Monday, April 9, 2012
9 Months Old!
Andrew is almost 9 months old now and his new accomplishments include pulling up on anything and everything, and clapping. (as I type he is in the kitchen. he has found a small packet of cream cheese one of the girls dropped and he is intensely trying to get it open with his gums.) It was a cute moment when he first started clapping. We were in the car when the girls noticed he was clapping, and they were so proud of him. They were laughing and shouting "Good job Buddy!"
Andrew's eyes have been changing since he was a newborn...and these days they have been looking more green than blue. It is fun to watch them change!
Our sweet Buds is so mild tempered and happy. He fills our days with the cutest songs, smiles, giggles and cuddles. His sisters love him, sometimes too much. I often have to rescue him from the constant smothering he gets all day long. When he wakes up from a nap though, he is not contented until he sees his girls. He looks all around the house for them until he finds them. He loves them and they make him laugh constantly.
I pray for our sweet little boy that he will continue to grow strong and healthy. He weaned from me earlier than I would have liked, but he has taken to a bottle and formula quite well. He loves to eat solid food, anything and everything. I always think about the analogy that the Bible uses when talking about "milk" and spiritual food. How a young or new believer needs milk, or simple, digestible theology. However, as we mature in our faith and knowledge of the Word and God, we begin eating "solid food" of Scripture. We crave and need to learn the real meaning of what the Bible says, and how to apply it rightly to our life. Unfortunately so many never progress past "milk" theology. I pray all my children progress from the easy digestible simplified milk of the word of God to intense "solid food" of complex theology and deep spiritual truth. May God be glorified as they wean spiritually from Justin and I as well. That they would grasp their own faith one day, apart from us, and understand how to study and find truth on their own. I pray they will love, serve and worship Him until they die.
Hebrews 5:11-14 "About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
I love this last part "for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" What a great verse for us as parents! This is our job, to "train our children by constant practice" so they will be able to distinguish good from evil. Lord give me strength through Christ!
(1 Cor 3:2 and 1 Peter 2:2 reference this principal as well.)
Little Helper
I love that Kalena and Sara are old enough to help me feed Andrew!! My sweet little helpers!
Justin had a chance to go to Macedonia with a team of businessmen from our church. They worked with a missionary couple there, the Mangles. The Mangles are hard working church planters who are spreading the gospel in this country that has little to no gospel presence. Justin was so blessed by the time he spent there with these precious brothers and sisters!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Enjoying the Car
I was shocked at how much my sweet boy loved being at the controls in our car. It was a little scary... the immense joy he was having. He was making excited faces that I had never seen from him before. My girls have always had fun playing in the car, but as you can see this was more than fun for him. It was thrilling! Seriously... that face!!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Community group accountability questions.
Christianity is not about a set of rules to follow, or about what you do or don't do.
It is about a loving God who wants to have a loving relationship with you.
It is about loving Him back with every breath, action, word and thought.
Because we love Him we have a passionate desire to live a life pleasing to Him.
Matthew 5:48 Therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Accountability Questions (adapted from Heather Johansen’s Questions):
1. Have you lied, cheated, deceived, stolen or been in any other way dishonest this week?
a. Have you obeyed all governing authorities God has placed over you?
2. Have you desired anything or anyone above God or made anything else besides God your #1 priority?
a. Have you put your time with the Lord above all else this week?
b. Have you done your quiet time in the Word and prayer with the Lord every day this week?
c. How many days this week did you set aside time to study the word and pray eliminating all distractions?
3. Have you had an attitude of jealousy or covetousness towards anyone or their possessions this week?
4. Have you placed yourself or others in any tempting situations regarding lust?
a. Have your thoughts been completely free of impurity/lust this week?
b. Have you had any thoughts of dissatisfaction with being single or married?
c. Have you acted inappropriately to anyone else causing them to lust or sin sexually?
d. Have you treated everyone else as a brother/ sister in Christ regarding purity?
5. Have you been angry or harbored bitterness towards anyone else this week?
6. Have you been afraid or anxious about anything this week?
7. Have you allowed any unwholesome talk, slander, gossip or hard words to pass your lips?
8. Have you been lazy or gluttonous this week? Have you taken care of your body through physical exercise and proper eating and sleeping habits?
a. Have you used your time wisely?
9. Have you allowed any person or circumstance to rob you of your joy?
10. Have you thought more highly of yourself than others in any situation, or done something to pridefully place yourself in a better light to those around you?
The following is a list which CJ Mahaney included in his book "Why Small Groups" from something that Samuel Wesley used in the 1700's.
Introductory/Heart Condition Questions:
1) Have you peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ?
2) Do you desire to be told of your faults?
3) Do you desire that every one of us should tell you, from time to time, whatsoever is in our heart concerning you?
4) Consider! Do you desire that we should tell you whatsoever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever we hear, concerning you?
5) DO you desire that, in doing this, we should become as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?
6) Is it your desire and design to be on this, and all other occasions, entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?
Weekly Accountability Questions:
1) What known sin have you committed since our last meeting?
2) What temptations have you met with?
3) How were you delivered?
4) What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
It is about a loving God who wants to have a loving relationship with you.
It is about loving Him back with every breath, action, word and thought.
Because we love Him we have a passionate desire to live a life pleasing to Him.
Matthew 5:48 Therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Accountability Questions (adapted from Heather Johansen’s Questions):
1. Have you lied, cheated, deceived, stolen or been in any other way dishonest this week?
a. Have you obeyed all governing authorities God has placed over you?
2. Have you desired anything or anyone above God or made anything else besides God your #1 priority?
a. Have you put your time with the Lord above all else this week?
b. Have you done your quiet time in the Word and prayer with the Lord every day this week?
c. How many days this week did you set aside time to study the word and pray eliminating all distractions?
3. Have you had an attitude of jealousy or covetousness towards anyone or their possessions this week?
4. Have you placed yourself or others in any tempting situations regarding lust?
a. Have your thoughts been completely free of impurity/lust this week?
b. Have you had any thoughts of dissatisfaction with being single or married?
c. Have you acted inappropriately to anyone else causing them to lust or sin sexually?
d. Have you treated everyone else as a brother/ sister in Christ regarding purity?
5. Have you been angry or harbored bitterness towards anyone else this week?
6. Have you been afraid or anxious about anything this week?
7. Have you allowed any unwholesome talk, slander, gossip or hard words to pass your lips?
8. Have you been lazy or gluttonous this week? Have you taken care of your body through physical exercise and proper eating and sleeping habits?
a. Have you used your time wisely?
9. Have you allowed any person or circumstance to rob you of your joy?
10. Have you thought more highly of yourself than others in any situation, or done something to pridefully place yourself in a better light to those around you?
The following is a list which CJ Mahaney included in his book "Why Small Groups" from something that Samuel Wesley used in the 1700's.
Introductory/Heart Condition Questions:
1) Have you peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ?
2) Do you desire to be told of your faults?
3) Do you desire that every one of us should tell you, from time to time, whatsoever is in our heart concerning you?
4) Consider! Do you desire that we should tell you whatsoever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever we hear, concerning you?
5) DO you desire that, in doing this, we should become as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?
6) Is it your desire and design to be on this, and all other occasions, entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?
Weekly Accountability Questions:
1) What known sin have you committed since our last meeting?
2) What temptations have you met with?
3) How were you delivered?
4) What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
Friday, March 9, 2012
Bike Riding!
We have entered a new world of riding bikes in our little complex street. It has been fun and we have met more neighbors.
I am fully behind the new balance bike movement. Give a child a bike with no pedals. Let them tootle around on it, pushing with their feet and they will learn to balance on their own. No training wheels needed. Since balance bikes are the same $ as normal, I got Kalena a $10 bike at a garage sale, and had my dad take the pedals off. She LOVES it, and is doing so great on it. She is getting faster and faster, and has learned how to balance. I foresee another couple months of her little balance bike, and then she will be ready to jump on a big girl bike!
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