Just Laughing

No sooner had I hit "publish" for my post yesterday when, in all my cheerfulness, a tornado of sorts swept me up. Nothing horrible...just LOTS of the messy,-consequence of not using my time wisely and results of having 4 small children stuff. I went back to Lily's room to get her dressed because my husband and I had an appt at the hospital for Ayden's birth abroad registration stuff. Did I mention the child does not even HAVE his official birth cert yet? Oh yes, my husband's schedule is just THAT crazy....anyway. As I entered her room, I was greeted by the overwhelming smell of onion ring dip. Oh, could it *really be* that what I am seeing has truly happened immediately after writing such a post about how grateful I really truly felt about all the very real blessings in my life? I had even asked for prayer about trials that I knew would come...ok, I knew I had better just roll up my sleeves and buckle down. I prayed aloud for the Lord to help me...and chuckled a bit too. This was trial # 1. Lily had managed to maneuver her toddler bed mattress off her frame and over to her nature sounds fountain so that she could thereby drink the NASTY water from the fountain. Oh...#2 was close by...good, consistent, keep the mess in the same room...She had found the aforementioned onion ring dipping sauce (probably in the trash) unopened and left it in her room for Ayden to step/or stamp on and *blast* it onto the dresser drawers..up his leg and smeared onto his diaper. Oh yeah...got the mess cleaned up while Lily, who is quite adept at opening doors now, takes advantage of my preoccupation by getting into my bathroom...this is FOR REAL folks...and gets into the white polish of my french manicure kit. #3 Lily has painted her lips and arms with WHITE nail polish. I literally wanted to laugh-but suddenly felt ill as I only had 30 minutes before Brian would arrive to pick us up for the appt. I was able to, by the Grace of God, scrub the white off her lips, but there would be no time for her arms OH WELL- and sorry, at this point, taking a pic was far from on my mind.
Brian came home and off we went. I had not had time for my breakfast after feeding the kids, so I grabbed an unrefrigerated Slimfast (oh..yuck..it was just gross) to make it through the morning. Suddenly, taking the time this morning to write that post just didn't seem like such a good idea...go figure.

The remainder of the morning and early afternoon went fairly ok...lunch was fun as the girls are determined to learn to use chopsticks. No wonder they are hungry an hour later. #4 Only about 1/4 of the food makes it to their mouth-the rest is on the table, the chair, the floor and on them. Nap time, YES! The afternoon was more of the same, but I got to chat with my dear friend Pam and was only interrupted by trial #5,6,7,8 and9 -2 times to take Lily potty, once to clean up an ice tray that Brianna got out and Lily dumped on me as OF COURSE the cubes were not set yet, about 5 times to take care of Ayden who will be a future gold medalist in climbing...anything, once to clean Anjolie's finger which she cut on a leaf?!, and a few times for water because of course I NEVER give them anything to drink so they were DYING of thirst during my chat (which, she informed me was longer than I had originally thought).

Ok, so, when Brian gets home and offers to take us for a fast food dinner before Wed night Bible study, I was thrilled! He told me there was a new Wendys out in town...WENDY'S, Oh boy!!! I have not had Wendy's in YEARS! Remember we are in Okinawa...Wendy's is a BIG deal :) Off we drive out in town to go to Wendy's...my mouth is watering as I read my Stepping Heavenward Book in the car (gotta fit it in where I can!). We see that Wendy's is located in a plaza type setting, and there is no free parking in the vicinity, so we drive around the block looking for parking. Parking in Okinawa is almost always an adventure...and a gamble at times. The only parking was pay parking, well, who wants to pay almost half of what it would cost to eat a meal in order to *park*. Hello, we are talking fast food..not expensive steak dinners like some people I know are treated to *ahem* GB and Pam ;)
Anyway, we would have to settle on the Japanese McD's since we already exchanged dollars for yen. I then soothed my taste buds with the thought of a 100yen spicy chicken sandwich...yes that would do. We pull up to the drive through only to see there was no spicy chicken sandwich...only some new McPork. McPork? I mean...that is just funny. Maybe my brain had about overloaded at this point, but I had to try the McPork just so I could say the name...McPork. Maybe I was just tired, but that just struck as so ridiculous. (this is a real pic btw of one courtesy of Japan News Review Society).What were they thinking with this thing? It was a *puck* of pork...as in hockey puck lookin' thing, with an asian flavored sauce.... That thing has been officially renamed in this household as the McPuke (Brian called it something else that was really just not quite as PC as *my* created name- for shame, I was quite shocked that he was that repulsed! ;) ) 'cause that is about what it tasted like and what I felt like doing after I ate it. Yes, I ate it. If I had realized that I had left half a can of the morning's slimfast on the floor in the center console area...I would rather have drank that.
Speaking of the half full can of slimfast (chocolate flavor, in case you asked) on the floor....I discovered that I had failed to throw it out when Brian made a turn and dumped it all over his foot. He stopped at the shoppette to get the kids a treat and I about fell over I was laughing so hard...Brian...very red but not saying a word, glanced up and at least smirked, "glad YOU find this funny". Poor Brian and his repugnance concerning any *messy* situation ...lol. And funny it was...oh dear, what a day. I laughed until my stomach ached and Brian finally laughed too. We made it to church in good spirits...heard a good message and came home. Our day ended in peace...Brian put the babies to bed, and I read some of the Elsie Dinsmore book to Brianna and Anjolie- they were sent off to bed as well, stretching and yawning. I chatted, this time uninterrupted, with my dear friend Pam again- (BTW, Pam, I hope I didn't offend you with the McPuke story...you didn't write LOL ;) ) and I finished this post, which I was going to do in the morning, but I def. don't want a repeat of yesterday. So, I will schedule my day responsibly tomorrow. And, Brian, who is laying on the couch, said the *clacking* of the keys on the keyboard soothed him so he insisted I finish my post if I wanted to. He is now snoring away peacefully...*sigh* and another day comes to a close :)

SPEAKING of Answered Prayer...

..I do want to thank all of you who prayed. I feel tremendously better today!! Even my energy has returned! Praise the Lord, and thank you dear Saints for taking a moment to speak to our Father on my behalf...I more than appreciate it!! ((HUGS)) for everyone. :)

The "Little" Prayers

I LOVE when I offer up the "little" requests to God and when He answers them, it is such a BIG blessing. These are such faith builders.

I was browsing books online about 2 weeks ago and spied a few that I would have loved to order. Among them were "Stepping Heavenward" and the Elsie Dinsmore series...specifically the first one since my girls are so young. I also was looking for a missionary story book for the girls as I believe they should be missionary minded. The books just were not in our budget at that moment so I offered up a simple prayer letting the Lord know that "it would be nice" to have those books...it was not a formal prayer..more of a conversation really. A week later, some blessing literally "poured out"...onto a table in one of our fellowship halls at church :) Our Pastor was clearing out some of his Library and was just asking donations towards the Japanese Building Fund (for a service room for them) for the books. A friend found a Missionary story style book for me which is PERFECT "Missionary Stories For Little Folks" by Margaret T. AppleGarth copyright 1917 lol it is precious and nearly falling apart...and that was just 1 among the MANY that we donated for and a stack that Pastor just gave us! I can't TELL you what a blessing it was on countless levels...to have books that our Pastor has read and recommends... such a neat work of God. The 2 books that I mentioned above were not among the books on the table nor were they in the stack that Pastor gave us...God intended something even better as the "icing" on the cake. A dear friend of mine (who happens to be older than my mom-but a dear friend none-the-less) who has been taking a Personal Evangelism Course through Faith Bible Institute with me (yes, a little plug there ;P ) bought me both the Stepping Heavenward book and Elsie's Endless Wait as gifts! She knew nothing of my prayer! She was Brianna's Sparks leader for AWANA's this past year, and she wanted Brianna to have the book for all her hard work memorizing scripture during club...she admired Brianna and wrote a touching message for her in the front of the book. Oh, the gifts were like manna! They truly were heaven sent! The Lord has put many precious books into my hands as gifts that He would have me read via good friends...I am so thankful.

God blesses us in such unexpected and unexplainable ways...it is so humbling. I take so very very much for granted and don't *treasure* the countless blessings He has given me. Sometimes, my attitude plain *stinks* -yet He continually pleasures to be long suffering with me, chastening, forgiving, restoring and blessing me. I rejoice about this blessing today and glow with love for Him-then when even the slightest trial comes that rejoicing-the undeserved blessing is so quickly trampled underneath my fretting feet. He hears my "little" prayers and it pleases Him to bless them in such beautiful BIG ways...How much MORE He is there and very present when a trial comes that I might even more be able to rejoice and give Him the Glory! I know I say it alot, but for lack of a more eloquent praise of Him-my Banner, my Comforter, my Friend, my Savior...God, You are SO GOOD to me.

(Pray for me as I *know* there will be attacks on this shamefully wishy washy grateful spirit I am enjoying- may I stay just as strong in Him during the trial) Please forgive my lack of proofing and editing many posts as my time is demanded in *many* different directions ;) sorry you are on the shorted side in reading some poorly put together posts! Thanks for understanding!!

Under the Weather

I have not been feeling well..on and off for the past couple of months actually. I don't have any horrible symptoms, mostly fatigue and headaches. I would really appreciate prayer. I stayed home from church yesterday with a horrible headache which I woke up with again this morning. I ended up sleeping on the couch after Brian and 3 of the kids left for church (Brianna is not feeling well either) for 3.5 hours yesterday and still woke up with the headache. It could be something as simple as allergies and humidity, but the fatigue is so bad some days, I dread the thought of even getting myself and the kids dressed. I don't think it is anything to really *worry* about, but I would appreciate prayer as I am sure my family misses their *energetic* brand of mommy- I know I do.

Most of you will be thinking "Why not just go to the Dr"...honestly, with the military, it is usually more of a hassle than a help for stuff like this. Unless there is something "concrete" that they can fix, you are going to just end up with a wasted- 2 hours, money for childcare and gas. Not only that, I feel like unless I am just horribly ill, I am wasting their time as they are bombarded with work here. Yes, I would just appreciate some prayers lifted up to our Heavenly Father...He knows. :) Thank you.

edited to add...This encouraged me today...Spurgeon on Psalm 73:23 "Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand."

"He is always thinking of me for my good. Continually before His eye;—the eye of the Lord never sleepeth, but is perpetually watching over my welfare. Continually in His hand, so that none shall be able to pluck me thence. Continually on His heart, worn there as a memorial, even as the high priest bore the names of the twelve tribes upon his heart for ever. Thou always thinkest of me, O God. The bowels of Thy love continually yearn towards me. Thou art always making providence work for my good." CH Spurgeon Morning and Evening Devotions

Misc Pics

We went to a park where we did not see 1 American...it kind of made me feel as if we were trespassing or something.
Brian found this blue crab which was pretty neat! There were shrines everywhere!

I just thought this little boy was so cute and had to put his pic up ..just because;) Yes, we love little Ayden he fits right in.

Ok, ..lol. This is Brian's back with...a little keepsake on it. Yes, you too can have a precious reminder of a sweltering day at the beach- just ask your child to put sunscreen on your back ;) Brianna did this. When Brian showed her, she kind of nervously laughed and said.."oops, sorry!" This is truly just a RANDOM Post...;)

Saved? Claim your Victory!

This quote from Alan Redpath is something that I claim personally during a difficult time.

"There is nothing-no circumstance, no trouble, no testing-that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret-for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is!-That is the rest of victory!"

The first time I claimed this -many years ago...it was a bit hard to "swallow" as I truly wanted to kick and scream about my circumstances, but the more I get to know God, the more of a comfort this truth really is.

edited to add picture courtesy of allposters.com

The Purple Mosquito Shield

Anjolie has a purple cast that she has decided to make friends with ;) She hated it for whole first day and yes, GB she is very itchy with it. We equipped her with some smooth coated chopsticks to scratch. She did a great job while they put it on and only cried a little when it hurt under the manipulation of the new cast. However, once the cast was complete and she saw that it contained her whole arm...she began to fret. Her fiery little temper flared, and some residual stress surfaced from the Friday night drama. The Lord was using this to teach us patience and perseverence to deal with things we can't change. She is such a little trooper..after a few tantrums Monday and me explaining that the Lord was "knitting" her little bones together under the protection of her cast, I have not heard one complaint about getting that "stinkin' purple thing off her arm".
The Lord is helping her to see *little* blessings about her cast since she doesn't quite grasp the big blessing of it protecting her healing bones ;) Yesterday, we went to a park that had mega mosquitoes and she was *thrilled* to see that the mosquitoes could not bite her through the cast! Nevermind that they were attacking her good arm with fury, she was just *delighted* to see them unable to penetrate her purple cast. How does the song go? Little is much when God is in it and I am so thankful that He IS in even the little things. I won't go into how we could not get our van started after our little trip to the park so Brian could get to work on time...lol, but it all worked out fine in the end..hey, at least it wasn't just the kids and I stranded out in town right? ;) Yet another "just gotta laugh" moment. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for ;)
Poor little Ayden has some mega welts...I should have coated them first with bug spray. Thank you for your prayers and regards for Anjolie. You all are such a blessing to me.

Twelve Rules For Raising Delinquent Children

This post is aimed at the world's general handling of teens today. I just want to say, before you read the list, that we all are going to make mistakes..some more than others, when it comes to training up our children. I don't post this with any idea that I think I am above having one of my children choose a sinful path. I pray against any involvement in the making of such a choice by my children DAILY, but anyway...just wanted to make it clear that I have only been parenting for 6 years now and have much to learn and many mistakes have been made already, but God is so gracious to correct me and point me in the right direction. For some, your children are grown and perhaps you know you made some grave errors...the guilt you bear is overwhelming. God wants to forgive you and restore you. God wants to make up to you the years that the swarming locusts have eaten. Please read Joel 2:24-27 for restored hope of this promise. We all have guilt over past sins...don't forget..If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. .

I am currently reading YOU AND YOUR CHILD by Charles Swindoll and came across this list. Back "in the day" whenever that was (at least 50 years ago judging by how old this book I am reading is), the Houston Police Department came up with this list as part of a program to reduce crime.


1. Begin in infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.
2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he is cute.
3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is 21 and then let him "decide for himself".
4. Avoid use of the word "wrong". It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested for stealing a car, that society is against him and he is being persecuted
5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others.
6. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.
7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they won't be so shocked when the home is broken up later.
8. Give a child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.
9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that every [fleshly] desire is gratified.
10. Take his part against neighbors, teachers, and policement. They are all prejudiced against your child.
11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize for yourself by saying, "I never could do anything with him".
12. Prepare for a life of grief. You will be likely to have it.

Again, this was written by a Houston Police Dept...WE have hope that we won't have a life of grief or ever be without HOPE for healing. The Lord can restore broken hearts and lives.

Broken...and spilled out...

Yesterday was trying. There is nothing like a rude awakening to help you put the important things in perspective.

Without going into the details of the day up and until the little accident, I will just tell you...I was literally at a breaking point physically, emotionally you nameitally. I was so much to that point that, as I closed the gate to the playground, I was led to and did pray for the Lord to protect my children as they played. I am so thankful He heard me because things COULD and WOULD have been much worse if I had not responded to His prompting to pray at that moment-I just know that in my bones. It is not as if I specifically pray every time we enter a playground so I KNOW this was the Lord. So, speaking of bones....

The kids were playing for about 45 min, and as I stood next to Anjolie on a bouncy type contraption she went to leap off and caught her feet on the platform as it returned to its original position. Down she fell. The platform was only about a foot and a half from the ground but as she reached her 4 year old little hands out to break the fall... her left forearm snapped-literally. She suddenly looked as if she had 2 elbows...one normal one, and one in the middle of her forearm where it was now bent. It looked as awful as it sounds. I observed this all within about half a second-but of course it felt like 10min. Then what seemed like a slo-mo silent movie was interrupted by bloodcurdling screams from Anjolie and, of course, a gut wrenching pain in my heart as I saw her precious little arm-was broken. I never thought my heart could hurt so bad over something that happens so regularly to OTHERS. I don't remember anyone telling me that a mommy's heart could hurt so excruciatingly over a broken bone! I truly believe the Lord will somehow use this incident as a unique teaching tool for a very strong willed Anjolie or a very strong willed mommy or both- for the benefit of Anjolie, and to the glory of God. I truly believe, that if I would not have prayed, something fatal could have happened...I will only know in eternity what this entire scene entailed in the spiritual realm.

My mind raced as I thought about my other kids and what would I do..".Brian is not here...is he even off work yet? Oh dear, could the bones have cut an artery? Are they arteries or veins...oh dear, maybe I can run to my friend's house across the street...oh yes, that is it...Brianna can hold the gate closed while I get help... I sure hope she can hold Ayden....oh my baby...my poor baby...Lord help me please help me do this" Millions of thoughts and feelings within seconds of this "common" accident....why was it suddenly so uncommon? I see kids with casts on all the time? No one said anything about how their mommy almost died of a broken heart when they broke an arm or leg or -anything! Why did I suddenly feel so alone and vulnerable...I found myself strangely out of my element and without tears...oh how I wanted to be able to release something. The past events of the day suddenly seemed so small and distant...this reality was so glaring. Anjolie echoed that thought by sobbing "I wish this was a dream"...oh how my heart just clenched...and then came the knife "mommy you should have caught me.*sob*..you should not have let me fall! *sob*"...indescribable grief at how she thought I had failed her in this moment. So many times I have failed her...lost my patience...said angry words, but never did I grieve over those moments until faced with this -in which I truly was powerless to spare her pain. The burdens of guilt for past failures suddenly shed light on some of the reason for my overwhelmed heart. How quickly, in the past, she would frustrate me and then, seeing my exasperation with her, tell me I don't care about her... "Oh my baby, if mommy could have caught you I would have- please know that!" I pleaded with her little doubting heart. Her trust in me was not secure...evidences of cracks in her little foundation became apparent. They were in need of major spackling...work that is much needed on my part. If she can't trust me, how can she learn to trust her Heavenly Father? My sweet broken little one clung to me with her good arm as I pounded on my friend's door about 100meters from the enclosed playground. Praise the Lord the door opened. I stood holding Anjolie cradled in my arms and quickly asked my friends husband for help. My thoughts and voice suddenly sounded oddly confident and strong...how could that be when I felt so frantic. He too was shocked at the sight of her arm and helped me get the rest of the children loaded. During the 20min drive to the ER we sang Psalm 23, which is Anjolie's favorite, and she stopped crying. We prayed for strength and grace for Anjolie to bear the pain. I called Brian who met me at the ER. The trial continued as the Corpsman tried to get an IV line in her tiny arm...they collapsed her vein after 2 attempts and moved to her hand...we held her down as she screamed and kicked. They finally got the IV and quickly gave her enough morphine to put her at ease, but not "out of it". She immediately calmed down and smiled. Both bones in her forearm were broken and they were going to have to put her pretty much "out" to set her arm. They gave her Ketamine which was about unbearable for me to watch...I looked into those beautiful blue eyes and prayed aloud as the Drs waited patiently for me to finish. Her eyes clung to mine and and tears welled in both our eyes as they pushed the tranquilizer...about 10 seconds later, she was looking at me still, but no longer "there". A single tear trickled from her eye as she ventured off into a dreamless state...I constantly talked to her assuring her I would not leave...God was with her, leading her in the green pastures. She was a precious little lamb and her Shepherd loves her. Suddenly everything seemed so heavy- much more serious than just a medical problem easily fixed-the weight of her future seemed to rest in some ways on the prayers that I uttered for her in her heavily sedated state. I can't even describe the "darkness" of the moment- nor the "fast forward 12 or so years" thoughts that went through my head. Lord please guide her, protect her, give me wisdom to teach and train her, teach her self control Lord, may she remain pure and learn to love you with all her heart Lord, Father, let her stay on the straight and narrow path...my heart poured out to the Lord pleading for her life..that it would rest in Him. I needed wisdom and grace to guide this little one-correct and inspire her to follow in the paths of righteousness...it had to start with me.

Little Anjolie "came to" with a beautiful smile and sighing "mommy"...welcome back my little one. Mommy has changed so much while you were gone...seen you in a new light. As your broken little arm heals..so will our relationship, by the Grace of God, it will be made strong and full of trust and respect..the fractures will be mended and cared for as they must be strong for a bright future serving your Lord and Saviour. You must be strong to bear the load of daily trials and the blessings that will abound when you faithfully serve the Lord, strong to embrace your future husband when he is given your hand in marriage, to make your house a home, ...to carry your children...may the trust you learn to have in me grow into an even greater trust in your Lord. He is our strength even when our "arms" are broken and we can't bear the loads.



Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Cyclops and The Rumba Tights Tea Society

So, if I can only see well out of one eye (due to some contact problems) how is it that I can't be compensated by only seeing HALF the mess this morning?

Anjolie, my bright sunny early riser and self named early bird, decided to go into the forbidden kitchen...I told her yesterday that if she stepped one foot into that closet sized kitchen, that she was gettin' paddled. I don't care for ultimatums, but in my weariness of messiness I grasped in weakness for this uhhh less than effective means. Just an hour later she begged to "step a foot" (her words) into the kitchen for some water...anyway I digress. SOoooo about every morning she tries to exercise some 4 yo independence by getting herself cereal, or toast, or milk...or this morning...oatmeal. I woke to find the wholesome goodness all over my carpet...trailed down the hall and even piled into a small gnome hill in the kitchen...oh dear...it was in the couch, on the couch...you get the idea. So, my right arm, which now has a vacuum head attached to it- ok, not quite attached yet..but pretty close...about cramped up in anger over the field of oats I was going to have to clean up while the little sowers busied themselves with tearing up the rest of the house (ok, it's not that bad...just seems that way). After it was finished, I could not help but laugh at what I must have looked like...my poor left eye squinted shut..the right eye wildly observing the situation...my hair resembled a poorly built sparrow's nest...then, the vacuum, it screamed mercilessly through the living area choking down the oats and occasionally disconnecting which only added to my morning fury...oh dear, what a start. Once I got everything in order...so I could THINK and PRAY clearly...PTL, I had time to read the Bible and pray...lol. I then made them some real oatmeal and we all sat and ate together....ahhhh. If you can, in the Lord's strength, make it through the battlefield of motherhood, you can make it through anything. Now if I could just get this left contact to sit right!!

And then there are the precious and hilarious moments like this...This is what I affectionately referred to as the Rumba Tights Tea Society...the ruffles OF COURSE go in the front right? They love to wear their...and I quote "panty hoses" for tea and sometimes even baby-sock kid-gloves and bloomer bonnets-how quaint ;) Yes, they are either 100% cute or 100% rotten from one moment to the next...there is nothing like this season of motherhood.

pictures courtesy of the Rumba Tights Tea Society ;)

The Elect- Are YOU one?

1Pet 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved If you are the "whosever" that called on Christ alone to save you...then you are indeed part of the elect. If you have not done this, keep reading! If you are saved...skip to the last paragraph for a touching illustration I recently heard.

I love the illustration our Pastor used concerning understanding the whole "elect" issue..not that we can understand beyond what we need to know in order to be saved...but, anyway, I am going to end up running myself in a corner here if I don't just get to the point ;) Pastor Nutt told us to think of a door that has a sign "Whosoever" over it- when we call on Christ to save us, we walk through that door. Once through that door if we look over it on the other side-it says "The Elect".
God's Plan of Salvation WE CAN KNOW!
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved


Step 1- Admit you are a sinner (I am! The Pope is! )Know that we cannot get to Heaven by being good-we are all sinners and cannot save ourselves
Romans 3:10 As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
We are either sinful or sinless...and noone is sinless.
God loves us and wants us in Heaven, but our sin separates us from God-
The BAD NEWS
We deserve to be punished for our own sins
Romans 6:23a "The wages of sin is death..."
Christ is our Savior who paid the debt of death owed when He died on the cross and defeated death when He resurrected from the dead.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth (proved) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
What did we owe? death Romans 6:23
What did Christ pay? death Romans 5:8
If we could get to Heaven by being good, Christ would have died for nothing. Galatians 2:21

Step 2-Believe on Christ as the Savior who died for you
The GOOD NEWS
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
How do we receive this FREE GIFT?
by ASKING and Believing
Romans 10:9-10,13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We Must Trust Christ Alone- many have asked Christ to save them, but without repentance-a change of mind about their sinful life(Lk 13:3) or without fully transferring their trust for salvation from themselves to Christ (Phil 3:4-9). It is a belief that only Christ can save you...just saying words to a sinner's prayer will not save you apart from believing in your heart.

Step 3- Call on the Lord Jesus and ask Him to Save you
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Sample Prayer (the words alone will NOT save you-you must believe and receive Christ's payment for your sin-the Lord knows your heart call on Him the best you know how..He WANTS to save you)
Jesus, I know I am a sinner who deserves to be punished for my own sins in a place the Bible calls Hell. I believe that you took my place on the cross and paid for my sins when you died and rose again. I know I can't save myself so I now repent of my sins and trust in You alone as my Savior. Please forgive my sins, save my soul and give me a home in heaven. Please take over my heart and life, I give it to you right now...the best I know how. Thank you for hearing and answereing my prayer and for saving my soul. Amen. If you prayed this prayer please email me and let me know, I want to give you some first steps for new Believers and rejoice with you in your decision!

Think of this...during the French revolution, there was a father and son who both were arrested for a crime. The father's was a misdemeanor which he would be released for, but the son's was a capital crime for which death was owed. Both father and son had the same names as they were a Sr and Jr. The morning in which the son was to pay for his crime by hanging, the father, who was innocent of his son's crime, begged the inmates to not make a noise and let his son sleep when his name was called so that he could accept the punishment for his son's crime and his son could walk as there was not a punishment due for the father's crime. The son's name was called and the father took his son's place and died that his son might go free....and go free he did as the debt of death was paid. As touching as this story is, the father could only take the place for ONE debt -he could pay for a crime which he did not commit. If he had committed the crime, he would not be able to pay with only his life for both. The sins of the world had to be taken on by one who knew no sin and owed nothing..that is why CHRIST is the only way. He was the only possible substitute. He is God and knew no sin-He clothed Himself in flesh, was tempted but sinned not, that He might be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of ALL who will accept Him. What wondrous love..not just to die for one, but to be infinitely perfect and loving enough to die for all. How can that beautiful truth not touch the heart of the world?

pictures courtesy of allposters.com

The LORD's Doing

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with an unsaved young Okinawan lady. A sweet lady, Mrs Pam, and myself had gotten her visitor's card for Ladies' visitation. So, we ventured out to find her house in the maze that is Okinawa housing. What we would consider narrow back alleys in the US, are many times the front streets in major housing areas here. Bonsai sized yards, which are meticulously groomed, sit unassumingly beneath the typhoon weathered housing that appears piled one house/appt on top of the other. Houses filled with lost souls serving dead ancestors. We wound around the little streets searching.

Mrs Pam and I nearly gave up finding Makiko's house after a few wrong turns, but the Lord led us a little further down the road to discover her home on the crowded little street. As we decided where to park (parking in town is challenging), I noticed a young Okinawan coming out the front door of the house we were to visit. The expectant woman, Makiko, explained in broken English that she was on her way to an appointment, but she would be back to church. She said that her mom is a Christian and was pressuring her to be baptized. I said "Oh, so then you have already accepted Christ to be your Savior?" She looked confused. I asked for further clarification as to why she was interested in baptism as Salvation by Grace was the way to heaven not baptism- that was to be her first act of obedience and testimony to her new life in Christ. She said that her mom made it sound as if she needed to be perfect and she wasn't perfect so was afraid to get baptized. I was so excited for the opportunity to share the Gospel with her! I got my Bible open, but was reminded of her appointment. She allowed us to pray with her and she assured me she wanted to hear the truth about Salvation the following evening at church.

The next evening at church, I waited at the door for her, and she came...she went to the Japanese service and I talked to the lady in charge of that ministry. I *so wanted to be there with her as she had the Gospel explained in her native tongue...she was still saying to the ladies that she just needed/wanted to be baptized. I left the church and the ladies talking with her -as they were speaking in Japanese and I felt intrusive. I was in tears...I was so disappointed. I fretted about them not understanding that she was not saved- what if she slipped through and did not accept Christ. Oh how small my faith is. This is the LORD's doing! He is in control. He is the Good Shepherd who longs for her to join the fold more than anyone. I needed to let go. It did not occur to me that it would be BETTER for her to be shown from her own Japanese Bible so there would be no confusion. Zeal cannot overcome a language barrier ;) as much as I would like to believe it could. In my heart I even accused the other ladies of not wanting to see her saved as badly as I did...stinkin' pride. I was so set on getting the reward...the thrill of leading her MYSELF that I lost focus of what the real purpose was. This lady was lost...she needed to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. I am nothing but a vessel...my purpose and part was met and complete in this work. I just needed to get my heart right and pray. As I drove home, I repented of my desire for personal gain...it could have resulted in devastating confusion and loss! The Lord had allowed me a tremendous undeserved blessing of being a PART of His work! He had ALLOWED ME...to be witness to HIS work. My heart issue stared me in the face...love of SELF....I felt sick, but felt God's love comforting me as I was humbled. I shook my head at my immaturity and self-guided vice God- guided zeal. I then, in a righted spirit, prayed for this dear Okinawan lady- I prayed that her soul would be saved- that was all that mattered to me at that moment.

As I got the children ready for bed, the phone rang...it could not have been more than 20 min after I had prayed in the van...the director of the Japanese ministry greeted me...he said he thought I would want to know that Makiko had just prayed with his wife and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to be her Lord and Saviour. GOD IS SO GOOD!!! My heart soared...I was floating. My heart was so happy and rejoiced just as much if I had been there and led her myself. I was so relieved and grateful for that "hug" of assurance from the Lord...His work is just indescribable-His understanding and love knows no bounds. The moment I genuinely became concerned only about Makiko's soul and not my own desires...He met me there and assured me that His new lamb was safe in the fold...led by His hand the whole way. What an amazing God we serve. Only God can turn tears of shame into joy and gratefulness within minutes. He is so good.
Psalm 119:80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
Proverbs 11:2 [When] pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly [is] wisdom.
Psalm 118:23 This is the LORD'S doing; it [is] marvellous in our eyes.


picture courtesy of allposters.com

Oh Man-Yi !

Thursday, July 12, 2007


You might want to pause the music first in the side bar :) The video does not catch the power of the storm...it was pretty intense! Can you name the movie in the background of the radar tracking?;)

As we drove around, there were trees blown over on every street. We took a trip to see the sea wall..it was stormy but beautiful!

Some people tried to get away with leaving their trampoline upright instead of taking off the safety net and turning it over. Every one of those got mangled in the storm.

This traffic light lets you take your choice...stop or go! lol...no, but it was funny because the red-light is supposed to be for the traffic coming from the left of us, but the wind bent it back. We are all safe...now there are storms and Brian and his guys are trying to get his equipment secured...pray!

Typhoon Man-Yi

Well, it is 10:57pm Japan time and this cat 4 typhoon is churning just west of us. We are the tiny little island that is almost directly aimed for...it looks as if the eye will graze the southern tip. I am suddenly thankful for the cinderblock the govt has provided for us to live in ;) The gusts outside are unbelievable! We now have to remain in quarters until the "all-clear" is given. We stocked up on water and food for the lock in :) I should go to sleep, but it is hard to with the "screaming" gusts outside. photo courtesy of JMA.

Just A Neighborly Visit?

My shameful neighbors, Bitterness and Anger, paid me an unwelcome visit today. They never let me know ahead of time...they arrive right on cue whenever they know Disappointment has been to visit. I thought they had gone for good. It turns out that they were only on vacation. I must admit, they probably have been back from vacation for some time. They learned that their friend Unforgiveness had been in the area, so they decided to have a reunion of sorts for old-times sake. As I attempted to push Disappointment out of my house-Bitterness and Anger got their feet in the door. The dangerous thing about these two is that they are never empty handed...they always bring along their tricks and tools for me to try -which end up turning into mean words that hurt those I love. Instead of asking my Father to help me get them out, I struggled in my own strength and threw up my hands and let them in. As they got comfy and I scowled at their presence, self-pity let herself in and cunningly convinced me that bitterness and anger had every right to be there...they had much to remind me of! How would I keep the record straight if they weren't there to help? Just as they were about to show me their newest tricks, my Father got my attention and I tearfully spoke with Him in the other room. I apologized for letting such company in our home- He showed me how my entertainment of Unforgiveness had kept them in the neighborhood. I asked Him to forgive me and to help me. He forgave me and urged me to read THIS I was tempted to continue my visit with Self-pity, but my Father rebuked me for putting her before Him. He made it clear to me that she is not welcome in the home and is just as dangerous as her friends- I was not to be deceived by her tearful and pathetic looking demeanor- she was like poison. By the time I finished reading and speaking a bit more with my Father, Self-pity, Bitterness and Anger let themselves out when they saw my Father and His friends Grace, Mercy and Charity were setting themselves up for a long chat. I am so thankful for my Father, He is such a wise and loving Teacher.

Disappointment will continue to be a neighbor as long as I live here on this earth, but my Father is giving Bitterness and Anger an eviction notice and Contentment and Humility will reside in their place. As far as Self-pity...well she was sent packing as well, but I know better than to think I can keep her out by myself-she is a sneaky one. My Father's Word will help me to focus on Him instead of allowing a visit from her.

The next time my neighbor, Disappointment, darkens my door, Contentment and Humility will surely arrive with him so that I can better receive Disappointment. Because my Father lives here, Grace, Mercy and Charity live here as well...I just need to call on them! Well, I need to go help my new neighbors get settled and welcome them to the neighborhood...permanently.
graphic courtesy of allposters.com

Look! No Training Wheels

Brianna was excited that her Grandparents would be able to see her riding her bike without her training wheels! She picked it up in no time :) The music can be paused on the widget in my sidebar.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

Visit To the Barber

Ayden had his very first trip to the Barber :) Brian cut his hair the first time, but it is definitely worth the $5 for someone else to cut and clean up the hair mess . Ayden did such a great job...he even got the traditional warm cloth and neck/shoulder massage that the Japanese give at the conclusion of a haircut. Many Okinawans are superstitious and believe it to be good luck to touch light colored hair...our kids get "touched" and photographed quite a bit over here. This occasion was no different. The Barber was happy to cut our little mans' hair :)

Ayden actually enjoyed all of the attention, surprise surprise. He is such a little ham.

Precious Daddy son moment.

EVIDENCE!!

Aliens? Chaos (aka Evolution)? Why not GOD?!

Ok...why do the some of the same people who argue that DNA was created through a random process of evolution...search for an "alien" creator of flattened corn positioned in mathematically accurate shapes ... but didn't evolution do it? Surely after millions of years, the magnetic currents and combination of winds -plasma vortexes(whatever garble suits) could arrange themselves in such a way to create this...right? It's only logical..right? And how can the mathematician/artists who actually designed and created this type of crop circle art argue that math itself is just an evolution created phenomenon--math originating itself from chaos? ...evidence of the One and only all-powerful GOD, Master of ALL...lies within all of us. Pride blinds those who could believe what they already innately know. It is so simple to those of us who believe, but I thank the LORD for HIS Mercy and Grace that allows me to believe in Him. I can't take credit even for belief- I thank the Lord for the work of the Holy Spirit opening my eyes to the Word of God. Those who reject Him and use chaos and/or aliens as their answer need the pride that blinds them removed from their eyes. They need to allow the work of the Holy Spirit instead of suppressing, arguing against and rejecting it! Yes, it frustrates me when I read of people looking for aliens or arguing evolution, but it should make me sad. They are looking for another Truth...there is only one. I praise the Lord for His Truth, His Word-it is only by the grace of God that I don't believe the lie. Any explanation or answer other what is found in the Word of God or points to the Word of God is a lie ;anything that is not completely true is false.

1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Photos courtesy of allposters.com

Thank You Lord

For the brave men and women who have fought for the Independence of The United States of America...my heart breaks when I think of those who have lost their lives defending it.

God BLESS AMERICA! Thank you that I can still freely attend a worship service and pray in Your Son, Jesus' Name. Thank you that I can still freely teach my children about You...I can still knock on doors and share the Gospel without fear of being arrestd. I can hand out a Gospel tract to a friend or a neighbor without fear of being put in prison or killed. Thank you for the freedom to PRAY aloud! Give me boldness to exercise this freedom of sharing the Gospel with as many as possible while it remains a liberty put in place by Godly forefathers. Thank you that America was founded by those who sought You for guidance and wisdom- the fruit of that, though threatened, still remains. Give me courage and boldness to continue to spread the Gospel when it is no longer done in liberty but in secret- as our freedoom to share is being threatened by Your enemies. I take the freedom for granted Lord..I forget about the missionaries who have died because of sharing the Gospel. I think of the converts who have lost their lives for refusing to deny Christ-children even, who were brave even to death. Oh Father, I am so ashamed when I think of their love and courage...I think of what they do to spread your Word in a Country that has no freedom to worship You. I waver sometimes at the thought of even a polite rejection...forgive me. Give us a renewed passion to spread your Word in America. Lift the blindness off of America's eyes dear Lord!! Give us boldness and a burden for lost souls like never before. Revive America, dear Lord. Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth bloldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that there-in I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Yes, there are many things that I grieve over concerning America's falling away, but today I want to thank the Lord for the Liberty that remains. God Bless America.

...Some Heavenly Theme

(China Sea)
Begin My Tongue, Some Heavenly Theme

Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme
And speak some boundless thing;
The mighty works, or mightier Name
Of our eternal King.

Tell of His wonderful faithfulness
And sound His power abroad;
Sing the sweet promise of His grace,
The love and truth of God.
[originally, And the performing God]

Proclaim “salvation from the Lord
For wretched, dying men”;
His hand has writ the sacred Word
With an immortal pen.

Engraved as in eternal brass
The mighty promise shines;
Nor can the powers of darkness ‘rase
Those everlasting lines.

He that can dash whole worlds to death,
And make them when He please,
He speaks, and that almighty breath
Fulfils His great decrees.

His every word of grace is strong
As that which built the skies;
The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises.

He said, “Let the wide heav’n be spread,”
And heav’n was stretched abroad:
“Abram, I’ll be thy God,” He said,
And He was Abram’s God.

O might I hear Thy heavenly tongue
But whisper, “Thou art Mine!”
Those gentle words shall raise my song
To notes almost divine.

How would my leaping heart rejoice,
And think my heav’n secure!
I trust the all creating voice,
And faith desires no more. -Isaac Watts
(those last two verses...just give me goose-bumps!)

JUST PAUSE

if you will...take a deep breath ....let it out.... close your eyes and tell God how good He is. Isn't that just *the* best* warm fuzzy? He is so good.

Sometimes...

...we just get tired:)

Last night, we got a sitter for our 2 youngest ones, Lily and Ayden (2 and 15mo). We took Brianna and Anjolie with us to a restaurant out in town along with another couple who we wanted to invite to church (PTL they went). Little Anjolie, 4, was so tired, the poor little thing has a difficult time anyway and then, she did not have time for a nap- so that was just adding fuel to the fire. No matter how many times I spoke with her, begged her, corrected her, prayed for her...she just would not stop whining and fussing and doing other things that tired little 4 year olds do when they have missed their naps, are hungry and out past bed time for the second night in a row. Seems like a "DUH" situation huh? Yes, it was. I am a wiser mama for it, and I will make every effort to not put her in a losing situation like that again. My heart just broke as the little thing fell asleep sitting up in the van surrounded by noise and chatter (we all rode together) her little thumb half hanging out of her mouth and evident circles under her little closed eyes. The poor thing just needed some rest!! She had been pushed way past her little human limit.

As I laid in bed thinking over the night and asking forgiveness for my irritation over the sleepy little thing not being able to act like an 8 year old ;) I thought of how many times I do the same thing to myself (yes, and act like an 8 eight year old lol) and then wonder what went wrong-why did I lose it?. I felt the Lord was showing me that I am of no use to anybody if I don't have the proper balance in my life...if I run myself ragged all day and then expect to be fresh and pleasant for my husband and children..well, that is just foolish. I'm not talking about doing things the Lord has called me to do and relying on His strength to do it... I'm talking about some of the extras like sitting in the sun all day at the pool 2 days in a row after 2 days of helping to clean the church, Ladies' visitation, Bible study, Thursday visitation ...etc you get the idea..another duh situation ;). My folly includes doing favors for friends that aren't necessary, but drain alot of time and energy because I want their favor, not because I took it to the Lord- who pays for that? My family and I pay the price! I'm talking about breaching boundaries that have been and need to be in place so that I can better serve my Lord and the family He has given me. If I am worn out and tired day after day, failing test after test (mostly in patience with my kids) well, maybe I'm just tired -because of the "things", that are not necessities, which have leaked past the boundaries that are meant to preserve my strength and focus for my first ministries. It is easy to slip into "doing it all"...pride helps it along, fear of man, or sometimes just trial and error in keeping the balance between ministries, keeping home, hospitality etc... When I am just plain tired, I need to examine my plate, and ask the Lord to show me what His idea of "full" is. His yoke is easy and His burden light, when I do things according to His will and in His strength :) I hope this made sense!! :)

Princesses For A Day

Brianna and Melanie celebrated their birthdays together before she moved. Brianna was so sad that her best friend would be moving away. It has been very rough on her since, but I wanted to share some pics from the day. Hope you enjoy! It started out with Japanese McDonalds :) Of course this is a hit with the girls...what could be better than eating a burger in a tiara? Eating Ice cream for dessert of course ;)
We treated our daughters, to a couple of hours of pampering at a popular Okinawa place called Cocaos..ahem..and ourselves :) We had a wonderful wonderful time :)The girls got a foot soak and toe art...and we got the full pedicure with nail art.

It looks as if the lady doing my toes thinks I have a foot odor problem though LOL...notice how the lady doing Pam's toes does not seem to need the surgical mask! Hmmm
Anyway, it was funny because on the way in to the appt, I must have brushed my big toe across the mud or something because when I went to put my feet up...lol...there was a *chunk* ,literally, of MUD on the end of my big TOE!! Oh, it was funny, I think my cheeks turned a deep shade of mauve...yes, that is about right...so, no wonder the poor lady felt she had to wear a mask. Who knows what other surprises my feet might hold that she'd rather not...uh smell ;) Ah yes...why am I surprised when these things happen to me? I truly just have to laugh sometimes and not take myself so seriously.
These Okinawan ladies sure can give a wonderful foot and leg massage....ahhhh just wonderful, and the toe art is just beautiful. They serve you tea that just tastes divine too..oh, I need to go back :)
Melanie and her mom gettin' their piggys painted :)

Brianna and Melanie..birthday princesses for a day :) *sigh* we sure miss them :(
Oh yes...this is just me looking my personal best ;) What a blessing friends are ...especially when they are like Pam. I miss you my friend...

Blogging From Israel

Ok, one of my dearest friends who was stationed here in Okinawa with me has moved to Israel..Jerusalem, to be precise. She started a blog...they have been there for just a few weeks. It is so interesting to see the sites through her eyes...I know she would love for you to stop by from time to time- visit and enjoy the pics!

Higher Places

I have been at the foothill of another clime of the great mountain. My walk has slipped as I cower at the base not sure how to tackle even the first foot of it. The battle of surrendering my every thought to God is one in which I have failed. I tell myself over and over that I am overwhelmed...without even being 100% conscious of those thoughts -I allow them to settle in my heart and defeat me before even stepping out of bed. Instead of reaching up in faith, I crumble up into a pathetic ball and whine and complain about how this life is too much to handle. I have allowed satan to pervert my view of what this trial really is. It is about relying on the Lord in every way...YES it IS too big for me, not for my omnipotent Father. If I would just "stand up" and "reach up" He will instruct me in every way as to how to get up this part of the mountain. God is so much bigger than anything I will ever face in life...why do I look to myself for the encouragement and strength? I am weak and inconsistant and easily distracted-not only that, my feelings and emotions throw everything out of its proper perspective.

Are you cowering at the foot of a towering trial? I think we all do it at one point or another. I allow how I "feel" to direct how I react more than a desire to be obedient regardless of circumstances. I tried to "smother" my overwhelmed feelings by distracting myself with other things -which only leads to guilt and discouragement. Today, I am standing up, shaking the dirt of defeat from the past week off my feet and reaching up toward the higher places that my Father is directing me.

HIP HIP

Horray for blogging in ENGLISH! Finally! Ok, maybe now it won't take me so long to post :) Thank you to all who helped!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

My husband was selected for promotion to GySgt E-7 today :) Congratulations honey..you have been so patient, and I am so proud of you. (he informed me that someone ELSE in Ca got selected as well :) congrats to you too!! ) This is a pic from the Staff Acadamy...it is such a Marine pic lol..:)

Having a hard time!

It is so difficult to post when all the directions are in Japanese...it is very frustrating. I wish I knew how to get everything in English. :( Grrrr. I only started having this problem when everything switched to google. Anyone have any ideas how to switch this?

Oops!

How in the world does the time fly by so fast? Oh, maybe it is the 4 little rug-rats that race around here getting into EVERYTHING *ahem* including mommy's coffee on the desk and spilling it everywhere so that most of the keys on my keyboard were stuck "down". Oh yes...had to go get a new wireless key-board. Did I mention that kids are expensive? ;) So, I am sorry for the delay my friends...once again. I think about once a week is what can handle as far as updating...like with pics and stuff. I want to do better though at posting again. I seem to get stuck looking at the news...blech...a bad habit that kind of worked its way in since I only needed my mouse to look at that lol.

Well, I turned the big 33 yesterday...it amazes me how on the inside I still think I'm like 18. You know when the twenty somethings are calling you ma'am..uh...that is a wake up call. Hello, I am a grown up now...better act like it ;) And, I better go take care of these little ones...they are wanting to get out and enjoy this beautiful day...I will post pics soon! :)

The Lamb's Book Of Life

now bears record as of June 4th at aprox 9:30pm that Anjolie, 4 years old has confessed and claimed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Look for this face in perfection when we meet on that "beautiful shore". Anjolie has been seeking and learning...tonight a major door opened and though narrow, Anjolie could "see" it and walked through.

This past week Anjolie has been running a sink full of water and putting her face in while holding her breath at least 3 times a day. I thought she was just practicing for the pool. Many times she would ask Brian and I to come watch her "feat". Her little face would glow each time she would come up. I would smile and congratulate her on a job well done. I had no idea what she thought she was actually practicing for...

Tonight as I read the girls' devotion (Brian had a deacon's meeting) I covered the Romans Road along with Psalm 121. I encouraged them to memorize the Romans Road so they could share with others. Anjolie suddenly informed me that she was not saved yet. She had, on 2 other occasions, asked about salvation and also asked to pray, but she never showed a real broken heart over her sin or an understanding that I was comfortable resting in. Anjolie then informed me that she has been practicing and practicing putting her face in the water so she can get saved. I was confused, but she explained that she thought that in order to be saved, you have to be baptized-Brianna was baptized a few weeks ago. Immediately I thought I was going to just burst into tears. Day after day this little child was working to overcome her fear of water- thinking this is what she needed to be saved. I was thrilled to show her the Bible made no mention of baptism needed for salvation...this was an act of obedience that would take place after her decision in order to form a "picture" of her decision both for her and the congregation at church. I explained using Romans 3:10, 3:23 and 6:23, 5:8, and 10:9-11... Anjolie had no problem with "all have sinned", but when I explained "and come short" she started to squirm. I explained how a loving but fully perfect God cannot allow sin into heaven and this got her squirming even more. I asked her if she had sin...to which she asked with a pained look "what would YOU say? " lol...I assured her that I too was a sinner, but I was asking her. In light of the fact that there is a "wage" for sin and it is not allowed in glory...did Anjolie have sin? Anjolie started to cry at the understanding...yes, she nodded ...I gently probed further.."Anjolie, are you a sinner then?" more tears and a choked "yes". I could sense the turmoil going on and the fear as I explained in the best way I knew how that Christ became sin for her, that He, being God the Son, in the flesh, shed His innocent blood and died on the cross for her sin. He then rose up from the dead-defeating death- that she might believe and trust in His precious shed blood as a payment for her sin. I explained what it meant to repent or have a change of mind about her sinful life, to desire Christ to be Lord in her life...to call upon Him as her Savior and Lord... Anjolie prayed in her own words with very little prompting from me (ie asking what was she thankful for etc) for God to forgive her disobedience and sins, and to please save her and be Lord of her life. The brokenness and the release of guilt as her little body shook with relieved sobs just broke me. It is a moment I feel ever so blessed to share in. Anjolie was filled with joy..a true deep joy that comes only with experiencing the Saving Grace and Mercy from our Heavenly Father. As the song goes which Anjolie has sung so sweetly in the past "What can wash away my sin...nothing but the blood of Jesus-What can make me whole again-nothing but the blood of Jesus-Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow-no other fount I know-nothing but the blood of Jesus" God is so good.