Pictures - The New Year - And Some Old Thoughts

Hello! I hope you're all recovering from all the holiday excitement! Here's a bunch of pictures from the last few weeks, and a few notes.

Of course, we got to go out and do some more ice hockey. Having grown up on skates, I've always loved our long winters with plenty of ice!

We visited some of my grandparents on Christmas day, and Grandpa pulled out his collection of woodworking things. He's been doing woodwork all my memory, and I always enjoy seeing his latest creations. This church is really cool, because from one side, it's a church, but if you turn it the other direction, it's a cross, as pictured below.

And we had our Christmas with all the nieces, nephews, and married siblings. One of my adorable nephews wanted to try on my hat so I caught a quick selfie with him.

And it's not a family Christmas without a good game of Balderdash! It's definitely one of our family favorites.

And I got in a walk through the snowy woods... Okay, so I didn't actually go out on my own free will . . . I was chaperoning my sister and her special friend. :) 

And the AWESOME Krahn family get together! I think there was over 60 of us that made it this year. It's always a lot of fun to catch up with cousins that I haven't seen in a while.

And our yearly Christmas Eve photos by the Christmas Tree.

I was in the choir again this year at the Christmas program. I know you can't see it in this picture, but at the front of the church is the manger, and on the wall, right behind it, is a large wooden cross. Every year, it makes me think about why Jesus came. I mean how amazing is it, that God, the Creator of the universe was born in a stable so that He could die on a cross for us? It's always sobering to me to think about it, and yet so exciting too! We serve an AWESOME God!!!

And with the New Year, people ask me about my resolutions. Well, I don't really have many to speak of, just goals, plans, dreams, hopes, etc.  However, this time of year, I find myself reflecting on my last year. I suppose it's my writer instinct that makes me want to assign a 'theme' to every chapter of my life . . . :)

A few years ago, I had a year where God taught me a lot about being thankful. Then I had a year where God taught me a lot about just giving everything to Him. The year of 2018 taught me a lot, but I feel like the main theme, was that it's not my life, and it's not about me.

You've all heard people say this, or maybe said it yourself . . . "It's my life!" Or maybe while discussing things with your parents or other authorities . . . "It's not their life to live." But the truth is, it's NOT our life to live. It's God's life. We are HIS workman. And our lives are for HIS glory, not our own.

Over the last year, multiple things have happened, where I had my own plans, and they didn't go as I wanted. Things happened that I didn't choose. And there were days when I got upset. Days when I wanted to live MY life. But then, God reminded me that it's not about me, it's about HIM. It's not my life I'm living, it's His. And when I stopped looking at my life as my own, things changed. The Bible says that we are not our own, and it's true. If you belong to Christ, then I encourage you, in this new year, to stop looking at life as if it belonged to you. Stop making decisions based off of how YOU want to live your life, and instead, make decisions knowing that you're making a decision that will affect HIS body. Your goals, your paths, your dreams, should be replaced with His goals, His paths, and His dreams for your life. Often, they will be the same. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He gives us desires, and our will becomes one with His. Other times, following His path may seem impossible, like you're throwing away everything you wanted from life, and that's okay. We're to die to self daily, and if we have to die to self in order for Christ to shine through, then let's die to self. And let Christ shine through in 2019!

A Few Quick Pics...

 I haven't gotten my Christmas photos on the computer yet, so hopefully that post will be here next week.

We're blessed with an awesome group of family and friends to go skating with!

I'm not the greatest at playing, but I sure enjoy it!!!!

And this sale is only good through January 1st!!

And the Kindle edition is available now!!! 

And, I'm hearing the chatter of children in the other room, (all the nieces and nephews are coming over for our Christmas today,) so I need to go be sociable... Hopefully next week I'll have time to share more about our Christmas, and more pictures. One quick note I wanted to make after having lunch at my grandparents house yesterday. . .  Take advantage of your grandparents!! If you have living grandparents, visit them, love them, learn from them, and help them however you can!!!! You don't know how much longer you'll have them . . .

Well, I'm off for another family Christmas! I hope you all are having a Merry Christmas!!! (Because Christmas isn't just a day, it's a season, and an attitude of the heart.) And don't forget why He came!!!

It's just STUFF!!!!!

  I LOVE Christmas . . . Like TOTALLY love it!!!!!! Yes, it's busy, and yes, I feel like a headless chicken running around this time of year but hey, I love every minute of it!!! There's so many AWESOME reminders this time of year about Jesus coming to die for us...

     Last week, at our church's Christmas program practice, I was really reminded of the hope we have in Jesus. AMAZING hope!!! It's so easy to get down, to get focused on ourselves, on the problems around us, on the many things that don't go as we want, but when we stop, and remember the hope we have in Christ, it REALLY puts things into perspective.

     Speaking of perspective . . . I was looking under the tree at all the presents that are accumulating, and talking with my dad about the many blessings in our lives, and how the biggest blessings, are not the things, but the people. The grandkids, the siblings, the parents, the love, family, and joy that God has blessed us with. I looked around my beautiful living room. A fire crackled in the stove, the Christmas lights twinkled, Christmas music was playing in the other room, and the stockings were getting full. I love my home, but as I looked around at the furniture . . . the couch that I write on most the time . . . the piano that I learned to play on . . . the toy box that the nieces and nephews love . . . the bookshelf . . . the coffee table that Dad made . . . and all the fun decorations. Yes, I love my home, but I realized in that moment, it's all just stuff.

      Presents? They're AWESOME, but they're just stuff, someday, they'll rust, mold, decay, and be gone. It's all going to be gone someday. If you walk through a junk yard, and see a rusted, and badly mangled car, it looks like junk, but at one time, that car was new. Someone probably saved for it, took care of it, sat inside of it admiring it, babied it in his garage, and may have even been afraid of letting people touch it. Now? It's just another piece of junk.

     Remember this Christmas season, that the fun things you're getting and giving, are just stuff. If a sibling breaks your new makeup mirror on the first day you get it, or you lose a diamond earring, it's okay, keep your focus on what matters. Eternity.

      The stuff here, is temporal. We can't take it with us when we go, and even in our lifetime, it will probably lose it's value, get old, rust, get bent up, torn, or lose it's shine. This stuff is nice! Enjoy the blessings God gives you. If you have stuff to enjoy, then ENJOY it!!! But don't let it rob you from seeing the important blessings. The family, the friends, the love, joy, and peace. The Baby in the manger. Don't let the things around you keep you from seeing the people hurting around you, the people who need your encouragement. And if you're the one that is hurting, and you feel hopeless, and in need of encouragement, seek the Baby in the manger. We have hope through HIM!!! He feels our pain, but He also knows how to give joy. He can take ashes and turn them into beauty.

       Don't lose hope. The darker the night, the more brilliant the sunrise. The more violent the storm, the more beautiful the rainbow. The harder the fight, the more refreshing the victory in Jesus. Trust Him, rest in Him, give ALL of your worries to Him, and be thankful for the many blessings.

Among the blessings of Christmas, is family. Take time to be there for your family. If you need to put your phone down and stop texting, do it. If you need to pick up a book and read to the kids, or hold a baby, do it! We don't know how much time we have, so cherish the moments.

I'm SO thankful for another niece!

Something else that we've done off and on for a few years, is to wrap up a DVD that shares the gospel, with an invitation to the church's Christmas Eve program, and go around town giving them out.

This year, we wrapped them at the church, and had a lot of people pitching in to help!

Praise God for church family! And for opportunities like this! For the opportunity of sharing HIS story! So, whether you love Christmas or hate it, don't forget to share the Baby in the manger, and don't forget that the stuff around you  . . . well, it's just stuff. It's not worth getting wrapped up in, or bent out of shape over it. Christmas is about HIM, not about the stuff.

Amelia Bedelia, Nieces, Nephews, and Piano...

So, I have a bunch of random pictures from the last week. . . 

Growing up, Amelia Bedelia books were my favorite thing! Getting to read them to the nieces and nephews is AWESOME!!!

I even took the chance to read one of them backwords and upsides down . . .

With Christmas coming up, I've enjoyed doing some Christmas baking, and, like last year, I've been trying some new things. Like divinity.

It was my first time making it, but it turned out well.

And selfies with the nephews and a niece...

So maybe we have too much fun sometimes . . . :) 

As of yesterday, I have eight nephews and nine nieces, and enjoy being able to spend time with them.

Hosanna did another chalk talk at the senior living center in Roseau, and I went along to play piano. I always find my face funny when I'm playing piano, I either look mad, focused, or miserable...  I'm not sure why, because I enjoyed it! But somehow, when I'm playing I don't smile . . . I guess I'll have to work on that. :) 

And I just finished reading through this book, Caleb's Inheritance by Pam Jeffery, for the second time. I highly recommend it, and not just because I love the author. The book itself is worth the time!

This is Priscilla Krahn, reminding you to stay THANKFUL this Christmas season. Keep your focus on HIM, and not on you, and let God use you to bless others.

Baking, Book Fair, Book signing, and Christmas Sale!

Some days, I feel like I live in a fish bowl. Today, it's no longer a fish bowl, it's a snow globe!!! It's that WONDERFUL time of the year, when (as Ebeneezer Scrooge's nephew Fred would say,) "...when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

   

     Lately, I've been telling people that Christmas isn't a day. It's a season. This is the Christmas season, and it's not about one day, it's about the season of remembering how much Christ sacrificed by coming to earth.

     Last year, on Christmas day, I had a REALLY hard day. I woke up with all my plans in place. Drink coffee, wait for Dad to get in from the barn, and open the one present we'd saved for the day. (We tend to open them early . . . :)) But my plans didn't happen the way I thought they should. The barn froze up, and chores took a lot longer than planned. Then, Dad had to butcher a cow with a broken leg. All in all, it was quite late when he came in. I was hoping we could spend some time together as a family, but after opening our gifts, Dad had to go and help a neighbor, and everyone kind of went to do their own thing. I remember sitting on the couch thinking about all the people I knew who were having a carefree day, and I felt sorry for myself for having such a quiet, interrupted Christmas. The problem? It had nothing to do with Dad being busy, that's a normal part of life. It had nothing to do with the presents, or the day. It had EVERYTHING to do with my attitude. I started the day thinking about myself, and what I wanted. When things didn't go how I thought they should, I had a hard time. 

    I don't know if any of you have ever had a special day that you looked forward too, and when it didn't go as you planned, you felt let down, but that's how I felt. This year, things are going to be different, and I challenge you to make them different too. Don't get caught up on your plans. Instead, take everything with a 1 Thess. 5:18 attitude of thanks, and the attitude of putting others first. One of my favorite Evangelists is constantly reminding people that "It's NOT about YOU!" and he is right. If we get caught up on what we want, what we expect, and how we feel, we WILL be disappointed because it's NOT about US!!!! Spend every day of the Christmas season thinking about others, and how you can glorify God. Because it IS about HIM!

    Anyways, (I didn't actually mean to share all that. . .) I did a bit of Christmas baking today, and a few of the nieces decided to help!

Rewind a few days, and you find the book signing for The Fudged Up Murder, which went REALLY WELL!!!! I'm SOOOO Grateful for the AMAZING family and friends I have who stopped by and encouraged me, as well as the wonderful coffee that Caribou supplied! :)

And, THIS Saturday, I have another event coming up. The Warroad Library is doing a Christmas open house with live music, crafts, hot chocolate, cookies, and an author book fair. I am one of the authors that will be attending and I will have all of my books for sale. I'd love to see you there!

CHRISTMAS SALE!!!!!! Until the new year, ALL of my kindle books are available on Amazon for 99 cents! And ALL of the Ty Carson, and Adventure of Amy printed books are available for $7.99!!!! If you're looking for a Christmas gift for that reader, take advantage of this sale.

This is Priscilla J. Krahn, reminding you that it's not about you, and if you're having a bad day, you're probably thinking about the wrong person. Because it's ALL about HIM!!! That's why we can have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Thanksgiving in Ohio

 As many of you know, my sister Hosanna spent Thanksgiving in Ohio with her 'special friend' and I went along as driver, chaperone, semi-map reader, and sidekick.
    Overall, I had a great time, but didn't get pictures of most of my time there. We played a lot of games, ate a LOT of pie, and had a great time being thankful for everything God has blessed us with.

I've made a few pies in my time, but these pies put me to shame! I'll have to work on that. The peanut butter pie was my favorite followed by the pecan.

They took us to this air force museum. It is the worlds largest and oldest air force museum and one day was NOT enough time! We didn't get through the whole thing, and I'm not sure if a week would have been enough! If you're ever in Dayton, OH, make sure to stop in!

I took a LOT of pictures, but many of them were blurry and I wasn't sure which ones would interest you the most, so I just grabbed a few random ones.

It started with a hanger going from the beginning of flight, through WWI. In this picture, you can see a model of one of the Wright brothers first planes, a glass display with one of the bikes from the Wright brothers' bike repair shop, and in the background you can see one of the blimps from the early days.

I enjoyed the paint jobs on some of the planes.

There were several presidential planes that we got to go through. It was neat going through Kennedy's plane, as well as a few other presidents' planes like Eisenhower and FDR.

We did a LOT of walking, went through multiple hangers, and didn't have time to finish going through all of them. It was AWESOME!!!!

It's blurry, I know, but this is the FIRST picture I've ever had with Santa Claus. Okay, so I would NOT go out of my way to get a picture like this, but the reason I got it, was because I was following Hosanna, who was following her 'special friend' through Lowe's Department store, and we come upon poor Mr. Santa Claus, sitting all alone on Black Friday morning, smiling and waving at all of these men who were walking by and ignoring him. I commented about how lonely he looked, and Hosanna was like . . . "You should get a picture with him for the blog!" At first I was like . . . "NO WAY!" But after thinking about it, I was like . . .  "You know, if my friend ---- were here, I'd do it." So, I decided to go have a little chat with him. NO, I did NOT tell him what I wanted for Christmas, and I CERTAINLY DID NOT sit on his lap!!! But I did get the picture, and had a nice chat. :) :) 

The road home was pretty crazy, northern IL had just had a snow storm and we had some really bad roads, but aside from the one time we fishtailed and ended up facing the WRONG direction on the interstate, and the time we had to wait for around a half hour because of a wreck, we made it home with little drama. THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for our safety on the long drive. I believe it was crucial in the safety we had.

Here's a sneak peak at what my table will look like at the book signing this Saturday. That plate in the bottom left hand corner will have fudge samples on it. :)  

And just a quick reminder, if you happen to be in Warroad on Saturday, please stop by! I'd love to see you and the first 25 people to stop in get a $1 off any drink of their choice.

With Thanksgiving, I'm reminded of all the things I've been blessed with in life, and all the many things I often forget to be thankful for. Things like my ability to walk, my ability to taste, smell, hear, speak, and feel. Every breath is a gift!!! I'm ESPECIALLY thankful for the family God's given me, and the friends I've been blessed with.

Announcing the WINNER!

Drum Roll Please . . . 

  And the winner of the signed copy of THE FUDGED UP MURDER is . . .

   Carol Taylor Jacob!!! 

Congratulations!!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who got involved! I loved the comments, and interaction! 

Happy Thanksgiving! We have SO MUCH to be THANKFUL FOR!!!  Salvation. Family. Friends. So let's be thankful! In EVERYTHING!!!!!

Book Signing! + $1 Off Coffee Coupons!

Saturday, December 1st, from 10-12:30, I'll be at Caribou Coffee in Warroad, MN doing a book signing! The FIRST twenty people to stop by, will receive a $1 off coupon for the drink of their choice! :) :)
     
   So, you may be wondering . . . WHAT is a book signing? Do I have to buy a book? What do you even do at one?

       Well, at my book signings, I have a book display table, and I do sell books, and people are free to buy books, or bring books of mine that they have at home, and I will sign them, but you DO NOT HAVE to buy a book!!!! So, if you don't have any of my books, and you're NOT planning on buying one, should you still come? ABSOLUTELY!!! Stop in at Caribou, get a coffee or just stop in and say 'hi!' Pick up a bookmark, get a $1 off coupon, and sample some of the Martin sisters' cookie dough fudge. If for any reason you're in town that day, I'd love to see you!

   ALSO - There's only a few days left to get your name in the drawing for a signed copy of The Fudged Up Murder. 

    REMINDER of ways to get your name in the drawing! (You can get your name in the drawing over 50 times!)
 
    1. For EVERY book you review on Amazon, or Goodreads, you'll get your name in the drawing TWICE... (If you do all of my books on both places, that's a total of 36 entries!)
   
     2. Comment on ANY post on this blog before the drawing on Thanksgiving Day and get your name in the drawing.

     3. Comment which of my book characters is your favorite and why, and get your name in the drawing THREE times!

     4. Share the Giveaway post on Facebook, Google+, or any other social media, and get your name in the drawing.