More Blessings

Two years ago, after having my youngest child, I got really sick. I was laid up for about 4 months. My husband, in a burst of sweetness and help from his mother, planted beautiful flowers all around the pool. I could just lay on the couch and look at the flowers. I enjoyed that very much. Well, one of the pots didn't get planted - a lily. By the time I got around to it, the lily had died. I was in the process of taking the dead plant to the garbage when I remembered the lilies that I had in Iowa. They are bulbs, even when their blooms are gone the bulbs stay in the ground and reproduce. Each year I always had more lilies. I decided to plant this dead looking flower anyway. I am so glad that I did, 2 years later look at the beauty that I get to enjoy when I look out my back window.

Every time I see those flowers, I think of 2 things. One, how close I came to throwing them away. I am so glad that our Heavenly Father doesn't do that with us. No matter how messed up we look on the outside, He knows our heart and He won't throw us away, as long as we live. Now when when we die and meet Him face to face and if we don't have Jesus as our Savior because we didn't believe in Him, than we are in trouble. Two, Matthew 6:28-34 says, 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Some other blessings that I have to mention are that it has been rainy and cool here. We needed the rain. AND our friends, Kim and Lance Marshall came up and visited for Memorial Day. It is nice to have special friends to spend holidays with. I hope that you have a great week and are enjoying your blessings too.

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am still behind on the days in my One Year Bible . Today I read the May 25th Bible reading. My prayer is this, "Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money. Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me a life through your word." Psalm 119:36, 37 I am becoming a lover of the Psalms.

We Have Been Busy

May has been a busy month. I know it isn't over yet, but I wanted to share what has been going on with us. First of all, my daughter was student of the week at school the week of the 5th. Monday she took baby pictures of herself and her favorite snack to share - ice cream. Tuesday she took her favorite toy, a baby doll, and she had to use 5 adjectives to describe it. (The baby doll was her favorite toy that week, it isn't her favorite anymore.) Wednesday was free dress so she didn't have to wear her uniform. Thursday she took her favorite book for the teacher to read - a butterfly alphabet book. Friday, she got to take a family member to introduce to the class. She chose to take her brothers and dad. Of course I went along to take pictures. It didn't go too well because the brothers started showing off and the class started giggling, along with my daughter. I don't know if much was accomplished.
That same Friday that my daughter introduced her brothers and daddy, it was also Mommy and Muffins Day. I went back to her class later that day and they had a Mother's Day party for us. They sang a song and served us muffins. She made a book describing me, my favorite color, my birthday, etc. She didn't get much of that right. They also took us out for recess.
The next day, I took her to a Mother's Day Tea. It was fun, but it did get a bit long. We focused on 14 Women of the Bible. I had to stand up and talk about Rebekah. Don't you like my hat? It is the hat that I wore for my high school graduation party. I don't know where the dress is, but I still have my hat.

The pool is open and ready for guests! We went swimming on Mother's Day - it was very hot! My youngest son is not too sure of the water, but he loves to put his feet in and splash. Kirk made Mother's Day Supper. Some things didn't turn out as well - but the salmon that he put on the grill was very good.

We adopted! I want to introduce you to our new family member - Biscuit. The day after Mother's Day, Kirk brought home this 3 month old puppy from the pound. She is a Lab/Mix. The first week we couldn't agree on a name. My husband wanted to call her Snickers. My daughter wanted to call her Diamond, and my 3 year old son wanted to call her Thomas (for the train). Daddy thought of Biscuit with the help of some friends and I think we all are NOW settled with the name. She was sick when we got her, I was afraid that it was PARVO - a sickness that kills puppies. It isn't, but we have to give her medicine 2 times a day. So far she is a real good dog and the kids love her.Saturday was a jog-a-thon at my daughter's school. She went a round a few times and was done. I didn't care because it was such a hot day and Kirk wasn't with me to help with the boys. I'll have to work with her for next year.

Last, but not least, my daughter's class went on a field trip yesterday to the San Francisco Zoo. Her class has been doing a unit on farm animals, so the objective was to go to their petting zoo. We had a good time, even though we were a bit rushed. I got to chaperon and was in charge of my daughter and 2 of her friends. She spent most of the time taking pictures of all of the animals.

Thorn In My Heart

My Sister-in-Law, Suzi, sent me some books to read. Three of them are a series by Liz Curtis Higgs. Thorn In My Heart, Fair is the Rose, and Whence Came a Prince is a story from 1789 Scotland. It is a story that parallels the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel from the Old Testament. I have to tell you the truth, I didn't know if I was going to like this story, because I don't like the Biblical story. I have put myself in Rachel and Leah's shoes and it makes me heart-sick. It took me awhile to get started with this story, but I have to tell you, that it is an amazingly written story. It is a story about weakness, sin, humility, and love. Of course it doesn't mirror the Biblical story, it is cleverly written to tie the two stories together. It gives you a new perspective in reading the Biblical account. I do recommend reading this series. Thank you Suzi!

One funny thing that I found while reading these books was that I started talking like they did - dearie, bairn, lad, lassie, etc. I think that it is because I have roots that are Scottish. I hope that you are as blessed as I was after reading these books!

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am behind a few days this week. I have been reading a series of book that my sister-in-law sent me. I lose track of the time and forget that I haven't read my scripture reading. Today I read May 16th.

John 8:34-36 says, Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."

Proverbs 15:12-14 says, Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise. A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.

I hope that you aren't a "slave to sin." I hope that you aren't "staying away from the wise." I hope that you have a "happy face". Finally, I hope that you aren't "feeding on trash." God bless you this week.

A Child's Need For Love

My husband took us out for ice cream at Dairy Queen. On the trip there, my middle child, started making a noise - "Ahh." My oldest child said, "Stop it." So it started back and forth: "ahh," "stop it," "ahh," "stop it," "ahh," "stop it" until my oldest hurls her baby doll across the van toward her brother to show him that she meant business. Needless to say that her father was so angry at her that he told her that she was in so much trouble and she probably wouldn't be getting any ice cream. Of course that led to many tears and sobs. After we were parked in the Dairy Queen parking lot, Daddy talked to her about what happened and why it was wrong. He told her that she could have ice cream, but she would have to apologize to her brother for hurling her baby doll at him. Her brother's response? - "Don't worry I still love you." That got me, I can still hear him saying that, I wish I could hold on to that forever. BUT that is not what my story is about. What I can't get over is how my daughter clung to her daddy after being reprimanded. She insisted that he sit next to her at the table while we ate our ice cream. She had a need to be reassured that she was loved and back in her daddy's good graces.

I should be going to bed, but I wonder if that is how I am with my Heavenly Father. Doing wrong, having to bear the consequence, and then running to my Heavenly Father for his grace. I think I understand love and grace more because I have an earthly father to show me and I am so grateful that my children also have a model in their father of love and grace.

Weekly Bible Reading Update

May 12th:The One Year Bible NLT, Proverbs selection/ Proverbs 15:4
"Gentle words are a tree of life, a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Be gentle today, that is the goal for myself.

I also wanted to share that I read the story of Ruth the other day. I have never really cared too much about the story myself - always liking the story of Queen Esther so much better, but I have changed my mind. The story of Ruth is very romantic, don't you think? I also read a story that I don't ever remember reading before, although I have read the Bible through before. It was the story of King Nahash of Ammon gouging out people's right eyes. Interesting. Have a Blessed Week and I hope that you are reading your Bible too!

Communion Devotion for Mother's Day

(I have the Communion Devotion for Sunday and I got it finished ahead of time so I thought I would post it. Hopefully I won't make any changes.)

Recently, I heard a story of a mom who has a red plate that says, “It’s Your Special Day.” On special occasions such as birthdays, promotions, first day of school, etc, this plate is used for this very special person’s meal. After every special occasion, the mom writes on the back of the plate with a permanent marker the occasion and a personal note. There were several years of memories already dedicated on the back of this very special plate. The kids felt so special getting to eat off of it and the mother probably felt so much pride to be reminded of all the memories when using “The Plate.” Pretty Sweet, right? What a great idea. After one of the children’s birthdays, this special plate was sitting dirty in the sink with the other dinner dishes. The husband, being the very thoughtful guy that he is, decided to load the dishwasher with those dirty dishes and wash them. I can just imagine the scene in my head – a husband so proud of himself for helping his wife out, patting himself on the back for all the points that he was scoring for doing such a great act of service for his wife. The next thing that this mom realizes is that this special plate is spotless – of all the food and all of the written memories. I guess permanent marker isn’t always so permanent because the dishwasher washed it all away. Can you guess the shock and horror as the mom stares at her plate. All the work gone, she could never redo the moments in the same way again and the poor husband’s points washed down the drain with all of those memories. If I understand most men, he will probably never wash another dish again. The truth is that this woman really didn’t wash memories down the drain, in fact, she will think of them and her husband every meal that she uses this plate.

There is meal for Christians that is supposed to be filled with memories as well. Jesus asks us to remember him at communion time. In the Bible, this time is also called the Lord’s Supper. When I was a little girl, the men would march down the aisles of church at communion time. They would gather around the table and pray, serve each other communion and then pass the plates to everyone. I remember it being all really solemn and quiet. During this time I would just stare at the communion table and look at the carvings on the table. I longed to run my fingers in those carvings. As I grew older, I realized that those carvings said, “This Do In Remembrance Of Me.” I didn’t get it then and even now the importance of those words can be forgotten in this hectic life.

I Corinthians 11:23-26 says, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you: do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

Pampers and Cheerios commercial

My kids and I love this commercial. The first time we saw it we all giggled. That was when my youngest still was not saying any words. Every time we watched it the two other kids would say "dadda" just like the baby would say it. Shortly after that, my youngest was saying "dadda" and "mamma." Was this a coincidence? He still just says those two words, besides "ugh?" when he is questioning something, "Oww" when he head- butts you, some car noise that I can't spell out when he is playing with cars, and a growl when he pretending or not pretending to be mad. What a kid.

Weekly Scripture Reading Update

I am a day behind. I'm to May 4th. The Scripture reading in John on May 3rd is the scripture I am using for today. I memorized John 3:16 when I was a child, but I find the verses following it very meaningful.

John 3:16-21 (New Living Translation)

16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.

Kirky's Turkeys

I have a private blog called Kirky's Turkeys. You have to have permission to see it. I just wanted to notify the ones that do that I just posted some new stuff. If you need me to invite you or re-invite you, let me know. Love to you all - Rebecca

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am still caught up on my reading, but I wanted to share my Proverbs reading from April 25th.

Proverbs 14:3-4 A fool's proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keeps him safe. Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.

I kept reading that portion of scripture over and over and I think it is very clever. How could I change the last part of the passage to fit my life - "Without children......." You finish it.

Thanks Suzi for keeping me accountable to reading the One Year Bible. It is weird, but this helps me out. Now how can you help me to start exercising/running? I need some accountability there. AND Suzi - thank you so much for the box of books. I was able to read all day Saturday, since Kirk was gone to the Men's Retreat. Not really all day, but all the spare and some not-so-spare moments. I think I was reading while the children were in the tub. I have really been enjoying "A Proper Pursuit" by Lynn Austin.

An update on my cake dilemma. I did make a cake from a box and frosting from the can, but I added by own touches and it tasted delicious and looked pretty good if I must say so myself. No one knew that it wasn't home-made and I am not telling.

So I Have Some Problems

My first problem is that my middle child got an used stuffed animal dog awhile back that he has fallen in love with and has named, "Goggles." I was going to get rid of it, but after he named it I just couldn't. Well, my youngest has now also fallen in love with it. My 3 year old will go days without noticing the puppy. During that time my 2 year old loves it. He loves to sleep with it and it is all really sweet, until my 3 year old wants it back. Then we have a problem. Whose puppy is it? - my 3 year olds - but he doesn't always care about it. Who likes to sleep with it? - my two year old. Who really loves it more? What should I do? - Maybe threaten to cut it in half like the story of King Solomon from the Bible. Any ideas?

My next problem has to do with my 5, almost 6, going on 16 year old daughter. About a year and a half ago she had bangs as her hairstyle. She decided that she wanted to grow them out like her friend. So for the past year we have been going through the awkward stages of growing out bangs. Now she is convinced that she likes to have her hair in her face like the big girls do. If you don't know what I mean, they have their long bangs swept down half in their face and into their eyes. My daughter and I have been through this many times, but this morning she thought that she could go to school like this. Her dad asked her if she even had brushed her hair and made her go get a brush. She was not happy about this at all. I think that if we can't convince her about this hair issue, that I am just going to cut her bangs short again. Isn't she too young to care so much about what her hair looks like?

My last problem has to do with a cake that I am suppose to be making for our Pastor's going- away party. It is all suppose to be really fancy and we are suppose to make home-made two-layer cakes. I have been practicing 3 different cakes (really 2) but I am not happy with them and now I have to have a cake for THIS SUNDAY. My husband is going away on a retreat and taking the car - the only way that I can get around, unless I walk. Well, today in desperation I went and bought a mix and ready made frosting. So unless someone has a great recipe for a two layer cake - I am making cake from the package. Something I really didn't want to do. (Sigh).

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I believe that I am finally caught up. Yes! The April 21st reading, Psalm 89:15, "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord."

Sweet Blessings

I don't know if this is true for your neck of the woods, but it is true for mine - Spring is here. It has been for a few weeks, and I truly enjoy it. What I enjoy most is the sun waking me up. Since the sun is rising earlier, I am getting up earlier and reading my scripture reading for the day. I love doing that in the quiet part of the morning. (BTW, I read Psalm 84:1-12 today and it was awesome).

Another blessing happened this morning. I watched while Kirk taught my two oldest kids "Cut the Pickle." You put your two index fingers together at the tips and you say "Cut the pickle." They slice the pickle with their finger and then you say, "tickle,tickle" while tickling them. What fun that was for them. Even when they knew what would happen, they wanted more. The funniest was that my son would step away from Kirk, try to reach back to cut the pickle and then turn to run away. He never could, he was not fast enough.

My third blessing was last night and it came in the form of a 2 month old baby. I was watching her and her 5 year old sister while their mother went and sang with the Praise Band at church. What sweetness it was to put a baby to sleep and hold her in my lap. I love the smell and the feel of a little baby. Of course at first I was so nervous since it has been 2 years since I have had a little one and I was afraid that one of my boys would hurt her, but all went well. My youngest did come and watch me hold the baby. All I needed to do was have him see the baby and hug him and then he was off playing again. What sweetness! The last blessing is that I received confirmation that I do not need another baby. After the two girls left the house and I put my kids to bed, I looked around at the tornado that hit my house. Babies are too much work! At least at the moment, I don't want another baby. Ask me again tomorrow, I might change my mind. Today, however, I am enjoying my many blessings.

The Church of Oprah Exposed

I got this YouTube video from my father-in-law. I think that this is just another piece of evidence that Oprah, even though she is very good person, is not a Christian. She believes in god, but not God.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I hope by next week I am completely caught up. I had been reading Mansfield Park, by Jane Austin. I liked that story, but it was hard reading for me. Sometimes reading another book distracts me from the more important reading of Scripture. I won't pick up another book until I am caught up - I think that I said that a couple weeks ago and I didn't do that. I am weak. I am now to April 10th in my One Year Bible. One of my favorite verses - Joshua 1:9

This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Weekly Bible Reading Update

Am I ever going to catch up?

April 1st Reading Selection. I really got something out of the Psalm 73 passage.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything
their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,
drinking in all their words.
11 “What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12 Look at these wicked people—
enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way to others,
I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Nonsensical

non·sen·si·cal (nn-sns-kl)

adj.

1. Lacking intelligible meaning: a nonsensical jumble of words.

2. Foolish; absurd: nonsensical ideas.

You might already know that I am enjoying reading a few of Jane Austin's books. Jane Austin, an author in the early 1880's, wrote books such as Emma and Pride and Prejudice. From reading these books and watching the movies that are based on the books, I have fallen in love with the word, nonsensical. Don't you just love the way it comes out of your mouth. Nonsensical. I love it.

It also reminds me of types of love. The ancient Greeks had it right - they had many different words for different types of love. Agape - Christian love, Eros - lustful love, Philo - brotherly love and a couple more that I can't think of. I may be wrong about the meaning or the spelling, but hopefully the point is still there. There are types of love, at least we attribute love to a lot of different feelings. There is a crush, you know when you are in love with someone, but they have no idea. (I am very familiar with that type of love.) There is love that you feel for family and friends, a deep friendship love. Then there is the love that you feel for family and friends that is more superficial - I have to love you because you are related to me or have done things for me. There is the infatuated love - the love of a boyfriend/girlfriend who can do no wrong. Like looking through "rose-colored glasses." There is the lustful love, the love that is all about sex. There is the kind of love that you should have for all human beings - brotherly love/Christian love. And there is the unconditional love, the love that is going to love even though I am frustrated with you love.

Last night I finished reading "Emma" for the first time. Jane Austin used that word again - nonsensical. It was so true in talking about the foolish things that people do when they are first in love. The foolish promises that they keep and the foolish things that they say at the beginning of love. During the night, my youngest wasn't sleeping well because he kept coughing. Even after I got him to go to sleep again, I just laid there thinking about nonsensical love. I stopped thinking about Jane Austin and I started thinking about Jesus' Disciples. Their love was nonsensical.

Then Jesus said to Simon, " Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Him. Luke 5:10b-11

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting in his tax booth. " "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him." Luke 5:27-28

To many it is foolish to leave everything to follow Jesus, it is nonsensical, but that is exactly what Jesus asks us to do.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, " If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul." Matthew 16:24-26

Maybe it is time to be a little more nonsensical in love with Jesus.

Kirk's Mexico Trip

Kirk and his youth group left at 11:00 PM Easter Sunday to drive to Mexico for Spring Break. They work with AMOR Ministries building a house for a Mexican family. They built it in 4 days! Kirk was so sick. He was sick with a cough the day before they left and he is still sick with it 10 days later. I think that he is getting better.

March 22nd, Scripture Reading

"So Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him." Luke 5:28NLT I am still in awe of the fact that these men got up, left everything to follow Jesus. What a man this Jesus was and still is.

The Dash Poem Movie

I think one thing is missing in this video - it is not as much that you did all these good things, but you did them because of your relationship with the Savior. I want people to remember that I served Jesus as my Lord and Savior so that my dash here on earth would be for Him.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 921 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Happy Easter!

I bought my family all new clothes. Don't we look spiffy?

My youngest son loves Jimmy.

Opening up Grandma's Easter Baskets.

We had a great Easter weekend. On Saturday we had a great crowd for the Easter Egg Hunt. At church we had a packed church, I couldn't find a place to sit. It is sad that people make sure that they come to church at Easter and don't find much time for Jesus any other time. The weather was beautiful. Kim and Lance came for Easter Dinner - Thanks for coming K&L! We went to the park later that day. I will post some of those pictures later.

Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday

Wagon Rides

The Easter Story

The Easter Egg Hunt

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am slowly catching up. I have read through March 11th. It is a fitting New Testament reading, since it is about the Crucifixion and we have just past Easter. The passage I read today was about Simon of Cyrene. I have recently been thinking of the song, Watch the Lamb, by Ray Boltz. Although he took some liberties to the song, it is still touching. Mark 15:21 NLT

A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)

I hope that you all had a blessed Easter Weekend. I will be posting pictures of the kids soon.

Art Night

My daughter with her painting, "Hearts in the Air," and her Kindergarten teacher at art night. Her painting also was on a silent auction and it went for $20 to her little brother. I put a video of her talking about it on my Kirky's Turkeys blog, for those who have permission to use it. Her picture is of mommy, herself, The Cross, and some hearts. Kirk asked her, "Where are daddy and your brothers?" She said that there wasn't enough room for everybody.

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I have just finished reading the selected passages for March 3rd. Psalm 46:10a says, "Be still and know that I am God." Proverbs 10:23 says, "Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible."

I need a little help remembering those things, sometimes I am a busy fool.

Pictures

Birthday

In February, my "baby" turned 2. I tried to make Red the Fire Truck (from the Cars Movie), but it was a little more difficult than when I made Thomas for my 3 year old. We invited a few of his favorite high school friends to his birthday party. He loves Jimmy, Kelly, Ryan, Tyler and Amanda.

Saturday School

My daughter's school has 4 required Saturday schools every year. Today was all about doing projects. We skipped the drama one because I didn't have the patience to take care of my two boys and explain to my 5 year old what to do. We just went to the playground instead with the other skippers. She did go to foil sculpting, where she sculpted a butterfly and flower. We also went to shoot her bottle rocket. She made a bottle rocket with her dad the other day and even though ours wasn't too technical, it went pretty high. Next year, ours will be way cooler. I wish Kirk would have been there to see it, but he was on a youth trip this weekend in southern California.

Leprechaun Trap

One other project that my 5 year old had to do for school was to make a Leprechaun Trap. She got some help from her dad. We will find out Monday if she caught a Leprechaun over the weekend.

Psalm39:4-7

I have tried AGAIN this year to read through my One Year Bible NLT, and AGAIN I am behind. I am trying to play catch up. I have to admit that I don't enjoy reading all the ceremonial details in Leviticus - it bogs me down. I feel so guilty for not being able to stay with it. Eventually I get so far behind that I just quit - I need to make it past June this year to beat my record. Maybe I will use this blog once a week to comment on what I read and you can note my progress. If I don't post, however, please get on my case, keep me accountable. Today I was reading the Feb. 22nd passages and the Psalm selection struck me like never before.

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered - how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. my entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so Lord, where do I put my hope? My hope is only in you.

What Does Jesus Look Like?

My youngest son is still not talking much, although in the past few weeks he has said "dad" and "mom" more often, which makes us hopeful. I have been working with him to say "Jesus." There are some pictures of Jesus in our church nursery and when I worked in the nursery, I would take those pictures during snack time and show them to the children sitting at the table saying, "This is Jesus. He loves you. Can you say Jesus?" This past Sunday, I wasn't working in the nursery, but I was showing some new workers the ins and outs of the nursery before service began. I showed them the pictures of Jesus and tried to get my little one to say "Jesus" for them, of course he didn't. After the service was over, I picked up my child from the nursery and the workers commented on how he didn't want to put the pictures of Jesus down and he kept pointing to it until one of the workers said, "Jesus."

At the table while we were eating lunch, I started asking the children what they learned in Sunday School. I have now since forgotten what they said, but then I started telling the family about our youngest child and the picture of Jesus. My logical husband says, " How do you know that is a picture of Jesus? We don't know what Jesus looks like." And my middle child says, "Yes we do, he has hair and a nose and arms and legs." That of course made us all laugh. Then Kirk said, " You're right son." In his sweet way, my middle child gets it - Jesus was just like us. It doesn't matter what Jesus exactly looked like. It matters that he became like us - arms, legs, nose, hair, and all.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, and at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:5-11

Shame on the Tooth Fairy

Last Wednesday morning, my daughter came out of her room exclaiming, "Mom, the most exciting thing just happened, my tooth came out!" Obviously this is the first tooth she has lost and she has been waiting for it to happen ever since she read a book about it. The next morning, she came out equally dejected, saying, "The Tooth Fairy didn't come." For shame Tooth Fairy, for shame. This is my daughter's first tooth, YOU could have remembered at least that one. I felt so bad for her, but I did tell her the time when the Tooth Fairy forgot to visit me. I also told her that the Tooth Fairy is very busy and just ran out of time. My daughter was so dejected that she talked to her dad about it. Her dad said that maybe something happened to her. After some thought, my daughter said, "Maybe she was in an accident." Thankfully, the Tooth Fairy came the next night and had not been in an accident.

Some interesting facts that I have been pondering since the visit of the Tooth Fairy:

1. That I am a supporter of the Tooth Fairy, however, I am not a supporter of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. My children still get presents from Santa - I am just not that happy about it.

2. Santa Claus - a man - only has to work one night a year and he gets a lot of credit. The Tooth Fairy - a woman- has to work every night and how does she rate? Do you see the correlation here?

My Birthday Present to Myself

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Sunday night I caught part of the 1996 movie on Masterpiece Theater and it got me all excited about reading it - Again! But alas, I had gotten rid of my copy because it was so worn out. (I got it from a Scholastic book order when I was in Middle School) Monday night, my husband and I were out with friends celebrating his birthday and we stopped into Barnes and Noble. There on a display table was Pride and Prejudice and other Jane Austen books. (It was meant to be!)I have not read any of the other books although I do have a desire to. How could I not buy this book? As soon as we got home and after getting the kids to bed, I started reading it. As the kids played the next day I read it. As the children slept, I read it. I finally finished it Thursday, but about 3:30 am Friday morning, I was wakened by one of the children and after she was back asleep, I couldn't sleep. So I got up and read my favorite parts all over again. Of course after I finished doing that I had to put my own copy of the latest movie in and watch it. What a beautiful story! Good thing that Friday is my husband's day off. Of course, now I have pile of laundry that needs to be done and other tasks that have been put off - but what a pleasure! My husband does not understand my need of this type of pleasure, but I am glad that he puts up with it - probably because it doesn't happen that often.

February 17th Communion Devotion

Every once in awhile the pastor asks me to do the communion devotion in church. To tell you the truth I sort of feel uncomfortable doing it. Can you believe that came from the girl who took Expository Preaching in College and gave a Senior Sermon - memorized? I do love to talk and express my thoughts, so I continue accepting the opportunity to do the devotion. So I posted it for you.

Have you ever been reminded of a memory that you had forgotten about? Maybe a parent, a sibling, a cousin, or a friend asked you if you remembered when you did something and you had completely forgotten the incident. Have you just sat there in wonder, how could you have forgotten that?

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the rocking chair singing to my youngest right before bedtime. I have a list of songs that I always sing - Away in the Manger, Silent Night, Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know, His Name is Wonderful, I Love you Lord, Seek ye First, and for whatever reason that night I added Jesus Loves Me.

You probably know the song. Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus loves me. For the Bible tells me so.

How many times have I sang this song in my life? Millions. How long have I known that the truths in this children’s song were true? Ever since I can remember. Yet that night when I was singing that song to my youngest, I started to cry. I had forgot. My head hadn’t forgotten – I think my soul had forgotten that Jesus loves Rebecca Evans.

Maybe you have forgotten that Jesus loves you. Maybe you think too much about others and their needs that you have slipped in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Communion time is a personal time. A time to think on what Christ did for us. Many times, though, after a few seconds in consideration of Christ’s sacrifice, we slip and we think about the people around us or we think about what we are going to do for lunch or something else. Communion time is a discipline.

Today, as you take the juice, remembering that it represents Jesus’ blood that was spilled, and as you take the bread, remembering that it represents Jesus’ body that was broken. Remember John 3:16, 17

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. That whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Do not forget that.

Lets pray, “Father in heaven, I am sorry that I take you and your love for granted. Thank you for the reminder. Help us to discipline our daily lives so that we take time for You. During this communion time help us remember your Son’s sacrifice and Your love.
In Jesus Name
Amen”

Steven Curtis Chapman ::

Faith, Not Facts

I heard this story this morning on KLOVE. I wanted to post it because I think that it is relevant to my post last week.

Published: January 25, 2008 08:16 am

Faith, not 'facts', carries woman forward

By Dan Irwin
NEW CASTLE NEWS (NEW CASTLE, Pa.)

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Search the Internet, and there are several “80s” that come up in reference to Down syndrome.

Eighty percent of babies with Down syndrome are born to women who are under age 35, the March of Dimes reports.

With recent advancements in clinical treatment, as many as 80 percent of adults with Down syndrome reach age 55, and many live even longer, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.

However, the most prevalent “80” — appearing on multiple sites — is that in America, more than 80 percent of babies diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome are aborted.

Bobbie McIlwain, though, refused to go along with the crowd. Today, because of her resolve, she and her husband, Jeff, are the parents of healthy 17-month-old twin girls.

During her pregnancy, McIlwain was told that certain test results showed that one of the girls had Down syndrome and that the other likely had a bilateral cleft lip and/or palate.

Despite the fact that she was encouraged to have an abortion, McIlwain and her husband made the decision to continue to carry the twins, then stuck by it.

“I was determined that God had hand picked my babies for me, that these were the ones I was meant to have,” said McIlwain, who, along with her husband, is a member of New Life Baptist Church.

“He must have thought that I was going to be a pretty special mom to give me such a special delivery.”



PRESSURE

Once doctors told McIlwain of their diagnoses regarding her unborn twins, they recommended that she and her husband see a genetic counselor, who would tell them about their options.

“Up until the time of my appointment, I kept asking myself, ‘what options?’ ” McIlwain said. “We found out what they were looking for. Our counselor told us that the best option would be to terminate the pregnancy.”

The counselor, McIlwain said, enumerated all the possible consequences of Down syndrome, as well as some of the chromosomal disorders that babies with cleft palates generally face.

“Then she asked us again that, now that we knew the facts, was it still our decision to carry them?” McIlwain recalled. “Absolutely! It took me six long years (because of various health issues) to become a mother. Do you think I was going to give up the first time something difficult was thrown at me?”

Nonetheless, the McIlwains were encouraged to have an amniocentesis, a test that would determine conclusively if one of the twins Bobbie was carrying had Down syndrome. The results, they were told, might make their decision an easier one to make.

However, the McIlwains also were informed that the risk for miscarriage because of the procedure was 40 percent and, because the twins were fraternal and developing in separate sacks, the test would have to be done twice.

“The outcome of the test was in no way going to influence our decision to carry the twins,” McIlwain said. “I declined it again.

“But by this time, I was getting a little upset with the visit. I felt like it was their choice to make, not mine. Finally, I had enough and told them that if this was what a ‘genetic counseling appointment,’ was, well, I didn’t need counseled on abortion, and I wouldn’t need any of the other appointments.”



PUSHING ON

Apparently, McIlwain is not alone in her feelings.

In a 2005 survey of nearly 3,000 parents of children with Down syndrome, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a majority reported that the obstetricians who gave them the diagnosis had focused on the hardships ahead and ignored “the positive potential of people with Down syndrome.”

In response to such reports, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) has sponsored a bill that would require doctors to offer more thorough medical information about Down, as well as referrals to support networks.

For McIlwain, though, the only help available came from her family and her faith.

“I’m not going to lie,” she said. “My decision to carry the babies was easy, but my daily walk was not. I thought if I had to smile at just one more person and tell them I was fine, I was going to pull my hair out.

“You’ll find that everyone has an opinion, and always wants to tell you what is best for you, and what is best for the world. I would just smile, take my little sip of Jesus from my cup, and just say thank you.”

In the weeks ahead, McIlwain said, doctors continued to stand by their diagnosis of Down syndrome, and the news she got with each appointment continued to be dire.

“Finally, I had to tell myself to stop, that this was not going to be a pity party for me,” she said. “I have to remember, ‘Do not tell God how big your storm is, but tell the storm how big your God is.’

“So from that day forward, I refused to let one thing steal my happiness.”

Thus, she said, she went through the rest of her pregnancy “with the most upbeat nature you could think of.”

And the joy only heightened when, on Aug. 17, 2006, she delivered Emily Grace and Ava Marie by Caesarian section. Though Emily came into the world with a bilateral cleft lip and an incomplete palate, subsequent surgeries have corrected the defect.

“Emily was born at 11:20 a.m., and had no other genetic defects associated with the clefting,” McIlwain said. “None. She was, and still is, beautiful. And Ava Marie was born at 11:23 a.m. — with no signs of Down syndrome. She is perfectly healthy.

“She came out screaming because I really think she had something to say to those doctors.”

Now, nearly a year and a half later, McIlwain’s days are full of the responsibilities of both work — she’s employed at Liberty Mutual — and motherhood. However, she’s also got a deeper faith that helps her deal with it all.

“The tests were wrong, the doctors were wrong, the genetic counselor was wrong,” she said of her pregnancy ordeal, “but my God was right.

“If I let him lead, he would show me the way. And he did.”



Dan Irwin writes for the New Castle (Pa.) News.

Thank you God for showing us that we humans aren't always so smart and right. Thank you God, for showing us this lady with courage and faith in YOU!

A Fairy Tale- or is it?

At bedtime last night, I read the story "The Emperor's New Clothes" to my kids. You probably know the story. Two thieves convince an emperor that they can make clothes out of such fine cloth that only those who are wise and worthy can see the clothes and those who cannot see them are fools. After the clothes were made, the king had a royal procession through the town to show off his new clothes. Everyone was afraid to say that they couldn't see the clothes at the risk of being called a fool. The only one brave enough to say that the emperor had no clothes on was a child. The story took a long time to get through because my 5 year old daughter kept asking why the people didn't catch on that the thieves were lying to them. I kept explaining to her that they were afraid. My daughter couldn't grasp the thought.

On this Super Tuesday, I know there are some trying to feed us a line and we, Americans, are taking it because we don't want to seem foolish. Are these politicians really trying to make America greater or are they just trying to get a vote. Even so, are they also afraid of being called foolish and are they backing an agenda whether they believe in it or not? The election has been on my heart and mind and in my prayers. What should I do? Who should I vote for? For some it is clear, for many others it is not.

It is not clear to me what the best answer is to Iraq, to illegal aliens, to health-care, and a host of other issues. What is clear to me is the one line that the American public is being fed and eating up. The issue that women have the right to choose an abortion and that a fetus is not a living being, therefore it is okay to dispose of it. How foolish is that? In our own vanity, we have fallen into a pit of everyone telling each other that it is okay. When are we going to stop the foolishness?

My Prayer

As a mom, there are many dreams that I have for my children. As a mom, I also know that there is little I can control over these dreams, since they are my dreams and not theirs. I do have prayers for my children. One is Proverbs 4:20-27 (NLT)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

What are your prayers for your children?

The Mark Of The Lion Trilogy

I read this set at Christmas time. I read it in 4 days. Can you imagine, a mother of 3 kids reading non-stop for 4 days. I can't do it very often, but it was like taking a mini-vacation. I took care of the kids' needs and it was back to the book.

I just can't stop thinking about the story. It is so beautifully written. Kirk got this set for me for Christmas in 1999. This is just the second time that I have read it. It is a love story, but it isn't as much as a human love story, than it is about God's love. There is action and historical facts, I think that even men would enjoy it. I truly recommend it.

My Grunter

As many of you know, my 23 month old son doesn't talk. He grunts, points, and uses sign language. He understands a lot of what we say to him, but he has no interest in making any distinct sounds. There are times that I worry about him - did he hit his head too much as a baby? I went online to see if I could find any answers. One article I read said not to worry and one said that I should worry. I am going to post the article that is more positive. It really fits my son to a "T."

Judith Hudson, developmental psychologist

Although it's not typical, your 2-year-old's situation is not necessarily cause for great concern, either. Some more cautious and reserved 2-year-olds tend to wait until they understand a great deal of what they hear before they actually speak. Look for these signs of language readiness:

• Does your child point to objects? Pointing to a toy he wants or to a picture in a book is closely related to the beginning of actual speech.

• Does he seem to understand what you say? Does he react when you call his name when you're out of sight? The ability to understand language precedes the ability to talk. If your child seems to comprehend a great deal of what others are saying, he's well on his way to talking.

• Does your child use gestures and facial expressions to communicate? Many kids communicate what they need nonverbally, and in fact most 2-year-olds develop a host of nonverbal signals.

• Does your child grunt? Research shows that the little grunts 2-year-olds make while pointing to pictures or playing with their toys are actually a kind of commentary. Children who aren't yet talking and don't grunt are more likely to later be diagnosed with a language delay.

If your child isn't showing these signs of readiness, you may want to make an appointment for a speech and hearing screening. Talk with his pediatrician, and, if he's in preschool, with his teacher. His preschool may refer you to an early speech and language intervention program (usually coordinated through the county or public school system) that will provide a free speech and language screening. Or his doctor can refer you to a private speech-language pathologist for an evaluation. In general, the earlier a language delay is detected, the easier it is to treat. Many language problems can be treated effectively during the preschool years so that your child will have no long-term deficits.

babycenter.com

Christmas

My parents flew to California and surprised us for Christmas. What a special surprise. Thanks mom and dad!

I hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas and are enjoying the New Year of 2008!