• Sep. 24, 2008
Fun Times!

Hello Friends!  Sorry I have been away for a while!  September has been a busy month with many birthdays and showers!  Things are going well with the pregnancy, I feel very blessed!  I have 11 other friends who are also expecting babies, plus, both the Jeub family and the Duggars are expecting little ones!  How exciting!  God's timing is perfect! 

I have also been busy working on blankets to sell to make a little extra money for Christmas.  I was blessed to get birthday money to buy the material, so I'm hoping to make a little profit so that I can buy Will a nice gift this year.  I love Christmas and have been listening to Christmas music for the past 2 months!  The cooler weather is REALLY getting me in the mood!  It's just in my blood!  There is something about the celebration of our Savior's birth that is so amazing and exciting, I just can't celebrate only one month out of the year.  Singing "Silent Night", "O Holy Night",  "There's a New Kid in Town", gives me goose bumps!  I know you all think I am crazy, but hey, that's just me!  Hope to hear from many of you soon!  I need to go, but hope to visit some of your blogs soon.

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• Sep. 1, 2008
Baby on the way!

Hello everyone!  We have exciting news!  Baby #4 is on the way!  Yea!!!  God is so good  and His blessings and gifts are beyond compare!  It is great to serve a God who we can fully trust with the size of our family, knowing that He knows better than we do, how many children we need and when we need them as well as the purpose He has for each precious life!

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• Aug. 18, 2008
I am honored to call them my friends.

There is a joy that is found in serving our Lord that surpasses all others.  It is so wonderful, and such a privelage to serve the God of the universe and to actually be called "His".  It is so amazing to see how His hand is in every little thing that we do.  As you look at the following pictures, please pray for these children and their siblings and cousins.  These are some of the children on the reservation we worked with that absolutely captured my heart.  They are in an area that is so desperate for the gospel of Jesus.  They hunger for love and affection and the opportunity to just be kids without the worries of the world.  So many of them never have this chance.  They have seen more in the first few short years of their life than many of us see in a life time.  They need Jesus.  They need hope.  And Love, and someone to be there with them to show them that they care.  I am reminded of Steven Curtis Chapman's song "It's all Yours".  I have a Deep love in my heart for these children, and know that God has a special plan and desire for each of their lives.  Just like He had a plan in us planting the seeds of the gospel there with them.

Verse 2:  "I walk the streets of Uganda and see the scars that war has left behind.  Hope like the sun, is fading, and they're waiting for a cure no one can find.  And I hear children's voices singing, of a God who heals and rescues and restores and I'm reminded, every child in Africa, is Your's!"

Chorus:  "And it's all Your's God, Your's God, Everything is Your's!  From the stars in the Sky, to the depths of the ocean floor!  And it's all Your's God, Your's God, Everything is Your's!  You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything.  It's all Your's."

 

 

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• Aug. 15, 2008
Our littlest missionaries.

Alonda and Malachi

Jonathon and Anna.  You may recognize Jonathon and Alonda.  They are friends that we met on our very first trip to AZ.  Jonathon was 12 then, Alonda 11...I think, and we've had the privelage to stay in touch and be with them on each trip.

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• Aug. 14, 2008
Pics of our M.T.

We left out Sat. morning at about 10 AM central time and arrived at 4:30 AM mountain time (sort of...AZ is weird...they don't have daylight savings...at all!)...after gaining 2 hours, so 6:30 AM at home.

Noah and some of the older girls knocking on neighborhood doors to invite children to VBS.

Redneck Ingenuity~They couldn't find a hose, so.....just use a NOODLE!!!  This was fun to watch!

Ministering to young hearts at Sunday nights block party at the church.

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• Aug. 13, 2008
Wordless Wednesday~Flat on the Way to AZ

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• Aug. 6, 2008
My God is Mighty to Save!

We just got back from Arizona.  God really worked there.  The Indian village that we worked at last year is the same one that we were supposed to work at this year.  Sunday night (the day we arrived) Lane received a phone call saying that there had been  some drive by shootings and a stabbing made as threats on the woman whose home we were to use there and that the pastor there didn't know if it was safe for us to come...the threats were made because of us coming again.  There is a lot of heavy gang activity in the area, but the men decided that they didn't want Satan to get his way in "scaring us off" and to us, this was just a sign that we were definitely supposed to be there, so we found another location on the reservation at another woman's home.  It was a blessing that we moved, and God knew exactly what He was doing!  We ran about 25 kiddos each day compared to under 15 for the past 6 times we've gone at all the different reservations. This would not have been the case at the other location because of where the kids all lived.

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• Jul. 24, 2008
Adrenaline Rush

Last night, the coolest thing I have ever seen happened.  My two boys were sitting on the floor playing in the office, while I was figuring some math.  Noah said, "uh, Mama?"  I said, "just a second, Noah"  The next thing I knew, he was up screaming, crying, and running out the door of the office and into the living room.  Before I could do anything else, he was back in the office still screaming like before and headed straight for his little brother, grabbed his overall straps, and was pulling him across the floor.  As soon as he moved the baby, there it was.........................A scorpion!  Tail curled up, ready to attack! 

I grab Malachi, who Noah left setting in the door, and head for the living room.  Remember this is all happening within seconds.  Noah runs around the living room, still yelling, jumps up on the couch, past his little sister and behind his daddy, looking for protection.  I tell Will that there is a scorpion and he is so caught up with the little ball of 4 year old behind him and trying to figure out what is wrong with his son that never acts this way, that he didn't hear me.  I tell him again and he goes to make his execution (Maybe it's just a guy thing, but he likes to cut their tails off with scissors.) as I try to calm down a green faced, wide eyed little hero. 

I told Noah how proud I was of him and that his actions proved that he is becoming a young man because men do things to protect others even when things are scary and dangerous. 

Will took the kill to its final resting place (the toilet) and we all gathered round.  Noah hovered over the toilet and little Anna stuck her chubby hand up and said, "get back, Noah!  He sting You!"  Will leaned over to make the flush as our children watched that scorpion get the biggest swirly he'd ever had!  I start explaining to Will exactly what had happened and how proud I was of our son.

I'm not sure if it was an adrenaline rush, God given first born instinct, or that our son has an amazing capability to think straight that Noah came back to get his brother in situations where most people couldn't think at all.  It's not that scorpions are so bad......I hate them, and they have a nasty sting! ( I've been stung on the forearm.)....but knowing that Noah is able and capable of protecting his siblings even when things are chaotic, dangerous, and scary.  To a 4 year old, this situation was a big deal.  If he hadn't come back for Malachi, he would have gotten stung, and probably me too.  What a brave little hero!

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• Jul. 23, 2008
Wordless Wednesday

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• Jul. 21, 2008
VBS

Well, our first night of Bible school went very well.  We had all girls  10 of them!  We learned about Moses and his obedience to God and how God used him even when it was hard.  We worked on blankets.  My mother in law is teaching...I'm helping and my father in law is helping when he's able.  Will was doing the youth class, but since he just had 2 tonight, we combined classes.  He has another guy helping him.  Tell you what, as we worked on the blankets, those 3 men were the best helpers I have ever had!  We had a lot of fun and look forward to what God is going to do in the lives of these girls the rest of the week!

 

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• Jul. 21, 2008
From One Crazy Week to Another

Summers are always crazy and full around here.  The rest of the summer definitely testifies to that truth!  As all of you know, we had youth camp the week before last, then last week was just kind of a catch up week.  This week is VBS.  Thank goodness its in the evenings, gives more time with our children during the day.  Then, we leave Saturday for our mission trip to AZ.  Please pray that God would give our kiddos an extra amount of grace and rest, as it is going to be a long couple of weeks for them.  They do it every year and God has been very good and merciful.  I know that God provides the strength we need when we are working for Him, and trust that He will do no less this year.  Thanks for all your prayer and encouragement.  Hopefully, I can be back into a routine with housework, family, and blogging.

 

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• Jul. 15, 2008
Are you Truly in the Faith?

In our Keepers of the Home Group this morning I presented the ladies with some verses and some questions to ponder.  I wanted to present it to all of you as well.  Please take time today to search your heart.  Where are you with Jesus?  Is He first place in your life?  Are you working for Him or just kind of coasting along?  I hope the following will help you as you strive to become closer to Him.

Examine your life. Are you 100% sure that you have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ or are you just going through the motions and hanging onto believing a prayer that you said one time but you’ve never been changed? True salvation changes you, not just for a time, but for the rest of your life. It is a surrendering of your life to Christ so that He can use your life to draw others to Himself and bring glory to His name. It’s not about knowing, saying, and doing religious things, but about a genuine relationship with and desire to serve Him.

Matt. 7:22-23

Satan will do everything he can to deceive people into believing that they are saved if they really aren’t. Be careful to truly examine your heart’s desires and the life style that you live.

John 10:10

There are ways to be sure that you are saved. The Bible gives us many evidences for us to look at to be sure that we are truly "in the faith."

You will meet much resistance. People of the world will mock the things you do and choices you make. Mk 13:13

Your desires will be different. Heb. 10:22-23, 1 Jn. 1:5-8, 1 Jn. 2:15

God’s Word will speak to you and convict you almost every time you read it. Heb. 4:12-13

Your life will encourage other Christians to do only things that will encourage their walk with Christ. Other Christians shouldn’t feel comfortable doing things around you that are dishonoring and displeasing to the Holy Spirit. You should always be careful not to put yourself in situations where there is an opportunity for your convictions to be compromised, and you should be careful to help guard other Christians from these situations as well.

Heb. 10:24-25

After going through just a few of the verses that the Bible gives on the life of a Christian and looking at your life. Is Jesus getting what He paid for?

Heb. 9:12-14

Is there something that is keeping you from God really being able to use you? Maybe in looking at these things, you realize that you truly aren’t a Christian and you feel God leading you to Himself. If that is the case, don’t let anything hinder you from coming to Jesus.

Luke 7:36-50

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• Jul. 12, 2008
Home Safely

The Lord has been very gracious to us this week!  It was a wonderful week at camp where many of our youth had a wonderful time growing together in the Lord.  Each of them had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and a chance to respond resulting in salvation.  About half of our group were faithful christian kids that have a heart for the Lord.  2 of our young ladies felt the Lord's call on their life into ministry.  One to missions, another to children's ministry.  Another young lady, who has grown up in church and had made a previous profession of faith at a much younger age realized that her salvation had not been genuine and there had never been a real change in her life because of Jesus.  Praise the Lord for His guidance to her!  Others even with having the opportunity to hear the gospel, still have a calloused heart that has grown cold to the things of the Lord.  Please pray for them.  Pray for each of these students...please!  Some of them have seen their need to do a lot of things differently.  Pray that they would be strong and determined in their follow through. 

It was wonderful to come home to our children's smiling faces and squeals of joy.  I'm thankful that God has given us one more day with them! Thank you for your love and encouragement! 

In Jesus Joy and Peace,

Charity

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• Jul. 5, 2008
Who's Da' Man!?

Will strutting after a spike on one of his best buds in volleyball....and the shirt was a gift....I know this looks like a really cocky picture, but its a fun one for our family and just wanted to share.

Will and I will be out of town this week for youth camp.  His parents will be staying here with the kiddos, but I probably won't get much chance to update the blog, unless it's in the wee hours of the morning.  I will try to check back in, but can't promise.  Otherwise, I will see you when I get back...I will miss you all!

Charity

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• Jul. 3, 2008
The Blessing of Motherhood

Each morning I wake up to cheerful smiles and happy little feet running across our wood floor, and as the sun shines through our windows, I'm reminded of the grace that God shines on our family each day.  I realize the blessing of the over abundance of clothes that we have to wear by the piles of laundry that I have such a hard time keeping up with, when so many are willing to wear whatever they can get their hands on. 

I see the strength and perseverance in the heart of my young boys and am reminded of the leader that they will one day be and how it is the responsibility of Will and I as their parents to train them to be Godly men who strive to lead in the home, community, church, nation, and possibly world.  I pray that God would continue to give them strength to stand for what is right and courage to share the gospel even if times of severe persecution come, all the while doing their best to protect and lead their family. 

I am well acquainted with the beauty and joy my little girl brings to our home as she sings and giggles throughout the day and am reminded of the joy that we as wives and mothers should be allowing to reign in our home as we are the ones who set the tone.  It is up to us to make sure that our home is a joyful, happy, delightful, and restful place to be.  It should be a place where the weary find strength and rest and the disheartened find an encouraging word.  I smile to think that she will one day be a cheery and happy wife and mother who sets a wonderful and joyful spirit in her own home as she loves her husband and trains her children.

"Strength and dignity are her clothing and she smiles at the future."  Proverbs 31:25

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• Jul. 2, 2008
Wordless Wednesday!

Smiles from the laundry room!  This is how I found my children when I woke up the other day. 

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• Jul. 1, 2008
Be a Joyful Parent

"Parents are competing with many others in an open contest for the position of role model.  Children will seek to be like the person who most attracts them.  Parents cannot demand respect or admiration.  If it is not freely given, it doesn't exist.  Joy attracts everyone."  Taken from To Train Up a Child by Michael and Debi Pearl

Whaaaaat??????  Is there something on my face?

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• Jun. 30, 2008
The Important Things in Life.

Sometimes people focus so much material things and forget what their children really need.  Time, love, reading books, nature walks, tea parties, prayer time and so on.  Children are much more happy and will love and respect the friendship of a parent who puposes to truly invest in them and spend time getting to know who they really are.  Enjoy your children.  Make special times with them everyday and don't let anything else take that place.  Will and I have several things that we try to do with the children to show them how much we love them and to train them in the way of the Lord. 

Will tucks the children into bed each night, lets them pray, then prays over them.  I like to go in too, but a lot of times I just let him.  This is a very special time between he and the children.  He prays that God would protect them, that He would raise them up to have a love and desire for Jesus, the God would give us wisdom to train them in the way they should go, and that He would protect them from falling into the sins that Will and I have struggled with in the past.  Our desire is that they would become mighty warriors of God and Godly ladies for Christ. 

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• Jun. 29, 2008
Muffins with Gram!!

I like to invite Gram and Marmee over every once in a while to have breakfast with the kids.  Gram (My mom) came recently and the kiddos had a wonderful time!

(You can't tell much from this pic. but I really think Noah's eyes are shaped like my mom's.)

Just so happened that Noah was the only one I could get a picture of.  I was busy with the other two.

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• Jun. 28, 2008
Baby Wearing Contest!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Visit this link to find out more about winning a baby carrier from along for the ride!  You can enter by July 31 and win!  Good luck!

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