Northpoint Mission trip to Juja - Kenya July 2010

Beautiful video of Bucks mission trip. Makes a mom proud... He's a delight to my heart! I LOVED THIS!!!

Dental work - CHEAP!!!

Las Cumbres Inn (a recovery hotel in Costa Rica)

A few months ago my father was traveling around Costa Rica and had to get dental work done

He kept carrying on about how inexpensive it was.....

Since I had much deferred work to be done - at an expense that was too big to conquer now, I thought it was worth checking out.

I went to a local dentist (who had a coupon for dental exam, digital xrays and cleaning for $ 79.00) - Vista Ridge Dental. Great dentist, by the way - right here in Erie off of Hwy 7.

The cost to have everything done was $ 7,500 (3 crowns, 1 implant, 1 root canal, and 1 filling). The same thing in Cost Rica was $ 2,500.

Dad and my two brothers and Larry's mom contributed to the 'cause', my friend Barb gave me free miles to use for the trip, and Larry researched and found me a great dentist (trained at Baylor University in TEXAS) - must be good. He also found a recovery hotel in Costa Rica - Las Cumbres Inn. that ran $ 75/night.

The hotel picks you up at the airport, takes you back and forth to the dental appointments, serves 3 gourmet meals per day, and has a nurse on staff from 9am to 9pm each day. The owner of the hotel, Elke is very sharp, works out a zillion logistics to keep the place running smooth and efficiently. Sonya the night nurse was a jewel... I saw her take impeccable care of the other patients and always asked me how I was doing. She brought me an ice pack, dinner one night when I came back after dinner had been served, and was thoughtful to many of the guests. She surely has crowns waiting in Heaven for her. God sees it all - and rewards.

I traveled alone, so to see them at the airport before 6am to pick me up was refreshing. They took me to the hotel (just outside of San Jose, Costa Rica) - on a hill with a delightful view - especially at night with the lights.... I put my things away (had a great corner suite with two twin beds, windows on both sides, a bathroom with a shower, fresh flowers on the table, a TV & phone).

After walking around the grounds and exploring the pool, cabana, gorgeous tropical plants, banana tree, etc, we had breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, cereal, fresh fruit, coffee, etc.

I felt at home immediately and called Larry to let him know I arrived safely.

In the lobby on the first and second floor, the phones are hooked up to Magic Jack, and all calls from these phones are free. Beautiful! :)

Lunch was a blast, and I met many new friends - who were doing face lifts, body lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction.... getting dentures, etc. One man from Florida was getting 16 implants!!! People were there from all over the us, and some were bandaged up, others were getting their procedures done that day - or were scheduled for Tuesday. Some were bandaged up.... Boy, did I learn alot at the hotel!

That afternoon I had my dentist appointment, and he started work right away for the 3 crowns. The next day I had the root canal done and a filling done. The following day I had the implant done, and then had Thursday day off. On Friday I had the crowns fit (they made them in their office). All dental work was done!

Part of my dental package included a 1/2 day excursion. On Saturday morning I went to the volcano and the coffee plantation. Back in the afternoon to pack and rest.

Left the next morning at 4:00am for the airport. Frontier had a flight home at 6am and I arrived back in Denver around noon.

Frontier has a 5 hour flight. From Denver to San Jose... You leave shortly after midnight, sleep on the way, and arrive before 6am. Coming back, we left around 6:20 and arrived in Denver around noon. Sweet. Did not miss a day.

Talk about an efficient trip! Dental work complete (right quadrant was still sore since most of the work occurred there), but after a couple of days and rest, it was fine. My brother Greg (in Sheybogan, WI) wanted a photo of the new 'choppers'. I can send him one now.

Happy, thankful, feel like I have a healthy mouth again. In about 4-6 months, I can go into Vista Ridge Dental and get an abutment and crown put on top of the titanium implant post and it will look like virgin teeth again. (HAPPY DAYS!!!)

Very thankful. Feel loved by my family, and much more confident with a healthy mouth again.

Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Family!

Facebook - AWOL

Okay - I admit it. I've been AWOL from Facebook. Seems consuming, and when I go there it feels like I fall in the black hole - and emerge days later..... and a little glazed over.

My friend Amy Cooper (Candori Jewlery) is a queen at Facebook, and maybe I need to take some lessons once she gets back from her worldly travels...

Will make time to get back on it - after many friends have harrassed me about it - and I'm seeing where old friends want to be my friend.... Don't want to miss an opportunity there....

SOOOOO, I'll plan to get back it within a few days.....

Instant Curb Appeal! (with Grass painting!)

Check this out! Instant Curb appeal accomplished by a special process and paint/stain that is sprayed on grass (to give it life and color vs brown, or to fill in dry spots and make it consistently green, etc).

The paint dries within 1-2 hours, will not rub off on shoes or pets, and it is totally NON-TOXIC!



Check out the BEFORE photo - taken just 3 hours before this was completed. The yard is drab, dry, and lifeless!

The perfect solution for apartments, commercial business buildings, foreclosed properties and personal residences.
Incredible transformation!

Before After

This is truly HAPPY GRASS!

For more information - or how to have your curb appeal

instantly changed in the Denver area, contact:

Linda Giebelhaus (720) 308-3958

The Sails are up!

Wow! This is a huge revelation this morning that I want to share with those who care....

For the last year, I feel like we have been in a small sailboat - in the middle of the ocean - in the 'perfect storm'. The waves are 50+ feet high, rain is pouring down, and we are completely disoriented and hopeless.... EXCEPT - for that small glimmer of hope that we know is in the Lord. We could not see it - or pick it up on our instruments, but knew it in our spirit. We also knew that our little boat - our only way to cling to life was about to burst apart by the pressure.

Yesterday - the waters calmed. Today - our sails are up. The sunshine is back out, and only we know how severe this storm was... We're thankful to be alive, blown away that we survived, and profoundly thankful for that 'glimmer of hope' we had in the Lord.

HE rewards those who earnestly seek Him, and tells us that it's impossible to please God without faith. Thank God for that little 'mustard seed' of faith - to hang on - until HE came to our rescue.

Our Redeemer lives!

The TRUTH Project

Be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) NIV

This small group Bible Study begins tomorrow in Brighton at Pams house. It's a great video series that challenges us of the importance of marrying our actions to our core beliefs. I'm very excited to be together again and spur one another on to a closer walk with the Lord.

If you know anyone that would like to join us in this, let them know. It's open till next Thursday.

The wolf in sheeps clothing...

Someone sent me this photo and I love it, because it's a graphic illustration of what's really taking place in the spiritual and sometimes the physical realm.

This is what deception looks like. One can hardly detect it among us, yet it is here and sneaks in...

The wolf is there, alright. In churches, at our work, in our neighborhood, etc.

You may not even recognize him, but he is the one that whispers things in your ear, condemns your behavior, brings things up from the past, and causes division among you. He operates in stealth mode - quietly living among us - but with a purpose...

To divide, discourage, destroy, and to cause dispair.

Thank God we don't have to live with him forever, because he does not like us - although he pretends to. He's always snooping around looking for who he can devour and destroy.

Jacks Toothpick Trick

Jack, our grandson practiced this one for a long time, and we're quite proud of his finished work.

Can you figure it out?

NORTHPOINT - Taking the light into the City

Look at these beautiful people. Committed. Servants. Visionaries. Families. God Lovers and Followers. On January 4th, this little band of Believers was commissioned from Hill Country Bible Church (HCBC) www.HCBC.com as the 14th church plant.

This is one of the most Beautiful of things, and.....

They will NEVER BE THE SAME!!!

Three Favorite places

1. In bed with Giebel (my husband of 37 years), and our little dog Wilson.
2. With the family and grandchildren. Buck & Melanie & their families.
3. Sleepovers with Tom and Holly - our friends in Cedar Park, Texas.