Casey, Terrie, Josiah, and Levi

Ft. Worth Zoo with Maam (Brenda), Connor, and Ainsley

2011-07-05T09:03:00.002-05:00

Ranch Life

2011-02-25T14:35:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving

2010-12-17T14:52:00.009-06:00

Cousins!

My little doll niece, Ainsley

This is how the boys feel about getting their pic. taken. ;)

Uncle Casey is her favorite! Who can blame her, right?

Grammy Connie's visit in November

2010-12-17T14:28:00.004-06:00

Build-A-Bear

Boys first trip to ChuckECheese!

Mom always has some fun crafts to do with the boys!

Monkey Bread!

Life is good!

Marfa Santa!

2010-12-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

2010-11-22T21:01:00.004-06:00

Camping!

Lilah and Josiah making an apple pie!

HALLOWEEN!

Indian Levi and Davey Crockett

Painting banks from Grammy Connie

2010-11-17T22:24:00.005-06:00

2010-11-17T21:58:00.001-06:00

Out on the ranch, back in August.
Hwy. to Alpine, where we get groceries and stuff

Playing in the Davis Mnts.& Big Bend National Park- Sept.-Oct.

2010-11-17T21:22:00.009-06:00

Levi's Birthday at Granny & Papaw's in August

2010-11-17T21:11:00.005-06:00

Just a quick update.

2010-11-09T13:54:00.002-06:00

Hi! So, many of you are saying, "hey, what's up with you guys since you moved?" And, since I am too efficient, aka lazy, I am just going to write a quick update here.

Casey- his job is awesome! Here's a link if you wanna check out who he's working for- dixonwater.org Casey is managing a Dixon Water Foundation ranch in Marfa, Tx. He is working hard and learning so much about holistic/sustainable land management. He's horseback a few days a week...happy days for him.

Josiah and Levi- continue to crack me up every day! Joe has some serious imaginary friends- Jack, Simeon, Eek, and Pop, oh yah, and Treebird. Don't know where he came up with their names. Apparently, Jack's house burned down so he's now living in our old house in Sulphur. These are the kinds of stories he tells me everyday. And Levi just kinda goes along with it for Joe's sake, but when I ask him if he knows Joe's friends he just says they're just pretending, which is something Joe would never admit to. They like it here, although they ask to go to our old house a lot. We had a nice fenced in yard there, something we don't have here yet, so I'm pretty sure that's what they want to return to. They do love this house though , it's big and has lots of room to run and play and hide. We are continuing with Sonlight another year, homeschooling. The boys love it and so do I, so, we'll just keep it going. Joe does miss playing with other kids though, hopefully we can find a homeschool group to join. I've heard there are some around.

Me-well, honestly, it doesn't feel like life has changed much for me. I'm a stay at home mom, so, yah, my surroundings have changed but my day to day hasn't. I love this house, it's an old adobe house that was added on to and remodeled. We really didn't expect to move into something this nice so that was an added blessing. I'm still not used to living in town, neighbors all around, but once we get a fence built it will be easier. Not having a Walmart isn't that bad, the grocery store in Alpine, about 30 minutes, is nice. I guess the hardest part about moving is that we don't have a church. We have visited several, pretty much all that we know of to visit within driving/getting involved distance. Not sure what the plan is now... I wish we could find somewhere with other kids.

So, guess that's the basics. So far so good in Marfa. Please come visit us! I'll get some pictures out soon.

Bowling with Maam and Papaw

2010-08-02T14:53:00.003-05:00

Surprise Package from Grammy Connie!

2010-08-02T14:49:00.002-05:00

Fourth of July weekend with Tim and Stephanie and the boys

2010-07-09T10:54:00.005-05:00

The boys kept busy making "horse soup" in the horse water.

To the lake for the fireworks. The boys loved it!

2010-06-17T18:42:00.007-05:00

2009 Favorites, in no particular order ;)

2010-01-26T15:37:00.014-06:00

Ainsley Rayne, my niece. I can't ever decide between b&w
and color so I guess you get to see both. ;)

Nov-Jan Pics

2010-01-21T16:22:00.007-06:00

This is all of 'em. They're not in any order, sorry.

The flashlights from Aunt Tommie were a big hit!

Christmas day snow!

Ainsley Rayne.

The best Papaw ever!

Ainsley

I ran a 15k trail run in November.

Josiah's first solo ride

taking turns

"us kids" and our babies at Christmas time

The boys and I have a breakfast picnic in the park every couple of weeks, weather permitting of course.

Halloween

2009-11-02T09:48:00.007-06:00

May - September '09

2009-09-24T09:16:00.022-05:00

The boys and I went to Washington in May. Dad took us out fishing on his boat and even let Josiah drive!

Mom, aka Grammy Connie, came to visit for a few days. It was great as always and now we all miss her very much!

At the Amish auction

Levi is 2! I miss my babies!

Spring Photos of the Boys

2009-05-14T16:37:00.009-05:00

Catching Up, Again...

2009-02-02T11:30:00.046-06:00

This picture is supposed to be down with the Christmas ones. I can't ever figure out how to get the pictures where I want them. Anyway, this is Tommie, my awesome sister.

I guess I'm gonna have a catching up blog at the beginning of every year. I think blogs are the coolest thing if only I could just keep up with it. And now, before I've even got this thing down, all of you are doing the whole facebook thing. I'll never keep up. Oh well, on with the news from us. This is gonna be a long one.
We now live in Oklahoma. Casey lost his job in November, which was a big shock to us. Losing the job also meant loosing the house we built on the same ranch, which was an even bigger shock. But, when we built the house, and ever since, we have prayed that we wouldn't close our hands around the blessing God gave us, so, the time came and it was taken away. He gives and takes away right... Anyway, Casey got a new job with some good friends here in Oklahoma, so I guess we're Okies now. Most of you know that I have moved around my whole life, and for the first time since Colombia I felt like I was home in our little town in Texas. I loved recognizing people every time I went to town, to WalMart, to the post office, where ever. I loved even more our little "house church" (at least that's what Casey and I called it) where we were like family and we gathered every week to pray and learn the Word and just be together and be real and try to bring what little we had to our King's feet in worship. It was an awesome group, the most genuine "body" we've ever been a part of. All this to say, I was settled. And now, God has moved me, to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces. This is hard for me, but, I still want to praise Him for it. This world is not my home, I am not called to settle here. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me of that!
Okay, well, on with news about my guys. Casey is working for a wildlife management consulting firm and hunting lodge(well, more like a cabin.) I know, it's a mouthful. He loves his work, it involves hunting, land management/conservation, horses occasionally, and other cool guy stuff.
Josiah will be three in March. He is so much fun. Whoever said the two's are terrible? I love this time. I think he is learning and saying new stuff every day, sometimes the stuff he says is so hilarious. He's still convinced, and won't hear other wise, that we live on a ranch called Oklahoma in Texas. Casey and I talk off and on about homeschooling, but I think Joe might be a little too smart for me. He is a great big brother to Levi. He loves to "read" to him, and is getting really good at helping me keep up with his crazy little brother.
Levi is 17 months, and reckless. We used to think Josiah was crazy, but turns out Levi is our little wild man. I would say he's brave, but I guess at this age that would be giving him a little too much credit for what is actually just plain ignorance. He's convinced he can keep with his brother, but there's a big difference in the coordination of a 3 year old and an 1 and a half year old, and Levi has a lot of bruises to prove it. My baby is trying really hard to not be my baby anymore. OH, how I wish I could slow down time. I know all of you with kids know what I mean. Well, at the moment my two little men are tearing up my closet, which I guess is the price I'll pay to actually get something on this blog. Oh, about Levi's kidneys, well, we had been told he would have to have surgery next summer, no way around it, but, his last appointment was with a different doctor who said we weren't at that point yet. So, that's great news, but we're still gonna get another opinion once we get all the new insurance stuff figured out, just to make sure. In the mean time, he's still on antibiotics daily to keep him from getting a kidney infection, but he's a healthy little guy anyway. We are so grateful to the Lord that the permanent antibiotics have not affected him in a negative way, which is pretty common. Thanks for your prayers about this!
Well, I guess that's about enough for now. Feels like it's gonna be a book pretty soon. Thanks for putting up with my ramblings...

The boys first rodeo, back in August. They LOVED it!

Levi loves the camera. It's hard to get a picture of him that isn't right in his face because whenever he sees me with my camera he comes running.

I couldn't resist putting this one in here. Josiah is starting to ask about Jesus, there's nothing in the world that could make us happier than to have our sons eager to learn about our Savior!

Our good friend Shannon, who lives in Indonesia, came to stay with us for a few weeks in November. It was so good to have her here, as always. We will miss her!

Christmas

I realized I don't think I've ever introduced our dog Sugar. We've had her for years, she's a mutt that we got from a shelter, and she's the best dog ever! She loves the boys, and they love her. She lets them climb and pull all over her and acts like she likes it. She's the best kind of dog you could ask for for little boys!

All my family finally got to get together for Christmas here at our new place. It's been a few years since Tommie has been able to come, so it was so good to all be together. She hadn't met Levi yet, or Tim's kids, Ethan and Seth, so that just made it even better.

There's nothing more entertaining, well, these days I guess, than 4 little half naked boys running around and wrestling and jumping...

Aunt Tommie is fun! She got the boys these cool books that show you how to make all this fun stuff at home, like play dough and tub crayons.

Granny Connie, my mom, is a lot of fun to.

Seth

Ethan

Beautiful Tommie. She's single, just in case there are any awesome Christian single guys reading this. :-) She's gonna kill me for writing that!

Ainsley Rayne Wade, our new niece born in December, to Kelly (Casey's brother) and Jenny.

MUD

2008-08-13T23:23:00.014-05:00

This was just today. I love playing in the mud with my boys!

Oh yah, forgot to mention, Levi is walking!

July

2008-08-12T10:29:00.028-05:00

Fourth of July

Josiah loved the sparklers!

Sparklers have come a long way since I was a kid!

Mommy loved em too. :)

Camping with Jonna and the Boys

This is right after mean mommy pulled Joe down in the really cold spring fed water.

Getting them to both take a nap in the tent at the same time was a miracle!

Joe's typical daytime attire.

This is how Joe came out of his room the other day after his nap, I promise I didn't put him up to it. Yah, it's a swim diaper! ;)

June

2008-08-09T17:00:00.024-05:00

Hi. Well, let's see, what's new to mention. I don't think I've written about the results of Levi's last doc visit, so- turns out he's gonna have to have surgery. Ok, let me remind you what he has. It's called vesicoureteral reflux, which means the urine in his ureter (the tube in between the kidney and bladder) flows backwards up into his kidneys, which can cause serious kidney infection and or damage without antibiotics. Some babies can grow out of it, so that's what we were hoping for, but that's not what the Lord has allowed in Levi's case. We had the option of doing the surgery this summer (to avoid another year on antibiotics) or next summer. Since the success rate is higher the older he gets, and the antibiotics haven't caused any problems, we've decided to wait. So, we're trusting the Lord that Levi is in His hands and He will heal Levi in whatever way He seems best, wether it's through the hands of the surgeons or Levi just being healed with out the surgery. Thanks so much for your prayers! Okay, well, on with the pics...

They really do love eachother, most of the time. ;)

My funny man!

This is what Levi does when I won't let him grab the camera. It's hard to get a picture of him that's not right at my feet because as soon as I grab the camera he makes a bee line right for me to see if maybe, just once, he could get his hands on my camera.

Mom came to visit in early June. It was wonderful to have her here, as always. Wish we could live closer together!

We went to the zoo with Mom, this is what Levi did most of the time.

Tim and Stephanie came to visit at the end of June. It was great to have them here too, and of course, wish we could live by them too!

Ethan

Seth

We went to the waterpark. The boys loved it!

3rd Letter from Dave

2008-08-04T16:05:00.002-05:00

Resolutions

Tomorrow is New Year’s Day. Typically this is a time of evaluating the previous year, of looking ahead to the coming year, and of making resolutions so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. As many of us engage in that process I want to issue a word of caution as well as a suggested direction. These thoughts are not original to me. They have grown out of recent readings of two books that have been a mainstay of study and reflection for me over the years. I would highly recommend both of them to you. They are “The Return of the Prodigal Son" by Henri Nouwen and “Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster. I hope you, too, have developed intimacy with books and mentors who are seldom far from reach or thought.

My caution has to do with the nature of resolutions. They are often constructed around our own ability to willfully implement the intended course of action. They come dangerously close (as we have practiced them in the past) to making an idol of our will. We give it the ability to do what we have been told over and over again in Scripture that only One can do. To quote Foster, “The moment we think we can succeed and attain victory over sin by the strength of our will alone is the moment we are worshipping the will." Such idolatry is both deadening and enslaving. We simply cannot renovate and purify our heart by the exertion of our will. That is because “the will has the same deficiency as the law – it can deal only with externals. It is incapable of bringing about the necessary transformation of the inner spirit." If we approach transformation with a set of will-empowered duties we will end with deadening legalism, a discouraging moral defeat, and an enslaving feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.

Now, though I am expressing caution about our typical approach to resolutions, I am not promoting doing nothing. I am still strongly convinced of the truth of the concept so excellently developed in another highly recommended book (Dallas Willard’s “Divine Conspiracy") that to not plan to do something is dangerously close to planning not to do it. Let’s plug that in so it makes more sense. To not plan to follow Jesus is in effect the same thing as planning not to follow Him. To not plan to pursue godliness is frightfully close to planning not to pursue it. To not plan to pursue intimacy with God comes down to the same thing in practice as planning not to pursue intimacy with Him. So though I do not promote will-driven resolutions as a means of achieving the transformation of the inner person for which we all ache to attain, I certainly do not promote doing nothing, which will most certainly achieve its goal!

Let me suggest a choice (I prefer that word to “resolution") for this coming year which grew out of one of my readings this morning in “The Return of the Prodigal Son." It is actually a quite simple thought and a quite simple approach. To quote Nouwen, “I have to kneel before the Father, put my ear against his chest and listen, without interruption, to the heartbeat of God. Then, and only then, can I say carefully and very gently what I hear." What a picture! My ear leaned against my Father’s chest, listening undistractedly and without interruption to His heartbeat. As I leave the intimacy of His presence with that heartbeat still gently pounding in my ear, then I can choose how to live and what to say. Then my life and words will be lived and spoken in time with that beat…the beat of my Father’s heart.

So, my suggestion is to simply choose this year to listen to the beat of our Father’s heart. It is not a difficult endeavor. The means to accomplishing it are spelled out in Foster’s book, “Celebration of Discipline." For further insight you might want to read my previous Note titled “Intimacy." As His heartbeat continues ringing rhythmically in our ear, it makes the need for every resolution obsolete. Our actions and our words will simply and naturally keep in step with that beat. We will be walking in the Spirit.

Join me as I choose this year to make listening to the heartbeat of my Father my first passion and my highest goal! May His Spirit guide us in the process.

More from Dave

2008-07-28T15:28:00.002-05:00

Words to Live By

THOUGHTS:I have found that over the years I have developed a handful of concepts which can each be expressed in a word or a succinct phrase and which have become the basis upon which I make every decision in my life. Together they make up the guiding star which informs every ethical and behavioral choice with which I am confronted. I can take you pretty closely to the week of my life or the specific experience that galvanized each of these concepts into moral life guidelines. I am writing this to induce you to ask what your particular guidelines are, to put them in writing, and to begin to see that all of your life conforms to them. My main counsel is to be certain that each of them is thoroughly and completely biblical! So here are the words, in the order in which they became operative principles in my life, that I [seek to] live by:

1) WWJD – I detest the jewelry, the bookmarks, and the bumper stickers. They took my very first life principle and cheapened it. They took what was sacred to me and made it another Christian marketing ploy to enlarge the coffers of whatever enterprising person or company realized the fiscal benefit of taking advantage of our Christian tendency to trivialize our faith with trinkets and apparel instead of incorporate it into our lives by thoroughgoing obedience!"What Would Jesus Do?" indeed!! Could you imagine if we simply applied this simple dictum to every decision we made, asking the question honestly, listening for the response openly, and then applying the answer completely and without hesitation. Of course, to answer the question accurately demands a well-founded understanding of the probable response of our Lord to each and every situation in which we might find ourselves. It demands daily saturation in the Gospels. But after all, isn’t it "Jesus Followers" that we are called to be?

2) Above Reproach – This is one of the requisite characteristics that Paul applies to being an overseer. The word (or words – there are actually a couple) gives the idea that there is nothing in our lives that could serve as the basis for any accusation. This doesn’t speak of motivations, but of conduct that is above or beyond the scope of any negative comments. Even under scrupulous examination, nothing could be found that would serve as the foundation for a critical reproach. That is squeaky cleanness! Could you imagine running all of our decisions and activities through the grid of above-reproachness!?!

3) What does it look like? – This is the question that dominates all of my Bible study. Whatever teaching or command I come across, I immediately ask what it would look like to live out that teaching in the context in which I live, and what would it look like to have an entire community of people live like that. I want nothing that I read in the Word to remain on a strictly theoretical, theological, doctrinal plane…I want to ask and know what it looks like to put all of these things into practice, to live them out.

4) Attentive and Responsive – All of my “duties" as a Christian can be summed up with these two terms. First I am to be attentive to the voice and the proddings of My Lord. He always takes the initiative; I always adopt the posture of listener/learner/responder. That is why I focus so much on the spiritual disciplines. It is imperative that we develop our spiritual attentiveness! Then my duty is immediate and full response to what I have read/heard/seen. That is what walking is the Spirit is all about – paying close attention to the Spirit who guides us, then immediately taking the step that He indicates. Two necessary safeguards to living this way are to know the Word well, and to live life out in community. That will keep us from excess in our responding!

5) Intentionality – This really sums up the previous 4 “words". None of them are just going to happen. You are not going to instinctively walk as Jesus walked, or live an above reproach life, or contextualize all biblical teaching, or live in close harmony with the nudgings of the Spirit. Each of these practices and decisions has to be an intentional choice. And that is basically how we live our lives…choice by choice by choice throughout the day, intentionally responding to the Spirit, walking as Jesus walked, maintaining an above-reproach lifestyle as we contextually implement all of God’s gracious instructions!

6) Intimacy – This has most recently begun to dominate most of my thinking. It is closely related to #4, but especially focuses on the issue of motivation. To be a people who are overwhelmed by an open-armed Father who fully accepts us, completely forgives us, and absolutely delights in us, and then to live out all of life as a response to that overwhelmedness, is what we are called to be and do. There is no short-cut to intimacy. There is no substitute for time with the Father. To hear His voice announcing that we are his delightful children and that on us His favor rests and to feel the intimacy of the Father’s arms wrapped around us in a fully accepting embrace are the postures upon which are built and out of which flow every loving, obedient response to Him with whom we have achieved intimacy. Our faith is indeed not a religion, but a relationship. The development of that relationship must have the highest priority with respect to our time, our energies, our efforts, our activities, our entire lives. Be sure to bring to every decision in your life the question, “Will this contribute to or detract from intimacy with my Father?"

I don’t confess to have perfectly kept all of these principles throughout my life. But they have been and continue to be the key principles that guide all I do or correct each of my errors. What are the guiding principles in your life? What is (are) the question(s) that you apply to every decision or choice that you are about to make? If you don’t have any then you are not living intentionally but are simply letting yourself be carried along by the current of the culture, friends, media, lies, and other influences, both internal and external that surround you. Seek God and His Word for those guiding principles that are going to be your north star. Whatever you do, don’t drift! Be intentional!

BOOK: In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. This is must reading for every believer. It should have been among the first 10 books you read as a new believer. If you haven’t yet read it, repent, go buy it, read it, do what it says, and then give it away to a new Christian.

No pictures this time.

2008-07-26T11:20:00.002-05:00

I recently came across some awesome words of wisdom written by a good friend and wanted to post them here with hopes that more people can benefit from the insight and understanding God has given him. Hope you're blessed as much as I am in reading them!

Finding “God's Will”
Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 9:42pm
This is a huge issue for almost all of you. My biggest concern is with the way that you ask the question and some of the assumptions that you make. I have recently been asked several questions, such as, “Should I study language, work, or spend time at my home church?” “What agency/people/country should I go with/to?” “Should I do an internship, go to Bible school or head straight to the field?” “Why are there so many 'closed doors'?” My contention is that these questions do not have to do with “God's will” but with obedient, wise and strategic thinking. Let me explain.
Preliminary Considerations:
1) God's will is not hidden, it is not a secret, it is not difficult to ascertain. God's will – that is, what God wants – is completely revealed is Scripture. Do you want to know what your Father desires, what He delights in, what brings Him pleasure? Just look at His commands. In those His “will” is most perfectly and completely revealed!

2) When we use the term "God's will" the usual assumption is that God wants us in a particular place at a particular time with particular people...and our job is to get all of the particulars right! We think in terms of hitting the bull's eye in the middle of the target. “Should I be studying language, studying the Bible, working to save money, or getting more involved in my home church? Which one does God want? What is His will?” That is NOT how God's will is dealt with in Scripture. (That may be the theme of a future “note”.) As I mentioned, God's will, or what God wants, is most clearly revealed in His commands. He wants our holiness, He wants the nations to glorify His Name, He wants all people to repent, He wants us to pray without ceasing, etc. It is helpful that we move out of a "right place, right time" mentality, away from “bull's eye” thinking and understand God's will in terms of obedience.

3) The basic assumption behind commands, especially the command to love, is freedom. We are free to chose to love or free to chose not to. We are free to obey each and every command, or free to disregard them all. A clear teaching in Scripture is that the nature of our relationship with God and Christ is precisely that – it is a relationship...father/child, beloved/bride, etc. He delights in our freely chosen response to love Him. He gives us the parameters of what that love should look like ("this is love for God: to obey His commands"), but leaves the specifics up to us. We are clearly not pawns on a chess board simply being moved to whatever square His will determines. We are people in relationship freely and creatively offering obedient love in ways that we think will please Him. I tend to think the more creative the expression of love offered, the more pleasing it is to the loved (that is a lesson that marriage teaches us!).

4) Rather than asking about God's will, the more accurate question is, "How do we go about making decisions?" That is the question that needs to be asked. But before I answer it, I again want to dispel a common myth. Behind the question about making decisions is usually the assumption that there is a "right" decision and a "wrong" decision. Along with that is usually the expectation of identifiable, discernible leadings which increase our certainty that we are doing the "right" thing. (The “leadings” usually have the added benefit of taking responsibility out of our hands. Whatever we do ends up being God's responsibility – read “fault” – since He is the One who led us.) This is, again, bull's eye thinking. Scripture doesn't bear out this kind of thinking, and I believe that it has been harmful on a couple of different levels (which I won't elaborate on here). "Freedom" rather than a "particular time/place/person" needs to be the rule that guides our decision making.

Basic Principles:So how do we go about making decisions? Here are my 4 words. These are not definitive words. Others could be added. But these principles are a good place to start.

1) Obedience - I have probably already mentioned this enough. As we are careful to listen to God speaking to us and revealing His heart and desires to us in Scripture, and then as we carefully put into practice what He says in His Self-revelation, there is little else that we will have to concern ourselves with. We need to always be asking, regardless of what decision we are making, "What does My Father say in His Word that tells us what He thinks about this decision?" or "What are the principles that My Lover has shown me in His Scriptures that come to bear on this decision?" I know that sounds basic and elementary, but I honestly don't think that we listen enough and seek to apply what God has already revealed about His heart in the way that He wants us to.

2) Counsel - This is huge. That's why I put it second. We are so limited in our perspectives, we are so ethnocentric and egocentric (not simply in the sense of being selfish, but in the sense of seeing everything exclusively from our own limited point of view) in our outlook, we are so prone to self-deception, that we desperately need the broadening and expansive perspective of other members of the body. That is so much of Paul's teaching on the Church...that none of us is adequate on our own, that we need one another. The body is built as an interdependent organism. Hence my harping on finding a mentor!! Three practical words of direction on seeking counsel that I want to give:
· Ask counsel of someone who has chosen to live wisely and well – be sure you get your counsel from a wise person whose life demonstrates that they have lived by and are living by the wisdom that they give. The quality of the counsel will be no better than its source.
· Do not just seek counselors who agree with you. In fact, it would be wise to do the opposite...to seek counsel form those you know may have a very distinct perspective from your own. In counsel you should always value honesty over sympathy. Mothers give sympathy. Counselors should give truth.
· Part of the counsel should consist of applying the WWJD question. Take a look at my "Words to Live By" note.

3) Strategy - Though I believe there is seldom (if ever) just one "right" decision, there is often a "better" decision. (There may even be a "best" decision, but I am not sure that is ever identifiable and I certainly would never presume to have insight into what is "best"!) The person who offers wise counsel will help us identify what is better. But a second kind of person or perspective we need is a strategic one. After counsel, this is the most important way to answer the question about making decisions. Here are two of the ways that I apply this principle to decisions:
· "Lord's Prayer Decision Making" - I think that the Lord's prayer is perhaps the most succinct and comprehensive expression of God's will in Scripture. You've probably heard me teach on it numbers of times. The 3 parallel requests that we are to ask for are: God's Name to be honored, God's Kingdom (or rule) to come, and God's will to be done. As I apply the Lord's prayer to decision making I simply ask, "What is most going to honor the Lord's Name, most cause His just and holy and loving rule to be exercised among people and most cause the living out of His will to happen? At that point the answer to that question (or those questions) becomes simply a matter of strategy. We merely ask, "What can I do or where can I go or how can I live in such a way that is most going to honor God's Name and cause His Kingdom to come and His will to be done?"Then we simply make the best strategic determination we can with the information we have and the counsel that has been given us, and do it.
· "Great Commission Decision Making" - This is the same as the preceding paragraph, but with the assumption that Jesus' last words to His Church most completely sum up His will for us. So we simply apply the strategic question to the Great Commission and ask, "What can I do or where can I go or how can I live in such a way that is most going to see the nations evangelized and obedient followers of Jesus raised up among every language and tribe and people and nation?" Again, the answer to that question is completely a matter of wise strategy. There are certainly some "wrong" answers, but there is not just one "right" answer.
One further word on Strategy...to be in a position to be able to formulate an informed, strategically accurate answer to the question, we need accurate information. Hence the need to do adequate research. "Adequate" is hard to define because we can't know everything, but we need enough information to be able to answer the question.

4) Freedom - Once we are sure that we are being obedient to the revealed will of God, and have sought counsel about how to address a specific decision, and have strategically looked at the "best" way to live out that decision, then we are free to offer our grateful love to God in that way. Simply make a decision that reflects obedience, that has taken into consideration wise counsel and that has applied good strategic thinking, and then be assured that your Father is going to be exuberantly pleased with that expression of love that He receives from His adoring child. He is NOT a harsh taskmaster who is sitting up there ready to leap off His throne and explode with an irate, "You did what!?!" and then come down on us with some divine disciplinary retribution. He will be thrilled to receive from us our obedient, counsel-informed, strategically-motivated decision to follow Him. Rejoice in the freedom you have to bring your Father joy by offering to Him a decision that is going to bring His Name praise among the nations. I can say with full conviction and assurance that He will proudly smile on you, His daughter or his son, and declare "This is my beloved child. With them (and with their decision) I am well pleased. On them my favor rests."Meditate on these things, then let the questions or comments fly. I would love to interact with you about these principles!

New Pictures of Levi

2008-05-18T10:53:00.009-05:00

March-May Photos

2008-05-14T22:35:00.036-05:00

He really does like this.

Camping a few weeks ago in the Hill Country.

Levi loves the water!

The shirt says Mr. Funny. You can see that it's appropriate!

Wedding Photos

2008-03-22T21:21:00.014-05:00

For those of you interested here are some pics of the wedding I did a while back.

5 months later...

2008-02-17T12:25:00.034-06:00

Hi. Well, now I'm a mommy of 2 under 2 so it's quite a challenge to actually blog more than two or three times a year. Oh well, I won't be controlled by my blog! So, let's see if I can catch you up with out too much boring, "I'll just skip to the pictures" kind of news.

We are good.

Josiah, almost 2, keeps us laughing all the time. He's this cute little clown that dances around and jabbers all the time. We're loving this age, he's just constantly learning new stuff and is in such awe of the world around him. He rocks!

Levi, almost 6 months, is so sweet and cuddly and lovable and chubby and well, just plain adorable! He's huge, wearing Joe's clothes from after he turned one. It's neat to allready see the differences in them. And as you can see from the pictures, Levi has changed a lot. He looks like a totally different baby to me. Little update on his kidneys, since I see that I never did say anything else about that- he has kidney reflux, which is when the urine flows back up into the kidneys. It's rated on a scale from 1-mild, to 5-severe, and he has a 5 on one side and a 3 on the other. For now the treatment plan is for him to be on antibiotics (to prevent a kidney infection) until he turns one, testing through out this first year, and then see at a year if he needs surgery. The doctor seemed really pleased with the results of the last tests in December, which showed that his kindeys are functioning well inspite of the reflux, so praise God for that! So, that's about it for that. He's just a happy healthy baby, we'd never know there was something wrong. We were concerned with him being on antibiotics for so long, but so far so good as far as that goes. Oh, and Levi rocks too!

Before I had my own kids it would kinda bug me whenever people would write and never say anything about themselves, just their kids. Now I get it. It's not that my life doesn't exist anymore, it's just that my life is about these two little guys, and that's just how I want it. But, for those of you out there who still feel like I used to, I'm trying to come up with some things about us adults...Let's see, books I've been reading and enjoying- Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper (for like the 5th time), Simplify by Paul Borthwick, Nexus by Rad Zdero. Here's some good news for us, well, it's not new news but I haven't ever written about it so I guess I will now. Ever since we've lived here we have longed for a body of Believers to belong to, and for several years we were looking for that in traditional church type settings. Nothing ever really fit. But for the last 2 years we have been going to this Bible study at some friends house with a group of friends and God has really answered our prayers. This little group is more like the original "church" than anything we've ever experienced and it's just so cool to see how God is working and using us, here in our town AND in the world. Praise Him! And thank you for all of you who have prayed with us to find this!

Okay, on to the pictures...

Levi Timothy

2007-09-19T15:58:00.001-05:00

WHO: LEVI TIMOTHY

WHAT: 8lbs., 10oz.

WHEN: August 24, 2007; 11:30 pm

WHERE: Inanna Birth Center, Denton, Tx.

Tommie's visit and Levi update

2007-08-20T11:46:00.001-05:00

Hi! Here are a few photos of Tommie's (my sister) visit a few weeks ago. We had a blast, she's always fun to be around! Josiah loves her, she has a lot more energy than I do right now so they had fun running around and around. Some highlights- just being able to hang out and catch up, we hadn't seen eachother in almost a year, the water park, which Joe loved! He's a crazy man in the water! Tommie went with me to Levi's ultrasound, it was neat to share that with her. We had a great time with her, and were very blessed that she could come!

A little news about Levi- the last ultrasound revealed that he's a BIG baby, so my midwife said we'll try to not let him go to 40 weeks. But as she said and we completely agree, there is a Higher Power in control, who knows better than we ever could. Praise Him for that! The ultrasound also revealed that Levi has Hydronephrosis, which means one of his kidneys is a little enlarged. After a couple more specialized dr's visits we know that he has a mild case, and it could possibly resolve itself after he's born, so of course that's what we're praying for. If that's not the case, he could be on antibiotic for a year, waiting for the problem to clear. So, we appreciate your prayers for all of this!

Well, Joe is very ready to get out of bed so I better get going. Bye.

Mama Levi

2007-07-28T09:09:00.000-05:00

I still can't believe I was brave enough to get pregnant pictures this time. Anyway, here they are. Only around 6 weeks to go. I cant' imagine I can get any bigger. Other than how big I am, all is well. This little guy (hopefully he's little) is a wild man. He's always kicking and punching and doing flips. It's pretty funny. He seems way more active than Josiah was, which seems kinda crazy that Joe could be our laid-back one. Yikes!

North Carolina

2007-06-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

Hello All,
Well, for the past two weeks Josiah and I have been here in North Carolina with Stephanie, Seth, and Ethan, just to help out a little while Tim is gone in Iraq. We're headed home tomorrow. Mom was here for the first few days (she has been here since before Tim left in March) so that was great to see her too and let Joe get to know her a little better. We've had a great time, although we all miss our husbands and daddies. Just a reminder, Josiah is now 14 months, Ethan 16 months, and Seth is 4 months old. So, let's see, our time here all together has been filled with lots of laughs, a few bumps and bruises, lots of pictures (these are just a few, and Stephanie is a great baby entertainer, she got a lot of excercise too), more laughs, lots of diapers (a few gross incidences because of no diapers on) learning to share, lots of "don't touch", lots of good ol' Wal Mart (well, 3 times in 2 weeks seems like lots with 3 babies) a few times practicing at eating out, lots of picking up toys, lots of Baby Einstein, lot's of "be gentle with baby Seth", a few times getting in the baby pool, lot's of milk, lot's of Levi kicks, lots of baths, and more laughs, and I could go on and on but you get the idea. So, I guess I'll get going with the pictures...

Pics of the Ranch

2007-06-13T16:42:00.001-05:00

Camping at Caprock Canyons

2007-06-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

Josiah loves the shower!

2007-06-06T13:41:00.000-05:00

April

2007-05-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

Here are some April photos. These first three are from Easter, Joe's first Easter egg hunt. I don't think he quite knew what was going on, it was just fun to pick up those brightly colored little things in the grass.

Joe LOVES this little piano. He'll stand there and just bang away at it.

This was when I was getting ready to go to Guatemala, and that's exactly how I felt about leaving him behind! I'm glad he didn't know what was going on though, he was just making faces for the camera.

Ethan Joshua Kessler

2007-05-20T15:48:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago Tim and Stephanie, after several years of trying to get pregnant, began the adoption process to adopt a baby from Guatemala. Last spring they were "refered" Ethan, which basically meant that once all the paperwork cleared he would be theirs, kinda like he was put on hold for them. It was a very long drawn out year of adoption paperwork hassles and occasional photos and one video, before it was cleared to go to Guatemala to pick him up. During that year, as I mentioned in an earlier post and much to their surprise, Stephanie did get pregnant and they had Seth in February. Ethan was born in February too so they're almost exactly 1 year apart. It just so happened that they weren't going to be able to go pick up Ethan until after Tim left for Iraq. So, after a lot of prayer and consideration, it was decided that both mom and I would go with Stephanie and Seth to Guatemala, mom to help with Seth and me to help Stephanie with whatever official stuff she might need, translating and whatever. We decided it was best for me to leave Josiah here with Casey and Brenda (Casey's mom) and man was that hard to do! We were gone for a week and I've never even left Joe for a whole day, so it was very stretching for me! All in all, the trip went wonderfully, everything went as smooth as possible, and the most important thing, of course, we finally got Ethan! He's a very happy, healthy little guy, and a little on the wild side too.

He loved the pool!

Stephanie with her boys.

Seth is such a content baby, he handled the trip just fine!

Please keep Stephanie in your prayers as she really has her hands full with Tim being gone. Mom has been there helping out for several weeks now, and I'll go for a couple weeks when she leaves, I'm taking Joe with me this time of course! After that Stephanie is planning to go and stay with her parents for a while. And please pray for Ethan, that he would adjust well, so far he's doing great!

Okay, well, that's long enough for this one. Bye!

Levi Timothy

2007-05-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

Hi! Well, it seems that some of you haven't heard the good news (I wrote a little about it in December) so.... Yep, I'm pregnant! I'm due early September, I prefer to say late August but I doubt that's very realistic. We found out a few weeks ago we're having another boy, hence this posts title! I'm still with my same midwife that helped me with Josiah, and I will be delivering at the birth center again. The website is inannabirth.com, if any of you are interested. Well, I have a ton more photos and more to write from April but I just wanted to get this little update out for now. Bye!

March:JOSIAH TURNS 1! mama turns 30 :(

2007-05-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

March

2007-05-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

Let's see, what all happened in March.... I guess it was a pretty uneventful month for us because nothing exciting is coming to mind. We did go camping, kinda, just for one night out on the ranch. It doesn't quite seem like camping to me when it's pretty much in our back yard. We did have a good time though, Joe loved it! He's just happy being outside.

Joe didn't mind at all just hanging out in the pack and play while we sat by the fire.

my happy little man

Joe with "Mam", Brenda, he's quite content with her!

Well, the other event worth mentioning, though not happy, is that Tim, a Staff Seargeant in the Marines, left for Iraq on the 31st for a 7 month tour. Oh, but I forgot to mention, I have a new nephew, Tim and Stephanie had a son in February, Seth Nathaniel. Seth was just a few weeks old when Tim left, so that's hard. Please keep Tim in your prayers, he's in Falujah, and has a pretty dangerous job looking for IED explosives. So far he's doing allright....

Okay, well, I guess that's all for this one.

I'm back!

2007-05-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! Well, after 4 months of not being able to figure out how to get back into my account I've finally got it and so now I have a lot of catching up to do. I guess I'll start with these photos I was going to post in early March.

one of our few snow days

Josiah loves to stand at the back door and bang on the window.

He also loves to not just play with the stuff in the cabinets, but climb in them as well.

He's always smiley!

going for a walk on a warm day

I got a double jogging stroller so I'll be able to take both of them out on the ranch roads. I love it!

2007-01-17T14:44:00.000-06:00

Hi!
Well, I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Josiah's first Christmas was a lot of fun. He actually did alright at unwrapping the presents, not because he wanted the stuff inside, he just wanted to eat the paper! It was so nice to have Joe around my family for a few days, and for him to finally meet Tim and Stephanie. They hit it off right away. We had a good Christmas here in Texas too.

The best news from this last month is that I'm pregnant! It's still pretty early, I'm about 7 weeks along. So anyway, Josiah and little Hannah Marie or Levi Timothy are going to be pretty close in age, like I am with Tommie and Tim. This is how we prayed for it to happen to so God granted our wish.

Well, I'm just sitting here staring at the computer so I guess that's all for now. I like to speak more through the photos anyway.

Can any of you bloggers out there explain to me how to list other websites, like links, on my blog? Christmas Day
He seemed to know what to right off the bat.
Tim is a GREAT uncle!
A future Marine?
We all went bowling, first time as a family, we had a blast!
on the beach
Don't worry, Casey got a hair cut. I was just starting to really like it too.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-15T22:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas! Here are some recent photos. I guess you all know I'm never at a lack for photos, especially of Josiah. On Sunday we're off to a wonderfully unexpected 10 day Christmas trip to North Carolina where Tim and Stephanie now live. Tim and Stephanie still haven't met Joe so I'm pretty excited about them finally meeting. Mom and Dad will be there too. We're bummed Tommie couldn't make it this time. It just won't be nearly as fun without her!

Let's see, what's new lately? It's been hunting season for a while now and Casey is responsible for managing the wildlife here on the ranch and this year the goal was to get at least 15 doe. So far he's at 8. We'll be glad when hunting season is over because he's leaving pretty early every morning to get out there before the sun rises. I'm sure he's enjoying it more than me! :-) He loves it out there, and he has great time to spend with the Lord, while he's sitting there waiting for the deer.
I've been taking more pictures lately, of more than just Josiah. I love getting out with my camera! You can check out saltandlightphotography.blogspot.com if you want to see some of my work.
Josiah is wonderful. He's crawling all over the place. While I'm doing the dishes or something he'll crawl into the kitchen and just sit there and jabber on and on. He's so funny. With his new mobility he's quickly learning what no means, and we're seeing a little stubborn streak in him. Casey says it must be from me. :-) He's probably right.
Well, I better get going. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year! This is our prayer for you-
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2

Happy Late Thanksgiving

2006-11-27T07:47:00.000-06:00

Joe's first Thanksgiving. He loves sweet potatoe, and of course the little bits of whipped cream that the grandparents would sneak in while I wasn't looking.
We took Brenda to the park for her birthday.

Me and a friend were out with our cameras. You can see how Josiah feels about it.

Hi! Well, it's been a few weeks, but I'm back. Let's see... here are some photos from the last few weeks.

Where did our easy baby go?

2006-11-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

Josiah is now pulling up on the coffee table, so there's no stopping him! And he thinks our concrete floor is way cooler than the blanket I have layed out for him, so there's no stopping 'til he gets to it. He managed to get to Casey's Bible and rip a page out of it before we realized he had it. I guess it's now time to rearrange. :-) And, he used to just lay there and babble or smile or whatever when we changed his clothes, well, not anymore. He's a little wild guy! BUT, of course, he still makes us smile and laugh every time we turn around! He's so fun.

Home again.

2006-11-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

At home in sunny Texas before our trip.

At home before the trip. Just trying out different shots.

Josiah at Manitoe Park in Spokane.

Joe in dad's paint hat.

Mom carrying Josiah in the sling. Both very happy!

Me and Josiah at Manitoe.

Four generations!

Well, we're home. Actually, we've been home longer than we were even there. It was a wonderful trip, but too short. Joe traveled like a little pro, hmmmm, maybe he takes after his mommy in that area. On the flights it was like he thought the whole plane full of people were there just to make him happy. It worked! We had a great time with Mom and Dad, Granny Connie and Grandpa Tom. I don't think Mom set him down the whole time! Josiah also got to meet my grandparents in Seattle, which was so important to me because it's rare that we get to go up there any more. It was a quick trip but at least we got a few hours with each of them. And ohhhh, it was so beautiful! The fall colors were amazing, and the mountains, the clear rivers, evergreens, etc. Mt. Ranier was beautiful and awe inspiring as always. When I'm up there I'm always reminded of how God created it all for us to enjoy, and if that's so beautiful, what will heaven be like! I guess I need to start seeing His beauty in the mesquites and oaks and dry creek beds here, since it seems that this is where the Lord has us for now. Anyway, I rambling now and no one wants to read me chattering on. It was a GREAT trip and I am SO VERY GREATFUL TO MY PARENTS FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN!

Now back to normal life. Joe's got 6 teeth, sitting up, pulling up to standing with the help of the furniture, almost crawling, constantly making us smile!

2006-10-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, well, I'm writing for a second time. Here's a photo from Casey's horse show this weekend of Josiah in the sling I carry him in.

I can't seem to get the photos at a good size so they don't look choppy.

These others are just me practicing taking baby pictures, I have the perfect baby to practice on!

Joe and I are going to Washington this week to see my family. I'm sure I'll have more photos and things to write about when we get back. Bye for now.

Can I really do this?

2006-10-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm about to find out if this is really as easy as it says it is, and then later we'll find out if I keep up with it. I'm still not quite sure why this will be better than just emailing, I guess I'll find out.

These photos are from Joe's first camping trip, a couple of weeks ago. He did great and we had a wonderful weekend of swimming, hanging out with Kelly, Jenny, and Connor, relaxing, hanging out with other good friends from Bowie, swimming, strolling through the woods, and oh yah, swimming. I've been feeling somewhat "confined" so this camping trip, although short, was a huge blessing for me! Thanks to all who made it great, especially Casey and Josiah!

Well, that's all for now. We'll see how long before I do this again.