Back Home!

Wow we all missed Mexico, and it sure is good to be back! The girls were asking for us to play Bambie in Spanish so they could listen to it. They don't understand it yet, but they missed it!

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

Proverbs 28:7 says what we felt. We were surely doing what God wanted us to do, and He was providing. That was wonderful, but our place is in Mexico now, and we feel out of place when we are elsewhere!

Praise the Lord, we also have internet out here this time!

It's SNOT nice...

My kids are all snotting. Not snotty. But snotting.

Ruth has been enjoying her new game of sneaking up on mommy, giving a sweet hug and quickly wiping her nose on mommy's shirt or skirt. Because of this, she looks rather normal, and I run when I see her coming.

Rebecca looks a little less spiffy. She uses a more reliable object for a hankie. Her shirt. And not that often. Her face is slimey and her shirt is crusty.

The youngest is the saddest sight. Her prefered method for snot removal is to mash her hair around until the biggest globs are collected by the strands hanging in her face. Now the hair is spiking on the top of her head with dubious looking kebobbs attached to the spikes. The skin of her face has that peculure tight shiney look. And she comes up with her lips in a purse expecting a kiss. Who can refuse? I CAN! Horrors.

My Christmas Thoughts

Here's a blurry picture of our cute little tree. We broke down and got a fake for the first time.


Blessed Christmas! Have a wonderful HOLYday tomorrow! As I meditate on the story of Christ's coming, I am continually amazed by the beautiful, humble way the Creator came to earth to do His greatest work. It is something we do not understand, but imagine how His mother and Joseph must have felt!

If it was me, I would have thought something had gone terribly wrong! I would have been feeling very sorry for myself, having barely escaped giving birth in the street. And I would probably not be feeling much gratitude for the provision of a barn. (I've been in those things before. They do not smell like "traditional Christmas!")

However, Mary had a very special faith to be in the state of mind that she could ponder all the events. The Bible says she did. Not fret, stew, or worry. That is faith. To have faith that ponders every thing that happens, even when it hurts or is frightening, wondering, "What is God's plan? What does He want to do with this?"

Joseph was also amazing. Many people after going through an uncomfortable or painful event following obedience to God hesitate to obey Him fully again. Yet about two years after this, his family was visited by the wise men. They were given wonderful gifts, and could look forward to a comfortable life, but in the middle of the night, Joseph was told to pick everyone up and flee to Egypt. Joseph didn't hesitate. He obeyed. That is faith in action!

These are the people God chose for the family of His Son. They were not sinless, but they were people of extraordinary faith, in that they trusted God that He would have a plan in every circumstance, and they obeyed Him explicitly. What could God do with my life if I trusted Him like that?

Baby burrito! (and others)

This is my little wrapped package!! He loves it.



This is the girls all wearing Grandpa's jacket while singing songs with daddy.

Some new pictures

Rebecca always finds a unique way to do things. This is her version of an umbrella.
The next picture is an example of Rebecca and Elisabeth entertaining their new brother--Rebecca is drawing pictures for him and Elisabeth is rocking him. He can only take a little of this attention at a time, but they sure love to give it! The next picture is the tail end of a smile. He's been smiling since the first week!

Ok, everyone, all together now, "AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!"

Today's Pet

Today the pet that accompanied my daughters was a stuffed cow. Ruth and Rebecca are both caretaking this one, and it is always trailing after someone. The ribbon is tied around the cows tail, however. When I asked Ruth why the ribbon is on the tail and not the neck, she said, "Mom, you told us not to put ribbons around our neck!"

So I did. Doesn't that make perfect sense?

So Cow has to be dragged backwards...

Strange children...

Rebecca has been leading her shoe about the house on a leash made from a hair ribbon. I don't know why.

Flue!!!!

Achy, hot, cold, shivery, stuffed. Now I wish I had more compassion on my kids when they got this last week.
Bleck.
You may wish to wash your eyes with disinfectent after reading this blog. I hear it's contageous.
I'M KIDDING! PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!
Being sick always messes with my sense of humor. Things I think are funny aren't, and then I say things that make people laugh, and I can't figure out what they're laughing at.
I will post this before I get into too much trouble.

A Season of Thanksgiving

I could never thank my Saviour enough for all the blessings He has poured out on me. But one of the things I love particularly about this season is the focus I can take on giving thanks for the first and most important Gift He ever gave.

I was lost. Before the foundations of the world, God looked ahead to see me. He saw that I was not only lost, but that nothing in me would seek after God. I was drawn aside in my own ways and without hope of redemption.

So God made a plan way back then to save my lost soul. The only way for me to escape the penalty of my sins was for God to come in the flesh and substitute Himself for me.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

This He did, and He gave Himself freely. One special night a baby was born in a barn like a lamb. This Child grew in knowledge and wisdom, and was the only person to ever live His life completely free and pure of all sin. He was born with the intent to be a sacrifice that would remove my sin from me, freeing me from it.

1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Thank the Lord for His mercy to me! When God casts away sin and death into the lake of fire, I will not belong to it! I know this because of what the Bible says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13 I called on that name to save me, and repented of my sin. Now I owe Him a debt of thanks.

Now as I thank God for my family, our health, our comfort, my country, our freedom, and all the other things, I know that nothing compares to the Gift of Christ. Without Him, all of the others are only temporary balm to a hopeless life--I would be bound with my sins to the place they are going, and so would my husband, my children, everyone!

It humbles me deeply when I consider how desparate my need for Christ is, and fills me with joy when I consider the price that God put on my soul. To know just how much I am loved by the One Who knows me the best!

God is good!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and take some time to pay on your own debt of thanksgiving if you have been saved. If not, let me say that there is nothing in this life that is worth hanging on to if it will lose you the salvation God offers!

Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Brand New Baby!!

Here he is! Presenting the long awaited, much anticipated David! We think he is the cutest little boy on the planet, bar none, but we might just be slightly delerious over the loss of sleep! He came at a long and lank 9 pounds, 22 inches, and he's doing fabulously. We are enjoying him throughly, and thank the Lord for this precious soul added to our family!

Psa 127:3-5 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."