Dance!

With the Viennese Ball only a month away, today we finally started dance practice up again. We, as in, some of the people from my church. We were all struggling to remember the exact moves and tricks that we used to be really fluid at a year or two ago, so we decided we would all try and learn a new trick this week and teach it to everyone next week.

In search of some neat swing dancing moves I came across these videos on YouTube:

I also found a YouTube channel that has some really fun tricks! It's called lovetoswingdance. (I especially like their demonstrations of The Slap dance move and the Tornado dance move)

As for the Viennese waltz I found these videos to be fun to watch and also very helpful:

The Viennese Ball is always fun and I'm really looking forward to it this year as a bunch of my good friends will be going to it as well!!!

P.S. This Viennese Ball is the 2nd largest Viennese ball in the world, (that is, of course, besides the original ball in Vienna).

Better

Better than a beautiful bouquet of arranged roses

is a vase of wildflowers that costs nothing but one's time.

Better than an assorted box of rich, dark chocolates 

is a pan of savory brownies measured with kindness and sprinkled with love.

Better than a string of pricey, white pearls to adorn the neck

are affectionate kisses laced throughout the day that say, "you are valuable to me."

Better than a classy restaurant with fancy waiters and fine wine

is the cleaned up kitchen after dinner that lessens their daily burdens.

Better than a date to the movie theater with soda and popcorn

is a stroll down the road accompanied by talking, listening and laughter.

Better than a life of riches, fame and beauty

is a life filled with understanding and acceptance.

Proverbs 31:30

For favor is deceiful, and beauty is vain:

but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

The Mid-Winter Retreat

This past weekend was one of the most looked-forward-to weekends of the year for the Grace believers in the area. The Mid-Winter Retreat!!
It was an excellent conference this year. From March 4 to Sunday the 6th. There were friends from far and near who gathered to fellowship, share in potlucks, and learn more about God's wonderful blessings for us. The focus of the conference was The Unity of the Spirit (or the Seven One's) mentioned in Ephesians 4.

⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

 ⁵One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

 ⁶One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

One of the most exciting sessions was the very first on Friday afternoon. We call it the Timothy Session because our elders pick a handful of young men or men who have little experience in preaching to do short 30 minute messages. Let me just say that the people who didn't make it to the Timothy Session this year really missed out!!! Those guys had some great topics and passionately delved into the word of God and taught about so much with just the little time they were given. 

In fact you can listen to/download all the messages from this weekend on the Berean Bible Church website.

One of the events I always look forward to is Singspiration. On Saturday night a bunch of the believers gather together to sing music together or do special pieces of music for the others. It is such a fun, up-lifting time to sing praises to God! 

Then there is always the Friday night fun. These past two conferences we've been able to get into the room our church reserves for Nursery/Day Care in the hotel, the night before. I think the hotel let's us get in the room so that we don't all hang out and get noisy in the lobby (which has happened in the past).

We have a great time though! This year we played mostly Catchphrase! 

What a wonderful time!!!! I learned so much!!! I've been enjoying studying off the notes I took and I'm looking for some openings in my busy household so I can listen to some of those excellent messages again. 

I think the main point of the conference was this:

This life is not about you and I, but about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and that we should live for his Glory!

Are We Doing Our Best?

I read this really cool blog post on the Rebelution today. It was about how people don't ever need stop learning. How we never really achieve the highest of potential that we can because we get fall into a level of good achievement and think we're doing our best. 

It was very fascinating... I couldn't even explain it all to you if I tried, but I highly encourage you to check out this blog post. 

You will most definitely be motivated! 

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 Pushing Past the OK Plateau

Winter

After about a week of warm weather that melted most of our snow, today we are stuck at home (they are closing some roads and advising people to not travel). Unfortunately my Aunt, Uncle and cousins were on the way home from church and a truck pulled into the middle of the road, as they were coming down a hill, and they ran into it head-on and ended up in the ditch! Thank goodness nobody got hurt. 
We had already planned to miss church yesterday because my dad figured the conditions would not be fitting for driving.  ..and he was very right!
There is never a day where my Dad or someone in the house does not know what the temperature is or what the weather is supposed to be like. On the farm we have to know these things. 

So today it's windy, warm enough to make the roads slippery and wet/icy, and we are to expect somewhere around 16 inches! 

I think this was just to remind the few that are already hopeful for Spring (like me) that Winter still has two more months to go!

I am looking forward to some nicer weather, but winter isn't so bad... I guess. hehe

Super Exciting!

Well as the whole world must already know, on February 6th, the Green Bay Packers won the XLV Super Bowl!!!

I do not usually watch much football or any sports for that matter but when the Green Bay Packers make it to the Super Bowl it is a "must watch" occasion.
The game was really close Steelers had 25 points and the Packers 31 at the end of the game.
 

 It kept everyone on the edge of their seats the whole time.

 The in"G"enious cheese tray.

 Rob and Alisha!!! Note: Rob's duct tape, green and gold hat!

 The Packers won once Landyn put his lucky hat on!

My family gathered in (our good friends) the Sieg's little living room. We all ate lots of good food, drank tasty drinks and screamed and yelled and cheered for the Packers!!! I was practically hoarse by the end of the night!

 It was just like old times (when we were all young) and the Packers won the Super Bowl in 1996! 

What fun!!

Our neighbors down the road who have this tiny house had probably 15 to 20 cars lined up in their driveway!! It was hilarious! ...we figure they must have a nice TV.

You can watch some videos of our fanatical party at the Sieg's on my youtube account: musicianmel 

I enjoyed texting friends and especially my big brother Daniel (who lives in AZ now) during the game! I wish he could have been there with us... but I'm sure he had everybody in AZ getting in the Wisconsin spirit!!! ;)

As always the commercials were funny.

....well there are a bunch of other hilarious ones... but I won't bore you with them all. ;)

Here's the awesome coach Mike McCarthy.

 Who doesn't think Clay Matthews is awesome??

Aaron Rodgers is definitely a great quarterback. 

He was voted MVP this year!

(Did you know he's a Christian? and has his own record label? ...it just keeps getting better!)

Victory was ours!!!! The team deserved it for playing so well through the whole season. They almost didn't make it.... but happened to be the wild card team picked from the NFC division. It is the first time a wild card team has ever won the Super Bowl! 

GO PACKERS!!!! 

In Just 200 Years...

My Grammy had my family watch this short little clip today. It was quite fascinating! It is only 5 minutes long so do take the time to watch it. You'll be wishing there was more by the time it's over.

And trust me, you're going to want it full screen. So don't hesitate... enlarge it before you watch it!