Wednesday, March 21, 2012

We have some big news!

We have some big news. At least, it is big news for us. We have sold our house and are moving to the country! We have found 5 acres with a mobile home on it, that we will live in while we are building our house. We have room for the kids to run (and I won't have to tell them to not yell in the backyard), we can have some farm animals (chickens, goats and cows Oh my!), I can have a garden and the best part is: we will be DEBT FREE!!!

I don't want that to come across like I am bragging, or we are doing it right, so everyone should be like us. I am excited about this because a couple of YEARS ago, God planted an idea in our hearts to do this. God has been so faithful to us! We have been looking for a piece of land for quite some time now, and have found a couple of places that we liked. But, it was raw land and had no structures to live in. We would have had to spend a lot of money to rent a place until we were able to build something, as well as the money to run utilities and roads.

Once we had a contract on our house, Aaron searched again for some land online and this piece of property popped up. It had had a contract on it, but the deal fell thru. God's timing. It is quite a bit different than what I am living in now. But, when I look at it, I see God's provision for us.







God is good!

Pinewood Derby 2012

Samuel and Henry decided to make cars to enter into the Pinewood Derby race @ our church. They worked hard on them and did a great job!

Very proud of my boys!


Friday, March 9, 2012

Christianity

I copied this post from something I read this morning. Just thought I would share and let it speak to you, as it spoke to me. . .


There is a common complaint in these days, that there is a lack of power in Christianity, and that the church does not shake the world as it did in former years. Shall I tell you what the reason is, in plain words? It is the low tone of life which is so sadly prevalent among professing believers. I believe we fall far short in our standard of Christian practice.

The times require a higher standard of personal holiness, and an increased attention to practical religion in daily life. I must honestly declare my conviction, that there never has been . . .
so much profession of religion — without practice,
so much talking about God — without walking with Him,
so much hearing God's Words — without doing them,
as there is at this present date!

Never were there so many empty tubs and tinkling cymbals!

Never was there so much formality — and so little reality!

The whole tone of men's minds on what constitutes practical Christianity seems lowered. The old golden standard of the behavior which befits a Christian, appears debased and degenerated. You may see scores of religious people (so-called) continually doing things which in days gone by, would have been thought utterly inconsistent with vital Christianity! They see no harm in such things as theater-going, dancing, incessant novel reading — and they cannot in the least understand what you mean by objecting to them! The ancient tenderness of conscience about such things seems dying away and becoming extinct, like the dodo-bird.

And when you venture to remonstrate with those who indulge in them, they only stare at you as an old-fashioned, narrow-minded, fossilized person, and say, "What is the harm?" In short, laxity and levity are the common characteristics of the rising generation of professors.
Where is . . .
the self-denial,

the redemption of time,

the absence of luxury and self-indulgence,

the unmistakable separation from earthly things,

the manifest air of being always about our Master's business,

the singleness of eye,

the simplicity of home life,

the high tone of conversation in society,

the patience, the humility, the universal love —

which marked Christians seventy or eighty years ago? Yes, where is it indeed?
We have inherited their principles — but I fear we have not inherited their practice!
The Holy Spirit sees it — and is grieved! The world sees it — and despises us. The world sees it — and cares little for our testimony.

It is life, life — a heavenly, godly, Christ-like life — depend on it, which influences the world

J.C. Ryle (1816-1900): Needs of the Times