Just can't wait to get back on the road again! Honestly, I love the meetings! The kids love them too. In fact it has come to be a problem sometimes. They think they are the special guests everywhere we go. Walmart. Fast food. Walking down the street. They do the princesses on parade move. Telling everyone "hello" and making sure everyone can see them saying "bye bye!" fifty times. Everyone thinks it's cute, but it does get a little embarrassing!
I enjoy it though. I get to spend time with my favorite people in all the world, and serve my best Friend at the same time.
So anyway, enough rambling. We are going to be gone a couple of weeks. I might be able to get on once in a while, but not too often. See you when we get back!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Monday, September 19, 2005
Elisabeth--10/18/04
And here is Elisabeth. She is the most happy baby I have ever seen. She loves to talk to people. (Doesn't matter what you say.) She loves to make you smile, always looking at your face and enjoying lots of time with you. She is amazingly tolerent of the affections of her sisters! They just love her, and are always trying to make her smile. Her favorite game is peekaboo, she will hide my face with my hair and jerk it away (ouch) and go "bah!"
Sunday, September 18, 2005
I love Sundays!
I just love Sundays. I love getting up in the morning and thinking about serving and worshipping the Lord. I love seeing the excitement on my daughter's faces and they get ready for church and shout to each other, "goin' ta CHURCH!!" I love singing with my bretheren the praises of the Lord, and getting into ministry wherever I can. I love hearing God speak to ME in everything, from the music, to serving, but especially through the preaching. God speaks to my need each week, and most of the time, it is the need I will experience during the week.
God sure created a beautiful thing when He established His church. I have seen His churches all over the west coast of the United States, and let me tell you; every one is different! They are different sizes, have different kinds of pastors and different kinds of members. Some poor, some rich, some very wise, and others struggle with foolishness. Not one of them was perfect. Every one of them was a priceless jewel in the eyes of God, and He loves each one more that I can possibly imagine. When I think about how great God's tender love is for His church, I can only wonder at it. The time that I have spent contemplating how very precious God's church is to Him has given me more to think about than I ever will be able to, and I am still in the shallows of an ocean.
It is a precious and special thing to be a part of God's church. To be a member in a body that suffers together and joys together. If I see a weakness, it is my weakness, and my strength can help that weakness. Where I am weak, the church may hold me up. This was God's plan, and it is good. I pray that wherever I am, I can be that part of the body that God meant me to be, so that it is not lame, or deseased, or blind; but where I am concerned, it will be whole by God's grace!
God sure created a beautiful thing when He established His church. I have seen His churches all over the west coast of the United States, and let me tell you; every one is different! They are different sizes, have different kinds of pastors and different kinds of members. Some poor, some rich, some very wise, and others struggle with foolishness. Not one of them was perfect. Every one of them was a priceless jewel in the eyes of God, and He loves each one more that I can possibly imagine. When I think about how great God's tender love is for His church, I can only wonder at it. The time that I have spent contemplating how very precious God's church is to Him has given me more to think about than I ever will be able to, and I am still in the shallows of an ocean.
It is a precious and special thing to be a part of God's church. To be a member in a body that suffers together and joys together. If I see a weakness, it is my weakness, and my strength can help that weakness. Where I am weak, the church may hold me up. This was God's plan, and it is good. I pray that wherever I am, I can be that part of the body that God meant me to be, so that it is not lame, or deseased, or blind; but where I am concerned, it will be whole by God's grace!
Rebecca--02/19/03
Rebecca is sweet, sweet, sweet! She has a tender heart, and is always thinking about how others feel. She also has a sense of humor that you have to watch out for! Becca needs lots of hugs because God gave her such a sensitive spirit. I think now I am filling her up, and when she is grown, she will give it out in helping others!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Ruth--3/12/02
This is Ruth. She is our oldest and full of energy all the time. We like to joke that she has two gears: "TURBO" and " OFF". She is a perfectionist and determined when she does anything. Ruth has surprised me with just how unthinkingly generous she is. She loves to get in the mix and help. She is a "doer". I know that the Lord has big plans for her!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Let me introduce...us!
This is my husband Ryan and me. We met at Bible college. We got engaged in the summer before our senior year, and were married four days after graduation. (Wasn't that a whirlwind!) Ryan is called to be a missionary in Mexico City, and I am called to be his wife. Before I met Ryan I long believed that it would take an exeptional man to put up with me! Ryan is just that. I could not ask for a better, wiser, more steady husband than Ryan. God put us together, and I am seeing more and more that God knew just what He was doing! I thank God for him often!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
First things first: my testimony
I was raised in a Christian home. My dad has been a pastor since I was five years old. At that time I had seen a lot of people get saved and all I knew about it was that,
1.) Everyone ought to get saved.
2.) People getting saved made my mom and dad real happy!
3.) When people got saved they went to the front of the auditorium, prayed, and then they were saved!
I thought, "Hey! I can do that!" So I did. I went forward, prayed the prayer everyone prayed when they got saved, and then excitedly told my parents that "I got saved!" My mom and dad gave me a funny look and said, "oh, that's nice." and dropped it. That was very wise of them. They never told me, "Now you're saved!"
Years later, we went to a showing at a church nearby of some movies about the end times. The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming back, and that He will come like a thief. This knowledge convicted me because I knew that if I did not prepare for His coming, I would be left alone. This thought really gripped my imagination. I couldn't sleep. I knew some new things now.
1.) If I had to face God right then, He wouldn't let me into Heaven. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone..." Rev. 21:8
2.) When He came to get the saved, He wouldn't get me. "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Matt. 24:40
This is not a plesant prospect, but the Bible is very clear on this matter. Sin ends up in a place of judgement, and we are in our sins without Christ.
I had a problem, though. So much of the Bible is about God's wonderful provision for this need we all have, and I FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT! I spent night after night dreading the morning in case I was going to wake up to an empty house. I would check the beds every night, sometimes several times.
Then after one night of desparate bed-checking, I lay in my bed pondering my misery and the Lord began to speak to my heart.
The still small voice of God's Spirit asked me if I thought God wanted me to spend my life in this kind of despair. I knew that He didn't. Then it hit me like a load of bricks. "What! That's what Jesus came for!" Right then, I knew I had to get saved right away, and I knew the best thing of all.
3.) "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Rom. 6:23 "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." II Cor. 5:21--John 3:16 says it better than I ever could, "For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
I jumped out of bed and ran to my parents bedroom. They did not greet me enthusiastically this time either! In fact they were downright groggy and confused. I was not. I knew that I had to get saved before another moment passed. So I prayed and asked God to save me from my sins and from hell. I accepted His wonderful gift of eternal life. The relief and peace was amazing. The first thing I thought was, "finally! I can sleep!" How wonderful to be able to rest in peace in this life! "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, oh Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."
Reader, God loves you so much that gave His own blood to pay for your salvation. If you are trying to get it by being a good person, please remember, it's a gift! Your sins will keep you from ever being good enough to have peace with God. You have to get rid of them! Jesus is how. When He died on the cross, His blood paid the price to remove all our sin. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgivness of sin." Col. 1:14 God says that if you turn from those sins and believe on Christ, you will be saved. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13
1.) Everyone ought to get saved.
2.) People getting saved made my mom and dad real happy!
3.) When people got saved they went to the front of the auditorium, prayed, and then they were saved!
I thought, "Hey! I can do that!" So I did. I went forward, prayed the prayer everyone prayed when they got saved, and then excitedly told my parents that "I got saved!" My mom and dad gave me a funny look and said, "oh, that's nice." and dropped it. That was very wise of them. They never told me, "Now you're saved!"
Years later, we went to a showing at a church nearby of some movies about the end times. The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming back, and that He will come like a thief. This knowledge convicted me because I knew that if I did not prepare for His coming, I would be left alone. This thought really gripped my imagination. I couldn't sleep. I knew some new things now.
1.) If I had to face God right then, He wouldn't let me into Heaven. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:23 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone..." Rev. 21:8
2.) When He came to get the saved, He wouldn't get me. "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Matt. 24:40
This is not a plesant prospect, but the Bible is very clear on this matter. Sin ends up in a place of judgement, and we are in our sins without Christ.
I had a problem, though. So much of the Bible is about God's wonderful provision for this need we all have, and I FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT! I spent night after night dreading the morning in case I was going to wake up to an empty house. I would check the beds every night, sometimes several times.
Then after one night of desparate bed-checking, I lay in my bed pondering my misery and the Lord began to speak to my heart.
The still small voice of God's Spirit asked me if I thought God wanted me to spend my life in this kind of despair. I knew that He didn't. Then it hit me like a load of bricks. "What! That's what Jesus came for!" Right then, I knew I had to get saved right away, and I knew the best thing of all.
3.) "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Rom. 6:23 "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." II Cor. 5:21--John 3:16 says it better than I ever could, "For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
I jumped out of bed and ran to my parents bedroom. They did not greet me enthusiastically this time either! In fact they were downright groggy and confused. I was not. I knew that I had to get saved before another moment passed. So I prayed and asked God to save me from my sins and from hell. I accepted His wonderful gift of eternal life. The relief and peace was amazing. The first thing I thought was, "finally! I can sleep!" How wonderful to be able to rest in peace in this life! "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, oh Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."
Reader, God loves you so much that gave His own blood to pay for your salvation. If you are trying to get it by being a good person, please remember, it's a gift! Your sins will keep you from ever being good enough to have peace with God. You have to get rid of them! Jesus is how. When He died on the cross, His blood paid the price to remove all our sin. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgivness of sin." Col. 1:14 God says that if you turn from those sins and believe on Christ, you will be saved. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13
Hi friends!
This little spot is going to be where I talk about my life, and what I learn along the way. I can get a little sappy sometimes, so bear with me. Thank you for taking the time to come here! God bless!
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