Happy 1st Birthday!

We have five little ones in our congregation who have celebrated or will celebrate their birthdays in the past few months.  Joe and I decided it would be fun to have them a 1st birthday party all together with the church family.  The planning was spur of the moment, although we had talked about it for several months.  A circus theme fit both the four girls and the one boy, plus I had a good start on the decor from events in the past.

An aunt to one of the birthday girls decorates cakes. She did a fabulous job on this adorable circus cake!!  I didn't want to see it cut into because it was so cute!! (Ha ha!)

The hard plastic balloons are ones that helped inspire this theme.  Those balloons have been and will be used for many occasions!  What a great investment!

The circus theme is a Fisher Price brand. I ordered items from a few different places, based on available products and the best price.  The little party hats were given to each birthday girl/boy.

The older siblings enjoyed playing in this little tent as much as the birthday kids!  It was a fun addition to the party!  We also had our PTO Bounce House set up in the garage for bigger kids.

We recently closed in the back porch and it will soon be part of the kitchen area.  It sure was nice to be able to set up several tables and chairs out there!  I teased that maybe we should just leave it as an "event center"! (Tempting, but no....)

I loved the bright colors of this party!

Here's another reason I chose the circus theme - this hanging tent.  I've had this thing for many years, but it sure makes a great addition to a party!

Most of these circus supplies were from past events, as well.  I love the real looking popcorn! I first bought that as a Bible class game.  You toss the popcorn into the little cups that are stacked together on the top shelf.  It makes a great decoration, too!

Our prayer for these little one year olds is that they continue to grow up and be healthy and strong and that their families continue to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 ) We know that they will and we are thankful that they will.

Whiney Baby

Are you a whiney baby sometimes?  Are you a whiney baby a lot of the time?  Most likely, we can all  say we are whiney babies from time to time. The problem is that when we realize we are acting like one, and that we aren't pleasing God in doing so, do we continue to sulk and pout, or do we 'straighten up and fly right', as the saying goes?

Sunday night my brother-in-law was ending a series on Jonah. We read Jonah 3 and 4.  What struck me about these last two chapters is how Jonah (after being in the belly of a huge fish for three days and being vomited out) still acted like a whiney baby!  He should have been thankful the Lord didn't send the fish back to just swallow him up again immediately and never have him vomit him out again - ever.

Jonah was being a whiney baby because God had asked him to go to Ninevah the second time, and he did.  He told the Ninevites that God would overthrow the city in 40 days.  Because of Jonah's message, the Ninevites believed God.  Even the King declared a fast. Everyone put on sackcloths. They didn't eat or drink. Even the animals were fasting.  The King said to turn from their evil ways and violence.  He said that maybe God would have compassion on them and turn away from His anger and spare them.  And God did.  He spared the Ninevites because of how they turned towards Him.

And here comes Jonah's whiney baby part.  Instead of rejoicing that his message had been heard and heeded, Jonah was upset that God changed his mind and spared the Ninevites.  He was so angry, that he wanted to die!  Can you believe that?!  He wanted to die because God didn't destroy these people!

And the Lord just asked Jonah one simple question, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

You know when children get mad and pout, they sometimes go to a secluded place and sulk?  Maybe some adults do that, as well.  In fact, I know they do.  We probably all know adults who do. Well, Jonah went outside the city and sat.  He made himself a little shelter and sat in the shade and waited for God to change His mind back, and destroy the city.

I love this next part:
Jonah 4:6-11

(6) Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 

The way that is worded is funny to me! Yes, I'm sure Jonah was very happy about that plant!  Maybe he thought, "Yeah! God is on my side! He is helping me, so there's no way He is going to let these people get by with all their evil past!"  But Jonah's pride in his leafy plant didn't last long.

(7) But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 

Ha ha!! Poor, Jonah! Now his leafy shade was gone.  Wonder what he thought as he woke up and saw the worm or woke up and saw no more plant?  He should have repented right then, but no....Jonah was still being a whiney baby.

(8) When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah still didn't get it, did he?

(9) But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

Wow.  Come on, Jonah!

(10) But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 

(11) And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

I kind of laugh about this story because of how ridiculous it seems. Jonah is a BIG whiney baby and isn't getting God's major theme and His whole plan that is woven throughout His word.  But, it's not really funny.  Maybe Jonah did finally get it.  I hope he did.  But the sad part is that many are being whiney babies right now.  And maybe - just maybe God hasn't sent Jesus back because He is waiting for people to turn from their evil ways or He is waiting for someone to quit being a whiney baby and realize the bigger picture - His bigger plan.

His plan is to have as many people as possible come to Him through His Son, Jesus.  And He would want everyone to do that, if they just will.  So maybe He is waiting on ME to tell someone.  Maybe he's waiting on YOU.  We don't know.  All we know is that someday the waiting will be over. He will say, "It's time", and Jesus will come back.  And all that is written in His Word will happen, and His people will live with Him for eternity.  And those who are lost will be in torment eternally.

Don't be a whiney baby like Jonah.  Don't sulk and pout and cry and wait for God to do what YOU want Him to do.  YOU do what God wants you to do!  And everything will work out just fine.

Jonah's preaching is mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 12:38-41 and Luke 11:29-32) and the Bible, speaking of Jesus, says that someone greater than Jonah is here.  I think Jonah eventually got it.  I believe he stopped being a whiney baby and got the bigger picture of God's plan.

Birthdays, Brothers, and Babies

What a special birthday our son, Zachary had to celebrate turning 16.  First of all, he passed his driver's test.  That was GREAT!  This makes us sound like bad parents, but it also shows something quite special about this boy.  He had NEVER parallel parked - EVER - but did it during his driver's test that day.  We did the parent-taught driver's ed program and he had driven a lot, but we didn't think about parallel parking.  In a town the size of about 750 total people, that's just not something we worry about!  

The night before he went to take his test, I happened to think of the parallel parking and asked if he knew what to do.  He got the ping pong paddle in his hand.....laid it out for one of the cars, then used my cell phone to be his car.  He showed me exactly what to do and the next day he did it!  I always knew when he was a toddler and would drive the little Fisher Price car around that he had a gift of driving!  I couldn't maneuver my own car like he could that little thing!  Thank you, God, for that special gift for Zachary! 

Another special part of his birthday party celebration was the fact that he had so many family members present.  It's not always that way with the kid's birthdays.  In fact, I don't even usually tell the relatives who live 2-3 hours away about the party, but decided to this time.  All of my husband's brothers and sisters were there! There are six of them in all! Several cousins were there, plus grandparents, and many other friends.  We had 35 people!

My husband, his brothers, and a brother-in-law took turns playing 42.  It was funny because this numbered set of dominoes was the only complete set we had in the house!  But what a fun time together - in the middle of the summer - when we usually don't have the opportunity to get together.

And then the BABIES!  Although my sweet, great-nephew isn't considered a baby any more, it was so much fun having all three "greats" together!  Someone snapped a picture of them together, but I missed it.  Here, "L" came up to me and stood and stared.  He stayed there until I took his picture!  So cute :).

This pretty great-niece was jabbering and smiling during the whole party.  One thing I noticed about "S".  She talks with her hands just as much as I do....maybe even more! 

"T" was the youngest of the "greats" at the party.  She was pretty in pink and all smiles, too!  What a joy to watch these little ones as they learn and grow!

And in just a few hours after the party, this little guy made his appearance!  He didn't want to wait for Aug. 5th to get here, apparently.  God blessed our family with another great!  We wonder if it was the Mexican food or the chocolate cake his mommy ate at the party that started the ball to roll (quickly) and result in the speedy arrival of little "K".

What a blessing:  Birthdays, Brothers, and Babies!

Babies, Babies, Babies!

Babies, babies, babies!  Our small town has been blessed with several new little babies in the past few weeks.  More are due soon!  And also, it's the time of year for our family when our goat nannies begin having babies, as well.  

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

 Genesis 1:25

 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;  or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know  that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature  and the breath of all mankind.

Job 12:7-10

There's nothing sweeter than seeing little babies, whether human or animals, is there?  Thank you, God, for all of these babies!

The Blessing of a New Baby!

This morning as I was waking up, I could hear my phone beeping in another room. The text from my husband said that our niece was having her baby. I immediately called my husband to ask him more details, and by that time she actually had already delivered. We were so excited! I immediately woke up the two boys that are home this week (the other two children are at church camp). We got ready and drove to the hospital (about an hour away) to meet baby Levi Trent.  Because Levi is the first great-grandchild in the family, his birth makes me a great-aunt for the first time. That's exciting!

Levi is a blessed little boy already. His parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and all of his aunts, uncles, and almost all of his cousins are all Christians. He will have great role models in his family on all sides. He is already loved by so many people. He has been in the prayers of many for nine months and will continue to be for his entire life.

Levi's middle name, Trent is special.  He shares that name with his great-great-granddad on his mother's side who passed away in 1985.  His great-great-granddad (my husband's granddad) was Albert Trent, who was a preacher for over 50 years.  Although Levi will never know of Albert, he will hear stories about him his whole life.  What a special name!

Holding my new little great nephew today just almost brought me to tears...tears of joy, of course, and tears for remembering each of the births of my own children. He was born in the same hospital as all of my children, so that was special.

I can't wait to watch Levi grow up!  I look forward to watching him grow and learn, but most of all, I look forward to seeing how God will work in his life.

Thank you, God, for the birth of Levi and all little babies.  They are precious!

Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Black and yellow, red and white

They are precious in His sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Babies are a Blessing

Sunday was a baby shower for a little girl who will make her debut in April.

We're planning the shower of another April baby....it's a boy. 

Today co-workers at my husband's workplace welcomed a new little baby boy into their family.  They now have two boys and a girl, plus they are "parents" to three or four other girls as they serve as houseparents at Tipton Home.

Our niece is having a little boy in July. The first great-grandchild in our family.

Friends are waiting to welcome a baby into their life as they pray and prepare to adopt.

Yesterday, a family of three welcomed quads into their life.  They more than doubled their family size in a short amount of time.  (To read more about this story, click here.)  The mother grew up here.  Her dad was our preacher.

Babies are a blessing. They are a gift from God.

Thank you, God, for babies!

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, and Babies...

I typically only do one
"Biscuit" post a week, but this is just too funny to wait until next week! I'll set the stage for you: Our oldest child, Lauren, is our only girl, followed by three boys, including the youngest, Biscuit. She has always wanted a little sister....and still does, even though she loves her brothers! The conversation being referred to below took place yesterday morning. I had to email Biscuit's teacher about something else, so to make sure she understood why Biscuit mentioned a baby, I also emailed this:

My email to the teacher, except I used his real name: "Biscuit said he told you we might be getting a baby today and that you didn't believe him. Actually, at breakfast, Lauren asked us to adopt a baby - from New Zealand! - and that was the discussion at breakfast. Biscuit seems to think that you can just go buy one - like at Walmart or something!! Lauren wants a sister. The rest of the breakfast discussion centered around the different countries, rather than the thought of actually adopting. If I wasn't 40 years old and Joe 46, we might consider it. I feel so sorry for little babies (and older ones, too) who don't have a home. Anyway, just wanted to clear that up!"

Reply email from the teacher except Tyler is changed to Biscuit: "Isn't that so funny about what kids hear or get out of conversations. Biscuit came up at breakfast and told me: "My mom wants to buy a baby from China today." I asked him what brought up that conversation and he told me he didn't know why you wanted one, but he didn't think he wanted a baby from that country. I was thinking from what Biscuit said that maybe you were sponsoring someone for a mission or something. I asked him if there was another country he liked and he said he'd have to think about it and get back to me! You just never know how they interpret things! That's a pretty good story to remember later on for him."

Actually...it's a great story for "The Chronicles of Biscuit"!!

You, know, this miscommunication and misunderstanding sounds very familiar, doesn't it? How many times do problems come into our lives due to miscommunication and/or misunderstanding? A lot and all of the time!

Thankfully, God is not the author of confusion, as we see in 1 Corinthians 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." This scripture is talking about order in the church. God's Word tells us what to do. Humans are the ones who confuse things when they add or take away from God's Word.

I wonder where Biscuit thinks we bought him???

A Brand New Life!

Our family awoke this morning to something special that we look forward to each year. It's the beginning of kidding season with our goat herd.

These little twins were just a few hours old when I took these pictures. Their momma was a little frightened as I knelt down close by the fence to capture these sweet babies! I hurried so that she wouldn't be too upset with me.

There is just something about babies, whether human or animal, isn't there? God's handiwork is seen in the new birth of babies. It is hard to imagine how so many in the world don't see it that way.

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be."
Psalm 139:13-16