Prayer for Hank

Last week we went out and spent some time with my cousin Hank. His health has gotten worse quickly. He flew out Monday evening to Chicago, for a better hospital. He's been having really bad stomach pains, and I was told he is pretty orange again. I'm so sad to hear his health is declining so quickly, but Praise the Lord, he has made a decision for Christ! 

The last time we were out we grilled chicken and shared the gospel with him and asked about his relationship with God, he told us that he was not saved and wasn't ready to make that decision. 

Though I was concerned, I was stumped. I couldn't force anything, so we kept on praying. And My aunt told me that when she was visiting this weekend, on Sunday, he gave his heart to the Lord and they talked about Jesus giving him a new body in heaven. Oh how gracious our heavenly Father is! 

(I'm having a problem with blogger uploading pictures, so, I'll probably edit this later with pictures.)

Toddler Vocabulary

So, this afternoon, Theona comes running into the living room saying "I need a 'SKO-uh'. I need a 'SKO-uh'." 

"You need a what? a school? What's a 'Sko-uh'? Do you need to go potty?"

She kept saying it, and I followed her to where she was leading while repeating her need for a "sko-uh". Then I got it, "Oh, you need a STOOL" She needed a stool to get up to the potty. I moved it back over from the sink, and she stood up on her stool and said "I need a bike."

"A what? A bike?"

"Yeah, I need a bike" and I realized she needed her potty seat that goes on top of the toilet.

She usually knows what that kind of stuff is called. I don't know where her vocabulary went today, but she's gonna love this story in a few years...

Last of the No Boyfriends Club

When I was in high school I didn't date. Actually I made an informal club of it. The "No Boyfriends" Club. We had members. Two of my friends who I worshiped the Lord with. (and now keep in touch with online) joined me in seeking the Lord and avoiding the boyfriends.

In all honesty, it was probably for lack of prospects rather then a determined commitment. That's okay. Whatever works. I have full confidence that it was the Lord protecting me. I am so thankful! 

I met my husband in Bible college and our second year, after becoming great friends, we decided we'd like to stay together forever... basically he wanted to date, I told him I hadn't dated and wasn't planning on it. I asked him how serious he was, "Are you gonna plan on marrying me?" He said he would so, we went from there... and I was pretty much out of the club. :)

I'm sure all that sounds kind of crazy, but I didn't have an understanding of courtship, or really anything other than typical high-school-type, casual dating. I just knew I didn't want to go around giving bits of my heart to "test the waters". I had been told by older people "no one marries their first boyfriend" and "you have to see what you like". I just didn't buy it. I knew what I wanted and I prayed for it. I am truly thankful that the Lord sheltered me under His wing.  

Around the same time, we lost one of our other members. My friend Julia met her husband in College, and now are serving the Lord in Tanzania! They're with Wycliffe, they studied linguistics and they're both really smart. I'm excited to where the Lord takes them and what he does in their life.

So, Pamela, the last standing member of the club started dating a nice young man about a year ago. Guess what?! The rumors are true....

I'm so happy for them!

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed!

Abe and I went to see Expelled (Ben Stein's documentary about the evolution vs. intelligent design debate) this afternoon. I'm so glad we did. Perfect day to watch it, now that I think about it... It was really interesting. I often don't think about, or realize how dark the science world, or even college world can be. What a hate for God people can harbor.

At one point in the movie a man (a professor at a college with who knows how many fancy degrees and such) said that "[maybe life came from the pre-organisms piggy backing on the backs of crystals]" that is where life came from? Whoa! What?! Ben Stein repeated what he had said, "So, you think maybe life came from mud on crystals?" Yes, this is actually what this guy thought was a good theory on how life started! Whoa. I was surprised that very intelligent people can say and believe such off the wall things. They say my God is silly to believe in, he couldn't have created the earth in less than a week. Must have been mud and crystals.

For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Proverbs 2:6 (New King James Version)

Watch the Trailer!!

Veggie-taaales

We have an old veggietales video. "Silly songs". We got it out a couple weeks ago and Theona really likes it.

Tonight we put it on a little while before bed and she watched the first few songs. She really likes the intro song and began singing, "Veggie-taaaales, Veggie-taaales... Broccoli....Veggietales! Peechy Keen, Veggietales! Time for Veggie-taaaaaaaaaales!" 

SO cute. I seriously can't believe all the things she's learning. 

Things are Growing

Last night when Abe brought the garden in (pulled the tub inside our fenced porch area), he noticed some little blossoms on our pepper plants! One of the pepper plants has grown quite a lot. It's so exciting to see actual vegetables happening right in our own garden! Right before our eyes.

And, about a third of the seeds we started have sprouted. So exciting!

When I Think About the Lord...

Granola

I made granola today. I had been wanting to for a while, it was a perfect little project for my girlie and I this evening.

Here is the recipe we were inspired by.

Here is what we did: ingredients in black, directions in purple.

3 cups oats (we used old fashioned oatmeal)

Microwave them for 2 minutes stirring once.

Just under 1 cup of crunched up, bottom of the bag, bran flakes (cereal that I didn't think was ever going to get used)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2+ cup raisins

Mix these in with the oats after they have been microwaved.

1/2 cup oil

1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar

1 T Molasses

2 T Maple Syrup

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix these together then combine with dry mixture

Stir until well combined

Microwave for 5 minutes(or until golden, stirring every minute 

Cool on wax paper (I pressed it together so cooled in one big bar then I broke it up.)

I thought it was at great first attempt at granola. I'd like to put more seeds in next time.

The kids loved it, too. Coa was the inspiration for omitting the honey. I thought it worked out nicely.

We are Gardeners...

We now have a garden. Yay. We ran around today and got the last things we needed to get the garden going. I was a little nervous we are starting to late, but after reading the backs of the seed packets I am reassured. We are in the middle or at the end of the recommended time for starting, and the weather has been extra cool lately, so I think we will be just fine.

Like I said, we are planting in containers, recycled rubbermaid bins, actually. I'm hoping they will travel okay, since we are looking to move a little further north in a couple months to be between Abe's work and church.

We planted a bunch of organic seeds, Peas, green beans, onions, peppers, squashes, Romaine and loose leaf lettuce... I'm wondering how they would be different from non-organic... We also got some seed packets that weren't labeled organic, a hot pepper mix with anaheim chiles, cayene, jalapenos, and a couple others, and a bell pepper mix (which I am particularly excited about) with red, yellow, orange, green, and purple peppers! We also got Basil, chives, and another herb that isn't coming to mind right now.  Oh, and tomatoes and a few small plants for a dollar that are already started (the others are a few different kinds of peppers. Man, we're gonna have all the peppers we can eat!)

I'm pretty excited about it. I'll have to get some picture of our progress so far as gardeners.

Remember my cousin Hank in your prayers today. I know the Lord is at work and desires His salvation for him.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase." 1 corinthians 3:6-7

read the chapter here

Gardening

We are starting a small garden tomorrow. We had put it off, unsure if we were really ready to do it this year. Well, we are actually starting it and I'm going to give it my best shot. I hope we aren't too late...

We are doing a container garden. We have a few rubbermaid bins we are recycling. I've watched some clips on youtube about container gardens and I think I have a pretty good idea about what we are doing... or I might have no idea at all what I'm signing up for... this is our first garden other than a strawberry pot with a tomato plant in there that never grew...

So, here's the plan.

We'll plant tomato plants that are already started, but other than that we've chosen organic seeds for green beans, peas, lettuce, peppers, jalapenos, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots. I think I'm most excited about the beans and peas.

I'll have to take pictures tomorrow so you can see all the fun we're having. Yay for home grown produce!

The Silent Killer

Last night I heard through my mom that one of my cousins has cancer... the bad kind.

He lives here in OKC, just outside of town actually, and my Aunt and Uncle were up from NM to see him. I called them this morning to see if I could come out and spend a little time with them. I felt kind of weird about it, but I couldn't do anything other than make myself available, so that's what I did.

We went out this afternoon, I took them some mild chili and blueberry oatmeal muffins. (Weird how people bring food when stuff like this happens, but it was nice when my mom was sick...one less thing to worry about.) We had a nice visit with some of my other cousins and my Aunt and Uncle (I haven't seen any of them since I was 13. My cousin Hank (the one with the cancer) kept himself busy and smoked a lot and then left to go pick up some medicine... he wouldn't let anyone help him really with anything. He seemed like he didn't want anyone to think he's sick, but he really didn't look very good. (He was pretty orange-y. I think from his liver not functioning... I think he seems kind of in denial, I guess... I'm sure it is a LOT to take in and face your own mortality..).

Well, they said when he was in the hospital they did a body scan and it showed cancer all over his whole body. Lymph nodes and all. Everywhere but his brain (his mom died of brain cancer...) Also, in the hospital they said he had three months to a year to live (I don't know if that was before or after the scan), but they said hospice came by this morning and said 1 WEEK to one month... He's only 43. 

I know this is a little bit of a ramble, but I'd appreciate your prayers. I'm pretty sure he's not a believer... One of his sisters is.

Oh, Lord, I'd love to see you work a miracle in Hank's life and heal him. I don't doubt You at all, God.  I believe You. And, I don't praise You because you will heal him. I praise You because You can.

But Lord, more than physical healing.  Spiritual healing. Lord, would You reveal Yourself?! Would you intervene and speak life to Hank?

No Elephants

I just had the most amusing conversation with my girlie.

We live in an apartment on the bottom floor. Sometimes our upstairs neighbors are so loud! A few minutes ago there was a loud thump-thump-BOOM from our ceiling. I casually remarked, "There must be elephants up there."

Theona looked up and then 30 seconds later ran over to me and said, "I feel scared!" I chuckled a little and tried to explain that it was just our upstairs neighbors and they were just making noise up there... she quickly asked, "Where's the elephants?!" I told her there are no elephants here. They live in the zoo and in Africa. "She seemed a little reassured and pensively repeated "Elephants in Ax-i-ca"

She's back to playing, but I'm gonna have to be more careful. I may have started something... oops.

The Little Guy

Sorry, you're gonna have to tilt you head... I couldn't figure out how to flip them... Different program.


He's getting so big! He was putting a clean shirt on. We were about to go out.

So, do you think he looks like his sis?

Park Fun with Pictures!

We had a little picnic outing today. Theona played on a climber and Abe played with his new camera. He's getting quite good at it!Isn't she getting so big?!

Watch for pictures of Jecoa tomorrow...

Tortilla

We made fresh tortillas yesterday. They were such a good treat! This morning My Big Girl was having one for a snack, and Coa came over to see if she wanted to share... He pulled himself up using her shirt and waited. She tore off a piece of her tortilla, flicked his paci out of his mouth and gave him a bit in his hand. He promptly ate it and asked for more. 

They are getting so big. She likes to take care of him. How sweet. I just love to see them loving each other.

Which reminds me, isn't our Heavenly Father good?! Seek His face today. Be filled with His Spirit!

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?"     Matt. 7:9

Potty Training Success

If anyone noticed my absence I'm sure you thought it must have some very good reason. Well. I now have only one in diapers! 

Theona had been very interested in using the potty since before we moved, I just wasn't entirely sure how to help her get from the diapers to the potty on a regular basis. She seemed to be only occasionally interested in sitting on the potty. Only when it suited her, and there was usually nothing going on while she sat...

At first I thought I was gonna mess it up and then she would *never* be potty trained. (I always seem to get a little unrealistically concerned about these little growing up steps...) I read a couple things on the subject, but didn't feel like it was doing any good. Then I realized I knew who knew the answer! We started praying for guidance. For Mommy and Theona. She started telling me when she was wet. I encouraged her to tell me before she went so she could go in the potty. She started to tell me more often, then we were committed. Good-bye diapers! We got some big girl undies for her, and she excelled! We had several accidents the first couple days then success! She's been doing very well and it's been a week-and-a-half since she has had an "accident". 

The last four nights she has even slept without a diaper. I am so excited she is doing so well! I did not really have any expectations for a time frame on potty training, but I'm really glad we have had such a great first experience. 

I've also had a great lesson reinforced on trusting my Lord. I totally believe He knows and cares about these things. He will certainly give me wisdom, even about such things as potty-ing, if I ask.  

Thank You, Lord for being Lord of ALL! Even our family, even the little things, even potty training!