It's Wednesday Night

Tim is rolling the paint in the hallway and I've finished cleaning brushes, so I thought I'd take a second (or few) to check in here. We've been working like crazy on the house and are really seeing results. It is a good feeling. We are motivated and taking advantage of that motivation. The hallway and kitchen ceiling was completed yesterday by me and today Tim did the trim and taped for the final color... what looks like coffee with lots of creme :) We replaced the kitchen light too. I finally took down the ugly wooden thing that spanned the cabinets over the sink. Is there a name for those things? It served no purpose other than to loom over my head as I washed dishes... but it's gone now!

We had snow over the weekend. I kept walking by the window in disbelief that it was really snowing this late in April. The kids even were off school Monday. Who would have thought of having a snow day after spring break? I guess that is life in the mountains. There is still snow on the ground, but at least the afternoons are a bit above freezing. Saturday before the weather hit, we headed over to the playground at the lake for a little while. Quin loves to swing and Faith still loves to swing. We spent a good portion of our time pushing the little ones. It was nice for us all to get out for a bit. Especially knowing what that weather brought. I have some pictures that aren't loading to the blog at this point, so I guess I'll have to share them later.

We got some bad news last week too. Hannah's Mexico trip has been cancelled. Gil (the youth pastor) talked to Tim in the hall at church in Philly and was pretty upset about having to cancel. There were not enough men signed up to go and after asking many guys, it just wasn't coming together. So for the first time in eight years, he had to cancel it. It was such a hard decision for him and I feel bad for him and the kids that were looking forward to it. But I trust that God has His reasoning for not allowing it this time. I told Tim that for the sake of the young people, I hope that reason is made evident. I think seeing an obvious reason that comes to light would be encouraging for them. However, certainly God knows what he is doing and we'll just go with that. Hannah was, as expected, disappointed and now rather bummed about her "boring summer". I have hopes that Gil will plan some local outreaches and other events for the group though, so maybe her summer won't be as boring as she thinks. I'm still waiting for spring to truly arrive, so it has been rather difficult to think too much about summer yet!

All's Well

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Quin's surgery went fine. He went in at 7AM for 8AM surgery and was done by 8:13. No IV, no surprises, no trouble at all. He was quite the trooper and didn't even cry at all. He crawled and climbed all over everything while he was supposed to be "recovering quietly" and seems to feel better than fine. We are home now and he is napping nicely. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!

“He is not here: he is risen, as he said.” Matthew 28:6

On March 14th in 1987, over 20 years ago, in my driveway with a co-worker, I opened my life to Jesus. I had sat on the fence for many months, refusing to admit that I was in need of a Savior... that I had sin in my life that I could not make go away. That night, I gave up and asked Jesus to take over. And did He ever. More than just headed for death, I was headed toward a lifetime of selfishness, living only for me and what I wanted, without a care for anyone else in the world. He saved me from much more than my destiny in hell. He saved me from a life here of misery, lonliness and pain. He put my feet on a path of life. He gave me true joy and a life I could not have even dreamed. Not easy all the time, as this blog can attest, but full... an abundant life of direction, reason and significance. From that moment forward, I am blessed to say that I've never walked away from Him. I've had valleys and difficulties, but none so great that God wasn't there. Take time today to read John 3. On the original Good Friday Jesus was lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in Numbers 21. That all that look to Him would be cleansed and saved... just as all that looked at the serpent of Moses were healed from their snake bites. We've all been bitten by sin and each of us, as individuals... just like those in the desert with Moses, must look to Jesus' completed work on the cross to be healed. But don't leave Jesus on the cross. As today reminds us... He is not there anymore, He is risen.

So many songs are so special to me, but these few in particular.


Because He Lives (Bill Gaither)

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!


In Christ Alone (Keith Getty & Stuart Townend)

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all—Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine—Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home—Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Baby Got Book

This video is absolutely hilarious! It was sent to Tim by a friend from Ohio. Go and listen :)

Last Supper Thursday

I often am at a loss as to how much of our country celebrates various holidays. The conversations often arise when I overhear someone saying something about a certain holiday or tradition. I heard today referred to as Holy Thursday and felt rather dumb that I'd never heard the term before. I understand why it is referred to as that, but really shouldn't every day be holy for the believer? Holy means set apart for a specific use. Can a day really be holy? Maybe so. I think today is more of a memorial for me. To me, today is the anniversary of The Last Supper as described in Mathew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 13 and beyond. I think I am quite glad that I don't have a lot of tradition about the passion week. I don't know the "rules" for what to do and what to eat or not eat. I wonder sometimes if any of that "stuff" makes a difference to the doer. I hope so, for them. But for me, I'm quite content knowing that I walk with God every day of every year, without regard for seasons or holidays. I'm thankful that I don't require a lot of liturgy. I mess up enough without breaking liturgical tradition as well. I take the holiday for what it is based on what I've learned from the Bible. Simply taught and simply believed. A lot happened on that first "Holy Thursday". I think most memorable to me is the way Jesus washed the feet of the diciples. We pick up so much dirt trudging through this world. We do need our feet washed. I also love the example Jesus provides for us in this account. Peter is always an encouragement to me as well... it's so good to know that even someone so close to Jesus didn't quite "get it" all the time. So, I still don't have a clue what the Easter Bunny has to do with The Ressurection, but I try to take it in stride. We don't "do" the Easter Bunny....just like we don't "do" Santa Claus. Our kids know the culture and what these things are about, but we don't get caught up in it. I'm sure some would call us extreme or even abusive by depriving our children in such a way. Oh well. We're used to it. Oddly perhaps, to me, Easter seems to be the more appropriate time for giving gifts. What better reason to celebrate than our risen Savior? So Sunday, churches across the nation and the world will be filled to the doors with well dressed children and adults, tired from arising earlier than normal on the weekend. Messages will be spoken from the pulpits about what Easter really is. Some will have heard it before, some may not. Some will listen and others will not. Most will never return to that church until December. Oh if they only knew what they were missing! It is my prayer that many lives will be changed this Sunday.

Quin update:
He returned to the ENT and his ears were worse than before the antibiotics. We cut out dairy hoping it would have an affect, but as of yet, it has not. The fluid in his ears is thick and cannot drain. The scariest part for me what the hearing tests they did. Quin's eardrums are not moving and he is not hearing most of the things around him. Obviously, we are quite concerned. His newborn screening for hearing was well above normal, so it is definately the fluid that is causing the hearing loss. He is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday next week. They will drain his ears and put in tubes. A short procedure (and one that Jot successfully had at this exact same age), but still a hard thing to hand over your baby for. Prayers are appreciated.

Other stuff:
Hannah was accepted onto the M2M team. That is, the mission trip to Mexico. She will need to raise all her support to go since we cannot afford to give much toward the trip. There are some opportunities for her to work for some ladies in the church and God has already provided her deposit, so we will trust Him to provide the rest. She will send out a support letter in the next week or so. It has been a great lesson already for Hannah in prayer and seeking direction. More to come on that!

Report cards came home this week. Emma and Jot both did great and Hannah did outstanding, earning a spot on the Honor Roll. We are quite proud of them all and pleased that the stressful decision to return to public school seems to be going OK... not perfect, but OK.