I'm gonna be busy, busy, busy!

We are hosting a big pastor's conference next week. We'll be feeding about 70. So, starting tomorrow, we'll be shopping for the food and preparing sleeping places and children's programs.

The theme for this year's conference is "The Master's Music". I've already heard it, and its great. Being a musical person, I feel greatly convicted about it. There is so much ignorance about what kind of music God created and likes.

Please pray for us. I know that satan would like to hinder the Spirit of God this coming week.

Also, the week after next, my family and I are going to Argentina for vacation. WooHoo! I'll post pictures and tell you about the great time we're having!

I'm may post next week, I might not. We'll have to see how things are going here.

Keep writing. I love reading your blogs. Write something funny, I'll need a laugh!
R

A great Sunday

Yesterday turned out just great. We had been in a bit of an attendance slump due to Summer vacation. But the weather is beginning to turn and people are coming back. But the best news of all is that 3 people were saved yesterday! Miriam had been attending for a while last year, but due to the fact that she cares for her mother who has Alzheimer's, stopped attending. I saw her the week of the children's festival, and she promised she'd return. She came back last night, and came forward during the invitation. She asked that her friend, Georgina, be the one to lead her to the Lord. Sounds good to me! Next, Lorena, a deaf woman who has been attending for several months now. We were told to take it nice and slow with the Deaf, and let them let us know when they were ready. Well, she was. Sandra led her to the Lord. But the best of all, my niece, Diana, was visiting us last night. She told her mom after church that she listened to her uncle preach, and she felt doubts about her salvation. So, last night, Granny led Diana to the Lord. Diana will be 9 next month.

We also had visitors from the nearby town of Mafil. Jaime and his daughter Catherine, who is deaf, came. As did Julio, and David, also deaf.

So, all in all, a great day

My new hobby

As you may know from previous posts, I am not a craft person. When I read this over at Boomama's I laughed until I cried. And I quote "I write a lot more than I used to, and it seems like between cooking and cleaning (don’t you even laugh, David. don’t you EVEN laugh), chasing Alex, working, blogging, wife-ing, etc., reading is the thing that gets pushed back farthest on the burner. (To clarify: reading has not been pushed back as far as, you know, crafts, but those were never really on the burner for me to begin with. Come to think of it, crafts were nowhere even remotely near the burner. In fact, I think that for me, at least, crafts are currently located somewhere just southeast of Idaho.)"
Yep, that's been my personal experience with crafts in my lifetime. However, God has seen fit to change that. God wants me to Scrapbook! How do I know this? Because someone I do not even know sent me, my mom and my sister and all our kids a whole bunch of Creative Memories scrapbook "stuff". I'm guessing several hundred dollar's worth. I got a type of briefcase and a big scrapbook and a Memory chest and square maker and a memory locker. I am pretty sure that most of you know what all this stuff is and is for. Its going to take me a while to process all of it!
So, Penny, Thank you! Who knows, maybe someday I'll even finish my kids baby books!

This is what I've been up to

We had a Children's Festival

Some dear brethren from the US came on a missions trip to build some cabins at the camp. They also came prepared to hold a Children's festival. The brought games and prizes and tickets. We got our people together and worked to print up and distribute invitations. We set up the booths and organized workers. We made one romm into an evangelistiv outreach. We would bring in children in small groups and show them a 5 minute gospel film. Then the pastor shared the Gospel using drawings. Then we gave them a "wordless book" bracelet and a card explaining the bracelet. We had no idea how many kids would come. I was thinking 50 or 60. We put two girls at the door to greet and take down names and addresses. We had 130 kids, plus about 20 moms, plus all the workers, about 170 all in all. We had spent all day at Church, with special teacher training in the morning, and visitation and set-up all afternoon. We started the festival at 7 and ended around 9:30. What a wild time!

Add to this that we had been at church every night for a week. I love church, but we're not used to daily services! Anyway, our friends left yesterday. We took them up to Santiago to show them around and get them on the plane. We are ready for a break!

I have been reading all the blogs, just no time to comment, and Sarah, I'm having problems commenting on your new blog. I love love love Anne, and "Windy Poplars" is my favorite!
Thanks Mrs.B for checking on me. The Lord is working in our lives.

Blessings to you all,
R

The wages of sin.....

is DEATH.

I just saw on Fox news online that Anna Nicole Smith has died. What a character! Stripper, porn "actress", TV personality. It is in sinful human nature to be fascinated by these people.
There are those that think being a Christian is boring and dull, but I'll tell you this, its a whole lot safer! The wages of sin is still death. I'll bet that woman never knew a moment's peace, nor true love of any kind. I suppose righteous indignation towards her would be reasonable, but at this moment pity and sorrow is all I feel. Sorrow for the degrading life she led and sorrow for an eternity in Hell.

I would say to those young people who are being raised in a conservative Christian home, to be thankful for parents who love them enough to raise them right. Parents who love them enough to say no to people and places and activities that have no good end. Trust God to guide your parents. Submit happily! Obey! You'll never regret it.

Worldly "fun" often ends in death. If not physical death, than the death of your good name, your reputation. Your dream of a godly husband and family could also die from too much "fun"

True happiness

First, it is assumed that true happiness apart from God is non-existant. Right?

Second, true happiness is doing for others what is best for them. Jesus himself said that we were to love our neighbours as ourselves. Then why don't we? Well, we think that we will be unhappy if we are always giving.

I was just reading an article about SAHMs. As you know, that is a subject I am passionate about. I believe that children need their mothers to be with them, and they need to be with them at home. I believe the Bible teaches this in Titus 2. Now most, not all, working moms I know believe that it is in their children's best interest for them to work, so that they can provide a "better" life.

Well, let me tell you something. Doing what is best for those around you usually is the very thing that is the best for you, too. I am so glad that I am free to raise my kids as I see fit. I am so glad that they are under my watchful eye for most of the hours of the day. I do not fret about their friends, after all, their friends come here. I have enough energy to do what I need to do to keep this household going. I have time to read and blog. I am never too tired to go to Church.
I know what my kids are eating. I don't arrive at home at the same time as my DH and collapse on the couch and wonder about dinner. Now, I know that there are many supermoms who can work outside the home and keep a great home and raise great, godly kids. I know I couldn't. I'd be overwhelmed.

I truly believe that God's calling for us to be "keepers at home" is not just because it is best for the kids, husband and house. Its His best laid plan for us as well. Giving our life to our family as God ordains is what will ultimately make us supremely happy. In giving, we get more than we can imagine.

Something so simple

The speakers on my computer have been broken for some time. Not really a big deal, so I thought. But I went out and stole the Preacher's speakers and I must say, I have missed the music on my blog! I have been poring over my CDs, trying to find something else to listen to.
Now that I've got my bloggy music back on, I realize just how much I've missed it. I love most of it, except what is playing right at this moment. I am laughing at this oldtime country-style song with the fiddles (not viloins) and guitars.

Anyway, I feel blessed to day, like God gave me a gift that I really needed.

Thank you Lord.

Same old, same old

I have not posted alot lately because there is a severe lack of anything interesting to report or discuss, and I do not like blogging about nothing. As an American living in the 21st century, I am accustomed to having something interesting and entertaining to do all the time. Life isn't or shouldn't be like that. But what used to be daily life is now seen as drudgery. I guess that right now what I should be feeling is gratitude. Even the problems we are facing now are not horrible in the sense that no one is dying, none of us are in chemotherapy, none of us are in dialisis. So, life is good!
I have noticed a lot more problems and sorrow in my life in the past 5 years than I ever did before. I guess I was very shielded before that. Now, I can readily say that I am anxiously awaiting Heaven, and being in the very presence of God and not having a single thing to be concerned about. That alone is worth it to me, the streets of gold and the mansion on the hilltop are just the icing on the cake.
Nevertheless, I am grateful. Thankful for the life He has seen fit to bless me with.

Thank you, Lord

Recognizing the enemy

Sometimes it seems that Christians like to fight amongst themselves. Hmmm, not good. I know that we will not be able to agree on everything but........
We must remember that other Christians, even those with whom we disagree sharply, or are having problems with, are not the enemy. Satan is the enemy, and as my Bible reads, he has already been defeated.
Think of those with whom you are having a hard time. Maybe they are criticizing you. Maybe they are just continually antagonistic towards you. They are not really your enemy!
What does this mean to me? This helps me to be slow to take offense. This helps me greatly by telling me how to respond to them. How? As a friend, a sister in Christ. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, overlooking their faults as best I can. Not responding to them in anger. Purposing to not remember their past offenses.
Let's put it this way, even if they were your enemy, how does God expect us to treat our enemy? Interesting.
Do I believe this? Yes. Do I always behave properly? No