Christmas Memories...

Spending time together...

No one knows...
We do try...
Dad stylin his new "golf ball finder" glasses from Jordan.


Celebrating my 19th birthday with the family in Hershey
(You'll know this was a posed picture when you look at what sections of the paper we're reading ;)

The things that happen during foosball games at the Dierkings... stay at the Dierkings!

Caras new outfit from Aunt Chrystal

Merry Christmas!

Oh the wonder of wonders as Mary looked on His face
How that this little boy spoke the worlds in their place.
The stars and the moon shining brightly on them,
the earth and the sun were created by Him!

Oh the wonder of wonders, how could it be,
that God became flesh and was given for me?
The Almighty came down and walked among men,
and the wonder of wonders, He DIED for MY sin!

Oh the wonder of wonders as Mary looked down and smiled,
that He was her maker as well as her child.
He created the womb that has given Him birth
He was God incarnate come down to earth.

Oh the wonder of wonders as she heard His small cry
that this voice had thundered on Mount Sinai.
The small hand she held so tenderly,
had made a dry path through the mighty Red Sea.

Oh the wonder of wonders, how could it be,
that God became flesh and was given for me?
The Almighty came down to walk among men
And the wonder of wonders...He died for my sin!

Correction....

Ok, so in order to not be dishonest or to lead you astray, I officially got the "inside scoop" about Ethan and the egg incident and found myself to be slightly off in all the details. Apparently he had only thrown one egg by the time Jerry got to him, but had four more in his hand ready to launch as well. Sorry for the incorrect information...sigh...

...oh well....the story sounded so much better the way I told it. j/k.

Thankful for..

...My Family- with all our quirks and random pet peeves. Contrary to what you may think and despite our sarcasm and constant picking on each other, we really do love each other. No one but my family will ever understand some of our inside jokes and family traditions...and trust me, no one but my family will laugh as hard at them as we do. I'm thankful that my family has kept life interesting and light-hearted even in tough times and that most importantly they've challenged me to pursue God with a greater passion. I'm thankful for Grandparents who taught me that growing old can be fun; who spent time with me and invested in my life. I'm thankful for Aunts and Uncles and Cousins who have filled our house with laughter, good times and special memories; including a box of grapes, candy aisles, hugs, the Sound of Music movie, licourice, teasing, poisen ivy, cameras, and of course, singing around the piano. I'm thankful for Parents who have taken me to church since I was born and have allowed me to be a part of many different ministries; who have taught me through their words and actions. I'm thankful for Sisters who I can be crazy and serious with; who love talking almost just as much as me and who allow me to steal things from their wardrobe. I'm thankful for Brothers who have taught me that I really do need to shut up sometimes; who have gone on many a stupid adventure with me and who still love me despite all my tattling, childhood days. I'm thankful for nephews and a niece to love on and to remind me that simplicity often brings about the most joy.

....Taste -so I can tell the difference between lemonade and clorox. (And yes, they really do look the same when they're in a pitcher! I'm lucky I'm still alive. =)

....God's Word- the peace it brings when I feel troubled, the guidance it gives when I feel lost, the joy it brings when I feel discouraged, the reminders of God's goodness when I begin to doubt and the comfort of knowing it holds the answers to all questions.

....Sunsets - The beauty of God's handiwork seen through them and the reminder that God has been faithful and remained the same in yet another day.

...Pen and Paper- to collect my thoughts and to record on with what seems important at the time.

...Music or Messages- that have uplifted me when I didn't have the desire or the "gumption" to get into God's Word for myself to get the help I needed.

...Friends- who are good enough to tell me when I need to work on something and kind enough to admit that I'm not only one struggling.

...Freedom - to share openly with others about what God has done for me; to witness to the unsaved and also to be encouraged through conversations with fellow Christians.

...Our Lane - I've enjoyed many a peaceful and quiet walk up and down that thing, (and plan on experiencing many more once this weather turns normal again.;) just enjoying the farmland around me and talking to God as I would to any other friend.

...Books- that have taken me places I'd never to get to go otherwise and that have taught me things I'd never learn elsewhere.

...A job- where on days like today, I get to stand in front of an enormous oven. =)

Ok, so yes Thanksgiving was last month and Christmas is just around the corner...but I'm a little bit behind on the times and thought it was high time for me to catch up!

Israel Did All They Could, Yet God Did It All

We need God’s help.

Sorry, but this isn’t going to be a post where I uncover some amazing new truth; reveal something you’ve never heard before. I seem to re-learn the same lessons frequently and recently I was reminded of how important God really is.

So…I repeat. We need God’s help.

I’m still slowly but surely working my way through the book of Joshua and as I read chapter 10, I found a common theme that seemed to weave itself all throughout the chapter.

Vrs. 8- And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.

Vrs. 10- And the Lord discomfited them…

Vrs. 11- And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them…

Vrs. 12- …the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel…

Vrs. 14-… the LORD fought for Israel

Vrs. 19-…the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand.

Vrs. 25- And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to ALL your enemies against whom ye fight.

Vrs. 30- …The Lord delivered it also…

Vrs. 32-…The Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel…

Vrs. 42-…The Lord God of Israel fought for Israel…

Why did Joshua have such great victory in his battles? Because there was such a pattern of obedience and trust that God would come through for him in his time of need. Joshua had “faith in God and faithfulness to God.”

“How then, are we to know whether our faith is a right faith?" One test of it is, it must be a single piece. A shield that is made of three or four pieces in this case will be of no use. Your faith must be all of a piece; it must be faith in the finished work of Christ. You must have no confidence in yourself or in any other man, but must rest wholly and entirely upon Christ; or your shield will be of no use.” (Charles Spurgeon- a very wise man ;)

I get it so mixed up sometimes. I try to take care of all my problems by myself (and it usually ends up getting me in deeper trouble.) or I try to “blame God” by saying that He doesn’t care enough about my pathetic struggles and so it won’t matter if I just give up for a while. We get so ‘out of whack’ when we’re not constantly in God’s Word; being reminded of His promises and of what being called His child really means for us. Joshua took problems to God and then together they went into the battle. “Taking the time to close your eyes in prayer, will open your eyes to a deeper understanding of WHY you need to pray.”

However, Joshua didn't just sit around, waiting for God to take away his problems or answer his prayers. No, he fought! He did his part and trusted that if the burden or struggle ever got to big for him to handle, God would pick up the line.

Do I really want spiritual victory in my life? If I do, I can’t leave God out of the equation. He was the solution to all of Joshuas problems! I need Him!

Yet, one victory in our life does not ensure a second one. In fact, more often than not, we find ourselves even more greatly attacked afterwards. (Joshua 9:1-) “And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan…heard thereof…” “…they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel in one accord.” (Joshua 9:2)

“Some Christians think that faith should enable them to escape blows -- that if they had faith, everything would be peaceful and calm. They think they are going to ride softly into heaven, singing all the way. Why do they put their armor on at all, if they are to have no battles? Why enlist, if you are not to fight? What good is a fair-weathered soldier who stays at home to feed, at the public expense? No, let the soldier be ready when war comes; let him expect the conflict as a part and necessary consequence of his profession. But be armed with faith; it receives the blows. The poor shield is knocked and hammered and battered like a house exposed in a time of storm. Blow after blow comes rattling upon it; and though it turns death aside, yet the shield is compelled itself to hear the cut and the thrust. So must our faith do -- it must be cut at, it must bear the blows.” (Spurgeon again)

So, yes…there will continue to be struggles. There will continue to be battles. God doesn’t promise that following Him will be an easy road. But…He does guarantee ultimate victory; His presence is always with us and the rewards of following Him are far too indescribable to try and put them into words.

“And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.”

Anyways, I have a lot to learn… and re-learn. But God is patient and faithful and His correcting hand is gentle. So… as Charles Spurgeon once said “I have but one piece of advice and that is, go on.”

Of Balls and Things

"Hi! My name is Ethan. I'm here in Williamsburg with my Dad, Mom, little baby brother, Grandma, Grandpa and my uncles Jordan and Mark. All this history is getting a bit boring because its slightly over my head and I'm really getting desperate to find something to play with."
"Hmmm...Round things? (Check, check.) Small enough to throw?(Check)...hmmm...Balls?"

"There's so many of them! And all free for the taking!" "Maybe if I collect enough, Mommy and Daddy won't ever have to buy me new balls!" "I think I can fit one more. Like that big, shiny one over there!" "Why aren't you all joining in on all the fun?"
"You really should try it! Sometimes its in the simple things of life that you can find the most enjoyment. Maybe someday I'll find history just as interesting....but I doubt it!" =)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My nephew Ethan has a thing for balls right now. Little or Big, oval or round...it doesn't matter much to him. If it can bounce or he can throw it, he'll be entertained for hours. If theres any circular shaped item within a hundred foot distance from him, he'll find it.

Yesterday, my brother Jerry walked into the kitchen to find Ethan on the floor, with a big grin on his face. Somehow he had managed to open the refridgerator door in order to find his latest item of fascination. Jerry glanced from the mess on the floor to his little son who seemed quite proud of himself as he held up an egg and said "Ball!" before proceeding to chuck it as far as his two year old arms would allow and adding to the mess he had already created.

Funny to the Aunt....not so funny to the Dad...

Slightly Annoyed...

Trying to figure out why I can't "paste" my latest post on here....perhaps its too long. =)

"Fight the Good Fight of Faith" (1 Tim. 6:12)

... "You give Satan an inch and he'll become a ruler."

Building a Memorial...

Why did I decide to get a blog?

There are several different reasons actually. Part of it was due to the fact that I simply miss writing. It was also partly done to encourage you from time to time as you happen to stumble upon it. However...for the most part, its done for me. Writing out my thoughts helps to organize them; to concrete them...and I need that when it comes to what I've been learning about God. Now granted, not all posts are guaranteed to be spiritual or focused directly on God, but mostly I want this blog to help me grow closer to God as I take the time to think about what He has been trying to teach me. I also want this to be a place where I can look back on what God has already done and be encouraged as I remember how He has worked in the past.

It's what I'd call a Memorial.

I've been studying in Joshua recently and just finished reading about how the children of Israel had come to the Jordan River. Before them was the overwhelming problem of the raging waters that lay between them and the Promised Land. Yet, God had promised to provide the way across, and Joshua believed Him. "Pass through the host and command the people saying, 'Prepare you victuals, (notice that he didn't say "prepare vessels of transportation!") for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it."

God chose to reward that faith by showing His power in a very real way to the children of Israel. He caused the waters to stop flowing and they stood up in a great big heap. Now, I'm no genius in science but I know that gravity doesn't work that way. Water doesn't just stand up in a big still heap, on its own, for no reason. This was a "God-thing" and something that only God was capable of accomplishing.

If I had been there that day, walking across dry land that only moments before had been plunged beneath an angry and surging current, I might feel a bit of fear...but mostly I think I'd be awestruck by what was actually happening around me and would try to notice every little, vivid detail in order to remember it later, exactly as it had been. I'm sure that as the Israelites saw this great wall of water, all hints of doubt and unbelief were erased from their minds as they were held in awe at the great strength of their God. I'm sure they thought to themselves that this would be a moment in time that they would surely never, ever forget; that this was something that would be forever impressed upon their minds.

Yet God, knowing how apt we are to soon forget His works, ordered an expedient for the keeping of this remembrance to all generations. He ordered for twelve stones be taken from the place where the priests had stood in the midst of the Jordan (they had held the ark of the covenant which signified God's presence among them.) These stones were to be carried across and set up as a reminder to the people as to what God had done for them. "And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever and ever." (Joshua 4:7b) Why did God feel they'd forget this miracle? Well, the Bible says that as soon as the priests feet came up out of the Jordan after crossing it, the waters of the Jordan returned to their original place and continued to flow as they had before. In one sense, as you'd stand looking at the river again, it'd be hard to believe that something so incredible had just happened. Everything looks the same again! Only now they are on the other side of the Jordan, looking back at what had seemed so insurmountable...and of course....

...there was a pile of twelve stones. They stood as a memorial, reminding the people that God was indeed very real and that He had the power to do whatever He so pleased.

Joshua 4:20-24 it says "And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel saying, "When your children shall ask their fathers in time saying 'What mean these stones?', then ye shall let your children know, saying, "Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up from before us, until we were gone over....that all the people may know the hand of the Lord, that IT IS MIGHTY; that ye might FEAR THE LORD your God for ever."

So, why did I get a blog?

I'm building a Memorial. Whether or not you ever choose to read another post, I personally want something that I can look back on and say "For the Lord our God, He it is...which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed...therefore, will we also serve the Lord, for He is our God." (Joshua 24:17-18)