Striving to Abide in Christ

Define Necessity

2011-12-12T15:10:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile.....

2011-09-16T23:56:00.003-05:00

Honestly, I wonder how many of my posts are titled like that? I seem to lack in the blogging department. Oh well! Life is busy and that is good. These days are so fleeting.

I wanted to share about the Lord providing us a car. Our little gas saver blew up and Troy couldn't fix it without sinking a lot of money in it. It was hurting us pretty bad driving the truck and 15 passenger van everywhere. Well, the Lord knew about it and laid it on someone's heart to give us money to buy a car. When this man offered I said, Wow! I then went on to tell him about the $800 car I found that needed some work. He said no I want you to get something nicer than that. He ended up giving us $3500 to buy a car. It is a nicer car than we could have afforded for sure. We couldn't even afford the $800 car. What an awesome God we serve to take care of our needs exceedingly above all that we ask or think. We are now enjoying our new little car!

Also we had out tent meetings in Griswold this past weekend and they were great! I can tell you that it has been awesome to remember that God loves me and cares about me. It has changed my relationship with Him. It is out of my love for Him that I serve Him and do good works. I can do nothing of myself but in Christ He does good works through me. I think one of the greatest ways He does that is to remind us of His love for us! I am His daughter and He loves me!!! I want to please Him. I want to live my life for Him. I know some that serve Him out of fear and I can tell you that it didn't work for me. I do fail daily, not willingly but daily and with the Lord being portrayed as wanting to strike me down each time I fail I couldn't even pray to Him. Yes, I went through a hard time, a desert time maybe you could say. I felt the Lord was as far off as He had ever been. Maybe I was in the wilderness, all I know is that I was alone and had forgotten that Jesus LOVES ME! Praise the Lord for His mercy and for showing me again that He has never left me, I was just blinded for awhile. I continue to grow in His love. I am being fed well spiritually and seek to continue to learn to be more like Jesus! I hope these are your feelings as well. Have a blessed weekend serving the Lord!

What a great life!

2011-08-04T23:24:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted anything here. Sorry to neglect! Life has been full and good. I am learning and growing in the Lord and I am so thankful for that even though at times it hurts.
This pregnancy is going good. I just started a new raw food pregnancy journal. I am going to post what I eat each day. Probably have pictures at some point. It is www.rawfoodlady.blogspot.com I am hoping it will help me stay more accountable. I need it!
So I am further along than what I thought. That is exciting! Seems I didn't have a miscarriage after all. Still confused about it all but I am measuring at a few weeks more than what I should be. Only one in there, for sure! I am trying to get an ultrasound on my Dad's birthday to find out what I am having. It would be special. So my new due date is January 9-18th. So excited to have a winter baby!
Other than that our house situation may be changing soon. We are wanting to move close to Griswold. We love our church there and need to be close to them. It's so important to have that fellowship with people who are loving and serving the Lord. I can honestly say that every time we are there I am convicted, encouraged, and blessed! Such a great combination! It is also wonderful to watch the youth of the church. They are not leaving after worldliness as soon as they can, no they have pure hearts that want to keep serving the Lord. You know a church is doing something right when the youth are this dedicated. It is a beautiful thing!
Okay well, I am off to bed soon. Keep looking to the Lord, He is coming soon!

Our day at the river!

2011-05-17T14:09:00.005-05:00

We had a fun time at the river. Unfortunately we didn't get to go mushroom hunting. It was May 14th but somehow Nebraska didn't realize it was supposed to be warm! :0) So we just had a fun time taking pictures. We are going to go back soon without coats for some nicer pictures, Lord willing. But this is a glimpse of our day!
The Lord has been greatly encouraging me in my quiet time with Him. I also have been reading some really good books. I need to get on here more often and post my thoughts. One thing that is standing out from the last book I read is about people that claim to be Christians. He likened it to someone claiming to be a farmer. Yet they only go out to the field about 10% of their total time for the week. The talk about farming and even read some books about farming but rarely get out there. It is the same with most people that claim to be Christians, sadly they are following the norm (world) right to hell. They go to church every time the doors open yet have no real relationship with Christ. They are never convicted of anything. That is a warning sign right there. If the spirit in you is not convicting you of how you dress, how you speak, what you do with your time, and so on then you have the wrong spirit. It is not the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God does convict. I thank Him for that and hope to keep growing and learning from Him! God Bless you!

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

2011-04-26T21:32:00.003-05:00

Do you know why? This is just beautiful.

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin? Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

I never noticed this....The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished..Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm finished.."But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid itbeside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,because......... The folded napkin meant,"I'm coming back!"

AND SO HE SHALL FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR HIS RETURN!

Someone sent this to me and I thought it was a beautiful thought. Not sure if it is all true, I'm not too up on Jewish traditions. :0) However, one thing I do know to be true is that Jesus is coming back. If you do not know Him as your Lord & Saviour I encourage you to go to His word. It's not enough to believe the fact that Jesus died and rose again, even the devils believe and tremble, James 2:19. You must make Him the Lord of your life. You no longer live for yourself but only to glorify Him. Nothing matters anymore except that which is eternal.
Seek Him and you just may find Him!

Congratulations on (Your) OUR new Baby!

2011-04-05T14:28:00.001-05:00

Last week in Nevada, Lincoln and Cecilia Rogers found out the hard way just how little “parental rights” can mean in some situations. Their newborn daughter Lilia was slightly jaundiced, so the staff at Summerlin Hospital recommended she be kept overnight. The couple received a second opinion from a pediatrician at the hospital, who agreed with the couple that they could care for little Lilia at home. “We really wanted to take the natural approach if we could,” Cecilia is quoted as saying in a KTNV report. But their original nurse disagreed – and called Child Protective Services (CPS). When CPS arrived with a police officer, they made it clear that baby Lilia would not be going anywhere. “If you leave the hospital,” the officer told Cecilia, “I will have to arrest you and your husband.” While there are times when a medical worker needs to step in to prevent abuse or neglect, this was not such a case. The fact that the couple could readily secure a second opinion permitting the child’s release demonstrates that the child’s life was not obviously in danger. The parents also were clearly mindful of the child’s condition and concerned for her needs. They simply disagreed with the nurse that her hospital was the only way those needs could be met. Thankfully, Lilia is now at home with her parents, where she is doing just fine. The hospital, meanwhile, maintains that they have not violated any patient’s rights. Sadly, stories like this happen far too often, as the extent of parental rights in America remains vague. The proposed Parental Rights Amendment offers to lend much-needed clarity, and protection for our children and families.

My new puppy, Sugar!

2011-04-02T16:19:00.003-05:00

This is my new puppy, Sugar! Isn't that a sweet name? :0) We needed something white and sweet! She is a little doll. She is an American Eskimo. As it turns out we may never need to buy dog food for her as she really enjoys her place under our dining room table! She will grow into her job quite well.

Please read this if you have children or know someone who does!

2011-03-15T16:08:00.005-05:00

I would just like to say that I am not a political person. I know nothing of politics and really have no desire to. However this has come to my attention and I do not think it is something we should be silent about. Even if you do nothing else, please pray! These are our children given to us by God and we are responsible for what happens to them. Please go to the parental rights website and learn more about this and what you can do if you feel led. The following article is from Michael Ramey. There is also a documentary that you can watch that explains what all of this means. The CRC is a BAD thing! The CRC will take your rights as a parent away from you concerning all things! Schooling, medical, and religion are just a few. Scary times are ahead! Pray!

Stop the Treaty - Save Religious Freedom
According to Article 29 of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), every child has a government-enforceable right to be taught religious tolerance – the U.N.-defined idea that no one religion or belief can claim to be exclusively right. The only thing not to be tolerated is the belief that your religion is actually true.This is one reason we oppose the CRC, and a reason why last Friday we sent out a call blitz to support SR 99, the resolution in the U.S. Senate opposing CRC ratification. We are very close to a victory. SR 99 will halt the CRC for 2 more years, but only the Parental Rights Amendment can end the threat of this treaty permanently. (Read more about the dangers of this treaty at www.Parentalrights.org/20things .)To reach both the short-term and the long-term victory, we need your help in educating more loyal Americans. Here’s what we would ask you to do:
Action Item
Warn your congregation. Whatever your faith, you want to pass your beliefs to your children – and so does the rest of your congregation. ParentalRights.org President Michael Farris has prepared a letter for you who are Christians to share with your pastors, addressing this need from a Christian perspective. This is because a majority of our readers are Christians – but the legal principles of religious liberty contained therein apply to every faith. We have also prepared a bulletin insert that your pastor can print and hand out.I know people of many different faiths will receive this email, and we stand by the right of every one of you to teach your children as you believe, regardless of which faith that is. Religious and parental liberties are of value only when all of us are protected.We would be glad to work with those from other faiths to prepare an appropriate flyer for you to use as you see fit. Please send us your suggestions for an appropriate text. (I will then post these at ParentalRights.org/Documents later this week or next.) We will only save our parental and religious liberty from the threat of the CRC if we can all stand together to defend it.With your help, people will understand the threat of the CRC. Use these tools to reach out and urge your faith family to sign the petition to defend your children and our religious liberty through SR 99 and adoption of the Parental Rights Amendment.
Gratefully,
Michael Ramey
Director of Communications and Research

Homeschooling with Joy & Misc.

2011-02-08T16:37:00.002-06:00

I guess I'll start with the misc. First, I did my first maternity shoot last night! It was so much fun! What a blessing to be able to document the miracle of being pregnant! I will be doing the newborn shoot on March 5th, Lord willing. I also have two more maternity shoots in the next 3 weeks with their newborns to follow! I just LOVE this! Ashley is my helper and we have alot of fun. I still have not been able to do a wedding yet but am praying. First and foremost, I am a keeper at home and I LOVE that the most!
Another thing is my thoughts lately. At times I am tempted to play over my Dad's last day of life. If I really start thinking about it I have SO many regrets. If I had only known, things would have been so different. But we don't know, only God does. Then I have to remember that I had nothing left unsaid with my Dad. He knew how much I loved him and I had told him several times about the Lord. He also saw me live out my life in Christ. I told him two weeks before he died that I could not pray him into heaven, that no pastor could pray him into heaven. It had to be between him and the Lord. He had to pray and tell the Lord he wanted Him. I don't know what happened that day or the next two weeks. I have hope. I DO know that the Lord knows and I DO know that He is good. That I can trust and rest in. Also the Lord gave me so much more than a perfect last day with him. As I look at old pictures I see and remember how close to death he was when Dylan was 2, 8 yrs ago. And again when Paige was 3 months, 7 yrs ago. When Paige was 3 months I was a new Christian (a little over a year) and I prayed Lord please don't take my Dad now. He gave me 7 more yrs with him. So when I am tempted to say why not just one more day? I stop and praise the Lord for the 7 wonderful years! He was the best Dad and Grandpa EVER.
Now Homeschooling with Joy instead of tears! I must admit that there were some tears this last week. I became impatient with my little learner. I hate it when I do that. But I did realize it so much quicker and correct it. That was a blessing.
I wanted to share about our children being arrows. It is our job to sharpen and straighten our arrows. That way when we send them out into the world they will fly straight and be mighty for the Lord! The battle begins on the field of our children's hearts and moves out from there into the fields of a dying world. This one statement from the book I'm reading confirms my decision that schoolbooks are not the most important thing. I'm not training up my children to be math whizzes or to win a noble prize. I am training them up to go into a dying world and tell people about Christ. Both with their mouths and their lives. Yes, we do learn some book work but character and love one to another is so much more important than that. I want to have strong arrows to send out for the Lord. Nothing is more important than that!

Great Giveaway!

2011-02-04T23:43:00.001-06:00

We all need to be ready for an emergency, we just never know what's going to happen. This is a blog about storage and survival and they are having a giveaway. Go to their website for more details! God Bless!
http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/?p=492

Maybe it's Nebraska?

2011-01-17T15:52:00.003-06:00

Things are going so well! I am a blessed mommy of 7 wonderful children and a happy wife! I just want to give praise and honor to the Lord for His faithfulness. This morning as I read John 15 I was reminded that He loves me! He LOVES me! Isn't that amazing?

We are starting to get settled. We started school last week. They are all doing so good. The house is staying clean! YaY! We are working on our nursing home songs! We are all excited to visit our old nursing homes. Lord willing, some of our old friends are still there.

I have an idea of why things are going so good.....I am having time in the morning to be with the Lord. My prayer and Bible reading are the best they have been in a LONG time. With a large family it can be so hard to get that time. But it is so important. You simply cannot grow if you are not getting fed. Also I am around encouraging people and seeking out encouraging things to read. I am reading Homeschooling With Joy by Christian Light. It's very good and I will be sharing some highlights soon! In any case, when you are right with the Lord and making Him first in your life everything else just falls into place!

Back to John 15, we are told to continue in His love and if you keep His commandments then ye shall abide in my love, verses 9 & 10. Focusing on His love spurs me onto good works. It is encouraging. Yes, He has wrath reserved for disobedient people. But for those who are surrendered to Him, He is there to help us if we fall. He wants us, He has chosen us. He is a loving Savior and one that I want to serve. He goes on to say that He does not call me His servant but His friend. In Matthew He says whoever does the will of my Father in heaven I call my mother, and sister, and brother. Matthew 12:50.

We are reading about Amy Carmichael as a family at night. It's great to hear of her selfless love for others. Especially those we would consider very low class. She sets up a meeting place for the ladies in Belfast that are covered in parasites, lice and fleas. Yet she only speaks of them with love. She truly has their souls in mind. Isn't it easy to start looking at people as lower than yourself? You're holy and they're not? Truth is that we were all there once. It's only by God's grace that I am where I am today. John 15:4,5, "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." Without the Lord you can do nothing. We are nothing by ourselves! Praise God! I think John 15 may be my favorite chapter in the Bible. Years ago when I started this blog I was obviously thinking about John 15 Striving to Abide in Christ. It's not always easy. In fact quite often it is hard. But again the Lord is faithful, I want to be faithful to Him!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T23:15:00.002-06:00

I am learning so much and am so thankful to have a new year to put into practice the things I am learning. Of course I am not promised another day but will be thankful for each day the Lord gives. I will be trying to post about these things He is teaching me.

Again I find myself thinking of His return. When I will be standing at His feet. Is my heart pure before Him? Yes! What a blessing! I am following the Lord in spirit and truth. I do stumble and fall but He is faithful and always there for me.

Rejoice in the Lord! Every day is a day that we do not deserve. He is longsuffering to us. I pray that everyone would seek the Lord in spirit and in truth. May 2011 be a year of fellowship with the Lord and living for His glory alone!

Join Us In a 90 Day Challenge!

2010-12-16T08:28:00.006-06:00

Join us (Ashley and I) in participating in the "Bible Blast, Read your Bible in 90 days Challenge"!

Dylan is going to do the challenge as well with us, but only girls can join on the site below.

Can we read the whole Bible in just 3 months? We are gonna try! It starts Jan. 1st. and ends March 31st. For more info and to sign up click below!

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

-Galatians 6:9-

Please leave me a comment if you do! Have a great day in the Lord!

Yummy (not healthy) Puppy Chow Recipe

2010-12-10T17:07:00.002-06:00

This is so good for every great once in awhile!!

Puppy Chow

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
9 cups chex cereal
1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Microwave first 3 ingredients for one minute, stir and mix in the vanilla. Take a quick lick (to make sure it is good, of course). Put cereal in bowl and pour mixture over, add sugar until all is well coated! Enjoy!
Let me know if you made this and how it turned out!

Girls & Their Horses

2010-12-09T21:27:00.003-06:00

We had a fun horsey day! It didn't start off so fun though. My saddle has this habit of trying to slip off when I try to get on. :0) Anyway, it was a little bit frustrating. But, oh well it was fun after I got on and situated! Here are some cute pictures, Paige and Ashley are naturals!

My Daughter is Amazing!!!

2010-12-07T13:28:00.003-06:00

Ashley has become quite the blog designer! She helped me so much with this. With both of us working on it this is what we came up with!! We both really like it! Leave me a comment and let me know how you like it.

In Loving Memory of My Dad

2010-10-15T20:46:00.003-05:00

Today it has been one month since my Dad passed away. Ashley and I didn't realize why it had been such a hard day. We have both been having a hard time today. I told her that I have been so sad about Dad and crying today and she said I know I have too. Then after talking to Mom I realized it is one month. It just keeps becoming more real. He's really gone and gone forever. I miss him so much. It hurts so much. I am still thankful to the Lord. He was so gracious to me in all of this and He has been so close to me. I wrote the poem that follows and read it at his funeral with Ashley. He was the best Dad & Grandpa ever! The top picture was taken the day before he passed. It is a precious picture to me. The other picture is one of my favorites that I took of him.

In Loving Memory of My Dad

What could be said

About a man so dear

He loved everyone he knew

Both far and near.

His smile was so warm

And his heart was so big

He could light up a room

And that's what he often did.

My Dad was the greatest

He truly was the best

Because he was in my life

I certainly have been blessed.

Up to his dying day

His grandchildren he did love

He knew that they were gifts

Given from God above.

Now his life

Is forever ended

All his work here

Has been tended.

He will be missed so deeply

And we know it's okay to cry

Because he was loved so much

It hurts to say goodbye.

His dying has left a hole in my heart

Yet his memory will remain

In my heart and yours I pray

He will always stay the same.

Though he is not here with us

He is not truly gone

All the love he had for us

Will continue to live on.

By Jenny Armstrong-Trask

Caden Isaiah Trask

2010-08-26T00:50:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry it took so long to post this......Caden Isaiah was born July 14th!!! We have had a very rocky start, sad to say but things are well now. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 21 1/2 in. Guess what? He has brown eyes!!! I am so thankful, I have waited for 15 years for another one with brown eyes. Now Ashley and Caden have brown eyes. So sweet! I think he looks just like his Daddy!
I have so much to say and update on here just haven't had the time. Caden is sleeping now so I need to be off. This is turning into a late night. I tried very hard to upload a picture but our slow dial up will not allow it!
I pray that everyone is seeking the Lord in all things and striving to please Him!

Waiting on the Lord's return!

2010-07-12T14:19:00.002-05:00

If you have ever been over due date then you know how I am feeling. It feels like it is going to last forever! Every contraction is a hope of maybe this is it and you look at the clock to see if you will have another one. Then if it doesn't come you drop your shoulders and wait again! Well, as I was talking to a friend today she reminded me of how we should be waiting on the Lord's return in just the same way. What a thought, to hang on every minute just waiting for our Lord and seeing what we can do for Him before He comes. That is what we are supposed to be doing. We just get so carried away with our daily lives. It is a very encouraging thought to me so I wanted to share it!
Matthew 24:42-44 "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

The List by Esther Headings

2010-07-06T18:11:00.002-05:00

I made my list of things to do,
So much to be done before the day is through!
I wrote: Kitchen floor has got to be mopped,
And weeds in the garden have got to be chopped!

Sit down and sew for an hour or two,
Write a few letters long overdue!
Finish the laundry from yesterday,
Wash and dry dishes and put them away.

Of course, there is breakfast, then dinner to make.
Bake some cookies or maybe a cake?
But in all the things I had to get done,
There were a few things I didn't count on.

There was Baby to rock in the rocking chair,
Kiss his sweet cheeks, feel his soft hair.
Help little brother clean up his mess,
Speak a kind word, give a caress.

A problem to solve between toddlers at play,
They come up so often every day.
Open the door for the children to go out,
Stand there and watch them run and shout.

At the end of the day I looked over my list,
So many duties that I had missed!
Half of the laundry still hung on the line,
The weeds in the garden are still doing fine!

The sewing machine sat idle all day,
At least the dishes are out of the way.
Even though the day went by so fast,
Some things I've done will always last.

The Bible story I took time to tell,
The prayer that we shared when a little one fell.
The gentle smile and the kind work I spoke
When my favorite dish was dropped and broke.

Sometimes it takes far more than the rod
To point little precious souls to God.
My list will be crumpled and thrown away.
I've had little children to love today!

So, now this morning I make a new list,
Toys to play with, cheeks to be kissed.
Make this day for the children fun,
And anything extra I manage to get done.

This has been so encouraging to me. I get so caught up with everything that HAS to be done I forget about what NEEDS to be done. If my floor isn't mopped but I have had a joyful day with my children then that is a successful day!

I have to go finish dinner, that is a need! :0)

Square Foot Gardening is great, so far!

2010-06-23T14:41:00.004-05:00

Okay, so far this is too easy to be true! I have spent a total of $2.20 on my garden. That was on clearanced plants at Lowes. They were 10 or 20 cents each! The wood was laying around and Troy made me 3 4x8 boxes. I started seeds this year which was fun but I did end up losing a large part of what I started. I planted 16 of my own tomato plants. They sat in my window until June 3rd or so. We were going to buy the Mel's Mix of soil that is recommended in his book, The All New Square Foot Gardening. But being as broke as we've been lately there was NO way that was going to happen. Well, some friends from church mentioned where they were getting their soil and that they would be happy to bring us some. It is composted manure and hay, very nice to work with, seriously, No smell, nice and pliable, easy to plant and weed. Not much for weeds either cause it's real easy to keep up with. It is a blessing because as huge as I am I need easy to keep up with right now! So we have 22 tomato plants, 3 peppers, 3 beans, 3 cucumbers, 2 squash, sage, chives, peppermint, oregano, 4 squares of radishes with 16 in each, plus we have already harvested 32 radishes and replanted in those boxes. In seed we have 2 more cucumbers, 1 more squash, 12 more beans, and a few more open squares. I have one more 4x8 box that is completely open for a fall planting. We'll see what I do with that. The whole garden is so nice and tidy and takes up so little room. I think I'm sold but I'll really have to wait and see the fruit that comes! Always examine the fruit! I am really amazed at my tomato plants, when I planted them they were yellow and very puny. I thought I would lose them for sure. I prayed about it and it looks as though the Lord saved them! I will try to keep you updated as the season goes along, however this baby may take priority over that! I hope everyone is having fun with their own garden!

God Bless you!

Learning can be so HARD!

2010-06-15T01:01:00.002-05:00

I would love to think of myself as one who has learned some things in my 7+ years of being a Christian. Why is it then that something stupid happens and I find myself at square one?
The Lord has recently convicted me of my fretting and worrying so. Even getting downright upset with people. How wrong! Everything ultimately is in the Lord's hands. When we get upset about things we are not actually trusting the Lord. And this little sin is one that has grown for me to the point that I have been a bad witness to people. I'm so thankful and feeling refreshed to have given it back to the Lord. That's where I want my life and all the dealings in my life. If something doesn't go the way I would want it to I can still trust the Lord because He knows why He is doing what He is doing!
On a positive note, we are getting so excited for this baby boy to get here! I am so blessed to have my babies at home. One of the things I have always had was a whirlpool tub to labor in. Well, due to circumstances I thought this was not going to work for this labor and was greatly discouraged. Whirlpool tubs can be very expensive. We had some extra money coming to us but it ended up not coming. Well, the Lord provided a tub for us for free. It is such a blessing! Our friends were given a tub that they didn't want. The Lord really does care and He can be trusted. Even if He hadn't provided a tub I can trust that my labor would have been in His hands. I can now say though that my labor will be much more comfortable! I always enjoy the time with the Lord as I labor. What a miraculous event!
So learning is hard for me. I am not out of the woods yet! I always get so impatient with my children around this time. Thankfully the Lord is not leaving me and He is teaching me.
I hope everyone else is learning from the Lord! It's when it's easy that we need to be careful. This walk should not be easy. It's contrary to everything the world teaches so there is much to be learned. Be thankful when you are tried and tested, the Lord is teaching you!

Scheduled days are the best!

2010-04-08T08:09:00.003-05:00

Spring is here and it is great! We have some beautiful flowering trees! We also have some work to do with our garden but I did start seeds this year and am so happy about that!

Our days are going so much more smoothly now! We have started our schedule and it is a blessing! We get up at 6am and have a full day! I am praising the Lord that I can wake up at 6am.

I have been eating with a raw focus again and feel so much better. Whenever I start to listen to people who tell me about all the protien I need and I start eating that way again I just feel lousy. I need to just follow what I know makes me feel good.

I am 27 weeks pregnant and due July 8th! We are expecting another precious baby boy! Very exciting! I am thankful to be in the country where my boys can be boys! They need baths every single day!

We found out a couple of weeks ago that my dad has terminal lung/kidney cancer. I shouldn't have been surprised and wasn't really but I didn't take it too well. I can't imagine life without him. Then I realized what a blessing it is for this to happen. My mom could have been calling to say that he had just been hit by a semi truck and was gone. But no, the Lord is so merciful and longsuffering. He is giving my dad this time to repent and come to truly know Him! I pray that my dad will truly surrender and come to the Lord.

No pictures! Dial up is not the easiest to work with. I'm not sure what to do with pictures. It takes FOREVER!!!! Maybe someday!

Have a blessed day following Jesus with all your heart!

We've moved!

2010-02-18T14:11:00.002-06:00

Hello!
I have not had internet for a while and am just now letting everyone know that we moved.
We are in Cassville Missouri. Wow! It is so beautiful here! The weather is amazing! Today it was 19 in Tekamah and the high here is 50. I am not complaining!
Our new church is very encouraging! We are learning and growing in the Lord. We appreciate the humble spirits here. They all know what they believe but it is never uncomfortable talking to them if we disagree. Just very sweet, godly families.
Our house is so wonderful, it is nice to have room. It does need some work that we'll get around to sometime! Also we are loving country living again. We are praying for a milk cow in the Lord's perfect timing. We are getting ready for our square foot gardening. We are very excited about that! Hardly no weeding, and you start with a perfect soil for healthy nutrient rich vegetables. The main perk is I won't have to move all those rocks! I will keep you posted!
I am doing kombucha again. It has a lot of good health benefits. Full of B vitamins. Trying to do flavors this time.
We are still playing violin and going to get set up to visit nursing homes here. The children are all excited about that. Paige is getting a violin for her birthday. I can't wait to see her face! She really wants one!
We are planning to go door to door with specific tracts and then revisit the home in a couple of weeks and talk with them about it more. So many people claim to be Christians but are not following Christ. Hopefully these tracts will make people think!
School is going good. It has been hard but we are getting somewhere. We will keep on schooling this summer to get caught up. It is fun and we enjoy it so not a problem!
Well, that is a little update on us. I'm sure that I didn't talk about everything but that's what came to my mind! I will try to add some new pictures next time.
Love in Christ,
Jenny

The Lord has blessed us with another baby!!!!

2009-11-11T12:11:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update for everyone who hasn't heard yet! We are expecting again!!!
I am so undeserving of this gift from God. I always think about how people when they are pregnant with #1 or #2 say, "Oh, it is such a blessing from God." But when they find out I am expecting #6 or #7 that doesn't get said from the world. If one or two is a blessing then 6 or 7 is a triple blessing!!! That's the way we see it. We are so very blessed!
I hope everyone is searching the scriptures daily with an open soft heart! I have noticed lately how the people that asked Jesus to open their eyes got their eyes opened. I have been praying that the Lord would open my eyes to His word and He really has.
I hope everyone has a blessed week in Jesus!

The Jesus Road to Salvation!

2009-09-24T11:39:00.002-05:00

Grace and peace to you!

You've probably heard of the Romans road to salvation. Well this is going to be Jesus' teachings about salvation. I've been wondering why the world as a whole just skipped right over what Jesus said? I think it is because they are hard sayings, who can hear them? It seems that everyone wants to interpret salvation from Paul's writings but shouldn't we start at the start? What did Jesus say?
What if I said that the sins you commit each day will not be forgiven unless you forgive other people their sins?
What if I said to be saved you must live by the teachings of Jesus?
What if I said that if we do not feed the hungry and clothe the poor, we will not see heaven?
Again, what did Jesus say? He said Matthew 6:15 "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 7:24,25 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock."
Matthew 25:32-46 "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." I don't know what you think about those verses but they sound pretty serious to me.
There are others too like: Matthew 7 21-23 " Not every one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord (they have faith that He is Lord) shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Okay so they had faith that he was indeed Lord and they even had works so what were they doing wrong? They were regarding iniquity in their hearts. The Lord had most likely convicted them of something but they continued to justify it. They justified their sin or just said we don't have to try to be good only Jesus is good. When really we need to be holy as he is holy. Yes of course we are going to sin but are we abiding in willful sin? I believe that if you are abiding in willful sin after being saved then the Bible tells you that it would have been better for you to never know the way of righteousness than after you have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. The Bible is full of warnings! Why are they there if it ultimately doesn't matter? Why did people allow themselves to be burned if it really didn't matter anyway? They could have denied Jesus (saved their life) and then repented. Would they still have gone to heaven? They obviously didn't believe that because they were burned at the stake. Can we all agree that there is something to be lost? Or are the scriptures wrote in vain?
I pray that you keep your eyes on Jesus and living in a way that is pleasing to Him. Walk in the Light! God Bless You!

For the Serafino's!!

2009-09-15T00:25:00.003-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus Jacob, Isaac, and all the other Serafinos!

I hope that you are all growing and being encouraged in the Lord!I'm sorry for being confusing. My main point is the people that are so badly deceived. They say they know Jesus and think they are going to heaven but ultimately they do not read their Bibles and have no desire to. They know that if they read God's Word a lot of their lifestyle would have to change. Or they read their Bibles and don't obey it. The thing that is so sad is that they are going to a church that is telling them not to doubt their salvation and being assured of going to heaven. This just isn't biblical. We are just seeing how easily we can be influenced and deceived and we read God's Word almost everyday. We have been pondering lately about how narrow that narrow path is. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:24 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14 Few there be that find it, we have to look for it? These people are seeking to enter in and won't be able. They are really trying to enter in! Yet only few there be that find it!

Yes, the Lord loves us immensely. He gave His life for us, he is merciful, and full of grace for us. However, if we don't love Him then how is He going to say to us, Well done thou good and faithful servant? If we don't love Him we are not going to Heaven. Jesus does command our obedience. He even commands us to be perfect as His Father in Heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." If you think about it we can be perfect. We are perfect on Sunday morning for church, right? We don't yell at each other or show any outward sign of anger when we are in front of each other. We can do that when we are in the privacy of our own home as well. I don't know about you but for me this is very convicting to think about. When we have company over do we go out of our way to be polite? Yet Jesus is a guest in our home everyday. We can do it for Him as well. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in they name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:21-23 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" 1Peter 4:18 Heaven? Doesn't sound like it to me. We don't just have a get into heaven free ticket. Also see James 2:17-19 and we see that faith without works is dead and even the devils believe and tremble. I think we should consider if we found a Bible on a desert island and read it cover to cover would we think we have unconditional eternal security. Would we think that it doesn't matter how we live? I sure wouldn't see that. Yet, that is what almost EVERYONE teaches people. I don't want to have anyone's blood on my hands. I would rather be over careful than to assume. Jesus was bold when He spoke to others and He told the truth no matter how bad it hurt the hearer. That is what we need to do. We need to take heed to Jesus' warnings.

Okay, I think I kind of went off on you. Just learning from God's Word and excited! I pray that you took it that way! Thank you for your replies! And remember, "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer....." Proverbs 15:28 One thing we have always tried to maintain is an open heart to study God's word over and over again. Even when we think we KNOW something. We are there again right now studying things that we felt we knew. Keep a soft heart and so will we!

Peace out! :0) With Love In Christ!

Do you know Jesus?

2009-09-10T00:21:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I am still alive and doing well! Not that anyone ever checks my blog anyway. I wouldn't if I were you! :0)
I have been so convicted lately by my 5yr old daughter, Paige. She has a new wonderful habit! She asks everyone we meet if they know Jesus. And guess what? They do. So then she asks them if they love Jesus and guess what, they all do. Then she asks them if they have a Bible and yes they do. Then the HARD one, "Do you read your Bible?" More times then not this is where they say, "No." So first I am convicted because my sweet daughter who is 5 is caring about people's salvation more than me! Then I am just sad that people think they can claim Christ and not read His word and obey it. I'm sorry but Jesus does not say this is possible. He says "If you love me you will keep my commandments." How can you keep His commandments if you don't know what they are? If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, & quacks like a duck and says I'm a chicken would you believe it? How about if it looks like the world, walks like the world, & talks like the world and says I'm a Christian? Will Jesus believe that? So what does Paige say when they say no they don't read their Bibles? She says, "Well, read it alot! Have a nice day!."
I hope that everyone is keeping their eyes turned upwards in great hope and anticipation to the returning of our Lord and Savior! I also pray that you are striving to enter into the straight gate. My next post will be about How to be Perfect!
Well, Read it Alot!!!

The World is Changing!

2009-07-28T15:56:00.002-05:00

This is a very eye opening video, please take the time to watch it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysBJ5G4m67s

Then take the time to let me know what you think. Should we be refusing one of God's greatest blessings (CHILDREN) in our lives? I really liked this quote.

"The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing. But in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject a blessing. Something is terribly wrong with this picture."~Doug Phillips, Vision Forum Ministries

I hope everyone is growing in the Lord and confessing His name daily!

Dying to yourself

2009-06-16T10:23:00.003-05:00

This is from a book called Pure Gold:
"But now let us face the real question, How to die to self, and let Christ be all and all in us. In the first place, do we really believe such a state is attainable? Have we looked at the blessed Christ until we have obtained a clear conception of what it is to lose ourselves in union with Him? Have our spiritual eyes surveyed this blessed possibility, until it's attainability in this life has become a settled conviction with us? Then have we calmly, deeply, irreversibly settled it that there shall be none of self and all of Christ? Are we prepared to make that the motto of our lives? Do we think it, dream it, pray it, breathe it, drink of it, bathe ourselves in it, until it becomes a subtle, steady, all-prevailing passion in our minds, none of self and all of Jesus?"
I was greatly challenged by this. I don't know about you but I have not been very good at dying to myself. In fact, I think about myself a lot. I have 6 children to care for so I can not be totally selfish but I sure do find time to do what I want. In fact just in church last Sunday we were going over Titus 2. That is a hard role to try to fill. It includes dying to yourself a lot. But we shouldn't die to ourselves to fulfill Titus 2, we should die to ourselves so that Jesus gets the glory that He deserves. So above and beyond making Him the Lord of our lives is He our all and all in us? The Lord is really working on me with this and I do want to die to myself. I do know that ANY good thing that I do comes from the Lord and Him working in me, I know that I have nothing good in myself. Let's walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh!
Also one other thing that has been on my mind. It is okay to feel good when we are being obedient to the Lord and following the Holy Spirit's promptings. I have heard people talking about how they only feel good when they are being good. They say it is a works mentality. I don't agree. I think scripture is full of examples where we should do good things. I can't stand the mentality that we are to be failures all the time. Yes we do fail but Jesus is powerful and can set us free from sins. He didn't save us so that we could live pathetic lives here. We are to be lights and how can we be lights if we are constantly struggling? If we are constantly struggling then we need to examine why. Do you examine yourself daily? Are you humble? Could someone share with you your faults without you being defensive? If someone had something to say about an activity that you partake in would you examine it? Since becoming a Christian I see so many people that are hard to entreat, and prideful and wouldn't even consider being wrong. We should always be willing to study again and again the Word of God. We are human and can be wrong. Plus we need to be testing the spirits and observing the fruit. We can tell good fruit from bad fruit, can't we? So why do we act blind when something is causing bad fruit in our families? Let's get to the root of it. Then let's get rid of whatever it is that is causing it. We can't help others when we are struggling. With the Lord all things are possible! We serve a powerful and awesome Lord!

You Only Have Today!

2009-05-13T14:30:00.003-05:00

Today is a GIFT!
By Nancy Dickens

Life can change quickly. The Bible warns us that our lives are like a vapor, or the grass of the field, which pass quickly and are gone. I know that and yet would never have imagined that in a few short months I would go from Crusade staff member, tennis and basketball mom, supporting girls in college and helping out at my 4 year olds' preschool to dealing with cancer, losing all my hair (yes, I am balder than my husband now.), dealing with nausea, fatigue, and various other side effects, and learning to live and flourish in the midst of it all. I could never have imagined. My life over the past few months has brought me to a place of serious evaluation and contemplation. When I was diagnosed with cancer I quickly realized that certain truths in my life had become more crystallized and in focus, and that certain extraneous habits and fears were something I no longer had time or energy for. I no longer had the luxury of looking at life and events through the eyes of one who is confident of the future and expectant of all of the milestones that would be a normal part of living out life together in a family. I had never been guaranteed that future and realized after my diagnosis how much I had presumed upon it. The first moment of this realization came at a baby shower just a few days after I was diagnosed. At all of my baby showers I collected the wrapping paper from my gifts so that I could wrap my gifts later in life for my children who were then having baby showers of their own. I have wrapping paper saved from Beth, Bri, Drew, and Will's showers, for the day I can celebrate their children's births. As I was explaining this tradition to my friend at the shower I realized, "Would that be me? Will I be there when my children celebrate the births of my grandchildren?" The second moment came when Dave was looking out the window as we were driving and saw an RV. He mentioned something about that would be us when we were older - something we have always joked about. I couldn't help thinking "Really, will that be us? Will I be there with Dave when I am older, ready to travel and spend our later years together?" It didn't take me long to realize that I needed to process through a good deal of "life change" and decide what my diagnosis and treatment would mean about how I would live life and experience the Lord in the midst of sickness and uncertainty. Here are some of my ponderings regarding the Truths in My Life: . God is the source of everything and worthy of all praise and honor. I have never been more sure of the privilege it is to be in a relationship with Christ and more aware of how He is my sustainer in this process. . David has always been "the one" for me. I have always been keenly aware of how fortunate I am to have David as my husband but that has definitely been brought even more to light during this difficult time. He continues to be such a perfect match for me that it makes me incredibly thankful. . Life is meant to be lived with care given to each day, for each person brought across our path, each child that needs our attention, and each kind and compassionate word that needs to be spoken. My life is not about which milestone I will survive to see, it's about which person I choose to care for today and who the Lord will bring across my path that I will truly choose to see and touch. Life seems too short to me right now for anything less.

My addition: Why does it take something like this for us to remember how precious life is? After reading this I found myself smiling more at my children and just being generally happier. Today is all we get! Why do we forget? Besides all of that we need to rejoice in the Lord, not in our life. I try to rejoice in a clean house or obedient children and it fails me, only the Lord can give me the real joy in my life!

Only 4 days left & Praising God!

2009-05-07T17:28:00.002-05:00

Four days left with our raw food adventure. It has been so easy. The food has been so good. I think our next step from here is going to be 80-85% raw food and we're going to be changing some other things too. I have a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and we are going to be implementing some of her ideas. She recommends soaking or sprouting all of your grains or flour before using them. Basically if you soak your flour in kefir or another cultured milk product it activates the enzyme phytase, which works to break down the phytic acid in the bran of grains. We are also going to be making whole grain sourdough! I'm very excited about that. I think I will love the taste. In any case we are going to be much more careful with our health. It is so true that you pay for it one way or another, either at the grocery store or at the doctors office. All I know is that I feel great. I have a 6 week old baby and I do not need a nap. I've been taking naps for the last 5 years. Not just 30 minute naps either. I get so much more done now! I feel like a better mom.

Anyway, I left out praise where praise belongs and that is to the Lord. My prayer has been to be healthy to serve the Lord. He has given me wisdom and I am so thankful for that. There are many things that go along with diet. A good conscience toward God & others, a grateful attitude, & even physical exercise. The Bible says that "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Just having a merry heart does our bodies good. So I praise and thank the Lord for what he is doing for our family! To God Be the Glory!

Our Raw Food Adventure!

2009-05-03T23:22:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share this amazing thing with all of you! Troy and I have been raw now for 3 weeks and we are feeling wonderful! We committed to eat 100% raw food for 30 days and are loving it! Troy's carpal tunnel has been gone since about the 2nd or 3rd day. The pain was so severe he was not sleeping well at night. The B-6 in all of the green leafy veggies we are eating helped him that fast! My energy is through the roof! I haven't felt this good since I was a child. To anyone out there that desires good health or just wants to feel better~ try raw food. We start with a green smoothie or fruit for breakfast, then have a big salad or sandwich with dehydrated bread for lunch and then I make something elaborate for dinner like pizza, tacos, sunburgers, or "pasta". I use a dehydrator for crust, crackers, breads, burgers, ect. I keep it at 105 so that it doesn't kill the enzymes. It has helped so much because the food feels like what we are used to only it tastes better! And tonight we had some raw ice cream to finish our night. Let me know if you would like the recipe, it's super simple. Anyway, I'm sure there's a few of you out there that would disagree with a diet such as this one so I have a challenge for you. Try it! I will try to post some pictures of the delicious food we are eating in my next post! TTFN

We have a baby boy! Elias James is here!

2009-04-08T11:57:00.003-05:00

We are in awe of our new baby boy! It doesn't matter how many children you have, each new baby is a miracle and it's all new again! The Lord was so good to us and the baby was born in the Lord's perfect timing.

Elias James was born March 23rd at 8:29pm after 17 hours of labor. Actually 16, I had a one hour break! It was such a different labor and birth. My last two children were born in 7 hours. I have to admit that I expected that again. However, everything about this baby and birth was very different. My labor was very good and I loved the communion with the Lord with each contraction. I listened to hymns as I was in the bathtub. Only the last hour and a half were unbearable and that was due to a cervical lip. I always get a cervical lip and it is a terrible thing. It prevents the baby's head from coming down and it just causes a tremendous amount of pain. Once I finally made it past that then Elias was born in 5 minutes.

The Lord has greatly blessed us!

41 weeks and the Lord is in control!

2009-03-16T22:57:00.002-05:00

I'm just amazed at how the Lord works and keeps us leaning on Him every step of the way. I have really been struggling with not having this baby yet and really thought today was the day! I have been having some serious contractions all day and they just kept getting stronger. So I called my midwife and guess what~ She is at another birth right now helping a first time mom with twins! This mom is also over 40 weeks (did I mention she's having twins?). Obviously my midwife can't be in two places at once so the Lord just stoppped my contractions. It truly is in His hands and I have total peace about it. What an awesome God we serve! So Lord willing, the next post should have a picture of our new blessing!~ God bless you all!

39 weeks & 3 days!

2009-03-08T00:01:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted anything! I will try to do better. Don't hold me to it right away but I will be trying to post at least once a month. I have so much I could say but so little time to type it. Plus I have not enjoyed sitting in this uncomfortable chair for the last few months.
So baby update~ Due in a few days but will probably make me suffer for a little while after that! My babies like to do that to me! There was a great time of testing my faith during these past few months. Baby has been in the wrong position for the majority of the time. I really let that control my mood for awhile. When baby was head down I was happy but when baby was head up I was frustrated and so easily irritated. It was not good. I would give it to the Lord and then take the worry right back. Finally, I was able to truly give it to Him and He gave me peace back. It was and is so nice to rest in Him and not worry. I can say that I think I am learning a little faster but right away would have been ideal! Baby remained in a breech position for several weeks but now is head down and has been for almost a whole week! Yeah!!! Now I am just waiting for His timing so I can have this baby. This is a hard one too because I think I know the perfect time, it was a couple weeks ago.:0) But I guess the Lord has a different birth date in mind!
I hope everyone is doing good! Questions for the month are~ How is your quiet time? Are you communing with God and feeling satisfied with your relationship? How much of the Bible do you read each day?
My quiet time is sporadic right now. I am communing with God, He keeps me depending on Him and I love that. I read at least one chapter usually more and usually everyday. The children and I read the proverbs that goes with the day, March 7th read the 7th chapter. Then we have a Bible time and memorizing with our schooling. I have to be careful not to count these times as my Bible time because I am not alone with the Lord during these times. They are great but do not make up for a true quiet time with the Lord where I talk to Him and He talks to me through His word.
I just encourage everyone to read and really seek the Lord with all your heart.
Oh, vehicle update~ The Lord gave us a couple of cars and that was a blessing. Now we also have a van that seats 8 with room to grow to 12! It is a very nice van and we are loving going places as a family again!
I hope everyone has a blessed Lord's day!

The Lord's ways are not our ways!

2008-12-26T23:47:00.003-06:00

Well, as of right now we are without a vehicle. It is a weird feeling to not have a vehicle. The transmission in the van blew up on Troy a few days ago on his way home from work leaving us with our trusty old chevy crew cab. Today we pulled our van into Lakeside to get the money for scrap metal. On our way home our truck engine blew up. It blew up bad. I'm so thankful that there was no wreck and no one got hurt. I called my dad who was 5 minutes away and we were about 20 mins from our house so he came and took us home.
So, tomorrow morning Troy, Ashley, & DJ will be doing the paper route on foot. Another thankful thing is that it is not as cold as it has been. Still I wouldn't want to walk it!
We do have a car that was gifted to us. We were considering buying my midwifes car as a gas saver for groceries and paper route but had not had the funds. She had hit a deer with it and didn't want to spend the money fixing it. After what happened with the van we were thinking it might be a cheaper option than others so I called her to see if we could get to it with a 2 wheel drive trusty :0) old truck. They are in South Dakota with more snow. She said she was going to call me but figured she would see me the 29th for our visit so was waiting until then to tell me that they decided to give it to us! It does need some work, so guess what Troy will be doing tomorrow! Lord willing he will get that running and then we'll go from there. We won't all fit, obviously but we will be thankful that Troy can get to work and back. We do not believe in debt and will not go into debt for a vehicle so we will wait on the Lord. I'm sure that He has a plan in all of this, it's just not the way I would have gone about it! His ways are not like my ways, but His ways are better than my ways! I do hope that we learn what the Lord wants us to from all of this. Please pray for us if you feel led.
Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Life

2008-12-20T19:54:00.004-06:00

Hello!
I had a minute sitting here checking my mail and Ashley said I should do a post about life! It's really funny that she should say that because life is changing for me. I've been realizing more and more that so many things are not really THAT important. My how easy it is to get wrapped up in things. UNIMPORTANT things. They just come in and take the place of the really important things.
One thing the Lord has been laying on my heart lately is to "Hide His word in our hearts". I think about what if my children were taken tomorrow how much of God's word would they be taking with them? That is a huge important thing! In times of persecution they take away God's word, we need to have it "hid in our hearts".
Then there's just all the normal things of training up the children in the Lord. I get so busy with housekeeping (especially when it gets closer to a new baby). I want everything perfect and guess what? All joy leaves my household. I tear my house down everyday while I think I am making it better somehow. I know I'm not making it better but I keep thinking after I get this and that done then I can relax and be a joyful mother. I'm sure there is no one else out there like me. Sometimes I feel like the most terrible mother ever. In the meantime, I am missing the point. Instead of teaching my children about joy in the Lord I am teaching joy in a clean house. Instead of rejoicing in trouble I'm showing failure. Instead of a new baby meaning joy for our whole family they can look forward to mom being a mess the last few months. So to sum it up, if you are reading this PLEASE pray for me! One of my desires is to be transparent and able to ask for prayer when I need it. That's what we're here for right?
I hope everyone is staying warm! I can't believe these temps. Terrible cold. Troy has been doing the paper route for me, I'm very thankful! I handle the 30-40's much better than this.
I hope you all have a great Lord's day tomorrow!

Colorado Pictures anyone? :0)

2008-11-17T20:40:00.006-06:00

My husband is so cute!!!! This is us at the Royal Gorge sitting by the water clock.

This was my favorite scenic picture, isn't it beautiful?

Very cold up here!

This was right behind the mountain lodge that we stayed in. Surrounded by mountains.

This is a river that ran through the backyard of the mountain lodge that we stayed in.

I have very good intentions of getting on here and posting more often. I'm full of things that I could share. But life is also very full and I wouldn't want it any other way! Let me just say that the Lord is SO AWESOME!

I wanted to post some pictures of our trip, so there they are. The Lord really blessed us in being able to take that little trip. Seeing His beautiful creation always inspires us. We were able to share the gospel with several people through talking with them and giving tracts. I can say that this trip was worse as far as people not liking our family size. Countless people actually glared at us after counting our children and looking at my pregnant belly. It is so sad that people are blinded to God's truth in so many areas but this one hurts me so much. CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING! Let the Lord bless you!

I hope that everyone is reading in God's word everyday and growing. I feel as though I am having a growth spurt! I like it! The Lord is showing me new things and maybe some things that I have been ignoring for awhile. It's really not good to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit. There's a really good verse to back that up but I can't remember where it is right now. If you know of any please share! Anyway, you can't feel close and right with the Lord when you are doing what YOU want to do. But, isn't it hard to obey sometimes? The Lord is so good to not leave us alone. He is patient with our faults. I can say that the Lord is getting victory over sin in my life. It feels so good and I know it is from the Lord because I couldn't do it myself. Praise His worthy name!

I hope you are all doing well! Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Talk to you in a month or two! :0) God Bless!

Too Cute to not share!!!!

2008-10-02T20:15:00.006-05:00

Our children surprised us with such a sweet gift tonight! Yesterday was our 14th wedding anniversary. Troy said it feels like two days! :0) Anyway, Ashley and DJ asked us (just me & Troy) to go for a walk together and when we got home it was no longer home but the Feel Right at Home Restaurant! Our home was transformed and our table was now set prepared for a candlelight dinner! Our host (DJ) met us at the door and showed us to our seats We even had menus. For the appetizers there was Chips and Salsa or a Fresh Veggie Salad, except they had just ran out of lettuce! That was okay because the chips and salsa was perfect. The salsa even tasted homemade, hmmm. For dinner was my favorite, chicken fajitas! Wow they were so good! Ashley is a great little chef! There was even a dessert which they managed to bake & keep hid from me in the fridge. Hiding it wasn't too hard, you should see our fridge right now! There was a curtain up blocking our view of the stove and laundry room. In the laundry room was Ashley's "other customers". They were being served Spaghetti O's! I must say that they were a bit more demanding than we were. :0) Paige and Joshua did help with carrying out our appetizer. It was just such a blessing to see all the effort they put forth to make our anniversary special. We were very blessed by it!

I hope to never take 2 months before posting again. I do have pictures of our vacation to share which I will post soon. We had a wonderful week in Colorado! It is so beautiful there but I have to say that I really like Nebraska better. Something about having trees around your house. Hope you are all doing well! Love & serve the Lord with everything you've got!

We will soon be adding one!!

2008-08-02T23:10:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! This is for anyone who may not know yet, we are expecting a baby! This will be our 6th blessing from the Lord and we are very excited! Paige is sure that it is a girl! She had been praying for another baby (girl) and a few weeks ago she stopped praying. When I asked her why she said because there is a baby in there! Wow, she knew before I did! So far I am having a great pregnancy (it's very early still!) with NO morning sickness. Last time I was in bed for 2 months with severe sickness. So this is a blessing! I am just tired which is to be expected. The children and Troy are helping out and letting me get some rest when I need it. I'm very thankful! We think the due guess is March 12th!

Meet Marianne

2008-07-27T21:23:00.002-05:00

This is so sad to me but this is a true thing that is happening right now. Doctors are diagnosing and medicating for ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Read about it, it's awful! If only they knew the Lord and obeyed His ways! I often get caught up with my children's behavior and think how far it is from what I want ( or from what the Lord would want). And they are, we are definitely still working! But I have the Lord on my side! I am obeying His Word and I do have rest and peace. Not all the time but I truly enjoy my children and welcome more! My children love to please me and be with me. I love to include them in my life. Some people can't wait for school to start and they send their children away from them . I just couldn't see doing that. I want my children with me. I want to mold their little minds and train them up for the Lord! I couldn't stand being away from them all that time. They are precious and our time with them is quickly passing by. As my dear friend recently said to me "Children are a deep blessing from the Lord." Anyway, read this sad story. Then buy several copies of To Train Up A Child and pass them out to anyone you see struggling.

Pre School Marianne
Marianne is now 4 years old. Her parents were very excited when she turned four that perhaps that would mean that the terrible twos were finally over. They were not. Her parents are very grateful that the Grandparents are nearby. The grandparents are grateful that Marianne's aunts and uncles live nearby. Marianne's Aunt is grateful that this is her niece, not her daughter. Why? Marianne requires an incredible combination of strength, patience, and endurance.
Marianne begins her day by getting up early and making noise. Her father unfortunately has mentioned how much this bothers him. So she turns on the TV, or if that has been mysteriously disconnected, bangs things around until her parents come out. Breakfast is the first battleground of the day. Marianne does not like what is being served once it is placed in front of her. She seems to be able to sense how hurried her parents are. When they are very rushed, she is more stubborn and might refuse it altogether. It would be a safe bet that she would tell her Mom that the toast tastes like poop. This gets her the first “time out” of the day.
In the mornings she goes to pre-school or goes off with her grandmother or over to her aunts. Otherwise Marianne's mother is unable to do anything. Marianne can not entertain herself for more than a few moments. She likes to spend her time purposefully annoying her mom, at least so it seems. Marianne will demand over and over that she wants something. For example, playdough. She knows it must be made first. So her mom finally gives in and makes it. Marianne plays with it about one minute and says, " Let’s do something" . Her mother reminds her that they are doing something, the very thing that Marianne has been demanding for the last hour. " No, Lets do something else"
So after Marianne's mother screamed so hard she was hoarse when her husband came home, Marianne gets to go out almost every morning. At preschool she is almost perfect, but will not ever do exactly what the teacher wants. Only once has she had a tantrum there. Marianne gets along with the other children as long as she can tell them what to do.
Her grandmother and Aunt all follow the same “time out” plan. This means she goes to a certain room until she calms down. The room is empty now at Marianne's grandmother. Marianne broke the toys, and they were removed. She banged the furniture around and it was removed. What sets Marianne off is not getting to do what Marianne wants. She screams, tells people she hates them, and swings pretty hard for a four old. After a half hour it is usually over, but not always. Marianne will usually tell her mom or Grandmother about these tantrums. The story is always twisted a little. For example, Marianne will tell her Grandmother that her mom locked her in her room because she was watching TV. Her grandmother used to believe these stories, and Marianne could tell the whole story of how she was watching this show, and her mom just came in and dragged her to her room. Now it turns out that Grandma doesn't think much of TV anyways, and so this made a certain amount of sense to her. This led to more than one heated argument between the Grandma and her mom. Of course there was almost no truth to this at all. It took the tables being turned for the Grandma to really believe that her Granddaughter could set up an argument like this. Marianne came home and told her mom that Grandma let her eat four cookies and an ice cream cone for a treat and that she was very full. Marianne's mom doesn't think much of treats, and could see how this might happen and thought she would have to talk to her mom. Finally they both realized what Marianne was doing.
Most of the afternoon with Marianne is spent chasing her around trying to wear her out. It doesn't seem to work, but it is worth a try. When she is at her aunts, she tries to wreck her cousin’s stuff. When is she good? When there are no other cousins around and she has the complete attention of her Aunt or Grandpa.
Marianne loves the bedtime battle. She also loves to go to the Mall. But she never gets to go there or hardly anywhere else. She acts up so badly that her family is very embarrassed. Her mother shops and visits only when Marianne goes to preschool. It is hard to know who is more excited about Marianne going to school next year, her mother or Marianne!

Full and good!

2008-07-14T06:41:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful morning! My heart feels full and good this morning! The Lord woke me early (or was that Levi?) and I got extra time with the Lord! I love that! It's 10:00am and our house is clean, little ones have done"school", DJ is mowing, Ashley is practicing on the piano, and I am typing on the computer. This is not normal here! But the Lord is good and can do the impossible! We have just today started a new schedule as we look forward to starting school. So the next 4 weeks are a trial run. The school time on the schedule is now being used for whatever the children want to do. Swimming, reading, piano, violin, mowing, playing, or whatever. Lord willing, we can keep this up and get it perfected before we start school!
I'm reading in Philippians and there were some things that really stood out to me. About being a servant and humbling oneself. Also about labouring = to work hard. Couldn't we even say to work really hard? I believe that Paul is working really hard for the Lord. He is not just coasting through life seeing what he can get. He's for the Lord unto death! He knows that death would be better because then he'll be with Christ! Well, I was convicted because of my pride. I really want to be a good help meet to my husband but I can't do it with my prideful attitude. Jesus made himself a servant and humbled himself and was obedient even to the death of the cross. Yesterday at church one of the young men shared about running over their dog and seeing him suffer. It made him think about God's pain in seeing Jesus suffer and the literal suffering of Jesus. I love it when the Lord makes us remember His death so vividly. I was reminded not that long ago about everything Jesus went through for me when I studied about how people were crucified. If you haven't researched that I highly recommend it. You will never again be able to doubt the LOVE of God! And sinning should become very unappealing to you! So Jesus was obedient even unto the death of the cross. I asked myself, "Who am I to not humble myself?" So keep me accountable! I see a long road in front of me.
I also want to be a hard worker for the Lord. For me, this means to be the best help meet and mother I can be. To deny myself daily. To share Jesus with anyone and everyone! To be obedient to the Bible and the Holy Spirit. I have told the Lord that I will obey His promptings no matter how hard it seems and He has been faithful to take me out of my comfort zone! Do all things without murmurings. Feel free to add abundantly to this list! What is your view of labouring for the Lord? Does Jesus think that you are a good and faithful servant to Him? Don't be caught coasting on this joyride of life!

My Garden!

2008-06-26T23:57:00.000-05:00

Anyone want to compare gardens? I am really happy with mine so far! As long as nothing catastrophic happens then we should be eating pretty good this summer and hopefully be able to put plenty away. At least of tomatoes! Everyone knows they are the best thing anyway! So here are some pictures taken about a week ago, I think. The first picture has our new family member in it, that is Daisy. She's not actually new though, she's been with us for about 2 months. She needs some training but she is coming along! She is the responsible party for chewing everything in our yard and making our yard look terrible! Plus we haven't figured out where to put everything as of yet. We moved from 9 acres with a two car garage, a two car shop, a barn (if you could call it that), a grain bin, and a house that had room to spare. So you get the idea! Also since the pictures I have picked 3 cucumbers! Yeah! They were so good!

I can't work in a garden without thinking about :
Gal 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

There's our verse for the day! It always makes me stop and think about what I am sowing. In everything we do we are sowing whether good or bad. And God's word is true we will reap whether good or bad!

Have a wonderful day in Christ!

Working at Grandma & Grandpa's House!

2008-06-24T14:24:00.000-05:00

Last week on June 18th we got to go over to Grandma & Grandpa Trask's for a work day! It was a lot of fun! We cleaned out two flower beds and planted new flowers in them. We also had a picnic and just enjoyed our time with Grandma & Grandpa! I know that Ashley will never forget seeing her Grandpa playing on the swing and herding up the horses with his riding mower!

We Love you Both and hope you enjoy the flowers!

2008-06-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

"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 has his quiver full of them..." Psalm 127:3-5
These verses sum up the way we feel about our children! We are blessed and happy!
Ashley is doing a family newspaper everyday with her "new" typewriter! It is wonderful to see our life through her eyes. She is 13 and becoming a very sweet, godly young lady!
DJ is writing a letter to his sister, Ashley. He has several pen pals and loves to write them! His penmanship and reading skills are wonderful.He loves to mow and work with his hands like his Dad. He is becoming very strong. He is 8 and wants to be a missionary when he grows up!
Paige is my girly girl! She is 4 and loves pink and ruffles! She is a wonderful help to me with Levi. She wants to be a mommy when she grows up!
Joshua is our clown right now. He has a way of making us laugh. He is almost 3 (August 23rd) and also has a way of annoying us very much! I think it comes along with the age. He likes to help Daddy. He sits in the baby seat behind Daddy on the bike when we go for rides and he screams and cries until Daddy gets on (he thinks he is going to fall) and gets going then he is fine. We can't help but to laugh at him because it is really funny!
Levi is almost a year old, WOW! He is a sweet little guy! We did not know when we named him that his name meant "joyful spirit" but it is so true for him! He is joyful. He has a very healthy appetite. He is learning to be obedient to daddy and mommy and doing very well. He spends a lot of time in my backpack and he is very content to view the world from there!
Well, there are some updates for the children! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Behold all things become NEW!

2008-06-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day! We will be working in the garden today and going for a bike ride! We are having a lot of fun on the bikes! Paige can ride her own bike and then I tote Joshua and Levi in the trailer. If my knee holds out then it will be great! I will be posting pictures tonight so check back! I hope everone has a blessed day!
Today in my quiet time I read in 2 Corinthians and was very encouraged with some verses and thoughts that I would like to share!
2 Corinthians 5:15 "And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
There is so much in these two verses! First to go along with what the Lord is teaching me right now about not living for myself but to serve the Lord and others! I think verse 15 gives ample proof that that is how we should be living now!
Second, if any man is in Christ he is a NEW creature and OLD things are passed away! When someone dies we say they pass away and that applies here as well. The old is GONE! Obviously there will be a difference between this old and new person. A very visible difference. If you are a child of the Lord does your life show it? People get very touchy on this issue because they want to claim Christ as their Savior but live the same old life they lived before. They know that their life doesn't look new, in fact it looks exactly the same. We are told to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. 2 Cor. 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Do you not know your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?" When is the last time you examined yourself and the message that your life is exclaiming? Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life? You can not accept Him as Savior and reject Him as your Lord. Your life will look different if you are submitting to Him. However if you still enjoy the world and live like the world the Bible says that you are the enemy of God. That doesn't sound like salvation to me! I do pray that this encourages you to fear the Lord today! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

Lord, what is your will for me?

2008-06-14T22:53:00.000-05:00

Hello again! First of all, I'm sorry about the picture of us that is a year old! It seems to be the last picture I have of all of us! Levi is almost a year old already! It is so hard to believe that a year has past. Where did it go and what did I do for the Lord this past year? That should be asked everyday. What did I do for the Lord today? When we are saved we are no longer living for ourselves, are we? Sad to say, yes we still get caught serving ourselves. It seems to be so easy to forget that we have a job to do for our Master. What is it that Jesus would have me do today? Instead it becomes, "I need" to do this, that, and the other today. Actually, we need to seek the Lord while it is yet today and ask Him what His will is for us today. If we are in His will we will have joy! That's what I've found to be true.
I'm up way too late tonight! Need sleep. Will post again later!

This is my first ever post to our new blog!

2008-06-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! I pray that this site would be used to glorify the Lord! I also feel relieved that I no longer have to sent out yearly "updates" to all the family. Now this will be our update center!
We are having dinner guests tonight so this was actually a bad time to check out this whole blog thing but oh well. Let's just say this is a sample post and my next one will be the real one!
Have a wonderful day in the Lord!