
2008/10/30
Light / Darkness

2008/10/24
A few new pictures
2008/10/22
I have a new nephew

A Mother's Prayer
"I washed the dirt from little feet, and as I wash I pray, "Lord, keep them pure and true, to walk in Your way!"I wash the dirt from little hands, and earnestly I ask, "Lord, may they ever willing be, to do the humblest task."I wash the dirt from little knees, and pray, "Lord, may these be the places where victories are won, and guidance sought from Thee."I scrub the clothes that soil so soon, and pray, "May they be dressed throughout eternal ages in Your robe of Righteousness."Before many hours shall pass, I know I'll wash these hands again; And there'll be dirt upon their clothes before the day shall end.But as they journey on through life and learn of want and pain, Lord, keep their precious little hearts cleansed from sin and stain!For soap and water cannot reach where You alone can see.Their hands and feet, these I can wash --- I trust their hearts to Thee."
"Yes, I get to hold him too! "

2008/10/18
A Mother's Walk
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked.
And the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning".
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams. As the sun shone on them, and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this".
Then the night came ... the storm ... the path became dark. The children shook with fear and cold. The mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle. The children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near. No harm can come to us."
Then morning came. There was a hill ahead, and the mother and her children climbed and grew weary She would frequently tell the children, "Keep your patience because we are almost there."
So the children continued to climb. When they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."
When the mother laid down at night, she looked up at the stars and thought, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."
The next day, strange clouds appeared which darkened the earth ... clouds of war, hate, and evil. As the children groped and stumbled, the mother said, "Look up! Lift your eyes to the light!"
The children looked. They saw above the clouds, an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. That night, the mother said, " This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

2008/10/17
Learning from families
Jesus Warns of Offenses

2008/10/14
Something to Think About
Biblical data:Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided… (Genesis 10:25)
Scientific Data:
Land bridges covered by rising oceans ~11,000 ya
Encouraged

2008/10/13
Happy Thanksgiving
I don't always realize how much I have to be thankful for everyday. God is with us and cares for us... That alone is reason to be thankful, no matter what the circumstances. As I am writing, I realize how many prayers God has answered in my life. I need to remember where I was just a few years back yet and what God has done since then. Many times I was broken and my faith seemed so weak . I believed in Him though and He heard. God answered and took over, when I let go and allowed Him do the work.2008/10/11
An Update and "why blog?"
I know I don't have a lot of time for blogging, and I ask myself why continue? Is there a point to it? I decided to make myself a list of reasons why blogging here has a point:
-it encourages me to learn from God's word
-it is a source of fellowship and also accountibility
-get to know other people better
-learn a lot from other friends who blog
-helps me open up and be real
-a chance to share what God is doing
-maybe when my children are older they would like to read it
-enjoy photography- a place to share photos
There are some of the things I thought of.
I couldn't really make a list of negative things. One thing I thought of though was what if something I wrote has a negative impact on someone? I definately want to be careful not to offend anyone but at the same time I want to be honest with what God is teaching me.
God cares about every area of our lives. He cares about the things we say and do. I want to bring glory to Him in what I do, including what I share here. May He be the instument in my writing.
2008/09/26
My Driver's Licence

One more problem however, they now need a marriage certificate as ID too. We have a marriage licence but we don't have the certificate. So now I had to file for that first. Did it last night. Suppose to get it within 15 days. (sigh) And THEN I shall go get my licence back. You know what is funny!? I took someone across the border to the detroit airport a few months back. I have been to all kinds of places without a licence! (In complete ignorance) God sure had some mercy on me even though it was my mistake! It really makes me see how good God is to us even though we mess up and don't deserve it.
2008/09/24
This and That


One of the old cottages, and the old store.
Back to school for all of us!

2008/09/03
Another Birthday!
2008/08/29
Emily's 4th Birthday



2008/08/26
School Days Begin!

2008/08/22
Boys camping in our backyard


"THANKS BRAD!! Glad you came!"
2008/08/21
Doing God's Will in all Circumstances
John 14:13-16
Jesus often went on his own to pray and seek the will of His Father and sometimes we need to do that, too. What stood out to me in these verses today was that after John's death, it seems that Jesus wanted some time on His own. The news must have been heart breaking for Him. However quiet time didn't work out for Him since He was followed. He then went right back to helping people.
As women we can often get very overwhelmed by the business of life. Often it seems we are needed in too many places at once. Juggling family, all the chores, errands outside of home, homeschooling, appointments ( the list could go on ) will sometimes leave us exhausted! You add a sick child to that or maybe being sick ourselves, financial hardships, broken appliances or vehicle and it might feel like chaos and hopeless at times. How we react in whatever our circumstances may be a challenging test... A test that we may often fail in, but lets think of it as a test we want to pass. To do well on a test requires studying an taking in knowledge. To pass this test during challenges requires the same. We need to study God's word, which will fill us with His Spirit / way of thinking. What is in the heart will eventually show on the outside. If we fill our hearts with good, good will come from it.... if we don't we will not have the strength that He gracefully gives us as we need.
2008/08/13
Kindred Spirit Award

2008/08/05
2008/07/27
Remembering Johnny

2008/07/26
An Important Job
So that is what I set out to do today. After all if Jesus is going to be here I want to do a good job with the work I do for Him, and make this place as enjoyable and comfortable for Him as I can. You might be thinking that I must be talking about something deeper than house cleaning now, but no I am not. I'm talking about cleaning my house for Jesus. Doing my work for the Lord. I am excited that I get the privilege to do these things for Him.
Most importantly though , I am excited that the first thing I get to do is just sit at His feet and listen to Him and Learn.

2008/07/22
Being a Blessing to Others
One of the things I have seen lately is how God’s will for me or purpose for the day might sometimes be so different from my own desires.
One of my own desires and also something God has blessed me with often is close friends. Most of us (especially us woman) like to have friends that we can talk to about almost anything and friends who will come to us when they need an ear or a hug. Those things I think are good and I am glad God brings us friends. However, even though I think this is an added blessing to our lives, it’s not God’s will for us to become depended on such things, and it is also not our main purpose in life to go find that friend or group of friends.
I think we need to be ready and willing to show ALL people God’s love. To be a good neighbour and a helping hand to whosoever will need it each day. The more I see that the more my days just become about serving God .

2008/07/19
Men's Camp
Art and Jamie went to the men's camp with the church men this year. Jamie had been wanting to go for years already but it never did work out before. So he was pretty excited about it! They both had a lot of fun and a lot of stories to tell when they got home! I am so glad they got to spend time together like that.Otto koning was at the camp as well. He has gone through a lot of things and has some great stories to tell. For those who don't know who he is. He was a missionary in New Guinea. He worked among a native tribe that had known only their village ways. He was put in some pretty dangerous situations there.
Otto Koning is also well known for The Pineapple story. http://store.iblp.org/products/CTPS/ .


2008/07/13
Shattered Glass
I was a baby at one time but I grew up and along the way, life became rough and unstable. There wasn`t any security in this world it seemed, and it was enough to break me. I wanted to be fixed, I wanted to be whole again. I tried to put myself back together, but no matter how I tried it did not work. A hopeless case I was. So why not, sweep me up and be done with me? Jesus IS the only answer to that. He wanted to keep me, just as He wants to keep everyone. He began a work, with much patience, I have to say. With Jesus all things are possible.
I am not a clear, shiny window yet. He is still putting in pieces everyday. His work in me isn`t finished. One day... he will come and take me home and then I shall be whole, clear without a crack. Untill then I ask, Jesus please keep working in me.
The road seems long and our hearts will ache at times. Jesus is able to take our burdens and give us rest, as He promised.

2008/07/01
Sunday School Picnic
2008/06/30
Saved By Grace

All of us are born sinful. People might do good things but we are not born good....because to be good would mean to be perfect, never breaking God's commands, always doing God's will. So first we have to acknowledge that we have all sinned. Then we can cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness and repentance. God has paid the price of sin through Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. If we believe in Jesus, confess our sins and turn from it, He will forgive us.The bible says to seek God and search for Him with your whole heart. If we do this and ask Him to fill us with the holy Spirit, He will and that gives us a new life. This is what it means to be born again. There is no other gift as great as the gift of the holy Spirit! We then will want the things of God. We will love God and He will become the most important thing.This does not mean now you will be perfect. This just means that God will teach you and show you day by day what he wants or does not want you to do. It will not make life easy, and there will still be temptations and mistakes. So we just have to continually pray and ask for His guidance.When a baby is born they need time to grow and learn . It does not happen all at once. The same thing when we are born again, we will grow each day, and become more like Jesus. God will show us bit by bit. Only God is able to do all this in our lives. .It is not the things we do that make us Christian, it is faith. We can not make ourselves Christians no matter how hard we try. By faith though he will bring us to Himself and we will want to live the way God wants us to and the things we are doing will often show that we are Christians. God will make us a light in the dark because of what he has done in our lives.
2008/06/28
Salvation Verses
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
—Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 6:23
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
—John 1:12
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
—John 3:16-17
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
—Ephesians 2:8-9
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
—Romans 10:9-13
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
—1 Peter 1:8-9
2008/06/22
Our first born son

2008/06/17
Learning from Others

Titus2:3-5
"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
I am grateful for those verses. I have had a few great older women in my life to teach me much in different areas. From some I have been taught much about the word of God, from some about being a wife and raising children. (My mom for one seems to have a special touch with our children when they are not feeling well...or sometimes maybe just need that soothing from grandma.) Having ladies to turn to has been a great inspiration for me!
So then why get offended or annoyed when an older lady with more experience in an area tries to help us in an area. It seems that often people do not want to accept help or advice from someone else. Dare I say... that maybe it is pride in our own hearts..when we believe we know best.
God has called these older women to do just that, to help the younger...so why refuse help or feel upset about such things? It's taking away from what God has asked of woman.
I keep putting myself in the younger woman category, I know!. Well the truth is I still have much to learn from older woman(and well I am young) At the same time I guess there are areas where I am not THAT young and need to be willing to help others as well. In fact I think almost our whole life is like that, where we live, learn and pass it on.
We just have to swollow our pride, be willing to learn each day, and then be willing to teach.
2008/06/14
2008/06/11
Fast Growing Weeds

A negative thought is like a fast growing vine or more like an ugly weed. It very quickly spreads into many areas, and this is what I have done these last few weeks. It started with me feeling like I couldn’t keep up with everything that was going on. Felt like there was just too much to take care of. I could go into all the details and come up with a bunch of reasons why I felt like this, but I’m not going to do that, because the fact is God’s grace is always sufficient and somewhere in there, this was my own fault, and God had a better way for me then what I was taking. With negative thinking, it’s funny what it can do… A little self pity and suddenly you have a huge unwanted weed!
So I’m thinking, this is all too much, then I start thinking it’s not fair! Oh, AND then wait a minute…My husband should do this and that and the this and maybe this…..(oh,I could give him a long to do list ) Do you see how this could grow into bitterness towards him and well anyone else who isn’t doing things according to MY list. I know! As I’m writing, I’m thinking what kind of a woman would be like that…Oh ya me. Well, this weed started to go into other areas as well. I started to think well it’s not like anyone else cares either. The only reason people talk to me is because, I always make the start. You see how one thing led to another? I think I was beginning to believe some lies here and being ungrateful for God’s many blessings.
Well, I needed to get down on my knees and ask God for forgiveness for my attitude and not being thankful in all things. I needed to let Art (Hubby) know that I had been wrong and ask him to forgive me. God changed my thoughts and feelings as soon as I repented.
Then my eyes were opened again to all the things I needed to thank God for. Art goes to work in an over heated paint booth everyday for his family, he is always the one to clean our van, yesterday he cleaned up all th junk in our basement, he cleaned the pool for the kids.(and he does all these things without me asking him to) I started to feel bad because I saw he was doing way more then I deserve. The greatest blessing of all is he often reads and prays with the kids now. He is always telling me he loves me and makes me feel like I’m worth so much to him. God has done so much in both our lives! I know! How could I ever complain! It’s embarrassing to think about it now!
Then as for other people go, I have received a number of calls and an email this week from friends just checking in to see if Kati-Lyn is okay now (she was sick) I have a mom who is always there and a dad whom I talk to more now then ever. Many sisters and sister -in- laws who do care. Also thankful for my prayer sister I have now who also really brightened my day. Thank s to the people who pray for me even though I don’t always know it So all around I just needed to be thankful and apologize for not weeding this garden.
I am so grateful for the mercy and forgiveness and grace God has for us if we as!
After I’d wondered in darkness away, Jesus my savior I met!









