little creations

My new "office" of sorts is my kitchen table. It is a very nice table and has a great view, through the double doors, of the Rim-rocks. At this table, some wonderful "little creations" have been made. And the only rules that reign supreme are neatness, creativity, and fun!

The first was a double-sided sign announcing the Backyard Bible clubs. This was a project which did not require much thought, but only patience and precision in tracing and filling in the letters! But I do need to mention the Magnum Sharpie Markers and the slight headache that followed the completion of the project! Next, is a puzzle made from poster-board, which is going to become a memory verse game for one of the lessons of the Bible Club. I had never made a puzzle before, but the compass and protractor came in very handy! Another creation, which is definitely more yummy than the other two, are some home-made chocolate-chip peanut butter cookies. I cannot take the full credit for the recipe--part was taken from the back of the chocolate chip bag!

~Bekah's Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/2 c.whole wheat flour (or white flour if you prefer.)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 c. chocolate chips

Combine butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield about 2 dozen.

A summer adventure...

This is going to be the first of many blog posts about my *new* summer home! Most, if not all, of my adventures will take place in the beautiful city of Billings Montana. I am working with Big Sky Bible Church to start some children's programs, with the goal of spreading the Gospel and bringing new people into the church. Marsha--who is working with me--and I are organizing the various parts of a 5-day club and a Vacation Bible School. Lord-willing, we are going to hold our first club starting this Saturday for the children in our neighborhood! It is a very exciting and daunting task, but God is in control!

This is now my fifth day as a "Montanan" and I am enjoying every minute of it. My place of residence is a split level home on Winchell Lane. I love having a little space of "my own" (it really isn't my own, but it adds a happy ring if I say it...:).

One of my first tasks as a house-dweller was to mow the lawn. Just a word of advice: make sure that you know how to shut off the mower before you start mowing! If this gives a clue, my moment of panic began as I was mowing and the thought popped into my head..."I wonder how I will turn this thing off...?" In order to justify myself, the mower was broken and so you had to pull the spark plugs in order to turn it off. (I wasn't the only one to make the mistake!)

Looking back...

For the last two years, I have the opportunity to travel with the Cornerstone Bible Institute choir and hand-bell choir. This year, we traveled from Hot Springs, South Dakota across Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virgina, Kentucky, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. The two and a half week journey, from May 19 to June 6, was long at times, but always very rewarding!

It was encouraging to see how God was able to use the choir as we sought to minister to fellow believers. God's grace became a very real thing to all of us, especially when we were exhausted, because we could see how God was working in our lives. Ministry is not done in our strength, but only in the strength of the Lord!

This is the beginning!

Oh joy and happiness! As you can see from the title, this is going to be a "blog of remembrance"! I chose the name "My Ebenezer" after I was reading in my Bible. There I found in a passage in 1 Samuel where it talked about some people who set up a stone as a way to remember how the Lord had been gracious to them. The word literally means a stone of God's help, a standing memorial to the work of God in their lives. This is going to be my stone.