In a few weeks we will go where we’ve never been before. We have agreed to watch our two grandsons for the entire week of C4C Youth Camp AND Trent and Jess’ new puppy all at the same time! Matthew and Samuel are the best boys and always make us laugh. They also have a way of keeping us on our toes!! Matthew moves at a normal ‘almost 5 year old’ pace while Samuel moves at the speed of light. **Smile** There will be lots of swimming in the pool, bike riding, fruit snack eating, giggles, snuggles and memories we will cherish forever!! Hopefully not any poo on the floor though. (Ummmm I’m talking puppy poo now). A little extra prayer coverage would be greatly appreciated though!! **Wink wink** Good times at Nana and Papa’s!!!
I love children. I love their perspectives on life and I especially love to have conversations with them. They just say what’s on their minds. They aren’t interested in impressing anyone or in political correctness. They possess no tact whatsoever!! They just say what they feel in absolute candidness and at the same time innocence. That’s why when a child tells you that you’re wearing funny pants, you can laugh and ‘take’ the comment. They are plain and simply stating the obvious… to them anyway!
As a toddler Evan was introduced to a new lady in our church, whose nickname was ‘Bunny’. I never thought anything about it until Evan started looking her up and down and said in a matter of fact voice, “She doesn’t look like a bunny!” She also told a bald man standing by us in the checkout line at Target that he could believe God for hair. **Awkward moment**
During my pregnancy with Trent, my growing belly became quite a fascination with Evan. She made it a point of telling me when she noticed other ladies who also had babies growing in their bellies. Imagine my horror when she proudly announced (again in Target), “Momma and THAT man has a baby in HIS belly”, as she pointed to the man standing behind us in the checkout line. She did restrain herself from actually jabbing him in his belly but she pointed so everyone knew exactly who she was talking about! How do you tell a toddler that his belly was actually the result of a few too many beers! BTW, he didn’t think it was funny. **Awkward moment**
I think my two most embarrassing moments were brought to me courtesy of Trent. Setting: Walking down one of the aisles in Target (yes Target again), Trent in the cart with me pushing the cart, Evan walking by my side. Someone up in front of us had quietly deposited a VERY stinky poot for us to walk in to. As we are turning green and gasping for air, Trent yells “Momma you did a stinky toot!” Yeah… just in time for a group of other shoppers to join us in the aisle. **Awkward moment** This was followed a few minutes later by a remark to our male cashier, also by Trent. For WHATEVER reason, he decided to tell this complete stranger that I had ‘boobies’. OMGosh! What little kid makes remarks like that? **Awkward moment**
Kids add the most remarkable joy and adventure to our lives. Everyday as they speak with us we get a glimpse into what’s going on in the world as THEY see it. It’s awesome. It’s endearing. It’s precious. And now we get to experience it all over again with grandkids!! Matthew just called a zucchini a bikini yesterday! I love children!
I can hardly believe today is a Saturday. For those of us in ministry, you know what Saturday is. It is a day devoted to study and prayer for the important job of feeding God’s sheep on Sunday. We’ve been in ministry a long, long time and I have really gotten used to the routine. Our ‘Saturdays’ are on everyone else’s Mondays, if we get a Saturday. Let’s just say we have to be creative to be able to get any extra personal things done besides those things that demand our attention.
Anyway, Kevin was ahead on his studying and so today we were able to actually go out and buy patio furniture AND assemble it AND put it on the deck. I am still amazed and very grateful we were able to do this. I have been wanting to do it since last Novemeber when we actually had the deck built. The deck still doesn’t have the railings on it yet but it will… As soon as we get to another ‘Saturday’ so we can get it done!! Until then, I’m smiling to myself because little by little projects are starting to get done… Ahhhhhh!!!!
I’ve been reading about Pharaoh lately and I must say he was an amazing guy - but not in a good way. He was more interested in being ‘right’ even if it meant personal judgment and judgment to all the people he ruled. His heart was hard. The more he experienced adversity and hardship, the harder his heart became. Why was that? Because he resisted the Word of God and the authority of God.
God’s Word is an instrument of change. When we receive it, it changes a hard heart and makes it soft and pliable. But when we reject it and continue to hold on to our way of doing things or hold on to the fact that we are ‘right’ that same Word acts as a hardening agent. That’s what happened to Pharaoh.
Judgment (which is negative consequences) for the choices we make has mercy in it. Judgment SHOULD make us consider OUR WAYS, and the mercy in judgment is found when when we do so. A hard heart looks to what others have done to us and blames them for the negative consequences we are facing. In actuality those consequences are being experienced because of OUR bad choices. No one else is to blame. No one else can fix the situation either. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 26:2, ‘the curse causeless does not come’.
It’s sad to see to people being devoured by the consequence of their own choices and yet they are unwilling to forgive, to let go, to consider their own ways and make the adjustment needed to get them back on the road of blessing and joy. They would rather be ‘right’ in their own eyes than to humble themselves and admit they are wrong. Consequently their hearts grow more and more hard. They lose their joy, they alienate those they once enjoyed sweet fellowship with. They pull back from attending church and serving. They begin to spiritualize their reasons for doing so, and all because they don’t want to admit they were wrong.
I don’t want to be a stiff necked person that is hard-headed and has to learn the hard way like Pharaoh. I want to keep my heart right and not allow offense or unforgiveness into my heart. I want to stay on course and walk in love. I want others to do so too.
Don’t be fooled by all those who claim they hold the answers to peace in the Middle East! No man holds the solution. The only one who holds the answer to peace is the Lord. Every peace plan that excludes the wisdom and counsel of God is doomed to fail. The answer to the Middle East peace problem is not found in the lofty reasoning of heads of nations or newly elected officials. It is found in God and in God alone!! Every other ’solution’ will completely contradict the Bible and vehemently oppose God’s plan.
The Road Map to Peace is not a roadway to peace at all. Instead it is compromise of the very moral principals that we in America hold dear. Very simply these values ascertain that we have the right to exist and the right to defend ourselves. If we have these rights, why doesn’t Israel?
The Road Map to Peace rests on the premise that Israel needs to relinquish land for peace. Why land? Because today’s popular opinion is that the land is not rightfully theirs to begin with. Who is it that presumes to place themselves above the authority of God’s Word and come to this conclusion anyway? The last time I read the Bible it plainly states that “the earth IS THE LORD’S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF”. This simply means that God can give ANY land He chooses to ANYONE He chooses. And guess what? He gave the Land called Israel to His chosen people as an everlasting covenant. It doesn’t matter who likes it or not. It doesn’t matter what public opinion may say. The BIBLE says THAT land is theirs. All of it. Including Judea and Samaria (what the world calls the West Bank), the Gaza strip AND Jerusalem - all of it. Not half of it. Not a divided portion of it, but ALL of it.
A man-made Roadmap to Peace is no more capable of bringing about peace than I am an astronaut. It is not wise for any person or nation to put themselves at odds with God’s chosen people or to try and stand in the way of His Word being fulfilled to them. His Word will be fufilled. Let us continue to pray for those in authority in this nation to see that the Road Map is not a vehicle through which peace will come to Israel or to us. And let us pray that God will send an awakening to America.
I’ve got to say that the last several mornings have been so beautiful. I love when it is like this, just a bit cool in the morning but nice and sunny and warm during the day. To me this is perfect weather. Makes my morning cup of coffee seem even better than normal. Peace is everywhere. Time with God is precious. I love morning time. I really think it’s my favorite time of day.
I KNEW this would catch someone’s eye. You read it right. There’s a new addition coming to our family and I am so excited. We have two married children and one right now is going to be increasing!!! Whooo hoooo!!! I love increase!
So coming up soon we will be the proud grandparents of our new little grandpuppy, a chocolate lab. She will be Trent and Jess’ new little addition! WE love dogs so this is very exciting news. I know you were thinking grandbabies and I have a feeling I will be sharing news about that coming up soon too. But until then, what are some good chocolate lab names for this new little girl? Jess and Trent are deciding all on their own, so don’t send suggestions to them. This is just a me thing. I am just curious what names you would come up with… Let me know! :) My favorite name for a new little puppy???? Hmmmm… Bailey or Charlie… yes for a girl. You don’t want her to be a wimp. She’s going to be a hunter with Trent!
Tonight we’re getting together with the family for a cookout. Everyone is bringing their own grilling preference plus a side AND we get to bring dessert. Kevin is excited to have Chicago Dogs tonight and if you’ve ever had one you know why. Delicious!
Anyway tonight’s dessert… Evan asked me to bring a fruit crisp of some kind. I’ve been searching through my recipes and recipes books which brings me to this question. What is the difference between a crisp, a crumble and a crunch? Is it all just the same thing with a different name depending on what part of the country you come from or are living in? I know what cobblers are, and crisps for that matter. But what is a crumble and a crunch? Anyone know???
For those of you wondering what I am making, I ‘m making a Peach Rhubarb crisp, served warm with ice cream. Yummmmmmmm….. 
So tonight was the final for American Idol. Kevin and I actually only watched it once many weeks ago because we wanted to see the Christian guy on there (I thought there was only one until yesterday). For all you A.I. fans, I’m glad your Christian guy won. But that’s not what this blog is about.
I guess there were two Christians, one was voted off the other day. The consensus seems to be that all the people voting for that guy, now united together to vote for Kris which made him the winner, by a landslide.
I can’t help but think what if Christians would come together and vote for something more significant than Amrecian Idol… What could happen? Maybe something really unprecedented, like a nation would be changed… I wonder how many Christians who voted for American Idol actually vote in any election.
Today there have been so many geese flying over head! I guess they are on their way north for the summer. Anyway, I must say I love the sound of them honking as they go over the house. I think we must live under the Super Express Gooseway because they fly over us every fall and spring. Oddly enough two geese and their two goslings went running through the front yard. Don’t know where they came from and don’t know where they were headed but it was still cool to see them. All in all it’s been a very goose day. I mean a very GOOD day! I love living in the country!
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