Becoming New

The Holy Spirit - Sections I and II

2011-05-05T18:43:00.010-05:00

In Bible study we've been studying the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. These are some of the point and verses that I am going back over from study and would like to share with anyone who is willing to take the time to read this. I've been reminded lately that if I'm feeling far from God (and I have been) that it's not because He left me...but because I walked away from Him. He is ever calling us back into a deep and intimate relationship with Him and He's given us the Holy Spirit to help in the areas we are weak. Here are the verses and points from our study!

The Holy Spirit

The goal of this section is to understand the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. We will strive to understand His deity, attributes, activity in the world and ministry to the saved community The hope is to enlighten and encourage believers to understand the power the Spirit provides to live the Christian life.

I. The Holy Spirit is fully God...

He is given equal association with the Father and Son...

Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit"; Acts5:3-4 "But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." (showing that when they lied to the Holy Spirit, they lied to God because they are one in the same); 1 Corinthians 6:11 "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."; 2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."

He Is given the same attributes as the Father and the Son (This will be studied later in section II)

II. The Holy Spirit's ministry in the Old Testament

The Spirit only indwelt certain people...

Genesis 41:38 "Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?"; Numbers 27:18 "So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.."; Ezekiel 2:2 "As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.."; Daniel 4:8, 5:11-14, 6:3 "As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to...", "There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.", "Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom."

The Spirit departed some due to disobedience...

1 Samuel 16:14 "Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.", Psalm 51:11 "Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."

The Spirit rested (temporary) upon certain people...

Judges 3:10 "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim."; Judges 6:34 So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him."; Judges 11:29 "Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon."; Judges 13:25 "And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. "; Judges 14:6 "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done."; 1 Samuel 10:9-10 "Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them."; 1 Samuel 16:13-14 "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him."

The Spirit filled certain people...

Exodus 31:1-3 "Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship"; Exodus 35:30-31 "Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, "See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship"

Promise of the Spirit's permanent indwelling in fulfillment of the New Covenant...

God promised Abraham, in Genesis 12:1-3 ("Now the LORD said to Abram, Go forth from your country, And from your ,relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.") a land, a nation and blessings. The Abrahamic covenant was later in specifics known as the Palestinian (land) covenant (Ezekiel 16:60 "Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you."; *more to come), Davidic (throne) Covenant (2 Samuel 7:11, 13, 16,"even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you...He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever...Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever." 2 Samuel 23:5 "Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow?", Isaiah 55:3 "Incline your ear and come to Me listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. Jeremiah 31:35-37 "Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever."Thus says the LORD, If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done," declares the LORD." Jeremiah 33:20-21 "Thus says the LORD, 'If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers." Ezekiel 37:15 "They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever.") and the New (blessings and descendants) Covenant (Isaiah 61:8 "For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them"; Jeremiah 31:31-40 Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: If this fixed order departs from before Me, declares the LORD, Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever."Thus says the LORD, If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done," declares the LORD. Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate the measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever."; Jeremiah 32:40 "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me."; Jeremiah 50:5 "They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten." ; Hebrews 8:6-13 " But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." When He said, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."; Hebrews 13:20 "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord").
In the New Covenant the Spirit would be poured our on believers (Isaiah 32:15 "Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is considered as a forest."; Isaiah 44:3 "'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants"; Ezekiel 36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."; Ezekiel 37:14 "I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.'"; Ezekiel 39:29 "I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD."; Joel 2:28-29 "It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.").

*this concludes sections I and II. More to come....please continue to follow along with me! :)

What's the Cost?

2010-04-22T20:20:00.005-05:00

When Jesus talked about us taking up our cross (the object of death) denying ourselves daily and following Him (in Luke 14), He was teaching us how to be true disciples. In other parts of the world, it costs people their lives, literally. Would we be willing to pay that same price if that kind of suffering came to the US? While people in other countries are willing to die for Christ, are we even willing to live for Him in obedience? How much would you pay? How much does true discipleship cost? I made this video while thinking about these things, and asking myself theses questions.

The Start of Christmas

2009-12-03T23:21:00.009-05:00

Spent 12 hours today trying recipes for Christmas cookies. Boy am I glad to be out of the kitchen. lol. But I do have a better idea now of what I can make for the end of the month. ANd the boys are quite happy be eat the "tests" :)

OCC

2009-11-15T10:13:00.003-05:00

Last year was our first year doing Operation Christmas Child and it was amazing. Christmas time has become such a flurry of tasks, that for me, it was beginning to lose some of it's joy. I was at church last year when I heard of the opportunity to do these boxes. I had hear about OCC in the past, but never in detail about how it was actually done. I decided that I was going to do it and that it would be a great way to spend time with my little sibblings, while teaching them to rejoice at the opportunity to give. So off we went to the stores so they could help pick stuff out and put the boxed together. It was some of the best time we've ever had together and it blessed my heart to see their excitement as they picked out stuff for what they call "my girl" or "my boy". This year I took all the little one with me, except for my littlest brother, as we went shopping. Upon getting home, He sat and watched us put the boxes together. He then started crying because he wanted to do one too. He kept crying that he needed one for "his little boy". Needless to say we now have an extra box for a little boy through the efforts of my little brother's tears! This is such a huge blessing to be apart of. Just to watch the videos on the website of OCC and hear the stories of how it touches children's lives, children who may have never received a gift in their lives, brings tears to my eyes. We have so much here in America, what a blessing during Christmas, to be able to show God's love in such a meaningful way. I'm so thankful for this ministry! It is becoming our new family tradition, one that I will, Lord willing, carry on with my own children someday. The only regret I have it that I didn't get involved in this sooner!

Show a child God's love in a very real and meaningful way!!!

"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35

Cherish the Moment

2009-11-12T00:23:00.009-05:00

A while back I started doing picture videos for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings...ect. I finally started another blog solely for the purpose of putting up pictures I take and videos I make. If you're interested check it out... Cherish the Moment

Applesauce Day

2009-11-11T00:03:00.004-05:00

It's such an awesome feeling when the long day is over and you get to see all the finished jars lined up. Ahhh...one of life's little pleasures!

Pastor Appreciation Cakes

2009-11-10T09:31:00.005-05:00

We had a day at church to celebrate the 11 years that our pastor has served WBC. These are the cakes that I made for the celebration...

Don't Get "Eaten" By Sin

2009-11-09T14:56:00.005-05:00

This is a clip from a message that was given at my old church. I watched this a few weeks ago and found it to be so true. Our culture tells us all the time that evil is no big deal, and in fact, it's something that can kinda be laugh at. I thought this was a good visual picture of how serious it really is...

1 Thessalonians 5:21-23
"But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Fall Fest

2009-10-20T10:24:00.000-05:00

Last month we had the wonderful opportunity to reach out to our local community with the good news of Jesus Christ. We were able, with our church, to set up a booth and serve coffee and talk with the people that God brought our way. It was such a blessing. We serve a great God!

KD

2009-10-10T10:52:00.002-05:00

This year I was able to take a trip to Kings Dominion with some friends. It was so much fun!!!

I did every ride EXCEPT for this one...

Wedding Bells

2009-10-08T16:20:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted, but better late than never right? The last time I posted our family was completely absorbed in wedding plans. Well the wedding has now come and gone and my brother is celebrating 3 months of wonderful marriage...boy, how time does fly. It's still weird for me to think that my brother is married. All those childhood day went by so quickly. But what a joy to see the happiness in his face as he started his life new with his beautiful bride!

2009-08-17T18:06:00.000-05:00

Shower Prep.

2009-06-10T00:34:00.007-05:00

My sisters and I worked on fancy food and rearranging our whole basement for the shower...

My First Tier Cake

2009-06-09T23:43:00.007-05:00

My sister and I recently planned a wedding shower for our future sister in law. I wanted to make a cake as a center piece for the dessert table. So I set out looking for ideas on the internet and came across this photo...

I had never really done a tier cake before, but I loved this one and decided to try my hand at it. After a little work....

This is what I ended up with....

Joe & Bekah

2009-05-16T21:15:00.006-05:00

My brother is getting married this summer. Today I took engagement pictures for him. It was my first photo shoot, and I really had a lot of fun! Here are a few of the pictures.

I'm Back

2009-05-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

Though I did start another blog like stated below, I decided to continue to use this one too. This is more my personal stuff and things that are going on. So all that to say, Becoming New is back in the blogging world! LOL

Dying To Live

2008-11-06T18:09:00.006-05:00

Dear Readers (if I still have any :p),
This is just an update to say that, for now, I will be posting under a new name and address. The name of my new blog is "Dying 2 Live" and the address is www.dyin2liv.blogspot.com/ . Please let me know what you think. God bless you all. Thank you very much for reading my blog!
In Christ, Amy

The One Thing That I Know

2008-10-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

Amazing Words from Acts

2008-10-14T21:41:00.007-05:00

These verses really spoke to my heart and challenged me to contemplate if I could say the same thing...I pray that by God's grace if ever faced with the choice to deny Christ or be persecuted for Him I could.

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. Act 20:24

"Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, "The will of the Lord be done!" Acts 21:13-14

Cathy's 50th Birthday

2008-10-12T21:49:00.001-05:00

These were taking at my friend's mom's 50th birthday party! Congratulations Mrs. Cathy!

A little princess. Isn't she so cute? :-)

Come To Jesus - Chris Rice

2008-09-25T19:22:00.003-05:00

I first heard this song at a memorial service I attended. It was for the percious little baby of a pastor in my church. Chase Miller Smith went to be with the Lord two years ago now, just moments after He was born. One of the saddest yet most blessed moments of my life was being there at the service and watching this video. God gave the Smith family so much strength and grace. And through it all His name was brough glory.

Since then I have loved this song, although I still can't watch it without crying.

A MUST see

2008-07-30T08:02:00.003-05:00

Berry Babies

2008-07-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

CFO Picnic

2008-07-23T11:06:00.000-05:00

A while back my family and some of my friends got involved with an organization call Christian Farmers Outreach. No, it's not a group of technical "farmers", it’s a group of people who love sharing Jesus and the salvation message with those around them, hence we are "farming" for souls as stated in John 4:35. Last year we decided to help on their "work day" and were then asked to help serve at their annual picnic. We did, and we had a lot of fun doing it. This year, we were asked to run the food and set-up part of the picnic and my dad was asked to MC. Here are just a few pictures from the event...

Bethany Dillon Song

2008-07-22T10:49:00.000-05:00

"A Walk to Remember" is one of my all time favorite movies! I came across this video the other day with the song "For My Love" by Bethany Dillion put to video clips from it. I thought it was cute, so I'm sharing it...

The 4th

2008-07-14T11:11:00.005-05:00

We celebrated the 4th with a cookout (in the rain I might add, lol), good friends, and ended it with a trip to Carroll County Ag. Center for fireworks. Arriving home at 1am, all that was left to do was get some sleep!

Walkersville Fireworks

2008-07-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

The day before the 4th of July, I went to walkersville with some friends to watch the fireworks...they weren't as good as some of the ones I've seem before, but it was fun hanging out with friends, and going to a carnival, which I haven't been to since I was like 7, lol!

Strawberry Babies

2008-06-14T09:09:00.004-05:00

I went strawberrie picking with some friends yesterday outside of Thurmont. One of my friends has a one and two year old. It was such a blast "trying" to get done the picking with children! They were really good though and kept everyone on their toes and laughing! I think we probably should have weighed them along with our berries before leaving! We were however able to get like six bowls full in less then two hours...so I think that was pretty good! lol! Love you guys!
Hope you had fun getting those stains out of their dresses Jess!!! Their Uncle said Tide worked!!! :-)

Chillaxin at Panera...

Rest Poem

2008-06-12T09:51:00.003-05:00

Lord, I’m tired, discouraged and weary
No Matter what I try to do
Always seems to end in failure
Can I give it all to you?

I want so badly to hold on
To have things go my way
The pain of giving up my dreams
Seems harder everyday

But You call me to place my faith in You
To surrender to Your will
Yet while in this earthly body
My sinful nature’s hard to kill

I struggle to give in
To let you have control
Why is it so hard to trust You
When You’re the one who saved my soul?

You gave up all your glory
Paid my punishment on that tree
Became a humble servant
Set an example for me to see

I long to be perfected
To know where I belong
To understand more fully
I hope it won’t be long

With each new day that comes my way
Please remind me that You’re there
Always eagerly awaiting me
To come to You in prayer

Remind me that the plans you have
Are always for my best
So I can give my fears to You
And in you’ll strength I’ll rest

~Amy 2008

Graduation Project Pictured

2008-06-10T08:47:00.002-05:00

The finished cakes...

The whole cake table set up... nice job Senios!!

Graduation Project Completed

2008-06-06T09:23:00.011-05:00

Last night was the big night...Deborah and I finished the cakes!!! Yipee

The Unfinished Cakes:

Making The Icing

Filling the Cakes

Decorating the Cakes

My MESSY Kitchen

Random Decorations...

All ready for tomorrow...

The time we finished....and yes...it was AM!! That's what happends when you start late ;-)

Sorry...I'm not posting the pictures of the cakes decorated...cuz Deborah and I want it to be a surprise!!! So, until tomorrow...

Girls, we're looking forward to seeing you graduate tomorrow...thanks for trusting us to make your cakes! ( P.S. I LOVE your theme and colors!!)

Graduation Project Begun

2008-06-04T19:12:00.009-05:00

On Saturday, three young ladies in our church are going to graduate! We were aksed to make the cakes...and so, today my sisters and I began our three day project. The graduation theme is the beach, and the plate below is what we're doing the colors off of...
We decided to start by "trying" to copy the flowers from the flip flop, using orange instead of pink (just for you Lauren, lol!).

Two hours and 150 candy "flowers" later, this is what we ended up with...

Random Cakes

2008-06-04T18:18:00.010-05:00

Children's Birthday Cakes:

Birthday Cakes:

Wedding & Anniversary Cakes:

Graduation Cakes:

Random Cakes:

This last one is one of my favorites, thanks to my sisters help!

Old School

2008-06-03T08:36:00.004-05:00

I was going through some pictures the other day and just remembering days passed. So I decided to do a few post with older pictures and memories. These will be random, (Senios, some of these are for you) but hey somethimes different is nice. So here goes...

Dare the Dads

2008-06-02T18:07:00.008-05:00

On Friday night while at John's house, some of the dads decided they'd make a good team taking on the "young" guys...and so the challenge began and continued on Sunday where they once again took the field. After a father/daughter game (if you could call it that, lol), arranged by the daughters and reluctantly agreed upon by the dads, they proceeded to take on the guys! Wow!!! It was amazing to watch them play and even more amazing they were still able to go to work this morning! :-)

Church Volleyball

2008-06-02T10:07:00.002-05:00

Volleyball Continued

2008-05-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

Volleyball's Back!!!

2008-05-31T16:22:00.009-05:00

Last night we had a huge get together to play sports and fellowship. What fun it was to laugh and enjoy each others company. Even the adults played volleyball; amazingly we didn't need to call 911 from any of them passing out or getting hurt!! lol! And they actually were really good!!Thank God we did it on a Friday night though, because playing volleyball til 1:00am made for some pretty tired people today!

Hershey Park April 2008

2008-05-30T16:45:00.001-05:00

Learning God Through the Psalms

2008-05-29T08:09:00.005-05:00

“Because God is at my right hand I shall not be moved”
~Psalm 16:8

This years has not been one of my best years and I have spent most of it discouraged. While talking to a friend about it one afternoon, she suggested that I read through the Psalms and write down some of the things that stood out to me about God. Then meditate on who He is and thank Him for His blessings. I decided to give it a try and it has become one of the most fulfilling and satisfying times I've spent in God's word. These words have filled my soul and calmed my spirit. It’s been amazing to see how many attributes our Lord has. Not that I didn’t know already that He is amazing (I mean as Christians, that’s what we’re taught, right?) but there’s been something even more breathtaking and strengthening about writing each one down and thinking about all that our God is and all that He can do. I’ve listed just a few of the things I’ve gleaned from the first thirty chapters. But don't take my word for it...try it for yourself!!!

3:3 God is my shield
3:3 God is my glory and the one who lifts my head
3:5 God is my sustainer
3:7 God is my protector
3:8 God is my protector
4:1 He is there in times of distress
4:3 He sets apart the godly
4:3 He hears me when I call
4:8 He makes me to dwell in safety
5:4 He does not take pleasure in the wicked
5:4 No evil dwell with our Lord
5:12 The Lord will bless the righteous and surround him as a shield
6:8 The Lord hears my weeping
6:9 He hears my supplication
6:9 The Lord will receive my prayer
7:11 God is a just judge
7:11 He is angry with wickedness
8:1-9 He is over all creation
9:8 He is judge over creation
9:7 He endures forever
9:9 He is our refuge in times of trouble
9:10 He will not forsake those who seek Him
10:14 He sees out troubles and grief
10:14 He is a help to the fatherless
10:16 The Lord is King forever
10:16 He hears the desires of the humble
13:6 He deals bountifully with His children
16:2 God is our Lord
16:5 He is our portion and our inheritance
16:5 He maintains our lot
17:7 He saves those who trust in Him
18:1 The Lord is my strength
18:2 God is my rock and my fortress
18:2 He is my deliverer
18:2 He is my shield, my salvation, and my stronghold
18:3 He is worthy to be praised
18:30 His ways are perfect
18:30 He is a shield to those who trust in Him
18:32 He gives us strength and makes our ways perfect
18:35 He is our guide and our sustainer
18:39 He is my strength in battle
19:1 The Heavens declare His glory
19:7 His law is perfect
19:7 The testimonies of the Lord are sure
19:8 His statutes are right
19:8 His commandments are pure
19:9 God is to be feared
19:9 His judgments are true and righteous
19:10 His Word is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey
19:14 He is my redeemer and strength
20:6 He answers and saved me
21:4 He is the giver of life
22:24 He hears my cry for help
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd
23:2 He gives me what I need
23:3 He restores my soul and grants me peace
23:3 He leads my in His ways
23:4 He is my protector, I shall not fear
24:2 He established the earth
28:5 He punishes the wicked
28:7 My heart can trust in Him
28:7 He is my help
28:8 He is my saving refuge
29:3 His voice is over the waters
29:4 The voice of the Lord is powerful
29:4 His voice is majestic
29:8-9 His voice makes the wilderness shake and the deer give birth
29:10 He was at the beginning
29:10 He is eternal
29:11 He gives strength
30:4 He deserves praise

A Hundred Years From Now

2008-05-15T12:30:00.013-05:00

A Hundred years from now, it will now matter how
much money you had...

OR

You sort of house you lived in...

OR

The kind of car you drove...

OR

But the world may be different because you were important in
the life of a child. Author: Unknown

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-10T12:41:00.006-05:00

I believe that being a mom is the higest calling anyone could have. It's also one of the hardest jobs, because it's 24/7. There are no vacations and no sick days! To all you moms out there (and especially to my mom)...Thank you for your hard work and perseverance. Thank you for being so selfless and for being examples we can follow. Happy Mother’s Day!

Tribute To My Parents:
(written for my parents 25th Anniversary, December 2007)

"When we took our first breaths, you both were right there
And with each new day, we felt all your care.

When we could walk, you’d hold onto our hand
To protect us from the things, we couldn’t yet understand.

You were our “teachers”, in K through 12th grade
Your home was our class room, as we learned and we played.

You taught us to always, put God first in our lives
To become godly sons, husbands, daughters and wives.

You always stood firm, in the directions God led
Even when we were stubborn, and wanted our way instead.

But now that we’re older, we want you to know
The respect that we have, for the godliness you show.

For all of your love, your work and your care
For the parents you are, and the life that we share.

So we’re taking this day, to tell you anew
That someday we hope, to be just like you.

To display kindness and mercy, to show self denial
To hold onto God’s word, in the midst of a trial.

To stand for what’s right, to be honest and grow
Upon the foundation, you laid long ago.

Thanks mom and dad, for all that you do
We’re so very grateful, that God gave us to you.

We love you so much, and always intend
To be faithful children, but most of all friends"

Do you moms ever wonder what you sound like to your children? Wonder no more, here is what most you say in 24 hours...

Disclaimer: No kidding...my mom has used every one of these on us, well almost!!! :-)

Expelled

2008-05-09T12:11:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, we had planned one playing volleyball, but ended up getting rained out. As an alternative plan we decided to go to the movies to see Expelled.Our group turned into just us brother and sisters, but it ended up being awesome sibling time!!!

I have the best brother and sisters ever (though I may be prejudice!). The movie was really good, talking about Darwin’s Evolutionary theory vs. the Intelligent Design "theory".

(Watch this trailor if you get the chance, it's REALLY good!)
Obviously, being a believer we know that God created everything, but in a world that doesn’t, it was really neat (and sad) to listen to how people rationalize their theory of Evolution, while being antagonistic towards anyone who would “dare” to believe in a Creator. It’s such a blessing to be able to look at God’s word and have some of the answers that others spend their entire lives “trying” to figure out (so as to leave God out). We truly are a blessed people.

Forty Dollar Pictures

2008-05-05T22:40:00.005-05:00

I remember hearing a sermon a few weeks ago that Josh Harris preached and in it he talked about these really "cool" pictures of his car that Montgomery County sent him. Wow, neat right? Wrong! As the saying goes, nothing is free! Accompanying those lovely photos was a forty dollar fine for speeding.

It would seem that the Montgomery County police force was complaining about eating too many doughnuts while just “sitting” and "watching" for speed violators without having the chance to get out and exercise (no offence to Matt!). So to serve them better the county decided to place cameras up to monitor the speed and take nice pictures of your license plate (so they can fine you) all without a police officer having to actually be there. The days of watching for white vehicles with the cool red light on top are over!!! So beware!!!

Now you may ask, why I am telling you this. Well, when Josh talked about it, I was like "wow, better watch out for those, but I doubt I have to worry about that cuz I don't drive in Montgomery County that often!” I did kinda wondered what the pictures looked like though. Well friends, I have to wonder no longer! It seems that on my way to church a few weeks back, I was to busy watching the vehicles in front of me and not paying enough attention to that cool little device placed in my dashboard to tell me my speed. And walah, I received one (actually it was 3) of those wonderful photos just like Josh! Oh well, you live and you learn. I still have not received an official "ticket" or points on my license since I've been driving, knock on wood, so that's one area I'm thankful! I'm planning on being extra careful from now on, at least in Montgomery County anyways! But I figured that since I have these nice pictures I paid for, I might as well show them off and get something for my money!!!

Disclaimer: Just incase you are wondering...no, I don't condone speeding, though I don't think there is a person alive who hasn't done it sometime or another. :-) And now that the sting of paying a fine has worn off a little, I figure I might as well give everyone a laugh!!!

The Laundromat??

2008-04-30T22:01:00.012-05:00

Wow, believe it or not I had a new experience today! In my twenty-four years of life, I have never had to wash my clothes anywhere other than the machine that sits in my laundry room. Today though, was my peek into a new window of what other people go through who are not so blessed with this modern convince.

It all started a few days ago when the washer blew up literally covering the entire load enclosed within its grasp with grease. The burning small that filled the house gave it away and hence a call to the repair man was made. Hoping for a speedy fix, he finally arrived today after a four day wait. The good news...it can be fixed!! The bad...it will take until the 12th to fix it. Deciding it was not really worth the price of repair due to its old age, we decided on giving it an early retirement and purchasing a new one to take its much needed place. The date for the arrival, though better, was still not until the 9th of May. And so, in the meantime, with a family of thirteen and people tired of wearing the same clothes, the overflowing baskets were loaded into my Focus and our journey began. Wondering what it would be like, I arrived there with dollar bills (my first mistake) ready to begin the work at hand. Duh, I should have known the machines only take quarter! I mean come on, everybody knows that. Luckily the older gentleman in charge knew they would be people like me and so he was prepared with rolls of quarters to be exchanged for my bills. It took a while to figure out which loads should go where, but at last we (my sister and I) had chartered our course. Anyone who could have seen us would have been laughing inwardly as I tried to figure out where the soap and softener went in these huge machines and what cycle they should be set on. Yet by and by the loads were finished and the overflowing baskets of clothes were finally ready to be loaded back into the car for the drive home. Okay, so this is a little over dramatized, but it was another one of those things to subtract from my list. The one of things that most people have done that I haven’t. You know, on second thought, some bragging rights are worth giving up!!!

My hat goes off to my friend who is living as a pioneer this moment, running her household with absolutely NO running water in her kitchen (while it is being remodeled). I hope all those runs to the bathroom tub to wash dishes will end soon as you have your dream kitchen!!!

Enjoy Every Moment

2008-04-25T08:06:00.004-05:00

I heard this song driving home the other day and I almost cried. Sometimes I live my life this way, alway waiting for the future...for my childhood dreams to come true. But you know, I was reminded that I'll never get this time with my family back. And no matter where I am, there will be things I'll miss when my life changes. Each day is a gift from God and and the times you have with the ones you love need to be cherished! God bless you all!

"Cherish The Moment"

2008-04-11T00:14:00.007-05:00

I've been working on a website/blog to compile all the videos I've done, past and present. As you've probably already guessed, I'm naming my "video productions" (if you can call them that) "Cherish the Moment". I even designed my own logo (a huge accomplishment for me, especially if you know my artistic abilities, or should I say lack there of? lol!). Check it out if you get the chance! We'll see where it leads...

Birthday Montage

2008-04-10T15:25:00.017-05:00

Those of you who know me well, know I LOVE pictures!! I love taking them, looking at them, and I LOVE putting them to music. As I think I stated in a pervious post, I recently started using a video program called "Sony Vegas" to make video slide shows. I’m really hoping to do it as a home business one day (that is if I can get good enough at it). It’s been so much of fun!! Below is the first full length (if you can call a 4 minutes slide show “full length”!!) montage I’ve done with the new program! It was of my friend's little girl! Isn’t she soooo cute??!!!

Jay's Party

2008-04-05T12:46:00.001-05:00

CFO Lunch

2008-04-02T18:51:00.005-05:00

Last month we attended a CFO Lunch where my brother, Joe, was asked to speak and share his testimony. The Lord really worked through Him and though he had never shared in front of 300 people before, gave him the words to uplift and glorify our Savior. Just as a side note, He's probably gonna be mad at me for sharing this video, but I'm going to take that chance and share it anyways!

Wacked Out!!!

2008-03-26T11:09:00.008-05:00

Ok, so along with spending the last three days sick, I've been "trying" to figure out how to use this new program I got called, Sony Vegas Movie Studio. It's been REALLY interesting since I'm not a naturally "smart" person and it doesn't come with a "Movie Studio for Dummies" book! This was my first "attempt" at the process. It's pretty funny actually. I should be able to improve with time...well let's "hope" so anyways!!!

New Version

2008-03-26T00:07:00.001-05:00

Drum roll please...

I Do Not Understand

2008-03-04T14:42:00.014-05:00

A friend wrote this poem and shared it with me a while ago(thanks Matt). I really think it mirrors a proper attitude of who we are and how amazed we should be that Christ is so faithful! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"As I come to kneel before you Lord
I bow my head and fold my hands
But before I begin talking to you
There are some things I don’t understand

Lord I do not understand
Your endless love for me
For daily it is that I hurt you
And from me you do not flee

Lord I do not understand
Why you sent your Son to the cross
For someone who is so undeserving
So selfish so weak so lost

Lord I do not understand
Why You can not wait
To greet me so eagerly
At the front of Heaven’s Gate

Lord I do not understand
Why for all of eternity
You would want to spend it
With someone so very unworthy

Lord I do not understand
The simplicity of your grace
And why in your home in heaven
You have prepared for me a place

Lord I do not understand
Why you do the things you do
But Lord I am so grateful
I will live eternally because of You"

~Matthew Lewis

What Will You Do With Your Time?

2008-02-27T14:37:00.005-05:00

I made this movie after hearing this song and being reminded how short our time is here on this earth. What will we spend it doing?

A while back we got involved with a ministry called (CFO) Christian Farmer's Outreach. It has been one of the means that God has used to give us an outlet to obey His command as found in Matthew 28:19-20. No matter what means God has given you...be His faithful witnesses,and be faithful in redeeming the time until He comes. What will "YOU" do with the time that's left??

Math Help

2007-09-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

This was on the Girl Talk blog and I thought it was so cute. The main reason is because I'm horrible at math and the second, because there is never a dull moment with children!! I can so picture one of my little ones doing something like that.

Don't Blink

2007-09-05T12:50:00.000-05:00

I love this song, it’s so true...time goes by so fast, we really need to make the most of every moment we have. I heard a quote once from a friend who got it from an older gentleman she had met. This man knew the Lord and knew when he died he'd be spending eternity with Christ. He said, "I give everyday all I have because I know where I am going." That sounds so simple, yet I think if we were to stop and think about it, it’s really profound. We can give God our all and enjoy serving Him to the fullest everyday, because we know that when our time on earth is through we have an eternity of being in His glorious presence awaiting us. Until that day comes, let’s cherish everyday and every moment, cuz we don't know when it might be our last.

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14

Hey All.....

2007-09-05T11:07:00.000-05:00

As you all know I have not updated my blog for a few months now. The main reason is due to a lack of time on my part. I'm hoping to try to pick back up where time will allow. I am wondering though if anyone still checks it out, so if you do, would you mind leaving your name so that I know whether or not it's something that I should continue... thanks, and I hope you are all doing well in our Lord Jesus Christ! What a mighty God we serve!! Do I get an amen on that???!!!

Our Heavenly Father

2007-06-15T01:21:00.000-05:00

As Father’s day approaches and we prepare to honor the earthly fathers that the Lord had so graciously blessed us with; let us not forget to honor our Heavenly Father, who redeemed us and adopted us as His children...

"Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.And by him we cry,"Abba,Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Romans 8:14-16

Cunningham Falls Video

2007-06-15T00:47:00.001-05:00

Jump, Jump, Jump

2007-06-14T23:53:00.000-05:00

Here are some of our crazy v-ball pictures!! We're really not this weird all of the time, just some of the time!!

Playing Catch Up

2007-06-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post, so the next few will be really random so that I can catch up on the photos I wanted to post. Hopefully I'll do a little better in the coming days on keeping things more up to date. Hope you are all well. God Bless!

Guys And Their Sodas!

2007-06-13T12:58:00.000-05:00

Cosmic Bowling

2007-06-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

Random pictures of bowling the other night...
Group shot

Cool shoes, guys!!

Picture crazy

Strike

Congratulations Gavin!!!

2007-06-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

A good friend of our family's graduated from UB this month!! Here's a few shots from his party.
The cake
Gavin cutting his cake
The "Gavin pose"!!
Me and Mrs. Sharon

Gavin and Kate

Mrs. Sharon, you did such a good job with the party. I love you.
Gavin, we're so proud of you and we all love you...but than again you already knew that!!!! Always remember Jeremiah 29:11!!

Question Of The Day

2007-05-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

My brother asked me a question the other day, and I don't have an answer for, so I thought maybe you could help!!!
He wanted to know why, "young" women put makeup on to look "older" and "older" women put makeup on to make themselves look "younger????? Any thoughts???!!!!!

Fish Comic

2007-05-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

I have NO idea where my little brother got this idea, but he came up with his very own little comic strip today. I thought it was sweet (if you have a hard time reading them, the picture should show up larger if you click on it)...

Just in case you don’t know what the last picture is of...it’s a fish on a grill. Wow, what an imagination!!!

Michael Card Concert

2007-05-21T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last night was such a special treat, as we got to see Michael Card perform live. We got to sit in the artists’ circle, which was neat because not only could we hear really well, but we got to see up close how he played the guitar (which for those of us who are "trying" to learning how to play, was a great treat!!!). His music is chalked full of doctrine and has a focus on Christ that is hard to come by these days. Michael Card is not only a song writer, but he’s also gifted with the guitar and the piano. Not to mention he is a well versed theologian and can read Hebrew, which makes the words to his songs almost like reading scripture. In a world where music groups are “all about me”, it was refreshing to see how he directed all the glory back to the Savior. May Jesus Christ be praised!!

Michael Card...

Here is the "young" people in our group...

Michael Card singing..."The Things We Leave Behind, (lyrics below)

There sits Simon, so foolishly wise
proudly he's tending his nets
Then Jesus calls,and the boats drift away
all that he owns he forgets
More than the nets he abandoned that day,
he found that his pride was soon drifting away
It's hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind

Matthew was mindful of taking the tax,
pressing the people to pay
Hearing the call, he responded in faith
followed the Light and the Way
Leaving the people so puzzled he found,
the greed in his heart was no longer around and
it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind

Every heart needs to be set free, from posessions
that hold it so tight'Cause freedom's not found
in the things that we own,
It's the powerto do what is right
Jesus, our only posession, giving becomes our delight
We can't imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind

We show a love for the world in our lives
by worshipping goods we posess
Jesus has laid all our treasures aside"love
God above all the rest"
'Cause when we say 'no' to the things of the world
we open our hearts to the love of the Lord and its
hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind
Oh, and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind

Hope you enjoyed this...God Bless.

Something To Ponder

2007-05-17T22:32:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure were my friend got this from, but I though it was really funny, and very truthful!!!
Here goes...

Only in America ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front. (Matt, maybe you can see what you can do about that one!!!)

Only in America .....do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America .....do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America ..do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

EVER WONDER ...

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Why is it that doctors and lawyers call what they do "practice"? (That's scary)

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

So what ya think?? Any thoughts??

My Mom

2007-05-14T17:46:00.000-05:00

The older I get, the more I realize what an awesome task it is to be a mother. Once you bring a life into this world, you NEVER stop caring for it. Not even when they are grown and married. Though I've never had a child of my own, being the oldest of eleven has given me countless opportunities to witness first hand a lot of the self denial it takes to be a mom. I've been so blessed as I've watched my mom give of her time, energy, wisdom, love and sleep to meet the needs of her growing family. I can't imagine all that that requires. And yet, my mom has always done it with a joyful heart and with a determined spirit. Even when that required enduring nausea for all nine months with her first four children and most of the months that followed with the others. Thinking about it one time, I realized that out of 24 years of marriage, my mom has spent 99 months pregnant. To add to that, homeschooling them, helping to run a business, and still making time to always be there when my dad needed someone to talk to. She is a good listener, a wonderful source of wisdom and an amazing child of God. With all that, tell me that anyone who is a mother is underachieving!!! The gift of a devoted mother, and father, is the most blessed gift that anyone could give a child (aside from teaching them about the Lord). I feel so very blessed to be able to walk behind my Mother and women like her, to witness their example, and learn from their lives. To those Mothers out there who are like mine, don't give up, keep pressing on, you have the most important job in the world. You are helping to shape the next generation, we need you to keep being the examples we can follow. Thank you for your diligence. And to any daughters who might be reading this, take the time to tell your mom how much she means to you. In the past I didn't, and it took me a while to realize how much that discouraged her. Learn from your moms, and as you grow into the women that God wants you to be, never let our world discourage you from the wonderful opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the godly women God has set before you. “Happy Mother's Day” to any moms who may read this, God bless you all.

"My Mom"

When I took my first breath
You were right there
And with each new day
I felt all your care

When I could walk
You’d hold onto my hand
To protect me from things
I couldn’t yet understand

You were my “teacher”
In K through 12th grade
Your home was my class room
As I learned and I played

You taught me to always
Put God first in my life
To be a good daughter
And one day a wife

You always stood firm
In the direction God led
Even when I was stubborn
And had a hard head

But now that I’m older
I want you to know
The respect that I have
For the godliness you show

For all of your love
Your work and your care
For the Mother you are
And the life that we share

So I’m taking this day
To tell you anew
That someday I want
To be just like you

To display kindness and mercy
To show self denial
To hold onto God’s word
In the midst of a trail

To stand for what’s right
To be led by my man
And always be seeking
To walk in God’s plan

Thanks so much, mom,
For all that you do
I’m so very grateful
That God gave me to you

I love you so much
And always intend
To be a good daughter
And also your friend

~Amy Skoczelak 2007

The Falls

2007-05-14T07:25:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we decided to hike up Cunningham Falls and the surrounding trails, instead of following the original plan and heading up to Old Rag (because of the weather). It turned out to be a wonderful day though. It rained for like 10 minutes and the rest of the day was semi cool and clear (for the most part). What a blessing it was to be able to spend time with our wonderful friends enjoying God's creation. To all who came...Thanks for being there, you're all so special. And I'm so thankful that our bond isn't just here on this earth, but will be for eternity when we see our Savior face to face. God bless you all.

If you wanta see more, you can by clicking here and here. Hopefully, I'll be able to put the video on soon.

Picture Of The Day

2007-05-11T19:43:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine personally saw this license plate and took a picture so I could see it. I thought it was really cool, so I'm posting it....

Psalm 63:1-3

2007-04-27T18:25:00.000-05:00

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You." Psalm 63:1-3

Weekend Project

2007-04-27T18:17:00.000-05:00

My grandmother's birthday cake...

Hains Point

2007-04-24T06:32:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we went to Hains Point in DC for a BBQ. It was a blast!!! Friends, volleyball, gilled hamburgers (thanks to B & E) ,walks by the water and a visit with a giant. What more could you ask for???

We're There!!!

~Our Group

~Volleyball

~A walk by the water (the VA side!!!)

To much Caffine

~Hanging Out

~Favorite Pictures (I love this one!!!)

Gavin, way to act!!!

At the Point

Our Visit With a Giant

If you wanta see more check this out!!

The Real Daddy's Boy

2007-04-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

I posted my favorite music video, "Watching You" by Rodney Atkins, a few days ago (if you haven't watched it yet, you've gotta). The little boy who played in it did such a good job and was so cute acting with his "daddy". A friend asked me if it was Rodney's real son who played in it with him, which made me wonder too. So I decided to find out, and... it is!!!!! "Daddy's boy" really is daddy's boy! How awesome it that??

Real Random

2007-04-16T23:23:00.000-05:00

Here's my favorite soccer team (Mr. Evan, Tyler, Gavin, Austin, Carson, Trevor, and Kate, this one's for you)!!! Guys, you were great on Friday. Can't wait until next season, I loved watching your games. Keep up the good work. You're awesome!!

P.S. Love your shirts!!!!!

Check This Out

2007-04-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

Oh my word, this is great. Check it out. Guys, don't get any ideas!!!
Also, for you girls out there who are like me and definitely not vehicle savvy , please, let's not be this blonde!!!

Daddy's Boy

2007-04-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

This is one of the cutest videos I've seen. I can't wait to have a little boy that follows his daddy around like this!! Enjoy...

~Rodney Atkins,"Watching You"

Behind The Times

2007-04-11T16:27:00.000-05:00

For most of the people in my area, getting coffee out is like second nature. As for me, my first time was two days ago. Not that I've never had the opportunity, guess I've just never taken advantage of it. I felt like such a backwoods girl as at twenty-three years of age, I tried to figure out where everything was at seven-eleven. It was kind of pathetic, but luckily it was only me and my friend there, so we didn’t get laughed at!!! As I was thinking about it, I realized that there’s a LOT of things that “normal” people do, or have done, that I’m behind the times in. I’ve never been camping; never been in an airplane or a boat; have never been out of country; matter of fact, with the exception of Nags Head NC, and a day trip to New York, I’ve never been to a state that didn’t directly connect to Md. I’ve never spent more than one week away from home; never went to school (I was homeschooled), summer camp, or a retreat. I was nineteen the first time I walked around DC (even though we live an hour away), was twenty when I went to the gas station for the first time (we had a tank at our house for a while), and was twenty-one the first time I ever saw the ocean/beach. Actually, I think it’s kind of funny because I’m a part of something most people aren’t, a family of thirteen!! Guess that explains why I’m “behind the times” ;-) I just figure that I’ll never run out of things to do, lol. Blessings to you all.

Howard/Wold Wedding

2007-04-10T12:46:00.000-05:00

In quite a few posts, (here and here), I've told about preparations that were being made for the wedding of friends, Jennifer Howard and Daniel Wold. The wedding took place on March 31, 2007 at 11:30am. For you girls: pink, brown, and white were the colors. It was beautiful!! Below are a few pictures…

I got to make the cakes!

Morningside Inn, where the wedding was held outside

The Dining Room

Processional... If you'd like to hear the song download it here

Mother of the Groom, Linda Wold escorted by son Aaron

Mother of the Bride, Kath Howard escorted by son Seth

Groom, Daniel Wold

Calicoe Richir (cousin) escorted by Billy Main (friend)

Anna Erbes (friend) escorted by Josh Laughmann (friend)

April Gregga (friend) escorted by Adam York (friend)

Amy Laughman (sister of the groom) escorted by husband Ben Laughman (brother-in law of groom)

Becky Hake (cousin of bride) escorted by Aaron Wold (brother of groom)

Jennifer Wold (sister of groom) escorted by Tim Taylor (friend)

Kendra Howard (sister of bride) escorted by Matthew Wold (brother of groom)

Joli Chism (sister of bride) escorted by David Chism (brother-in-law of bride)

Jesse Batie (future brother-in-law) with Benjamin and Jeremiah Wold (brothers of groom)

Heidi Howard (sister of bride) sang the Bridal Processional

Here's a copy of the song...

Flower Girls, Abigail Wold (sister of groom) and Katrina Howard (sister of bride) along with Ring Bearer, Joel Wold (brother of groom)

Bride, Jennifer Howard

Bride and Groom together

Special Music by Heidi, Eden, Kirsty and Emily Howard (sisters of bride)

Washing eachothers feet, representing the service they pray to display to one another in their marriage

First kiss as married couple

Dorothy Hughes, (friend) sang the Recessional

Howard/Wold Wedding, Part II

2007-04-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a video of the "Presentation of the Couple" and the "Recessional" plus some more pictures...enjoy

After Wedding Pictures...

Bride and her wedding party

Bride with six of her seven sisters

Bride and her family

Jenny and Daniel

Toast by Daniel's friend, Tim Taylor

Toast by Jenny's sisters, Joli Chism and Kendra Howard

Random Picture...My brother, Joe (on right) and our friend, Steven Taylor

Lessons From The Cross

2007-04-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

The night before Easter I sat down with my family to watch the movie “The Passion of the Christ”. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it, but for me, it’s one of the hardest movies to watch. The ghastly and graphically gruesome beatings of Christ that are depicted on the screen make you want to jump out of your seat and scream “How could you? Don’t you have any sense of compassion?” at the television. Through tears of horror you watch as they nail the beaten and bloody body of Christ to the cross and something inside you burns with anger at the people who could do this to Him. And then, God reminded me that it was for my sin that He endured that pain and punishment. It was just as much my fault as it was the people who physically drove the nails in His hands and shouted “crucify Him”. What’s even more amazing is that Christ bore it with joy as He submitted to the Father’s will and redeemed us from the grasp of sin. Even in the midst of the pain and suffering, we hear Christ say “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Christ endured the cross so I could enjoy Him and have a home in Heaven. What amazing love! And yet, I realized how lightly I take my sin. How many times do I hold onto the very things that Christ had to endure such chastisement for? How easy it is to forget how great a price was paid for the very things I don’t want to give up. As I watched the movie, the verse from Isaiah 53:5 kept echoing in my mind, “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” The bloody and mired Jesus that Gibson depicted in his movie, wasn’t even able to capture all that Christ endured, and yet, by the end of it, you felt like your senses were on overload and you couldn't visually take anymore. Isaiah 53 took on a whole new meaning for me that night. What gratitude I owe my Savior, and what an amazing gift He bestowed upon someone so undeserving. This Easter, I pray you were all reminded, as I was, that our sin is nothing to take lightly and in light of the gracious gift that Christ has given us, we can do no less then to give him our hearts, minds, and lives in obedience. God bless you all. He is Risen!!

How wide is Your love
That You would stretch Your arms
And go around the world
And why for me would a Savior's cry be heard
I don't know
Why You went where I was meant to go
I don't know
Why You love me so

Those were my nails
That was my crown
That pierced Your hands and Your brow
Those were my thorns
Those were my scorns
Those were my tears that fell down
And just as You said it would be
You did it all for me
After You counted the cost
You took my shame, my blame
On my cross

How deep is Your grace
That you could see my need
And chose to take my place
And then for me, these words I'd hear You say
Father no
Forgive them for they know not what they do
I will go
Because I love them so

Those were my nails
That was my crown
That pierced Your hands and Your brow
Those were my thorns
Those were my scorns
Those were my tears that fell down
And just as You said it would be
You did it all for me
After You counted the cost
You took my shame, my blame
On my cross

~FFH - My Cross

Resurrection Play

2007-04-08T21:32:00.000-05:00

On Thursday night we went to a play called "The Living Cross" at the Church of the Open Door in Westminister. Here are two video clips from that play.

The Crucifixion and Burial of Christ...
.

The Resurrected Savior...

Gotta See

2007-04-05T14:03:00.000-05:00

I first heard this song (“I Loved Her First” by: Heartland) driving down the road, and it made me cry. It reminded me of how blessed I was to have my “daddy” and how thankful I am that he's such a huge part of my life. I was talking to a dad at our church last Sunday who had just heard it for the first time. His daughter is only three, but he said it made him go forward to her wedding day and cry at the thought of losing her. I found this video the other day and since it was one of my favorite songs put to scenes from one of my favorite movies (Pride and Prejudice), I though it would be cool to share. Enjoy the words and the movie. If you’re a guy…you’ll be just fine. If you’re a daughter or father…watch out, you will not have dry eyes by the end of this!!!

Sorry

2007-04-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

Sorry for all the posts at once, but our internet has been down for days, so I feel like I'm playing catch up. Hope you enjoy all the pictures and the videos. More to come...

Happy Birthday John!!

2007-04-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

On March 30, 2007 we celebrated my brother John's birthday. Twenty years ago, he was born six weeks early and without the help of what was then modern technology and medicine, he wouldn't have made it. I am so grateful that God was watching out for him and that His hand of protection was upon his life. John, I couldn't imagine life without you. You bring a smile to everyone you are around and are one of the most giving, loving guys I've ever known. I've watched God form you into a godly man who loves Him and I've watched you grow in your relationships with Him and your family, through good and even bad times. I am and will forever be thankful that you are my brother. Happy Birthday, I love ya.

Birthday Fun

2007-04-04T21:58:00.000-05:00

On the 31st we had a birthday party for John to celebrate and wave good-bye to the teen years! Here are some pictures and a little video.

John and Joe Parker

Playing a game called signs...I know, it looks carzy

Group Picture

Birthday Song Video...

I know, I know, bad singing...but what can I say?? It's the thought that counts, right??

V-ball Clip

2007-04-04T19:16:00.000-05:00

Here is a clip from one of the volleyball games we played on the 31st. You can't see much, but if you were there, you'll figure out what's going on...

Disclaimer

2007-03-27T20:59:00.000-05:00

I hope no one is finding these posts too boring. Sorry that for the most part it’s only pictures, but its been pretty busy around here lately, so my computer time has been a bit more limited then in previous months. God bless you all!

Priceless Treasures

2007-03-27T20:44:00.000-05:00

Being sick is defiantly no picnic, and coming down with Strep Throat was no exception. Yet, in the middle of that down time, the Lord sent me little reminders of how blessed I really am. My little blessings came in the form of two dear little girls and their efforts to “help me feel better”. These are my priceless treasures, for they come from the heart of my eight and six year old sisters…. ...You've gotta love the spelling!!!

Jenny's Wedding Shower

2007-03-19T21:02:00.000-05:00

On Saturday my sister and I attended a wedding shower for Jenny Howard. All of our childhood friends were there! It was a really neat time to be together and celebrate the coming together of two lives. One of the games we played is pictured below, I thought it was really interesting....

Each team was given a bag with these same iteams. The object was to make the best wedding cake you could and the Bride to be would pick her favorite (the teams and cakes were kept a surprise until after a "cake" was chosen).

Here is one of the teams and their finished product...

This was some of my team and our cake

Our team ended up winning!! Yeah! I know, I know, not the way you want your wedding cake to look, but hey, what do you expect from marshmallows, toothpicks, and colored glue???

Group Picture (the girl wearing bright green in the center of this picture is the Bride-to-be)!!

Wedding Favors and an All-Nighter

2007-03-15T08:51:00.001-05:00

Some friends of mine, Jenny Howard and Daniel Wold, are getting married on the 31st of this month. It was the job of Jenny’s sister Kendra (one of my best friends growing up) , to make the wedding favors. They came up with the idea of making Gingerbread cookies in the shape of the bride and groom’s initials and then decorating them with pink frosting (since the wedding colors are pink and brown). I volunteered to help and so this is what we spent yesterday doing!!

We started by cutting out and baking nine batches of cookies... Then we made the pink frosting and proceeded to frost them...Since my friend has such a tiny kitchen we had to try to come up with a way to stack them so they could dry without sticking together. We had to come up with a plan and at 1:30am, desperate times called for desperate measures. In the end we found some boards, covered them with some wax paper, and used canning jars to stack the boards. We had own very own bakery rack going in no time and we were in business again... And so the night went on...Some 7 hours and 350 cookies later at 4:30am in the morning, we finally had all the cookie baked, frosted, and ready to be packaged for the day of the wedding. Here's what our kitchen looked like when we were done...

Today I'm running on one and a half hours of sleep, but it sure feels good to have a project completed...we'll see if I still feel the same way this afternoon, lol.

Snowfriend

2007-03-11T08:49:00.000-05:00

Here's the "little" project we worked on as a family the last time it snowed...

Note To Reader

2007-03-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

As a side note, you have probably noticed that my blog keeps changing colors and formats. Just in case you’re wondering, “no”, I’m not having computer problems, and “yep”, I am that indecisive!! Hope it hasn’t annoyed you too much, but it should keep things interesting!!!

Updated

2007-03-10T19:10:00.000-05:00

I was informed my a friend that it was "time to update" and since I haven't had much time to write as of late, posting some pictures will have to do for now (hope that still counts SES!!).

These are of a game night we had at our pastors house...

JB, (my bro.) Joe, Ben, and (my bro. ) John.

Group Pictures

Happy V-day

2007-02-14T22:56:00.000-05:00

On a day when many of us singles are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves because of not having found our earthly “love”. Let us remember our heavenly “love” and the fact that we are the bride of Christ. His love for us is NEVER changing, NEVER ceasing and is from everlasting to everlasting.
“As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with their children's children.” Psalm 103:15-17
“Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:2. Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

A Big Discovery

2007-02-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

After practicing learning her days of the month all afternoon, my little sister announced, (very excited at her new accomplishment and discovery) “The forth day in July is the 4th of July, right??? Oh to be six again!!!

Only In America

2007-02-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

I had to laugh after reading the following description placed on the back of my shampoo bottle. It read, and I quote…

“Get juiced with a natural lift from the body-boosting formula made with Vitamin E and our 100% certified organic blend of tangerine, lemongrass, and aloe. So ripe, so moisturizing, so fresh-squeezed it works your hair into a luscious lather for refreshing, clean, exhilaration and turns every shower into a vacation from the ordinary.”

LOL!! Sounds like some kind of trip to the tropics. Bet you never knew that little bottle could do all of that. Just think of all the money you can save on vacations, the next time you're feeling stressed, just go wash your hair!!!

Twin Accidents

2007-02-13T16:49:00.000-05:00

Here’s the picture I took at church on Sunday, after our snowboarding comrades saw the orthopedic surgeon.

Boarding Trip

2007-02-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

Here is an update on the skiing/snowboarding trip. The morning started off wonderfully, but cold, as we headed up the road. Little did we know what the day would have in store. After getting all suited up with boots and boards we were ready to hit the slopes. Most of the group was already out when me and my friends, JB and Becki Laughman, started for the lift. Having only been one other time, and that being three years ago, this was more like my first time and for Becki it was hers too. Fortunately JB is a pro at it and was able to get the two of us started. Slipping, sliding, and falling, I made it to the bottom without injury. But when Becki got there, she told us she had fallen and thought her arm was broke. Though we hoped that wasn’t the case, we soon found out otherwise. She did have to be taken to the hospital to get her arm put in a sling; but was able to come back for the latter half of the day to hang out in the lodge and go out to dinner. While she was gone, one of the girls fell and was knock out cold for a few seconds and one of the younger guys in our group broke his arm and had to be picked up by his mom. Thankfully everyone else out of the group of 40-50 people was okay. People kept saying that out of the 10-12 years they have been doing this, they had never had any accidents. Guess they were making up for loss time. I think it also had to do with how bad the weather was. The ground was as solid as a rock and it was windy. Added to that is the fact that all those who got hurt were on snowboards as beginners. The rest of the day finished out well with no more casualties, and we had a wonderful time at dinner and on the ride home thankful to have Becki back with the group. Below are some pictures and a video clip to prove it wasn’t all bad. Actually, it was a lot of fun. And although I’m not sure how daring I want to be in the future, I was thankful able to finish out the day still on my snowboard and still in one piece!!!

On the lifts, before any accidents!!

L-R (Back row) Zack, Micheal, Jorden Starin, Travis Dodson. Leah Starin, Wesley Mansfield, Lisa Butler, (front row) Me, Aaron Wold, and Klye Hughes

L-R (Back Row) Ben and Amy Laughman, Mr. and Mrs. Dodson, Aaron Dodson, JB Laughman, Tim Taylor, (Front row) Aaron Wold, Klye Hughes and Michael Starin.

Lunch.....

Me and Becki, after her trip to the hospital