Bugs..at the dinner table.

There's just never a dull moment in this house.

Isaac and Noah were catching bugs this afternoon and putting them in a jar. Well, after they came in the house, Isaac started to build something out of a cardboard box. He kept coming to me and asking if he could have another freezer baggy. I said "OK" each time...without inquiring why. (shame on me!)

So..I have dinner ready. As we were sitting down, Isaac was still working on his project, taping, etc. When I realized WHAT he was doing. He made a huge "house" for his bugs. Taping cut up freezer bags resembling a "green house" for bugs. It wasn't taped very well. And his bugs were crawling all over inside..and escaping out the areas where he lacked tape. Well..I told him to clean it up, because we're eating now. (There were mostly potato bugs, etc. Seemingly harmless..not enough to make me squeemish)
So..I begin our prayers of thanks for our food...when suddenly..Ethan hollars out..LOOK, LOOK! I opened my eyes to see a huge centipede type creature crawling from behind my bowl of food! (and then mommy screamed) "Isaac...get your bug away from my food NOW!"

Needless to say..the bug house is going OUTSIDE..and so are the bugs. No more bugs at the dinner table.
:o)

Rick Warren

Rick Warren waters down the Gospel.
Prof. Johan Malan University of the North South Africa
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rick.htm

The following websites can be visited for further information on Rick Warren: www.crossroad.to, www.discernment-ministries.com, www.deceptioninthechurch.com .

Oswald Chambers.....

The daily thoughts (My Utmost for His Highest) from Oswald always seem to coincide with what is going on in life at the time. It never ceases to amaze me!!! Of course, I didn't read these until after the fact..just a few minutes ago. I read Mar.24th first, and went back a day to read the 23th. :o)

March 23rd.
AM I CARNALLY MINDED?
"Whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal?" 1 Corinthians 3:3
No natural man knows anything about carnality. The flesh lusting against the Spirit that came in at regeneration, and the Spirit lusting against the flesh, produces carnality. "Walk in the Spirit," says Paul, "and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh"; and carnality will disappear.
Are you contentious, easily troubled about trifles? "Oh, but no one who is a Christian ever is!" Paul says they are, he connects these things with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens petulance in you? That is a proof that you are yet carnal. If sanctification is being worked out, there is no trace of that spirit left.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put it right; He asks you to accept the light, and He will put it right. A child of the light confesses instantly and stands bared before God; a child of the darkness says - "Oh, I can explain that away." When once the light breaks and the conviction of wrong comes, be a child of the light, and confess, and God will deal with what is wrong; if you vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone it is the most real thing imaginable. God will see that you have any number of opportunities to prove to yourself the marvel of His grace. The practical test is the only proof. "Why," you say, "if this had happened before, there would have been the spirit of resentment!" You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.

Now for MARCH 24!

March 24th.
DECREASING INTO HIS PURPOSE
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God's order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say - "This and that must not be." Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say - "That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him."
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. "The friend of the Bridegroom . . . rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." This is spoken with joy and not with sadness - at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.
Watch for all you are worth until you hear the Bridegroom's voice in the life of another. Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard. You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. (Cf. Matt. 10:34.)

Amen and AMEN!!!

Comfort in His Word..

In writing a letter to my Aunt, who's mother has just passed on, I was searching through the scriptures for some words of comfort for her. But instead..I found I could not stop reading. The Word of God brought such comfort to me, and I couldn't get enough of it. Needless to say, the letter is still unwritten.
My heart is hurting a bit today, for other reasons, but He gives me comfort. He is my rock...my salvation. The words from Chip Brogden's Fear No Man, (see my post below)..kept me in check today.

"The Lord is my strength and song, And he has become my salvation." Psalm 118:14

"My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you
people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
Psalm 62:5-8

Our hope..as we await His return..

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Revelations 22:20-21

Fear No Man

Fear No Man-
by Chip Brogden

http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/articles/fear.html

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture-Prof. Johan Malan

here's the link i'm refering to...
http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Rapconference/3%20Rapturedoctrine.htm

"Evangelical Christians will be declared unchristian, unloving and judgmental, and will be despised. They will be regarded as prophets of doom because they proclaim the imminent judgements of God which will fall upon the world during the tribulation. They will also be regarded as disloyal to the Christian cause because of their unwillingness to join the ecumenical movement and accept the unitary reforms of the New Age Movement.
As the time for the revelation of the Antichrist approaches, true Christians will be subjected to immense pressure, intimidation and threats. However, they should take courage in the light of the promise that the truly born-again children of God will escape the coming tribulation period: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). This promise ties up with the following one: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Those who are not in Christ but instead advocate the false peace of the antichristian new world order will not escape the great tribulation (1 Thess. 5:3)."

"A motivation for steadfastness"
"The coming of the heavenly Bridegroom will occur during a time of religious compromise and worldliness. There will be a great falling away from the truth of God’s Word. A relatively small group of evangelical Christians will shine like lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Phil. 2:15). As in the times of Noah and Lot, the earth will be filled with violence, materialism, and sexual perversion. Unfortunately, the spirit of unrighteousness and immorality will also take its toll among Christians. They will relax their vigilance and make downward adjustments to their spiritual standards: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). Some Christians will become backslidden or discouraged in the work of the Lord. Inactive Christians often compromise their dedication to the Lord and their responsibility to serve Him faithfully. Their spiritual decline may manifest itself in various ways. The most common are, either to abandon the need for sanctification, becoming worldly-minded, enjoying worldly parties and eating and drinking to excess; or to become critical and dictatorial in their relations with other Christians. The Lord Jesus warned against such sinful behaviour and challenged it by using the prospect of His sudden, unexpected return as a positive motivation to remain steadfast to the end (Matt. 24:45-50). "

Correctly determining and prioritising works
The fact that our works will be judged after the rapture, and that only those with eternal value will be rewarded, is of great significance in helping us to devote ourselves to objectives that are higher than the material things of this perishable world. After conversion our lives should yield the fruit of the Spirit and we should not waste time and resources on earthly things, pleasure or valueless works. Will you be found a worthy servant or will you stand empty-handed before the judgement seat of Christ on that day, saved as by fire? (1 Cor. 3:14-16). If you lose sight of the possibility of the Lord’s imminent return you may lapse into complacency, spiritual inactivity, and even into sin (2 Pet. 3:10,17-18).

The great significance of the rapture
In the light of all the biblical facts about the rapture it is clear that this is an extremely important teaching to all believers. There are at least 12 different aspects of the rapture that need to be properly understood and taken account of:

It is a direct intervention by God. The supernatural nature of the rapture, in which millions of Christians will be caught up in the air, will be so clearly an intervention by God that no scientific explanation will ever account for this astounding phenomenon. “The Lord Himself” will remove the saints from planet earth (1 Thess. 4:16).

It is a meeting with the Lord Jesus. When the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with the sounding of the trumpet of God, those who died in Christ will be raised from the dead, while the living believers will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Together they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17). The unsaved people will not see Him on this occasion.
(a surge of excitement and tears welled up in my eyes when I read this one! I can't wait!)~a

It is associated with the first resurrection. The rapture is directly related to the first resurrection when all believers will receive glorified resurrection bodies. Those who have died in Christ will be raised first – then the living believers will be miraculously changed while they pass from mortality to immortality without dying (1 Cor. 15:52).

It separates true and nominal believers. Apart from the division that the rapture will effect between the saved and unsaved people in the world, it will also separate born-again believers from the nominal Christians within the professing church (Matt. 25:1-13), many of whom have only a form of godliness (2 Tim. 3:5).

It marks the end of the church age. It is important to consider the rapture in its dispensational context – i.e. at the end of the church age and just before the beginning of the tribulation period, which will be a distinct dispensation with its own characteristics (2 Thess. 2).

It makes way for the revelation of the Antichrist. The rapture is directly related to the revelation of the Antichrist. The true church of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is withholding the Antichrist, who can only be revealed after the church has been taken out of the way (2 Thess. 2:6-10).

It is an escape from divine wrath. The rapture also constitutes a dramatic rescue operation in which true believers will be removed from the scene of impending divine judgements upon earth, since they are not the objects of God’s wrath (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Luke 21:36).

It is a motivation for steadfastness. There will be a great end-time falling away from the truth of God’s Word. Christians having the hope of Christ’s coming, purify themselves as He is pure (1 John 3:3), and resist any tendency to grow cold in their love for Him (Matt. 24:12).

It is a summons to the judgement seat of Christ. The certainty of the rapture confronts us with the solemn prospect of appearing before Christ at His judgement seat to give account of our lives (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10).

It is a journey to the marriage of the Lamb. After appearing before the judgement seat, believers forming the bride will be united to the heavenly Bridegroom never to be separated from Him again (Rev. 19:7-8; Ps. 45:9).

It is a journey to our eternal home. The Lord Jesus promised that He would return to take the saints away to their heavenly abode in His Father’s house with the many mansions (John 14:2-3). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). What a wonderful future to look forward to!

It will promote us to be co-rulers with Christ. After the rapture and the tribulation period, the glorified saints will return with Christ and reign with Him as kings on earth (Luke 19:17-19; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 5:10).

P.S. For supporting literature, please consult the website www.bibleguidance.co.za The author may be contacted at johan@bibleguidance.co.za

Feminine Power..the Lie by L.S.W.

feminine power..the lie

Just read the article (Feminine Power, by Nancy Campbell)...It would make for interesting discussion. Here are a few points which I wish to offer from an "older woman" perspective.
When I was your age...possibly a bit younger, there was a great push in the church for the woman to "submit" to her husband based on biblical passages. This of course benefited the man greatly. He could be anything in the home...within reason of course...and be fully justified. I witnessed many intelligent women overburden by their husband's demand for complete submission. The women would exalt their husbands and their homes seemed to be run in an orderly manner, however this ideology began to hang over these women likeThe Sword Of Damocles. This was the first swing of the pendulum of the disastrous misunderstanding about men and women. In the secular arena the pendulum was swinging in the opposite direction, in essence the same thing was happening in the form of the feminist movement. Under this subtle lie, women were still submitting to being conformed to man's image of her. The "church woman" conformed to man's image by attempting to fulfill the male's idea of Ephesians 5:22. The feminist movement unknown to themselves at the time was also conforming to man's desire through casting off their feminity and thus giving into man's sexual lust. Abortion is only beneficial to the male population. And the "submissive wife" as was touted in the church in the 70's is also only beneficial to man's desire to be his own king. Now, the women who live under such dominion will defend both aspects as pure and good, however the basis for both is equally the same. We must go back to Genesis to understand the dilemma of male and female relationships. It is our "constitution" because it is the beginning of man. We can not stray from the original story or we will insert a plethora of self centered misunderstandings
Adam was created. Adam was alone, there was no such thing as a "female" to Adam. There were however male and female in the animal kingdom...In Genesis 2:15 Adam was put in the garden of Eden and given the command which involved the "tree", yet Eve was not yet "formed" as we know her. She was in the mind of God; however Adam had not seen his need for her until he observed the other animals. We must remember that God created Adam to demonstrate His image. Adam was created to be the "image bearer"...or "exhibitor" of the glory of God. However, first Adam had to learn about God. This was done through introduction and need; the basis for all good instruction. Adam was introduced to the evidence of life through the interactions of the beasts, birds, and livestock. Genesis 2:19-20. He began to understand that he could not produce life by himself, the first evidence that he needed God. After all, Adam was made innocent and intelligent but he was not born omniscient. This had to be introduced and accepted slowly just as we train a child. Adam was as a child. All things God created in Adam and for Adam was to teach and direct him towards the revelation of God Himself. Thus, the gentle leading of the Lord brought Adam to a place where he realized the need of a "help meet"; another to fulfill the life cycle. Now, here is an interesting and oftentimes overlooked point. Eve was not created separately, but '"drawn" from Adam. So, therefore the elements of woman were already contained within Adam. Adam thus began his life containing both female and male elements. God has not left us to suppose this fact, for the male still contains both elements in the case of determining gender of a child. Thus, the verse Genesis 1:27 corroborate this evidence. Adam declared this fact in Genesis 2:23. So, now we have a totally unique creation...Adam is separated in two, which now has the ability to birth "another"; the one becomes two which unites to become one, other words they are one flesh that creates one flesh. Woman was not created from the dust, but pulled from Adam. The two are one...one does not dictate nor own another. It is one more step towards the understanding the Holy Trinity.
The next logical question is, "What elements did God draw from man to make woman?" The elements of feminity are that of a "harbor". The ultimate and most blessed aspect of woman is not for the pleasure of man, but that life is grown within her womb. The Proverbs 31 woman is the utmost example of womanhood. This cannot be achieved by mortal flesh; however it is an indication of the elements drawn from man. The "Proverbs woman" is one who "completes the work" with the diligence, love and submission to her husband and family. This must be viewed from the aspect that all scripture is to direct us to God's original goal, which is a revelation of Himself. How are we to be the "exhibitors" of Christ's glory if we are continually referencing scriptures back to ourselves? We must remember that we are ignorant to the ways of God and therefore must be shown and led through imagery and simple messages which continuously point to Christ who is the All and All.
Another key element of woman's creation is that she was made from Adam's rib. Why not a finger? Or a Toe? Why not some other part of Adam? What is the significance of the rib? One element of the rib is that it protects the heart. So, it stands to reason, that woman was made from Adam’s rib as a symbol of protection of the heart, or the “womb of life”. She was given all the attributes of the heart...gentleness, nurturing, sensitivity, to name just a few. It was once said that murder is only in the heart of woman to protect her own...whereas a man will kill for dominance. This theory proves to be true when we look at what happened after the 'fall'.
The next question that springs to mind is, “Then who is man?” Any harbor needs a fortress or “strength” to be a harbor. It can not exist without a fortress or wall...if the protection is removed the harbor becomes nonexistent. This is the role of the male...to protect and serve the woman as Christ protects and serves the true church.
So, the serpent comes to the woman. He comes to the very heart of man. Why does he not go to Adam? According to the article, Satan knew that if he was to tempt Adam first, that Adam would have stood up for truth and told the serpent to get off! Now, this statement can not be defended for two reasons, (1) because of Adam’s locale during the temptation. Where was Adam? Genesis 3:6 states man was standing right by woman. (2) The foremost element that needs to be understood is that "ADAM" meant both male and female, for the woman did not have a name until after the deception. Then and only then was woman given the name Eve...by Adam and the two became truly separated...a chasm as wide as eternity. Satan introduced a false notion of "godhood" before God could lead Adam to the understanding of His goal, which I state again, is to make a "bearer of God's image" or an exhibitor, worshipper, testimony of God's glory. Satan introduced the lie that he desired for himself, "I will be like the most high". Isaiah 14:14.
It is true that Satan directed his lies to woman. Remember she is the harbor of life. If a person wishes to destroy a well, he does not tear down the wall, but pours poison directly into the water. Satan's poison was half truths and innuendos directed at woman. Woman was deceived, but man acted in full knowledge. Man was standing right beside woman. It is most difficult to understand the unity of man and woman at this point, for we have lived in disharmony since the fall. Man and woman did not act separately for they were not separate but of one flesh. It is only after the fall of mankind that man and woman have been at odds. When seen from this perspective, the deviant behavior of anything less than what God intended in the beginning of "one flesh" is nothing less than sin, for it does not display the True nature of God." Therefore, placing woman as a great influence over man, without the willingness of man as the article claims, "Basically men want to please their wives. They want to make them happy, because that makes them happy" is a distortion, for man can only please himself. The Author of the article begins with the verse Genesis 3:17 RSV, "And to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you." It is a declaration of man's sin. It was man's ears who "listened". God states to man, "because YOU have listened". He places all responsibility upon Adam for his actions. It was a direct action on man's part to listen, no seduction or deception was allotted to man. It was the woman who was deceived, the man was not. So therefore, no 'basic' nature within the heart of man wishes to please his wife. This is a falsehood which women wish to believe for our "desire is for the man" Genesis 3:16 It is true that man is cowardly since the fall and will do things to please a woman to save or benefit himself. But, his base nature is not to make his wife happy. This notion lays all the blame on woman's doorstep for the destruction of the male, as the original utterance from man to God when asked about his hiddeness. Genesis 3:12.
Before I go further I must draw you back to the original reason for the creation of man, which is to be the "exhibitors" of Christ's glory. Thus, the true essence of the man/woman conflict lies within the spiritual realm. The basic premise of God's plan has not changed, which is the revelation of His nature through man. Thus, in 1 Corinthians 11:3, Paul states, But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Satan's main objective is to destroy and distort the object of God's testimony. And into this world God descends into the human form of Jesus. This was the beginning to the true understanding of marriage. Jesus being the very heart of God, His Son becomes the "harbor" through which life is solidified and the Glory of God exalted. God, the Father is the wall and fortress to His delicate Son. Jesus claims "I can do nothing of myself" for He completely relies on the strength of His Father. Through total obedience to His Father unto death He walks. The result is LIFE fueled by divine LOVE. In the very beginning God was leading Adam to this magnificent revelation of Himself through His creation. Satan did not thwart God's plan...he merely altered the path. And the path was made Glorious by the union of the Holy Trinity.
However, as human beings we are still blaming each other for our failings before God. Woman is still trying to gain back what she lost, which was "oneness" with her husband. It is nearly impossible for woman to believe she is not the cause of all. This is where her pride reigns supreme. It is equally impossible for man to believe he has any fault at all...and this is where his pride reigns supreme. Both are complete self centered attributes which fuel the covetness of both. In the fall, females became territorial for they were initially made to be the harbors of life; the original strength became our greatest weakness. "The desire for the man" is a deadly distortion of our divine gift from God. It places woman as the director of the household and the one who declares, "I am a society changer!" as stated in the article. The Lord God declared this would be her fate, when He stated to woman that her "desire" would be for her husband. Genesis 3:16 this word "desire" is the same used for Cain when the Lord cautioned him “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you” Genesis 4:6. The desire is one of covetness. So the woman's influence, if any, is in the "craving" for a man.
Now, we come to the issue...does a woman have great influence over a man? (1) Yes she does in the essence that one who craves something will do anything to get it. That is the same desire that motivates Satan. (2) No she does not, for she has only as much as the man is willing to give. So, in reality both fallen man and woman are driven by the same desire. Solomon was not influenced by Sheba beyond what he desired. The author of the article states "Even King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, turned from the living God to serve idols because of the influence of his wives. We read about this in 1 Kings 11:1-11, "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh (gave his heart to them): women from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. For surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.' Solomon clung to them in love... For it was so, when Solomon was old that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David... Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Moloch the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon..." It was Solomon who chose these women; the influence was by his permission. Remember, Bathsheba was his mother and she warned Solomon about the Queen of Sheba. Why was Bathsheba's influence less than Sheba's? It was because of Solomon and his lust...not because of the power of a woman. Jezebel, the most evil woman in the Bible acted on the needs of her father and husband. Her father introduced her to idolatry...her husband was a moody brat and her "desire" for him determined her actions. Both were guilty, however Jezebel was only blamed. Not unlike the garden. Bathsheba is often touted as a seductress because of her midnight bath...however, why was David not with his men? David had full capability of walking away. Women should acknowledge the deviousness of sin and their treacherous nature apart from Christ, however to put women as the greatest influence over man plays into the very lie that woman can own man. Apart from Christ's redemption, women are very territorial and will destroy if given the chance. However, this article places all culpability on the woman's shoulders. And in placing this much power upon a woman’s shoulders requires the woman to be the “head” of the man. It is subtle and hidden under servant status. The article states,”
"As a woman we have power to make great men or little men.
In the same way, we influence our children, and ultimately the whole of society. In most cases, after each new king of Israel or Judah is introduced to us in the Bible, it gives the name of his mother and then immediately states whether her son did "that which was evil in the sight of the Lord" or whether he did "that which was right in the sight of the Lord." The influence of his mother not only determined the future of her son, but the outcome of the whole nation!"
What is lacking in the Christian home is man's submission to Christ. It begins with man and not with woman. The woman is influential only as far as man allows. As a Christian man he is responsible for the home if there is discord. He answers to Christ. The ultimate issue is not whether woman has influence, or that man is shirking his responsibility, rather are both in full submission to our Lord Jesus, for He the Bridegroom to both man and woman; there is no gender in Christ. Our responsibility is to display this new life in our earthly marriage. The influence the article talks about becomes a moot point if we have one goal and that is to be solely owned by Christ; to accept our original and intended creation as "exhibitors" of God's glory. Let us not get sidetracked into "human relations" because they truly do not exist in God's kingdom. When we stand before our Lord Jesus we stand as individuals not as gender. If we are truly belonging to Christ we are commissioned to "Love one another as I have loved you" John 15:17. This eliminates any idea of our influence, for the "influential" hand will be that of the Holy Spirit, not "man". Human relations require boundaries and definitions...whereas in Christ's Life no boundaries need be, for all is swallowed up in Christ's Love.
L.S.W.


*********************************************************************************************************************************************************I I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, Isaiah 62:6

http://www.truthforlife.org/listen_daily.php?id=369 Alistair Begg...Very interesting

THIS WORLD: PLAYGROUND or BATTLEGROUND?

A.W.Tozer
http://www.neve-family.com/books/tozer/world/index.html

What A Different Life I Lead..

My oldest and youngest were playing on the front porch this afternoon, and I was standing out there with them, getting some fresh air when a school bus pulled up out front to drop off the neighbor girl. She's about the same age as my second oldest son. It's 3:15 in the afternoon..and it just occured to me what a different life I lead, compared to if my children were gone all day long. I truely do enjoy having them here..and teaching them and learning with them. Of course, I could imagine what kinds of things I could get done if they were away all day, and someone else did the teaching. My house would be so clean! I would probably have logged in much more computer time! The stairs would be painted before summer!
BUT..what would my children be learning away from me? What did they do all day? What did they learn? Who did they play with..what did they LEARN from who they played with? What kinds of morals is the teacher teaching them? And even if they were good..what good is good morals, without telling them WHO originally TEACHES those morals!? Jesus Christ! AND I know THAT will not be taught in the public school system..(or even some Christian school systems!)
So even if my child is a little bit behind in his reading, or my other doesn't know "street smarts", they will know this: That God is the creator of ALL, and the good morals are from Him! Not the world's idea of a good person.

"For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. -Proverbs 2"6-7"

"Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. Matthew 7:24-25"

"And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments live in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. 1 John 3:23-24"

It's Sunday night..

..and I am up trying to make copies for the boys' worksheets this week. However, I've run out of ink. Must get creative this week. I think they'll be pretty thrilled though that there won't be any phonics to do. LOL. However..science lesson again tomorrow. The boys are LOVING the Apologia Astronomy book I purchased recently. We have a balloon solar system on our living room ceiling, and tomorrow we're doing another activity with marshmallows and paperclips. (Not sure if they're excited about the activity, or the fact that they'll get to munch on marshmallows too) :P Oh well. It's certainly fun, and I'm learning too!

I can't possibly think of anything else interesting to post on here tonight. It's almost 10pm..and I'm SO ready to go to sleep. The house is tidy, and suprisingly the laundry is caught up! Ha! I'm ready for the school week to begin. If only I could sleep through the night without having to wake to pee at least twice! (with a nursing baby, at least I won't have to get out of bed :P) Oh well, it's preparing me again, I guess..not that I was ever "out of practice" in the first place. M just started sleeping through the night in Dec.! :o)

Happy 27th birthday to my long time friend, Jenn!! :o)

WOW! Excellent article on the SOON return of Jesus!

IT'S A MUST READ!

http://www.lamblion.com/Web15-00.php

........My friends, Jesus is coming soon, and I cry from the depths of my heart, “Maranatha!” Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Playing catch

This afternoon I went out in the back yard with the boys so Mikey could go out and play, and I'd be out there with Samson, our lab pup, to keep an eye on him while the kids were out. The yard is wet from melted snow, and incredibly muddy. We started playing catch with a basketball..just me, E, I.J. and soon N joined in. I'd throw it to I.J., and he'd throw back to me. Then I'd throw it to E, and so forth. We were having such a good time..it was one of those moments that I just want to remember. I suddenly felt so overwhelmingly blessed just out there playing catch with my boys, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Lord for our precious family!

We have our team!!

Yes..we have our basketball team! It's a boy!! He's healthy and strong. I can't wait to go 'shopping' in my tubs in the attic for all my favorite newborn baby boy clothes. I'm set!
I got some beautiful pictures of him in the ultrasound too. Perfect profile pictures. I think he looks like my second born son, but we shall see. It's funny how all the boys look alike, but also have their "own" look. I can't wait to see this little one too! M looks the most like Daddy so far though.
:o)

Firey chips and pregnancy

I should NOT leave the kitchen when I'm cooking something while pregnant..even for a second! The instant I'm out the doorway, I forget what I was even cooking in there. I was sitting in the living room, and I kept smelling something. I knew I was cooking some ground beef, but that wasn't the smell. I finally went back into the kitchen, and realized there was smoke coming from the oven. I forgot all about the chips and cheese I was melting under the broiler for the kids. It was IN FLAMES, cooking the roof of my oven. E was like 'WHoa MOM! We got a fire!!" LOL! I showed him how to put out a fire with a damp towel by smothering the flames. (does that count toward safety in the kitchen for homeschooling?!? Hands on experience here!)
We don't have a microwave anymore. Ours finally went ka-put. I think it was tired of us constantly slamming our hands on the top of it to make it work. The boys had a good time taking the whole unit apart though. I have yet to replace my microwave either. I'm rather enjoying the old-fashioned way of cooking some things. It's rather exciting, to say the least!!
:o)

Probability

So tomorrow is my ultrasound. Of course, that was the first thing I thought about after I awoke this morning, besides wondering why there was a toy rifle in bed next to me. (N crawled into bed with us sometime in the wee hours)
Boy..or girl?? Does it really matter? It sure seemed to up till today. I mean, I'm always praying for the health and growth of our little one, but today..I just pray that whoever is joining our family is healthy and strong. For his or her sake, not for ours. If this baby is not healthy, we'll do everything in our human power to take care of him or her, and trust in God either way.
But I've been thinking on the word "probability". It's the most used word right now, when referring to our little one. We're "probably" going to have a boy, given the fact that we have four already. But I remember reading in Rick and Jan Hess's book "A Full Quiver"..on probability. So I got that book down this morning to re-read the chapter. I quote "The words probably and probability comes from probable which is derived from the latin probabilis. The primary root is probo- to prove. Today when we say the word probable, we mean that not only might the thing happen, it's likely to take place. That's acceptable and we have no bones to pick with the concept. But when we begin to make major life decisions based on probabiliy, we skate on improbably thin ice." They then go over seven axioms (truths considered so self-evident as to require no outside corroborative evidence) Anyway, what stuck out to me was with Axiom number 1. "If I have green eyes and my spouse has brown, there is an X percent chance that our children will have brown eyes." So in our case.."If we have four boys, there is an X percent chance (what? 98%) that we will continue to have another boy". This "law" seems sound enough, but to introduce a tiny question: where is God in it? They say probability has been given a huge promotion; it has become deity, thereby earning the status of a philosophy or religion, in the same way that Evolution or Natural Selection has. The whole probability issue revolves around time, and not in an abstract, relativisitic way. In a short little (they say 300 words or less) essay, they go on to say that given in a biblical mind-set, it is capable of performing just one function: it can describe how God has worked in the past. A corollary to that is that probability has absolutely no ability to predict what God will do in the life of an individual in the future. Probability has no prophetic powers, it cannot fortell, much less dictate, anything in the future.
God gave us four boys. Probability did not. God can modify or abolish genetic or reproductive past trends as He wills. They went on to rename the Law of Probability as "The Observed Past Workings of God" (OPWOG). Now we are free to allow God to be the selective and determinative molder of individuals He presents Himself to be.
Now..after having said all that. Do I think this baby will be a boy? I really don't know..I guess I say it mostly to deter all the comments about little girls, and our need for one. I can see our family with five little boys..what a blessing! But on the other hand I can see us with our four little boys, and a little sister. What a blessing again! I just doesn't matter to us. Will we be disappointed when the ultrasound tech announces we're having another boy? Well, let's look at the word "disappointed". It means, "to satisfy the hopes or expectations of". I guess if we are going in there expecting to hear "its a girl" we may be disappointed. Then again, we may not. I guess it all depends on whether we go in expecting one certain gender. If we go in and expect it to be at least some gender, we're bound to not be disappointed. :o)
Then again...what if we can't find out at all???? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Let's not even go there. The Lord grant us patience if he chooses to leave it a secret for four more months. That'll be a whole nother post...
:o)

Koenig's International News-Commentary

Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late and how little
revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying
for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain
precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble.
Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.
A.W. Tozer

check out this link!

http://www.watch.org/index.html?mcat=4

The Lord is coming soon! :o) What an exciting time to be living in...!!

Pork broth and cowboys

I woke up early this morning and while lying in bed I realized the pork broth I was simmering for hours last night (from the pork bones I had leftover after dinner)..was still sitting on the stove. I forgot to put it away.
Doh! I've come to realize that this is just going to be the way it is when I'm pregnant. I'm constantly forgetting...
At least I didn't forget to turn off the stove. :o)

The boys have new toy guns. All day long it has been one loooong round-up. Click click..pshoo pshoo....they are all decked out in their "gear"..capes, boots, cowboys hats, numerous belts and camoflage.
Sometimes it's G.I. Joe against The Rifleman, another time is The Alamo.
I'm going to skip our lesson on early explorers today..and drag out our big old The West book..and we'll pick up our history lesson from there.
:o)
It will be interesting if we have a little girl! LOL!

Tozer

"What we believe about God is the most important thing about us." A.W. Tozer

"It is vitally important that we think soundly about God. Since He is the foundation of all our religious beliefs, it follows that if we err in our ideas of God, we will go astray on everything else." A.W. Tozer

"The man who has God as his treasure has all things in One." A.W. Tozer

March 1st...Oswald Chambers

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.-- Psalm 73:25-26

The Piercing Question
Do you love Me? —John 21:17

Peter’s response to this piercing question is considerably different from the bold defiance he exhibited only a few days before when he declared, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" ( Matthew 26:35 ; also see Matthew 26:33-34 ). Our natural individuality, or our natural self, boldly speaks out and declares its feelings. But the true love within our inner spiritual self can be discovered only by experiencing the hurt of this question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way any natural man loves a good person. Yet that is nothing but emotional love. It may reach deeply into our natural self, but it never penetrates to the spirit of a person. True love never simply declares itself. Jesus said, "Whoever confesses Me before men [that is, confesses his love by everything he does, not merely by his words], him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God" ( Luke 12:8 ).
Unless we are experiencing the hurt of facing every deception about ourselves, we have hindered the work of the Word of God in our lives. The Word of God inflicts hurt on us more than sin ever could, because sin dulls our senses. But this question of the Lord intensifies our sensitivities to the point that this hurt produced by Jesus is the most exquisite pain conceivable. It hurts not only on the natural level, but also on the deeper spiritual level. "For the Word of God is living and powerful . . . , piercing even to the division of soul and spirit . . ."— to the point that no deception can remain ( Hebrews 4:12). When the Lord asks us this question, it is impossible to think and respond properly, because when the Lord speaks directly to us, the pain is too intense. It causes such a tremendous hurt that any part of our life which may be out of line with His will can feel the pain. There is never any mistaking the pain of the Lord’s Word by His children, but the moment that pain is felt is the very moment at which God reveals His truth to us. Oswald Chambers
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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:28-29

God’s Purpose in the Storm
Believers have a choice about how they will respond to life’s tempests. Either they can cast blame while becoming resentful and bitter, or they can turn to the Lord and ask, “What is Your purpose?”
Since recognizing God’s purpose and plan is the way that faith grows, Christians have the right to ask “why?” Like a child learning new concepts, we see that when x happens, God does y, just as He promised. For instance, in the Old Testament, King David made destructively wrong choices for which God allowed cleansing storms into his life. The leader of the nation had wandered off the right path, but painful experiences drove him back to the center of the Lord’s will. We might consider the divine method cruel, but David would disagree. He wrote, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your word. . . . It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (Psalm 119:67, 71).
Returning believers to right fellowship is only one of God’s purposes for a life storm. Some difficulties are meant to blow away all distractions so we can focus our attention on the Lord. Other tempests break our worldly mold so that we can be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Our personal pleasure is not the top priority. God’s primary concern is to shape a wise and obedient servant who loves Him.
When a storm rages into our life, the Lord is already planning how to turn destruction into good. Seek His objective, and work with Him to achieve it. The promise of Romans 8:28 is that we will reap gain from our losses. Charles Stanley

Opportune times

And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. ~Luke 4:12,13

Opportune time? When I am weak and tired..emotionally, physically and mentally drained, the devil is right there waiting for his opportune time..
I listened to Dr. Michael Youssef on Leading the Way. :o) It reminded me of last week...here's a copy of a post to some friends. (editing names)

Let's see...let me start with the printer. A few days ago I was sitting here with N, and the next thing I know..he reaches in under the front of my All In One/printer copier..which I use almost daily for school...and pulls out that flimsy clear strip..you know, that very IMPORTANT and VITAL piece inside of it. So..I once I realized what he'd just done, I started bawling..because it's junk now. So I called the store where I bought it, because I still had the receipt and I had it under one year. The guy there told me that it would still be under warranty and to call the company, but not to tell them that my son pulled out the strip or it would void the warranty as abuse to the product. At that point I'm thinking to myself..well, I'm can't LIE about it....but I'll call them anyway. But of course they do ask what was wrong with it, and all I said was "the strip came out." Went through some more steps such as model #, phone/address,etc..and then she transfered me to another guy to confirm the information, etc. Well..I sat on the phone with him for a bit, but I was starting to feel sick about it..because I didn't tell the whole truth..I was LYING for goodness sakes..it was not the whole truth..and I knew anything other than the WHOLE truth is a lie-not matter what. So I said.."Sir..I need to talk to you. I can't do this and I told him that it was pulled out. I knew that that would void the warranty and that I was really sorry for wasting their time. But then all he said to me was.."Ma'am, I appreciate your honesty..(and he was chuckling at me ..and I was almost in tears again)..but here is your confirmation code..we are still going to ship you a new one under warranty anyway and it will arrive by 3/2. So that was that. They probably knew it wasn't true all along..
So there ya go. Do I deserve this new printer? No way. But are they giving me one anyway...yes.
Is this really about a printer?? No..it's about my selfish, sinful, spoiled self..who has been washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Next..N took a meat tenderizer and pounded on the edge of our kitchen table..ruining the new laminate (hubbie laminated it just a few months ago) Next...it was evening and I had N and M in the bathroom with us while hubbie took a bath so we could talk. We were on our way out and N needed to go potty so I said..Ok..and didn't think much of it. We were in our bedroom and about 4 minutes later, I comes running upstairs that there is water coming out of the ceiling in the kitchen..all over the floor! N plugged the toilet with TP..and kept flushing. AND DID NOT TELL US. He must've been scared and panicked..hubbie took N to his room to talk to him, and I cleaned up everything..and mopped. It needed mopped up there anyway. And the kitchen always needs mopped. :P Poor N..
NEXT..here's the email I sent my mom this morning..just so I don't have to type it all out again I went in to town to pick up hubbie yesterday so I could pick up a used baby swing I called on in the free ads. Well..now that our van is paid off, we "initiated" it into the family yesterday. We side-swiped someone..they were in our blind spot and hubbie didn't see them. It's not bad..my side mirror is broken..just the glass..the whole thing flipped in so it didn't break. But my front fender is dented and has red paint on it now. The lady we hit was driving a "beater"..and we hit her door, and her lock won't work now, but she thinks her husband can fix it. SO, she may not call the insurance..hubbie will call her tonight. The POOR lady..was just rear-ended the day before too! So she really didn't want to go through that whole insurance mess again. I'm praying! I really don't want our insurance to go up every month..I'd rather just pay to have her door fixed instead! I got the used baby swing. It's great! I'm letting little E.J. (our niece) use it for a while. I don't need it till August anyway ) Then we went to Walmart to buy some clippers to cut the boys hair & we bought some snacks cuz we were all hungry. Anyway, I'm going through the line with Isa..hubbie had the boys waiting by the door. The check out girl was Asian..and after I paid and she bagged up the stuff..it was still sitting on that spinning rack thingy..and I started asking her questions about the spinning rack..and then the next thing I know..he points to her nose..and starts to ask why it was so flat? I caught his arm halfway through his sentence..and said "thank you!" to the girl..grabbed my bag of snacks and walked out. Well..it wasn't until about 9pm that we realized we left the clippers in the car. No..they're not in there. DUH..I left THAT bag at the checkout line in my hurry to get outta there! SO I called Walmart and the guy said no problem, just bring in my receipt and get a refund or replacement of whatever I bought, so hubbie will go by tonight after work.

ANYWAY...TODAY IS A NEW DAY THE LORD HAS MADE... :o)
...even through emotional turmoil, spiritual and mental exhaustion.....I wil turn my eyes to the Lord..and THANK Him for these moments, and for carrying us through.
God is good..all the time!