~~we're grewsome!~~

here they are...

 the updated photos after running around on a farm all summer. these lovelies have sprouted and changed like nobody's business.

Trygve--5 1/2.

Toben--2 yrs, 3-ish months

Terry--7 and a bit

Teresa--8 1/2.

~~warmin' up after chillin' at the park~~

we had in impromptu trip to the tire shop a few days back. one of the rebellious summer tires refused to stay inflated.

we dropped the vehicle off and headed to the park for a short bit... when we got back, the body language told me:

MOM, WE'RE TOO TIRED!!

~~what's your wing span?~~

Gramma & Aunties

& Uncles & Cousins....

We love you

THIS

much

!!!

~~i had a dream~~

In my dream, even though I could only see a segment of the line, I knew that all of God’s people were lined up shoulder to shoulder. The question “Are you ready?” was posed. Although it wasn’t stated, the inference was ‘to go to heaven.’ As “yes” came from each person’s mouth, a very kind and knowing voice said, “You don’t have to make that decision today.” (As if this were one of the many check points in a Christian’s life.) As I reconsidered my ‘yes’ I realized that no, I was not ready. I have a young family, a healthy lifestyle and am enjoying where I am right now so I changed my answer to ‘no.’

In the next part of the dream, all those that had said ‘yes’ were taken to heaven and the rest of us stayed here on earth to continue life. As four of us were walking down the road, we came to a cattle-guard type crossing, only made of something like 2" X 6" boards standing on their sides about a foot apart. We stepped through them to another level and came to another road. Most of the ground was hard (frozen, maybe) but I found a stick and poked it into a patch of mud. Then I handed the stick to one of the men in our group and said ‘here’s your weapon.’ Several feet down this road, I did the same thing and handed the stick to the other man in the dream saying the same thing.

It was at that point I turned around and realized the road I was now on was a very wide downward slope and I knew it lead to Hell. Terror froze my veins as I realized I had rejected God in the most important decision of my life.

I turned back toward the ‘cattle-guard’ and started to fight my way back through the 12” space trying to get to the other road. Panic helped me get as far as my waist and I was suspended between the two roads. As I realized I was completely stuck, I audaciously cried out:

I want an audience with the King of kings!

**what was the sin that kept me out of heaven? unforgiveness**

Are you ready?

valentine's day crafts

one of the email subscriptions i receive had a neat idea for valentine's day. we made these for a dear friend of ours that we will be visiting on feb 14.

first, we needed 3 basket-style coffee filters stacked together. then we folded them until they were too small to fold.

i wonder if this is his response to the empty stapler. anyway, stapling these near the bottom was the easiest until i ran out of staples. we wrapped paperclips tightly around the base of the flower instead.

next, the filters were separated from each other.

finally pick your favorite paint and dip your creations.

other great craft ideas can be found at www.craftbits.com

~~family updates~~

this little man is 1 year, 7.5 months...

!!!joy!!!

give a boy a shovel...

and they all have somewhere to sit!

(hi, gramma... aunty 'a', cousin 'm', cousin 'j'...)

~~the trees of the fields clap their hands...together~~

as i've said before, one of my favorite things God ever did was create nature. i think most of my understanding of Him would not exist if nature didn't.

most recently i've been pondering the forest just outside my windows. we have trembling aspen, spruce, pine and balsom a few steps from any of my doors! they're all mixed together and have their roots deep in the clay. i haven't heard any of them complain about being beside another species. they haven't segregated themselves from the others.

(if you're easily offended, you might want to click the little 'x' in the top right hand corner now)

my question becomes "why can't the Church today be like that?" we all have our roots in One Savior and one redemption. sure, we have different ideas, thoughts and experiences. we will have different revelations of Jesus Christ.

everything in our lives must come back to one thing: Jesus Christ and Him crucified--1 Cor 2:2. when it does, the extraneous is simply that.