We Remember....

On this Memorial Day weekend...we are reminded to honor those who have given their lives for our country... and pray for those who have lost loved ones.
Our family is so proud of those who are defending our freedom today! We are thankful for their service!!
It is such a blessing to live in America...thanks to the many men and women who have sacrificed!!

We also remember the ultimate sacrifice that was made for freedom....the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to free us from sin and bondage! ....It is for freedom that He set us free......

We are a blessed people!!!!

Favoritism

Favoritism \Fa"vor*it*ism\, n. [Cf. F. favoritisme.]
The disposition to favor and promote the interest of one
person or family, or of one class of men, to the neglect of
others having equal claims; partiality.


I can't say that I had previously thought much about this. Didn't think I was guilty of it. Promoting one person or family...to the neglect of others having equal claims?? Partiality?? Hmmmmmm.

So I started thinking...after that quote from my pastor about being nice to one person, but not to another....could I be guilty? In my personal life? In my professional walk?

It is human nature, after all, to extend extra favor to those we "like". It is human nature....but it is not God's nature. And I am so thankful for that fact.

I am trying to be more mindful. I want to be sure that I am not....consciously or subconsciously....showing favoritism. I want to see others the way Christ did, the way our heavenly Father does. I want to have the type of love for others that is independent of how they act, how they think, what they value, how demanding they are....a love that is based soley on the fact that my perfect Father loves imperfect me.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
James 2:8-9

A Quotable Quote

Yesterday in his sermon, our pastor quoted someone (I can't remember who) as having said this:

"A person who is nice to you, but not nice to the waiter, is not a nice person."

I have thought about that many times since yesterday.
And I have been thinking about what it means to show favoritism....and what the Bible has to say about it.
God doesn't show favoritism, and He doesn't want us to, either.

I will have to share more over the next couple of days....including the great big object lesson God gave me right in the middle of my day today!! But for now, just think on it.....

"A person who is nice to you, but not nice to the waiter, is not a nice person."

Happy Birthday, ERICA!!!

10.
Ten.
X.
Diez.
halfway to 20.
double digits.

gasp.

Unbelievable!!!

Happy Birthday, Sis.
You continue to bring unspeakable joy to our family. You are turning into a young woman and we could not be more proud. You are compassionate, witty, smart, joyful, and determined. You seek God. As you get older, you continue to get more and more servant-hearted. You bless our family with your laughter (not to mention all your yummy cooking!) You have always been such a thoughtful sister to Brock, and now we LOVE the way you nurture Micah.

We love you, "goat-loving girl"!!!

"Photos by Julie"

Last weekend one of Erica's sweet friends had a birthday party. Seven girls dressed up in their pioneer dresses and went to Conner Prairie. Julie (the birthday girl's mom) snapped this photo. When I first saw it last night, I just fell in love with it!!! I "antiqued it" a bit......



Is it just me.....or is this one of the coolest pictures you have ever seen?? Thanks to Syd for the great party idea, and thanks to Julie for the great party pictures!!!! oh, here....I just have to post a few more....

Happy Birthday, girlfriend!!

So I want to write this super sweet birthday post to my very best friend. It is her birthday, after all. And she deserves it!

Should I list 25 things that I love most about her? (one for each year of her life....WINK, WINK!)
Or should I mention the three million things that are fun to do with her?
Maybe I should go on and on about the thousands of hours that she has spent listening to me pour out my heart to her?
Or what about all the lessons she has taught me about friendship, parenting, marriage, and LIFE?
Wonder if I could do an acrostic thing with her name? C is for the concerts that I LOVE to go with you to....A is for.....

Nah, I think I will just do this....

Happy Birthday, Carrie. God blessed my life beyond measure when He formed our friendship....a friendship that was born first and foremost out of our mutual desire to grow in our walk with Him. I love you dearly and pray that we celebrate many more birthdays...maybe next year it will be in our new coffee-shop!!!

And rest up, girl. We have some SERIOUS birthday shopping to do tomorrow!

Any day now...

Any day now....I will be posting something that is spiritually uplifting or edifying...but not tonight....tonight I absolutely could not resist posting these pictures that Erica took earlier of her little brother and her "prize" goat!!

Take me out to the ballgame....

...and don't forget a sweatshirt and blanket!

Erica's first softball game of the year was a great success. The girls had fun (and they won!) and to my knowledge there were no cases of hypothermia.....although another 10 minutes and it would have been a distinct possiblility! It was C-H-I-L-L-Y!!


Erica at bat.


Brock displaying his new-found talent....."blowing bubbles as big as your head!"


Micah wondering exactly which objects are "closer than they appear"???


OK....so, maybe big brother and little brother didn't pay attention to the WHOLE game....but we were all there to root on our #14!!

Go sis!!!

Spring Sunshine!

Way back when.....

Today was Pioneer Day at Erica's school....a day set aside for the 4th grade to step back in time.

Pioneer Day is one of the highlights of 4th grade, and for good reason. The kids (and adult volunteers) all dress up in pioneer-days clothing, they do pioneer activities (like tin punch, quilting, stenciling, etc) AND they watch demonstrations on things like flax, using a loom, making lye soap, pottery, making maple syrup AND they visit the trading post. The day ends with the entire 4th grade doing the Virginia Reel.

Erica and I had a great time. She loves reading the Little House on the Prairie books, so she was super excited to get to "live it" for a day! ...she gave me an A+ on my attire AND she even "liked" my lye soap demonstration (not that I have ever MADE lye soap, but the woman who was supposed to demonstrate couldn't be there....so I was like the understudy who actually got to play the role!!)





What a fun day! There is a part of me that has always wished to live in the pioneer days. I know pioneer women worked VERY hard, but I envy the more simple, family-centered life they led.

Anyone need the recipe for lye soap???

Perhaps one of my favorite songs ever....

Isaiah 53 has always been one of my favorite chapters...written some 700 years before Jesus was crucified for our sins, it describes the suffering and sacrifice of our Savior. A couple of months ago I first heard this song and literally had chills all over. Several times since then, I have heard it and been overwhelmed with the thought of Christ's wounds bringing healing, forgiveness, salvation to ME....to ME....selfish, mixed-up, prideful, sinful, fallen ME.

"Surely he took up our (MY) infirmities and carried away MY sorrows,
yet I considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for MY transgressions,
he was crushed for MY iniquities;
the punishment that brought ME peace was upon him,
and by his wounds I am healed"
from Isaiah 53:4-5

Stopped in my tracks....

I was all prepared to post a couple of pictures of our newest additions...2 goats (and oh, by the way, that is just the beginning of the 4-H animals that will be arriving in the next couple of weeks....stay tuned)

BUT....

I decided to do some catching up on my blog reading first. And now my heart is burdened.

---Stephanie's sweet little girl, Katerine, celebrated her 3rd birthday in an orphanage (still!!) in Guatemala.
---Heather will leave her children in 2 days to travel to the Mayo clinic for a second opinion on her inoperable brain tumor.
---Amy continues her experimental chemo for leukemia (traditional treatment has failed - her prognosis is grim).

I have never met these women face-to-face (although, Stephanie...I sure feel like I've hugged you a million times!!) but I ache for them. My heart is burdened as I realize that these women (and so many others) spent this day...TODAY..... fighting battles that I can barely imagine.

My request tonight is simply that you would pray for these women.
We serve a mighty, loving, sovereign God.....and He tells us to ask.....

If your name is Barbara....read this!!

If your name is not Barbara...well, you can still read it, but it won't really apply.

Barbara, I wasn't sure how best to reach you...so I decided to just post a note to you on our blog, in hopes that you would stop by again. I am sorry that we were not able to "hook up" on our drive back from Florida. But, I would very much love to hear how your Micah is doing (AND see pics!) If you have time, email me: doctimmons44@yahoo.com...I would love to hear from you!

To all of you "non-Barbara-readers"...have a GREAT weekend! The forecast for IN weather: sunny and maybe 80 degrees!! You know what that means???.....yep.....YARD WORK!!!! =)

Vermont! Vermont!!! AND ALASKA, TOO!!!!!!

Guess what my dad saw today???
NO, really, before you read the next line --GUESS!!!!
He saw a VERMONT AND ALASKA license plates!!
YES, both of them at the same time.
Well, I have to say he did see most of the license plates.Mom and Brock and I saw some too.Now we only have 5 (I know only 5) states left!!!


the great goat lover
ERICA

A Crown for Casting

You will have to forgive me, please, if it seems a little "proud"....but how could his mom not post this picture of Brock, taken Saturday night, just shortly after being named 7th grade "prince" at the Jr. High dance!?!?




(Sigh)...he's a cutie, don't ya' think??

With all the talk around the house on Saturday night and Sunday morning about Brock's crown, I thought it would be good to see what the Bible had to say about crowns. So, Sunday after lunch we had a little devotion...We read about Jesus' crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29). We read about how we compete here on earth for crowns that don't last, but that one day we will receive a crown that will last forever (1 Corinthians 9:25). We read about how the elders surrounding God's throne in heaven will lay their crowns before Him (Revelation 4:9-11)

Then, I read this (by Mark Moore of Ozark Chrisitan College ) from a study I did a couple of years ago on Revelation. It gave me chills the first time I read it, and it gave me chills again as I read it to our family....

"If we are to receive a crown in heaven, it will serve only as an object of worship to God. All my accomplishments are stored for one grand moment when I can lay them down at the throne. Here's my confession. I hope my crown in huge. I multiply my efforts to make it so, but not for self-aggrandizement. It is the desire of my life to get to heaven, bow before God, lay down a great big crown so that all heaven will come to its feet and say "Now that's a gift worthy of the King." A life well lived is perhaps the greatest venue for the worship of God."

"They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being"

Revelation 4:10b-11

A dozen Iowas, but not a single Idaho!!!

I am obsessed.
Seriously.
I am going to end up having a wreck.
I took this picture today WHILE I was driving!



Why??
Because I cannot quit looking at liscence plates....and I wanted to show the kids that I spotted a "Utah" today!!

You see, when we pulled out of our driveway to go on vacation (with an 18 hour drive ahead of us) we had a list of all 50 states. You've done this before, too, right!?!? As we saw liscence plates from different states, we marked them off with a highlighter....




We ended up with 43 states (AND 7 Canadian provinces!)! But no Idaho. Lots of Iowas...no Idahos.

No Vermont either!

When I called Chad to tell him I was following a "Utah"...he responded..."I saw a Wyoming this week, too."......WHAT, AND YOU DIDN'T CALL ME???

The game is officially over, I guess. But I am not sure I will be able to rest until all 50 states are accounted for. If I was this excited about a "Utah"...can you even IMAGINE how crazy I will get when I spot a "Hawaii"!!????

Something "deep"...something not.

First the something not.
I had to smile today when I was examining an 18 month old boy (for a check-up) who was throwing a HUGE fit....and I mean HUGE. As he was screaming at the top of his lungs, thrashing around everywhere...his 5 year old sister steps closer to me and says, in the cutest little voice ...."Ummmmmmm, excuse me, he doesn't really LIKE doctors." OH--As if I hadn't noticed!


Speaking of not noticing things.
Here is the "something deep". It will take a few minutes but I found it entirely worth the time!!
Yesterday I read this post from Ann at Holy Experience. I loved it. Even read it out loud to Chad. Then today my brother, Mike, forwarded me the link to the entire Washington Post article (which I had not read yet, but have now). If you have a few minutes, go read it. If not, then DEFINITELY go read it!!

Anyway....makes me wonder: What amazing masterpieces of our Heavenly Father do I pass by everyday??...many, I am sure.

Father, forgive me. Help me to see your art....even when there is no frame.

P-O-W-E-R!!!!!!

First, there was the Easter morning sermon from our pastor. Power. As Christians, we have available to us...IN us...the power of God. The very power that raised Jesus from death. That power should be evident in my life. Power!!

Then, just a few hours later, there was this video clip on the LPM (Beth Moore's) blog. Power. The power of the resurrection is the same power that changes my life daily. Power!! Hmmmmmmm, that's what I had just taken away from Pastor John's message.

Not 10 minutes later, I was blessed by this post by Ann at Holy Experience. Power. There it is again....the powers of the resurrection...my new life....power to live a holy life, pleasing to God. Power!!

Finally, I stumbled across (obviously not a coincidence at this point) the video that I posted yesterday. Mighty is the power of the cross.....

It was as if I could just hear God saying "Michelle, are you getting this one yet??"

And now, I have been deep in thought....
Is God's power EVIDENT in my life? Do I really grasp the power that I have in Jesus? I sing "there's power in the blood"...but do I LIVE it??? How would my "day-in and day-out" life look differently if I were continually allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to control my day??

Power.

Teach me, Lord. You have my full attention. I am getting this one....and I want it to make a difference.

Mighty is the Power of the Cross

By His Wounds....

By His wounds.....we are healed!!

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:3-5