Friday, June 29, 2007

Is That the Colorado or the River Styx?

Okay, so maybe it's not as hot as hell but when you don't have air conditioning and it's in the upper 90s it sure seems like it. The warm afternoons and higher than usual humidity have left us all a bit grumpy and tired. And next week I can look forward to it being 100 degrees. I saw on the weather report that it is actually going to be hotter here the next few days than in western Kansas! I would just go hang out someplace during the heat of the day, but Ethan can only be contained for so long before breaking something, throwing something, climbing on something, screaming at the top of his lungs, knocking something down.................Thank God for evaporative coolers.

Vacation Bible School

Laina had a fun time at VBS this week, although she would tell you that it was too long away from Mommy. She made me feel extremely guilty every day by grabbing onto my legs and telling me not to leave, but by the time I came to pick her up every day she wasn't ready to leave. I thought that this would be a good way to introduce her to the concept of leaving me for kindergarten. I'll keep saying prayers, but I don't think that her seperation anxiety will last very long once she gets into a routine.

I am very relieved that it is over, since I put 180 miles on my vehicle driving back and forth to church this week. I had Ethan and Carter to deal with, so I couldn't just stay there. Hanging out at the outdoor mall wasn't really an option either as Ethan would have gotten us kicked out of any respectible place on day one.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Laina's "New" Bike





As part of Laina's 5th birthday present I went and bought some training wheels and handlebar accessories so that she could make Laurin's old bike her own. A little air in the tires and she was ready to go. You've got to love her sense of fashion too.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Because They Hate

This past weekend at church I had the opportunity to listen to a Lebanese Christian woman speak. She lived through the hostile takeover of her country by radical Muslims in the 70s and now sees the same signs that it could happen here too.

If you have the time, I urge you to visit her website and see what you as a citizen of the US can do to defend our country from radical Islam. Visit http://americancongressfortruth.com/

To listen to her speaking at our church you can download sermon notes, audio files or video files here http://www.rez.org/content/view/646/165/

Contests

I have never entered a contest this way, but what the heck. I have a pair of shorts and a sports bra for a bathing suit, so a customized one from Lands End would be fun.
July-4-button-180pix.jpg

Thursday, June 21, 2007

5 Things I Dig About Jesus

Shauna tagged me on her blog, so here are my answers. Of course there are so many more reasons, but these stuck out as I was thinking of what to write.


1. He is not selfish at all. He shares so much--His blood, His spirit, His power, His birthright, His word, His creation, and the list goes on.

2. He will never leave me nor forsake me.

3. Jesus gives us second chances, and third chances, and fourth chances, and 77X7 chances.

4. He was tempted in every way we have been tempted so that He can show us mercy and grace, and He showed us how to face temptation without sinning.

5. He was willingly tortured, spit on, heckled, speared, and crucified so that I could have a relationship with Him.

(As I'm looking at these I feel a bit ashamed that they are all about what Jesus has done for me, but the bible does say, "We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Praise in the Park

We had a blast at the first Praise in the Park of the season last Sunday. I do think that it should still be held in city park to draw more non-church going people to it, but the close parking at the ranch was nice. Laurin sang with me and it was so touching to see her raising her hands and voice in praise to God that I began to cry. I pray that she will be a godly woman when she grows up and will never try to seperate herself from Him. Here's a link to Rez's website where you can watch a nice video about PITP. Enjoy. http://www.rez.org/index.php

Friday, June 15, 2007

Orphaned Ducks


We have been watching 8 little ducklings at the Lagoon Park by the library. They have apparently lost their mother as she hasn't been seen with them in two weeks. We are wishing them the best of luck as they probably shouldn't have made it this long on their own.

Just Some Fun Pictures

Ethan's New Water Play Table
The Joys of Having Sisters
Jemma Last Year at Mountain Park
Strolling by the Library--Do you like Ethan's Haircut?

Return of the Great White Hunter--or should I say Fisherwoman





Paul and Laurin went out at 5:00am one morning to go fishing. They came home at 7:00 with this 15 pound catfish.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Getting Older





Laina turned 5 in May and Ethan turned 2 in June. I don't have digital pictures of Laina as a baby, but you can still tell how much she has changed .










This Week's Verse


We were excited to find this gigantic dry erase board at a garage sale. Now maybe more people will be able to see the Lord's word as they mosey by our window.

Worldless Wednesday--Can You Tell Which One Is Not Like the Others?




Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Won't You Sing With Me?





I found the link to these songs after someone in Ft Collins invited everyone on the community web group I belong to to go on a door to door sing-a-long. I can't wait until the audio is posted on her web site. The "Sacred Animal" songs have provided me with alot of entertainment, althoug I don't think that is is the type of entertainment that the author intended. http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view/172115305/Songbook/


Sunday, June 10, 2007

Our Night at FuNation



We went to the local fun center (kinda like Chuck E Cheese) on Laina's birthday--a Thursday. Not only did the admission cost quite a bit less since we went on a weekday, but we had the whole place to ourselves. There were weight limits on the bouncing castle and slide, but the teenager and older woman working just looked the other way and enjoyed watching our family play together. At first Ethan loved the ball pit, but suddenly he thought there was something under there and was terrified. We ate pizza, played ski ball, and had more fun together than we have had in a long time. Paul and I had some sore muscles and scraped up knees, but it was a blast.

Friday, June 8, 2007

A Mighty Wind

We had some ferocious winds yesterday. Our new barbeque grill got knocked over and a couple of our neighbor's fences blew down, but we missed any falling trees like the one shown in the paper http://www.reporterherald.com/Top-Story.asp?ID=10769 It was pretty bizarre when I was driving on hwy 34 on the south side of Lake Loveland and water hitting the dam splashed up and sprayed our van.

Computer Woes

I am writing quickly because Laina wants me to go on a walk with her. I just got the computer partially working after 4 days without internet access, so I haven't been able to blog. A visit from an IT guy and $45 later I still can't have the phone and the internet on at the same time. I would like to say that using an independant high speed internet company has been great, but the last month has been nothing but trouble for us in the internet/VOIP department. Of course the provider's techs always come up with the same answer, " It looks like you've got a virus," but it always turns out to be their equipment messing up. Enough venting for now. I'll write more when I have more time.

This Week's Verse

Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Psalm 63:3

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Today's Verse

It should read Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever but we didn't have room.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Get Out From Under That Pew

We arrived at Prairie Home Church 20 minutes late (because I had it in my mind that it started at 9:30 not 9:15) and Ethan was fussy the minute we walked in. I brought a toy truck from Grammy and Poppy's to hopefully keep him occupied during the service. It had, after all, kept him so enthralled the night before he had slept with it on his pillow.

Things were going okay for a while and I could even pay attention to most of the things that the minister was speaking about--the Holy Spirit and Pentecost, Loving God being the most important commandment, and not being so caught up in worrying about how to be a "good Christian" and just being more like Jesus.

Ethan had been pretty good so far (at least as good as a 2 year old boy nicknamed El Destructo can be) and then he did it. He pushed the truck under the pew in front of us and crawled after it. Connie Griffith was sitting in front of us and when we all made moves to get Ethan before he could go further she said, "Let him go. He's okay." No sooner had she spoken than Ethan had pushed the truck to the front of the church and was crawling out from under the pew to see the pastor squatting in front of him.

The pastor kept talking as he and Ethan took turns pushing the truck back and forth. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) "The pharisees told Jesus that he was sinning when he healed someone on the sabbath, but He was doing the will of the Father. Should I stop pushing a truck back and forth with a little child during my sermon since it's not considered a proper thing to be doing during a church service? What do you think that Jesus would do?"

What a perfect illustration of the minister's sermon my rowdy son turned out to be. He later said that it was the Holy Spirit that led Ethan to the front to play. He had completely lost his train of thought and didn't know what he was going to say next when Ethan provided the inspiration for a message from God to all of us. I think the message goes right along with what Pastor John has been preaching about revival. God may use different methods than we're used to in these last days, but that doesn't mean that they are not His ways. We just need to look to Him first and follow what He tells us to do, and He will make our paths straight. I believe that He will require us to step out of our comfort zones, so we should crawl out from under our pews with the faith of a little child and enjoy the ride.


3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
Matthew 18:3-5