I Thought I was Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas

Yeah, we cheated and had our Christmas early because Brian has to work on Christmas day. Bummer. Oh well, he's home today and that's better than nuttin'. Speaking of nuttin', my kids had absolutely no idea that they were getting any presents this year. Things are tight for us lately and they knew it. They still had at least one thing they really wanted this year and I kept those things in my mind secretly. The whole month of December they knew that they probably weren't going to get any presents on Christmas and they had such good attitudes about it. The only one determined to figure out how to get the present he wanted for Christmas was Jacob. He stood by the road with a jingle bell in hand, fake reindeer antlers on his head and a container held out to the road over our fence. He sang jingle bells to whatever cars went by, hoping for a little something to jingle in his pocket. Another bright idea of his was to go out and collect lizards and frogs and sell them. I burst his bubble by telling him that those animals were probably hibernating for the Winter. And then to top it all off, he made one more thing to sell. Plant seeders. Don't know exactly what they do, because plants have already grown from their own seeds. :) Too cute. And the thing that melted my heart the most this Christmas was when Ian brought over his money jar and offered it to Brian and I to help pay the bills. "Really, Mom, take it. I don't mind." Well, sniff, sniff.

Anyway, I did end up getting them all that one thing they really wanted and another secondary gift. Brian took them out last night for three hours so I could wrap all the presents without them knowing a thing about it. They came home, went to bed and we put the presents under the tree.

On Christmas Eve morning Lauren was the first one out of bed. She sat on the couch and just stared at the gifts. "Mom, where did they come from? Did the delivery man bring them?" Jacob got out of bed and sat next to me on the couch to have some morning snuggles with Mom. He didn't see our tree directly in front of him and the presents under it. He got up to walk to the kitchen and then it dawned on him: THERE WERE PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE! His mouth dropped. All the kids were so happy to see the unexpected gifts.

The morning was crazy with all the kids wanting us to put their toy together or get it out of the box(with a jack hammer, saw, etc., you know the drill). Then they were all fighting over who was going to play with what and how and with whom. That's where this cozy, little Christmas story comes to an end. I wasn't too happy after putting this Rose Petal Cottage House nightmare together. We must have taken the thing apart three times to get it to work. Yeah, I read the directions. I checked 'em twice. I was cooked, fried and baked after this morning. I was getting stressed out. Why? Because my focus was on the wrong thing. I had an expectation about how this morning was going to go and my expectations were dashed. Kids were crying, the toys weren't working and the house became a wreck in the process. In my heart I had nothing but a complaining spirit, to my shame. My kids wanted me and my time. They didn't care if everything was perfect and neither did God. I lost my focus on what mattered today.

Later in the afternoon, I saw an old peice of wood backing that used to hold a puzzle in it. Now all the peices were gone and just that peice of wood was left, an old Christmas toy forgotten by the son it was bought for a few years ago. God spoke to me when I saw that peice of wood and He said, "That's what these toys will be in a few years, forgotten, but their memory of what kind of mother you were will always be with them." Those words hit hard because they were so true. I had lost my temper and snapped at my kids today. I was irritable and complaining. I confessed my sin and the Lord forgave me. We began to have a better day and I only hoped that I could make up for how I had treated my kids and the example I had set out for them.

And what about all of you? What kind of Christmas will you have? Just keep in mind what really matters in this life. Love those around you and be thankful for the time you have with them. The memories you make will last and those presents you get(or didn't get) will be forgotten. Christmas Blessings to all of you!

Lord, Come

I gotta' share this "song" my eight-year-old wrote today. I couldn't believe what I reading when I came home from a grueling Wal-Mart shopping trip. A bent up peice of paper laying on our back room floor with some powerful words on it. Here's what he wrote:

Lord, Come

Lord, come to your children. Come in the world. We need help. We need Christ. We need a Savior for all. It is you, Christ Jesus. How can He help us? Jesus can help us by Christ, by saving the world, because we are from Jesus. The world is full of sin and He is the only one who could save us from sin. Because He is the master of the world and that means that He can save the world from sin. So, Lord, Come. Lord, please come. Please! (grammar corrections included)

It's been one of the most moving things of my life, seeing my son grow in the Lord. I do believe that he has become a Christian and their has been much fruit and also much spiritual warfare going on in his life as well. He sang the song to me later in the evening and I gotta' say I like the lyrics more than the tune, but hey, a little work and it could be a catchy little song. :) Just seeing him desire the things of God on his own makes my heart sing. This is what I prayed for before my children where ever born, before I was ever married...that my children would see Christ for who He is and just follow after Him because they want to, because they can't wait to.

I don't want my children to be forced to believe the way I do about Jesus Christ. I want the Holy Spirit to speak to my children, yes, through me and my husband, but ultimately spoken directly to them by Jesus Himself. How much better is that than coaxing, forcing and beating over the head with for my children to desire God in their lives. They must see their own need for salvation and not ride on the coat tails of how their parents believe. We want to trade outward stagnent results for the complete, transforming grace of Jesus Christ to come flooding into the lives of each of our children. Hey, that's my prayer, before they were ever. born. That'll preach I think.

Hallejujah for Jesus, the Spotless lamb of God!

Merry Christmas, people!

A Page

I thought this was cute...It's Ian's first page of his journal:

I have a great memory in my family. I hope I have a great family of my whole memory of my life.

Yeah, we hope you do, too, Ian! :)

While You Were Sleeping

While you were sleeping

Your Mother's brain

Had many thoughts about

Her very busy day

Christmas is coming

Things need to be done

Write out the Christmas cards

Have the family picture taken

Then I stopped for a second

And saw you in your bed

Sound asleep like an angel

And to myself I said

I need this moment for keeps

For when I'm old and gray

A picture for tomorrow

Of what is happening today

You are here

You are healthy and whole

You have a heart and a mind

And most importantly a soul

I pray that God

Who granted me this time with you

Would give me the wisdom

To point you to what is true

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life

I want you to know

If you seek him

He'll never let you go

There you'll be

In the palm of His hand

Trust Him with your life

Your ways and your plans

This is my prayer

While you were sleeping today

That someday you'll give Jesus your heart

And forever in His will you will stay

A Lovely Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day was such a lovely time with our friends who really are our spiritual family here in Florida. I believe the Lord brought each one of us together and I am so thankful that He did. The day brought beautiful weather as we hopped from friend to friend to chat and enjoy each other's families. We praise God for all these little children and desire each one to come to know the Lord as their personal Savior some day soon. I pray for the hand of God to be on each child and each parent. Help us all follow your path and give us wisdom, Father.

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles

I was reminded today of that song from Fiddler on the Roof: Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles. I just got back from my sister's house two days ago and I was just processing all that just happened to my little nephew Zach and his family. In all this time of knowing where he was and where he is now in his health I hadn't really taken a special moment in time to really thank God for how He had healed and is healing Zach. He seemed to be a normal boy when he finally came home from the hospital. He could have been handicapped for life or not even with us right now. The effectual, fervant prayers of a righteous people yields much, doesn't it? God's grace is poured out so abundantly when His people are unified in prayer. It's truly a wonder of wonders, a miracle of miracles and miracles should never be taken lightly. We praise you, Lord, for this miracle that you chose to perform in our midst.

It's Thanksgiving Day tomorrow and I love this holiday more than most because it actually encourages you to do something good. Being thankful is something I struggle with and it is nice to have a little boost in my spirit to be with friends at this time of year and just sit around being thankful. It's been quite a year for us with many bends and twists in our road, painful and prosperous. We may not see the benefit in all that God works in our life. It may seem so very hard, the things we go through, but we know that He is working all things together for our favor. He loves us more than any and His ways are perfect.

As you enjoy your day, think back over the year and think of all the miracles God chose to perform in your midst both great and small and let the praise of the Lord just pour out of your heart. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

I've Got Quite a Man

Just wanted to boast about what a great husband I have. While I write this he is outside preparing his Jeep for my long journey up to my Sister's house. He took the Jeep down to a mechanic and got it completely serviced and maintenanced for me. He changed the oil and filter and is making sure the spair tire is raring to go in case it's needed. He's out there scrubbing it down and making it look brand new for me. He has taken off work indefinitely for me to be with my Sis and her family during this time. I know...*for some of you who pay attention to grammar*...He, He, He. Yeah, and a Ho, Ho, Ho and a Who, Who, Who! Ha! Yup, HE's the best husband I ever had or will ever have, rather. I fell asleep in creative writing 101. Pray for wisdom for us because Brian may take a travel nursing job in their area so that we can be close that for as long as they need us. It really is good timing because his job is cutting his hours way back and we can't keep putting up with that. Travel nursing seems to be lucrative enough for us to pay our bills here and there. They pay for furnished housing, travel expenses, utilities, sign on bonuses and in some cases Brian would be paid more than double than he makes now. So this might be a good thing for all of us and I could also be close to my sis. We have some time to think about it and pray over it. Either way he will have to find another job or this one has to get better or something. Anyway, pray for me. I leave tomorrow. Thanks!

Beth's Latest Blog Entry for Zach

I wanted to share something with all of you about Zach that might help in your understanding of his condition. It is probably very hard for someone who has not been with him from the beginning of this to realize that the great progress he has made is not equivalent with him being normal and going home in a few days. Way are so optimistic and we pray that God would heal him, but we also realize that it is a baby step process.

When Zach "played basketball" the other day, it wasn't literally playing basketball. We were excited because he could pick up the basketball and purposefully throw it. When he says words, they are often slow and slurred and hard to understand. When we make him get up for a walk, he cries almost the entire time he is up. When he stacks blocks in the playroom he also cries while he's doing it, and he is very weak and slow in his movements.

I write this because I want all of you who are praying along with us to understand as we have come to understand that this could be months of hard work and therapy for our little guy to come completely back to us. And the truth is he may be a little different when he does come back. That is okay-he is alive, he is awake, and he is improving every day.

What we need to pray for now is that he will begin to really eat. He gets 75 percent of his food at night so we have to try to get him to make up the 25 percent that he needs during the day.

I am about to go do laundry so I will see you all later!

Blessings
Beth

Amazing Progress for Zachary!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacharyjames

Click on this link to check out Zach's amazing progress!

I thank God that he is healing and getting better!

It Just Keeps Getting Better Folks!

This is another update on Zach. Things are on the up and up, but this is still a tall mountain to climb. Here is Brad, his father talking:

Hallelujah! What a Saviour! I have some news to share with you all. My son, who just five days ago could not communicate with me or look at me or any of the things that we take for granted just took a walk to the play area. While in this area, he was able to take a basketball, pick it up off the ground, and then take a shot at the hoop. I must confess, he has a great looking form. He probably gets that from his dad. After making these shots, he showed up Michael Jordan by doing some pretty awesome dunks. YES, you read right! My son who was in semi-coma five days ago was showing us how to dunk a basketball. All I can say is TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Now he has not completely come out of the woods per say. He still has not clearly talked to us, but the time will come. Just thought you all would be excited to hear the good news.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY! - Brad

I second that, Brad. He is worthy of all of our praise!

We Plead for Mercy and Justice and Help for this Lady

10-year-old boy injured in crash transferred; condition upgraded - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

I couldn't believe this when my cousin in Rockford blogged this article(click on the link above) in the paper about my nephew. The first half of the article is about Zachary and the lady who hit the car he was in. I am so angry. She could have killed these kids(not to mention the people in the OTHER car she hit) if they weren't wearing their seatbelts and yet they let her out of jail on $100 bond. She is a loaded weapon and what if she does this again before her trial begins? The holidays are approaching and it could take months for the state to produce a court date. I know this lady probably needs Jesus, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be sitting in jail right now where she cannot harm anyone else. I pray for her that she would come to know the Lord personally and also that she would seek the help that she needs for her drinking. Church, please continue to pray for Zach. It still may be a long road ahead for my sister, Beth and her whole family. Thanks again.

Deb Paul

HUGE UPDATE FROM BETH ABOUT ZACH!

I have to update everyone on our HUGE news. Zachary went to the bathroom, not once but twice! Yep, that's right.

I really should start at the beginning. Zach is officially not in any kind of coma. Just overnight it seems he has moved out of the state of non responsiveness, into the next stage of the recovery process. He began to get really fussy this morning around 8:30, and sat up on his own several times, only to lay back down again. He would fuss, and open his eyes for a short time and look at me. I got to hug and hold him a few times while he was sitting up, then I would try to get him to lay back down. He would just cry and cry, then he finally decided to turn his whole body around and try to get out of the bed. He is a very strong little guy so the nurses came in and helped me get him back in bed, however he just kept trying to get out of bed. Finally it dawned on someone that he may have to go to the bathroom, so they brought a portible toilet in here and we helped him get to it, and at that moment all the fussing ceased, and boy did he have to go! When he was done, we got him back in bed and he conked out for a long time. We were all jumping for joy around here, and are still very thrilled.

We also saw the neuropsycologist. She explained many things to us and I will do my best to explain what I can here. Our brain has a lining around it that has three layers. The layer touching the brain was where the bleeding occurred and the bleeding touches the brain and so the brain kind of has to work around that. Now the blood will be absorbed by the body and disappear but there was also another type of injury called diffuse axonal injury or DAI. The cells in the brain are called neurons. They kind of look like a flower with a head and a stem. The stem is the axon and it's what carries the impulses from place to place kind of like a cord that carries electricity. Well thes axons in Zach's brain were stretched and bent, and could become broken or frayed.

It's amazing how the brain works! What happens is, the brain tries to find a detour around the damage! And it also seeks other cells that can take over the job that the damaged cells used to do. While his brain is working hard to do this, it shuts everything else down. This makes Zach very sleepy and in need of lots of sleep and quiet.

Right now, zachary has made great strides just overnight and this stage that he is now in is the hardest stage because he can be very aggressive and restless, or combative. It's hard for us but wonderful for him because he is progressing in the right direction. The doctor said that this stage means there is no going back!! Every one who makes it this far, never stays here. They always move forward, it's just a matter of time and patience. Out of the 8 stages of recovery, this is stage four, so he has come so far in 5 days. Praise God.

Thank you all so much for keeping in touch with us and praying for us. Just remeber also Julie, Jeremy, Maddie and Nathan in your prayers as well. They have their own trials to overcome and they need our prayers too! Blessings to you all and we'll be in touch!

Beth

Beth's Blog for Zachary

This is Beth's own blog about Zach's updates and information:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacharyjames

Please go there and encourage her with notes!

Still Waiting on God

It's so hard to wait. It's so very hard to wait and see or hear that Zach is or isn't going to be his old self again. We pray and we wait on the Lord. In all this waiting we also know that God has made some promises to His people from his word. These verses flood my mind:

"I say to you, that if two of you will agree on earth as touching any thing that they will ask, it will be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:19-20

"And we KNOW that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"Now unto Him who is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Ephesians 3:20

"They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

We all want answers, but God gives us promises and He asks us to wait. Prayer pulls us in closer to Jesus as we pray to Him for this little one who so desperately needs our prayers.

My eight-year-old son Ian gave me a letter he wrote to the Molander Family and I want to post it:

Dear Molander Family,
I heard the news about Zachary. But I wonder how well Zachary is. But I hope God sends Miracles to your house. And I also hope that God answers your prayer and heals the pain and sickness.

Love your nephew and cousin,
Ian Thomas Paul

P.S. Will you answer me?

It seems Ian has the same question we all have. God please hear and answer our prayers. I KNOW He will.

MRI for Zach in the morning

The latest on Zachary:

He is scheduled for an MRI this Monday morning. This will show more detailed imaging(more than a CAT scan) on what parts of his brain have been affected. Overall, he is still in the same condition. I will update with his MRI results as I get word. Isaac, Mikayla and Austin are staying with a family from Berean Baptist Church for this coming week who will make sure that Isaac gets to school every day. I am glad to know they will all be together because they need each other right now. Beth and Brad are watching Zachary in shifts to make sure he doesn't pull any of his tubes out involuntarily. Also, little Maddie Swanson was released from the hospital last night on crutches. She had a fractured pelvis in two places. I'm so glad that she is going to be okay. Julie, if you are reading this: Beth told me that you were her lifeline in the hospital and that she is already missing you being there. One last thing is that my mom is planning on going to be with Beth and the family soon and I am still trying to find out if I can go with her today or tomorrow. Please keep praying for Zach. Thank you all so very much.

ANOTHER UPDATE ON ZACH MOLANDER

I talked to my sister this morning and things were still the same with Zach. His body is having involuntary movements where he will open his eyes or move a part of his body unconsciously. He has not awaken yet fully conscious and responsive to those in the room. He did scratch his knee once and open his eyes really big one time and they he closes his eyes and goes out again. Beth asked the nurse if she could just prepare her for the worst in Zach's situation and she said she couldn't do that, but that the doctor was going to take Zach in for another CAT scan and let Beth and Brad know if any other damage shows up in the brain that may have developed. It really is such a time of waiting for everyone now. Pray for Beth hard. She is exhausted, numb and just wants her sister there with her during this time. My mom will be going back up there later on this week or next week to be a pair of hands for Brad and Beth. IF any of you family members or friends out there can bring their family a meal or put some money in their pocket please contact the Pastor at Berean Baptist Church over in Beloit, Wisconsin, 608-365-5878. I can imagine their church has been a blessed help and will continue to be, but she may need on going help for weeks ahead after the church runs out of help for her, etc. This accident happened in IL and their insurance covers them in WI but I'm not sure about IL, so can you imagine...all the kids had all sorts of tests. The life flight itself I have read on the internet could be 10,000 dollars all by itself. We will touch on that topic later. Please just keep praying for Zach, the Molanders and the Swansons, too. Thank you!

UPDATE ON ZACH MOLANDER

I talked to my sister Beth an hour ago to ask her how her son Zachary was doing and she said that he had moved his body some and had moaned. He also opened his eyes for a short time and immediately closed them and became unresponsive again. He has not spoken at all yet and has not become responsive fully or focus on the people in the room. The doctor had reassured her that this is normal for someone who has suffered the kind of brain trauma that he has. It could take days for him to fully come out of sedation. So right now we are playing the waiting game to see what he will be like once he is aware of his surroundings. The doctor had said he could see him coming out of this and being okay. Beth sounded exausted and numb when I spoke with her. Please continue to pray for her and the whole Molander family. Thanks for your prayers. I will update you all whenever I get word.

PLEASE PRAY!

Please pray for my sister's family, the Molander's and Julie and Jeremy Swanson's family. Julie and Jeremy were driving home with all four of my sister's kids and their two kids from Chucky Cheese last night and they were hit full speed by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. Zach, my sister Beth's eight year old is the one who seems to have recieved the most injury. He was unconscious at the scene and remained unconcious until he came to the hospital. They had intubated him and he came to and realized where he was and he began to scream and tried to take out his intubation. They sedated him and ran tests and gave him a cat scan. The cat scan revealed that he had suffered from a major concussion and some bleeding in the brain. The last I heard, he was still in intensive care and they had taken the intubation out and was taking him off the meds that were sedating him. They were all waiting for him to wake up from the sedation to access what exactly, if anything is wrong with his brain function. Please pray for little Zachary and the whole family. If I know Zach at all, I know he is fisty enough to come out of this on the better side.

Maddie, Julie and Jeremy's daughter has a factured pelvis in two places. Poor Austin, I was told, looks the most battered and brusied externally and also has a factured hand. Jeremy had some disorentation and could not remember what had happened, but I think he is okay. Julie's neck is hurting her, but it may be whiplash. Mikayla is sore and has burns where the seatbelt were. Nathan and Isaac are totally fine as far as I have heard.

It turns out that the driver at fault was a thirty-something lady who was drunk. She actually hit someone else before the Swanson's car was hit by her twice, once before the car hit a pole and once after the car spun around.

My heart aches for my sister and her husband, Brad and the kids as they go through this. Thank you all for your prayers. I will have a post with updates soon.

A Day Out

We had a really neat day out to Fort Morgan Beach in Alabama a few weeks ago. An old ship that was lost at sea more than 150 years ago was washed ashore. I heard about it on the news and thought it might be cool to go check it out with the kids and let them take their own pictures. My Mom pointed out that the ship had burned because the remains look so charred. It was such a nice day out with the whole family and neat to look at the remains of this curious boat. The beach is such a wonderful reminder of God's handiwork. Every time I go I am in awe of the vastness of the ocean. It's seems to go on forever even though I know it runs into another continent somewhere. Ah, Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power.

Yes, Mom has been with us for a while and it has been nice having her here. I think I have gained 5 pounds from all her baking. Ugh! She has made some dresses for the girls and has been such a help to me. She has organized my cabinets and done chores that I just haven't gotten around to doing in th grand scheme of things. Today I wasn't feeling well and I crashed for 4 hours to sleep in the middle of the day and she kept the ship afloat and everyone alive while I rested. I don't know what I'll do when she goes. It's nice having someone around all day for moral support especially when it is your mother.

The Oldest One

I thought I'd take a little break from the daily grind, the campaign politico and whatever else that ails me to put up some thoughts about my first born.

How can I describe my boy the best?

Stubborn. From the moment he came into the world this boy was born with a boulder for a head, hard as a rock. No room for budge. I wonder where he got that from. Hmmm... He was a good baby, but definitely wanted to do everything his way from the start and steely determined to do so. I was exhausted with the discipline process he had to be put through and is still being put through. I will say that his stubborness has saved him in some ways as well. He's not a quitter. He'll sit and figure something out until it's figured out. He's independent and not afraid to be alone in his stubborness. Let's hope he gets over some of this before he ever gets married. Heh.

A hard worker. With some prodding or a little incentive, he's not afraid to work hard. I've relied so heavily on him that I need to learn how to delegate some work to the other older children. Call it a trickle down philosophy. I'm ready to move up to full time management if you know what I mean. He really is my right hand little man.

So creative. He amazes me with all that he does to be creative. Maps, charts, museums(yeah, he created his own in his closet...move over hangers, here comes the future Smithsonian), lego creations, imagination plus duct tape and his writings. I really could see him inventing something. Crazy kid, he reminds me often that "if at first you don't suceed, try, try again." Now, there's a thought. He loves science, geography and history the best and finds some way to weave his creativity into his favorite subjects.

Tenderhearted. He can be pretty crass and unkind at times(I wonder where he got that one, too, uh...), but he has such a soft heart and is pretty quick to repent from the error of his way. He even cries over some of his wrong doings. That's something I could definitely do more of.

Open. Something I am the most thankful for about my first born son is that he is open to the Lord and the wooing of His Spirit. He has opened up his heart to Jesus and put his faith and trust in His forgiveness of sins. I am the one that should be discipling my son, but sometimes he ends up discipling me through such simple, child-like faith. He prays in his room when he thinks no one is looking and at times, opens the bible to read it to me just because he wants to.

There are so many things to share about him. There's so many reasons why I love him and many more for why I am thankful to God that he was given to me to give back to Him.

Click On This

http://onething.typepad.com/one_thing/

Click on this and be encouraged.

His Yoke is easy and His burden is light...

Aren't you glad?

Political Cartoons

http://www.cafepress.com/unclerons

Click here for some interesting and eye-opening political cartoons...

Jacob the Cub

Funny Jacob was messing around with the camera taking pictures of bugs and himself. Those are some interesting faces, I'll say.

In Light of this Election, Part II

Could it be God's will for Obama to be voted in as President? Who can know the mind of God? Christians know what His word says in the Bible or least we should, but yet would put so much upon whether or not we make the right decisions in life. The Sovereignty of God is coupled very ingeniously with our decision-making process.

As an example, I would say that God's Sovereignty is in the driver's seat and the decisions we make are in the passenger seat. We make decisions every day and God's Soveriegnty takes our life decisions wherever He wants them to go for His glory. Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart devises his way; but the Lord directs his steps."

Obvioulsy, God would not allow Obama to be voted in as President of the United States for reasons of his being a great Christian candidate to rush in and save America, but what are the other possible reasons?

Maybe there is a trial by fire that must come upon God's people. Look at the oppression of the Jews by the Roman government which was a judgment to the Jews in the times of Jesus. Yet, Jesus never commanded His disciples or His followers to change society by interfering with Roman government, running for political office or establishment of an anti-Roman campaign. Jesus did however obey the laws of the land to maintain the testimony of the Gospel. Jesus never gave any commands to vote for government officials, so we should be careful as Christians not to assume that certain civic responsibilites are binding for all Christians.

So, having said that, where does that put me and my vote? God will have His way with or without my vote. He is Sovereign with or without my vote. I can vote for McCain and maybe I will, but that does not mean that Obama won't get in. The polls people might just lose my ballot, and what then? I really don't think God would put the entire weight of what happens to America on the shoulders of Christian voters who vote the right way or whether they vote at all.

And what about the deceiving spirit of which political campaigns seem to thrive on? God says that He uses the wicked as tools for His purposes(Proverbs 16:4). In John 18:36, Jesus answers Pilate and says, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." Never does Jesus mention in any of the Gospels an obligation to the world's kingdom, except to render to Caesar what is Caesar's, to honor civil authorities and submit to their laws, inasmuch as our conscience can cooperate with them. In Christ, we are obligated to His kingdom to carry the Gospel to all of the earth and to keep our testimony unsoiled by the world. Other than that, we are not under the bondage of thinking that the judgments of God on this country can be stopped by our vote. Ultimately, this country is to come under the power of the Beast and the one world system. It is the will of God and it will come to pass, no matter what we vote.

The only thing I am commanded to vote for is the renewing of my mind and the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2). I am confident that in Jesus Christ I am free from the guilt imposed by others who say it is my Christian duty to vote, which is really the conscience of other people. There is not any clear scripture on voting that I am aware of. Again, I say clear scripture; not the conscience of another person. We need to respect each person's leading of the Holy Spirit and yes, He does lead us in different ways for different reasons.

I will close with this verse and a final thought, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power, but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God." Romans 13:1

And thus, I will let God be in the driver's seat and I will ride shot gun and cup my hand over my left ear and try to listen to His still small voice while those in the rear attempt to do the back seat driving.

In Light of this Election

The Life of a Democracy

It has been said that “eventually, all democracies commit suicide.” Since history bears this out, what is the average lifespan of a democratic society? How long will it typically last before forces within it topple or implode it? What are the limits beyond which it cannot survive? What forces threaten it?

The following quotes from well-known American patriots demonstrate the short-lived nature of democracies and why this is so. Wise King Solomon wrote that “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). If a democracy has any chance to survive longer than normal, it will only be character found in its citizens that permits this. Consider these statements in light of the severe, fast-increasing moral decay that looms as the very greatest threat to the democratic nations of the West.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over a [lousy] fiscal responsibility, always followed by a dictatorship. The average of the world’s great civilizations before they decline has been 200 years. These nations have progressed in this sequence: From (1) bondage to spiritual faith; from (2) spiritual faith to great courage; from (3) courage to liberty; from (4) liberty to abundance; from (5) abundance to selfishness; from (6) selfishness to complacency; from (7) complacency to apathy; from (8) apathy to dependency; from (9) dependency back again to bondage.”
-Alexander Tyler, in his 1770 book, Cycle of Democracy

George Washington referred to the United States as “a great experiment.” And in his farewell address he said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

“Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks—no form of government can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without virtue in the people is a chimerical [an illusion or fabrication of the mind] idea.” And “Democracies have always been spectacles of turbulence and contention and as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”
-James Madison

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”
-Benjamin Franklin

“We have no government armed with powers capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice [greed], ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net.”
-John Adams

“Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis? A conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift of God? That they are not violated but with his wrath?”
-Thomas Jefferson

“Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them. To deny it, however, in this case, is to deny that there is a God governing the world.”
-Abraham Lincoln, March 15, 1865, letter to Thurlow Weed one month before his assassination

Compiled by David C. Pack

Me talking now:
I've always been a voter, but I do believe I may sit this election out. There's no way on earth I am voting for Obama. I respect Senator McCain for all that he was put through for our country, but I cannot vote for him based solely upon his tortuous time during the Vietnam war. Palin had me standing up and cheering when I heard her Convention speech, but I am just too old-fashion to think it is a good thing for her to put her pregnant daughter, down syndrome baby and the rest of her family in the back seat for four years(maybe eight depending on if they get re-elected). Just my humble opinion. I haven't made a completely solid decision about it, but I'm pretty sure that I won't be voting.

The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and He turns it wherever He will.

Ripe Plums Anyone?

Pool Time is Anytime Here in the South

Terrible pictures, but still cute!

Wow, It's Been a While...

Let's see, we've been busy. Busy homeschooling Ian, Jacob, Lauren in 3rd, 2cd and K5. Busy worrying about hurricane Gustav. One of our big pine trees fell down, but only because it was eaten by termites. Good thing it didn't land on the roof. Now we have to worry about hurricane Ike. What a name! How do they come up with these names?! Hannah, Ike and Gustav? Bible character, former Presidential candidate and a french name meaning the staff of the gods. Hilarious! Yeah, I looked that one up. You thought I was smart for a minute there, didn't you? Well, they say that Ike is moving toward Texas, but they don't know completely for sure. Sometimes a hurrican can have a mind of its own. I hope they are right for my sake, but wouldn't it be nice if it fell apart in the gulf and no one is affected by it. The Lord is in control of all that I know.

We are also facing another dilemma. Brian's hours have been cut. He will have to look for another job in his field, Registered Nursing. If he can't find one here that is decent, then, we'll probably have to move to a big city where there is a guarantee of many RN jobs being available. I don't know what my husband's thinking is yet, but I've got my sights set on Nashville. It's a huge city with lovely rural areas surrounding it and it's midpoint between both of our families. Well, at least the ones in WI, IL and LA. If any of you think of it, please pray for us. We may have a ton of decisions to make soon.

And yeah, it'd be nice, too, if this hurricane doesn't knock all our trees into our roof, then we would really have to move.

Sophia's Cutting Teeth!

If you look really close you can see Sophia's first tooth coming through. Sophia is seven months old now and is sitting up on her own, crawling with ease and is pulling herself up on the coffee table and standing. Yeah, she's cute and growing up way too fast. I can't believe it...this year is just flying. Each year time goes by even faster. It's crazy...

Beach Days

Sprouting Wings

Pray for my Mom, she is leaving Connecticut tomorrow to visit with my sister for a while and then she'll be down here in Florida to visit me. I know she would appreciate any prayers for safe travel, as she travels alone. Thanks.

How can it be??????!!!!!!!!!!!

81 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

What a Sight!

Okay, like(gag me with a spoon), this is the third time today that I have tried to fix my 2 year old Sarah's clothing and each time I have she strips down in another room to change them back to the way she had them. There must be a method to her madness because she keeps putting them back exactly the way she intended them to be. Both legs are through one side of her shorts. The shorts are shoved up so high up under her shirt that it looks like she's not wearing any shorts. Her shirt is methodically taken off and turned inside out and Blue on the front is a shadow of the dog he is when she wears the shirt right side in. Her flip flops are on the wrong feet (foot?) separating the wrong piggies. That's gotta' hurt. The next time you wear your flip flops take the piggy divider (or whatever it's called) and shove it between your pinky toe and the one next to it(ya' know... the one that didn't have any roast beef). Yeah, ouch. Needless to say, she's loads of laughs on a regular basis. Soph says, "By my peeps and hopes y'all be having a groovy Summer so far." You didn't know she was saying that? Well, uh, she was thinking it, I can read her mind...

Seeing Things From a Different Perspective, Part Two

Article by Colin Thompson

An Open Letter to the Church in Gateshead, England.

You may be asking yourself, who is this letter addressed to? Who or what is the Church in Gateshead?

Let me ask you some questions that may help.
How many churches are there in Gateshead?
Answer: One.

Who started this church?
Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ.

Who defines this church?
Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ.

Who gets to say who can be a member of this church?
Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is the head of this church?
Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ.

Where does this church meet?
Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ says; “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst.”

How does one become a member of this church?
Answer: By believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ and living in Gateshead.

So. Are you a member of the church in Gateshead?
If you are, then this letter is addressed to you.

If you believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and live elsewhere, then you are a member of the local church where you live. You may wish to carry on reading and apply the spirit of the letter to your own context, substituting the name of your locality for Gateshead.

I hope you are aware of the local church that you are a part of.
Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, the builder and maker of this church.
It is His body here in Gateshead.
Jesus laid down His life for this church.
This church is His representative and witness to the people of Gateshead.
No other body, organization or party can be the church of Jesus Christ in Gateshead!

Brothers and sisters, fellow members of the church in Gateshead, we are meant to continue together in visible, practical community.

I don’t even know who most of you are! We don’t seem to be aware of one another.
While we may occupy ourselves with commendable pursuits within many various organizations, we don’t seem to be involved with one another within the one body of Christ as we should.
The fact that I have to try and define the local church in un-ambiguous terms demonstrates that we have a problem here in Gateshead.

We have inherited a scenario filled with a plethora of groups and organizations largely independent of each other, mostly acting as if each were a self contained body of Christ.
Personally, I am not a member of any separate group or grouping of believers, other than a member of the church at Gateshead. But I am not trying to criticize those who are.

We may not be responsible for how the church has come to be in its present sorry, divided state.
But we do have a responsibility to Christ to receive one another and to submit to His headship.
We also have a glorious opportunity to confess our division, repent and receive one another as He received us.

The enemy of unity within a local body may not be sectarianism, but indifference.
What is my appeal?

That we ask our Father for revelation about the true identity and condition of the church at Gateshead.

That we be willing to do His will, knowing that His thoughts are not our thoughts.
That will mean that everything may come up for examination by the Spirit.
In Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth he asks “while you are divided, are you not still carnal?”

We may not fix our problem of division by our own efforts, but by depending on Christ and His life in us.

I was given the following instruction some time ago.
‘Don’t try to make the group of folks you are in fellowship with into the local church.
Make the local church the group of folks that you are in fellowship with.’

Please get in contact with the saints who live nearest to you, rather than just those with whom you share common goals.

My prayer for the church in Gateshead is that we will find one another, receive one another, continue with one another and forbear with one another.

‘By this the world will know that you are my disciples, that you have love, one for another.’

Feel free to contact me at colin@cthompson.org.uk
All the best,
Colin Thompson, Gateshead, England.

Malachi 3:16-18
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.
17 “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

Seeing Things From a Different Perspective

Today I took pictures of the kids upside down. I mean, I was upside down. It's neat taking pictures from all different perspectives. It puts things or in this case, my sweet Sarah, in another light altogether. Speaking of seeing things in a different light, my family and I have been on the outside of the church doors for a year and a half now. Talk about seeing things in a different perspective, the view from where we are sitting has been rather awe inspiring. I would like to share what we have learned from being on the outside looking in.



When my husband made the decision to take our family out of the church we attended faithfully for 8 years (at that time the whole of our married life), it was a decision two years in the making at least. He never took leaving that church lightly and really had every desire to "join" another church when he left that he would consider more like minded.



Well, a year and a half has flown past us and we have visited many churches and have finally come to these conclusions:



1. We (Christians every where) are the church. A building, programs, pastors and methods should not confine the believer to its way of thinking or doing, but a believer should freely move in the Spirit that Christ granted him through salvation. Christ tells us in the New Testament that He came to do the will of the Father that sent Him. We are priviledged to have that same freedom even if it goes against the confines of the religious institutions of our day.



2. Christians should actively seek fellowship with the body of Christ, but it should not matter what the setting is. Jesus Christ never "went" to church regularly anywhere in the New Testament. He freely moved and ministered to others in all settings and was never restricted by God or others...only the religious Pharisees of the day attempted to curtail and restrict Christ's personal ministry.



3. Denominations really divide the body of Christ in a terrible way. Many are on the inside looking out proclaiming how right they are in their particular denomination. I was among those who have done that. Where do we find Christ ever dividing the disciples and the believing multitudes that were healed into denominations? He asked them to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him.



4. Church attending (not necessarily church-being) believers have associated faithful attendance to a builidng, their membership to that building and their un-swerving submission to it's leaders with how godly they are. We answer to God and although proper godly authority is good and necessary(if that person is even qualified by biblical standards), it should never draw the believer away from their personal relationship with Christ and His specific will for the believer's life. We have been counted as unfaithful flim flam for not attending "the building" church or becoming a member of something we already are. We can be faithfully gathering with Christians who are accountable for each other in the edification process, but still be considered unfaithful. We could reach the lost with the gospel message in our home, but we are counted as unfaithful. We could study the word, pray and teach our children the word of God, but be counted as unfaithful. We reach the poor and our fatherless and motherless neighbors, but we are counted as unfaithful. The list can go on and on. We have close friends (the church) who keep us sharpened and accountable and we do not take lightly who we are in the body of Christ and the spiritual gifts God uses in us where and when He chooses.



5. We as a family have been able to spend time together without pressure from "the church" to attend so many services, programs and functions that keep us busy and away from each other all day. Think about it...in the Old Testament the family breathed as a strong unit learning and doing everything together. Isn't it strange that on one of the only days that fathers and some mothers have off from work to spend time with their children they rush off to church and then split up in all different directions? Instead of fathers and mothers teaching their children the word of God and how to pray they rely heavily on the Pastor, Youth Pastor and the Sunday School teachers.



6. The pressure to perform spiritually for others instead of God is off. We won't be compared to the spiritually elite among us by not recieving awards for doing what only God has seen us do in our minstry for Him in private.



7. We have seen the body of Christ from all walks of life come together in unity in our homes that we share with each other. We may disagree in some areas as a whole, but the love we have for each other, God and His word is much and it movtivates us greatly to be a light in this dark world.



8. The condemnation we have felt in the past seems to have left us almost completely. We obey God when He tells us to do something. It would have been impossible to do this in the past without upsetting the leadership or others in "the church" because the will of God for our family would not have lined up with the agenda of the church. The Pharisees pointed out that Christ was healing on the sabbath day and many other things they thought that Jesus was doing that they(the highly religiously community) thought was unacceptable.



9. We have realized that we can get so fat on our fellowship (dinners, social events with each other, etc.) with believers that we don't do much else for the Lord because our time can be consumed with just being with each other in the church setting and its functions. The body of Christ should edify itself in order to branch out in their ministries to their own families, their neighbors and their community. Just doing that would keep us so busy for the Lord that we would never need to show up for the purpose of ministry in the church building again.



And so, the learning continues. We read the word for ourselves afresh and anew and our faith in Christ and freedom in Christ as the church is nothing but strengthened more and more each and every day on our journey.

Summertime

Ahhhh, Summertime. Down here in good 'ol sunny Florida there is 95 degree weather in the shade and 100% humidity causing sweat to drip like a leaky faucet on your body wherever it possibly can. But ya' know, it doesn't seem to bother the kids too much. The outdoors draws them in, I mean out, no matter what the weather and even more so when I keep the TV and computer off. I remember when I was a kid we were always outside. There weren't too many other options for us when we were little. My parents were always a decade behind in getting the lastest gadget in technology whether it be the infamous VCR or a nintendo gaming system. I think that was a good thing...now. Needless to say, we kids had a ton of great times outside with our neighborhood friends. I remember mom being so lenient in letting us play with her things outside in the summertime. We used to drag blankets, furniture and all sorts of stuff out to the lawn to create whatever we wanted. It was lot's of fun. When I was a kid, the street was a place where we played kick ball, baseball and at night we hang out in the street until our parents called us in. My brothers used to buy candy bars in bulk and set up a store in front of our house where the neighbor kids would buy them. The ice cream truck would drive by and we couldn't wait to get something if we had the money. My favorite was a sherbert ice cream in a plastic cone-shaped cup with a gumball in the bottom. Another memory I can't forget is when my oldest brother would invite us siblings upstairs to the third floor where he had his bedroom with my other brother. He would blair his 80's rock music for us after dad left for work. It was his way of saying, hey, I like you guys, come hang out with your big brother. Fireworks were also a favorite part of the summer for me. They still are. :) I hope my kids have just as many good memories of the summertime as I have! Drop a comment and let me know what your favorite summertime memory is.

Father's Day Afterthoughts

Father's day. This whole post is after the fact, but still needs to be written for my own sanity's sake. I had a horrible *scratch that*...uh...less than perfect father. Dad. He was a doozey. He still is, but I will say the years have mellowed him out some. I have posted about Dad in the past, but before you all gasp, this one will be different in a good way. I promise. Just give me a minute or two to get the lead out.

First, I 'd like to say that Dad could write a book about the atrocities of his own childhood. He didn't have a great foundation to build his family on. That foundation was broken and decaying long before me and my siblings came into the picture. Knowing that brings a whole lot into perspective for me and despite it all, puts much sympathy in my own heart for him. Having said that, I believe in sympathy, but I also believe in accountability and truthfulness.

Dad supposedly became a Christian(the bible says in Hebrews 12 if you do not live peaceably with all men and follow after holiness you will not see God), then a Pastor (how he was even allowed to do that given the things he was doing to his own family is beyond me), then a father...there ought to be at least a class or something you do before becoming one of these. No one is perfect, I know. I am the epitome of imperfection. I'm not even hinting at imperfection here in any small way. We are just talking about basic decency. I would never list the things my father has said and done because it would seem uncharitable on my part to do so and also it would just defeat the purpose for which I write.

My question is: how do I love someone who is so unlovely? He comes to my mind and it's hard to think of anything but hurt, anger(not bitterness, *please* understand the difference) and flat-out despair. I can only say that it must be the Lord that encourages me to look at my father through the eyes of love when my flesh drives me to the edge of hate. My heavenly Father reminds me of His infinite love for me and it can only spill over into the life I have with my earthly father. God gives me the ability to do things I could never do on my own. I can honestly say I love my Dad and not because he deserves it or because I feel like it, but that my God expects it from me and He blesses me greatly for my obedience to Him.

I have to forgive my Dad every day. I forgave him years ago in a very general way, but I have to forgive him again and again for each new transgression he commits. Grace. God expects it from me just like I expect it from Him. He fuels me with His power because He knows I could never do it on my own.

In Season

I Learned Some Things Today

I learned some things today.

1. I learned how much my husband loves me once again. Happy 9th Anniversary, honey bunch!

2. I learned how bored my toddler is. Well, I think a better word is creative. She crawled around on the floor barking like a dog. Every time we would call, "Sarah!", she would say, "I'm not Sarah, I'm a dog." She played the part well by literally licking my foot.

3. I learned how much I really don't know about life. I don't know if this happens to everyone, but I feel like I have just started (at the ripe old age of 31) learning about really matters and what doesn't.

4. I learned that my dogmatic ideals about life will start to burn on the pyre of self-righteounes and pride if I strike the match and throw it in. The "match" being the grace of God.

5. I learned again today how God is so patient and tender in the leading of His children. I digress in my walk with Him but He prods me gently back into the way I should go. Hey, and sometimes He gives me a whack in the head and it's always much needed and stems from his infinite love for me, His child.

6. I learned I have an atypical husband and an atypical happy beginning to what could have been a typical terrible ending. We talk endlessly about our dreams, our love for the Lord, our thankfulness, and what we want to do to fix up the house. We covet each other's company. We look at our children and think, how could you bless us so much? What seemed to be "love" in the beginning of our marriage just paved the way for the worst trials we have seen in our life. Those heart-wrenching, divorce-level, sin-inflicted, flesh-following trials led us here:

*the closest friendship that any two people can find here on earth*

To take what we had going and turn it into the above is just God. All God. I can sit and talk all day about what has happened in our marriage and how we have changed, and what God did to break us and reshape us. Maybe in another post. All I can say is, nothing is impossible with God!

7. I learned that each day is an opportunity to grow, even if it's just a millionth of an inch, there's progress.

8. I learned that God doesn't need my help to do what He's always done.

9. I learned that I can make a sentimental gift with just materials I already have in my house.

10. I learned that a pot of chili goes a long way, amen to that. Hey, even the dog gets his share.

11. I learned that I can have an impact on this world just by taking all my kids to Cracker Barrell to have lunch. It's mind-boggling for people to see mother and father happily(truth be told, there is much reluctance as well on our part) bringing their children out to eat. All of the children coloring quietly (thank you Lord for getting them to do that!) while baby coo's happily in her seat, mom and dad order for the family. We sit, leisurely enjoying our meal, as the kids remain relatively quiet. People are amazed and astonished. "It's so refreshing to see your family!" to "Wow, you are a brave woman!" to the blank stares you get from younger people(twenty somethings) that get a table right next to us. I hope whatever the case they saw God somewhere in all of that.

12. I learned that having a tupperware party hosted in my home is a lot more work than I thought it would be.

13. I learned that the effort it will take to host a tupperware party in my home will be well worth it to help out a fellow homeschooling mama to 7 children and wife to a retired military serviceman. Kudos to both recipients of my effort! :)

14. I am now learning that this post is getting too long and I have kids hanging from the ceiling.

Jesus Saved Me, That's My Secret

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J471VobaZks

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!