We made it to December!  I just want to say how blessed we are to have the family and friends we do! You all mean so much to us!!  We pray that you have a blessed 2013!

Day 12/Month 12....December

December has been another quiet month.  We enjoyed going to see The Hobbit and we enjoyed the children's program we had at church.

We celebrated our family Christmas just this Saturday.  It's fun getting together and just enjoying each other's company, playing the Wii and playing with new toys.

Ooohh, lookie what's in the box!!

Our new Vera's

This one describes itself!!!

Playing with new toys!

So, as I close out this recap of 2012, I am so thankful for all the blessings we have received!  Not the material things we have, but the wonderful children, grand-children, family, and friends!  You are all never far from our thoughts and prayers.

May we remember at this time of year, that's it's really not about Santa Claus and seeing what we get under our Christmas tree, but it's about the birth of a Savior, who humbled Himself to be born of a virgin, born in lowly circumstances, that He would grow to be fully man/fully God, and that He would pay the penalty for our sins.  We, as humans, miss God's mark, but He has provided our Savior, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah!  Praise and worship Him this holiday season!!

Day 11/Month 11...November  (Sorry I'm late again, we had a very busy day yesterday!)

The month began with the most anticipated wedding I'd experienced since my kids got married.  M & B's wedding day was here!  The weather was beautiful and the wedding was amazing!!

I wish I could describe the blessing that this family is to me, but there are no words to express it!  I have seen God move in a powerful way and it has been amazing!  I have no pictures from inside the wedding, I was crying from joy and just taking it in.  He serenaded her with a song and then they all did a unity sand art thingy.  Each of them had their own colored sand, the boys included, and it was just beyond words what it did to my heart as I watched them unite all four of their lives together.  It still overwhelms me!

A few days later, my mom celebrated her 65th birthday!  We enjoyed a night out at for steak.

This is actually from our family Christmas the other day, she's the most beautiful woman in the world!  I love you, Mom!

We spent Thanksgiving Day at L & S's.  Here's Mommy & Baby, sitting on "Small Baby".  

Her first Thanksgiving meal with a big hit!

The following Saturday we had Thanksgiving at J & D's.  E loved her big cousin!

Enjoying some downtime with Great-Great Grandma!!  

Such a beauty!!

Day 10/Month 10--October....

October was a very busy month!!  We finished up combining the 1st week of October, but things didn't slow down after that.  We had something every weekend and a few things during the week, besides our usual busyness.

S & I enjoyed going to one of my niece's volleyball games!  A can play hard!  We're hoping to get to one of her basketball games soon!

We participated in a memorial walk for our little Adley at the hospital.  It was difficult, but well worth it!  I just never realized how many people are affected by the loss of a little one, either before birth or shortly after.  There were a couple of hundred people there.  I am definitely more aware now and keep them in my prayers.

We also had a surprise "Blessing" shower for my friend M, since her wedding was fast approaching.  A blessing shower is simply one that focuses on blessings and encouragement rather than physical gifts.  It was a wonderful afternoon of healing and closure and moving on to the next phase.

At the end of the month, we had a homeschooling event at our place put on by the NRA.  It was amazing.  They have this educational program that allows the kids to learn about safe hunting, shooting, animal identification and such.  The cost is completely covered by the NRA.

Identifying pelts & skulls

Archery

Shotgun

More shotgun

Enjoying her first Oreo!

One year ago today, we were snuggling our new grand-daughter!  What joy she has brought to our family!

Day 9/ Month 9-September

After the intense months of July & August, September brought some welcome peace.  We did start combining at the end of the month, but other than that, peaceful!

I did get to go to see our new grandbaby's ultrasound!  They have the same nose!!

Day 8 (Sorry, we didn't have electricity most of the day due to the blizzard and after it came back on, there was a lot to get done around here, so we're pretending it's still Day 8)/Month 8-August

August started out very sadly for us.  I'll just send you to August of my blog.  It was heartbreaking, but God knows what he's doing and we received the happy news just this week that they are expecting again and things look wonderful!

We hired a new pastor at the beginning of August.  He is truly passionate about the Lord, the Word of God, and no compromise!  He and his family are joys to be around!  I'm looking forward to seeing what God does with him and our church in the next few years.

We walked in another parade in August for my friend, L.  It was a long one!  E enjoyed riding in the stroller and eating graham crackers.

The next weekend, we went to Eddyville, IA for the drag races.  We've been wanting to do it for many years and now that we have, I guarantee we'll be going back!  We had so much fun!!

She kept the ear protection on the whole time and seemed to enjoy herself.  Her grandpa sure had fun!

The next weekend brought something I'd been waiting for for a few years, J & L moved my desk up to my new office/craft room, opening our livingroom back up!

Day 7/Month 7 July

Oh my goodness, July was one crazy month!

We started the month with our family reunion.  Always a lot of fun to get to see people from Hubby's side of the family.  It was a pretty hot day, but the food and conversation were wonderful!

On the 4th of July, I walked in the parade for my friend, L, who was running for County Auditor.  It was another hot one, but the parade went quickly and we had a good time!  The rest of the day we spent quietly, had supper with the K's and then headed home, didn't even partake of the fireworks this year.

The weekend of the 14th, we had wonderful news!  My friend, M, whose husband had died so tragically about 1 1/2 years earlier, was engaged!  She and her fiance came out to share the wonderful news!!  What a blessing!

Our joy over their impending marriage was a bit overshadowed later in the week by the sad news that my sister's baby was much sicker than we thought.  We had another visit to the pediatric cardiologist and after nearly an hour long ultrasound, he gave us the scary news that her heart was very, very sick.  It shook us to the core.  We had had such high hopes, but now they seemed dashed.  He promised to not only consult with the others in his practice, but to send the pictures to several other specialists around the country to see what they thought could be done.  A few days later, while we were shopping with M for wedding dresses, L called to say that they were going to put her on heart medication and that maybe that would be enough to make her little one stay in the womb as long as possible.  Life is often so unpredictable and while we have joy, we often have sorrow.  At least now, we had a little more hope again.  We were determined to continue to fight for her little one!

We walked in the Jasper Co. Fair Parade a few days later, again for my friend, L.  Oh boy, it was a hot one!!  It was so hot that not very many people came out to watch, which is really unusual for the fair parade.

Another dr's appointment later in the week for the baby was not very encouraging, but we clung to hope.....

We got L & S moved into their new home that same day after having laid a new wood floor the previous weekend.

Hubby and I celebrated our 25th anniversary the last weekend of July.  The day was rainy and dreary.  I finished up a shawl I was knitting to take to the State Fair.  It had to be at the fairgrounds that evening by 5, so we headed up early and then enjoyed a meal at Lonestar.  Hubby was not feeling all that well, had asked for tums on the way up, but seemed fine the rest of the evening.  However, about 11:00 that night, he was pacing.  He'd done this before and I was pretty sure it was his gallbladder as he seemed to be having much the same pain and symptoms as I had had 22 years ago.  By 1:00, he was in excruciating pain and we made the decision to go to the hospital!  He was finally diagnosed around 7:00 am and admitted into the hospital because they thought he had a blocked duct and since he wasn't a great emergency, they wouldn't do anything til Monday, but he was so exhausted and miserable by that time, it just made sense to stay.  He ended up having his gallbladder out late Tuesday afternoon.  We were able to come home later that evening.

Working on learning to crawl

Visiting Gpa at the hospital

Day 6/Month 6 June......

June was a fairly quiet month.  L & S closed on their new home at the end of the month.  J & M and I took part in the Republican State Convention, which turned out to be a waste of our time.

At the beginning of the month, my sister, L, found out that the little one she was carrying had a heart problem.  It really put some things into perspective about what's important and what's not.  After meeting with the pediatric cardiologist we felt hopeful, but the baby was still to small to determine what was really wrong or how serious it would be.  That was going to have to wait for another month.

I ended up with tonsillitis in June, too!  I hadn't had that since I was about 8!  Not fun!!

6 months old!

Sorry that I am late today, I've had a bit of a stomach bug today and am just now feeling more normal.

Day 5/Month 5 May.....

May was a wonderful month!!  We moved J & M into their new home at the beginning of the month.  Since it was just up the street, it didn't take to long!  It was a bit emotional for me, but I made it through!

Just 3 days later, we got the exciting news that L & S are expecting again (even now, we are just 4 weeks from her due date!).  The little ones will just be 13 months apart, but hubby and I did it with two little ones just 11 months apart.  We decided at the time to keep it quiet since it was early on in the pregnancy, but celebrating Mother's Day brought with it a little extra joy!  We were able to celebrate it at J & M's new house and I got a ride on the bike!

We also celebrated my niece's graduation that weekend and the following Friday, I got to see her run at the State Track Meet.  We are so proud of the beautiful young woman she has become!

The following weekend we watched her graduate with honors on the same day that our newest grand-niece was born.

So excited to watch where she goes in life!

Our little grand-niece had to be in NICU for awhile due to iron levels issues.

She's doing wonderfully now! (Although, she's much bigger now).

L & S also moved into J & M's in the middle of the month.  Boy, did we have withdrawals!!  Thankfully, L knew just what to do to get my mind off of it and started repainting what used to be the girls room and was now going to by my office/craft room.  It turned out wonderful!  (There are already pics here on the blog, so I won't bore you with more).  

We attended several graduation parties throughout the month and I continue to be amazed that we are all old enough to have adult children!  It was a busy month, full of change, but a good month!

Day 4/Month 4--April.......

April brought E's first Resurrection Sunday.  Of course, she had a pretty dress for the occasion!

We had a nice lunch with Grandpa's side of the family and enjoyed working on mints for our niece's upcoming graduation.  

House-hunting for both J & M and L & S had been going on since the first of the year.  J & M were very close to signing on their home, despite some loony sellers on the other end!  L & S were still in shopping mode.  By the end of April, we were helping J & M to get things packed up and ready to move up the street.  It was bittersweet, as they left behind our dear friend E's home, but it was time for them to get something of their own and build some equity.  They now have a nice 4-bedroom home for when the time comes that the Lord blesses them with little ones.  It also meant that in a few weeks, L & S and baby would move in with them until they found their own place since Baby E was outgrowing all of her clothes and everything else had been packed on our livestock trailer in the shop for about 3 months.  They would all have more space this way.  I admit, we went through a wide range of emotions that month!

E got her first "professional" pictures taken in April, too!  They were a lot of fun!  She's is so photogenic!!

Before I share what our March 2012 was like, I have to say how sad I am for those who lost their children and loved ones in Connecticut yesterday.  I cannot imagine the pain that they are all going through.  I have thoughts about the why's and how's, but those are best left for another time when the grief is not so fresh.  I pray that they would all find hope and comfort during this sorrowful time.

Also, a quick review of The Hobbit......Wonderful!  Probably not as epic as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but fun, thought-provoking, and challenging just the same.  Peter Jackson's ability to make Middle Earth come to life is simply astounding!  It's probably a bit too much for younger kids, especially on the big screen where everything is so "right in your face", so to speak!  Now I need to finish my re-read of The Hobbit!

So, March 2012.........

L & S chose the first weekend of March to dedicate our little E to the Lord.  I can't begin to describe, as a mom, how wonderful it is to see your children choose to follow hard after God and to make the decision to raise their children to do the same.

Our family-saying "Yes" to being alongside of them as they raise their children, dedicated to Elohim!

Five generations on Grandpa's side!

Four generations on Grandma's side!

The very next day we spent at the Iowa State Capitol.  There were honoring the sailors from Iowa who had been aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis.  Most people don't know that my paternal grandfather went down with the ship, July 29, 1945.  They had just delivered the atomic bomb to Tinian and were on their way home when they were torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.  The story was made into a movie, Mission of the Sharks, and many books have been written about it.  Iowa had never honored those aboard and we were honored to be able to take part.

Sitting in the Speaker of the Iowa House chair with our local Representative, Dan Kelly

My grandfather

March also brought the joy of my sister telling us she and her husband were expecting their 3rd child. March also brought late spring temperatures!  It was crazy just how warm it was. We were able to celebrate Pops birthday outside!

In mid-March, we got the news that our pastor of 19 years (20 for the church) had decided to step down.  It came as quite a shock, but a part of me knew that the time was right. It was hard to say "good-bye" to him in that capacity, but he's never more than an e-mail away when I have those off-the-wall questions!

The end of the month brought a fun trip to the Science Center in Des Moines.  They were featuring an Egyptian exhibit.  S finally got to see a "real live dead mummy".  It was quite moving, actually, to stand so near that mummified girl and wonder what her life was like so very long ago...........

Baby E is tucked in there for her first camel "ride"!  

 

Day/Month 2 of my 12 days letter!  Welcome back!  I wasn't sure if I was going to like doing it this way, but I am actually enjoying thinking back on the year and figuring out how to share it with my family and friends.

So, February 2012.  What can you say about February in Iowa??  Cold and dreary.  Yup.  But, thankfully, compared to many years before, February wasn't so bad in the weather area.

Because E was born right before Christmas, we didn't really celebrate as a family, so we did that the first weekend of February.  Instead of Christmas candy in their stockings, everyone got Valentine's day candy!  The kids seem to think we should now celebrate Christmas at different times of the year so that they can get different candy each time!  I'm not so sure about that, but it's a fun idea!

Our Valentine candy for Christmas (with a few Christmas candies I picked up before I went to Springfield).

She wasn't too sure about Uncle J putting her in the pile!

I began a tradition a couple of years ago of getting the girls all matching bags from Vera Bradley.  The style is the same, but we each get a different color pattern.  E got her first one last year!

So, other than having Christmas in February, the month was pretty normal.  E continued to delight us.  She is a very expressive little person and having her around just takes away any bad mood that might be niggling at you!  

At the end of the month, one fun thing happened.  Hubby and I took a road trip to Mason City and just as we hit Iowa Falls, we literally ran into a mini-blizzard.  Not thinking much of it, we pulled out into the main street (doing a left turn) and the street had gotten so slick, we did a 360 in front of a semi and a few other vehicles.  After the initial shock and gratitude for not getting hit, we had a really good laugh!!

Hope to see you here for March tomorrow! 

Instead of sending out a Christmas letter or cards this year, I'm going to try using my blog to share this past year.  I really do miss receiving Christmas cards and letters, we've only had a few this year, but I guess we're in a new era and some of the old ways are truly passing out of vogue.  I remember my Grandma Marie's book of antique greeting cards she had collected down through the years, from about 1930 to the '50's.  I loved to look through that book, read the notes people wrote, admire the quality and the simplicity, but we've moved into a technology age and so, for this year at least, I'm using it to my advantage.

If you've never been to my blog before....WELCOME!

Since there are 12 months in the year and 12 days to go to Christmas Eve, it seems fitting to start today!

January 2012!

Our darling granddaughter was born at the end of December.  What joy she has brought to our lives!  I spend 2 weeks with the kids in Springfield awaiting her birth and one week following it.  What fun we had and what a blessing it was to share in E's arrival into the world!  I missed hubby something awful, we'd never been apart for that amount of time, but it was so worth it!  

I came home just before New Year's.  It was so hard to say good-bye and I sobbed for about an hour on the trip home! However, on the trip home I received a phone call asking me to help with our caucuses that were coming up in just a few days, that helped to take my mind off of leaving.  I ended up running our precinct's caucus and we have the one of the biggest in our county.  It was quite an experience and one I'm not sure I want to repeat! 

In early January, they made a trip home to search for a job for L and a place to live, they had made the decision to return home for awhile!  

We were able to introduce E to all the family, including her 98-year-old Great-Great-Grandma!  She actually has two great-great grandmas and got to meet them both!

At the end of January, we trooped down to Springfield, MO and moved them back to Iowa.  They moved in with us!  How wonderful to get to spend so much time with our new grandbaby!

Almost time to head out.  What a fun, funky house they had down there!  

Saying "Good-bye" to E's first home.

We made it back to Iowa!

After yesterday's terribly hormonal day, I'm feeling a bit more normal, at least I feel like I can accomplish a few things.  I've got my baby sweater blocking, figured out the heel for J's socks, got the laundry going, and am looking forward to lunch with two of my favorite girls!

One of the most wonderful things that happened this fall was the wedding of my dear friend M to her God-given blessing of a husband, B.  M was the one who's husband committed suicide about 2 years ago.  B is truly heaven-sent!  He is one of the most compassionate men I've ever met.  He's head-over-heels in love with her, wants to be a godly husband and guide and lead their family.  The boys love him!  I'm so excited to watch and see what God does in their life together!

What a blessing these two ladies are to me!

At least I made it to blogger today and added a couple of books I've completed (only currently reading about 20 more, from The Hobbit to several more theology books) and changed up my color.  The past few months have been such a whirlwind of activity, things are just starting to slow down and now I face a mountain of things I want to get finished.  Baby items to knit for our newest grandbaby, due in just a few weeks, a Christmas stocking for a friend, finish sewing up my nativity scene that I knit, a shawl, more baby items for several that are due after the first of the year.  It overwhelms me to just think about it.

On top of all that, I'm so enjoying all that I've been studying and learning.  I've switched Bible versions to the NASB (our new pastor uses that and I really like it). The only one I had around the house was the New Inductive Study Bible (Precepts Ministries) that I bought years ago at a Kay Arthur event.  I'm finally using it the way it was meant to be used and am enjoying looking for key words.  I'm amazed every day with what Abba has been showing me in His Word.

I'm hoping in the next few days that I'll be able to get back to blogging on a regular basis.  Until then, Shalom!

I have had a life-changing experience this summer.

It began at the end of June.  My sister found out the the little one she was carrying and due to give birth to in October seemed to have a heart defect.  She was referred to specialists in Des Moines and because neither she nor her husband like driving up there, I was enlisted to get them to some of their appointments.  I was thrilled to be able to help them this way, as I thought that the appointments themselves might be stressful and I didn't want them to have any extra stress on them and it would be a wonderful opportunity to get to spend more time with them, something I've been too neglectful of in recent years.  So we began our weekly trips filled with hope that the doctors would be able to help her little one.  There was no doubt in our minds about that.

She was about 23-24 weeks along when we went to see the pediatric cardiologist.  Since the baby was so tiny, just under 2 pounds, he really couldn't get a very good look at the heart and so we scheduled another appointment for 4 weeks later.  In the meantime, the ob doctor was seeing fluid in the baby's belly and that was a strong concern.  If to much fluid built up, the baby would have to be delivered early in order to alleviate that problem.  We kept praying that the fluid would go down and that the baby would stay in the womb until at least 34 weeks.

Weeks went by.  Accidentally, the baby's gender was revealed.  She was a beautiful little girl!  The fluid remained on her belly, but didn't really change.  The time came for our trip back to the pediatric cardiologist.  He was so thorough.  The ultrasound took about 50 minutes.  He took picture after picture.  When all was said and done, he helped my sister up, looked her in the face and said, "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but the baby's heart is way sicker than I thought."

Our hearts fell to the floor.  He left to consult his associates and we tried to come to terms with what he was telling us.  He came back and said that they concurred and that he would go talk to the ob about the situation.  When he came back, he explained some more and said that she had to stay in the womb in order to be big enough for a major reconstruction surgery of the heart, but that he wasn't sure she would be strong enough to survive even in the womb.  Her ob had told her two days prior it was time to get the steroid shots to strengthen the baby's lungs in case they had to deliver early and we were supposed to do that right after the cardiology appointment, but we were so stunned, we were sure what to do.  After a quick trip to the ob office, he wanted us to go ahead and get the shot.  In a stunned numbness, we walked to the car to make the short trip over to the hospital labor and delivery floor.

As we were going up, a brand new baby was going down.  The waiting room was filled with expectant grandparents and friends, women in labor came in as we waited.  Our hearts were aching, scared, sad. Seeing all the happiness around us seemed a bit ironic and a hard pill to swallow. Somehow, though, we continued to cling to hope.

A few days later, we returned for her regular ob visit.  She had an ultrasound every time we went in and this was no different.  Baby was moving and provided us with several times where we could really see her face and features and the technician would flip over to 4D so we could really see our pretty little girl.  My eyes would fill with tears every time they did that.  When the doctor came in to tell us how baby looked and how the fluid was in the belly, he reminded us that she really was a very sick little girl.  He admitted that sometimes they were wrong, but he wasn't terribly hopeful.  We determined that we were not going to give up hope.

That following weekend was hubby and I's 25th wedding anniversary.  I spent the day getting a shawl project done for the fair.  In late afternoon, hubby and I headed to Des Moines to drop off my fair projects and go out to supper.  He asked for a couple of Tums on the way there, he's had stomach issues for a couple of years.  We went for steak and we shared a Texas Rose onion.  It was kind of greasy, but yummy!  He had a couple more Tums on the way home.  At 11:00 that night, he came down with a horrible stomach ache (having had my gall bladder out 22 years ago, we'd been suspecting that was his problem for quite awhile), so by 1:30 am, he was tapped out and finally willing to go to the hospital.

It was definitely his gallbladder and we ended up in the hospital for 3 days.  When he was finally able to have his surgery, it was the afternoon before my sister's next ob appointment, so I called her while he was in surgery to let her know I wouldn't be able to go and asked her how things were going.  She replied that baby was quieter but still wiggling and twisting.  I had a sinking feeling, but didn't put words to it and being so wrapped up in what I was going through, I'm not even sure I said a prayer.  Hubby came out of surgery, we got him back to his room, he ate, etc., and we were finally discharged at 9:30 pm.  We got home and collapsed into our own bed.

The next morning, 1200 baby pigs were coming in and son and daughter-in-law and favorite boy came out to do the work and so it was hectic around here, I completely forgot that sister had her appointment.  At about 10:30, when things had settled down here a bit, the phone rang.  My sister was on the other side.  "She's gone."

There have only been a few times in my life where I've felt as though my heart has been ripped from my chest.  This was one of those times.  I didn't understand.  I didn't want it to be real.  I didn't want to give up hope.  My sister, though, said something so very wise and so difficult given what she was facing, "At least she won't have to face all those surgeries and pain and suffer anymore."  She was right, of course, but, oh, how it hurt!

Sadly, she still had to face the delivery.  She went into the hospital that evening and it took over 48 hours before her body finally gave into the drugs and went into labor.  The morning she was born, we were all able to go up and spend the day.  We prayed together as a family, crying out to God in our pain, yet thankful for the beautiful little life He shared with us for such a short time. We held her, stroked her cheek, kissed her tiny forehead.  We bonded as a family in a way we'd never been able to do before.

We buried her a week ago today in a tiny plot in our local cemetery in the section named "Babyland".  Her tiny little casket carried to the grave by her grandpa.  Our pastor did a wonderful job given the sad task he was handed.

Each day gets a little easier, I suppose.  I still break into spontaneous tears as I think about all the hopes and plans her mommy and daddy and big brother and big sister had with her.  The clothes and other things they accumulated.  The love that had grown for her despite us never seeing her alive outside the womb. 

One thing I have learned, we are a family that loves!  We love babies, we love each other, and we love life!  Babies are a gift from God!  Despite how long or short their lives are, they touch us with their spirit.

Another thing I've learned or become might be a better way to describe it--I'm way more pro-life now that I was even before.  This was a precious human being, made in the image of God.  I can only pray that others will begin to see that, too.

Psalm 127:3 (ESV)
³ Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.


Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV)
¹³ For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.

If only I could sort my thoughts into some sort of logical arrangement!!  I continue on my quest to understand the Messianic viewpoint.  It is awakening in me many things....A deeper desire for obedience and what that looks like, a more vivid connection with my Hebrew roots, a better understanding of God's love for me.  It is the hardest path I've ever taken, but it is so worth it!  I have many questions, often feel as though I'm failing and that God just might give up on me, but I know that's not true and I will continue to fight through!  He began a good work in me and He will bring it to completion!

I wish I could stay away from Rav, it just draws me in.  I think the main reason it does is because it is a perfect picture of what God says will happen in the end.  The love of self, calling good, evil and evil, good.  Anti-religion runs rampant, but what's truly sad is the antisemitism.  It's blatant, yet denied.  These people know history, they know what Hitler did, they don't care.  They claim all sorts of reasons for their ideas towards the Jews, but the underlying message is the same, "You are God's chosen people, but we don't care, and really, it ticks us off." Sad, but true.  The Jews in the thread certainly feel it and read it the same way.  So thankful that God is in control and that His will will be done.

On top of all of that, an end-time denier decided to impress upon our pastor a book that I already knew was heresy.  He sent the book home with me to thumb through and every time I pick it up, I want to throw it through the window!  The author is a well-known man, especially in homeschooling circles, but I'm not going to mention his name here because I don't want to give him any publicity!  Suffice it to say, he is a preterist and believes that the vast majority of biblical prophecy has been fulfilled, that Yeshua returned in 70 A.D., that Nero was the antichrist, that Satan is bound, etc..  His beliefs remove the hope we have, they twist, quite drastically, the Word of God in order to justify their beliefs.  They are antisemitic, they are flat-out rude, and wrong.  They see the world getting better, they see hope in this world we're living in, they see hope in government and they are dominionists.  They're false teaching seems to know no bounds and has infiltrated many churches, including in my own community.

To me, it's simple.

Acts 1:11 (ESV)
¹¹ and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."


This has NOT come to pass!  We look forward to His return in glory and power!!  So, until that time, I will continue to strive for His will, strive to be obedient to Him as He reveals to me those things, and I will continue to share the blessed hope of His return and a new heaven and a new earth!  A time where sin shall be no more, no more sorrow, no more tears!!  Praise YWHW!

I did it again! I let myself get drawn into a discussion on Rav.  It was about abortion and I just felt compelled to stand up for life.  I guess I'm weird that way or at least that's how some people view it. 

I've been saddened (although not surprised) by the selfishness--"it's my body," "it's my uterus," "it's for my pleasure," etc., etc., etc..  Several have even denied that when you consent to intimate relations, you consent to the possibility of pregnancy.  I've been taking a very informal poll of people, asking them what can result from having s*x and everyone of them, down to a 14-year-old, said the same thing, "a baby!"  Why is this such a difficult concept for many to see.  In all honesty, I believe most of them have seared consciences and simply cannot see the truth. 

To them responsibility is simply using contraception and/or abortion when necessary.  To deny oneself pleasure because there might be consequences seems quite foreign to them, although they seem to hold no grudges about limiting our choices of what we can eat or drink, who can drive, who can vote, and on and on. 

A woman's body was never meant to be hers alone.  Her body is meant for the nurture and care of a child inside her, outside of her, and for her husband (and his is for her).  What a selfish culture we live in.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 (ESV)
¹ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

What I need to hang on to......




1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (ESV)
¹ Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
² For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
⁵ not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
⁶ that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
⁷ For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
⁸ Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.


2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV)
¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
¹⁷ that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

We've had another couple of busy weeks!  So many graduations!!  Thankfully, the last one was Sunday and now maybe the weekends will slow down a bit.

 Enjoying a picnic together!

Gotta use shades when you're out in the hot field watching Grandpa plant!

My son-in-law took this

and turned it into this....

Still a bit of work to do, some trim and I need to vacuum and clean the carpet, but within days, this will be my new office and craft room!  What a blessing!  The other room can now become a room just for the grandbabies (yay!!  My daughter is expecting her second baby and we'll all get to meet the little one in January!)