Ivy's Birthday

FINALLY A POST!!!

Our precious daughter, Ivy, turned 3 a few weeks ago. We spent 2 days at Disneyland/California Adventure & 1 night spending the night with family at the Grand California Hotel. The Lord answered so many prayers...and the day was FULL of His lovingkindness & showered with blessings. It was one of those experiences that I will treasure in my heart forever. We thank the Lord for these memories.

This first picture is when we just arrived at D-Land. The hotel gave us all sorts of fun birthday surprises for our sweetie. And no, we did not realize that we were color-coordinated. :)

We met up with our friends the Van Schoicks, Ryan, Chiara & Carter, and my mom, dad & Katie. Katie & my mom bought her a special D-Land Princess scarf & mouse ears. And the fun was only just beginning.

We had a little party in the hotel room...thank you to our dear & faithful friends who made the treck to celebrate our sweet daugther.The next day was her actual birthday. She opened up a princess dress...here she is in Downtown Disney with Papa & Grandpa.

As one of her birthday presents, my mom gave her an "updo" & face painting at the Princess area inside Disneyland. It was just about the cutest thing ever. She sat perfectly still & loved every minute of it.

SHE LOVED THIS DAY!!!! SO fun. We continually emphasized that she was a princess because she is a "Child of the King"...someone gave us that idea & we love it!

Mimi, Papa, Grandpa, Grandma and Aunt Katie joined us for a Princess lunch. We met Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Belle & Snow White! Granted, she's never seen any of the movies, but she still was excited to meet them!

She even got to meet Mickey that day!

We don't always do such "BIG" things for birthdays. But it was in our plan for a long time to do a big Disneyland birthday. Such a special day!

Redeemed Slaves

I was imagining today that I was a Roman slave, and what life would be like in the 1st century in this situation. I started picturing myself, what my duties would be, and what life would be like not being able to have any choices. Having to only do what I was told...life would not be my own. Day-in and Day-out I would serve others, obey their commands.

Slave: a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another.

Wow. Life, in this condition, would be such a burden. But sometimes, for some slaves during this time, their freedom was obtained when someone purchased it for them. Here is where the word "Redemption" comes in...meaning "to free a slave by paying a ransom." Someone paid a price so that the person would be FREE...able to make their own choices, not under the authority of another.

I started imagining what this would look like practically for a slave during this time. What if the price was extremely high? And still, someone came and gave their own money so this slave would be free. Wouldn't this slave feel so much gratitude and appreciate for the rest of their life? Would you be angry if you looked at this slave 5 years down the road, and he lived as if he forgot someone had paid for his freedom at a great cost? Wouldn't you expect this slave to say THANK YOU all the time to the one who, out of lovingkindness, changed their life in every way?

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were REDEEMED from the empty way of life handed
down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18 - 19

I am a slave who was bought. I was once a slave to sin. Yet I was redeemed - my freedom was purchased for me. And my price tag was high...the blood of the One who knew no sin, God in flesh, the Creator of heaven and earth. I am a Freed Man. I should live my life in CONSTANT appreciation, REMEMBERING what I was so that I am overflowing with thankfulness to the one who paid for me. May time not dull the truth of what has happened. May I say thank you, not with words, but with an overflowing heart to the one who set me free...

"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2

"Proverbs are not promises"

Have you ever been wrong in your theology & not realized it? I recently realized this about myself in a conversation with a friend who is very wise & learned in Biblical Christianity. We were discussing the implications of the Titus 2 passage and I made a comment about the promise found in Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." She responded that "Proverbs are not promises, they are general truths."

Whoa. Wait a minute. This changes my perspective. I love parenting my children, and take great delight in reading books about training them in righteousness, and discussing what it looks like to practically do this with like minded older women and friends. I have approached this as if it's a formula to my children's salvation. Sure, I know it's a gift from God, but can't I help him out by working heart to train their hearts?

Couple this with a wonderful sermon on Sunday on the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. In his teaching about the first seed, he was discussing how the are completely dead...they CANNOT understand spiritual truths. They may hear it again and again, but God has not opened their eyes to understand the truth of God's Word. I cannot make my children understand & respond to the Gospel message.

Where does that leave me? In desperate prayer, laying myself at the Father's feet, begging for His grace & mercy in my children's' lives and hearts. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't pray for their salvation before - I did! But, I put so much value on the "formula" and not enough realization that it is a total gift from God.

So am I to stop training them? Of course not. The Bible commands parents to do that. And it says in Eph. 6:4 to "bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Besides, I am to hate sin...in my life, as well as theirs, because it is displeasing to God.

There is a balance needed, and I was out of whack. I need to obey the Biblical mandate, for me as a parent, but I need to realize that salvation belongs to our God and seek Him for this gift in their lives.

Messing with my blog

Does anyone know how to get that picture smaller?? Anyhow, I have been messing with my blog & wanted a new template...but I lost some things & have to re-enter it. Hopefully that will happen soon & won't take a month to do! :)

Gaby's sick with the flu, and so I couldn't go to church today. BUT...we watched it live via ustream.tv. So exciting!!! If you watch it live, you can hear worship, announcements, etc, as well as the message. But if you can't do that, you can just click on the sermon later on. BTW, there's a few of them on there, so if you didn't get a chance to go to CBC's New Year's message, or didn't hear Pastor Bobby's message from Dec. 30, those are both on there too. OR, if you don't go to our church & live too far away, you can hear CBC messages anytime! :) Check it out at http://www.ustream.tv/compasschurch. The reason that I am mentioning Pastor Bobby & Pastor Lucas' is because they were both so convicting to me and gave me the "spurring on" that I needed. I am ready and EXCITED to pour out in service to God in this next year.

Gaby's Birthday

OK, I am a delinquit blogger. I could list so many reasons why I haven't posted, but it doesn't really matter, I suppose. At least I can post some pictures of my dear, sweet son's first birthday.



This first picture is of Gabriel on his actual birthday. We had to cancel his party that day, as Matt & I were super sick. But he had a great day with my family & came home to eat a cupcake. He LOVED it.


This next picture is of his cake that I had to make twice. See, we didn't know we were going to have to cancel his party (I made the cake the night before we got sick). A VERY easy cake to do (I just copied it from a website).


Here's a picture of Gaby with his Mimi.


Family pic....



My dear girlfriend, Christa, and her adorable daughter, Eden.



Having a wonderful time...

And he sure did. I love that the whole party was about dogs, as they are his favorite thing on earth (besides his Grandpa). The whole party he kept pointing to everything, saying "Dog" or "Gog" ~ both mean the same thing. Passers by at the park thought we were actually having a party for dogs. :) We had a lot of fun putting it all together. MY favorite part was the "Gabriel James" quiz, where guests got quizzed on facts about Gabe (thanks for the idea, Suzanne). We were so blessed by our family and friends that could be there. And I thank the Lord for our sweet little boy, who adds so much joy and laughter to our family.

Lesson 6

Last one...

Lesson 6: Review

16.) To be grateful is to recognize our life is a gracious gift from God. We are all debtors to God. Why? Thoughtfully consider 2 Corinthians 9:15 and John 3:16 before you answer.

17.) How has your lesson this week helped you prepare for Thanksgiving Day?

a.) In what practical ways can you encourage your family to give thanks this Thanksgiving?

18.) Share a way your study has deepened your desire to give thanks to the Lord and praise Him every day.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121

Lesson 5

Giving Thanks Lesson 5

Read Psalm 106:1-15

13.) We are often casual, indifferent or negligent about giving thanks to the Lord. What can result from this according to Romans 1:21-23?

DIGGING DEEPER: Scan Psalm 106 and record a few of the consequences of forgetting God's work and murmuring (complaining) rather than being thankful.

14.) List the unthankful attitudes from Psalm 106:13-15 that produce spiritual barrenness.

15.) How does a thankful Christian bring honor to the Lord?