that the pic is blurry)

 

Disclaimer: I, in no means am trying to offend anyone. This is just my personal view and what I think of the performance.

 

I personally thought that they did a wonderful job. But, many others have thought otherwise. One of the things that people have been complaining about the most is that it doesn't follow the movie. What they did last night was the Broadway version, NOT the movie. Their goal in making this film wasn't to remake the movie but to bring the original Broadway version back to life. Some people have said that it was horrible because Julie Andrews wasn't Maria. Yes, I understand that Julie Andrews is irreplaceable but, Carrie Underwood did a pretty good job for not being an actress.  

If you were to ask me what I thought about it this is what I would tell you: It was wonderful! You have to understand that what they did was the Broadway version otherwise you won't appreciate it.

Can we please stop ripping this performance of The Sound of Music apart? I know we each have our own opinions and we have that right but, please understand that it comes to a point when some of us that actually enjoyed the performance get tired of hearing constant complaints.

Please before you make another bad comment, just think of how much time this took. They took 15 weeks of constant practicing. How would you feel if you spent 15 weeks constantly practicing and then to do perform it and have someone rip it apart word for word? 

Thanksgiving

Have you ever noticed how Thanksgiving has been "pushed to the back burner", if you will, in our society? Two days before Thanksgiving my Mom and I went to Walmart to get some table cloth for our annual Pie & Praise. The sad thing was, there was no Thanksgiving decorations at all! Walmart went right from Halloween to Christmas.

Yes, I understand how important Christmas is, but I believe Thanksgiving is just as important. There are many, many verses in the Bible that talk about giving thanks to God for what He has done. Here are just a few:

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

I Thessalonians 5:18

 

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

I Corinthians 15:57

 

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 5:20

 

So, what are you thankful for this year? Or a better question, did you remember to thank the Lord for all that He has given you? After all, without Him we would have nothing. 

A Reality Check

As many of you may know, Sunday was the National Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. As a result, the whole service at my Uncle's church was spent in prayer for the many, many persecuted Christians all over the globe. In the Sunday School hour, Uncle Eric showed us a slide show of the 20 Most Dangerous Countries for Someone to Be a Christian In.
1) North Korea - where Christians are punishable by death.
2) Saudi Arabia - where Christians are getting taken away from their families and being put to death, leaving many kids as orphans.
3) Afghanistan - where there is not a single church.
4) Iraq - where Christians are displaced from their homes by murder and abduction.
5) Somalia - where the only way for people to hear about God is through radio programs that have been allowed into the country.
6) Maldives - where the people don't even have a New Testament in their own language.
7) Mali - where Christians are being forced out of the country.
8) Iran - where Muslims that convert to Christianity are still thought of as Muslims to their friends and family.
9) Yemen - where evangelism is illegal.
10) Eritrea - where countless Christians are imprisoned in containers where it can get up to 120*F.
11) Syria - where Christians are being imprisoned and then their churches being raided of all goods.
12) Sudan - PTL where many people of Muslim background are turning to the Lord.
13) Nigeria - where the Christian youths are tempted to react in violence by the way they are treated for their beliefs.
14) Pakistan - where Asia Bibi was imprisoned for speaking out against Mohammed.
15) Ethiopia - where there are over 3,000 believers that have been displaced from their homes and family.
16) Uzbekistan - where there is only 1 registered Bible-believing church.
17) Libya - where it is illegal for Christians to meet.
18) Laos - where countless Katin and Hmong people have been expelled from their country and forbidden to return.
19) Turkmenistan - where the police and secret service are constantly monitoring Christian activities, trying to find an excuse to arrest them.
20) Qatar - where Christians are being deported and not allowed back.

Although many of theses countries have access to Christian TV and radio stations, many of these stations are not being taught by firm, Bible-believing people. After hearing this and watching a couple of movie clips from Voice of the Martyrs, it just really made me think. As Americans, we are free to worship as we please without having to fear being attacked by the government and yet we complain about the stupidest little things. We are so spoiled. But, if we don't pray for our brothers and sisters that are being persecuted, sooner than we want to think - we will be suffering the same persecution in our own land. The day is coming where Christianity won't even be accepted here in the US.
You may be thinking, "What can I do? I don't have the money to go overseas and witness to these people." The most powerful thing any of us can do is pray. Pray for the missionaries that are in these countries illegally. Pray that God would open up the hearts of the government officials and that they would allow the Bible in their countries. Pray for the people that do hear the TV and radio broadcasts that they might actually think about what they hear. We need to be one with our brothers and sisters through prayer. 

I'm just simply asking you to pray. It doesn't have to be an hour long prayer, just PRAY.

My New Toy

Today was the Harvest Dinner at my church. So my parents and brother and sister went with so Mom could sing. The morning service started like normal until we got to announcements. Then it went like this:

Uncle Eric was in the middle of announcements when a phone started ringing by the piano.

"Ruby, turn your phone off!" He scolded from the pulpit.

"It's not mine!" I replied.

"Yes, it is!" He said.

"No it's not!" I said.

Then he explained that it really was mine and that the church had bought it for me as a thank you for being willing to drive up there every Sunday to play the piano.

"Now make sure you turn it on silent so that it doesn't go off again." He told me.

"I don't know how." I whined.

Well, Cali was already half way up to the piano to turn it on silent for me.

What had happened was Cali distracted me so that they could lay it on the floor by the piano. Then Cali called it in the middle of announcements.

 

I just want to say thank you all so very much for buying me a cell phone and for all the love that you all have shown through your actions. Thank you again. Love you guys!

The Bema Awaits...

The Bema Awaits

 

 

As we go through life, how many times does someone do something to you and you hold a grudge? We need to live everyday as if we knew that Christ was going to come that day. There are many times in the Christian life where we need to just forgive and forget. But, do we do that? I know it may seem like I am "preaching to a choir" but, the Lord really brought this to my attention tonight.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Jesus faced the cross with joy. We need to face difficulties and trials in our lives too. So, does that little thing that your brother or sister did to tick you off really matter? No! When we meet with Christ in the air, we are all going to have to give an account of our lives to Christ. I don't know about you, but I don't want to look back over my life and just see a life full of grudges that could've been easily forgiven and forgotten.  

A Whole Bible?

A whole Bible?

or a Bible full of holes?

 

 

Do we read the whole Bible? or do we only read the parts that "justify", if you will, our sins? There are many people in this world today that go about their lives living as they want, claiming to be Christians, but living however they want. They don't think about the Bible as a whole, they just read the parts that they want to read that they think will "justify" their sins. If you ask them, they would probably tell you that their sins were ok because the Bible says they are. However, they think this way because as they read the Bible, they are picking and choosing which passages they are reading and they are not reading the passages that they know are going to make them feel guilty about their sins.

 

How many times do we, as Christians, do this? When we have sin in our lives, is there certain passages that we stay away from because we know we will be convicted of our sin if we read them? When we read the Bible, we need to read it has a whole...not full of holes. 

A Funny for Today

If you need a good laugh...

Tonight Jimmy was working on cleaning his room.

(and from the pictures...he is doing a VERY deep clean ;)

As Dad walked by,

this is what he saw.

The only thing that you could see was his socked feet.

  

Then he thought that if he had a pillow,
he could just sleep there for the night.
I don't think it would've been too comfortable though. ;)
Anyway...he said that it would've been a pain in the neck.

God doesn't call the qualified...

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper,

David had an affair, Noah got drunk,

Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer,

Gideon was insecure, Mirriam was a gossip,

Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter,

Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody,

Moses stuttered, Abraham was old,

and Lazarus was dead.

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!

 

This last weekend, I went to the Truth Weekend at Camp Chetek. One of the sessions was on the message of the Gospel. Brother Ben Schettler talked about how we can be missionaries even now. But before we share the message of the Gospel with others, we must understand and get a grip of the Gospel for ourselves.

 

Have you ever just sat back and thought about what Jesus did for us? God sent His perfect Son to the world to take on all our sins and die in our place. We should have died on that cross for all our sins, but Jesus took the punishment on Him and went through the agony of His Father turning His back on Him. If we don't have a grip on that truth, then we are going to have a hard time sharing it with others.

 

Then this morning, Brother Mark Zimmer and his family were visiting our church from Yap, Micronesia. He also talked about how the Gospel changes lives and how we must first have a grip on it before we can share it.

 

I am so thankful that God can use me for His glory. This poor, wretched sinner...it was in His perfect plan to create me disabled so that through me, His glory would be made known. The question is, Are we willing to let God use us? After all, God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!



A Bus Ride, A Conversation, & A Blessing

Lately I have been reading Will Our Generation Speak by Grace Mally. As I was reading it last Thursday night, the Lord really convicted me that I need to be witnessing more. That night, I prayed and asked the Lord to give me an opportunity to witness. What I didn't know was that that opportunity was going to come soon.

The bus that we ride to school is called the "Naughty Kids Bus." So, us girls normally listen to our iPods on the way to school. After we dropped off at the middle school, one of the high school girls was going on and on about how she thought the Bible was just a stupid Book and how she wanted to burn It. (She said all this as I was sitting reading my Bible.) So I just simply held up my Bible and asked her, "You mean this Book?" And this is about how the conversation went.

"Why do you have that?" she asked.

"Because it is the most important Book anyone could ever read." I replied.

"How do you know that It is true? Someone probably just dreamed it up and decided to write it down." she said.

Then I explained to her that we can know that the Bible is God's Holy Word because He says so many times. She was raised Catholic so she asked me many questions about the Bible and what I believe about It and why my beliefs are different from the Catholic beliefs. I was also able to explain why Jesus died on the cross.

"Why do we celebrate Christmas?" she asked.

"We celebrate Jesus' birth. That's what Christmas is all about." I explained.

"I don't get it, how could Jesus come to the earth as a Baby and still be God?" she asked.

Then I thought 'Lord, how am I going to explain this?' So I explained it as best as I could. She then told me that she still didn't understand it. I told her that none of us can understand it fully. If we could, we would be God ourselves. (Then I thought back to my Bible lesson. Just the other day, my lesson taught me the same thing! It was neat for me to be able to share it with her when I had just recently learned it myself.)

We continued to talk the rest of the ride to school. As we were leaving, I was able to give her and one of the guys that rides our bus each a Your Choice: Heaven or Hell tract. They both told me that they would read it. They also said that they would come to me if they have any questions.

I was so thankful for the opportunity to witness just after I asked the Lord to give me the opportunity. Please pray for these two kids that they would think about what I told them and that they would read the tract.

Jimmy

Happy Birthday Jimmy!

 

Wow, I can't believe you are 14 now!

You are an awesome brother.

There have been many times that we have laughed together,

cried together,

and yes...there have been times that we have laughed at each other.

I don't know what I would do without you.  

I love you awesome little brother!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday.



Don't Be Ashamed

Romans 1:16

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:

for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;

to the Jew first,

and also to the Greek."

 

Are we ashamed of the Bible? We live in a world that has the mindset of, "Do what you want, there isn't a God that is going to judge you." This often than not discourages us from sharing the Gospel. But, as Christians, we need to be boldly proclaiming the Gospel to everyone we meet.

 

Ephesians 6:18-20

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me,

that I may open my mouth boldly,

to make known the mystery of the gospel.

For which I am an ambassador in bonds:

that therein I may speak boldly,

as I ought to speak."



 

There are many people that don't believe the Bible and probably never will if we don't get out of our comfort zone and tell them about Christ. In fact, just the other morning, a person that I ride the bus with was complaining on how so many believe the Bible and how she thinks it is just a stupid old book that someone dreamed up. But, instead of being discouraged, hearing a conversation like this should make us that much more eager to share the Gospel.

 

I'm not just challenging you guys on this matter. There have been many times that instead of speaking up and sharing the Gospel, I have just been quiet. I believe that if we ask the Lord to help us to be more bold and give us wisdom and the words to say when witnessing, we will be able to change the world one person at a time.

 

 



UW Band Day & Badger Game 2013

This year, our band was invited to play at the Badger Game for Band Day. We had to leave the school at four in the morning and we got back at about seven thirty. We had a lot of fun and many memories were made. Enjoy the pictures!

The UW Band

Rachel, Sarah, and I

Our Band

The Director

Badgers won 37 to 0.

 

Bucky

Some of the clarinets.

Go Wisconsin Badgers!!!!!

5th Quarter

State Capital

We were able to drive all the way around it on the way home.



Labor Day Weekend

This last weekend was spent redoing Grandpa and Grandma's roof. We had a lot of fun having most of the family home and spending two days together.

Dad

Jimmy

Our barn.

(I got to go up on the roof...it was a nice vantage point to take pics.)

Uncle Tim

All of the guys.

L to R: Adam, Kevin, Dad, Uncle Tim, and Matt

Getting close to the end!

Sassy





The Christian Life

"The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ,

and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you -

your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent,

your money, your courage, your scholarship,

 your dedication, your sacrifice, your anything -

then although you may have the Christian life,

you are not yet living it."

- Ian Thomas

 

I've been thinking about this recently. Do we really realize that since we are saved...everything is God's? He made the earth, He sent His Son to die for us, He gave us our talents, He made us. But...do we get a grip on that?

 

Are we living the Christian life in terms of Jesus Christ or in terms of us? 

God's Refining Fire

O Lord, we pray "Thy will be done" or "Master, here am I."

We pray You'd do a mighty work That to the flesh we'd die. 

And when the answer comes to us In form of trial and test,

We fail to see Your loving hand, Refining fire is best. 

 

God's refining fire, God's refining fire, 

May it purge me now and make of me what You require.

O Lord, feed the fire, Your refining fire.

Now as gold and silver must be tried, 

Lord, may my heart be purified. 

Lord, send Your great refining fire.

 

That I may stand when You appear, Abide till Your return. 

O place the fire perfectly That all the dross be burned.

Whether furnace of affliction, Lord, Or unfulfilled desire, 

Bring forth a vessel pure and tried By Your refining fire. 

 

God's refining fire, God's refining fire, 

May it purge me now and make of me what You require.

O Lord, feed the fire, Your refining fire.

Now as gold and silver must be tried, 

Lord, may my heart be purified. 

Lord, send Your great refining fire.

 

This is the song that I played this morning for offertory. I wasn't planning on playing it, but the Lord wanted me to. I planned on playing O Worship the King, when I was finishing the prelude, I looked at the music that I was playing and realized that I was playing my supposed offertory!!!! So then when it came to the offertory I thought; "Lord, what am I going to play?" All of the sudden, the song God's Refining Fire started playing through my head...I thought; "Ok, Lord I haven't practiced it in a while, but I'm going to play it." As I was playing the song, it made me think of how I need to trust God to guide and direct in my life even in the little things ie: Sunday morning offertories ;).

 

How often do we sit back and say; "Ok God, I know this is a little thing, but I want You to make the decision." Or, do we just go ahead and do what we want without thinking and asking God? 

Irvine Park Youth Activity

Two youth leaders

+

10 teenagers

+

food

+

Irvine Park

=

Fun, Craziness, & Memories

 

Zebra

Baby Yak

Momma Yak

The Waterfall...

it was very pretty and so powerful sounding!!

Sister picture!

Amanda, Katie, and Courtney

Baby Buffalo

White Tiger

Tiger

This goat looks awful comfortable...

What do you think?

Donkey

 

 

Group Pic

Back Row L-R: Jordan, Ethan, Alex, and Caleb

Middle Row L-R: Katie, Amanda, Courtney, Ashley, and Mariah

Front Row: Me

 



T.E.A.M.: Reward Weeks 1 & 2

These past two weeks I was at camp working on T.E.A.M. again. I had a lot of fun being able to go back and work with some of the same people but also work with and get to know some of the teens from the second session. For our Friday activities, we went tubing down the Red Cedar River and Bowling. Sorry, I don't have any pictures from tubing because I didn't want to get my camera all wet...but, here are a few pics from bowling and some miscellaneous activities. Enjoy!

Toby, Emily, Hannah, and I

 

Hannah and I

 

Our final scores...I didn't do very well.

 

Four on a couch. This game became very interesting when there was only five girls and 12 boys...let's just say that we didn't play boys against girls.

 

We had crazy hair day and this is what happened to Isaac's hair.

 

Bethany and I

 

These last two months have been a lot of fun and I have learned a lot. The one thing that the Lord really taught me was to come out of my comfort zone. I'm not the shyest person around but, I'm not very outgoing either. The Lord put me in a group of 20 other teens that I didn't know and basically said; "You are going to be working with these people, you have to get to know them." Getting to know people most of the time means actually talking to them and starting up a conversation with them before you actually know them. As many of you may know...once I know someone, I have no problem talking to them but to begin with, I don't talk much. The Lord pulled me out of my shell and gave me many new friends as a result.

I loved working on T.E.A.M. and I am looking forward to going back again next year and being able to work with some of the same people. I love you guys and miss you all!

 

Success is Faithfulness!!!