Family Baptism & Celebration

 Over the years our grandchildren have come to know Jesus as Savior. This is all we as grandparents have ever desired. Riches, fame, "happiness", all the world deems successful, these have never been our prayers or ideals for our children and their children. True happiness and true success are  ideals the bible teaches are a result of trusting Him. Because our grandchildren have proclaimed they believe Jesus is the "way, the truth, and the life " and have accepted Him as Savior, my husband and our family set aside a day to gather together at a lake and baptize all who believe . My husband gathered us together the evening before the baptism at the lake to talk about what the bible says about salvation and baptism. The grandchildren listened, asked questions, and affirmed they too believed and desired baptism.



 We had a family camp-out at our place over the mountains ( see the camper- trailers gathered in a semi-circle ? ) and the family gathered to witness and rejoice in the baptism of the grandchildren and one of our daughters-in-law.

 We went to a local lake early in the morning of the 4th of July. All those to be baptized wore white t-shirts over their clothes, but it was a chilly morning and we waited until it got a tad bit warmer.

 Our oldest son baptized his 4 daughters , and what a day of rejoicing this was !

 Our daughter asked her father, my husband, to baptize her children. This was very important to all of them. No one in our family is pressured to be baptized , or to ask Jesus into their heart. This is a personal experience, between an individual and God ! But blessedly, each of our daughter's children requested baptism because they believe. ( John 3:16 ) Here my husband is baptizing our oldest grandchild...

 ...his sister ( who seems the most joyous of all ! )

 ...their little sister...

 ...baby brother....

... and oh what a joyous day for us all !

Our youngest son baptized his wife  who is expecting their first baby after 13 years of marriage,( a miracle !) . We laughingly expressed our delight that he was not only baptizing his wife but his soon to be born son !

 

"True baptism must always be vitally related to faith. Only through responsive faith to the regenerative work of Christ can the soul participate in spiritual baptism, and subsequently in the symbolic form of the act itself. Through faith , as a commitment to the person of Christ , the believer is brought into an actual relation to God through the radical change of nature which is inherit in spiritual baptism. Faith is a "surrender-in-response " relationship to the Holy Spirit, who, through spiritual baptism brings man into vital union with God."  The Zondervan Pictoral Bible Dictionary

 

For David, Praise Him in the Storm!

David, praise Him in the storm!

If you feel led, please pray for David as he makes another journey to the high desert of California in yet another fight to save his daughters. Please pray for the truth to be revealed and for the little girls' safety: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This song is for you David, praise Him in the storm.

To Live Content....

~"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy , not respective, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to the stars and birds, to babes and sages with open heart; to bear on cheerfully, do all bravely, awaiting occasions, worry never;..." William Henry Channing

~ The last post is a thinking, or writing out loud...in print. Very publicly too. I do trust in God to work all things out to His glory, and in my life,as I think back on the years I know He has. ~The relative who lost his job is not afraid because his faith AND life experience have proven God is faithful. We have a young woman who meets with us in our home fellowship who is employed by a large company currently in the midst of major downsizing. Every week she still has her job, she thanks God and then trusts he will care for her if she discovers she has lost it. ~Mary from Annie's Goat Hill has a wonderful post discussing just where I was going with last nights' post but I got too wordy to go on writing. Please check out her blog today. Anyway, my daughter and I were talking about how these times are definitely giving us all a nudge ( or maybe a BIG push) in the direction of taking stock of what is important and just what we really need, or do NOT need in our lives. ~For me and many others, the important things cannot be measured by the size of our bank account, or what the world calls 'success'. How I deal with the not so nice things life sends my way, or God allows , is really one of the measures , or tests of life. Am I still trusting when things go bad? ~As Mary and my daughter have said, this is kind of ( understatement?) an exciting time for us. A time for re-thinking our priorities and goals and vision for our families and communities. Also, this is a time to come together with those we love and those who are like minded to support and encourage others to live simply and with great contentment.

~ Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said " I will never leave you or forsake you." So that we confidently say " The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what shall man do to me?" ....and "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today , yes and forever." Hebrews 13: 5,6,8

He Sees Each Sparrow Fall

~During these last few tumultuous years in our family, when we were concerned, nay, terrified our son might be lost in battle in Iraq, or his daughters lost to the court system in California..a system which seems not to care about children but more about earning income from court systems and officials who do NOT seem the least concerned about the real safety and well-being of very young and vulnerable children, well, a lot of kind and well meaning people would quote to us the verse"are not two sparrows sold for a cent ? And yet not one falls to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 ~I will tell you, these verses were of NO comfort to me because being the pessimistic and negative person I am ,I would immediately remind myself that hey, the sparrows still fall! There is NOTHING in those verses that tell me the sparrow was saved or preserved...no, the sparrows fell, and stayed down, and probably died. That is what happens to sparrows that fall to the ground. There is almost always a predator to snatch the poor bird up and devour it. So here I was , already worried about 4 very young and vulnerable little girls the court system and even some so-called 'child advocates' would give wholeheartedly to a mother who has given herself up to the very worst things you could imagine ( yes, the worst!Believe me, there is legal documentation to prove this!) in spite of a father who has given up everything in an attempt to save his daughters ( that would be our oldest son who is legally provably moral, kind and honorable). Where exactly is the comfort in that verse? And because I am an avid bird watcher who spends too much money keeping our bird feeders full , that verse comes to mind almost every day. And when Miss Marple, our cat, will leave the small feathered corpses of the birds she has caught..why, I think, HAH! Another fallen sparrow, dead. Just......dead. And Who saw the poor bird fall? ~Does this sound like a positive or uplifting post? Does this seem right? Do not get me wrong. I know God is in control and He is the One who truly loves us, but I felt that maybe we did not really matter so much in the grand scheme of things. After all, many thousands of little ones are killed legally in this world before they are able to be born. Many others are killed soon after, and many others live lives that make me think it better for them they never were conceived. In fact, I think our country cares more for animals than human babies and children. Our little sparrows are falling in amazing numbers, aren't they? So what exactly is the comfort I am to derive from these verses? ~Well, there have been many things our family has learned from these trials, but those verses have bothered me. I finally found a book by John Stout, ' THE BIRDS, OUR TEACHERS' and he says ..."Jesus did not mean that God's children are guaranteed protection against all accidents. True, he said that not one sparrow can fall to the ground without our Father's knowledge ( Matthew 10:29). But sparrows do fall to the ground, for example when chicks fall out of the nest, as Jesus knew perfectly well. Human beings also fall and injure themselves. And sometimes aeroplanes crash. What Jesus promised is not that the law of gravity will be suspended for our benefit, but rather that nothing can harm us without our heavenly Father's knowledge and permission." So, this really did give me comfort. God has allowed into my life, my son's life, my granddaughters' lives, these bad things..NOT caused, but allowed, and He really is in control.He does see and attend to the details of our lives as he sees fit. How this will all work out is still a mystery. But God has protected these little girls and our son. You would be amazed at what they have come through and been protected from. Thus far.Evil is still fighting , and causing much trouble and distress, but this reminds us that we must be constantly on guard and in prayer. ~So for whatever reason, He has allowed the current situation in our lives, our country, and world wide. What I need to be asking myself is how am I to live in the midst of trials, how will I praise Him and allow Him to use me?How can I, or you, be an encouragement to others in this time of distress?

~Woodpecker hole in snag on Cedar pond~

~With all these thoughts still mulling around, and then to find out precious family has found out they have lost their job, and read Miss Linda's post concerning her work situation, I realize there are many , many reasons and excuses to wallow in fear and doubt and be anxious. However, our relative was calm and remarked that he was not worried. God has always taken care of them and He will continue to care for them. Miss Linda is faithfully trusting God in all things. There are many other inspirational people whose blogs I have been reading who have gone through and ARE going through some pretty awful trying times, and yet they remain steadfast in their faith in God and His wisdom . Thank-you all so very much for posting your thoughts throughout. ~"Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving , let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7

Oh Me of Little Faith ( Spot of Doubt)

~~~~~Today some old acquaintances of mine paid a visit. They are not very nice, and usually bring bad things, but I keep letting them visit. I even offer them great chunks of my time, and let them alter my plans for the day. What is wrong with me ? Why do I let fear and worry in ? They do nothing but cause my stomach to churn, and they bring their friends , anxiety , doubt, depression~~~~~really though, how can you not be fearful and anxious in these times ? The news seems to be bad, food and gas prices are high, the housing market is just terrible and the war, and the personal worries about our loved ones~~I forgot. I forgot who I was, I am a daughter of the One who said " Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say ,rejoice! Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ( and here are the best words) Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

~~~~~This fear and anxiety are just another way of showing my lack of trust and faith in God. Then I went to the post office and received my 'Voice of the Martyrs' monthly magazine and I was ashamed. The many accounts of the people all over the world who are being persecuted and tortured terribly in this day and age simply for standing for Christ. That is all. I won't describe the atrocities being suffered, I would cry again, but these people count it joy to suffer for Jesus !~~~~~

~~~~~I will relay one little excerpt from a book written by Richard Wurmbrand, a Jewish Christian who suffered more than 14 years in a Romanian prison, being starved of food and human companionship, and tortured. Years after his release he and his wife founded the Voice of the Martyrs. He writes this " A Christian once asked an atheist, with whom he took a walk through the meadows, " Who made all these beautiful flowers ?" "Forget it!" was the answer."Do not come again with your stupid talk about God. The flowers only exist by themselves." The Christian did not persist. After a few days, he was visited by the same friend in his home. In his sitting room he had a beautiful picture representing the flowers. The atheist asked him,"Who painted this?" The Christian said,"Do not begin with this rubbish! Nobody painted these flowers. They came into the painting by themselves. Nature made the carved frame. Then by itself the picture jumped up on the wall, onto a nail which just happened to be there, driven by nobody. And that is all." The atheist took the joke badly. But then the Christian asked, " Is it logical to believe that these three flowers in the picture , which have no fragrance and no life, must have been created by somebody, while believing that the millions of living flowers with their heady perfume in the valleys and on the hills have no creator ?' ~~~~~

~~~~~"And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span? And why are you anxious about clothing ? Observe the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field , which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, Oh men of little faith?" Matthew 6; 27 - 30

Why Do I Blog ?

Miss Marple checks out the blog .

A friend recently asked me why I blog....I had to think about this for awhile. The real answer is I love to write letters, and this seems to be the way to write letter now a days.

"Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company."
Lord Byron

Isn't that true ? Even more so with blogging. I can write and post a blog (letter) any time I am home and my computer is functioning and send it out by touching my keyboard. My e-letter goes all over the world and some people actually read it ! Sometimes they respond..oh joy ! This is like having pen pals, only I do not need to go to the post office to send and receive letters.

I used to write a LOT of letters. I was an Army brat and we wrote letters all the time. My mother was very good at keeping in touch with our Father who did 2 tours in Vietnam, plus keeping in touch with all the friends and family we had moved away from,courtesy of the U.S. Army. I also had pen pals.

When I married, I still kept in touch with my friends living in other states. I wrote all my relatives and Hubby's relatives. I enjoyed writing all these people and they wrote letters back to me. They wrote about themselves, their families, their dreams, etc., I love writing letters and sometimes felt guilty about time spent writing letters because I enjoyed it !

Our daughter spent 6 months in Australia and she wrote us regularly, and we wrote her back. This was before we had e-mail, and the phone was way too expensive a means of communication.......and I loved those letters. I cherish those letters. Our daughter is gifted in communication, especially written communication. Her letters would have us laughing and feeling good after we read them. If the phone had been our basic means of communication I am not sure we would have received as much pleasure from it. And we cannot share the phone call with the extended family who was interested in our daughter...sure, we could convey the gist of the call, but her words ? Her real take on life there , way across the globe ?

Over the years our letter writing relatives died of old age. The family and friends we try to keep in touch with do not seem to write letters. I hate the phone and consider it a necessary evil and appreciate the availability the phone affords...but not as the best way of communication. I like one to one , face to face interaction.....and I like to read heart felt letters. Our friends and family kept telling us if we joined the 'modern age' of technology we could e-mail. We could keep in touch...yeah, right ! I am sorry, but forwards are not communication and keeping in touch. Sure, some are funny, and I enjoy forwards (well, some of them) but they are NOT keeping in touch, communicating, interacting....we joined the 'modern age' and many of our friends and family are still not really in touch. They don't communicate via e-mail, or letter writing..or by phone for that matter.

All this background to say, I blog to write letters for my family, friends, and possible pen pals around the world! I want my blog to be uplifting, informative, eclectic, and fun. I want my grandchildren and family and friends to be able to read my blog and see what's going on...and I want to blog in such a way that I need never be ashamed of what I say. My faith is my life. My faith (Christian) cannot be separated from any part of my life. My (and Hubby's) view is never separate from our faith....Jesus is Lord !

"Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting; to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labors in which he toils under the sun during the few years of life which God has given him; for this is his reward." Ecclesiastes 5:18

"The age of technology has both revived the use of writing and provided ever more reasons for it's spiritual solace. E-mails are letters, after all, more lasting than phone calls, even if many of them R cursory 4 U. " Anna Quindlan