aaaahhhhh...the joys of not having to keep my house spotless for the never ending lineup of people wanting to view it...whew, what a year it has been! we put our house up for sale just about 1 year ago. we found out today that the couple who made an offer a few months back definitely want to buy our house. they wanted to do one more walk through today just to nail down their decision, since it has been 2 months already. as for our great plans...we're just going to stay around here (sorry to all our family & friends in ohio;) & rent for a few years & wait to see where the Lord leads us.
let the search begin...again.
moving on...finally
big boy bed
a few months ago we tried our hand at transitioning emmit to his big boy bed because he figured out how to get up on the side of his crib on his belly...little stinker. unfortunately we couldn't find a rail that would cooperate w/ both the crib & emmit so we had to put the front of his crib back on. we were just hoping that he wouldn't figure out how to actually propel his whole body over the side (thus possibly resulting in our 3rd trip to the ER with our little houdini). i came across a great product, for all you mommies out there! it's called Bed Bug Bumper. what it is is simply 2 big pieces of some sort of squishy styrofoam that is placed under the fitted sheet at the edge of the bed. it is absolutely amazing!!! emmit can climb safely in & out of his bed without us fearing grave injury...& that is exactly what he does. the first night he stayed in his "new" bed until i heard him the next morning & went in to get him up. each successive morning & nap there on out has been more & more of a discovery of his own independence. sometimes he'll open the door & stand there quiet as a mouse until one of us get up to peek down the hall...he then, of course, proceeds to giggle & shriek as if he pulled one over on us. this afternoon we left for the park after lunch but he ended up falling asleep right when we got there...so we headed back home. the minute i laid that boy down he was wired tight as a spring. i heard him wandering around, opening & closing the door, chattering to himself, etc, etc...oh to be a fly on that wall:) so, after many unsuccessful attempts at getting the little booger back to bed we had a snack. i'm sure he was thrilled. he finally went to sleep around 3:30/4pm. 1 1/2-2 hours after his nap time. not too sure if i'm liking this independence thing. i'm starting to lose more of my independence...but, for the greatest cause, my son:)
emmit's first night in his "new bed"
emmit that next morning...still in bed...now he opens the door chattering, "hello mommy & daddy, i'm awake & ready to go!"
just call me irrisitable
this video is from about a month ago & thankfully emmit has pretty much mastered the spoon bit. as you can see his table etiquette is immaculate...watch out little ladies...here he comes (well, in about 30 more years...if his parents have anything to say about it:)!
thankful to be an american
"plumpy nut" almost sounds like something made in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. as silly as the name sounds this vitamin packed form of peanut butter has been proven to reverse malnutrition in children. CBS News has a great segment on this new found wonder at the following link (copy & paste into browser):
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/19/60minutes/main3386661.shtml
as i watched the segment my heart was grieved for all those little babies & children who had barely anything in this life to claim except maybe the clothes on their back. i thought about how much i am panged to see my own son go through difficult transitions, sicknesses, a stubbed toe or a hurried trip to the ER. to imagine walking miles upon miles through the jungles of africa, through the day & night, with a child on my back, barefooted was simply inconceivable. i can't imagine living in such conditions being pushed to my limits physically & emotionally almost everyday. as difficult as times seem to be here for us in the states i am immensely proud to be an American & very grateful to the Lord for sovereignly placing me where i am, at this exact time & place within the vast span of history past, present & future. i could not be more greatly blessed.
He is Faithful
as emmit & i were headed to the grocery store this morning i turned on the radio to listen to the weather (it looked like we were going to get caught in some rain). i had left the radio on 89.9fm, a classical station located in canada, the evening before. what i heard in the next five minutes, or so, was almost surreal yet gripped my heart & mind with such a strong sense of the reality of my Lord i just couldn't change the station. so, i listened on. what i perceived to hear was an old man, a very old man, quietly singing...
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.
he sang with such carefree & confident joy in his Lord. he continued to sing this simple song over & over & over. i thought this heavenly song would never end & wondered how in the world this got on national radio. as he continued to sing his voice began to fade out a bit & another strong younger male voice began singing the same words...
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.
how beautiful! it was almost as if the younger man's voice was the old man proclaiming the same wondrous message in his earlier years. i thought to myself in these minutes how very much i desire these same words to be my heart's cry at the end of my life...the great faithfulness of my great God! He is faithful to the very end.
"Who will separate us from the love of God? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? just as it is written, 'For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is IN Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 AMEN!!!
what a glorious, merciful, gracious, loving God we serve! His abundant strength is made perfect in our human weaknesses.
"Remember my affliction & my wandering, the wormwood & bitterness. Surely my soul remembers & is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him" Lamentations 3:19-25
There is an unwavering, unfailing, steadfast, confident hope found in the Lord.
Jesus' blood never fails
By John Fischer
There is a quirky piece of music written and recorded by the British composer Gavin Bryars that features a continuous running tape loop of a homeless man recorded on the streets of London singing an old Gospel song, “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.” The old man’s voice is wistful and wobbly, with a Cockney accent that somehow carries with it a toothless grin you can almost see, and a confidence that stands in stark contrast to his situation.
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet,
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, for he loves me so.
A reporter, who was a friend of the composer, recorded this little song by accident while researching a story on London’s poor, and Bryars was captivated by its simple grandeur. He was haunted by the power of the old man’s sincerity and the boldness of his hope even though, by his own admission, he does not share his faith. That’s when he got the idea to immortalize the man’s testimony by writing an orchestral accompaniment that would weave intricately in and around the sinewy voice as it repeated, over and over again, its confidence in the never-failing love of Jesus. The end result is a 75-minute recording that gradually works its way through various musical shades and colors while the toothless voice grins on and on.
Little did he know it was going to turn into something of a phenomenon. The piece scored a pop hit in Britain and did fairly well in America. Though it is considered a classical recording, its unique composition appealed to a broad range of people, especially a younger audience that turned it into a sort of pop icon.
Think about it: a bum out on the streets in the lowest of states, carrying a hopeful message to hundreds of thousands of people about the reality of Christ’s love that defies his health, his circumstances, and the physical conditions that are his daily reality. Hearing it always makes me see whatever I might be going through at the time in a different light.
“Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 NLT Or, to put it another way, whatever happens to you or me, we can always say, “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.”
http://www.gavinbryars.com/Pages/jesus_blood_never_failed_m.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnYA0w4cWiE (the full song)
copy & paste the link above in your browser to hear a brief clip of this song.
Look at the bottom left of the web page
dirt...a boy's best friend
if there is one thing that emmit can't get enough of...it's DIRT. i love it because my sisters & i were genuine tomboys & loved to be outside whether it was playing in the dirt/mud, splashing in rain puddles, running through the grass barefoot (or up & down our stone driveway! boy, were the bottoms of our feet ever calloused!!!), climbing trees, making forts, etc, etc:) so, i guess loving dirt runs in the family. eating dirt, on the other hand, i wasn't the typical dirt-eating child. maybe my toes or finger nails, but good night...dirt?! YUK!!! now, someone please comfort my heart & tell me that your child has munched on dog doo...i'm sure emmit is not the only one:)
this is a special area of our backyard that we have renamed "emmit's corner".
to the man i love
Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon, the wife of the great theologian from the 1800s, Charles H. Spurgeon, puts my thoughts & affections into words: "how little i then thought that my eyes looked on him who was to be my life's beloved; how little i dreamed of the honor God was preparing for me in the near future! it is a mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us; else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the choicest and loveliest gifts of His providence." the theologian says this of his wife, which i echo from my heart towards my husband, "i knew i loved you very much before, but now i feel how necessary you are to me." (Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon , by Charles Ray, 1905) my husband has come to mean more to me through our six years of marriage than i ever thought could be possible. i eagerly anticipate the years the Lord, in His grace, gives to us together as husband & wife & as a family.
throughout this year i have been studying through a book by Martha Peace called The Excellent Wife. the Lord has opened my eyes to my weaknesses as a wife, in what specific areas i need to change in obedience to God's word, & is graciously turning my eyes back to His word and teaching me how to truly love mitch, honor him, respect him, and submit to him...for the Lord's glory and for the testimony of His wondrous grace in our lives. yes, this statement flies in the face of what we hear & are taught every day through the media, talk shows, public female figures, movies, books, magazines, etc, etc. but what does the Word of God say...Titus 2:3-5 "older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS, love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, BEING SUBJECT TO THEIR OWN HUSBANDS, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." (emphasis added). God's word truly is sufficient to meet all my needs & lead me in the right way. II Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (emphasis added) Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet & a light to my path." Psalm 19:7-11 "the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. they are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honey comb. moreover, is your servant warned; in keeping then there is great reward." II Peter 1:3 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness; through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory & excellence." Isiah 40:8 "the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." i love my husband because he is a gift from my Lord specifically for me, because my God commands me to ("you shall love your neighbor as yourself" Galatians 5:14...my husband is my closest neighbor:), because i desire to glorify God in my marriage & life. so, you ask, do you have the perfect marriage? uh...yeah right. a big good grief NO! of course not. who does? i'm convinced there's no such thing:) we are simply two sinners saved by the grace of God to live for Him during our stay here on this earth. the difference then...our reliance is on the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and His eternal, everlasting word.
happy 6th anniversary, sweetheart...& happy father's day to the best daddy in the whole wide world! i love you.
a blast from the past
uh...goo-goo ga-ga...that's what my vocabulary has come to since emmit has been born. i know all you mommies out there can agree heartily to that one! here's a shining example of my mooshy brains capacity to communicate...when my sisters & i were little girls we affectionately called my mom "mommy" & dad "papa". we still call my dad papa but my mom, on the other hand, we started calling her "mom" the minute we realized that "mommy" sounded a bit babyish (no offense to any kid or adult who calls their mom mommy). i still remember that moment...so awkward. so anyways, i was on the phone the other morning chatting with my mom while also chatting with emmit who was babbling a mile a minute (may the Lord use his gift of gab!). before we said our last goodbye & hung up the phone i blurted out, "bye bye mommy." GOOD GRIEF!!!!! where did that come from!!!??? i'll tell you...from talking with a toddler all day long...that's where. so if i'm even in conversation with you and just by chance call you mommy, papa, baby, honey, monkey, buddy, dude, sweetie, cutie pie, etc, etc...please excuse me, i'm a mommy of an almost 2 year old.
boy, oh boy!
so...you ask...what has the little guy been up to these days? oh, so very much!
painting...
running...or at least trotting...
growing up way too fast! here he's sporting his new big boy belt:)
making messes...& more messes...& more messes...does it every end? 
"reading"...
slurping soup...
& of course, exploring the world with daddy!
Mighty is the Power of the Cross
What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness
Chorus:
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross
What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?
Overcome
(chorus)
It's a miracle to me
and It's still a mystery
It's a miracle to me
The power of God
For those who believe
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross
Chris Tomlin Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross Lyrics
Songwriters: Craig, Shawn; Tomlin, Chris; Reeves, Jesse;
www.jango.com/ml?artist=Chris%20Tomlin&title=Mighty%20Is%20The%20Power
%20Of%20The%20Cross
~copy & paste link into browser to listen~
Alpacas?
meet the new members of our family:) my mom & her hubby, kelly, adopted 3 alpacas to raise & sell eventually, i'm assuming. the two females are pregnant and are due w/in the next month or so. they also adopted a strapping male:) apparently alpacas are the new & upcoming thing...anyone interested?
my sister, marla, kelly, & my mom took a hiking trip to Moab about a month ago. here are a few pics of them at the Delicate Arch.
long time no blog
boy, it has been a while since our last post! it sure has been a busy month. emmit has been growing leaps & bounds! his ability to grasp concepts sure has taken off too! it's funny to me how he can understand what i say or ask him to do but can barely spit out the words for it. today was a difficult day, probably because we have all been sick, but generally speaking emmit is such a joy to me & i count it a great privilege to spend my time caring for him & teaching him, esp about the things of our great God. if all my son ever grasped was to love, serve, & honor God with all his heart, soul, strength & mind, my time here on this earth with him would be worth every minute.
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