The Dells and Afterwards

Mt. Olympus holds many wonderful memories for me! We always love to see our grandsons, but the added delight of observing their faces light-up as they took their turn on some enormously steep slide or jumped into the 9 ft. wave still brings a smile to my face. Our youngest daughter came and enjoyed the fun also! What a blend of personalities our family holds! I still cannot believe our oldest grandson, who is not that old, actually enjoyed the slide, which seemed like a straight drop off.  I still see him in my nightmares. Falling, falling, and falling some more. He ended up splashing us with a huge wave! I don’t’ think he will ever be afraid of a ride again. Now, is that a good thing or  not!! That second contraption, which looks like a too-large triangle was my dumb attempt to experience something new! My daughter rode that ride with me. Bless her heart. I, unlike my grandson, did not overcome my fear of heights or possible dropping.  If that seat hadn’t held me tight...Oh goodness, I arrived at Mt. Olympus a coward and left there the same!  I even ran into some people I recognized while on our way around the water park! Imagine that! How often does that ever happen? Every now and then a chilling breeze hints at the winter weather that will soon visit us, for too many months. Yes, winter is just around the corner. But these memories of family and the Dell's keep me warm and full of joy! I will hold onto a bit of summer in the middle of the worse Wisconsin chill for sure!

So much has been happening. Once we took our grandchildren back home we returned to our limping puppy. She leaped too many steps at the babysitters. (They are not called leaping Leo’s for nothing!) I must stress it was not the babysitters fault! It turned out she pulled her tendon and I had to not walk her for a week!! By the second day of meds and confinement she seriously appeared to have swallowed Tigger. We did our level best to stop her jumping, which was spurred on by her frustrated energy build up!! She was so very glad to begin her walking about town adventures with me once again! Since then we have lengthened our explorations and visited many interesting streets. Porschea’s nose is ever busy experiencing the sidewalk in a way that I can’t even imagine! And may I add, in a way I do not want to imagine! We have met so many people, dogs, and bugs along our various routes. Every day is a surprisingly fun memory and learning curve with our full of personality 70 ½ pound puppy!

Work has begun in full force and the days slip by before I can even sneeze it seems! Porschea is in her second round of classes and I am enjoying a wonderful Beth Moore Bible study called Believing God! I would recommend it if you want to live a victorious Christian life! I’ve not been good about doing all of my homework but I definitely want to catch up because her studies are wonderfully thought provoking and encourage me to live for excellence and not shirk the hard to deal with issues and irritations of life! Believing God – yes that is the right stand to take in every situation!  

Comment Problems Still!

Hi all!

I am still unable to make comments on my blog and some other blogs also. I am not a technical lady and with my busy schedule I keep putting off looking for the solution for fixing this difficulty! Sorry that I can’t acknowledge your comments. You are all important to me. Since blogger.com had problems I’ve inherited this hindrance to my communication with you all! I can still look at your blogs and once in a while the comment I write is accepted – what joy!! I will be leaving for a Christian Writers conference soon! God is gracious !! He has made a way and granted me favor! I’m so excited and I’m full of joy – my cup runneth over. J I’m taking care of all those details one does before making an important trip! Food for my hubby, the dog, the cat, and the birds. Snack food for the hubby, the dog, the cat and the birds. The house is clean, laundry washed and a baby sitter for our huge puppy acquired! Whew, now it is time to pack for me!!

Have a wonderful day all!

Kalahari and Mt. Olympus at Wisconsin Dells

I can’t believe we are already half way through August! I have taken time off my blogging to vacation, visit family, and write more of my manuscript. It has been a fabulous summer and enjoyable one. I hope to accomplish more to do’s on my list though before school starts in the fall.

So this is what the Kinney’s has been up to. We took our grandsons and youngest daughter to Mt. Olympus, Wisconsin Dells for three nights and four days. We had a marvelous time! Last year my husband and I took the boys to Kalahari Water Park in the Dell’s. You may be wondering what I thought of both places. Okay, I’ll tell you. Twisting my arm is not necessary!  I love the atmosphere in Kalahari, it has a compact feel to it and there is a great restaurant for old people like me for fine dining! We were more worn out there in two days because we constantly walked up flights of steps ride the water slides – one after another till late in the evening. Somehow it is easy to lose ones sense of time there. Our first night we keep going on the water slides until we thought it would be around dinnertime. It was already 9:00pm!  I would definitely go there again. Now Mt. Olympus didn’t impress me with the décor as strongly. Kalahari definitely had atmosphere and I think the difference is because Mt. Olympus is larger in land area and has more to offer for dry and wet rides. There was a huge flood of people when we arrived. Through the week, people were zigzagged in the lobby line to sign in or receive service in some fashion.

I felt that personal service was better at Kalahari then Mt. Olympus also. When I asked for help at Kalahari they could tell me what I needed to know. But at Mt. Olympus the workers often didn’t have a clue as to how to direct me. For instance my wristband fell off during the second ride and several people we asked didn’t know what to tell me concerning where to replace it. Many had trouble speaking English but they were quite helpful for those from other nations looking for directions. The way it was spread out at Mt. Olympus was kinder to us oldsters and we lasted longer. Rooms at both places were wonderful. Although at Mt. Olympus when the house cleaners came, they didn’t make the beds on the bunks. They placed a clean sheet and blanket folded up on top of the bunk beds and each night I had to tuck them in for the boys. When I go on vacation I don’t want to be making beds each night! 

The rides were fun and the 9ft. wave pool exceptional!  I prefer the water slides and refuse to do the roller coasters so you will have to ask someone else about those! I recommend both places as a wonderful vacation spot! Water slides are a world all their own!

Graduation for Porschea!

Porschea completed her first puppy class with flying colors! All the dogs did so well in this obedience class and we are so grateful for our/their instructors. We all saw improvement but we all want....

more! 

 Porschea is signed up for the next round of classes in August!

I encourage everyone who owns a dog to attend obedience classes, once we are obedient to the signals and command we give the dogs can't help but follow

our lead!!

Porschea's Promise

Here are some long awaited photos of our Porschea. She has been growing and growing, as you can well see. And she has been playing in as much water as she can in her baby pool! Attending classes with the older puppies, because of her size, has been the high point of her week. So you can well imagine that her attendance has been wonderful –she has not missed even one class! She wouldn’t think of it. Her performance has caused me to be  ever so proud of her! It is amazing how much such a young dog can learn.

Zoe’s Word

All creation sings His praise!  Zoe is amazed at how the trees, squirrels, birds whom she talks to on a regular basis, and even the air she breathes shows forth the loving kindness of the Lord. Her surroundings comfort her heart as she ponders His mercy and grace.  She is so happy the puppy is nappping! Thank you God for all things! Okay even the puppy!!  Turn your head to see this beautiful photo of our sassy Zoe.

What If & Prayer

 What If   &   Prayer

A note to Pens of Praise

What if we took 5 minutes each day to pray for one another?

What if we all choose to pray for one another to experience an excellent walk with our Lord?  What if we prayed for His Holy Spirit to guide our writing tasks, time, and abilities and anoint their outcomes? 

What if God was tickled at the results of our prayers and the efforts of our group?

What if lives were affected and changed…because we prayed…

because we wrote…

With His blessings!

I’m praying for you

Today

What if…..

Hi all,

Yes these were not just words which evaporated when my fingers were done smacking the keys. I prayed the following prayer for us all as a group this morning including those who have attended and those who desired to and as of yet have not made it. It took five minutes!!

May we, Pens of Praise Christian Writers, hear Gods truth with the right heart, attitude, and understanding so that we will communicate it clearly and accurately.  May family, friends, co-workers, etc. be respectful and allow us time to write. May interruptions be interrupted so that we will enjoy undivided creative writing sessions.  May the boulders of deception, lies of every degree, discouragement, and oppression be broken and dissolved because we were obedient to the urging in our hearts to write. May God place our written words in reach those bound or in need of encouragement, truth, or information.  May our focus on what He would place on our hearts to write be strong and true.  May all be done in His time with His anointing for His will to be accomplished.  For His Glory!!!!  Amen

Knotty Problems and Imagination

Knotty Problems and Imagination

© Susan Marlene Kinney

Pens of Praise Christian Writers Group

July 9, 2011

To love Him with all your heart, and all your understanding and all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.  Mark 12:33

Knotty problems are all around us. They trip us up with those little irritations, temptations to ignore situations, or weightier matters of the heart and mind. This morning as I lay in bed I considered the pen and its link to knotty problems and imagination. I pictured a red, white, and blue pen lip-smacking with Liberty.

The pen can assist us in addressing knotty problems and stir our imagination to action or in other words finding a solution. The danger is we can put those beautiful words down on paper and think the job is done. We have written our piece, done our part. When you consider the risk, our founding fathers took when they grasped their liberty pens in hand and wrote their names upon documents, which were considered treasonous by England, you can imagine the commitment of these men to stand behind their pens. Their written evidence about the stand they took in life was irrevocable. When we take that stand for forgiveness, or justice, let us stand behind that liberating collection of penned words. Let’s not allow our words- beautiful as they may sound when read aloud- be just that.

Let us write with conviction- yes indeed.
And, allow those words that come to us and mark our papers with undeniable evidence about our stand, lead us to the place where solutions are met.  Apply the balm of forgiveness when it would be easier to stay offended or ignore a situation, or write or speak truth when it is not popular though, it is relevant.

LOVE

Love is the designer ink we have to use if we will write words which when written bring life and health to the situations surrounding us. I highly recommend love being the very filter our thoughts should be sifted through before those well-placed words find space on the pages.

Remember we are not just chasing a great looking placement of words. We are logging our imagination of the solutions, which hold the power to change lives by…

LOVE

Posting Problems - Shucks

Hi all,

I've tried to make a thank you comment several times and this is what I get...

Anonymous said...

Greetings ladies! I tried to place a comment here before and it didn't allow me! Thank you for your comments! The Most High is our all in all!! Bless you both...now let's see if this will post!!!

July 4, 2011 6:38 PM

So far it has been a wonderful summer, days are gaining in warmth and sunshine. Porschea isn't the piddling pup called runt!  Yeah she hasn't had an accident in a long while and she is absolutely not a runt! I'm being lazy on the 4th here but I promise I will place photos of Porschea in the baby pool and just hanging out!  Zoe is surviving all of Porscheas hopping and pouncing too!  Also I have my very own Royal Blue Train set!!  My husband is fast at work to design our track layout. I even have a sound card!! I'm making head way on my manuscript also.  I had a few things to change after I enter the Genesis contest and I love doing the rewrites! I've learned so much from the critiques I recieved for that contest. I like how those editors and agents that shared time to go over my work has imporved my writing. There is a time for every purpose under heaven.  Blessings and Joy to you all!!

Devotion for Pens

Devotion for Pens

June 11^th   2011

©Susan Marlene Kinney

In the wee hours of the night or through the course of a brilliant sunny day, all opposition and smooth pathways shape us, sharpen us, and place an indelible mark upon our character. We are usually not strong enough to be sweet at the end of a difficult and exhausting experience - until we bow to eternal love. This mysterious love flows from our Eternal Father God and fills us to overflowing – if we but chose to allow this love to grace our thoughts and our spirit. Though He is the potter and we are the clay He has placed the responsibility to accept His divine presence upon our shoulders to allow love or oppose it.

The reason great characters leap off the pages of our favorite books is because we hear the distant call to come up higher. Those characters, bigger than life, situate before our mind a visual of higher choice when they realize the “truth” which has been smothered in the lie our character has believed and they turn in the power of the truth. Yes our characters back-story holds the key to why they believe the lie and have not lived up to their potential!

Fellow writers, come up higher. Sit before His divine presence and allow His love to grace and erase every offence, criticism, or unloving thought from the pages of your mind. Yes life hurts but look at how we grow no matter what or who challenges us – if we but chose to allow Father God’s love to wash our difficulty clean. Imagine the impact on a family member when you write that memoir, short story, or novel and have the example of your characters who grapple with overwhelming difficulties and triumph in the liberty His love provides. Mark your characters triumphs well with the black of your ink set on the glorious white of the page. Bring opposition after opposition to strengthen the character  of your characters and capture the imagination and desire of your readers to come up higher and listen to our

Heavenly Father who calls….

LaFonte Family Benefit with Lia Sophia

Hi all,

If you’re interested in this jewelry and helping the LeFonte family the changes I need to make are as follows:

Or you can place an order online….    www.liasophia.com/cgordon

Click on “Our Jewelry” on the top of the screen.

Ø Enter hostess name 

ü First name     Susan

                   ü Last name     Kinney 

§  Place your order!   My book party closes on Wednesday, June 22^nd   tax rate is 5.0 %

Or ladies, those of you who live close by can stop in at my house and check out a catalogue and share a cup of tea !!  Above all keep praying for this family!! Thank you much! 

Enjoy a deliciously wonderful day!

Sue

Greetings All,

First of all I wish to say hi and hope all is well with every one of you!  A teacher I work with told me about a family who’s children suffer from FEVR a visual impairment condition which left untreated could cause blindness in both of their children.  I am not one who ever wanted to host a party again but for this family I am willing to step out of my comfort zone!  If there is something that you could purchase on their behalf I would appreciate the gesture.  Cris Gordon, the Lia Sophia sales lady is giving all of her profits from this and other parties toward their visual medical expenses. 

If you are in town here  or close enough to attend this is your e-mail invitation to come to my home and see my Leonberger puppy! Yes I’m shameless that way! But it would be great to see you all!!  J

Or you can place an order online….    www.liasophia.com/cgordon

Click on “Our Jewelry” on the top of the screen

Ø Enter hostess name 

ü First name     Susan

ü Last name      Kinney

§  Place your order!   My party closes on Saturday, June 18^th   tax rate is 5.0 %

Take care and if you don’t need anything then please do pray for these children to keep their sight.  Thank you all have a great day!