Reposting Memories: Photo Roundup 2008

Look at me!!!

Our First Girly!

2 days old!

Lets get goin!!

you still there, mom?

move it grams! I am starving!!

Aren't they cute??

The Pregnant Man

Petra inside.

And just to make this worth a view, the three crazies!

Could you take it quick please!

Silas and Kace!

Sliding still worked just as well even without the skateboard!

If you look close the child has fit the binkie and a sucker in his mouth simultaneously. We thought this hysterical!

Okay, so we are the proud parents of a third walker! Our youngest finally walked at 13 months old! We thought he would take longer, but no! He surprised us this morning with this wonderful, fantastic, amazing ability! Sorry the picture is so poor, we need to get batteries for our digital so the cell phone will have to do!4/3/08

What does it cost to be a Christian?

What does it cost to be a Christian?
(A good question not many of us ask...)

I grant freely that it costs little to be a mere outward Christian. A man has only got to attend a place of worship twice on Sunday, and to be tolerably moral during the week--and he has gone as far as thousands around him ever go in religion. All this is cheap and easy work--it entails no self-denial or self-sacrifice. If this is saving Christianity and will take us to Heaven when we die--we must alter the description of the way of life, and write, "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to Heaven!"

But it does cost something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are . . .
enemies to be overcome,
battles to be fought,
sacrifices to be made,
an Egypt to be forsaken,
a wilderness to be passed through,
a cross to be carried,
a race to be run.
Conversion is not putting a man in a soft armchair, and taking him pleasantly to Heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory. Hence arises the unspeakable importance of "counting the cost."

True Christianity will cost a man . . .
his self-righteousness,
his sins,
his love of ease, and
the favor of the world.

A religion which costs nothing--is worth nothing!

A cheap, easy Christianity, without a cross--will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown!

J.C. Ryle

www.gracegems.com

Reposting Memories Circa 2007: Silas and Dinosaurs July 2007

Our Family went to visit Powell Gardens this week so that we could spend some time as a family enjoying being outside together, but mostly because there was a dinosaur exhibit and Silas, our oldest, is simply gaga over anything reptile. So we loaded up the crew and set forth....no just kidding, but we tramped through this very neat botanical garden and saw some dinos along the way! Enjoy our pictures and I hope soon to see what you have been up to this summer! Blessings!

T-Rex Boy!

Big and small, hats on 'em all! (okay gimme a break I couldn't think of anything better.)

Silas looks as uncomfortable as this dino.

Hi Dragons (what they like to call the dinos)

Silas can hardly believe his good fortune, there is a dino in the lake!

Not quite sure what these are, but they fly.

This is the crowning glory.....the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

"Hmmmm, I wonder if they will notice me eating dirt?"

We even took a picture for you to see we are still in complete control of our sanity.

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! Your kids probably stayed up and watched the fireworks just like ours did(although it was passed bed time and they were not supposed to), but I doubt you wished your neighbors would move away and stop shooting their fire crackers at your home.....Well I only wished for a little while!

Update 2012: Silas still loves dinos, but his love usually translates to books and movies now. Although I know he would love to do something like this again...I don't know if he remembers this. Gresham too, loves dinos. They grow up so fast, this was almost five years ago now.

Jesus Was A Loser

Matt 10:38-39
“And whoever does not take is cross and follow behind me, is not worthy of me. The one who has found his life will lose it and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”
I hate success. Not because I value being a slacker or approve of mediocrity. I hate success because more often than not it asks me to be something I can no longer be. When I look at Jesus I don’t see what the world would even remotely classify as successful. You would never see Him on an election ballot for the simple reason that when it was all said and done his popularity would have tanked. His crib would never be featured on MTV since he was homeless. He would never have made the front or even back cover of Forbes because he was penniless. I could go on but I think you get the picture. Jesus was a loser. Those in the first century recognized it and if He lived and walked among us today the world would conclude that no one could possibly be more politically, financially or personally unsuccessful than Jesus.

This is why I hate success. If I actually follow Jesus then success in this world won’t just be something that is unattainable for me it will also be something incompatible with a life marked not by material prosperity or social popularity but by ridicule, suffering and loneliness. But unfortunately Christians (particularly of an American Middle Class Variety) have found a way to make a happy marriage of success and Christianity. The reality, however, is that much damage has been done to the authenticity of genuine discipleship. Many people kick-back instead of truly following Jesus and experiencing a great personal cost. Only one of these is truly compatible with the gospel.

Of course, to end this short essay here would mean I was in fact too short. The One who walked the earth as a loser and calls His followers to a similar life promises something all together different when that life of suffering draws to a close. In life Jesus may have been a loser but in death He would definitely prove to be anything but. You see His resurrection proved He would never ever lose again. He defeated His enemy and ours as well. But then He made a promise: “But this is the will of the one who sent me, that I lose none of the ones he has given me but I will raise him in the last day.” (John 6:39) Did you hear that? You may lose much in this life when you follow Jesus, but you will share in His resurrection upon death. The losers have miraculously and undeservedly become winners. I hope for His glory and your good that you live joyfully as a loser never forgetting that you will one day lose no more.

World According To Kace: Unlucky Chucky Edition

"Well I guess you are just an unlucky chucky!" Daddy telling him no....guess it was the wrong joke at the wrong time because....

"I AM NOT CHUCKY! I AM KACE!!!"

Have You Forgotten

Have you forgotten the close, the milk house, the stable, the barn, and the like, where God did visit your souls? Remember also the word, the word, I say, upon which the Lord has caused you to hope: if you have sinned against light, if you are tempted to blaspheme, if you are downed in despair, if you think God fights against you, or if heaven is hid from your eyes; remember it was thus with your father; but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

-John Bunyan

My Top 100 Books: 51 - 85

51. Macbeth by Shakespeare
52. Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
53. The Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy by Trenton Stewart
54. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
55. Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
56. Aunt Jane's Hero by Elizabeth Prentiss
57. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
58. Gigi by Colette
59. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper
60. The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare
61. Alicia by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
62. Polly Anna
63. The Betsy Tacy treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace (all 10 books)
64. Citizen Soldiers by Ambrose
65. Orthodoxy by Chesterton
66. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
67. Battle Cry by Leon Uris
68. Bells On Their Toes by Gilbreth
69. Five English Reformers by JC Ryle
70. The 23rd Psalm by George Salton
71. Beauty by Robin Mckinnley
72. My ABC Bible Verses by Susan Hunt
73.
74. Brave New World by Huxley
75. Schindler's List by Keneally
76. Owls in the Family Farley Mowat
77. Treatise on Good Works by martin Luther
78. Valley of Vision Puritan Devotionals
79. Holiness by RC Sproul
80. Things as they are Amy Carmichael
81. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
82. Children of the New Forrest by Frederick Marryat
83. Lady Windemere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
84. The Home at Greylock by Prentiss
85. With the Old Breed at Pelelui and Okinawa by Sledge
86. Ox Team Days on the Oregon Trail by Meeker
87. Rena's Promise by Rena Gelissen

While I completely anticipate Updating this Eventually, I can honestly say that these last several

lines have not been read at this time! I have read many books, but only want to list the ones I

consider the best. So the future holds much hope for more great reading!

One-ism or Two-ism?

While looking into Worldviews I came across an argument I had been thinking about more recently since I read the book Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton (BUY AND READ IT!!) where he argues that God made the creation distinct from Himself and He was not part of it, therefore an eternal and inoperable distinction exists that makes Him the creator and us the creation. I don't think that Chesterton fully fleshed out this argument (from my memory) but it was such a touching onto truth that it sat niggling at the back of my mind and mulling through my brain. Till the other morning while doing some research for my husbands class I came across this awesome article by Peter Jones which just baited my taste for more of this information got me to thinking. One or Two? Is it really that simple?

Daddy's Girls!

Friday Photo Round Up: A New Addition To Our Blog/Scrapbook

Since we have made some changes in the last two years to this blog as our life has changed in the last two years I wanted to post some photos that I haven't been able to yet, because of different things. I want more than ever for our boys to know and see how much they experienced of the world at such a young age and since I don't scrapbook this is their love letter from us while we are in the midst of enjoying their youth! So on Fridays for awhile I want to post some pictures from the past where we were enjoying adventure and outings, time and intimacy together as a family, in greater deapth than before! So here is our first offering...

This was right before silas' birthday in 2010 and after I had had surgery...I look a little rough because of it!

My mom was SUCH a HUGE help loving on the kids while I was so sick!

As you can tell our kids can't stand her!

I am a Lucky Lady

One of the reasons I am thankful for old saved emails from my husband. One of the reasons why I love holding his hand so much even after nine years. One of the reasons I still look at him and see as pretty spectacular person! One of the reasons I know I totally lucked out when God was giving girls spouses! I am so thankful I cannot really give the right words..... So here's a little piece of our private lives...I hope our Kiddos enjoy readin this one day....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

hey sweet girl,
i know that i am not exactly an expert counselor or woman-understander-person but i am able to tell my best friend that i love her. so i just wanted to say that i love you. even in your worst moments i still don't want any body but you. so just know no matter how sinful, hormonal, moody, or womanly you get i will still be right there beside you, i may look at you funny but i will always be by your side :) just wanted you to know.


much love,


me

According to Gresham: The Name Controversy

"Can my name be speed monster truck?"....gresham.

"But you are not a car!" .....Momma.

"Then can my name be gusher-crusher?" ....Gresham.

"But I named you Gresham." .....Momma.

"Then my name can be lightening bolt right?" .....Gresham. "Because I can run a little fast and then really fast and I can fall!"

"Hahahahaha!!" .....Momma. Not quite sure how those things relate to being named 'Lightening Bolt'!

Things Mom Would Never Say

"How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?"

"Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too"

"Just leave all the lights on ... it makes the house look more cheery"

"Let me smell that shirt -- Yeah, it's good for another week"

"Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I'll be glad to feed and walk him every day"

"Well, if Timmy's mom says it's OK, that's good enough for me."

"The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It's not like I'm running a prison around here."

"I don't have a tissue with me ... just use your sleeve" (actually I have said this)

"Don't bother wearing a jacket - the wind-chill is bound to improve"

"Don't worry about lifting the seat - just go ahead and pee"

This was a forward I recieved several years ago which I think is still very funny! Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Journey Back 400 Years....

1519 bible.

Shackles from the 1600's.

heading over to Jamestown island, over the swamp.

300 year memorial monument from 1907.

Pocahontas at the entrance to fort Pocahontas.

17th century grave with a skull and cross bones--cheerful, huh?!

Model of the original fort built by John Smith and the others.

Rebuilt fort outline on the original site of the Jamestown fort of 1607.
Memorial Anglican Church also in background.
Current archaeology in foreground.

location of the barracks and also more of the fort border.

Statue of John Smith overlooking the James river.

Rebuilt barracks where the men lived while occupying Jamestown Island.

Anglican Church Memorial.

my husband and I took our children to see the original Jamestown settlement National park. We both stopped first at the reenactment of the Settlement, where we had been before, Will went in to check and see if we were in the right location, we weren't and we quickly discovered that the Jamestown we had always thought we had visited before wasn't really Jamestown! WOW! We were amazed!! And SOO excited to see the real thing!! It was really neat! Seeing where they originally landed and where the actually fort was, the swamp where they were stuck for that long period while they all starved and struggled. I could picture their problems. I could see them eating snakes from the surrounding swamp. I could imagine the fear and the isolation that was self imposed and forced by the Indians who themselves felt fearful. We watched the intro video with the kids and Gresham Asked me "So momma, who were the bad guys and who were the good guys?" I didn't know at first how to answer him, but finally I said "They we both good and bad in different ways." And at the end Silas asked me What happened between the Indians and the white peoples. "Well they fought, the whites wanted the land and the Indians wanted to protect the land." and his answer made me very sad. "and that's why all the Indians died, huh?" I looked at my son, sorry he lives in a world where his ancestors tried and almost successfully destroyed and entire people, so that he will not often encounter them. I desire now more than ever for the gospel to live in my children's hearts.