Baptized...

Very exciting day around here.... Hubby, and our four of the children were Baptized yesterday.  Little Miss E and I were also supposed to be Baptized, but our little miss came down with a fever this afternoon, so I stayed home with her.  She and will be Baptized later, together.

All the questions we were having about how a Christian is to publically confess their faith have been answered!  God is so good.

A Post

On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month our we participate in a nursing home visitation with our church.  Our children {we are working on shyness with the little girls, one will sing, the other is not quite there....she'll get there, in her own time}  and several others from church, sing a few hymns for the sweet folks, one fellow will give a short message....  What a joy it is to be in this ministry!  One of the facilities we visit specializes in Alzheimer/dementia; the folks in the home, just light up when they hear the hymns!

 

God Doesn't Take a Summer Vacation

A reader recently asked as to why I'm not a vbs fan, to be honest I'm not really sure that it is just one thing; there is just something about the way I've experienced vbs that just doesn't set right.  Maybe it's having been on the planning side too many times, maybe it's the notion that people just use it as daycare for their children, maybe it's too much playtime and not enough Bible learning....

Even the successful years felt off...  Maybe it's that the curriculum I've had experience with, is from mainstream Christian publishing houses, who have sales, rather than souls in mind.  It has seemed that as the years have floated by that the curriculum publishers are competing against one another for the top spot, so it's about who can have the flashiest program...

When I was growing up, I went to a vbs program, it was held by a Baptist family one cul-de-sac over from us, my parents knew the family, they let us go...  I don't remember what was taught, I do remember there being lots of children in the small living room of the family and at the end of the week, we went to the church for a celebration of some kind... We earned some sort of "bucks", I had enough to buy one of those little cards with that brownish drawing of Jesus on one side, on the other was John 3:16...  I cherished that little card... I remember feeling so excited that Jesus was my friend, yes, a seed was planted.

When these children who've attended these flashy vbs programs, grow up- what will their memory be?   Will it be the theme of the event or that Jesus is their special friend?  Even for our children who are in church everytime the doors are opened; vbs {at former churches, new church does not have vbs} was all about games, food & friends- if they didn't catch the Bible teaching for the day, then how will children foreign to church catch it?

I guess it's just that somewhere in making the curriculum child friendly it's become to showy- when in reality a child who is Saved, and comes to know Jesus Christ as the Saviour is what it's really all about.

Some of you may have been part of some truly on-target vbs programs, that are KJ Bible based.  It's just not been my experience.

The Price of Freedom is Blood

To all my Uncle who lost a lung in Vietnam, my Great Uncle who suffered a lifetime of suffering with shell shock after WWII... And all those who've given their blood so that our little family can openly worship the risen King and freely school our children at home...   Thank you!

What a wonderful day of worship we were given! Our new church had a really moving service with a tribute to the men and women who've served or are currently serving in the military, local police and fire departments.  The sermon this morning was title the same as this blog post.  The Pastor did a wonderful job of tying the freedom we enjoy as saved Christians, because Christ died on the cross and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans because many have shed their blood. {I have not written it as well as it was spoken}  Powerful, is the word that comes to mind. 

Tonight communion was served for the first time since we've been at the new church.  Communion is open to those who've been baptized and are saved at this church.  None of the four had ever taken Communion.  At the old church it was for those who had been confirmed.  We had a chat at lunch, with the children that tonight was Communion, explaining the new church's stand- We asked who was saved, they all raised their hands... I'd chatted with the boys in the past, I knew that they had been saved, they knew when... The girls had never given a clear answer.  They told us tonight, Natalie said that one night when she was having a hard time falling asleep, she asked Jesus into her life... Little Miss Emmalie surprised us all, she just recently asked Jesus into her heart... At the first Thursday night class she went to at the the new church!  Praise God!

So for the first time ever, all four of the children partook in the communion with us, and it was good!

On this Memorial day, remember those who've given their blood so that we may enjoy the freedoms we enjoy.  Our Pastor made a point in this mornings message, that for the Christian everyday is Memorial day, that we should never forget Calvary, that everyday we must remember that Jesus gave His Blood for us.

Prayers and blessings,

Kimberly


  

Be Careful....

My word of the year is humility.  God has shown me much humility in these few months of 2011, or rather, God has shown  me the many areas were I lack humility.  Humility is a heart condition- the Bible warns of  it's wicked opposite, pride, many time over. 

I'm certainly a work in progress in the area of humility.  There are days that have been markers.  Markers of my lack of humility, God does rebuke.  There have have been a few down points in these first months of 2011- illness, the revealing of betrayal by a trusted friend and my human reactions in the handling of those moments.

The title of the post is "be careful."  Both the morning and evening sermons, were about this topic.  God knows all, sees all.  The morning sermon was from Psalm 51, with the background that David wrote the Psalm just after Nathan's visit.  David's moment of poor choices, involving Bathsheba had caught up with him.  While  David diligently tried to hide his sin from the people around him, he failed to hide it from God.  God knew David's thoughts, God knows our thoughts.  A point made at evening service was how Abraham doubted, even laughed at God's telling him that he and Sarah would have a child...  These chosen men, men after God's own heart, sinned, just like you and I do. 

Then comes Psalm 51:10; "Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me". David's prayer. It's for us too!    

He is Risen!

...And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, All hail.  And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him. They said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.   Matthew 28:9-10

Blessing Others

This is a moment that happened on our vacation, at a rest stop in Oregon.  It was a cold and rainy day.  There was a woman, with a sign, with the usual, out of work, need food words scrolled upon it, there was a van nearby, we believe that was hers. 

We did our business, stretched, got the children back into the warm dry car.... We needed a few things from the trailer, it's a pop-up so it takes some effort to get into...We both decided that we should share with this woman.  It was our first day, we had more food on hand than we would possibly eat in a week, I grabbed a little Starbucks bag, and began filling it with food; a box of cracker, some cans of soup, a box of macaroni and cheese and some individual servings of applesauce. Hubby ran the bag over the the woman, she thanked him, we popped the trailer down and we were on our way.... I thought about that woman lots on the trip.  Here we were, taking our little trailer for a vacation, a fun time, camping out, this lady lived in her car everyday, with what seemed like no hope....

Later, while in Anaheim, we had another encounter with a homeless woman, only this one was a bit frightening.  She was kind of resting or camping out between our trailer and the motorhome in the next slot.  One thing about a pop up is their isn't much security, it's pretty easy for someone to get into, and you can hear everything around you, as it's just tent fabric between you and the outdoors.  This woman had a terrible cough and she moaned a lot and then began hollering out, "do you have any spare change".  The teen girls in the motorhome next to us were showering, they were in and out, as one came back from showering, she sort of hid behind our trailer, checking to see if the woman was there, then I think she got brave and darted for the trailer door, then one of the guys, leaned out and told the woman to leave- I know she was out there at least two of the nights; she did not come back {at least to our area of the RV park} after this fellow and told her to leave.

Our house is on the small side for a family of seven, heating it was an issue this past winter. Yes, we grumbled about that every now and then.... I'll tell you though, it is a blessing to have a smallish, cold home and to be able to go to the grocery store when needed; these things we take for granite- but we shouldn't, they are gifts from God, for which we should be thanking him daily for!

Good Sunday

I suppose this should be more like a "Thankful Thursday" type post...  because I am thankful for the Sovereign Lord, my personal Saviour, Jesus Christ and that  His Word is infallible and relevant today.

We've had one sick boy in our family, in the last week or so...  A little over a week ago one of the boys came down with a fever, then a cough... early last week it was apparent that he was not getting any better, if any thing he was worse...  Hubby stayed up all one night, feeding him sips through the night, praying that might break his fever, it didn't.  We had to take him to the Dr.  He has pneumonia.  Within a day the antibiotics began to work, and the fever broke, he's lost a lot of weight {over 10%}, he's very tired, and naps during the day, his recovery is going very slowly.  Please pray for my son C, that he gains strength daily and just continues his recovery, taking the medication is a challenge for him.  God's thrown him into a trial, I pray that his relationship with Jesus only becomes stronger. He's a very active boy, he never even napped as a toddler, so seeing him this way is very hard for all of us.

It was a good day.  Hubby went to a new church this morning {I was home with our sick boy, and two others who are coughing, no fever though}, he and I were able to go to the evening service {thanks to Grandparents who can come over on short notice}.  The Pastor spoke on Titus 2.  Hopefully by next weekend we can all go, for both the morning and evening services.

Movies

There's a new movie out this weekend, that we won't be seeing.  I think you all know which movie I'm talking about....  The story is very inspirational.  The real people have been on both Focus....Family and Family....Today this past week.  Ironically both radio shows featured prominent mainstream Christian authors and teachers who specialize in "modesty"* also on this week.

The first time we saw the trailer for the movie was at the big half week long summer Christian music festival in our area.  My thoughts then were the same as now, {I just rewatched the trailer this week}, why were they showing this at a "Christian" event?  Again, inspirational story, however, the beach wear on the girls is less than modest, they may as well be parading around in their unmentionables!!!!  There is one scene shown in the trailer, where the girl's bare back is shown with the ties for her bikini top dangling as she's trying to tie it after the accident.

I read some online reviews on it earlier, and they pretty much say the same thing, great storyline, but the immodesty fills so much of the movie that it takes away from the "Christian" story line.

We have to give this movie a thumbs down.

*The mainstream idea of "modesty" is quite different from the conservative.

Encouraged

This past week has been quite a challenge.  One week ago, we discovered that our original blog was secretly being read by someone whom we trusted, a friend and someone in leadership within the church we were attending.  This person was then passing along our posts to others in the church, all are people who are in leadership in that church.  Needless to say we were shocked that our blog was being used in this manner.

I've learned this week, that there will always be those that disagree with our views and what we write here in blogland.  I've also learned that I have no control over the way that people may react to posts.  I do have control over how I react, and that's what this post is really about.  When we found out what was happening we immediately pulled the old blog and profile info down, and formally revoked membership from that church.  Before pulling it down though, sinful nature over took me, and I posted what was going on.  That certainly was not handled in a Godly manner, but in a very human reactive manner. Had I taken the time to pray about the situation, my reaction would have been much different.

Also I've learned this week that in addition to real life people in our lives who may sneak into our blogs to dissect, there are blogs dedicated to dissecting other blogs, in particular conservative Christians.  We have a challenge, a test, a trial to continue blogging in a way that is pleasing to God, we need to turn the other cheek and pray for those who choose to use our blogs as something else.  The goal of these folks who are dissecting blog posts is to fuel the fire of anger.  Can I say that I will not act out in an angry manner over someone using this blog for evil?  I wish I could say that, but I cannot.  I can only pray and hope that the experience of the last week does remind me to, stop and pray before reacting.

Hubby does the lesson plan for the children each week. He selects a verse for each day for handwriting.  One of the girls handed me her paper for correction this morning, with the following verse, it comes from the 7th chapter of Ecclesiastes, a section titled "Wisdom and goodness upheld" {I had already begun this post}  God is truly good! I encourage you to read Ecclesiastes 7; it almost seems as if  Solomon had seen or been part of a situation of betrayal {my interpretation, I'm not theologically trained}.  

"I applied mine heart to know, and the search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:"  Ecclesiastes 7:25