New Hairdos

We took the girls' yarn braids out a couple of weeks ago, and have had fun with some new hairdos.  I think we'll be putting the yarn braids back in soon (for ease of care), so I thought I'd show you a few pics before we go back to the long braids.

This morning ... ready for church.

Rachel says, "Make it BIG."

The side view.

Sarah has a much tighter, kinkier curl.

Sweet Sarah

Spunky Rachel

This afternoon ...

a brand new hairdo.

I put in 50 twists this afternoon.

Ben took this shot,

so that you can see the back of her hair,

in the mirror.  Cool!

The Legalistic Box

Legalism:  


1.  Excessive adherence to law or formula. 


2.  Theology - dependence on moral law, rather than on personal religious faith.


I asked in my first post on  Freedom in Christ vs. Legalism ... where do you fit?  Do you find yourself more on the Freedom in Christ side of things, or the Legalistic side of things?

I, myself, find that question difficult to answer.

If you were to ask random acquaintances of the Big D family which side we fit on ... I'm sure they would tend to say that we are legalistic ... that we have a lot of "Rules to Live By".

However, if you were to ask close friends of the Big D family ... I would expect that they would say we were closer to the Freedom in Christ side of things.  We give a lot of grace, when the rules are not lived up to.

Last January, I wrote a post about Rules vs. Relationships.  It talked about how, in parenting, Rules without Relationships often equals Rebellion.  I believe that the same is true with our faith.  If all we see in the Bible is the rules, than we are much more likely to rebel against the authority of it.  Yet, when we view the Bible as the key to building our relationship with Christ, than we will view the rules entirely differently.

I believe that the "rules" in Scripture are absolutely important, yet the relationship is of primary importance.  I so desire to obey the rules, because of my deep love relationship with the author of those rules.

On the "Legalistic" side of things ... I DO believe it is important to "obey the rules".   When God's Word tells us to do something, that means He wants us to do it (or not do it, as the case may be).

God's Word tells us to obey our governing authorities.  I believe that this means we are to obey the laws of the land, unless they were to directly contradict God's Word.  How does this apply to my daily life?

#1  I'm a stickler for driving the speed limit.  Absolute stickler.

#2  I follow the arrows at the gas pump.  I really do.  (Now, even though this may not be a legal law, I want to set the example for my children that I "follow the rules".)

#3  I go back to a cashier if they forgot to ring something up.  If I went home with an unpaid for item, that would be stealing.  I waited patiently in a busy grocery store once, when I realized that the clerk hadn't rung up my $1.25 package of toilet paper.  I needed to pay for it.

#4  I am VERY careful to do my taxes honestly and ethically.   I am SHOCKED by how many Believers think it's "okay" to cheat the government out of "a little" money.

Now ... some people would call me legalistic, because I am very concerned about following the rules.  However, it is NOT about the rules ... it's about my relationship with Christ, that is so very important to me, that I want to do all I can to bring honor and glory to Him.

Sometimes, I actually HATE following the rules.  It is NOT always easy to "play by the rules".  But, out of OBEDIENCE, I know that I must.  Here is the perfect example of the biggest area that I HATE following God's rules.  I don't have much of a problem going 65mph, when the Speed Limit tells me to,  However, in California, while everyone else is allowed to go 65 or 70 ... vehicles pulling trailers are "required" to drive 55mph.  I HATE pulling my trailer the entire length of CA (750+ miles).  NO ONE else follows the rules.  NO ONE!  Other drivers even get mad at me for following the law ... I'm in their way.  Sometimes, I even argue with God about it.  I whine and say, "It's not fair!"  But ... I set my good old cruise control on 55 mph, and thank the Lord for the relationship I have with him.  Getting to my destination faster, pales in comparison to growing my relationship deeper.

God's Word is not made up of optional suggestions.  No.  God's Word is made up of the laws that He wants us to live by.

Those that don't really know us, often put us into the "Legalistic Box" because of our lifestyle choices.  However, we do NOT believe that any of the following choices are absolute Scriptural "rules".  We see them as God's very BEST for OUR FAMILY ... but we would not tell anyone else that they are sinning if they don't make the same choice.

#1  We have 13 children.  Most people think that we don't believe in using any type of birth control.  Not the case.  We CHOSE to allow God to determine the size of our family.  We do not look down AT ALL on families that only have 2 or 3 children.  Most of our closest friends do NOT have large families.

#2  We homeschool our children.  Again, most people think that we believe every Christian family should teach their children at home.  Not so.  We believe that homeschooling is God's BEST for OUR FAMILY.

#3  We do not watch television (except on rare occasions when staying at hotels).  Many people think that we believe that television is evil.  Not so.  We CHOSE to turn off our television 19 years ago, and have never regretted that decision.  We believe it has been the BEST decision for OUR FAMILY.  But, we do not judge those who do watch television.  We might, however, encourage families about the type of television shows they are allowing into their homes.  Shows that may not fit Godly standards.

#4  Our children do not attend Youth Group.  We do not believe there is anything inherently wrong in church Youth Groups, however we do not believe that they have been the BEST option for our teenagers.  On the flip side ... many of our older teens and young adults have worked as volunteer youth leaders, which we have absolutely encouraged.

#5  Our children sit in "big church" with us, starting at about age 5.  Again, nothing inherently wrong with Children's Ministry (our eldest daughter worked in full-time Children's Ministry for 2 years).  However, it is actually our CHILDREN who have CHOSEN to worship with the family.  They have asked if they can't PLEASE stay in "big church" with Papa and Mama.  That has been God's BEST for OUR FAMILY ... even though we were BLESSED with the most absolutely amazing Children's Pastor at our church for 7 years.

#6  We do not watch R-rated movies.  We do not believe that the majority of R-rated movies are honoring to the Lord.  No, there is not a Scripture verse that says, "Don't watch R-rated movies.", but there are many that talk about "think on things that are pure ... holy ... and righteous".  Most R-rated movies do not fit in that category.

#7  We do not "do" Santa Claus at our house.  We have many friends that do.  We have just CHOSEN to focus on the LORD as we celebrate His Birth.  I might be concerned, though, if you are lying to your children about the authenticity of Santa Claus; because Scripture clearly tells us not to lie.  Because of the Scriptural mandate not to lie ... we don't do the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy either.

#8  We do not drink alcohol.  (Read my comments on Bianca's Post about that one.)  This is a personal preference.  This is what we believe is BEST for OUR FAMILY.  We have many friends that see nothing wrong with having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner.  I don't have a problem with that.  However, if much of your social life is centered around drinking alcohol ... I've got a few questions for you.

We most certainly might look like a very legalistic family.  However, I believe the difference is that while we believe each of these "rules" are BEST for OUR FAMILY ... we do NOT try to put these rules onto anyone else.

On the flip side ...

About 12 years ago we joined an organization.  It looked good.  It had a lot of "good programs" for the youth.  We thought that we would find a group of like-minded Believers.  We couldn't have been further from the truth.

While, in our own local church, we were definitely known as the "very conservative" family ... when we joined this organization we suddenly became "the rebellious ones".  Seriously.  It was bad.

When we sent in our family picture with our application to join, we were at first rejected, because Papa had a beard.  What??!!  Yes, they saw all beards as a sign of rebelliousness from the 1970's.  We were stuck.  If we refused to shave the beard, they had just proved that we were rebellious.  Jim shaved.

Then, we discovered all of the "rules".

#1  Birth control is an abomination of the Lord.

#2  Women must have as many children as they can possibly have.

#3  All women and girls must wear dresses at all times.

#4  All children must be educated at home.

#5  The King James Bible is the only valid Bible.

#6  All music except hymns are evil.

Oh my.  We went from "very conservative" to "totally rebellious" in one day.  While we did already have 8 children, we had used birth control.  While I did like my denim jumpers, I also really liked my jeans.  Our family much preferred the NIV Bible, and we loved our contemporary Christian music.  We were in trouble.  No, our affiliation with this organization did not last long.

However, we learned a LOT from our short time as members.  We saw legalism up close and personal, and we wanted nothing to do with it.  We did NOT see joy-filled families.  We saw mothers that were over-burdened with their responsibilities to follow the rules.  They were having babies because they were told to, not because they wanted to.  As a group, they were the saddest bunch of mothers I had ever seen.  It broke my heart.

So, while we may have tended a bit towards the legalistic side before our brief stint with that organization ... we quickly moved over to the grace-filled side.  Our standards ... our rules ... for our family, did not change.  But we saw how quickly things could go wrong when 1 person (the head of the organization) decided that everyone MUST hold to the same convictions as he held to, or they were sinners.  

If sitting down for a cup of tea with you, I would share all of the reasons that we have made the choices that we've made.  I may encourage you to make a similar choice.  I may challenge you to read Scriptures and seek wisdom in one of these areas (if I see a specific problem).  Yet, I would not call you a sinner if you made different choices for your family.

For those of you who tend to be far over on the "Freedom in Christ" side of things, I would encourage you to hold your tongue for a minute before crying "Legalism!!!".  I would encourage you to really hear the person's heart.  If they are making the choice for their own family, it is not necessarily legalism ... it's THEIR CHOICE.  I would also encourage you to truly seek God's heart on matters that aren't specifically spelled out in scripture.  Remember, even though everything might be "permissible" in our freedom in Christ, that does not mean that everything is beneficial.  Wouldn't you rather have God's very BEST for your family, rather than just the "freedom" to do what you want to do?

For those of you who tend to be far over on the "Legalistic" side of things, I would encourage you to really study the Scriptures.  Don't just take someone's Word for what is Biblically right and wrong.  Study God's Word so that you KNOW what is or is not a Biblical standard.  Also, remember that there was a time when you did not hold the same scriptural convictions.  You are still learning and maturing in your own relationship with Christ.  So, I'd encourage you to give others the Grace that God gave you, before you learned what you now know.

How Close to the Mountain?

Dawn left a great analogy on my Freedom in Christ vs. Legalism blog post (see below)...

I think it is kind of like the lady who was interviewing people to drive her car up the mountain. She asked each person, "How close can you get me to the edge of the road and still be a safe driver?"  Each continued to say....."I can get you closer to the edge."  In the end, she went with the driver that said "Your life is too valuable. I would never risk you being close to the edge. I would stick as close to the mountain as possible." 

When it comes to what we can and can't do....it is really just a simple matter of How Close Can We Get to THE MOUNTAIN? If it takes us away from the mountain....it is not God's Will for us.

For everyone this changes with time. We used to think that a lot of things were ok....but when we were growing in Christ we have chipped away a lot of things. Slowly but surely we feel God is bringing us closer to THE MOUNTAIN- closer to Himself. When God convicts you- it may hurt, you may run from it for a while because you don't want to hear it, but in the end.....you are sooo glad that it has been chipped away.

Looking back...I do not miss the "things of this world"...because I am closer to Jesus.

Thanks Dawn.  I totally agree.  I don't want to ask, "How close to the edge can I get before falling "into the World"?"  I want to ask, "How far away can I get "from the World" as I draw closer to the Lord?"

I don't have a list of rules that I believe everyone needs to live by.  I have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and I want to introduce him to everyone I meet.  And, when you meet him, I'm hoping that you won't say, "Great to meet you.  I'll see you in heaven."  No ... I'm hoping that you will want to come along and live life with my best friend Jesus and me. The more time that you and I spend with Jesus ...

... the better we get to know him.

... the more that we want to do the things he asks us to do.

...  the more like him that we become.

When you think about walking through life with Christ as your favorite companion ...

...  do you envision taking him to the R-rated movie with you ... or do you tell him, "We'll catch up after I go see this great flick."

...  do you envision taking him to the local bar so that you can relax and get a little buzz ... or do you say, "I know it's not best, but hey this is where my other friends hang out.  Catch ya later."

...  do you envision him sitting quietly on the couch waiting for you, while you read your trashy romance novels ... or do you say, "Come back later.  Then we can talk."

In reality, Christ wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives.  If we truly say that we are living for him, than won't we want him with us, all day every day, rather than just on Sunday morning?

I don't want to go anywhere that I would be embarrassed to have Jesus Christ sitting next to me.

I don't want to do anything that I know I'll have to ask forgiveness for.

I don't want to wear anything that will cause him to have to remind me of the "modesty scriptures".

I don't want to be in a relationship with Jesus, where I only say, "Hi" on Sundays, but hope that I can spend eternity with him.

No ... I want to live my live, each and every day, walking as close to Jesus as I can possibly walk.  When I do trip and stumble, I know that he'll pick me up and we'll get right back on track in our daily walk.

How close to the cliff are you driving?

Freedom in Christ vs. Legalism - Part 2

Last weekend, while at a Women's Retreat, I was, once again, pondering the Freedom in Christ vs. Legalism topic.  I had one of those "God-Moments" and just started writing.  Here is the analogy that came to my mind ...


As parents, we have rules and guidelines for our children to live by.  We also have grace.  Our children know that we will still love them, even when they make poor choices.

However, if our children daily choose to live outside of our guidelines, if they regularly choose to reject our teaching, than they soon become known as "the rebellious one".

If their lifestyle becomes totally rebellious, they are asked to move out ... to leave our home.  They may still receive a promised inheritance, but they have lost the daily fellowship with their family.

If they completely reject all that we stand for, than it may confirm that they never truly believed in our authority, nor the truths of our guidelines.  At this point, they may lose their inheritance.  We will still love them; yet we cannot condone their lifestyle choices.  We will still love them; yet we cannot reward the choice of their total rebelliousness towards our love and authority.  We will still love them; yet they have chosen not to live as our son or daughter.  We will still love them, yet they have chosen not to receive the promised inheritance.  Because of their lifestyle choices, they have shown us that they see no value in the promised inheritance.


On the flip side ...

When our children love us with all their heart and soul, they will want to please us.  They will want to do all that they can to live by our rules and guidelines.

Even if they may not understand or agree with our guidelines, the children that love us will desire to do all they can to honor us.

When we are in a deep love relationship with our child, we will not create rules and guidelines that they must live by in order to earn our love.  No, we create rules and guidelines for our children because we want the very best for each of them.

Our love and grace for our children far surpasses the need for them to follow our rules.  Yet, when our children truly love us, they will desire to live by our guidelines.  When our children reject the rules and guidelines, they are choosing to reject the ones who wrote the rules.


I choose to live my life, as best I can, in love and service to Our Lord, and in obedience to His laws and guidelines.  I don't come close to hitting the mark every time ... but my heart's passion is to love and serve the Lord with ALL that I am ... in every way ... every day of my life.


I never think ...

1.  Does God really want me to obey His word?  It wasn't written for today.

2.  Do I have to obey Him on this one?  Maybe it was just a suggestion, not a rule.


I never say ...

1.  God was just joking when He said that.  He was being sarcastic.  (Yes, I have actually heard that argument against following God's laws.)

2.  Oh well, God will still love me.  When I don't obey him, all I have to do is ask for His forgiveness.


No ... I WANT to obey HIM.  I desire to do ALL that I can to bring honor and glory to HIM with the daily choices of my life.

God was not being "legalistic" when the Bible was written.  He did not create rules just for the sake of having rules.

No ... God's rules were written so that WE might live the very BEST life possible.

Christianity is NOT what you do.

Christianity is WHO you are.

Salvation is NOT earned

by what we do.

Salvation is GIVEN by grace,

through relationship.

If we are truly in relationship

with the Heavenly Father,

than our hearts should desire

to live just as He asks us to live ...

no less.

Our focus should not be on ...

"God gives me the freedom to do what I want".

No, our focus should be ...

"How can I live the very BEST life,

bringing honor and glory to Christ

in ALL that I do?"

Freedom in Christ vs. Legalism

Over the past few weeks, I have read multiple blog posts, comments, and even magazine articles that bring up the question of living a legalistic lifestyle, or living under the covering of God's grace, in Liberty and Freedom.  This has caused much pondering for me, so I want to write about it ... process it with you ... and see what you all think ...

My ponderings began with the following blog posts.  I am not here to debate the specific topics of these posts, but rather to look at the responses that were given to the posts.


First, Bridget wrote THIS POST about Halloween.  Have you met Bridget yet?  She is a young homeschooling mom who is about to embark on the Adventure of a Lifetime.  Some of what she said was ...

"I just don't like this holiday, and feel kind of convicted in letting my kids be a part of it.  As Christians are we compromising?  Are we doing the things of this world?


I guess it's a personal decision and it's up to us as parents and our own heart convictions.  As a Christian do you celebrate Halloween?  I'd love to hear your take on it."

When I read this, I saw a young mom who was really searching for answers, and was wanting to hear what other Believers felt about Halloween.  She started a good discussion, with many varied opinions.  While there were many comments that agreed with her, I'd like to first look at a few of the comment that did not agree.

"I went trick or treating when I was a kid ... and I think I turned out okay."

Personally, I do not think that that reasoning should be the basis for how we make life decisions.  Just because we "turned out okay" doesn't mean that the Lord might not have something even better for our own children.

"We do let our children trick or treat ... As for Biblical support about how we made our decision, mainly Romans 14 in which Paul is explaining about Christian liberty.  We usually feel like it's the more liberal Christians that are weak, but that's not what he says.  The weaker Christian is the one bound by a law that is not God's.  In the case of Romans 14, eating meat that is "unclean".  Whereas Paul says in v. 14 "there is nothing unclean of itself".  In other words, as Christians we know God is Sovereign, Lord and Master of the Universe.  We know that Satan and demons are confined to the limits of God's will.  We know that there is no power in the dressing up in costumes just as there is no power in idols or the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. ... We allow them to dress up and trick-or-treat, because we're free to do so and we believe we do it in a way that does not dishonor God in any way.


"All things are legal, but not all things are profitable."  1 Cor. 10:23  And remember that while man looks on the outer appearance, God looks on the heart.  Our heart's desire is to honor God in all we do.  ...  Remember, if it's not prohibited by Scripture, we have freedom to make our own decision about it.  Also, we are not supposed to judge another Christian on how he chooses to celebrate or not celebrate Halloween because he is God's servant and to his own master he stands or falls. (Romans 14:4).

"Sometimes, we as Christians get so caught up in these things that we forget Colossians 2 where Paul says not to get caught up in legalism.  Specifically verse 16 and 17 say, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however is found in Christ."  In other words let us not say that we are more holy or more right for not celebrating Halloween.  We are free in Christ and do not need to add our own rules to the Bible and say that we are more holy for doing so. ...  We need to be careful as Christians not to become legalistic, make up our own rules, and attribute them to God."

"My 7 year old is going to be a witch this year.  Black pointy hat and all.  She has no idea what a real life pagan witch does ... and really, I've never encountered one myself ...We really do have freedom and liberty in Christ."

Now, for her very last comment, someone who decided to take on the topic of legalism ...

"The one problem I do have with some of the comments are peoples' shouts of LEGALISM, just because they celebrate it and are assuming you are calling them bad Christians, which you were not.  We must remember that in almost every promise of freedom, there is an underlying responsibility.  We must be responsible Christians.  We are free, but we are not.  We are free from sin and condemnation, but we are not free from Christ.  Christ has some mighty strong words to say about things, and we are his "slaves", his "servants".  We fall under His headship.  We must, in our freedom, not forget that.  Most people who are accused of being "legalistic" are just people who are truly desiring to follow our Lord and Savior with our lives."


A week later, I read THIS POST by Bianca ... about Is Drinking A Sin?  Have you ever visited Bianca's blog?  She is a young, single woman who is passionate about loving and serving the Lord.  I LOVE her style and so appreciate that she is willing to tackle the tough stuff on her blog.  Here is just a peek into Bianca's thoughts on this.  I hope you'll pop over to her blog to listen to her 3 minute video, and to read more about the Biblical research she has done on this topic.

"Some Christians think of alcohol as up there with adultery, idol worship, and South Park.  I met a fundamentalist who argued that the "wine" drunk in the Bible is not wine at all, but actually grape juice.  I simply asked for a scripture reference which bans alcohol.  He couldn't provide one.  I wasn't lobbying for the alcohol industry; I was simply advocating for a balance of scripture."

She went on to ask ...

"So, what do you think?  How can we have our liberties, yet be mindful of our weaker brothers?  Comments, suggestions, stones to throw?"

And ... a look at some of her 43 comments ...

"Paul talks about becoming all things to all people to win more for Christ, and I believe having the freedom in Christ to enjoy a drink occasionally falls under this Scripture (1 Corinthians 9:22)."


"In general, being legalistic and making rules for people (rules based, more often than not, on our own personal likes and dislikes) bothers me more than giving people grace where there is no clear indicator that sin took place."

"We are given choices.  We do have freedoms and what we do with those freedoms is between us and God."

Now, I'm not saying that I disagree with every part of every comment.  I just wanted to give some examples of the "Freedom" side of things.

Then ... I read an article in World magazine.  Andree Seu wrote, "Control That Tongue" for the October 10, 2009 issue.  I'd like to share some of Andree's thoughts, now ...

"Brothers, can we talk about legalism?  I wrote a blog sharing that God is teaching me to be careful with my mouth, and that there are no such things as inconsequential words.  Then I was knocked off kilter with a thread of comments charging legalism.  Unless we settle this question right away, I'm afraid we won't get anywhere.


Yes, we rest in the grace of Christ.  And it is a costly grace, and costly discipleship does it require.  It is a grace secured at a great price, and it asks in return, for all we have.  It is a grace to relax in as regards our secure eternal destination, but a grace to strive in as regards our efforts to live for Him:  "Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue"  (2 Peter 1:5).  It is a grace with plenteous forgiveness when we sin, but it does not logically follow from this that it is an iota less serious to sin. ...


Sure, we should always be careful of creeping legalism.  The Apostle Paul was the first to say so ... and also the first to command, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths"  (Ephesians 4:29).  In the same letter famous for his anti-legalist preaching, Paul gives counsel like "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Galatians 6:7)  ...


Or has the doctrine of the sovereignty of God swallowed up human responsibility? ...


If exhortation to godly speech is rebuffed as incipient legalism, then all preaching is impossible.  Then your pastors are all legalists when they instruct you to any change of attitude or behavior.  If the charge of legalism is the knee-jerk response to all advice, it puts a chill on everyone who has a word from the Lord for the building up of the saints - though Paul spent all of 1 Corinthians 14 urging such mutual edifications. ...


Must I refrain from testifying lest it be construed as legalism? ...



So ... what do you think?  How do we find the balance between Freedom in Christ and Legalism?

Where do you fit?  How do others see you?  Do you find yourself more on the "Freedom in Christ" side of things, or do you tend towards the "Legalistic"?  I'd love to hear your thoughts ...

I hope you'll pop on over to Bridget's and Bianca's blog posts, too.  There, in the comments section, you will find some of my thoughts ...

The Greatest Cause of Atheism

My 19 y.o. son, Joshua, has this quote at the bottom of his emails.  Today, I thought I'd share it with you.

The single largest cause of Atheism,

in the World today,

is Christians who proclaim Christ with their lips,

and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.

That ...

is what an unbelieving world finds ...

simply ... 

unbelieving.

- DC Talk -

My Rescuer

Last night, one of our "adopted big kids" wrote a blog post that touched my heart.  She is walking through the Tough Stuff with us, so this post may have been written with  me in mind ... but, she also may have been thinking of someone else, or another situation.  It's applicable for whomever is walking through the storms of life.

Not only did Vicky share a powerful scripture passage, but her interpretation of the scripture was definitely God-inspired.  I hope that her post will encourage you, as it did me.

I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death entangled me;

the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave coiled around me;

the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called to the LORD;

I cried to God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

The earth trembled and quaked, 

and the foundations of the mountains shook;

they trembled because he was angry.

Smoke rose from his nostrils;

consuming fire came from his mouth,

burning coals blazed out of it.

He parted the heavens and came down;

dark clouds were under his feet.

He mounted the cherubim and flew;

he soared on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his covering, 

his canopy around him,

the dark rain clouds of the sky.

Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

with hailstones and lightning.

The LORD thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies,

great bolts of lightning and routed them.

The valleys of the sea were exposed

and the foundations of the earth laid bare

at your rebuke, O LORD,

at the blast of breath from you nostrils.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the LORD was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:1-19

Vicky went on to say ...

"I read this last night and was struck by God's response to our cries for help.  Go back and reread those last two paragraphs.  WOW!  When we cry out to God for hlep, He does not sit idly by.  No, He unleashes all His majestic power to rescue us.

One thing that hit me today as I reread it:  When we are in the midst of trouble, we imagine God's rescue looking like sunshine and rainbows.  Yet from the looks of Psalm 18, it sounds like an awful storm.  The clouds are dark and full of hailstones and bolts of lightning.  His covering is a dark rain cloud.  He soars on the wind.  He thunders from heaven.

Can you imagine what this must have looked like initially from David's perspective?  There he is, in the midst of battle with his enemies, and he cries out to God for help.  Suddenly, things seem to go from bad to worse as the storm-of-the-century starts brewing overhead ... I doubt David was thinking, "Thanks God!  I'm so glad you're here!"  Somehow, I think his prayers initially turned to, "Oh you have got to be kidding me, God?!  I ask for help and THIS is what I get?!"

But then ... at some point, David realizes that God is in the storm.  The storm is a signal that God is showing up in a powerful way.  He fights David's battle and brings the victory.  He rescues David from his foes.  He does the impossible.

And did you catch that last verse?  WHY did God react this way when He heard David's cry?  Why did God rescue him?  Oh, just because He delighted in him.

The next time you are in battle for your life and  you cry out for God to rescue you, don't be surprised if you begin to see storm clouds overhead.  It might look like things are going from bad to worse, but don't worry, that's just God showing up.  Drop your sword and fall on your knees in reverent awe.  Then watch as God fights your battle, rescues you from your powerful enemies, and brings the victory.

Wow!  Thanks, Vicky!  Thanks, Lord!  I KNOW that the LORD is right here in the middle of the storm with me ... fighting my battles for me.  What a comfort that is!

Bittersweet

Tonight

Hurting Hearts

Seeking Answers

Fervently Praying

Working on Jacob's Blog Book

Bittersweet

See:  A Very Difficult Task  to Read About the Blog Book

Please Pray

Please pray for us today ... for wisdom, for strength, for comfort.  


We are walking through some Tough Stuff.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit would guide our every step.

A Busy ... but Good ... Day

Wow!  It's been a very long day ... but a good one.

I spent the past 4 days "off island" (the Islander term for being away from home).  I spent two days at "our other house" and a day and a half at a Women's Retreat.  I left the retreat at 10:00 last night, and returned to "our other house" so that I could get an early start this morning.

Jeremiah, Josh, and Hannah (Josh's best friend) left our place at 7:00, to catch the ferry in time to make it to church this morning.  They headed south and met up with Vicky (our "adopted big kid") who was heading north, so that they could carpool and only pay one ferry fee.

Ben (who had gone "off island" with me, in order to snowboard with Gregg) and I left home at 9:30, did a quick Wal-Mart trip, and a  quick trip to the mall, before heading south to the ferry.  We arrived home on the island at 1:30.

Josh had planned this trip to the island so that he could make Pad Thai for Sarah for her birthday dinner. What an awesome big brother!  Thanks Josh!  Yummm ....

We ate dinner at 2:00, put Vicky's car in the ferry line at 2:30, and then headed out for an adventure to Shark Reef.  Papa and the younger ones had been there before, but this was the first time for me, Vicky, Jeremiah, Josh, and Hannah (also her first time on the island).  We ran through the woods.  Papa played hide & seek from the kids.  We walked along the rocky cliffs over the water.  It was a great time of playing, visiting, and enjoying some of our big kids.

At 4:00 it was time to head towards the ferry, and say, "Good-bye." to all of the big kids.  We sure enjoyed having them join us for the day.  It was a special surprise for Sarah.

So ... what did we do to end a long busy day?

We ate Popcorn and Apples for supper,

because the Pad Thai filled us up.

(sorry, forgot to take pictures)

We let the kids watch a movie on the computer.

(We are either highly technically challenged,

or else T & T's dvd player is very confusing.)

This was the kids' first movie in 2 weeks.

Sarah got to choose tonight,

since it was her birthday.

They watched, "Invincible",

a football movie.

Then Sarah opened her Cards and Presents.

Did you notice?

Sarah has a new hairstyle.

I took the yarn braids out last week;

and both girls' hair was long enough

to do some fun stuff with.

They've enjoyed their twists;

but, I think we'll put the yarn

braids back in, later this week.

Our Cozy Kitchen

Have you ever moved into someone else's fully furnished house?

While we moved much of our clothes, and all of our school books, the one area that we left most things at "our other house" is ... The Kitchen.  Since T & T left their kitchen fully "furnished", there obviously wouldn't be room for all of our "stuff".  And, since our Big Boys are still living at "our other house", they need the basics for their own meal prep.  (However, they don't need much if they have Papa Murphy's Pizza every night.)

It was so hard to pack for our kitchen move, since I didn't know what they had ... and, because anything we brought had to fit alongside everything that they left for us.  So, I brought a LOT of food on the first load (much to my Big Boy's disappointment, as I left their cupboards nearly bare), and then immediately began making lists for Jim to bring after his next trip to the mainland.

What I've also found is that Jim and I tend to be a bit "picky" about our kitchen appliances.  T & T have great "stuff" ... but we miss some of our stuff.

Jim made applesauce in their crockpot ... and said, "I need MY crockpot."

I made an apple/blueberry pie and thought ... "Oh how I need MY rolling pin."

Before I made the pie, I realized that not everyone makes pie crusts, so I was worried that I might not find a Pastry Blender in their drawers ... but they had one.

I brought all of the ingredients for our fresh ground whole wheat bread, but I didn't bring my Kitchen Mixer.  T & T have a NICE KitchenAid.  But, I've never used a KitchenAid.  I need my K-Tec.

Hosanna used their can opener and said, "Mom, you need to bring our can opener."  But ... I think the big boys might need a can opener, so I'd better leave it for them.

I made my first 9 x 13 pan-sized dinner tonight, in MANY years.  I knew I didn't need to bring all of my 11 x 15 glass casserole dishes because I wasn't bringing all of my kids.  So sad!  We all just kind of stared at the "little" lasagna in T & T's 9 x 13 pan.  But, it fed us ... and we had leftovers.  Weird!

Anyway ... I thought you might enjoy a few more pics of our "Little House in the Big Woods".

Our BEAUTIFUL Cozy Kitchen

The WAY COOL Wood Stove

Yes, there is also a "real" stove.

(It will be our source of heat, 

if the power goes out this winter.)

I spent all of my childhood summers,

in a little Cabin by the Lake,

where we cooked and baked

in a stove just like this.

Fun Memories!!!

What?  Hosanna got new glasses?

No!

Sometimes ...

in other people's kitchens ...

you find things that you have never heard of.

Introducing ...

"Tear-Free Onion Goggles"

How many of you,

have such COOL goggles

in your kitchen?

(Hosanna reports that they really work.)

I hope you don't think I'm complaining, about this sweet Cozy Kitchen.  No, not at all.  I just thought I'd let you know that the strangest part of living in someone else's home ... is getting used to someone else's Kitchen.  I had no idea how attached we were to our "kitchen stuff".

I'm back on the mainland for the weekend (for a church women's retreat), so I'll be filling up the back of my little station wagon with MY kitchen stuff before I head HOME to the island.  We'll just need to move things around a bit, for all of it to fit.  Then ... when T & T return in the Spring ... we get to sort through every drawer to find out what is "theirs" and what is "ours".  We'll probably have to buy our own Onion Goggles then, too; since we'll have become so attached to them.  Do any of you know where you would buy such a thing???  (T ... won't you please let us in on the secret?)

The View from Our Little House in the Big Woods

When T & T moved here,

they had a beautiful view.

Then ... the trees grew.

This past summer,

 a few branches were removed,

to open up a Peek-A-Boo View.

(see upper left corner)

Now ...

this is the View,

from the Back Deck,

from the Living Room,

from the Master Bedroom.

Ahhh ...

the Water ...

that I LOVE so much.

and ...

the Ferry Boats

Yes ...

I love the woods,

but I LOVE the water,

and the Ferry Boats, too.

Playing in the Backyard

After our daily schoolwork is done ...
the kids can't WAIT to go outside to play.

Praying for Our Friends

I hope you will join me in praying for the W. family today.


Mrs. W (in GA) is having surgery today, 
after being diagnosed last week with breast cancer.


Daughter B (in Ammon, Jordan) had a miscarriage 
this week.  (from the stress of her Mama's diagnosis?)


Daughter R (in FL) has a baby due,
this week or next.


Daughter R (in Ammon, Jordan) is praying 
about whether she needs to move home 
to help care for her dear Mama.


Both sons are in the military, 
and are unable to be home with their Mama.


3 younger daughters are at home,
walking through this with their Papa and Mama.


Please lift them up to Our Heavenly Father today.



Don't miss my Little House in the Big Woods post, below.

Little House in the Big Woods

Here is a pic of the WONDERFUL home

we have been BLESSED to be able to borrow for 6 months.

Thanks T & T ... you are AMAZING friends!

I have always LOVED cabins,

so I think of it as my little cabin in the woods ...

a quiet, peaceful place to start our new life on the island.

This is the office ...

in the backyard.

My dream office ...

with floor to ceiling bookshelves all around.

This is now the Church Office.

I am BLESSED to have dear Papa

working in the backyard.

He had a meeting this evening,

with 4 men from church;

and I LOVED being able to deliver

hot  apple/blueberry pie to them,

fresh out of the oven.

This is also my Creative Memories Scrapbooking

office and work room.  Fun!  Fun!

This is the shop/barn.

I haven't explored it yet,

but I hear there is a loft that my Big Boys

can sleep in when they come to visit.

This is the backyard.

Heaven on earth for my children.

Coming from a small city lot, this 5 acres

is more than they ever dreamed of having.

Here is a Buck ...
in our backyard.

Sorry for the bad pic ...
I'm on a new computer without editing features.

We are LOVING life ...
on our little corner of our little island.

What Will You Do In 20 Years?

That was the question put before Josiah in one of our homeschooling lessons this week.  He had to make a Daily Schedule for what his life might be like in 20 years.  I was so touched by his thoughts ...




7:00  awake


8:00  go to woorc


9:00


10:00


11:00


12:00 kom hoom


1:00


2:00  eet lunch


3:00 


4:00  play with my kids


5:00  eet diner


6:00  woch a DVD


7:00  kid's go to bed


8:00  my wife hav coffee and we talk


9:00


10:00  me and my wife go to bed




First of all ... please excuse the spelling.  Josiah was a late reader, but has really taken off this year.  So, we are just starting to work on spelling.  I've always wanted my kids excited about reading and writing, before I bring out the "old red pen" to correct their spelling.


Secondly ... I thought  ...  "Wow!  How many elementary school boys would envision their adult life to be so focused on their wife and children?  Way cool!"


Now, of course, we all know that Josiah will probably need to work more than 4 hours a day to provide for his family.  But, his thought process is  ...  that he wants to be home for lunch with his family; he wants to play with his children; he wants to talk with his wife; and he wants to go to bed with his wife.  This is not something we have ever talked about ... "Well, young man, how do you plan to raise your family in 20 years?"  But, it shows how much he treasures his time with his family; it shows that he knows that Papa is an integral part of our family (which is, sadly, not the case in so many homes); and it shows that he places a high value on the marriage relationship.


I have to, of course, share a couple of funny sides of this.  


#1  We VERY rarely watch DVDs and we don't watch television, so that is not a daily habit (but maybe one that he wishes were a daily habit?).


#2  Our kids have NEVER gone to bed at 7:00.  We try to have the younger ones in bed by 8:30, but it's usually 9:00.  (Even our toddlers and preschoolers have never gone to bed early.)


#3  Papa and Mama aren't really coffee drinkers.  


#4  While Papa usually goes to bed about 10:00, the joke at our house is that "Mama tries to go to bed before Papa wakes up".  So, yea, the "go to bed with my wife" is not quite the example we've set.  But, Josiah doesn't know ... he goes to bed before Papa.




Also, while he was working on this project (which included choosing a business, coloring his work van and making a business card) Josiah realized that in 20 years he would be 29.  Then, he said, "Oh no.  Vicky is 29 and she isn't married yet; so she doesn't have kids yet.  ...  Oh well."   (Vicky is one of our wonderful "adopted big kids".)  Also, none of Josiah's older siblings are married yet; so he doesn't know at "what age" that actually happens.  But, he thought it would be good to have a wife and children in 20 years.  Too cute!


Hope you enjoyed a little peak into one of our random homeschool projects.

ABCs of Spiritual Growth ... Adversity Builds Character

I read this on another blog tonight, and just had to share.  It is an excerpt from "The Peacemaker" by Ken Sande.  I know absolutely nothing about the book (so, this is not a recommendation), but ... this excerpt spoke powerfully to me.




"Contrary to what you may have heard, God's highest purpose for you is not to make you comfortable, wealthy, and happy.  If you have put your faith in Him, He has something far more wonderful in mind for you ... He plans to conform you to the likeness of His Son.  He began to change you the day you yielded yourself to Him, and He will continue this process throughout your life.  Conflict is one of the many tools that God can use to help you develop a more Christlike character.  To begin with, He may use conflict to remind you of your weaknesses and to encourage you to depend more on Him (2 Cor. 12:7-10).  The more you depend on His grace, wisdom, and power, the more you will be imitating the Lord Jesus (Luke 22:41-44).


God may also use conflict to uncover sinful attitudes and habits in your life.  Conflict is especially effective in breaking down appearances and revealing stubborn pride, a bitter and unforgiving heart, or a critical tongue.  When you are squeezed through controversy and these sinful characteristics are brought to the surface, you will have an opportunity to admit their existence and ask for God's help in overcoming them.


There is more to being like Jesus than simply recognizing weaknesses and confessing sin to grow; you must also practice new attitudes and habits.  Just as athletes develop their muscles and skills through strenuous training, you will see greatest growth when you repeatedly think and behave properly in response to challenging circumstances ...


God uses the problems found in conflict to stretch and challenge you in carefully tailored ways.  This process is sometimes referred to as the "ABCs of Spiritual Growth:  Adversity Builds Character.  As you worry less about going through conflict and focus more on growing through conflict, you will enhance that process and experience the incomparable blessing of being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ."




Dear Lord Jesus,


I pray that you will use the many conflicts that we have walked through this year, to bring honor and glory to you.


I pray that you will show me any areas of weakness that I need to confess to you, ask forgiveness for, and move past.


I pray that you will help me to develop a more Christlike character.  Help me to think and behave properly in response to challenging circumstances.


I pray that you will help me to focus on growing closer to you, rather than focusing on the hurt and the pain that has been caused.


Thank you Lord ... for using this time of trials to help me to draw closer to you.




Laurel

Islander Rules

We have a LOT to learn about being Islanders.  So, I thought I'd better start a list of Islander Rules ... rules to live by when you live on an island.

Some of them, we have already learned ...

In August, I wrote several posts about Islander Rules.


The Ferry Schedule taught us the first two rules.

Rule #1  Islanders must Be Flexible.

Rule #2  Islanders must NOT plan their lives
               around the Ferry Schedule,
               because plans often fail.

Rule #3  Islanders must keep a Ferry Basket in each car.


Lookin' On The Bright Side taught us the next rule.

Rule #4  Islanders must be Patient in the Ferry Line,
               and not get upset when their plans fail.


Yesterday's Funny Ferry Story taught us the next rule.

Rule #5  Islanders must listen to the intercom on the ferry,
               and return to their cars when requested.


And ... today's Islander Rule ...

Rule #6  Islanders must carry a flashlight in their car.
              When the sun goes down,
               it gets DARK on the island.


Papa has had so much fun this week, taking the kids on Adventures to all different parts of The Island.  They have explored "The Spit" by Fisherman's Bay, Watmough Bight (don't ask me how to pronounce it ... and don't ask me what a "bight" is), and Shark Reef Park.

Today at 4:00, Papa said, "Let's go."  And, off we went ... to Iceberg Point, just past Agate Bay.  We didn't actually leave until 4:30, because I was waiting for the 4:15 ferry to come by so that I could take a picture from our back deck (but, the ferry never showed up).  Then, it was a 20 minute drive to the South side of The Island.  And ... then ... it was a LONG walk out to the point.  As we walked through the woods, I thought, "These woods are going to get MIGHTY DARK once the sun goes down.  But, I couldn't keep up with the kids once we got out on the point.  They kept going ... and going ... and going ... further and further away from the trail through the woods.

I finally corralled everyone and mentioned that the sun was getting quite low on the horizon.  Reluctantly, they headed back towards the trail.  Thankfully, it wasn't PITCH BLACK by the time we got out of the woods ... but it was pretty dark.  (I had visions of missing church tomorrow, because we were all lost in the woods.)  Next time we take a hike to see the sunset ... we'll take along a flashlight.  Because, the definition of "sunset" means that the sun is setting ... which means that it will no longer be shining ... which means that it will become DARK very quickly.  Yes, I bet that Islanders carry flashlights in their cars.


*Note for the City Folk:  If we got lost, we could NOT just use our cell phone to call for help.  We don't even carry our phones with us on the island because ... THEY DON'T WORK HERE.  Yes, there are actually parts of the U.S.A. that don't get cell phone reception.  Aside from the emergency aspect of it ... I kind of like the fact that I'm NOT available 24/7 for whomever might want to get ahold of me.  It just adds to the peacefulness and quietness of living life on The Island.

Funny Ferry Story

While we have moved to the island,
Jim still needs to commute between our two houses.

While his heart and passion are here on the island,
with our new little church ...
much of our financial sustenance is still on the mainland.

Jim has had a house painting business for 30+ years.
While he taught school, he painted mainly in the summer.
Now, however, he has built up his painting business,
and it is keeping him busy this fall.

We are very thankful for the financial provision,
even if it means that Papa must be gone several days per week.


Anyway ... on to the Funny Ferry Story ...


Jim was riding the ferry back to the island tonight at 8:15, after painting all day on the mainland.  A new friend, and member of our congregation, was also riding the ferry.  They were thoroughly enjoying their conversation, when they heard the announcement, "We are docking at Lopez.  Please return to your vehicles if you are disembarking at Lopez Island."  Well ... they thought they had another 5 minutes or so ... so they just kept on chatting.


They were so engrossed in their conversation, that they didn't even notice that the actual docking had taken place.  Until ... the voice came back on the intercom and said, "Will the owners of the red van and the blue SUV please return to their vehicles.  We have docked at Lopez Island."


Oops!  They had a good laugh about that one, I'm sure.

The Deep Deep Love of Family

My eldest daughter, Cassie ,
wrote a powerful, heart-felt  Blog Post  today.

It gives her perspective ...
shows her heart ...
on walking through ...
ALL that we have been through.

It was interesting to read, because ...

...  Cassie doesn't live at home
...  Cassie lives 400+ miles away
...  Cassie isn't directly affected by our daily life,
     or is she?


Cassie hasn't lived at home
since our children came home from Ghana.
She isn't directly affected by their daily lives.
Yet, she loves them dearly;
and it does affect her.


Cassie hasn't moved to the island with us.
It's not her house that we are trying to sell.
She has her own place to live ...
in her own town ... in her own state.
Yet ... it IS her house.


While Cassie may live in another state,
her heart will always be ...
wherever her family is.


Even if Cassie never moves to the island,
a piece of her will always be here with us.


While, through our phone conversations, I've known that Cassie has been affected by all that has gone on in our family the past few months ... this  Blog Post   shows how deeply connected we are.

While the miles separate us ... our hearts connect us.


I hope you'll pop on over to Cassie's blog,
to read about ...

...  the pressure of loving deeply

"to love at all is to risk.  to love beyond what you thought possible is to forgive.  to love beyond forgiveness is to lose control ..."

...  the pressure of trusting deeply

"to love deeply is to trust deeply.  to trust deeply is to believe that beyond your control of the situation is a God who is 100% faithful.  He always comes through.  ALWAYS."

...  the pressure of deep faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  (Heb. 11:1)  Certain of WHAT WE DO NOT SEE.  i can't see where the money will come from.  i can't see how the healing will come.  i can't see the buyer for the house.  i can't see the promise.  Certain of these things?  Not because i have some secret knowledge of how they will happen or that they are a guarantee, but because i have FAITH in a God who hasn't failed me yet. ..."


Praising Jesus ...

... for a daughter who shares her heart
... for a daughter who loves deeply
... for a daughter who trusts deeply
... for a daughter who has a deep faith


Praising Jesus for a daughter who ...

... loves her family
... trusts her family
... prays for her family

... knows that God will provide a house for her family
... knows that God will provide healing for her family
... knows that she can walk out her faith, with her family

Preparing Our Children for College & Beyond

Another question from one of you Bloggy Friends ...

"Am I providing as good an academic program for my kids as they would be getting in school.  I feel a great responsibility to prepare them for college and life, and I worry that I might forget some important topics along the way.  Do other homeschooling moms worry about this?"

I'd love to get some feedback from some of you readers that are fellow homeschoolers.  Is this something you worry about?  Do you have any answers for this precious mom?

I'll share my thoughts after hearing from some of you ...

Moving on ... Moving forward ... Moving ...

Precious Bloggy Friends,

Thank you soooo ... much for your love and support this week. Each and every one of the comments on my last two posts mean the world to me.

My mind is whirling tonight with  ...

...  all that I want to share
...  all the places I want this blog to go
...  all the needs that I hope this blog will meet

But, tonight, I want to take a few minutes to let you know that the Big D Family is alive and well.  While my last 2 posts were HEAVY ... we are NOT just "sitting in a mud puddle" ...  we are MOVING forward into ALL that the LORD has planned for our family.

Last week brought a ROLLER-COASTER of ...

...  decisions to be made
...  things to do
...  spiritual battlefields to cross
...  a list of daily unknowns

which brought with it ...

...  EMOTIONS
...  tears
...  midnight emails to friends

and ...

...  PRAYER


THANK YOU to all of you who have prayed faithfully for our family as we have walked this most difficult journey.

THANK YOU to those of you who read my tear-stained emails (well, they would have been tear-stained if they'd been snail-mail).

THANK YOU to those of you who have responded with scripture and words of wisdom (even if/when you thought I might be offended by your words ... which I wasn't).


Hopefully and prayerfully, we are off of the roller-coaster for awhile.

But, jumping off of the roller-coaster forced us to jump right into a WHIRLWIND of a week, this week.  I have been SPINNING at 100 mph for the past 4 days.

However, I think that the whirlwind has now stopped.  I think that we may just be able to sit quietly for awhile, resting in God's peace and knowing His love for us.  Ahhhhh .....


On Sunday at 10:00 am, we found out that we could move on Monday.  YIKES!  Papa and the girls had already gone out to the island on Saturday (so that Papa could preach on Sunday), not knowing if they were going to stay, or if they were going to catch a ferry back to the mainland on Sunday afternoon.

Papa called after church and I was able to say, "Stay put.  We are packing.  We are coming!  Yea!!!"

I had 26 hours to pack ...

...  all Fall and Winter clothes
...  boots for 8 of us (which meant finding them)
...  food (lots & lots of food)
...  small appliances to cook the food
...  bathroom "stuff" for 8
...  books and Bibles
...  all school books for 6 children
...  manipulatives to go with the math books
...  3 computers (and all misc. cords)
...  all Creative Memories scrapbooking stuff
(personal and business "stuff")
...  2 bikes
...  2 mattresses
...  pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags

We removed the benches from our BIG van, and filled it to the roof.  Then, we filled the back of a friend's pickup truck.

At the same time, Carissa was packing her bags to return to Argentina.  So, we had a few last minute errands that had to be run for her.  And, she had friends to say, "Good-bye" to and lists to be made for work that I need to do for her while she is gone (office work for her ministry).

Carissa also tweaked her back last week, so we had to get her in for an emergency chiropractic visit on Monday morning.

Needless to say, those 26 hours were PACKED.  But, we were EXCITED!

As we headed out of town, we had to stop 3 different places so that Carissa could say good-bye to Jeremiah and Josh (who were at work) and Lindsey (who was in the Big City).  Gregg called and asked if we could stop at the mall (he was at work, as well) on our way, so that he could get in a hug for his little sis' too.  But ... we had a FERRY TO CATCH.  Yippee!  Ferry Schedules ... here we come!

We arrived on the island at 4:30.  Papa and the girls were so glad to see us.  The little guys couldn't wait to play in the woods.  3 men from church arrived to help us unload.  1 lady from church arrived bearing a hot meal for us all.  So sweet!

Oh yea ... no, our house has NOT sold.  But, an AMAZING couple from our church on the island, is allowing us to borrow their house, while they are in AZ for the winter.  THANK YOU, T & T!!!

T & T's  house is a cozy, cabin-style home.  (It's probably 1/3 the size of our house that's for sale.)  But, it is HOME ... and we are all LIVING ON THE ISLAND.  Woo Hoo!!!  Yippee!  Yahoo!  We are EXCITED!!!  (If you are a new reader and don't have a CLUE what we're doing ... read the "Our New Adventure", "Adventures on Lopez", and the "Lopez Christ the King" posts in the archives.)

On Monday night, we unpacked, ate dinner, visited with Jared (our pickup driver), and headed to bed early (definition: anything before midnight is early for me).

After breakfast on Tuesday, I took Jared on a quick tour of the island since it was his first time here.  Then, Carissa, Jared, and I had to catch the 10:50 ferry back to the mainland.  We had to "go off island" as The Islanders call it.

Carissa and I did some shopping, before going to visit sweet Grampa.  Oh what a WONDERFUL visit we had with him.  Usually, when all 15 of us visit, things are a bit hectic so we don't have much deep conversation.  However, with just me and Carissa this time, we had a chance to really share with each other.  After Carissa shared with Grampa all about the new ministry in Argentina that the Lord has called her to start, Grampa began to talk about our family (my dad, my mom, and my siblings) ... the disfunction of it ... and he apologized for not being the Daddy that he wished he could of been.  I almost cried.  My dear Daddy is 91 years old, and he just had to make sure that there was nothing between us.  I told him that he had NOTHING to regret from how he raised me; and I told him that I love to brag about my Daddy and the kind-hearted man that he is.

After our visit with Grampa, Carissa and I headed over to some friend's house for visiting and a place to lay our heads, before her early morning flight.  I went out to dinner with sweet friend M for 3 hours.  Then, after we got back to M's house, Carissa got to visit with her for 3 hours.  We crawled in to bed at midnight, and prayed that the Lord would bless our few hours of shut-eye.

4:40 a.m. ... time to get up and head to the airport.  I dropped Carissa off at 6:00 a.m. ... and quickly headed north through Seattle, hoping to be ahead of rush hour.  I did some grocery shopping at Wal-Mart from 7:00-8:00 a.m (all of the refrigerator and freezer things I needed to get out to the island), and then raced out to catch the 8:50 ferry.  I thought I'd missed my chance by 1 car, and almost cried.  If so, I would have had to sit in the parking lot for another 3 hours waiting for the next ferry.  But, after loading some of the cars for another island, they let the 2 of us cars sneak on.  Whew!

It was so exciting to drive north from Seattle and know that I was coming HOME to the island.  This move has been in process for 5 months ... and now it is really happening.

With only 4 hours of sleep last night (and the preceeding CRAZY roller-coaster and whirlwind week), I thought I would spend a good portion of the day in bed.  But.  No.  I have children.  And, children need their mommy sometimes.

The boys were soooo.... excited to get out here to play in T & T's 5 acre woods.  But, they quickly found out that sometimes running through the woods can hurt.

Elijah cried for quite some time about the 3 big slivers in 1 little finger.

Then ... before we could dry Elijah's tears ... Josiah came in crying, "I'm bleeding.  On my head."  Since I had E cuddled up with me on the couch, I let Papa take Josiah over to the kitchen sink to take a look at the wound.  Then I heard the dreaded, "You'd better come look at this."  What does that mean?  Obviously ... it means STITCHES.

Yes, Josiah got to go visit the little country Dr.'s office today.  And, yes, he got a couple of stitches in the back of his head.  Oh my.

Even with 13 children, we very rarely have to visit the doctor.  Seriously, we can go many months with no accidents, injuries, or illnesses.  However ... in the 1 month that we have no longer had medical insurance ... this is our 3rd doctor's visit (with 2 in just 3 days).  This is NOT FUN for our budget.

Now ... it is almost midnight.  I'm ready for bed.

And ... I'm ready to wake up ...

...  in my NEW HOUSE
... on my NEW ISLAND
... with my NEW NORMAL life

I'm ready to put the past behind and
JOYFULLY embrace all that God has for us ...

...  with Papa's new job
...  with our new church
...  with our new friends.


Thank You JESUS ...

...  for all that you ARE
...  for all that you have DONE for us
...  for all that you are doing IN us
...  for all that you are going to do
     THROUGH us, in our new life on
     THE ISLAND

A Very Difficult Task

Along with the changes that are coming to our family, 

there also must be changes on our family blog.

As we prayerfully release our son to another family,

we have been asked to remove any identifying photos,

along with his name, from our family blog.

This is no easy task.

While the past 5 months have brought much pain,

the previous 2 years were filled with love and hope ...

...  as we met our children through their pictures

...  as we spent 6 weeks with them in Ghana

...  as we introduced them to their 10 brothers and sisters

...  as we lived life as the Crazy Big D Family.

How do you erase 2 years of love and hope?

How do you remove memories of fun and laughter?

You don't.

How do you move on to a "new normal"?

Only with the Lord's help.

Before I can remove my son from this blog,

I must first spend time 
saving all of the wonderful memories

that have been captured here 

over the past 2 1/2 years.

This is ... 

...  our family journal.

...  our record of our daily life with 13 children.

...  our family photo album,

filled with our son's beautiful smile.

Part of the healing,

for all 13 of our children,

and for Papa & Mama, too,

will be to create a precious keepsake,

of our time with our son.

Tonight, I began the task of saving our family history,

before it is gone.

Tonight, I started at the beginning,

the first pictures of our precious children in Ghana.

Tonight, I began to read through all 699 blog posts,

that began with the story of those children.

When we started the process to adopt,

I didn't know what a blog was.

Now, I can't imagine life without 

the support that the blog has provided.

Our family blog ...

...  a place where I have shared 

our family stories & pictures, 

with all of our children who have lived overseas.

...  a place where I have re-connected 

with family and friends around the country.

...  a place where I have made Bloggy Friends,

many of which have now become Real Life Friends.

...  a place where I have shared 

Miracles and Praise Reports.

...  a place where I have shared 

my pain and my tears.

...  a place where I have ministered to others,

who are walking through their own pain.

...  a place where I have connected 

with so many like-minded Sisters in Christ.

While our son is just 

one small part of our Family Blog,

he is a part that will sorely be missed.

As I said ...

before I remove our son, 
from this online family history,

I am creating a keepsake ...

one for our son,

and one for our family still at home.

I am going through ...

...  each and every blog post

...  from the past 2 1/2 years

...  all 699 blog posts

and picking out each and every one ...

...  that has our son's smile

...  that captures our family fun with our son

...  that shows the love and the hope that

has surrounded us, and defined us.

I am making a book ... 

...  a family history book

...  one for us 

... and one for our son.

While the past 5 months have been unbelievably difficult,

we do not want those 5 months to define our son's life,

or the life of our family.

I hope that this book will help each of us

to remember the good times, of which there were many.

I hope that this book will be a positive reminder,

for our son, of his time with our family.

I hope that this book will help his new family,

to see all of the love and hope, 

that filled our lives, during our time with our son.

We do not define our son's life by The Crisis.

We do not see our Family Blog as defined by The Crisis.

It has been tough ... very, very tough.

But, we will move on.

Our son will move on.

Our blog will move on.

With God's help,

all of our lives will continue to be filled 

with His unending love and hope.

Please pray for me,

as I work to complete 

this most difficult task ...

...  a job I didn't ask for

...  a job I didn't want to do

...  but a job that must be done.

Please pray that our son

will always know that his life

does not have to be defined by The Crisis.

Please pray that the Lord will

help him to put it in the past,

and move forward,

into the amazing life that God has for him.

Please pray that this new family

will walk him the rest of the way,

through his new life in America,

and a new life in Christ.

So sad!  "Blurb" failed me, and I lost all 3+ hours of last night's work.  I will start again tomorrow.

My Shoes

While this may, at first, seem like a strange little poem ... please keep reading.  It is deep ... and heartfelt.

A Pair of Shoes

I am wearing a pair of shoes.

They are ugly shoes.

Uncomfortable shoes.

I hate my shoes.

Each day I wear them, 

and each day I wish 

I had another pair.

Some days ... 

my shoes hurt so bad

that I do not think ...

I can take ...

another step.

Yet ... I continue to wear them.

I get funny looks 

for wearing these shoes.

I can tell in others eyes 

that they are glad 

they are my shoes 

and not theirs.

They never talk about my shoes.

To learn how awful my shoes are

might make them uncomfortable.

To truly understand these shoes

you must walk in them.

But, once you put them on, 

you can never take them off.

I now realize that I am not the 

only one who wears these shoes.

There are many pairs in this world.

Some women ache daily 

as they try and walk in them.

Some have learned how to walk in them

so they don't hurt quite as much.

Some have worn the shoes so long

that days will go by before they

think about how much they hurt.

No woman deserves to wear these shoes.

Yet ... because of these shoes,

I am a stronger woman.

These shoes have given me

the strength to face anything.

They have made me who I am.

I will forever walk in the shoes

of a woman 

who had to disrupt her adoption

in order to protect 

the other children in her home.

* Author Unknown *

7 Brothers and 5 Sisters

Sweet oldest daughter Cassie wrote a couple of SUPER FUN blog posts this week ... about being the oldest sister in our CRAZY BIG family.

She wrote, Get 7 Brothers, and shared a few of the reasons that she is BLESSED by all of her brothers  ...

need a great strategy for keeping creepy guys away?  get 7 brothers.  it scares them right down to the bone.


need to learn how to put someone in a head-lock should they attack you?  get 7 brothers.  they are good at teaching such things.


want to know if you look good for a date, but not "too good"?  get 7 brothers.  they will GLADLY tell you these things!


need a reason to wear a jersey and eat too much popcorn at baseball games?  get 7 brothers.  tell them it's for THEIR birthday, and they won't even know it's your secret desire!


Jesus knew i was going to be a handful, so he gave me 7 brothers to keep me in line!

 She went on to share a short paragraph about each brother, memories from childhood, and what each brother means to her.

When we were little we would play 'Oregon Trail' on the computer, and he would tell me the best strategy to not lose my cattle or kids to yellow fever.


When he was little we thought he would grow up to be a vet or marine biologist.  He could look at those silly birthday cards with wacky animals on them and tell you, not only the name of the animal but where it was from and what it ate.


He was not always quiet ... and secretly he is a wild-child ... but only when he is in his comfort zone.


He loves music.  We like to rock out in my car with the windows down.


One time we were on a road trip and he started CRACKING UP in his car seat; when we asked him what was so funny he replied, "i made a joke in my head!"


He leaves the best messages on my voice mail.  i save every one.

You'll have to read the POST to find out which brother did what.


Then, Cassie wrote a blog post about her sisters ... Get 5 Sisters ...

can't find the right shoes to wear with that one outfit?  get 5 sisters.  one of them is bound to wear the same size.


can't decide if you want to cut your hair or keep it long?  get 5 sisters.  one of them might look like you and have the opposite of what you do ... look at a picture of them to decide.


need to tell someone how good-looking that guy is but your friends are sick of hearing about him?  get 5 sisters.  most likely they want to tell you the same sort of thing.


God knew i would be somewhat of a girly-girl, so he gave me 5 sisters to share in the FUN!


God knew i couldn't handle 7 brothers all alone, so he gave me 5 sisters to tickle, tackle, and race those brothers with.

She also wrote of some memories with her sweet sisters ..

she loved everything i did ... which was great until i was 12 and wanted to not have little clones.  by the time i was 16 i got over it, and realized that no matter how many 'friends' stabbed me in the back or were mean, (my sister) would always be there ... and i didn't mind if she wanted to be like me.


she clapped on beat at 11 months.  started singing before she could talk, and started playing piano when her fingers couldn't stretch a 5th across the keys.


she has the most beautiful heart.  she serves people without question or the expectation to be rewarded.


she is quirky and silly.  spunky and wild.  quiet and sensitive.


she would rather sleep on top of her blankets so to not mess up her perfectly made bed.


she likes to ponder new information and has a never ending list of questions.


she is my little musical sister.  when we were little she was on a dance team, took piano lessons, sang all the time, and as she grew up learned guitar and kept music within reach at all times.


Cassie says, "get 5 sisters.  you'll never regret it."


I hope you'll pop on over to Cassie's Blog to read more of her thoughts on being the oldest daughter in a family with 13 children.  Wow!  We are BLESSED to know how much this Big Sister loves each and every one of her brothers and sisters.  Yes.  She does.

Cassie moved away 2 1/2 years ago.  450 miles away.  But, that has not kept us apart.  We are on her mind and in her heart, even when we are apart.

Halloween: To Celebrate or Not To Celebrate

What are your thoughts on Halloween?  Do you celebrate it?  Do you allow your children to Trick or Treat?  Do you attend an "alternative event", such as a Harvest Festival?

My new Bloggy Friend Bridget wrote a post: "Halloween Thoughts???" about her thoughts on celebrating Halloween.  While, in the past, her family has participated in some of the Halloween celebration, this year she is feeling a little convicted about it.  So, she just put it out there as, "What do you think?  What do you do?  How do you celebrate, or not?"  And, she got a lot of detailed comments coming from every perspective.

From Bridget's Blog, I jumped over to Bianca's Blog for THIS POST on Halloween.  She has an article written by a man who used to be a Satanic Priest.  It was VERY interesting, and Bianca got a lot of good comments as well.

After reading both posts, and all of the comments, I decided to write my own post about it.  But, rather than just giving you my thoughts and beliefs, I decided to do a little research.

I'd like to share with you some of the information and scriptures that I found on www.jeremiahproject.com ; but I'd encourage you to pop on over there and read it yourself.  I'm certainly going to have all of my big kids read it.


History traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the Celtics in Ireland ...  Their two main feasts were Beltane at the beginning of summer, and Samhain at the end of summer (Nov. 1).  They believed Samhain was a time when the division between  the two worlds became very thin, when hostile supernatural forces were active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished.


Some trace the origins of present day "trick or treat" to Samhain, which was the supreme night of demonic jubilation.  Spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived.  Frightened villagers tried to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts.  They began the tradition of placing plates of the finest food and bits of treats that the household had to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the ghostly wanderers.  If not placated, villagers feared that the spirits would kill their flocks or destroy their property.


The problem was ... if the souls of dead loved ones could return that night, so could anything else, human or not, nice or not-so-nice.  The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among them.  Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening the face with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of the dead who might be roaming around.  This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.


The Jack-o-lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of a damned soul.  Originally the Irish would carve out turnips or beets as lanterns as representations of the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead.  When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve ... (but) pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute ...


Pumpkins were cut with faces representing demons and were originally intended to frighten away evil spirits.  It was said that if a demon or such were to encounter something as fiendish looking as themselves that they'd run away in terror, thus sparing the houses dwellers from the ravages of dark entities.


Bats, owls, and other nocturnal animals, also popular symbols of Halloween, were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.


Black cats were considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future.  During the Middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats.  Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise.


Witches and witchcraft are dominant themes of the holiday.  Witches generally believe themselves to be followers of an ancient religion, which goes back far beyond Christianity, and which is properly called 'wicca".   To witches, Halloween is a festival of the dead, and represents the end and the beginning of the witches year.  It marks the beginning of the death and destruction associated with winter.  At this time the power of the underworld is unleashed, and spirits are supposedly freed to roam about the earth; it is considered the best time to contact spirits.


The apostle Paul said witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:16-21)


As believers, we are called to "Test everything.  Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)  Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil?  Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil.  Christians are to "... have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."  (Ephesians 5:11)


Should the church be compromised by accommodating itself to the culture?  "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  (Romans 12:2)  and "For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"  (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)


When America and the world celebrates the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating our homes, schools, business, and churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified.


Tom Sanguinet, a former high priest in the Celtic tradition of Wicca (witchcraft) said, "Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have or will do that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus."


As evil prevails, Americans have embraced an evil day of Satan, with the pranks of hoodlums, combined with 'demon faces' on pumpkins, clothing of 'death' being worn, and calling it fun.  When Christians participate in Halloween, it sends a message to children that witchcraft, demonism, Satanism, and the occult are something fun, entertaining, and harmless.


What's wrong with Halloween?


It does not have even one single  redeeming virtue.  It is custom born out of pagan superstition.  It is a demon-inspired, devil-glorifying, occult festival.  It is an evening holy unto evil, death, and divination.  The Scriptures tell us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil."  (1 Thessalonians 5:22)


Wake up Christians!  This is a night of evil and those who love the Lord Jesus Christ should have nothing to do with it.


We are all accountable for our choices and decisions.  Ignorance is no excuse.  The choice is up to you.  Have you been involved in this satanic holiday?  Do you struggle with giving it up because 'it's just fun" and an innocent opportunity for children to dress up and collect candy?  (I hope and pray that you will) let God show you what He would have you do.




If you weren't aware of the origins of Halloween, I hope this has given you a clearer picture.

Our family has chosen not to celebrate Halloween in any way.  We do not dress up.  We do not buy candy.  We do not attend the big event at our church.  We just don't celebrate it.  We do not, in any way, make Oct. 31st any different than any other day.

One of the questions that we often ask ourselves is, "Is this God's best for my life?"  When our teens want to go to a movie with friends, we ask, "Is that God's best for you?"  When our young adults become interested in another young man or young lady, we ask, "Is that God's best for you?"  When we choose how to spend our free time, we ask, "Is this God's best for us?"  We do not believe that celebrating Halloween could, in any way, be considered "God's Best" for our family.



Update  ...  for further reading ... 


My Bloggy Friend Anita wrote a well thought-out post about her perspective on Halloween (she lets her kids trick-or-treat with Grandma), and gave the following links.   Both links are articles about the origins of the holiday, but give the opposite perspective, that Christians can enjoy the holiday without dishonoring the Lord.  


What About Halloween?  by Answers in Action


Where Did Halloween Come From?  
Can Christians Celebrate It?  
by Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry