our lily pad...

who's prosperity????

everyone who knows us, knows that we have been looking for a new church home since we moved. 

sometimes, it has been comical when we walk out of church.  other times, it has been painfully sad...

unfortunately, the latter was the case yesterday. i know there are some nonessentials in the Christian faith that we just have to agree to disagree until we are in the glory of God in heaven or Christ comes again (i am hoping that i will not be too busy singing hallelujah that i can get through my lists of questions...).  but there are just some things (ok, a lot of things) that i just can't compromise on or just do not see biblically. namely, the prosperity gospel---that God wants you to have that house, that car or be financially well off or be healed.  that if you just have enough faith you can claim things (material possessions, health, wealth) in Jesus' name.  you know the verse, "ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (john 15:7)  however, if you read the whole verse, there is a condition before that promise--"if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you"(emphasis mine). meaning that if you are walking in complete obedience to him and His Spirit is in you, your will is His will.  Your prayers are whatever He wants to do with your life--in His way, in His time, on His terms for His purposes (after all, it is HIStory--i am just grateful that i get to breathe in the air the He created). and how often do i really remain in Him and allow His words to remain in me...really....

His plan may not include a bmw, house, wealth or even a long life.  this week, i was talking to a friend about a fellow brother in Christ who is suffering through stage 4 melanoma. why him?  he LOVES Jesus, dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel and does not have a materialistic bone in his young body. yet, this is the path that he must walk in his imperfect body on earth until we all receive our glorious new bodies in heaven. he is preparing for whatever answer God gives him and glorifying Him through it all---that's faith. 

i remember having a conversation with a relative about the reason why my grandfather passed away and was sick was because he/we did not have enough faith...huh??? how about "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (psalm 139:16) or "now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (romans 8:17).

so i cringed on sunday when the pastor told the congregation to "take out their gucci wallets and get their blessing" and when he said the reason why a relative of his passed away was because "he was not there to pray for her and claim her healing" and when he went on about how we need to claim things in Jesus' name.  

the only thing i claim is that i am wretched and completely and totally lost without Him in my life.  i claim that i am constantly choosing my way over His way.  that i deserve absolutely nothing of what He chooses to bless us with and that it is only by His grace and mercy that i breathe...can i get an "amen"...

needless to say, we FLEW out of there...

i love this speech by john piper. (don't forget to pause the music on the left sidebar...)

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1 timothy 4:11

says

don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity

that is one of my favorite verses--i pray it for my kiddies.

then my dad sent me this music video made by the youth group at his church in leavenworth, kansas.  what a way these young people are setting an example!...oh, and my nephew is the first kid in the tuxedo shirt getting out of the limo (the chocolate one...)--i am a proud auntie! (before you hit play, click pause on the blog music to the right...)

the solas...

sola scriptura

by Scripture alone

sola fide 

by faith alone

sola gratia

by grace alone

solo Christo

through Christ alone

soli Deo gloria

glory to God alone...

the angels to the women at Jesus' tomb:

"...Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He has risen from the dead! Don't you remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day?" {Luke 24:5-7}

happy easter...

the thorns and the cross...

"Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. 'Hail, king of the Jews!' they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him."   {Matthew 27:27-31}

Thankful for what He did for me...Good Friday.

the lambiness of april...

isn't that the saying--march is in like a lion and out like a lamb-something like that????obviously, that person has never been to indiana.  it actually had to nerve to snow last weekend and we are scheduled for more snow this week.  

since moving out here, i've decided that i really do not dislike the snow--it's those nice warm days in between that gets you thinking that winter is over and, then, BAM! it snows again days that i really dislike.  seriously, why get your hopes up? then all you are stuck with is a cold because you are running around in a t-shirt one day and gloves and puffy coats another.  and the time it takes to get four kids in puffy coats...

and easter is around the corner--who wants to wear an easter dress in this cold??? i remember freezing my buns off growing up going to the sunrise service {OUTSIDE}...my only solice was the easter candy i tucked away in my heavy coat over my cute little easter dress that no one saw anyway because it was too cold outside...alas, it's not about me but about He who died for me---i guess i can take a little cold.  

and speaking of THE MAN...colby accepted Christ as his Savior this week!  we were doing our bible lesson and have been studying the Lord's Prayer this week.  i have been slacking in the bible memorization with the kids this year.  i also really wanted them to understand how to pray (colby has a tendency to say, "Lord, thank you for this wonderful food." and it is not eating time) and why we should pray.  so we have been memorizing Matt. 6:9-13 and breaking it down verse by verse--even going to the original greek--(yes, i miss my precepts class, but the kids have learned some pretty cool greek words)...ok, anyway....colby out of the blue says, "I want to get baptized because I want to follow Jesus."  {so, i preface this with saying that colby has been asking to get baptized since kai was baptized almost two years ago.  we have been holding him off because we just did not think he was sincere--i.e. he wants the same attention that kai got.--plus, the only reason i decided to get baptized when i was 11 was because my sister got a bible and i wanted one too.}  so our approach with the kids has been to teach them, pray for them and then allow God to work on their heart.  so when colby said this, i asked him a series of questions to make sure that he understood what Christ did and why; what it means to follow Christ and what his salvation is based upon--grace alone.  colby answered all my questions easily and with conviction. So he, kai, kennedy and i prayed together and then colby asked God to live in his heart.  he wants to get baptized at abundant life though so he probably won't actually get dunked (ok, washed like new) until we get back to cali.  but we are seriously excited for him and pray that he will continue to choose the narrow path of Jesus...

so the one day that it was warm enough to play outside, we broke out the skates and balls...

   

 

and then i took a picture of this flower---God's way of reminding me that He knows it's spring...

and right when my back was turned taking a picture of the flower, kennedy totally bit it on the skates...as in face plant on the sidewalk, screaming so loudly that a lady driving by stopped her car to make sure she was okay and i thought she knocked out her front teeth.  but she only had a tiny scratch...all that and a tiny scratch...

she's still kind of cute...

bryce, show me your funniest face ever....

not as funny as you letting me put lotion my by myself in my room...ha ha...{oh, and that would be that thick like crisco eucerin lotion in the tub)...niiiiiccccceeeeee.....

and i am still messing with my hair...i have officially become a product junkie...oh no, wait , i was already that...nice flower from target, eh...

365 photos and other stuff

crazy busy back to school get out of holiday mode week...grandma alice, uncle carlos and cute cousin nyiah came to visit from COLD chi-town. everyone was in and out all week---but games of scrabble were the constant.  i think kai even whooped up on uncle carlos a couple of times.

i started back bible study this week. i had a gal in my class in bsf who used to say she was "gross" without bible study--um, that's me.  and how convicting to start off the new year in James chapter 3 which deals with the tongue--tiny little member of our body but can cause SO much damage.  and yet, can be used for good with a timely word of encouragement.  with the same mouth we "praise" God and yet "curse" others around us who are made in His image--OUCH!  made me so much more aware of my speech this week (especially in light of what the bible says that one day we will be judged for every careless word that comes out of our mouth).  *note* ok, i didn't say i necessarily changed my speech, but i am a work in progress.  in my heart, i want to use my words for kindness but dag gone it i just get caught up in me too much.  or is it really a heart problem since out of the mouth comes the overflow of the heart?  my heart can definitely use a Surgeon. oh, and ch-uuuhh-ch (as the old black deacons would call it) was SO incredibly good tonight too. but i have to marinade in it a little more.

and i think i need a support group for facebook--it has taken over my life.  it's been GREAT to connect with some old friends that i wondered, "whatever happened to..." but when poor kenny said to me, "you're on fb again?????" i felt a twinge of conviction....

pics from my 365 challenge...

{fuzzy wuzzy crocs--as they are known in our house.  i have them too.  they are yummy!}

{playdate twice this week with kenny's partner in crime}

{cousin!!!! i don't know who terrorized her more-bryce or queen.  we'll miss her hanging out with us}

{bathtime is so much more relaxing now}

{she will be eligible for the olympics in 2020}

{we've got one girly girl...}

{and one i'd rather pull my toenails out one by one before i go shopping...}

{and another who says just give me the ball, dude...}

five for five...

five days into the new year and i have taken a pic every day and put on make-up (woo hoo!)

we started back to school today (kind of painful for me, but the kiddies were actually excited-they even got up and did their chores first thing!)  over achiever kenny asked if she was going to get to do the really hard school work today (wh-what????)

and facebook is still rocking...i actually was able to get in touch with my bestest friend from 20 years ago (military brats tend to lose contact with each other moving around so much).  we talked for about two hours and still had so much in common after 20 years!  but i seriously have to put some parameters around the whole facebook thing--i am seriously neglecting my kids (what resolution was that to spend more time with them???).

i have to admit i kind of cheated on the bible verse this week since it has been in my wallet for about two years.  i am using a scripture plan that gives you little cards to place in a plastic wallet and carry it around with you...the only problem is that i have been carrying it around for the past two years and have not moved on to the next card.  

so i decided to go back and look up the original greek for some of the words and do a little word study.  here is what i found:

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

new--"kainos" meaning recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn.

creature--"ktisis" meaning the act of founding, establishing, building, etc.

old--"archaios" meaning that has been from the beginning, original, primal, old ancient

passed--"parerchomai" metaphorically meaning to pass away, perish

ok, all that and what did i get out of it....that i am unworn and fresh in Christ (need to keep that in mind especially when i feel haggard and tired and in mean mommy mode).  that my foundation is in Him and He is building me up (especially when i feel like, once again, i have mucked it up).  that all my old habits---those things that i keep bringing up and clinging to when i try to do things my way--all those things and guilts perished on the cross with my Jesus---i just need to continue to work out what He has worked into me.  i love word studies! new verse for week is up in the corner!

my pics from the past couple of days...

{our church...where we are fed and loved and love in return}

{we are in full braces season.  she got festive for the holiday season with the red and green bands}

{gotta the love the 'bucks. HUGE part of our weekly routine}

peace...love...and hair grease...

happy new year's day {resolutions}

happy, happy

it's that time of year again

to make promises that may or may not be kept

i usually fall off the band wagon right around, oh, january 3rd

but not this year!

i've challenged myself to stick to it (at least until january 4th)

but first, our new year's eve celebration has come a LONG way since before kids...

no more dressing up, the bed was calling my name (ok, the scrap room)

but the kiddies stayed up (except bryce who succumbed to the sleep fairy)

their 2009 gang signs....

ok, my girl, ali , challenged me to think of a word for 2009.  a word that i will mull over in my mind and marinate in.  the word that came to me was {connect}.  so here are my top ten new years feel guilty when i don't succeed probably won't make it til january 4th resolutions:

1. {connect} with my Lord. memorize 1 scripture verse a week.  i really hate paraphrasing scripture.  that plus the fact that i feel like an under achiever when i heard about a man who actually memorizes whole books of the Bible.  and then there is the conviction of His Word to love Him with all my heart, soul and might; to have His Word on my heart, to teach them diligently to my children and to talk of them (deuteronomy 6:5-7).  i can't give what i don't have...i'll even post the verse i am memorizing in the top corner in case someone want to memorize it with me (hint, hint)

2. {connect} my beliefs with my actions. focus on prayer life.  took a mini bible study on prayer (by kay arthur) last spring.  i know my prayer life is not what it should be.  so my goal is to focus and believe that the prayers of a righteous man can accomplish much (james 5:16)

3. {connect} literally with my camera. become a better photographer--maybe when mommy season is over, i will pursue this as a career. but until then i really want to challenge myself to understand camera mechanics, post photo processes and develop my "style".  

4. {connect} with my kiddos. spend more 1 on 1 time with kiddies.  man, they are developing their own personalities and styles.  i feel like sometimes i don't take the time (nonteaching time) to just get on their level.  bryant has been saying that we only have one shot to get this parenting thing right so i feel just a pull to really know them and understand the little people they are becoming. 

5. {connect} with the one body i have on earth. exercise is a choice and a way of life--it is not an option but a requirement...ok, i don't want to be on the cover of o magazine saying "how'd i let this happen".  i hate working out but i love the results so this year i am embracing working out (hint, hint opa....)

6. {connect} with less is more. i can't believe i am about to type this...so, my friend and slightly lighter sister challenged me by NOT buying any clothes for a year...i know, i know... the horror!  so {gasp} i am challenging myself--after going through my closets and realizing i need not a thing---to not buy clothes in 2009.  i want to treasure what i have and be on my guard against every form of greed and remember that not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions (luke 13:15).  use what i have and enjoy being creative with it.  

7. {connect} with my inner dress-up self. and this is just as silly, but it goes with #10--to wear make-up more.  i always want to (i mean, i have a drawer full of the stuff) but i usually just get rushed in the morning so the make-up thing just does not happen.  but if i am going to follow through on #10, i should at least look a little good. plus on my 30th birthday, i told myself, "self, you need to start wearing make-up more!"

8. {connect} deeper in the Word. begin studying for certificate in christian apologetics from biola (AGAIN)...nuf' said...slow and steady wins the race--good thing there is no time constraints!

9. {connect} with people i care about...i used to give mr. white a card every game he played.  kind of miss that so this year he is getting surprise noted just because he's kind of cute.  and every year i say that i will write one card a month and send it to my friends--nothing like a handwritten note. i am committed to actually following through this year.

10. {connect} with my blessed life. after seeing how quickly and unexpectantly our lives can change forever, i am committed to documenting more of our life--just so my family can know and i can, like mary, treasure all these things and ponder them in my heart (luke 2:19). i am challenging myself to take one picture a day.  nothing too big or small--just reflections of our life.   so along with that comes me giving up the control of the camera and let me be taken in pictures with my fam.  (i hate being in pics).  but i realized that i love taking pictures and rarely am i actually IN them...what a shame, that my fam has no pics of me hugging them...

ok, my secrets are out there now.  all my friends can now hold me accountable. 

my first pic of the picture a day challenge (don't worry i probably won't post these everyday--i can't, i'm on facebook too much...)

{why was there an exercise band tied to a jump rope on top of the step stool tied to the laundry chute--the things i will miss when they are grown and gone.}

when no is a yes...

my heart is heavy for michelle.  her bridegroom and her hero lost his fight tonight.  her heart is shattered. her world has come to a stop.  we prayed and He answered.  His answer was it is time for My child to come to Me where I have prepared a place for him.  i remember hearing tony dungee speak about the death of his son.  he said that given everything he knows about heaven from the bible, he could not possibly ask God to bring his son back.  streets paved with gold, lightness from His glory, no sickness and glorious new bodies one day.  but i know that doesn't stop the heartache and pain and loneliness and sleepless nights.  so we grieve...but not as those without hope (1 Thess. 4:13) and  just like Jesus told the disciples "now is your time to grieve, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy" (john 16:22), i hope that michelle and angel and daniel will have joy again one day.  i hope to see marshall with his brand new body. i hope michelle never feels alone.  i hope that God wraps her and angel and daniel tightly in His arms and comforts them.  

love you michelle...

so sad, but inspiring...

ok, third post.  

i am up way to late, surfing the blogs (feeding my inner voyer)

but i came across this at SIStv (that would be scrap in style tv for all my nonscrappy friends).

it makes me sad to see that two children and a husband are left without a mother and wife (i am praying that they have a faith that comforts them to know that God is present even on our most devastating of days).

i am also glad that aleida was able to leave such a gift of love and words to her children and husband through her scrapping and blog. (ok, i know all my "i am not doing that, it's just paper and glue" friends--i am not saying it's a hobby for everyone!)  but it makes me feel better because i am always feeling guilty when i want to scrap (and it's usually because i have not done my bible study or spent time with my Lord or some other thing that is on my list of things to do). i am always thinking "is this a wise use of my time????" or "how conceited to think that others want to hear about what's going on in my boring life--so about me, not about Him".   but, wow, one day aleida is writing about 9/11 and two days later she is gone from this earth.  makes you think....