The Ocean

We took the kids to the beach Tursday afternoon after Grandma and Grandpa (Jason's mom and dad) got there and got settled.

The 7 hour drive

This is not the first time we have taken a trip this long. We have traveled to Pennsylvania several times to visit my family, but this is the first time we left at 3:30 in the morning! It was a great plan, and we will probably do it again for such a long trip. The plan was for the kids to go back to sleep once we got them in the car, but of course that didn't happen. This was taken at about 5:30 am, when I finally gave up on them going back to sleep.

They were so tired, but were just too excited to get to sleep - they did take a good nap once we got to the beach. We got to Dad's house to drop Lucy off at about 7:00 and then it was on to the beach. Poor Lucy barely has any room in the car ... I'll bet she missed the minivan!

I do have to say, the kids were VERY well behaved, like they never are in the car, and the trip went really well. I am really glad I stopped at Dollar Tree for these Shrek coloring things. They worked on those for at least an hour.

Kathryn does have issues with using markers, though, and as usual was completely covered. And I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but black "washable" markers are not actually washable.

Scenes from the beach...

We have just returned from a long weekend at the beach, which was absolutely wonderful. I plan to post many pictures, probably more than anyone actually cares to see, but I was really excited about these 2 pictures, because they came out exactly right...

These were taken from the end of the pier at Surfside beach.

Another tooth lost...

One of those stubborn top teeth finally came out last night! This picture is a little blurry, but he was having a really hard time standing still for it, so....it's the best I can get! The other one shouldn't be too far behind - it is barely hanging in there.

Isn't he handsome?! Jason's new nickname for him is "Snag" (as in snaggletooth).

Evidence for Jesus

In the women’s Bible study I am involved in, we have been discussing the book Evidence for Jesus by Ralph Muncaster. This is a very interesting book, which presents a solid, historical case for the accuracy of the Bible, and the stories contained in the Bible. I have learned a lot in reading this book, although, whether I can retain what I’ve learned remains to be seen! I think it will be helpful in explaining that the Christian faith is not a “blind faith”; it is based on real events, which have been documented in history (even non-Christian history!)

Honestly, attendance at the Bible study has dropped off since we began discussing this book, and I am fairly sure it is because it is somewhat dry, and while the facts contained within are amazing, it is difficult to carry a conversation about them. (I am really missing the leader guide in the back of most of the books we have done with pre-prepared, leading questions!). This is not a great book for a small group study, but I think it is a must-read.

The chapters we were to discuss this week were especially interesting, I thought, and I wanted to share some of what I learned. This list below of prophecies fulfilled by the life and death of Jesus is certainly not exhaustive, these are just a few of those mentioned in the book.

Jesus was born exactly where the God said he would be born, and to whom He would be born. In Micah 5:2we are told that Bethlehem Ephrathah would produce the Messiah. Randomly fulfilling just this one prophecy has odds of about 1 in 100,000,000 based on the population of the world at the time of Jesus’ birth.

Jesus’ ancestry was prophesied in:

Genesis 22:17-18 (would descend from Abraham) and the fulfillment was explained in Galatians 3:16

Genesis 21:12 (would descend from Isaac) and the fulfillment was explained in Luke 3:23,34

Numbers 24:17 (would descend from Jacob) and the fulfillment was explained in Luke 3:23,34

Genesis 49:10 (would descend from Judah) and fulfillment was explained in Luke 3:23,33

Isaiah 11:1-2(would descend from Jesse) and the fulfillment was explained in Luke 3:23,32

Jeremiah 23:5 (would descend from David) and the fulfillment was explained in Luke 3:23,31)

The odds of randomly fulfilling all of the above prophecies is about 1 in 1.3824 trillion!

Amazing to me was the prophecy of “passing the scepter”. In Genesis 49:10, it says “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”

“This was a promise to the Jews that they would retain control of their laws until the Messiah arrived. However, when the Romans usurped the Law of Moses by forbidding them to carry out the ultimate sentence for blasphemy (death by stoning), it was regarded as the passing of the scepter.”

So, the Messiah had to be born before the scepter was passed according to this verse, and the death of the Messiah had to happen after the passing of the scepter, since the Messiah was prophesied to be pierced, not stoned. The Jews would have used stoning for blasphemy, instead Jesus was crucified. This limits the lifespan of the Messiah to a very short time period.

“Jesus fulfilled these 2 criteria by being born sometime from 7 B.C. to 2 B.C. (Scholars dispute the date, although the most commonly accepted date if 4 B.C.). Furthermore, Jesus was crucified sometime around A.D. 32, fulfilling the second criterion.”

Amazing!

Also, it was prophesied that Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, which would be thrown on the Temple floor, and would be given to a potter

Zechariah 11:11-13

Matthew 26:14-16
Matthew 27:5
Matthew 27:6-10

I mean, this almost sounds to me as if God is saying, “just so you aren’t confused…just so you know exactly who I am sending to you…”

And finally, In Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:5 and Zechariah 12:10-11, it was prophesied that the Messiah would be “pierced”. What I found amazing is that the Romans did not even invent crucifixion until around 400 B.C. – hundreds of years after these prophecies were written. And of course Jesus fulfilled these prophecies because he was pierced – crucified.

Of course this is a case that has been built through 14 chapters before these, so maybe it is not as amazing to everyone else, but I am in awe of my God that
#1) He would make these prophecies available to everyone...if He was wrong even one time, it would be found and publicized, making any error widely known. I pretty big risk, in human terms.
#2) He made these prophecies available to make it crystal clear to those earnestly seeking the truth that the Messiah has come!
#3) As painful as it must have been for Him, He allowed His son to fulfill these prophecies (and many, many others), even though they were isolating, even terribly, terribly painful.

Ok, no more denials...

Ok, I admit it, I AM a flower nut. I love this one too....

Funny faces

Of course when the camera comes out, so do the funny faces. Kathryn could not hold the face long enough for the digital camera to get it, which she thought was hilarious!

For some reason, the myriad of funny faces he makes throughout the day are forgotten, and this is the one that ALWAYS comes out for a picture:

VBS

Last week from Sunday evening through Thursday evening, we had Vacation Bible School at our church. Jason did not volunteer this year, since it is really hard for him to get off work, drive home, and get back to church each night for a week. We started with dinner each night at 5:45 and then VBS started at 6:15. It was at one of these meals that Julian lost his teeth - just a minute or two before his class was leaving to go to the opening assembly.

This was Julian's favorite tattoo, which he asked me to take a picture of so he would always remember Game Day Central (our theme for this year).

I did crafts again this year, which I have found I actually really enjoy doing. We were planning for about 60 kids this year, and ended up having over 100! This is a wonderful problem to have, but nonetheless, we had to do some last minute running around to make sure everyone had something to do. We also did a T shirt (painting). It was chaotic, and I decided at the end of the night that we would definitely not be doing another T-shirt next year, although now that there has been some space between then and now, I might think about it for next year because the kids LOVED it. Julian has asked me each day to wear the shirt he painted, and I know most of the other kids probably feel the same way.

We had "commencement" on Friday evening. I am always moved to see children so excited to share what they have learned about Jesus. They were shouting at the top of their lungs: "Run, run, run the race! Keep, keep, keep the pace! Run the race, Keep the pace, keep your eyes on JESUS!" It brought tears to my eyes, and must have made God even happier to see these babes shouting praises to Him!

"An Unforgiving Spirit"

This is a daily devotional from In Touch Ministries. I am always thankful when I am reminded that forgiveness does not mean we agree with the person that wronged us or that we think they were "right", just that we choose not to hold any ill will towards them. I don't see any rules about not sharing this in its entirety, so...

"An Unforgiving Spirit "
Hebrews 12:11-15

Mankind is naturally inclined to sin. Because of this, we're surrounded by opportunities to forgive others. Perhaps we've been unfairly criticized, disappointed by a broken promise, or harmed financially or physically. Whatever the case, the list of wrongdoing in this broken world can be very long.

Peter wondered how often we must pardon a wrong. He asked Jesus if we should forgive "up to seven times." In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus replied, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to 70 times seven." In other words, every single time.

Forgiveness doesn't mean finding reasons to justify someone's wrong behavior. It's not about forgetting what happened or pretending it never occurred. That would amount to suppressing the pain and covering up the issue instead of working through it.

Genuine forgiveness requires deliberate action on our part. We acknowledge a wrong has been committed, but we also choose to release the offender from any obligation toward us. In essence, we say, "I will no longer hold this person's unfair behavior against him." We're extending mercy, just as God did toward us.

We may think we're punishing the wrongdoer. But we're the ones hurt worst by our unforgiving attitude. Resentment is like sludge. It clogs the mind and heart. Untreated anger turns into bitterness. This hinders our relationships and keeps us from experiencing the Father's love.

An unforgiving spirit is like poison in the soul. The only remedy is to forgive.

Are we "spoiled brats"?

"Made in the USA: Spoiled Brats" Craig R. Smith, WorldNetDaily

Neck Pain Update

Jason has gone to 2 therapy sessions now, and reports that they aren't too bad. He will continue 2 times a week for the next 2 weeks and then a follow up with the Dr. again to see what the next step is.

He had another killer headache on Thursday that brought him home from work early and sent him to bed at about 6:30 after eating dinner, which was actually better than the one last week that put him in bed Friday evening and kept him there most of Saturday as well.

Please keep praying for a speedy recovery in his neck - there is one muscle that seems to be causing all or at least most of his trouble, and that is the muscle they are targeting in physical therapy.

Growing up

During VBS dinner tonight, my baby lost 2 teeth...The funny thing is, these are not the 2 teeth we hoped he would lose! His two top front teeth have been loose for almost a year. We are going to the beach next week, and I told him that those 2 teeth are not coming with us...I guess the wrong teeth heard me.

Discovery

After 7 years of peaceful cohabitation with the wildlife near our home, it has happened. I dreaded it, and refused to listen to Jason when he teased and said there were definitely snakes close by (lots of woods, brushy areas, etc.). My "If I don't see it, it doesn't exist" mind set has been proven faulty.

While Julian and Kathryn played with their new friend (our neighbor from next door, Jada), Jason and I pulled weeds from the embankment in the back yard. Crab grass really takes off when it rains! Jason was smoothing out the mulch where a footprint had been made, and he found it - a baby snake!

It was less than a foot long and very thin, but it was quick! While I can appreciate the beauty of such a thing - from a distance, or even better on a TV screen - I do not want to encounter it personally, especially in the sanctuary of my living space.

Now, putting aside irrational fears of all snakes, spiders and jumping bugs (kind of), I have a real fear here...if there is ONE baby, there are likely MORE babies, and even worse, there is likely a MAMA snake somewhere near, which my wonderfully supportive husband was quick to inform me could be as wide as my wrist and 3 feet long!

On the bright side, although we couldn't determine what kind of snake it was, it was fairly clear it was NOT a poisonous snake, and actually could be a king snake (which praise the Lord actually EATS other snakes!). Also, Julian and Jada loved it and actually made a game of running from the snake for almost 15 minutes. Julian was even brave enough to reach out and touch it.

I really don't want to know what kind of snake it was. What I want it to go back to my previous understanding with all things natural in the vicinity of my home, which I fear is a thing of the past...

Awana approaches

I have begun preparations for the upcoming Awana year at our church. While I have thoroughly enjoyed my month+ of time off between wrapping up last year and starting this year, it is sadly coming to an end.

I have spent several hours yesterday and today working on various documents to hand out. I guess I just really wanted to share how much I like Microsoft Publisher!

I made this flyer to hand out to the kids at VBS next week:

And this calendar to hand out to the workers I plan on browbeating into serving in the next few weeks.

You can absolutely make things prettier, but we don't have a color copier at church, so I'll stick with B&W and save my printer's ink.

Anyway, I joke about my free time coming to an end, but I am super-excited for this Awana year to start. I accepted the "commander" position way late last year and am loving having all of this time in advance to plan and really get things ready so no one is rushed or overworked (namely, me). I can once again put my obsessive planning tendencies to good use, and remedy all the mistakes I saw last year but didn't have the time or energy for which to plan a "workaround".

I love Awana, and love having a part in teaching kids to have the love of God's word that I have. It is incredible.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

LET ME OUT!

I sent Julian to his room last night during dinner - he sent me this note from under his door....

A Pain in the Neck

As I'm sure most of you know, Jason has had some pretty significant issues the last several weeks with neck pain leading to pretty bad headaches (which put him in bed for several days, sometimes).

After gently nudging him for a visit to the family doctor, today he was prescribed some anti-inflammatory medicine and will start short term physical therapy on his neck.

This is wonderful news! It will get better quickly, we hope. Therapy actually starts tomorrow. He was not clear on the frequency or duration, but I would assume he will need to go until he notices a difference in his pain.

Please pray for Jason that his pain would ease quickly, and that the muscle condition he has will improve long term. This has really been a struggle for him.

No Admittance

This morning, as I was checking email, reading my e-news, and drinking my coffee, I heard several ominous thumps coming from Kathryn's room. I went to investigate and found Julian jumping off the bed. Probably not a terrible thing, but Kathryn's bed is a slat bed, and the darn things fall out every time they jump off, so....

I said (before full daily coffee ration, mind you), "No more jumping on or off the bed."

To which they replied, "We weren't jumping!" HA!

Being quick on my feet, I replied, "Fine. Don't start jumping, and you need to leave this door open."

BIG MISTAKE on my part, and lesson learned, for sure.

Several minutes later, after some ominous quiet, and then hushed talking, I again went to investigate.

It seems Kathryn had been sent to the hospital. She had severe "allergies" and was on bed rest.

Because of this, and because of my previous edict to leave the door open, Julian had begun construction of a wall to give Kathryn privacy in the hospital.

Said wall was being constructed using all of their soft things - blankets, pillows, dress up clothes, stuffed animals and even babies (the wall actually grew by a couple of feet after this was taken).

Ok, so not a big deal. They are creative and imaginitive, and I love it. I don't mind them making messes, unless I am the one that has to do most of the clean up - they are getting way too big for Mommy to do their chores - and today I don't feel good. So I made Julian look me in the eyes and told him he could only build a wall if he promised to clean it up when we did lunch time clean up (you must remember, Kathryn was tragically ill with allergies in the hospital).

I'm sure you can see how this is going to end. When clean up time came, of course Julian's promise was forgotten. After an hour of "clean up" (which was actually them playing with the various compents of the wall and Julian teasing Kathryn so she would cry), and postponing lunch as long as I could (Kathryn gets very grumpy when she's sleepy and hungry), I told them clean up was over. Now Mommy would do it, and they would each have quiet time this afternoon to make up for not doing what they said they would. (I know, harsh). This picture is the room after their hour of clean up, before I started.

Not bad, I guess. But I'll definitely be much clearer in the future on the conditions under which walls may be built in the house!

A Rose is a Rose . . .

Ok, I promise I am not some kind of flower nut! I have barely spent any time outside this year, but this rose bush is beside my front porch, so we pass it each time we go out the door. My first batch of roses was eaten by some kind of fungus, so this one was especially appreciated. I took this picture after a thunderstorm this afternoon - the water droplets are pretty!

Our Fish

(Julian helped me compose this)

This is Squiggly.

Squiggly is a common goldfish.

Squiggly is always hungry.

Squiggly grows a lot.

This is Clue-y.

Clue-y is a Neon Tetra.

Clue-y has a twin, also named Clue-y.

The Clue-ys do not eat a lot.

The Clue-ys swim fast sometimes.

This is Albert.

Albert is an algae eater.

Albert chases Squiggly away from his food.

Albert is scared of people.

Albert likes hiding in the snake rock.

Freeze for Bees Ice Cream Shop

Welcome to Freeze for Bees Ice Cream Shop.

Established in the summer of 2007, this ice cream shop features some of the most interesting flavors offered on the east coast. Some flavors available (shown in pictures below) include: strawberry and lemon, orange and grape, fish and egg (my personal favorite), steak and onion, red pepper and pear, and potato and brocolli, to name only a few.

Each bowl of ice cream costs $1.00, and is served with a complimentary cup of tea.

This charming establishment is run by a brother and sister team, who converted a bedroom in their home.

Hours are: 8:30 - 5:30 (closed for nap time each day, and whenever either owner has to spend time in the "time out" chair).
The owners do reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, at their discretion, and to close the shop for no apparent reason. Renovations are also very common and take place several times each day.

Come in and enjoy a scoop and a cup of tea!

If you add your name to the "Fans of Freeze for Bees" list, you do receive free ice cream and admittance to the shop even outside of normal business hours. A very good value!

Fun at church

We had a dinner at church last night - to celebrate Independence Day, and to share our vision of where our church will be in the future. I wanted to share some pictures of the kids.

Playing some sort of volleyball - the rules changed so often, I never could quite figure them out!