Fall Playing

I've wanted to share pictures and tell you about taking my babies to Boo at the Zoo.

I've also wanted to tell you about and share the pictures from the recent trip to the pumpkin patch.

But Craig said there is very little space on my computer, so I am not allowed to download any more pictures until I get rid of some old ones. It is taking a while to go through all the pictures on my computer and it is hard to delete them. I agree with Craig, I do not need all 15 pictures of Calvin's first smile, but it is so hard to choose which ones I am willing never to see again. In some ways the conveniences of today make life difficult. My mother never had to make these decisions! =)

I am posting my readings for earlier this week, I have not done my reading yet today, and I am hoping to go through pictures today so Craig will let me download and post some from trick or treating tonight, so I will post my reading for today then. That's a run-on. No, its a comma splice. Whatever.

10/25- The Everlasting Reign, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28: Although even righteous kings of Israel could not keep the law perfectly, the last King is the fulfillment of the law. King Jesus has come to conquer all His enemies. Death will be conquered and we will be set free from it's chains. He will set up an everlasting kingdom. All things will acknowledges His rule (He will have a visible reign).

10/27- God Chooses Israel's King, 1 Samuel 16:1-13: Saul failed to be a godly king for the Israelites, so God brought forward David, the man of His choosing. Samuel was surprised at God's choice. But we all know what God said, "For the Lord does not see as a man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." The Bible says David was a man after God's own heart. David was "sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit and knew when to repent if he had sinned" (Tabletalk). Am I a woman after God's own heart? No. It seems that more often than not I quench the Spirit by trying to justify my sin instead of repenting from it.

Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same

As the leaves change and begin to fall, the realization that Summer is gone is beginning to set in my mind. I lament for the season I see as holding never ending lazy hours. Even though our activities change only slightly with the change in seasons, Fall always brings a mindset of leaving play and getting back down to the business of life.

Looking back on the pictures I took of our play from this week reminds me of earlier this year at another change in season, one that held a little more excitement for me. Seeing these pictures made me realize that a certain someone is always excited to see the changes.

Even when the snow comes, which I dread, he will still be happy to run around the yard like a crazy man.

("one Grecian Urn" if you don't know what I'm talking about you need to watch The Music Man)

2 Kings 20:12-21- Hezekiah makes a foolish decision that shows his lack of faith in the Lord and a desire to be like the nations around him. Despite his weakness the Lord loves him.

Extras

Here are a few more things we did at EnterTRAINment Junction.

Really I just want to share the pictures...

Deuteronomy 17:14-20- The passage was foretelling of Israel's desire to have a king like the nations around them. Israel's "request for a king in Samuel's day was an implicit rejection of God as king." They wanted to rely on a man to fight their battles instead of relying on God who had promised to fight for them.
There have been undertones on reliance on God in my Bible study and in my reading outside of the Bible. I think God is trying to tell me something again. Not that it is a new message for me. Reliance on God is the basis of the Christian faith, but knowing a little of how the Holy Spirit works, I can say with confidence that if a subject is repeatedly being laid upon my heart I need to sit up and take notice. Now that I know what God wants me to hear, it is up to me to figure out (pray and ask God) to which area of my life the words need to be applied. If not all of them. After all, do I rely on God truly and sincerely in any area of my life?

EnterTRAINment Junction

Last weekend we took the babies to EnterTRAINment Junction down by Cincinnati.
It was pretty impressive. The train display was huge and very detailed.

Calvin loved walking up and down the isles pressing buttons that made noises that could be heard in train yards or that made the trains go.

They also have outdoor train rides for the kids. Calvin was excited to get to ride Thomas again. He enjoyed his rides so much that he still randomly announces that he got to ride on Thomas.

I only rode on Thomas because otherwise Ebie wouldn't get to. Honest.

Joshua 20- God tells Joshua to set up cities of refuge for people who unintentionally murdered someone, to protect them from avengers of blood. Many people think Mosaic law was harsh, punishing with the toughest action for even small offenses, but here we find that God allows for mercy to the truly innocent.

"The Seriousness of Sin"

Joshua 7- "The Seriousness of Sin" The Lord commanded the people to bring all spoils to Him at Jericho. One man, Achan, kept some of the spoils for himself. So the Lord caused Israel to be overcome in battle. Joshua pleads with God for Israel and God reveals to him that someone has broken His commandment. Joshua calls all the people and tells them to repent. The Lord leads Joshua to Achan. When confronted, Achan confesses to keeping some of the spoils for himself. He and his household are killed.
I have to admit, when I read this chapter, I thought it harsh that he and his family would be killed, even after he confessed. But Tabletalk pointed out that Achan only confessed after he was filled with the terror of being found out. He did not come forward on his own, this shows his willingness to continue in his sin if he was not found out. The family was also killed for the same reason. They did not love God's commandments enough to reveal Achan's sin.

I think it is easy for people today to take God's apparent lack of disciplinary action as a sign that He loves us so much that He overlooks our sin. Yes, Jesus came to save us from our sin. Believers (those who have repented) are forgiven. But if we give ourselves a license to disobey God, just because Jesus died, that is not true repentance. God does not honor insincere repentance, as we saw with Achan. Though God's judgement may not be obvious now, it will be at the Judgement, when all will have to give an account.

The questions I have to ask myself today are:
Do I love God's commandments enough to hold myself to obey them?
Do I have true repentance?

The 10 Commandments
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image - any likeness of anything. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord am a jealous God...
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God...
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet...

Just in case I am tempted to be content in my knowledge that I have never killed a person, in Matthew 5 Jesus talks about not just keeping the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law as well. I have a renewed thankfulness for Christ. Without Him, I would be doomed.

I'm Crafty.

Working hard on my projects for the craft show in November. I am making hair clips, pins, and accessories.

I hope they sell. I feel horrible asking Craig if we can spend money so that I can try to earn some.

I wonder how the Proverbs 31 woman got her start.

Exodus 14- God tells Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt by going "the wrong way", the way that leads them directly to the Red Sea. This was meant to make Pharaoh think they were lost and confused, but we know God had Israel's salvation in mind. When Israel was trapped against the sea, God rescued them and destroyed Pharaoh. Tabletalk says "When things happen that we do not understand or God calls us to do what is perplexing to us, we can be sure it is for His glory." I need to remember that God has fought/is fighting/will fight (and has/will defeat!) my enemies (sin and the devil). I can not save myself. Only God can save me!

Coram Deo for today says: "Salvation is a gift wholly from the Lord from beginning to end. He accomplishes our redemption on the cross and gives us the faith to appropriate that redemption for ourselves. It can be easy to forget this truth, but we must always be clear that His work alone can redeem us."

Hop On Pop

We spent the whole day with Craig today. He was off for Columbus Day. So we celebrated by going to the zoo. It was wonderful. This isn't a picture from today, but the series is funny. It shows our babies sitting peacefully on top of their Daddy, and then all of a sudden they turn into monsters!

Poor Craig.

Baby

I watched my new little cousin today.

He's little.

I had fun.

Matthew 2:13-15 We were all once slaves to sin. Christ came to free us from that slavery.

Sorry the post is so short...I'm spending precious moments alone with my husband, and I don't want to spend it typing.

I Hate Litter.

(Calvin playing in a house made from a box my dad gave us earlier this summer)

At the same moment I paused to look out our front window today, a car stopped in front of our house. I watched the woman who was driving finish a Capri Sun and throw the package out the window. "She did not just do that", I said. Yep, she did. She was a full grown woman. I sighed, put on my shoes and walked outside to pick it up out of the street. I hate litter. While I was out there I found two aluminum cans though. Jackpot!

I like to recycle. My big project has something to do with recycling. Not in a save the world way though. More in a good steward/serving way.

Question(s) I am pondering today: Has the day been a success if the house is a mess? Or, has the day been a wash if the house didn't get cleaned? Wondering. My nerves scream no.

Isaiah 19:16-25 Although the Egyptians were enemies with the Israelites, God says there will be a day when all nations will be at peace and worship Him. He will call all nations to Himself and He will be glorified. "Come quickly, Lord Jesus."

Plans...

(my babies and me this summer)

Making plans for a project I want to do. It is a very long term project, something that I hope would last my whole life. It could be big, it could be small. It all depends on me. Hoping to making it kind of big though. Plans for international involvement. I need to give myself some training first, however. No money for classes right now. Guess books and Youtube will be my best friends for a while.

I read Exodus 1:8-14 yesterday. Egypt had a new pharaoh, one that did not know Joseph. He convinced his people through propaganda that the Israelites meant to harm them. There were too many of them he thought. And so began Israel's slavery in Egypt. But the more Egypt persecuted them, the more their numbers grew. What Pharaoh meant for evil, God used for Israel's good. Gives you a better perspective on your trials doesn't it?

Pumpkin Painting

Calvin finally got to paint his pumpkin today. He has been asking ever since we bought it a few days ago. I have him paint pumpkins instead of carve because there are no knives involved and when he gets bored he is done. No gutting left for me to do. The only bad thing was that he didn't get bored quickly enough, because after his pumpkin was covered in paint he wanted to paint mine. I guess I could always wash it off, but I probably won't.

The passage was Leviticus 18:24-30, with further reading at Revelation 6:12-17. In Leviticus God told the Israelites: You shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations...lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean. I have to admit when I read this passage I thought this was not going to be a very pleasant thing to put on my blog. But sin is rebellion against God. You can do nothing to make it pleasant. It is so disgusting, even to creation, that the land would reject a sinful people by expelling them from itself. Revelation says making creation sick is the least of our worries though. The passage in Revelation described a time when all the people: hid themselves in caves and rocks of mountains and said to the mountains and the rocks," Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Can you imagine being in the position where you are begging creation to swallow you up because it is better than the alternative of facing your Creator and having to give an account of your life? When I try to imagine it my stomach turns. What would I be able to say to Him if it weren't for the blood of the Lamb? I think I would be the first on my knees begging the earth to consume me.

Marker Monsters

Craig and I were trying to get the house cleaned up, so we gave the babies some markers to color with. We gave them paper too, but they didn't really use it as you can see. Evie's markers were meant for babies so it came right off.

Calvin's however, I found out were not washable. I'm so glad he only really tattooed his torso because they were still there over a week later.

Deuteronomy 8:7-1o - Just as God promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites, the new heavens and earth are our Promised Land. Israel was kept alive in the desert by His kindness and so too anything we have is due to His kindness. God deserves our gratitude and thanks for ALL things He has given.