Huh?

Very cute boys Jackson and Isaac with Heather 

Caught!

Cousins AJ and Isaac 

ROCK OUT DUDE!!!

These guys can really JAM!! Or make mommies he ears hurt!
 

I've got a secret!

Two adorable buddies hangin' out, watching Veggie Tales and apparantly telling secrets.

Isaac and his friend Jordon (5 weeks older) are so cute together!!
 

please stop eating genetically modified soy (and other foods)

Here is information enough to question whether it is smart to eat genetically modified food. Most soy eaten in America is GMO. (genetically modified organism). This food is not like a "hybrid", a cross of two different species. It has been tweaked in a lab. Please stop eating soy if you can!!!! Try to get organic, non-GMO!!!!

there have been times we've wanted to quit!

Carl has finally acquired the one thing that seemed so far out of reach! His license is approved and valid until 2009 to teach 3-8th grade! halleluJia!!!! wooohoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course it may be a while until he is actually able to get a position, unless we want to move away, but he can substitute if he wants also. Thank you FATHER GOD for your provision!!! :)

comments on bigotry

I recently commented on the lifehack.org website, in response to a piece concerning discrimination, bigotry and fear. here is a link to that article

 

Generation Unleashed

Here are some pics from an awesome youth conference we went to a couple weeks ago!
About 3000 kids 12-24 show up to get filled up, fired up and worship God! It was an awesome time for all of us!  

kickin' it

Here is a long lost pic from my old 1megapixel digital camera! Recently found... Isaac fell asleep like this (back when he still slept in the car!) with his thumb in his overalls. We felt the little farmer really needed that piece of grass to chew on as he kicked back in the hot summer shade! 

Isaac's shiner! In case you're wondering he tripped and hit a footstool! 

Lego "build your own robot"! Awesome!

Check out the link above this is SO COOL!!!! Lego has a new Mindstorms set coming out this year where you can build your own robots. Bluetooth compatable. if you don't know what bluetooth is just google "bluetooth" learn away. this is so awesome!!

XBOX Champion!

 

Check this out! SO GROSS!!!!!!!!!

  "link

Latest goings on around here

Well, we had a very nice Christ-mas and are hoping to have a happy New Year too. Isaac got some very nice toys and clothes. We all got much more than we need and gave lots of great gifts too. We are TRYING to go snowboarding, but the weather has been so funky it just isn't going happen quite yet. If we didn't have to drive so far away!
Isaac is officially walking now. He walks most places. He still looks very much like a baby, and is a baby and is adorable as ever! It is so funny and cute to see him walking. He took his first steps at 9 months, and has been really walking since around 10 months, but now he crawls very little. I am trying to figure out a smart solution to having his birthday party. He also has two new little ladies in his life now. His cousin Abby, well she's been around for a couple months now, and his new little friend Hannah who is about 3 weeks old. He really likes the babies. He loves the little dogs and cats we see at peoples houses (or the neighbors cat in our yard). He love getting into EVERYTHING!!! Especially the refridgerator, the dishwasher, the bathroom, playing with his heater..... all NO-NO's!!! He is VERY good though, so happy and fun!

Anyway again, HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and I hope to post a little more often and put in more interesting info.

We must take a stand

This link is to a blog talking about a cross that is supposed to go up in Portland at the Pioneer Square (boy wouldn't the "pioneers" be flabergasted by what they see?) We absolutely must take a stand to have that cross put up. Early Christians were killed just for being Christians. What are we going to do in 5 years when we are in that position? Obviously if we keep doing what we have been doing (which is nothing) we will be in that position soon.
Either way, I think we must do something, whether we end up having to defend ourselves physically or not.
We are getting closer and closer to the position where Christians will be killed for their faith in America. The apostle Peter did carry a sword. And according to Jesus the rightful place (in Matthew 26) was back in its sheath at Peter's side. But when the right time to defend yourself and when to turn the other cheek is a difficult question. Trusting the Lord and listening to His voice for when to use or not use is the only way.
But right now, (thank God) we are only required to stand up for our beliefs and the freedom to express them. And thankfully we truly get our freedom from the Lord. This will further the cause of Christ not put a damper on Him. Unlike Lars Larson's (see his website at larslarson.com) perseption, which I think is wrong but it is his to make and he is free to have. Look at all of the other countries (I can think of a few) that attack Christianity. The mainstream media doesn't want you to know it but there is "revival" in the church in most if not all those places. China, India, North Korea.

God forbid we ever get to be where they are. Of course, the Christians in those places think the same thing about us. The would never want our freedom. It breeds complacency. Where they are, you make your decision, and you better be serious about it because it could cost you your life. And choosing to become a Christian, choosing joy over sadness, love over hate, holiness versus filth, wholeness vs. emptiness is a crime. It is becoming a crime in America.
STAND UP FOR CHRISTIANITY AND FREEDOM!!!

Carl is DONE with school!!

Well, Carl received a phone call late this afternoon informing him that the school is satisfied completely with all of his requirements and will be recommending him for his teaching license as soon as possible!!! This means he should be able to take a position if available in January, or substitute teach in January!!! Praise the Lord!!! Also, Isaac walked clear across the room today with no help or encouragement at all!!! (nor any shoes or socks!) He also said Mama (sounded like "ma'ama" this evening too!!!!! What an amazing Kid!!

Another topic.. CAN NOT WAIT TO GO SNOWBOARDING THIS YEAR!!!!! The snow seems really good for the most part and I will be able to ride instead of ski!! YAY! No more blisters as I was able to acquire some new boots and bindings for an early Christmas present at a great price! No more boots that were made in probably 1992 and bindings from 1994. I am not pregnant this season either so that is also awesome!

Carl is DONE!!! sort of

One teensie tini teeny weeny thing left!!!!!!!!!!! For his bachelor's degree, he has had to go through a long process of proving which classes he has had and why he does not need to take these new classes they want him to take since he has already done them. He was in an old education program which is totally different now, and the admin and teachers are almost all completely different too. So it has taken a while but now, we are down to the very last little thing which is ONE class that he has already done and having them verify that he does not need to repeat it. YAY!!! He could have his degree THIS WEEK!!! And be making (hopefully) three times as much money or more in January!!!!!!! Praise God for the increase and making us prosper!! We will probably be able to move out of this crappy house and into almost whatever we want!!! (within reason of course) Thank GOD this whole thing is almost done!!!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom

I have had a recent revelation about fear. The thought came to mind, I feel from the Lord, that old saying "you become what you fear, or the things you fear will come to pass", and then along with the saying, the verse in the Bible "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom".

Ok, obviously fearing God doesn't make us become God.

But think about this... If we become what we fear or cause our fears to come to pass by dwelling on them, we are (in the spirit realm) actually commissioning the enemy (satan and his cronies) to make these things come to pass. If we constantly are fearful of being sick or coming to financial ruin or being physically attacked or even spiritually attacked, then these things often come about because we have been meditating on them.

Our minds and our words are powerful. We were created in the image of God. If we speak something, it has the power to kill or heal. The Bible states this. It also states that as a man thinketh in his own heart, so is he (or something like that). Also, out of the abundance of the heart a man speaks. So when we dwell on bad things it is like building maybe a blueprint for the devil. Then, we speak about those bad things. We talk to people about them. We write about them. We might even pray about them too much. So then, then enemy hears our words and sees that we are focused on bad things. He says, "OK, You said it".

Now, think about this. If we focus on God, we focus on whatever is good, pure, lovely, righteouse, holy, etc... then those things come about. We focus on how beautiful He is. He comes to manifest His beauty in us. We focus on His holiness. We begin to live holier lives. We think about and talk about Him. God Himself begins to show up and manifest Himself in our daily lives.
The enemy doesn't want to do that (think about God, ever ever again. It would be diametrically opposed to everything he wants. he wants to steal, kill, destroy. he can't listen to lovely things. It would make him cringe. So the more we do this, the less we see him (devil) working in our lives.
This in turn enables our tongue to become more powerful in the heavenly realm. The abundance of our heart is full of GOOD. We are able to speak healing words into peoples lives more confidently, boldly, frequently. And we see the healing manifest more confidently, boldly, and frequently. We are able to see our own lives prosper and flourish with good things.

This is in no way a get rich quick scheme or a cheap way to have a happy life. We can only let God work in our lives if we will let go of every bad thing in our mind. This means spending more time with Him in intimacy.
And if we have trouble doing this, (which we will we aren't all powerful) then we have to open up and let the Lord do works in our heart and minds that we don't understant or don't have the power to do. This is part of the saving work of the blood of Jesus.

So of course I already had most of this somewhere deep down from the years of reading and hearing the Word. But I never connected the two thoughts like this before. That when we fear, it is like meditating and that fearing Him is the beginning of Wisdom. So maybe this is too elementary and simple. But it is GOOD. And it works on every level of all of our lives.
A couple of ways that some like to help themselves do these things are putting verses up around the house, listening to tapes, tv sermons and music, reading the Word, going to church, talking to other believers especially stronger ones, going to prayer meetings and Bible studies. I myself could do much more of these things.
Anyway, just my little new revelation. Hope it helps someone.

Very important news about Isaac

Yesterday evening, our beautiful son made clear to us that he knew two words! He has kind of been saying some "words" for a while but nothing very clear and almost all of it sounds like a few different things. He has always said "dada" since he could first speak. But last night he said "dis" and pointed at one thing and then "dat" and pointed at another thing. So we finally realized he meant "this" and "that". Carl and I repeated after him when he said it again. And VERY excitedly he clapped his hands, laughed and sort of said "yay" in his own little language. HE IS SO CUTE! So of course we did this over again a couple of times. Now he is saying this and that all the time. He still won't say "mama". But he knows what this and that are. I think he even understands a little of the meaning. You can call almost anything this or that. He seems to comprehend that "this" is usually closer and "that" is usually farther.
He also understands that the remote controls the TV and the game controller controls the game. Brilliant. He continues to amaze us with his sillyness, constant laughing and smiling and flirting, motor skills and smart things he is starting to do. He walked about 8 steps the other day without me even coaxing him. Wow, who knew a kid could be so much fun?