These were the words I heard as I spoke to somebody about the condition of man.
Over the years there have been many conversations, and while I truly care and want to be kind and understanding, at what point, when I hear heresy do I just keep my big mouth shut? Or, is it wrong to be quiet when somebody states things contrary to scripture as fact, to sit idly as they condemn themselves?
I'm not talking about theological twaddles regarding things in scripture that do not effect man's salvation; such as, "Are the gifts for today" or "should a woman cover her head in public worship"or "is the lord coming back in a Pre Tribulational Rapture, Mid tribulational rapture, Pre-Wrath Tribulational Rapture, or Post Tribulational Rapture. I'm not talking about if you are Pre melenial, Post melenial or Ah Melenial.... Those things ARE important,but they are not salvation issus. (please excuse the spelling)
However, when you get down to the basic Gospel, who Christ said He was, the salvation message, and the eternal state of man; THOSE discussions DO have eternal salvific importance and there isn't room to be wrong. Scripture is CLEAR on these issues, I believe scripture was given to us by God. It is God Breathed.
This person has swallowed a lie instead of truth. They think that there is no judgement, even though the scripture clearly teaches judgment. They think that there is no atonement, and that Christ never said he was God. They now believe when we die, we just go to God, and that is it. We'll be some kind of star or something. They think there is no hell, no condemnation, nothing. How do you get that from the Truth of Scripture? And, what is their version of God? It isn't the God of the Bible.
We CANNOT make up "god in our image" how we like him, and say we are worshiping God.
That is nothing short of idol worship of the worst kind.
I remember talking to my Chiropractor a couple of years ago. He was talking about all his Spiritual Religious Experiences and how he thought his house was haunted with spirits with unfinished business, etc. He said he was finding spiritual power in all kinds of religions,(other than Christ, of course) I listened quietly for quite a while, and then told him that even the scripture talks about how man will try to reach God a different way John 10:1. But Christ called him a thief and a liar, and then I told him; "you can climb up all kinds of spiritual ladders, and on the way up, you may find some interesting things, but the truth is, when you get to the top of your ladder, there will be no open door, you will hit a wall in search for God. Jesus Christ said, "HE was the Door". So, your climbing is in vein. He was rather dumbfounded with my answer, but remained quiet. I hope that those words pierced his heart in some way, with a sliver of truth.
Well, back to my conversation:
When we were talking, I said Christ Always Eternally existed. He is part of the Godhead, he is the CREATOR of ALL THINGS.... He is the Word, Before Abraham was born he said, "I AM". (they wanted to stone him because he claimed diety) John 1:1-3
I was told, we are all God. Ummm. No we aren't. We are created beings. Jesus Christ IS the creator, come down as a man.
And the conversation went on, and then I ended it, when the words were spoken, "Let's keep Christ Out of it!"
HUH!???? How do you keep Christ, out of the Creation? How do you Separate Him, from Himself?
I find it so very interesting that those who live in darkness continue to want to keep Christ out of it. They want Him out of the creation, they want him out of Christmas, to the point that people sign "Merry X-Mas" instead of "Merry Christmas". Oh they love to celebrate Christmas and the little baby being born... they just don't like the grown up Jesus. The one who brought judgment just by the fact that he was born. John 3:19.
They want him OUT of the Church, and His teachings to be powerless. They have taken His words and watered them to the point that they are no longer His.
Without Christ, without HIS atoning power,without his absolute WORD, where would we be? We would continue to wallow and wander in darkness. We do not have to walk in Darkness because Proverbs says HIS WORD IS A LAMP UNTO OUR FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO OUR PATH.
The Minich Family Blog: Every Family Has A Story...Welcome To Ours
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
While Some Were Sleeping All Snug In Their Beds
While some were sleeping all snug in their beds, two little girls woke up feeling much better this a.m. and decided to surprise mommy! And what a great surprise! I just love it when they do this stuff. It brought me great joy and I know it brought them joy too!
Who says you can't scrub a floor or help load a dishwasher if you don't have feet? Not Erika!
Who says if you are just learning to stand on your leg you can't do the dishes and clean the counters? Not Sarah!
One sweet little girl is missing from the fun. She would have joined in, but she is still sick. Yesterday EVERYBODY was sick and Sarah could barely get her head off of her pillow because of a headache. Poor Anna is still down for the count, so we will all serve her today and help her to feel better. :)
I think they did an AWESOME JOB!
Thanks my dear little girlies.:) I love you.
Who says you can't scrub a floor or help load a dishwasher if you don't have feet? Not Erika!
Who says if you are just learning to stand on your leg you can't do the dishes and clean the counters? Not Sarah!
One sweet little girl is missing from the fun. She would have joined in, but she is still sick. Yesterday EVERYBODY was sick and Sarah could barely get her head off of her pillow because of a headache. Poor Anna is still down for the count, so we will all serve her today and help her to feel better. :)
I think they did an AWESOME JOB!
Thanks my dear little girlies.:) I love you.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Truth Is: We're ALL Naughty
The girlies love to go on the Santa's Village Website and goof around. Now, they know that Santa is not real, but fiction, and just for fun. They do understand the true meaning of this holiday but as kids will do, they get caught up in the fun too. I do too. :) (note the santa tracker) LOL
But something struck me tonight that was very significant and it was also a great lead in for our Family Worship time.
Our Anna had written a letter to Santa on the website. The website asked her to check a box and say if she had been naughty or nice. Then, she could write a letter.
She checked Naughty.
She then went on to write: "I'd really like a green bike and for my sisters to have a doll, but since I've been naughty, you can cancel me from your list, but be sure to send my sister a doll as she just got a cast off of her leg."
My heart sank at first. I was saddened that my Anna thought she was naughty. I asked her about it and she said, "Well, mom, Honestly, I have been naughty sometimes this year."
I pondered that and thought, well, that is true. :) You see, she is not perfect.
The truth is, ALL of us would have to check Naughty. Because NONE of us are perfect.
As we began Family worship, we started to talk about "Naughty and Nice".....
Can we EARN favor with God by being Nice? Is Nice good enough? And then we talked about Sin and how there is NOTHING we can do to be nice enough, on our own, to earn Favor with God.
As our time unfolded, it became very clear that because of our Sin nature, we are naturally "naughty"; it is only in Christ that true "niceness" exists. Not the fake niceness, but genuine, permanent, heart changing.... LIFE CHANGING, SALVATION exists only in Christ, and it is based upon HIS GIFT to US. We can do nothing to earn it or deserve it.
What a contrast there is between Santa and Jesus Christ our Savior.....
The World says, "earn"
Jesus Says "repent"
The World says, "be nice"
Jesus says, "Be Holy"
Be Made WHOLE!
Oh I am so glad that I have salvation and not a lump of coal in my stocking.
We ALL deserve that lump of coal.
But Christ...... HE IS OUR DELIVERER and he delivers GRACE, UNMERITED FAVOR, UNDESERVED,UNEARNED and ETERNAL LIFE....
WHAT A GIFT! :)
But something struck me tonight that was very significant and it was also a great lead in for our Family Worship time.
Our Anna had written a letter to Santa on the website. The website asked her to check a box and say if she had been naughty or nice. Then, she could write a letter.
She checked Naughty.
She then went on to write: "I'd really like a green bike and for my sisters to have a doll, but since I've been naughty, you can cancel me from your list, but be sure to send my sister a doll as she just got a cast off of her leg."
My heart sank at first. I was saddened that my Anna thought she was naughty. I asked her about it and she said, "Well, mom, Honestly, I have been naughty sometimes this year."
I pondered that and thought, well, that is true. :) You see, she is not perfect.
The truth is, ALL of us would have to check Naughty. Because NONE of us are perfect.
As we began Family worship, we started to talk about "Naughty and Nice".....
Can we EARN favor with God by being Nice? Is Nice good enough? And then we talked about Sin and how there is NOTHING we can do to be nice enough, on our own, to earn Favor with God.
As our time unfolded, it became very clear that because of our Sin nature, we are naturally "naughty"; it is only in Christ that true "niceness" exists. Not the fake niceness, but genuine, permanent, heart changing.... LIFE CHANGING, SALVATION exists only in Christ, and it is based upon HIS GIFT to US. We can do nothing to earn it or deserve it.
What a contrast there is between Santa and Jesus Christ our Savior.....
The World says, "earn"
Jesus Says "repent"
The World says, "be nice"
Jesus says, "Be Holy"
Be Made WHOLE!
Oh I am so glad that I have salvation and not a lump of coal in my stocking.
We ALL deserve that lump of coal.
But Christ...... HE IS OUR DELIVERER and he delivers GRACE, UNMERITED FAVOR, UNDESERVED,UNEARNED and ETERNAL LIFE....
WHAT A GIFT! :)
IT IS CHRISTMASTIME AGAIN!
I put it in all caps, just in case you didn't know.:)
We have always had certain traditions that are related to Christmas, and during the Month of December, there are certain things that we do that are the same each year.
We always put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving, and drink Hot Cocoa, even if it isn't cold outside, and watch Miracle on 34th Street. (the old one with Natalie Woods)
Sometime during the early part of the month, we go and pick out 1 new ornament each to add to the tree. Last year we found a "backgammon game" ornament. That was mine. :)
The girls picked out bird ornaments. Daddy got a tool box ornament.
We also bake cookies to hang on the tree and the kids eat them off. :) One of my favorite memories was when Marcus was 2. I baked cookie ornaments and hung them on the tree. He apparently figured out they were edible and licked the icing on all the lower ornaments and we got ants that year. I had to put ant bait under the tree skirt to get rid of them. LOL
Establishing memories and habits at Christmas is so important for family. It doesn't cost a lot. You could have a habit of Mall Wandering on Black Friday, just for the fun of it. You don't have to buy anything. But letting the kids see the crowds, or go and see Santa, not to ask for anything or get a picture, but just to say hi, is a fun thing to do.
When Joseph was 3, he discovered Santa. We were taking a stroll at the local mall to see all the decorations. He was fascinated with Santa, and this Santa was a really great one. Real beard, real glasses and so kind and jolly. I never lied to the kids and told them Santa would do anything for them, but Santa is a part of our culture, and he is around at Christmas. So, I asked Joe, "do you want to visit with Santa?"
Those huge brown eyes said YES! So we waited in line. He sat on Santa's lap and told him all about his cars, and his daddy's truck, and all about his toys, and then he hopped off and said, "Merry Christmas". That was it. He didn't ask for anything, didn't get a picture (we didn't have the money for that luxury back then) and he was happy. We went to visit Santa about 3 times that year, and the Santa just loved Joe.
It cracked him up that he didn't ever ask for anything. He just wanted to talk.
When our girlies came into our home, they came with no memorable traditions and different memories of past Christmases; some very traumatic.
It would have been unrealistic to expect them to have a "Merry Christmas" and just take in all the fun. Especially for Sarah and Anna. It was also important to avoid the words, "In our family we do this, or in this family we do that".... That kind of wording can make a child feel "outside the family" or remind them of not always being here. Their own past memories will let them remember they weren't always here, we don't need to remind them.
When the girls were first at home, the Christmas tree represented the past to them. In fact, the first year we had Christmas with Sarah I called around to find out what had gone on the year before, as she was really upset with the tree. I received the information needed to help me to help her through the season. I actually thought about not having a tree anymore, as both girls just reacted so sadly to it and it made all those memories flood back.
But after discussing it with my level headed husband Mike, we figured it would be best to help them through it, as you really can't avoid Christmas Trees at Christmas.
It is up to us to help them build new special memories to replace the old ones, and to establish new family habits that the children will embrace. We have old traditions AND new traditions. Comfort foods have been added. I had never eaten beets before, but they are now a permenant comfort food in our home and they are served liberally at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The girlies like them baked like potatoes with butter and salt. I have also developed a liking for beet salad.
It might be a little soon to say, but I actually think that for the first time, this year, we are there. This is Anna's 6th Christmas with us. Sarah's 5th and Erika's 3rd. They were excited about putting the tree up. They were excited about finding their old ornaments. They were excited about finding the old movie we were planning to watch and Anna checked the refrigerator to make sure there was whipped cream for the Hot Cocoa.
Every year has gotten better and smoother than the one before and the most exciting thing is the kids memories are of Christmas's past.... the ones that have passed by here. That is such an awesome thing to hear them chatter and giggle about what happened last year and the year before; remembering who came to visit and who is going to come this year. I love seeing them pour over magazines and ads and envision what they might get for Christmas.
Erika has come a long way from asking for a comb. :)
Tis the season to be joyful, thankful and happy. Happy because of what the Lord has done in our lives. Happy because the girlies are happy. I feel true joy seeing them shine and flutter about with festive little hearts.
Over the next couple of weeks we will be making messes in the kitchen that will make me tired. And if I were to get lazy, I would probably tell them, "mom will do it", but that isn't what will make a memory for them. So they will mix and pour and make messes and make mistakes and get stuff all over the floor and we will clean it up, taste that cookie dough decorate the cookies, hang them on the tree, give them for gifts, and create another memory in their memory boxes to pull out at another time, continuing to help those past traumas lose their power and fade into the past.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Uncle Bob Visit Part 2
Poor Uncle Bob wasn't feeling too well. We gave him our colds to take home. You are welcome Uncle Bob. :)
We all had to stay home from Church due to being contagious. So we had a nice easy morning before Bob left to go back to Tulsa. Everybody was soakin' up love.
We all had to stay home from Church due to being contagious. So we had a nice easy morning before Bob left to go back to Tulsa. Everybody was soakin' up love.
A Visit From Uncle Bob
We had a really nice visit with Uncle Bob. He came with a vehicle and no heat, and left with that same vehicle toasty warm. So it was a productive weekend. In the midst of all that work, we managed Thanksgiving Dinner, visits from other relatives and loads of backgammon games. Uncle Bob has been practicing and we are looking forward to a Backgammon Christmas Challenge.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Grand kids
Aren't they just the greatest little inventions? :)
Lillian and Will held still long enough for a picture or two. Lillian decided to make a face instead of smile. Will was fascinated with the Christmas Tree. We just put it up this a.m. I put the non breakables on the bottom part so the babies can do what babies do.
It was really fun seeing Marc, Ivy and Chuck and Jodie. Katie played her Oboe for us and she is on her way to being a great Oboist.
So here starts the Holiday Pictures!
Lillian and Will held still long enough for a picture or two. Lillian decided to make a face instead of smile. Will was fascinated with the Christmas Tree. We just put it up this a.m. I put the non breakables on the bottom part so the babies can do what babies do.
It was really fun seeing Marc, Ivy and Chuck and Jodie. Katie played her Oboe for us and she is on her way to being a great Oboist.
So here starts the Holiday Pictures!
An Executive Order From Daddy
Anna no longer has to fear our Vietnamese Customers coming over and looking at that duck. We have sold them ducks before and every time they come, she runs to hide the duck. :)
So Daddy granted the duck immunity and she is now an official pet. (besides, her eggs taste great) We raised her from an egg and she is 2 years old now.
AND...... this duck LOVES Anna.
Here they are playing together:
I think the Duck is Thankful..... quack....
So Daddy granted the duck immunity and she is now an official pet. (besides, her eggs taste great) We raised her from an egg and she is 2 years old now.
AND...... this duck LOVES Anna.
Here they are playing together:
I think the Duck is Thankful..... quack....
Birthday Part 2
After the morning, we had company and Thanksgiving dinner, and then the Birthday Cake.
It was a good day. :)
It was a good day. :)
Anna Is 10 !!!
Yesterday was Anna's Birthday. The first year we had her she turned 5 on Thanksgiving Day, and now, she has turned 10 on Thanksgiving Day. What a neat day we had with all the traditional visitors, turkey, stuffing, AND a birthday.
She chose to have a chocolate marbled cheesecake. Here we are making it, or is that eating it?
Anna enjoyed her present hunt:
It is tradition to hide the presents and they get to open them as they find them.
We were able to get Anna a stroller for her birthday this year. Gramma sent some clothes, a much loved book and a nice watch. She can practice telling time!
She chose to have a chocolate marbled cheesecake. Here we are making it, or is that eating it?
Anna enjoyed her present hunt:
It is tradition to hide the presents and they get to open them as they find them.
We were able to get Anna a stroller for her birthday this year. Gramma sent some clothes, a much loved book and a nice watch. She can practice telling time!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Surprise Surprise Surprise!
I went to Tractor Supply today to get goat feed. They asked if I wanted help getting my feed bags in the car to which I said YES! (they weigh 50 lbs each)
So this nice man helped me get them to my car. I popped the trunk open and the poor guy takes a gasp.... this is what he saw......
LOL! I forgot they were in the car. After he came out of shock I explained that they belonged to our daughter etc. etc.
I bet he'll never be shocked again to see another person's trunk. :)
So this nice man helped me get them to my car. I popped the trunk open and the poor guy takes a gasp.... this is what he saw......
LOL! I forgot they were in the car. After he came out of shock I explained that they belonged to our daughter etc. etc.
I bet he'll never be shocked again to see another person's trunk. :)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Marcus the Preacher Man
It is an honor to say that Marcus, our youngest son, preached at his church on Sunday.
We were able to drive and hear him speak and I have to say, he did a really good job on a difficult text.
Marcus is a wonderful husband, father and son. Praise the Lord that He has worked in Marc's life and caused him to want to bring glory to our Heavenly Father.
It is an honor to be both Marcus's mother AND his sister in the Lord. :)
If you want to hear his sermon, it starts after the scripture reading on this podcast.
(It is called Jesus Speaks to the Churches at Ephesus).
http://www.mckinneybiblechurch.org/index.php?option=com_podcast&view=feed&format=raw
We were able to drive and hear him speak and I have to say, he did a really good job on a difficult text.
Marcus is a wonderful husband, father and son. Praise the Lord that He has worked in Marc's life and caused him to want to bring glory to our Heavenly Father.
It is an honor to be both Marcus's mother AND his sister in the Lord. :)
If you want to hear his sermon, it starts after the scripture reading on this podcast.
(It is called Jesus Speaks to the Churches at Ephesus).
http://www.mckinneybiblechurch.org/index.php?option=com_podcast&view=feed&format=raw
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!
It is our favorite, FAVORITE time of year once again. The weather is cooler and there is just an excitement in the air. I love seeing the trees turn color. Some of the trees have golden leaves and one has purple leaves and it is just so pretty.
We have been able to use the wood stove again and the bedrooms are all cozy with flannel sheets, blankets and quilts. We could live in Alaska with all the coziness in around here, but we just have to pretend, as it just doesn't get that cold in Texas.
However, tonight, it will get down to 32º.
I talked to our dad tonight and he said it is snowing like crazy in Michigan. I love going to Michigan at Thanksgiving, but we couldn't make the trip this year as we have too many medical issues going on.
But the GREAT news is Uncle BOB is coming from Oklahoma, and our kids will stop by here and there. We will also be introduced to "Tofurken". Our oldest son Chuck, is a vegetarian and his wife Jodie, will be making a Tofu turkey. :) I can't wait to try it. Of course we will have a regular turkey too. However it will not be our 441/2 lb one. I forgot to get him out of the freezer on time. I feel terrible about that.
He was supposed to be smoked tomorrow, but he is still frozen, so another turkey is going to be our guest. He weighed in at 25 lbs and is resting in the fridge. :)
Of course Anna announced that she no longer wants to take care of the animals if all I'm going to do is kill them after she works so hard to care for them. :) She told me she had a talk with the goats and told them if they see me coming with a bucket of food they should run for their lives.....
She is better today. LOL
The last few days we have been busy cleaning and straightening in order to get our Christmas stuff out. The day after Thanksgiving, we make a tradition of shopping and then putting up the tree. After the tree is decorated we have hot cocoa and watch Miracle on 34th St. The old one with Natalie Woods.
One of the fun things today was seeing the girls faces light up as some things came down from the attic. Erika was gleeful saying, "I remember that! I remember that!"
Anna and Sarah were doing the same and it was great to see that their Christmases are now filled with happy memories of Christmases past. :)
Anna's Birthday is Thanksgiving Day too. We are going to do the traditional "seek and find" your presents in the morning. She wants a cheese cake for her cake, and then either Saturday or Sunday we will go to Chuck E Cheese for fun and games.
This is gonna be one busy week.
I think I need to grab onto something and hang on for the ride. :)
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
We have been able to use the wood stove again and the bedrooms are all cozy with flannel sheets, blankets and quilts. We could live in Alaska with all the coziness in around here, but we just have to pretend, as it just doesn't get that cold in Texas.
However, tonight, it will get down to 32º.
I talked to our dad tonight and he said it is snowing like crazy in Michigan. I love going to Michigan at Thanksgiving, but we couldn't make the trip this year as we have too many medical issues going on.
But the GREAT news is Uncle BOB is coming from Oklahoma, and our kids will stop by here and there. We will also be introduced to "Tofurken". Our oldest son Chuck, is a vegetarian and his wife Jodie, will be making a Tofu turkey. :) I can't wait to try it. Of course we will have a regular turkey too. However it will not be our 441/2 lb one. I forgot to get him out of the freezer on time. I feel terrible about that.
He was supposed to be smoked tomorrow, but he is still frozen, so another turkey is going to be our guest. He weighed in at 25 lbs and is resting in the fridge. :)
Of course Anna announced that she no longer wants to take care of the animals if all I'm going to do is kill them after she works so hard to care for them. :) She told me she had a talk with the goats and told them if they see me coming with a bucket of food they should run for their lives.....
She is better today. LOL
The last few days we have been busy cleaning and straightening in order to get our Christmas stuff out. The day after Thanksgiving, we make a tradition of shopping and then putting up the tree. After the tree is decorated we have hot cocoa and watch Miracle on 34th St. The old one with Natalie Woods.
One of the fun things today was seeing the girls faces light up as some things came down from the attic. Erika was gleeful saying, "I remember that! I remember that!"
Anna and Sarah were doing the same and it was great to see that their Christmases are now filled with happy memories of Christmases past. :)
Anna's Birthday is Thanksgiving Day too. We are going to do the traditional "seek and find" your presents in the morning. She wants a cheese cake for her cake, and then either Saturday or Sunday we will go to Chuck E Cheese for fun and games.
This is gonna be one busy week.
I think I need to grab onto something and hang on for the ride. :)
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
Closet Cleaning
I think I need to clean my closet out more often. When I finished Sarah said, "Wow mommy! A person could live in here!"
Doing Girl Stuff
Anna loves to help in the kitchen.... Actually, ALL the girls love to help, but this one is about Anna.
We made this YUMMY caramel on Saturday.
It was an easy recipe, but I think it could use some "tweaking".
The recipe is:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
put sugar, corn syrup butter and 1 cup of whipping cream
in heavy pan. Heat to boiling stirring regularly.
Then, when it comes to a boil, you add the other cup of
cream. Stir well and then do not stir anymore. Heat until
the candy thermometer gets to 242 degrees or hard but pliable ball stage.
Add Vanilla, stir and then pour mixture into parchment lined 13x9" pan.
Cool and cut into squares. Wrap in wax paper.
With the Extra Whipping Cream, Anna asked if she could make Butter, like we did at Log Cabin Village. So here she is shaking the jar. The butter is very tasty!
We made this YUMMY caramel on Saturday.
It was an easy recipe, but I think it could use some "tweaking".
The recipe is:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
put sugar, corn syrup butter and 1 cup of whipping cream
in heavy pan. Heat to boiling stirring regularly.
Then, when it comes to a boil, you add the other cup of
cream. Stir well and then do not stir anymore. Heat until
the candy thermometer gets to 242 degrees or hard but pliable ball stage.
Add Vanilla, stir and then pour mixture into parchment lined 13x9" pan.
Cool and cut into squares. Wrap in wax paper.
With the Extra Whipping Cream, Anna asked if she could make Butter, like we did at Log Cabin Village. So here she is shaking the jar. The butter is very tasty!
Amputee Humor
Sarah was a little disappointed on Friday that she couldn't just get out of that cast and take off running. She spent Saturday night at a friend's house hopping around, and yesterday at church hopping everywhere and got pretty tired. I can't imagine the energy she exerts on a daily basis. So after all that energy spent, this a.m. she woke up and was a little on the grump side. She didn't want to wear jeans, only shorts and couldn't find shorts. etc. etc.
We got her smiling and back to normal and then she said something about her leg making her mad.
So I said, well Sarah, you know what the bible says...."If your leg offends you, cut it off!" To which I got this face....
With the statement, "Hey, it already IS cut off!" LOL
Then she said, "I LOVE MY FOOT!"
Then this face because she knows I'm gonna blog about her. :)
Sarah is always fun, even when she's mad. :)
We got her smiling and back to normal and then she said something about her leg making her mad.
So I said, well Sarah, you know what the bible says...."If your leg offends you, cut it off!" To which I got this face....
With the statement, "Hey, it already IS cut off!" LOL
Then she said, "I LOVE MY FOOT!"
Then this face because she knows I'm gonna blog about her. :)
Sarah is always fun, even when she's mad. :)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Any Unpacked Bags?
As parents, our children come most of the time when we are young and foolish and in no way ready to be parents. That is how God chose to do it! :)
It seems that God has made a great effort to want us to be dependent upon HIM for every breath of life that we breathe and every step we take. Our inadequacy glaring at us each day caused us to run for our prayer closet and hang onto our Heavenly Father for the inspiration of the day, for the strength to get to the coffee pot, for the words we spoke and the energy our days required of us.
As our children got older and we were more comfortable with what direction they were taking, we relaxed abit, as we knew that GOD had ordained their steps and our job was almost done. It was a time of thrilling enjoyment, seeing those flowers unfold into beautiful bloom. (yes,even with boys the analogy works)
Now, there are those crazy types that have decided to do it all over again! LOL You know who you are....
But the difference is: They come potty trained and talking back! They haven't learned your language, either unspoken OR spoken. They come with loads of baggage that needs to be sorted through and a tangled mess of ideas and hurts that give the feeling of continual untangling of Christmas lights. AHHHHH!!!!! You can throw the Christmas lights away and buy a new set! (don't tell, but I have actually done this before)
But our Children are not throw away. There is something new we must learn, like.....
timing, patience, kindness, careful untangling of a little life and unpacking of a bag so tattered that if you don't unzip it carefully it will fall apart.
So, we say to ourselves... this a different sort of kid. This kid didn't come with instructions.(even though we know very well our others didn't either)
If we are not careful, we can find ourselves looking through instruction manuals of a different nature that will offer loads of "man's wisdom", devoid of Godly wisdom.
Some books are great and we can identify things in our dear children in them, and they can offer help to us BUT without prayer and discernment, they can also be VERY, VERY dangerous. The same goes with counselors, and those who have made businesses dealing with emotional pain and baggage.
While some of the information and techniques used can be utilized in a positive way, some of it is just down right dangerous, and we MUST discern what is best for our children.
This very issue SHOULD bring us to our knees in prayer and to the Word of God for instruction, but slowly, instead, the phone call is made to the counselor, the books are re read and we forget Who our TRUE source of guidance is.
Don't get me wrong. I am not against reading of books, and I read them ALOT too. But it is a battle to remember to hold them up to the whole counsel of the word of God.
I am not against counseling either, as I think sometimes there are things they can offer a parent to try.
What I AM against is the forcing of a child to face things he or she may not be ready to face. I am 50 years old, and there are STILL things in my life from long ago that I am JUST NOW, starting to comprehend. I don't think any amount of counseling would have helped me to see it any sooner.
I remember several years ago, after a very traumatic event in my life, a counselor at a church kept calling me. She kept trying to get me to come and and talk to her and she persisted to the point that I totally shut down. I didn't want to talk to her. I wasn't ready. I didn't want her prodding me for how I felt or act like she cared about me. I felt like one of her "projects" she had chosen to fix.
What welled up in me was anger, frustration and self thoughts of inadequacy and pain.
Why does SHE think I need fixing? Why MUST she bother me so?
I finally wrote a letter to her and the church pastor and asked him to please tell her to lay off. I didn't need her help. I needed to work things out between ME and my LORD. She is not my intermediary! I have no need of one.
She didn't back off, and I found sanctuary at a new church.
You know what happened? The pastor there was amazing. He was a little younger and the church was HUGE. ( I thought I could hide out for a while) He saw me and 4 little boys watching the worship team practice. I was so used to going to church early for music; but I was no longer fit.
That guy came over and sat down and showed me respect and kindness. He introduced himself and talked to each of the boys who were between 4 and 8. He never asked me where my husband was. He never asked if I was in need of anything. He just respected me as person, and then he went on his merry way. Oh I was never so thankful for a simple kind person to just treat me as normal.
In time, the Lord brought things to my heart and I poured my heart our to HIM. Later he provided me with a friend to share with, but had to be HIM first!
Why do I say all that?
Because I think so many times we are on a mission to "fix" our children. We are on the fast track to make them whole, and in the process, we may be missing God's timing, and our children's timing.
They may not be ready for things to be discussed. They may just need to chill and be loved just for who they are, with all their quirks and unpacked bags. They may need us to soak that scab in love so it gets soft and doesn't hurt when it comes off.
(sorry for the gross analogy)
I remember when our Anna came to us and decided she wanted to be a baby. She went through the birth process all on her own, curling up under a blanket and being "born" and then snuggling up and I gave her a bottle of warm milk and swaddled and rocked her. THIS WAS NOT INITIATED BY ME OR ANOTHER PERSON, though I have heard of it being done; this was initiated by HER!
She was 6, and after she finished, she looked me straight in the eye and said, "YOU ARE MY MAMA!" It was like she birthed herself into a new role in the family. She was REALLY part of a family and chose to identify herself in that way.
Well, along came Sarah and guess what? After about 6 months.... she did the exact same thing. I thought... how intersting. They have both done this and they are the ones who have initiated this. I felt honored.
When Erika came, she was a little older (almost 8) She of course loved being rocked and sang to, and because of her physical problems, she could not curl into a ball under a blanket on my lap, but she wanted to. We tried some different things and so we just announced that we had a new baby. I held her in my arms and talked to her just like I talked to the boys when they were newborns. "Oh, look at her Mike, she is just BEAUTIFUL"! Look at her hair. Look at her eyes! She is ours! We prayed for her and we gooed and gahhed at her and she snuggled up, just as the other girls did.
She actually went a little further and she would catch me in the hall and grab me and then pretend to nurse! YIKES...... She was fascinated for a few weeks about if her brothers were nursed etc. I explained to her that not all babies are nursed, so though her brothers were nursed with mother's milk, Tim wasn't able to latch on because of being preemie. She was preemie too.
These things happened over time. We had incidents with each girl of disturbing behaviors, but saw those as bags being unpacked. And the longer we loved them, the longer we respected them, the longer we were able to reach them, the more those behaviors disappeared.
As we have been able to instruct them and lead them to Christ.... they have continued to grow and are now learning to ask HIM for help and comfort along with mom and dad.
The words placed in their hearts, the love that has been planted is growing and each of them, are shining in their own ways.
All bags are NOT unpacked. But in God's timing, it will happen. God's timing evokes change from the heart. It is welcomed and does not bring resentfulness and anger.
His timing brings about repentance and healing.
If it were up to me.... I'd want everything fixed today. No YESTERDAY! But God is multilayered. He knows that I need to continue to learn patience and kindness and a big helping of MORE forgiveness.
AND.... as He helps them unpack their bags, He shows me that I still have some bags to unpack too, and so we do it together. :)
It seems that God has made a great effort to want us to be dependent upon HIM for every breath of life that we breathe and every step we take. Our inadequacy glaring at us each day caused us to run for our prayer closet and hang onto our Heavenly Father for the inspiration of the day, for the strength to get to the coffee pot, for the words we spoke and the energy our days required of us.
As our children got older and we were more comfortable with what direction they were taking, we relaxed abit, as we knew that GOD had ordained their steps and our job was almost done. It was a time of thrilling enjoyment, seeing those flowers unfold into beautiful bloom. (yes,even with boys the analogy works)
Now, there are those crazy types that have decided to do it all over again! LOL You know who you are....
But the difference is: They come potty trained and talking back! They haven't learned your language, either unspoken OR spoken. They come with loads of baggage that needs to be sorted through and a tangled mess of ideas and hurts that give the feeling of continual untangling of Christmas lights. AHHHHH!!!!! You can throw the Christmas lights away and buy a new set! (don't tell, but I have actually done this before)
But our Children are not throw away. There is something new we must learn, like.....
timing, patience, kindness, careful untangling of a little life and unpacking of a bag so tattered that if you don't unzip it carefully it will fall apart.
So, we say to ourselves... this a different sort of kid. This kid didn't come with instructions.(even though we know very well our others didn't either)
If we are not careful, we can find ourselves looking through instruction manuals of a different nature that will offer loads of "man's wisdom", devoid of Godly wisdom.
Some books are great and we can identify things in our dear children in them, and they can offer help to us BUT without prayer and discernment, they can also be VERY, VERY dangerous. The same goes with counselors, and those who have made businesses dealing with emotional pain and baggage.
While some of the information and techniques used can be utilized in a positive way, some of it is just down right dangerous, and we MUST discern what is best for our children.
This very issue SHOULD bring us to our knees in prayer and to the Word of God for instruction, but slowly, instead, the phone call is made to the counselor, the books are re read and we forget Who our TRUE source of guidance is.
Don't get me wrong. I am not against reading of books, and I read them ALOT too. But it is a battle to remember to hold them up to the whole counsel of the word of God.
I am not against counseling either, as I think sometimes there are things they can offer a parent to try.
What I AM against is the forcing of a child to face things he or she may not be ready to face. I am 50 years old, and there are STILL things in my life from long ago that I am JUST NOW, starting to comprehend. I don't think any amount of counseling would have helped me to see it any sooner.
I remember several years ago, after a very traumatic event in my life, a counselor at a church kept calling me. She kept trying to get me to come and and talk to her and she persisted to the point that I totally shut down. I didn't want to talk to her. I wasn't ready. I didn't want her prodding me for how I felt or act like she cared about me. I felt like one of her "projects" she had chosen to fix.
What welled up in me was anger, frustration and self thoughts of inadequacy and pain.
Why does SHE think I need fixing? Why MUST she bother me so?
I finally wrote a letter to her and the church pastor and asked him to please tell her to lay off. I didn't need her help. I needed to work things out between ME and my LORD. She is not my intermediary! I have no need of one.
She didn't back off, and I found sanctuary at a new church.
You know what happened? The pastor there was amazing. He was a little younger and the church was HUGE. ( I thought I could hide out for a while) He saw me and 4 little boys watching the worship team practice. I was so used to going to church early for music; but I was no longer fit.
That guy came over and sat down and showed me respect and kindness. He introduced himself and talked to each of the boys who were between 4 and 8. He never asked me where my husband was. He never asked if I was in need of anything. He just respected me as person, and then he went on his merry way. Oh I was never so thankful for a simple kind person to just treat me as normal.
In time, the Lord brought things to my heart and I poured my heart our to HIM. Later he provided me with a friend to share with, but had to be HIM first!
Why do I say all that?
Because I think so many times we are on a mission to "fix" our children. We are on the fast track to make them whole, and in the process, we may be missing God's timing, and our children's timing.
They may not be ready for things to be discussed. They may just need to chill and be loved just for who they are, with all their quirks and unpacked bags. They may need us to soak that scab in love so it gets soft and doesn't hurt when it comes off.
(sorry for the gross analogy)
I remember when our Anna came to us and decided she wanted to be a baby. She went through the birth process all on her own, curling up under a blanket and being "born" and then snuggling up and I gave her a bottle of warm milk and swaddled and rocked her. THIS WAS NOT INITIATED BY ME OR ANOTHER PERSON, though I have heard of it being done; this was initiated by HER!
She was 6, and after she finished, she looked me straight in the eye and said, "YOU ARE MY MAMA!" It was like she birthed herself into a new role in the family. She was REALLY part of a family and chose to identify herself in that way.
Well, along came Sarah and guess what? After about 6 months.... she did the exact same thing. I thought... how intersting. They have both done this and they are the ones who have initiated this. I felt honored.
When Erika came, she was a little older (almost 8) She of course loved being rocked and sang to, and because of her physical problems, she could not curl into a ball under a blanket on my lap, but she wanted to. We tried some different things and so we just announced that we had a new baby. I held her in my arms and talked to her just like I talked to the boys when they were newborns. "Oh, look at her Mike, she is just BEAUTIFUL"! Look at her hair. Look at her eyes! She is ours! We prayed for her and we gooed and gahhed at her and she snuggled up, just as the other girls did.
She actually went a little further and she would catch me in the hall and grab me and then pretend to nurse! YIKES...... She was fascinated for a few weeks about if her brothers were nursed etc. I explained to her that not all babies are nursed, so though her brothers were nursed with mother's milk, Tim wasn't able to latch on because of being preemie. She was preemie too.
These things happened over time. We had incidents with each girl of disturbing behaviors, but saw those as bags being unpacked. And the longer we loved them, the longer we respected them, the longer we were able to reach them, the more those behaviors disappeared.
As we have been able to instruct them and lead them to Christ.... they have continued to grow and are now learning to ask HIM for help and comfort along with mom and dad.
The words placed in their hearts, the love that has been planted is growing and each of them, are shining in their own ways.
All bags are NOT unpacked. But in God's timing, it will happen. God's timing evokes change from the heart. It is welcomed and does not bring resentfulness and anger.
His timing brings about repentance and healing.
If it were up to me.... I'd want everything fixed today. No YESTERDAY! But God is multilayered. He knows that I need to continue to learn patience and kindness and a big helping of MORE forgiveness.
AND.... as He helps them unpack their bags, He shows me that I still have some bags to unpack too, and so we do it together. :)
Dolls Playing with Dolls
Here are our little dolls, playing with their dolls. They took over my bathroom for the morning and had a wonderful time.
I love seeing them be little girls and just have a good time together. Of course they got into my makeup to give their dollies rosy cheeks. :)
I love seeing them be little girls and just have a good time together. Of course they got into my makeup to give their dollies rosy cheeks. :)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Breaking Free of the Pink Cocoon!
Today is the day for Sarah to get her cast off of her leg! We are SOOOOOOO excited!
Two weeks ago she cried saying she didn't think she was going to be able to stand not being able to run any more. She is a runner, and hopper, and jumper and dancer, and she was just plain tired of not being able to do what she loves. My heart breaks at these moments. They can be hard for all of us.
Her moment of crisis is in the past and she is now ready to break free of that pink cocoon that has been holding her down for the last 7 weeks.
So here are her last few pictures IN her cast......the last 2 are at the hospital with Daddy in his volunteer Uniform. :)
I was going to take a picture of her getting her cast off, but she was a little too scared so instead we read a book, did tic tac toe and then I held a very scared little girl. But once it was off and she could see things weren't as bad as she thought, she did great. She told the Dr. it feels like her knee has been to the dentist. It was a little numb. :)
Two weeks ago she cried saying she didn't think she was going to be able to stand not being able to run any more. She is a runner, and hopper, and jumper and dancer, and she was just plain tired of not being able to do what she loves. My heart breaks at these moments. They can be hard for all of us.
Her moment of crisis is in the past and she is now ready to break free of that pink cocoon that has been holding her down for the last 7 weeks.
So here are her last few pictures IN her cast......the last 2 are at the hospital with Daddy in his volunteer Uniform. :)
I was going to take a picture of her getting her cast off, but she was a little too scared so instead we read a book, did tic tac toe and then I held a very scared little girl. But once it was off and she could see things weren't as bad as she thought, she did great. She told the Dr. it feels like her knee has been to the dentist. It was a little numb. :)
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