Our Year in Review!

Dear Family and Friends,                                      December 2016

     Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year to each and everyone of

you! 

   How thankful we are that Jesus truly is the Reason for the Season! God is in control of everything that happens in our lives! There is nothing that He doesn't know or care about and there are no surprises with Him. We are so thankful for a God who knows all things even in the uncertainties in our nation and our future ahead...God knows, cares about us and has a plan in all he allows. We can rest assured that NOTHING can come to us unless it first comes past our loving Heavenly Father and if it comes past Him that He allows it for our good in some way or other.

    Our year began in January with a hard blow when we learned that our little one who we were eagerly looking forward to arriving in August was going home to Jesus, when Carissa had a tubal pregnancy and emergency surgery. It was hard to let another little one go Home to Heaven but we saw God's hand leading through it too. It was no surprise to Him and for some reason He allowed it because He sees the bigger picture in our lives.

    Even with everything that happened we were glad we could still make it up to Canada for Conroy's youngest brother's wedding in January.

    Conroy continues to keep busy with EMS work with our local ambulance service. He is doing less yard care and carpentry jobs because our family business Doorpost Vinyl Designs continues to grow and orders keep coming in, which is a blessing. Whether it's a verse for the wall, a 4X8 sign for a business, decals for business trucks, or a canvas for the wall....he keeps busy filling orders.

    I (Carissa) keep busy with homeschooling and keeping up with a busy 2 year old, as well other things that go with running a home. I've been enjoying sewing for the ladies in our family as I have time. Conroy bought me a Silhouette cutter so I'm looking forward to do some scrap booking this winter and hopefully catch up with picture albums again this winter.

    We also enjoyed celebrating our 10^th anniversary in September with a relaxing and refreshing time together by going to an overnight get away at a Bed and Breakfast about 1&1/2 hours from here.

    Laticia Faith at 8, is in the third grade and doing well. It's a blessing to seeing her picking up more books and reading them on her own. She likes to help her Daddy with the signs and decals when she can. It's also a great blessing to see her heart open to Jesus and her desire to follow Him!

   Lanae Delight at 2, is a “delight” to our home and family as well. She loves to do what big sister does. If big sister has her hair done, then she needs her hair done. Even though her vocabulary is still quite limited, she understands a lot of what we say and she can communicate her desires.

    We've also had a busy summer and fall with gardening, canning, and going on several trips to Canada to spend time with family, one to Kansas in April for a Troyer Reunion, as well one to Virgina when Carissa's Grandpa Alger passed away. We've also gone to Minnesota a couple of times to help Carissa's sister Monica and Jesse Rensberry who are building a house.

    God has been good to us and we are thankful for His many blessings.  He knows what the future holds and we are so glad that we do not need to fear. As a precious promise out of Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

May God richly bless each of you!

With Love in Christ, ~ The Loewens

In Loving Memory...

Safe With Jesus

Our babies are safe with Jesus.

Safe in His mighty arms.

Where ne're a sorrow, or pain will befall them.

They're free from all alarms.

Though we miss them here on earth,
And we long to hold them near.

 Yet Jesus can fill all the pain we feel.
With His sweet presence so dear.

                     Along with the joy of Heaven,

                    And seeing our Saviour's face.

                      We have precious souls that we will meet,

                    In Heaven, in a sweet embrace.

                        ~ Carissa J. Loewen ~

                      June 3, 2011

                       God gave this poem after losing our second

                         precious baby through miscarriage.

    This month our hearts are turned to heaven once again as we think of our 3 precious, angel, treasures waiting for us in heaven.

The first weekend of August we had a Troyer family reunion and it was also our "due date" for the little one that went "Home" in January.  My dear sister Melinda blessed us with these roses in remembrance of our little one that could have made us a family of 5 here on earth (one rose for each of us).  I was also thinking how 5 roses can represent our children 3 in heaven and 2 precious miracles here with us on earth. 

  We are so thankful for the precious girls God has give us and need wisdom from God daily to raise them for Him, and we look forward to Heaven where we can meet the rest of our family someday.

 

Thanking God for our little Miracle!!!

Our Miracle Baby: Lanae Delight Loewen

 

 

 

                                           Born: October 8, 2014 at 7:11 a.m.
                                        Weight: 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 22 inches long

                                             A precious little gift from God!

                                                 Now we are a family of four!

                                                   Laticia loves her baby sister!

                                Dressed up for her first Sunday when she went to church!

    We thank God for the Miracles He has blessed us with.  Each child is a gift from God and we pray God will give us wisdom as we seek to train these precious gifts up for Him.

It takes courage to care...

Parts of this song: It Takes Courage to Care have been going around in my mind lately.
                You can close your heart to others, and no heartaches you will share,
                For to sympathize brings sorrow are you afraid to really care.
                But just think what might have happened if the one on Calvary.
                Had been afraid to care for you and me.
          chorus:
                 It takes courage to care, it takes strength to sympathize.
                 It takes courage to show pity, yes it takes a man to cry.
                 There was One who walked before us up the hill to Calvary
                 He had courage to care for you and me.

                 You may build a shell around you until no one can get through
                  And your friends are only those who can do the best for you.
                  You may think this way is easy but the price you'll pay is high
                  For your letting out the best things in life.

   I don't what to close my heart to others...I want to care, to forgive, to follow Jesus example of walking in love daily.  Recently I've been reading the book of Ephesians and have been so blessed by it just to realize God's love for each one of us.
   In Ephesians 2:4 amplified version says "But God -so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us..."  God loved us so much even when we were dead in our sins, with all our failures, shortcomings, sin...yet, He loves us, forgives us and saves us by His grace that we don't deserve.
   It's nothing that we have done or can do to deserve this gift of salvation.  It's not a striving after it (nothing we can ever do will earn us this gift) but  a quiet surrender and acceptance of the gift God offers.  God has blessed me by just reminding me of what He has done for me and for all who accept His gift.  It's so beautiful!!!
    Surrender that is another thing God is teaching me, when things happen that are beyond my control, when people are hurting and I wish I could fix the problem,  when things are confusing...I just have to surrender and trust that God will work things out for His glory.
   These verses from Ephesians 3:14-21 are my prayer, for our church family, myself personally and anyone else who needs a special touch from God.
   " For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,   Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,   That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;   That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;   And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.   Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,   Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. "

A busy summer...

  We've had a very busy last few months. In August Conroy sprained his ankle really bad and had to take it easy for a while.
  Then we were blessed with corn, along with other garden things...then we took a quick trip up to Canada towards the beginning of September.  We enjoyed relaxing and spending time with family at a campout with Conroy's Mom's family. 
  After our trip to Canada we got busy with applesauce and tomato products (tomato juice, pizza sauce, and salsa).  I tried making ketchup  this year too as our family goes through the ketchup. I'm hoping to make some tomato soup yet with some of the tomatoes that are ripening yet.  It's good to be winding down with canning but I'm so thankful for all the things God provided.
    Laticia has been a good help to me with ending the green beans, winding the victorian strainer when we are making applesauce or tomato juice, etc.  For storytime I've been reading the Laura Ingalls books to her.
   Conroy has been very busy lately trying to keep up with studying and work, etc. He and my brother Tim along with Ethan Peake are carpooling and attending the Advanced EMT classes in Rice Lake.  It's every Tuesday and Thursday evening and one Saturday (during the day) a month that they go for classes.
  This past Sunday I was blessed by the sermon Dad shared on being filled with the Spirit.  He read some out of Ephesians 5.  As I was turning to that chapter on Sunday verse 2 just kind of "jumped out" at me.
  Verse 1&2 :  "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."  The WALK IN LOVE stood out to me.  It was a challenge to me...it's a command God wants me to follow him and walk in love as he has loved me.  It was a good challenge for me this year as Monday was my birthday.   It's been my prayer that God will help me daily...moment by moment to walk in love....to love as Jesus would...that all my thoughts, words, attitudes and actions would be like Christ.  The morning of my birthday the song" Thine for service" was going through my mind.  The chorus goes: "Thine for service when the days are drear,
                                              Thine for service when the skies are clear,
                                             Yes thine for service through the coming year.
                                                    I am Thine for service Lord." 
 This is my prayer and longing to be a channel of His love to everyone.  It's something for which I need His constant help and strength.

Welcome to Door Post Vinyl Designs!

  Conroy has been working on setting up and starting these past few months our new family business. If you want an outside sign or an inside verse decal Conroy should be able to get something designed for you.
Below are a couple verses we have in our bedroom, and the sign is one he made for a customer,  or you can check out the website. Maybe you have an idea of your own that you would like made.    www.doorpostvinyldesigns.com

 

My favorite Pickles

  Seeding tomatoes, peppers and some impation flowers yesterday reminds me that summer is coming and gardening too.  I'm looking forward to all those fresh garden things again. Yummy! 
  A friend was asking for my pickle recipe recently so here it is.  This is the one that I got from my mother-in-law and is our family's favorite.
   Dill Pickles (Small Ones)
10 cups. water
4 cups. vinegar (white distilled)
2 cups. sugar (I even do less if I don't want them as sweet. Maybe 1&1\2 cups.)
3\4  cup salt
1 Tablespoon pickling spice
 Combine and cook all the above until it boils.
  Add a head or stalk of dill, a bit of onion, and 1 clove of garlic in each jar. Fill with your small cucumbers and pour hot brine over them.   Boil lids and close jars.  Place in hot water bath canner and just bring to boil (you don't want to cook them too long so they will still be nice and crunchy), then take out and screw lids tight and turn upside down on towel to cool. (I've had trouble sometimes with them sealing so that is why I tighten the screw and turn them upside down to help them seal better.)  This brine recipe makes around 11 quarts.
   Below is the finished product from last summer!