Gifts 940 - 959

Good morning everyone! Yes, I know it has been sadly quiet around here...I am sorry. Of course, life has been busy...but also Facebook. It's a very interesting and time sapping creation. Well, anyways, as I was praying this morning and thanking God for who He is and what He has done in my life, I thought I'd add to my gifts list on the blog. :) So, here goes...

940 - The cross is always bigger than my sin
941 - The Lord is faithful and trustworthy
942 - He holds all things together by His Almighty hand
943 - I can be confident in His sovereignty
944 - Eternity is coming
945 - He knows and understands my weaknesses
946 - He changes lives
947 - The old is gone and the new has come
948 - He restores
949 - All that He does is good
950 - His ways are higher than my ways
951 - Christ intercedes for us
952 - His creativity is incomprehensible
953 - The variety of smells
954 - Chemistry in action
955 - Friends' creativity
956 - Small variations
957 - Planning with my sweetie girl
958 - Figuring with my Jman
959 - Unexpected flowers from my hubby

So many good and varied gifts...thankful for a great and generous God...

Here are some random pics from the last couple weeks...

some Lego creations Josh came up with...

beautiful afternoon lunch picnic

my girl growing up way too fast! 

Soap Swap Box Arrived!

I just wanted to share all the fun, new soaps I received in the mail earlier this week. As I think I mentioned before, Brambleberry does a soap swap where you send in 12 bars of your soap (mine is the pink and white one in the second row from the top) and a bit later they send you back 12 mixed bars from other soapers. I guess they  had around 200 soapers participate which is just crazy. A main reason I wanted to participate was to be able to smell the fragrances and see how other people's soaps turned out. As you can see, there was quite a variety both in style and color (and fragrance). My favorite fragrance was probably the strawberry chocolate one and my favorite styled soap was probably the bird one. Really it was just super fun to get a box of surprise soaps and see what came. :)

Spring Festival

I think this is our third year in a row that we've been doing Spring Festival, and I must say that I've really liked breaking out Easter type activities from Resurrection Sunday. We enjoyed having the International students up Thursday night to participate in some of them with us as well as continue on in the Story of God. We finished up the Old Testament this week and are on to the New this coming week. They had all done some level or another of Easter-ish activities in Japan (and James with us years back) at an American base nearby that gave some cultural opportunities. The kids had a great time hiding the eggs for the students...there are still a few left not found. :) For our kids egg hunt, we did money this year as I couldn't find a Lego set that they would both like (and wouldn't break the bank). We gave them the option of keeping the money they found, or splitting it...they chose to split it...I think I would have chosen the other option. :) Here are some pics of our fun times together...

Hide is always a character :)

Mai found the most by 7 eggs

 

It's always so interesting to see people's creativity in coloring eggs

this looks a little creepy to me

spring breakfast of crepes and "bacon"

we did our egg hunt in the front yard

Josh won this hunt by quite a lot

we then made spring cookies

decorated them and took them to our neighbors...we couldn't keep them

all to eat ourselves! :)

Growing Up

Time marches on regardless of my desire to stop it or at least slow it down. The kids seem to have reached yet another new stage in life. They are no longer little people generally oblivious to the world around them...now they are keen observers...watching, questioning, evaluating. I don't know when or how it happened, yet it has. It is exciting to see their maturity, but sobering to see them becoming their own person and making their own way in the world. No longer can I spout off great and marvelous truths without the life to back it up. :) They are seeing if I really live what I say I believe.

So, what are the primary things I wish to cultivate in my kiddos? I guess they boil down to 1)Love to God and 2)Love to man as Christ clearly taught were the greatest commandments. Notice the things that don't make that list...academic achievement, good looks, attaining the most stuff. Even though most of us as parents wouldn't say we focus on those things, we oftentimes do by our words and actions. When I praise more for a good grade than I do a loving act, that shows my priorities. It's better to praise the character behind the grade (hard work, diligence, etc.), and we need to remember to give God the glory at those times. When my kiddos see more time spent on my outward appearance than in the Word, that shows my priorities. I think we can't underestimate how much our children pick up on how we use our time. The biggest challenge that's been for me lately is how much I am on my computer...especially with getting connected to Facebook! Yikes! When I'm discontent with what I have and grumble about it rather than showing a spirit of gratitude in all things, that shows my priorities. Truly loving God allows me to be thankful in all circumstances knowing they come to me through my loving heavenly Father. The examples could go on and on. So now as I go about my day, I am more aware of what priorities my life is speaking...what my kids are seeing in all the many spoken and unspoken parts of life.

Even though we have the very high calling to train and nurture our kids, it's such a blessing to rest in the comfort that God is the perfect parent even when I am not. Thankful for God's grace in all areas of life...

Here are the soaps I made a few weeks back all ready

to enter into the Soap Swap - I'm super excited to see which

ones I end up getting back...I'll post pictures of that later :)

The Wheel on the School

We just finished up the most lovely book this past week. It takes place in a little Dutch fishing village and tells the story of a group of young school children trying to get storks to live in their village. I know that doesn't sound too thrilling, but DeJong weaves a completely enjoyable tale of their adventures and all the types of people they meet and the scrapes they get into. Hannah mentioned at one point that it reminded her of Milly Molly Mandy which I completely agree with (one of my favorite children's books). Wheel on the School just had a particular sweetness, a child like simplicity yet tenacity throughout the book. I think the kiddos especially liked it because they could completely relate to getting a fantastic idea in their heads and doing anything in their power to bring it about. You also learn some good life lessons in it. Early on in the book one of the characters makes a very astute observation about one of the townspeople the children had previously been afraid of..."Janus had become real; he had become a part of their village. He wasn't a fearsome ogre to be hated and outwitted. Even the yard with its forbidding high fence somehow looked different now. Lina could have told Pier and Dirk what it was. Lina would have said that it was just because Janus had become important, in the same way that old Grandmother Sibble III had become real and important. He had become a friend!"

And, one last excerpt that made me laugh was when the children were trying to get their fathers to help them with a project..."Pier and Dirk has said to pester the fathers until they gave in. In spite of what your father said or growled, sooner or later he'd do what you wanted....Pier and Dirk had knowingly assured them all that it was much easier than with mothers. You'd get a sound box on the ear from your mother if you kept on pestering her like that. But then your mother had you yapping around her all the time so she had less patience." :)

The kiddos and I both thoroughly enjoyed this book. As with many books, this is probably best enjoyed as a read aloud.

Prepping for a pastors luncheon earlier this week...it's great to have 

such a wonderful group of ladies in our Gospel Community!

We made soups, cookies, and sandwiches...and they all signed up for things so

I didn't end up making anything (well, Jesin came over and we made cookies together)! 

Delegation at it's best :)

Gifts 921-939

Enjoyed a lovely dinner with my folks, finished up my Perspectives reading, and sitting before a beautiful fire...it's been a nice evening. Lots of things to be thankful for...

921 - That work is a blessing
922 - That we can enjoy God's rest
923 - Reconciled finances
924 - Seeing kids initiate being helpful
925 - Praying for God's work across the world
926 - Sweet, simple stories to read
927 - Seeing other's enthusiasm
928 - A 3 year olds head pressed against mine in great excitement
929 - Having a craft helper
930 - Bumping into friends while shopping
931 - Quick picker- uppers
932 - Sweet smelling candle from a friend
933 - Simple dinners
934 - People leaving for the mission field
935 - Difficult conversations going relatively well
936 - Variety of giftings all working together
937 - Dave helping in the kitchen
938 - Unexpected phone call about a gift
939 - Odd boy pictures...Josh always thinks outside the box :)

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

I've been really enjoying John Piper lately. He has such a great way of encouraging you to live for the glory of God, to make delighting in Him your desire. He is particularly good for me as I tend to be too duty and checklist driven, although I'm growing in that. :) You've probably heard his classic quote, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." 

A number of months ago a friend gave me the book, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. It is broken into 13 short chapters each focusing on one aspect of who Christ is. As the title implies, his purpose is to open our eyes to the value and beauty of our Savior...to hear testimonies of who He is and be changed. Good stuff. 

Here's an excerpt from page 31-32:

So Christ is a lamb-like Lion and a lion-like Lamb. That is his glory --"an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies."

This glorious conjunction shines all the brighter because it corresponds perfectly with our personal weariness and our longing for greatness. Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart" (Mt 11:28-29). The lamb-like gentleness and humility of this Lion woos us in our weariness. And we love him for it. If he only recruited like the Marines, who want strength, we would despair of coming. 

But this quality of meekness alone would not be glorious. The gentleness and humility of the lamb-like Lion become brilliant alongside the limitless and everlasting authority of the lion-like Lamb. Only this fits our longing for greatness. Yes, we are weak and weary and heavy-laden. But there burns in every heart, at least from time to time, a dream that our lives will count for something great. To this dream Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Mt 28:18-20). 

The lion-like Lamb calls us to take heart from his absolute authority over all reality. And he reminds us that, in all that authority, he will be with us to the end of the age. This is what we long for--a champion, and invincible leader. We mere mortals are not simple either. We are pitiful, yet we have mighty passions. We are weak, yet we dream of doing wonders. We are transient, but eternity is written on our hearts. The glory of Christ shines all the brighter because the conjunction of his diverse excellencies corresponds perfectly to our complexities. 

On a completely different subject...I finally succumbed...I signed up for a Facebook account on Wed. Yikes! Right now I'm not really sure if I'm glad about that or not. :) It definitely can be a tremendous time drain, something I don't have a surplus of right now. But, I have enjoyed seeing all sorts of random friends and family...

One of my favorite annual activities...Valentine cookie decorating with the buddies

Prayer

The importance of prayer has always been known to me, but the practical outworking of prayer has always been a struggle. I see or hear of people who have a depth in their prayer life and desire that...the deep communion, the abiding trust, the delight and submission in the presence of God...how can we not desire more of that? To that end, here are some things that God has taught me in the area of prayer, particularly over the past year or so.

Prayer requires that we recognize our need. True prayer is a humbling posture...it acknowledges that we are little and God is big...that He knows and we don't...that without Him we are powerless. There really isn't a time when we don't need God's empowering work in our lives, especially if our greatest desire is to be living in a way that brings honor and glory to Him.

Prayer requires focus. Ahhh...the great challenge to not let thoughts wander to and fro. How sad it would be if we sat down with a friend and they didn't concentrate at all on us and our conversation...that they were constantly distracted and couldn't even utter a complete and coherent sentence. Now, maybe that's a little extreme, but I often feel like I just start to pray and then there go my thoughts...onto plans and other random things. One of the things that has helped me the most is praying out loud...a dear friend recommended that to me and it amazingly helps. Another great help is having a list of things that you pray for, or praying through scripture, or God's attributes, etc.

Prayer requires child-likeness. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he started with "our Father." I hadn't realized it before, but MacArthur stated that Jesus always prayed that way with the exception of his prayer on the cross when the Father's face was turned away. Praying with the idea that God is our Father gives a greater depth and beauty to prayer...it changes prayer from being cold and distant to being warm and personal. It also reminds us of God's great, incomprehensible love for us as well as the thought that he is trustworthy and wise...that he knows what is best for us.

Prayer requires relationship. Rarely do we ever want to have a deep conversation with someone we don't know. The more time we spend in prayer, the more our love for Christ grows, and the more precious he becomes to us. When we see God for who he truly is...good, great, gracious, and glorious...our hearts are drawn to him, and we delight in being in his presence.

Prayer requires submission. Blackaby writes, "Prayer is not for the purpose of getting God to help us...but for getting us in line with what God is about to do. Prayer is God's invitation to enter His throne room so He can lay His agenda over our hearts." We need to remember that prayer is not God manipulation, but rather a means to help us submit to his far greater agenda for our lives and the lives of those we are praying for. Our purposes are very small in comparison to the greater and grander purposes he has for our lives.

Prayer requires faith. Prayer acknowledges that taking the time to speak to God is more important than doing something. It shows that we believe God is able to accomplish what seems unable to be accomplished otherwise. It shows that our hope is in the unseen rather than the seen.

Prayer requires worship. Prayer flows forth most freely and most beautifully from a life that loves and delights in the Savior. Here's a beautiful picture of worshipful prayer from the life of Hudson Taylor..."Not many months after my conversion, having a leisurely afternoon, I retired to my own chamber to spend it largely in communion with God. I besought Him to give me some work to do for Him, as an outlet for love and gratitude; some self-denying service, no matter what it might be, however trying or however trivial; something with which He would be pleased, and that I might do for Him who had done so much for me. Well do I remember, as in unreserved consecration I put myself, my life, my friends, my all, upon the altar, the deep solemnity that came over my soul with the assurance that my offering was accepted. The presence of God became unutterably real and blessed; and though but a child under 16, I remember stretching myself on the ground, and lying there silent before Him with unspeakable awe and unspeakable joy."

I sure have a lot of growth needed in all these areas, but how thankful I am that God is patient with me and that He hears my prayers as feeble and imperfect as they are...

Soap Update

Well, it's been a while since I had my beginning foray into soap making. There are now 5 total soap batches behind me. :) 4 turned out just fine, and 1 didn't. 3 of the 4 good ones were of the original recipe that came with my soap kit. Since we're now about 6 weeks out from the first couple batches, we've been using them in the shower, and they are just lovely. The scents are really nice, they feel really soft, and they seem to have good amounts of bubbles. I really like them. My 4th batch is the one that didn't turn out well...it was incredibly soft and crumbly when I went to un-mold it. My friend and I tried to press it into "patties" but it just wouldn't really hold together, and it was really oily. I'm really not sure where I went wrong. A couple of potential problems spots were...new recipe, new way of soaping (room temp), messed up somewhere in the recipe. So, I looked into what I could do and decided to try "rebatching." One site said that it took hours to do so I dumped the soft soap back into the pot, turned on low, and left the room for 45 minutes. When I returned and checked the pot, much of it was burning and awful fumes were everywhere. So, in my surprise, I scraped off the top which looked fine and stuck it in a pan. I really should have taken a picture as it looked scary and awful...part of it was going crazy. Anyways, here are some other pics of soap...

My first effort at incorporating color and making a swirled effect

the scent is Rose Jasmine and I like it much more than I thought I would

this is Dave trying not to breathe in the noxious Mango fragrance oil fumes

this was my 5th soaping attempt and using a new recipe...the fragrance has
a bit of vanilla in it which turns the color a little brownish

here is my rebatched attempt...when I took this pic, I gave it a press

and I think it will end up being just fine...and about half of what I started with

Coke/Pepsi Challenge

Last year we read the book, Blink, in our book club. It's a fascinating book (that I can't remember if I reviewed or not!) that talks about how we make decisions. Well, in it is a section on a Coke/Pepsi challenge. It says that if you take 3 different cups and fill two with one beverage and the other with the alternative that it is extremely hard to tell the difference. So...Saturday we staged our own Coke/Pepsi challenge. Here's a guide for you to do a challenge of your own. :)

1. Find at least one person who is completely convinced that they can tell the difference between the two. It helps if he (or she) is employed by Coke (or Pepsi). The more convinced they are, the more fun it will be.

2. Purchase a box of small Dixie cups. Determine how many people will be participating and count out that amount of cups three times. Divide into three stacks. Mark the bottom of each cup in one stack with a defining mark - specific color or design.

3. Distribute cups onto three individual trays keeping the similarly marked cups on the same tray.

4. Decide whether you want to do two trays of Pepsi or Coke. Make sure you remember which trays are which. Secretly pour the correct beverage into each cup...certain people will try to cheat and watch you, so beware!

5. Create a spreadsheet with columns for people's names, a spot for each cup choice, and a spot of favorite cup...if you remember.

6. Call all your friends in and have them take the test. Laugh a lot as people realize they really can't tell the difference...or are convinced they can. Write down all answers.

7. Once everyone is finished, call out the answers. Be shocked that less than half actually got it right. Be even more shocked that only one person got all three correct. Give the Coke/Pepsi confident people a very hard time...don't let them forget it...text them about it, post pictures, etc. :)

Have fun! 

Random Good Things

Happy Saturday morning, everyone! Just wanted to share some things that have come across my path lately...

23 Things that Love Is - by Paul Tripp so you know it will be great...good reminder especially around Valentine's Day

Desiring God Vine Conference - I've only listened to a couple of these so far, but they have been really good. I know they're officially for pastors, but they're such a great reminder for all of us as we desire to stay in The Vine.

Here are a couple of quotes I wrote down from it:

Grace is not opposed to human activity, it is opposed to human merit. --Horton
We are justified never without works, but never for works. --Horton
Pursuing joy is only equivalent to pursuing intimacy with Christ. --Piper, I think
Union with Christ is the stream in which we experience superior pleasures to sin. --Piper
We measure people by the point they've reached, not by what they overcame to get there. --Owen
There have been lots more great quotes, but I didn't write more down...

Personality Test sites - Dave and I did a number of these last night - fun and interesting
The Big Five - this one is fun because you can also score someone else at the same time
Jung Typology Test - this one was good because it gives a description of your type of person at the end if you select the Self Awareness and Personal Growth button once you've completed it
iPersonic - this one is the quickest, but often hard to choose between the two options

Our most recent sermon series...Viral Church - I don't think the title really explains about what the subject matter was. It was about God's primary goal and how we fit into it...Pastor Josh preached one of my favorite sermons of his during it...

Josh Humor

Just some Josh humor to liven up your day...

"There's nuthin' like broken, stale chips and chicken nuggets for dinner." And, yes, for all of you inquiring minds, it is what we had for dinner...just one of those days. ;) (But Josh really loves chicken nuggets!)

Here are some pics from our Chinese New Year party...it was a fun group...a few of the people had to leave by the time of the pics...

playing Catch Phrase

the International students and a few friends mixed in

we call this "the Hide"...that's the guy's name in the lower left hand corner

2nd try... Hannah does it quite well :)

Some Free Time

This past week has been wonderfully slow and quiet...ahhhhhh...now I feel ready to get back into life. :) I am always amazed, however, that the less commitments I have, the less actually gets done...a little stress is good for productivity. Besides watching tons of Olympics the past couple days, we've enjoyed some down time doing what the kiddos love best...building Legos and having a spa (besides school and stuff, of course!). These kinds of things always remind me of an article by the Pearls written years ago...

I have loved many things in my life that had no personal meaning to me. All because I loved what they loved…because I loved them.

I hear it all the time. I have experienced it. You have too—loving what they love, because you love them. Have you ever seen an adult attending the funeral of a rabbit? Did the adult so love the pet rabbit that he just had to work through his grief in a process of closure? No, the average father would rather have eaten the rabbit (before it got sick), but when his little girl came to love the rabbit, Daddy loved what his sweetheart loved. He had no grief for the dead “hairball,” but he felt the loss his daughter felt, and so could grieve with her. Love is loving what they love.

I have loved many things in my life that had no personal meaning to me. I have loved scribbled drawings, ugly paintings, lopsided newly sown dresses, burnt cake, flat bread, sour pudding, oversalted cookies, days at the park, trampolines, picnics, hikes, vacations where you slept on the ground, canoe trips in dull, slow moving streams, cheap ice-cream and corn dogs, and on and on. I have laughed at jokes that were funny because the child got the punch line first. I have praised poems that had no meter, and listened to music recitals that made the dog leave home for three days—all because I loved what they loved…because I loved them.

I have listened to my wife talk about things that she read in a magazine article I had already passed up, unknown to her, because I didn’t care…until she cared. Over the years, my wife has gone out to the shop to view my latest invention, something I know she considered a waste of time, but her eyes showed her delight with my delight and she loved what I loved, even though it was a passing vanity. Things pass away. They won’t matter tomorrow or in eternity, but she matters, I matter, and my children matter, now and in eternity. So we love. We love each other. We love what the others love. In fellowship with each other, we love far more than we would ever have loved pursuing our own narrow interests. Life has been more varied and far more interesting for having loved.

Love gives inflated value to things, to places, to moments, to memories. With love attached, the ordinary becomes special, royal, even holy. The greatest pleasure is often found in simple things done together.

Love turns failure into compassion, discouragement into a renewed vision, stupid blunders into wisdom, and sin into redemption. Love covers a multitude of sins. The world can take our possessions, our occupation, our health, and eventually our breath, but it cannot touch our love. Once love is planted in the heart of another, it has eternal life. The treasures of the world will perish, but love given to another, especially to our children, is treasure laid up in heaven.

You keep love by giving it away. The more you give, the more you receive. Love is never fair. It is always lopsided. Love is most beautiful when you plant it in barren soil and see it multiply until it is returned a hundred fold. It must be given when it has not been earned, shared when it is rebuffed, and must persevere when there is no earthly reason—then you can say you have loved.

.......If your child is going to be your best friend when he or she is grown, you must love what they love: when they are three, and when they are thirteen. It is what makes the world go round and makes children come back around and call their parents blessed.

(the Pearls have amazing insight into humanity, and I have gleaned much from their ministry, but do read with discernment as I don't agree with all they write)

So, spouse...parent...friend...how well are you doing at loving what others love in your life?

Hannah's turn first

then mine...

don't they look lovely?

 going back through and pulling out all the Legos needed to rebuild his Star Wars sets

pretty cool, huh?

(just in case you're wondering...yes, the kids did stay in their jammies all day one day)