ANOTHER GATHERING DONE

we just had our family gathering and it was great.but this year it was a bit different.different as far as gifts go.everyone decided this year presents would be for the children.it felt strange not getting gifts for everyone.but i think we all enjoyed watching the little ones open their gifts.to me that is a gift in itself.just to see the happiness and excitment on their faces.
   the adults enjoyed each others company.just being together as a family,thats what gives me the greatest joy.mike and rebeka presented me with a gift.it was a wedding picture and also a family picture.when i looked at the picture,i felt such joy.just seeing what a beautiful family i have been blessed with.i remember saying to myself as i looked at the family picture,"thank you Ed for leaving me with such a wonderful family".
  all in all,this was a great christmas.
    now its time to go rest for awhile and then its time for bed and off to work tomorrow again.

DECEMBER IS HERE

well now starts the busy season for some people.but for me it is not to bad.i am happy that my children like christmas to be more fellowship and less about gifts.we enjoy the food and just getting together.the little ones of course like to get presents,as we all did at that age.
on saturday we had our first gathering for this season with my mom and dad and allllllllll the rest of the schellenberg clan.it was great like always.
ken is starting to feel better and was able to be at the gathering for a short time.of course he went to the food as soon as he got there.he certainly is getting his appetite back again.

HI THERE

ummmm ok,its been awhile.so now i got to think what to write about first.been lots going on in my home.its bad but its also the best.ken has been real sick and in and out of the hospital.they finally found he had gallstones.they removed them.and then they found some stones had remained and he ended up getting pancratitis.and that is very painful.but with the right medications and diet,he is getting better now.alot of his medical problems were due to his alchoholism.and this is where i get to the point why i said it was also the best thing to happen.he now realized what his drinking is doing to him and his family.the doctors basically told him to stop drinking now or die.he has abstained from alchohol since the middle of september and he said he will never again touch it.and i totally believe him because this pain is something he will never forget.i only wish everyone who drinks alchohol would realize that this could happen to them to.you are not immune to something like this.wake up people.alchohol is the devils drink and he wants only to destroy you.fight him and dont let him win.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Fight is what we have to do when it comes to satan.he just will not stop.i remember when kelsey prayed so hard for her dad to also become a christian.the devil fought her all the way.but the devil lost that fight.then kelsey got into the wrong crowd and lost her way.i think she wanted to be popular like the other girls.and thats when satan saw his opening.he lost the fight against kelseys prayers for her dad and now he is after kelsey.i believe satan wants to break the family and he will use anyone he can.but we will pray and keep praying for her to find her way back to God.with God all things are possible and i know God will not let satan win.the devil is a looser and he will loose this fight to.I PRAY FOR A HEDGE OF PROTECTION AROUND KELSEY,FATHER GOD,PLEASE WATCH OVER MY GRANDDAUGHTER.KEEP HER SAFE AND WARM HER HEART,OPEN HER EYES SO SHE CAN SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING.I PRAY KELSEY WILL LET GO OF SOME OF THE SO CALLED FRIENDS THAT ARE BAD INFLUENCES ON HER.SHE IS YOUNG AND NOT TO STRONG RIGHT NOW,SO LORD,KEEP HER CLOSE TO YOU.LORD I ALSO PRAY FOR STRENGTH FOR ALL OF US TO STAY STRONG AND HELP HER.IN JESUS NAME,AMEN.

GONE IS GONE

why do we always wait to say what we feel or to do what we want?why do we always say"we can go see this or that person another time"why do we always put off what is really important just because we THINK we can do it another time?GONE IS GONE.when they are gone you can say"I SHOULD HAVE" all you want.but it won't matter because its to late.we need to live today as if there is no tomorrow because God never said we will be here tomorrow.
so lets clean up our act and get on the narrow path to life,eternal life with Jesus.there is no such thing as a little white lie.a lie is a lie and God hates liars.to take something that doesn't belong to you,is stealing,yes even if it is downloading things from the internet that you know have been stolen by someone else and put on here.it doesn't matter how we try to sugar coat things we do,wrong is wrong and there is no inbetween.so stop trying to justify things you do.you may fool some people with that,but you will never fool God.when we make a choice,we better make sure its the right choice,there are always consequences for the things we do.read your Bible if you are not sure what is right and what is wrong.hell is an eternal fire that will never go out.the pain,the screaming,the torture,its all eternal.wouldn't you rather be in Heaven with Jesus?no tears,no pain,peace for all time.I CHOOSE HEAVEN....WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?????

GOOD TIME

i had a nice time out with my granddaughter today.we always talk about alot of stuff.first we went to the florist to get some flowers for Eds grave(i hate saying that word)but it felt good to do that.after we went to mcdonalds for some fries and a drink.we talked about how even telling people we are a different age then we really are,is lieing.at first she didnt think such a small thing was really a big deal,but i think now she knows a lie is a lie,no matter how small.
it sometimes amazes me how we think small things are not important.but we need to remember that God says we will have to account for every little thing in our lives.
she asked me about what heaven will be like.she wondered if we will have wings.i love her questions,sometimes she ask complicated questions,but i do my best to answer her.

OK,I AM HERE

I went to church yesterday.it is so uplifting.i really enjoy the southland church.its been awhile since i was at church.seems i am always waiting for the next person to be ready to go.but i know God won't always wait.its best to do what God wants and not wonder what others want.after all....we will each answer to Him for our choices in life.

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND

this weekend was so awesome.on friday we went to visit mom and dad.when we left there,ken said he wanted to stop and get a pepsi at the gas station.he never does that.he went in and bought a drink and guess who was working there.his grandson,whom he had not seen in many years.ken was so excited to meet and talk to jaden again.i saw Gods hands at work in this.wow.
then on saturday a woman came to our door.she was with world vision.i have wanted for so long to sponser a child.she showed us four boys she still needed sponsers for.i immediatly saw the one i wanted.she said this one little three year old,no one had wanted so far.seems people always take the older ones.but i just loved this little boy from first sight.so ken and i signed up to be his sponsers.when we were almost finished the paper work,i noticed the little boys birthday.it was august seventh.that was the day Ed had passed away.to me this was a sign from God.i had made the right choice.so this little boy we are sponsering in loving memory of Ed.God has truely blessed me this weekend.easter weekend,the weekend when He died for us and rose again for us all.thank you God for all you have done for us.may the Lord bless and keep everyone.

He is the only way

He died on that cross for you and for me.He gave us freedom to choose right or wrong.and with every sin,we helped put the nails into His hands.its so easy for us to just do as we please.we don't think of the pain each sin causes our Lord.He suffered so much for us.remember what good friday is all about.Jesus did this for us.He gave His own life so we could spend eternity with Him.STOP and take a good look at what you do.how are you living your life?do you just go along with what others do?do you find yourself saying"well its not really sin"? sin is sin and to try and justify things won't make it ok.there is right and there is wrong.there is no in between.God says that you are either hot or you are cold.luke warm He will spit out.choose today who you will follow.don't think you need to first let go of some things that you still enjoy doing.if you come to the Lord,He will help you clean up your life.God changes you from the inside to the outside.life with God is the only way to live.He is always with you.right beside you and will never leave you alone.just look at the love God has already showen you.He gave His only Son to die on the cross for you.i have heard people say"that was not much of a sacrifice because God knew He could raise His son again".but just imagine...could you watch your child die a death like that?even if you knew you could bring him back to life...there is no way we could bare to watch our child go through that.RIGHT?thats how much God loves us.He gave His all just for us.without God we have no hope....but if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.....put all our hopes and fears in Him.....put all our faith in Jesus.....we will have an eternal home....we will live in a sin free world.....and we will feel a love like never before.JESUS IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT,NO MAN CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM.so don't wait for tomorrow or next week,accept Jesus now.we do not know if we have a tomorrow.

IDOLS IN OUR HEAD

Scripture says that we need to subjugate even our beliefs and convictions to the law of love (Rom. 13:8,10; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8), for love fulfills the law and leads to peace and mutual edification.
When opinions and preferences become more important to us than what God says is valuable to Him, we have made idols out of our own beliefs. Idolatry is a serious offense because it violates the first and most important command: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3).
my opinion is...my convictions are....my my my....this can get us in trouble.what we should be saying is Gods opinions and His convictions....thats whats important.we are filled with a me me me world.we are lead by our feelings and our thoughts.some of our feelings and thoughts are good,but lets not forget to make sure God is involved with all this.i never knew that our opinons and preferences could become idols.remember what is valuable to God and always ask Him about your decisions in life.
yesterday i was upset with my boss at the way they treat employees and i found myself having very bad thoughts of revenge.i let my FEELINGS control my thoughts.i know this was not pleasing to God.revenge is mine saith the Lord.i will let God take care of the problems at work and i will just do my job the best i can.after all...retirement is not that far away.

JUST VENTING

i agree with you carol.winter can give us a break already.but i would love even more to get a break from grannys poultry.it so hard to believe how that place has changed.and i don't mean for the best.it is a bad place to work now.people are just numbers and they care nothing about us.we use to be able to talk to our bosses but now if we try to voice our opinion,they just look at as as if to say,"do your job or you will be replaced with the next boat load of people" grannys needs about 250 workers to run the plant.in the past year they have gone through over 5000 people they have hired.when a business goes through that many people,then you know there is something seriously wrong in the management department.but i have decided that i will just do my job as best i can.the day will come when they will be held responsible for how they treat their workers.so,anyone thinking of working at grannys...please don't do it.to put it mildly..grannys is hell on earth.ok,now i feel better,i just needed to write my thoughts and feelings.i think i am ready to retire from that place.time to find something better and possibly part time work.

LISTEN WHEN HE TALKS TO YOU

thursday was a great reminder to me again about how i need to work on my patience.i had a long day at work and just wanted to get home.when i got to stonebridge crossing again there were cars waiting at the intersection to turn around.i had been watching the traffic coming so that i was sure it was clear for me to turn across the road to get to my street and just get home.the two vans blocked some of my veiw but i was sure it was safe to cross the road.i was wrong.i have no idea where that other car came from,maybe off one of the businesses on that side of the road.all i remember is the sound of both our cars screeching tires.in my mind i felt the impact.but thank God we missed each other and went on our way.God has been trying to teach me patience,but i have been so hard headed.i thank God for this lesson and i pray that now i will listen.the next lesson might be a lot stronger.LISTEN WHEN GOD SPEAKS TO YOU.ITS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

GET IN SHAPE

well summer is almost here. winter is hard on a lot of us.we become sluggish and seem to go into slow motion.and as spring gets closer we start to feel a bit more alive.we see the grass turn green and the flowers blooming.things start to look so beautiful again.and with the warm weather we start to think about biking and camping.the joggers come out again and everyone is busy trying to get in shape again.getting the body in shape is a good thing,but lets not forget to always keep our mind and heart in good shape.lets remember God is the one who makes summer so beautiful.He brings the rain and the sunshine so everything will grow again.so always remember to give thanks to the creator of all things.

I WAS SURPRIZED

today was the first time ken and i went to church together.he told me last week that he wanted to go to church this sunday.but i was not very convinced,because he has said that before.but surprise surprise,it did happen.and he said he would like to go next sunday to..he was even singing in church.yeah i am happy about this.i like it when he said he was thinking that he would like to get baptized in this church.but i know he first wants to know this church a bit more.and i won't push it either.either way,this is a start and i am happy about it.talk to you later.

FRIDAY THE "13"

No i am not writing about superstitions.what i was doing was looking on carols blog to see if there were some updates,but friday the 13th was her last entry todate.i will have to wait till they get home.its a good thing she has no time to write,cause it means they are having a good time.anyways,back to why i titled this friday the 13th.well that is the day i had my first smoke free day.and i still have not smoked.also i have quit using that medication to help stop smoking.i am doing great and love being smoke free.of course i sometimes feel i want to have just one puff,but no way am i doing that.so for anyone who wants to quit smoking and needs help.i highly recommend CHAMPIX.

GOD DOES LOVE YOU

sometimes when we are feeling life is so bad,that nothing ever goes right,no matter what we do,we start to think God does not love us.we even blame Him for our bad life.when things are constantly turning out for the worse,STOP.....and take a good look at yourself.how are you living your life?are you constantly blaming others for your problems?do you do good things for others and then expect something in return?do you dwell on how others have hurt you?you need to leave your past behind.ask God to help you to forgive what others have done to you.give your life over to Jesus.when you truely give your life to Jesus,He will help you.but you need to give all your life to Him.you can't do it on a part time basis.its all or nothing.HOT or COLD. LUKE WARM PEOPLE He will spit out.

THE TRUEST LOVE

Long before a day in February was set aside to celebrate love, the world received a love letter—and that changed everything .We give valentines,flowers and chocolates to our sweethearts.We do so much to show our love to the one we love.So lets not forget to show our love to the one who first loved us.FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,FOR WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM,SHALL NOT PARISH,BUT HAVE EVER LASTING LOVE.JOHN 3:16.....NOW BE HONEST,IS THERE ANY LOVE GREATER THEN THAT?happy valentines day everyone.

LAUGHTER

do you know that satan hates laughter?he hates when families laugh together.he would rather see frustration,anger,depression and that kind of stuff.laughter releases a natural healing chemical in the body.try it.when you laugh you also will start feeling better.when you start to feel upset about something,try laughing.laughing is contagious.
laughing brings joy.joy comes from God.when you look trouble in the face,you can laugh and say"God is in control and trouble will not win".
laughter will drive evil away.so FILL YOUR HOME WITH LAUGHTER.

ALWAYS GOOD

ken and me watched HEAVENS GATES AND HELLS FLAMES .it was good to watch.it would be great if they would bring it back to steinbach again.i would defianetly go see it again.so many think just by doing good things for others and generally being a good person will get you into heaven.but that is just not enough.you have to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.you need to ask Him into your heart.works alone will not save you.

I KNOW YOU SAID THANK YOU

yes i know you did say thank you Carol,i was just saying that doing things for others is doing Gods work and we should never be offended when people forget to say thank you because God rewards us for these things in heaven.and yes i do appreciate your phone call just to say thank you.and you know i am always,at least most of the time,availible for all of you.just call or come over. :)

ADDICTION UPDATE

well today is two months that i stopped my gambling addiction.the desire has completely left me.and i have God to thank for that.many times i would pray for God to help me stop.and He did.but the problem was that i did not do my part.God will always help us in times of need but He wants us to do our part to.it took me a long time to learn that lesson.but thank God i have now.He will give us the same lesson over and over again,until we get it right.so its kind of like being in school for our entire life.the school of eternal life.and when we graduate from this school,what a wonderful day that will be.
now for my smoking,its going pretty good.i wish it would work faster,but i know not to push more then i can handle.i am down to half a pack now and i am happy about that.and i am very thankful to the people who are praying for me.well thats it for now.talk to you later.

FEELINGS OF PEACE

today while i was at work,i started to think about this feeling i have been having for a few days now.it is an amazing feeling.i have a peace in my heart now that i have never felt before.sometimes when i would think of my age and i would think that life is over half over for me,i would think of heaven and hell,and i would feel so afraid.i really did not know where i was going to end up.i prayed all the time but never found peace.i think this peace came when i finally quit gambling.that sinful habit weighed very heavy on me for many years.i feel so free now.i feel closer to God then i did before.now when i think of the end,i just think how good it will be to see Ed in heaven.if you can't find peace,then take a good look at what you do.the answer is all to often in your own life style.we do what we do not want to do,but what we want to do,we do not do.

DON'T GET NOTICED

do you ever feel you don't get thanked for things you do?does it leave you feel unappreciated?does it leave you feeling lonely and just plain left out?then join the club.we all go through things like that.when someone forgets to thank you,tell yourself its not that big a deal.wouldn't you rather get your thank you in heaven?we should be doing things for others because God wants us to.this is one way of building up treasures in heaven.so when we do things for others,do it with a pure heart.do it for God.

HOW CAN YOU NOT BELIEVE

how can people not believe in God?all they need to do is look around.look at what is happening in this world.compare it to what the book of revelations says.how can some believe one day and the next day they totally change their minds.i just can't comprehand this.when things are going good they believe.when things are going bad,they don't believe there is a God.they say"if there is a God then how can such bad things happen".God gave us free will.we are the ones who choose to do bad things.thats not Gods choice.when we choose to take the wrong path then we have to face the consequences to.don't blame God when bad things happen,blame yourself for the choices you make.don't you think its time we all open our eyes and face the truth.there is a heaven and a hell.i am so very worried for the ones who choose not to believe.especially when it comes to family members.

HIS NAME IN VAIN

this is the third commandment"YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF YOUR GOD IN VAIN"well i feel this one speaks very clearly.how many times do you hear people say"OH MY GOD".do you think thats ok?i heard a pastor talk on this one time.he asked"when you say "OH MY GOD",are you really talking to God or is it just slang to you?i feel when we use it as slang then its not right.God is not just a slang word and we need to learn to show respect when we say His Name.just because everyone else says it,does not make it right.next time you want to say"OH MY GOD"or other similar sayings,think of what you are saying and ask yourself if God is pleased with the way you talk.His name is precious,His name is Holy.give honor to His name.

NO GRAVEN IMAGES

and now this is the second commandment...You shalt not make unto yourself any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth......so,what are graven images?well i believe a graven image is occult like images or carvings.some say it also would include pictures of Jesus.i really don't believe that.a picture of Jesus or even the cross,are for us to better get a grasp on things.when we look at the cross,it reminds us of what Jesus did for us.so when we pray,remember that you are praying to God in heaven.
but i would like some input on this commandment.i understand the graven image part,but this part i could use some help on,"or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,or that is in the earth beneath,or that is in the water under the earth".
so if you have a comment on this part,let me know.

NO OTHER GODS

most everyone knows the ten commandments.right?so lets talk about the first commandment today.YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.so what does that mean to you?many maybe think it is talking about some kind of statues.but did you know that whenever you become obsessed with something,it becomes your god.i mean things like vlt's,bingo,alcohol and thats just to name a few.when something becomes more important to you then our Heavenly Father,then that is like a god to you.remember that our God is a jealous God and He will not take second place to anything or anyone.

IF MORE WERE LIKE HER

I was just remembering about the day my granddaughter told me about this boy in her classroom.he would always come to school unkept.his hair messy and clothes were not very clean.for lunch he would have maybe an apple.one day she decided to share her lunch with him.she found out that his family did not have much and an apple was all he had to take for lunch.after that day she would make herself a bigger lunch so she had extra and could share with him.i found this to be so touching.that a young girl like her would see the need of another child and do something to help.
when we see a person on the street with tattered clothing and looking for a hand out,we are fast to judge that person.we call them bums or other names and we turn our nose up at them and walk away.why do we think we are better then that "bum".we are all Gods children .we don't know what circumstances brought that person to live on the streets.yes there are some people who are just simply lazy and want the free easy life,but thats not for us to judge.just simply help those in need of help.you may ask"well how do i know when someone is truely in need of my help".its simple,pray for God to open your eyes and simply look around.there are so many in need of our help right here in our own city.when you give to help others,it leaves a warm and loving feeling in your heart.this feeling is Gods smile upon your heart.when we give to help others,we are doing Gods work.so,come on people,lets get to work.
be more like my granddaughter and just be kind.

OOOPS,I FORGOT TO SAY

on january 14,2009 Ken became grandpa again.his daughter Shannon and Matt had a baby girl.so that makes him grandpa three times.but i still got him beat...i am grandma four times.and proud to be one to.we always think that once our children grow up and get married,that then we will be able to rest and not worry about them.but...SURPRISEEEEE.....now we worry for our grandchildren.well its not really worry,i guess its more like hoping they dress warm in the winter and that they don't get hurt by others and stuff like that.ok ok,i guess that is still worry..oh well,what can i say,i am their grandma. ;)

IT STINKS

Smoking.now thats a stinky subject.i sometimes wonder why we smokers say it tastes good,it helps us to relax and we enjoy it.what in the world tastes good in smokes?and relax,lol,now thats a joke to.how can anyone feel relaxed with a smoke when we know it costs a small fortune to smoke and we know that smoking can cause cancer and other diseases.and how can we feel good when we smell like doggy dodo.i can imagine what goes through my grand childrens minds when they give me a hug and all they smell is stale smoke.
i personally hate smoking and am now taking steps to quit.my doctor put me on champix now.and valentines day is my stop date.so to anyone reading this,help me by praying for me.quitting is hard.any smoker will tell you this.but i am very determined to stop this smelly habit.i want to get my health back and feel more energetic so i can enjoy my grand children again.
this summer i am hoping to be able to go for long walks and bike riding without loosing my breath.the one thing i will not do is to give my last breath to a smoke.you see,this is another addiction that just destroys your life.life will end for all of us,but why speed it up by smoking.God gave me three wonderful children and He has blessed me with four fantastic grandchildren.and i want to be here for them for as long as i can.so yeah,quitting smoking is serious business for me.
the champix program is a three month program,so i will let you know how things are going with it.will power and determination and help from God are the main keys to winning.

SO VERY RIGHT

i just read the comment carol made.and you are so right.when we decide to fight addictions,its all or nothing.if we open even one door,we loose.the door can be so small,like just looking at the thing you have an addiction to.or even just thinking about it.because what the devil does is put the thought into your mind.and then he will get you to visualize it in your mind.and when you start to get that picture in your mind,it is very hard to resist that temptation.what i do when that thought comes into my head,is i start singing anything i can think of.if the thought persists,i just sing louder.this works for me.basically do whatever it takes to side track yourself from those thoughts.i found that the first week was the hardest,but i am so happy i made this first step.this is a fight i will not loose again.with God on my side,i can do all things.all praise be to God.

IS IT SUMMER YET?

minus minus minus BRRRRRRRRR i'm voting we have summer now.lol.i was happy to hear the hanover school division closed today.the thought of my granddaughter having to go out in this cold was not a good thought.hope you had a good day kels.a good and warm day inside.

Can You Control It?

you have heard the saying"once an addict,always an addict".well thats true.i had stopped gambling for about three months.then one day i decided it was ok to just go watch my friends play vlt's.and it was ok,because i left without playing.the next time i gave my friend twenty dollars to play for me.i thought that was ok to.well the next time i again asked my friend to play the vlt for me,but this time i decided to push the buttons a bit.and that was it,i was hooked again.its like they say,"if you play with fire,you will get burned".i got burned.for a year i kept going and wasting more and more money.i knew my children were so hurt by this.but i just couldn't stop.i felt embarressed and so angry at myself everytime i went there.january 1,2009 i decided that i had had enough.i prayed for God to help me.and i have not gone back there.i honestly don't even miss it all that much.it wasn't easy to stop.you need alot of determination and trust in God.God will always help,but He wants us to do our part to.
so if you think you can control an addiction,you are kidding yourself.at first you may have some control,but trust me,you will get burnt.i decided my family is more important then any vlt or any other kind of addiction.so if you have an addiction,just ask yourself,WHATS IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE?

Addictive world

why is it that people seem to get addicted to things so easily?weather it be gambling,drinking,smoking to name just a few.we all think it can't hurt to do it just once.but think again.once can be fun and thats where it gets you.one day of fun and then another and another and BANG.you're hooked.and when we realize this,its to late.so of course we start to justify what we do.at least i know i did.and not to mention the money we loose to our addictions.the amount can be unreal.but its not the money that counts in addictions.its what happens to the family of the one who has an addiction problem.as an addict,we do not spend much time with family because we are to busy "having fun".we do not see the pain or the embarressment we cause to our family.addictions is just another tool the devil uses to tear families apart.
i have so much more to say on this topic.but for now i will stop.but trust me,i am not nearly done with this topic.

About Me

my name is Dora.i am married to Ken Hildebrand.i have three children and four grandchildren.Ken has three children and three grandchildren.we have been married almost six months now.we live in Steinbach.i guess there is alot more i could write here,but this will have to do for now.