Traditions and Convictions

Whatever conviction you hold about participating in Halloween, live it out for God’s glory! In all these things, a person should follow his or her own convictions, while understanding that Christians may differ in their beliefs about this issue. So, if you run into those fellow believers who differ from your stance on Halloween, give them freedom to live out their own convictions. The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should” (Romans 14:4, NLT). Jim Liebelt

When I was young, I totally enjoyed dressing up and going door to door for Halloween. As a teenager I remember helping with a creepy haunted house. I remember being Dorthy, a little angel, a red crayon - nothing ghostly or scary, just cutesy little costumes. I remember friends spending weeks decorating for this holiday. I look around our neighborhood this year and see some people have gone all out decorating - lights and ghosts, witches, etc. In the stores, I've heard people talking about Halloween in most conversations I've passed the last couple of weeks. In Costco the other day a man came up to the girls asking if they are ready for Halloween and what they are going to be. Reagan sweetly said we don't celebrate Halloween. The man looked at me like I was this awful Mom with 3 heads. He said "They are probably the only kids in Atlanta who aren't going to be celebrating Halloween." The response in my head was "that's fine", and for that I'm grateful. See, God is helping us to train our children, but He is also at work building my convictions and helping me with my fear of man. This year Reagan is old enough to ask (many) questions, and she's had quite a few about Halloween. Our sweet little neighbor girl has asked her about it, the children in Sunday school are all excited about it...so why don't we do it? Well, Steve and I have both had convictions about not celebrating Halloween.

Last year we bought a pumpkin and carved it and Reagan asked why we carved a jack-0-lantern if we don't celebrate Halloween...hmmmm...we weren't expecting that question, but it was a good one. We don't want to confuse our children, and often times we are so persuaded by our culture or long time tradition. This has provoked me to really seek God on what He has for our family. It's provoked me to talk to my children and encourage them that Daddy and Mommy love them so much, and love God and we are going to lead our family in the way we believe He would have us walk. That means we aren't always going to do what our friends do, but just because we do or don't do it, doesn't mean that if they do or don't do it means that they are doing anything wrong. For me personally, I believe Halloween to be a dark holiday that does nothing to benefit my walk with the Lord. There are many other days we celebrate throughout the year, so this day is easy for me to give up, but I'm grateful for our little ones and how having them has challenged me to think about why we do what we do on a regular basis (which I should be evaluating anyways!). I don't think we are "super spiritual" or superior in any way for not celebrating Halloween, but I simply believe we are obeying God in what He has for our family. I believe that He wants to see how we are going to stand on our convictions when we are tempted to fit in or please man, even in the smallest of areas.

Here is a quote from Al Mohler on Halloween and a few links to some articles in case you want to read more on the history of the holiday!

"The coming of Halloween is a good time for Christians to remember that evil spirits are real and that the Devil will seize every opportunity to trumpet his own celebrity. Perhaps the best response to the Devil at Halloween is that offered by Martin Luther, the great Reformer: "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him for he cannot bear scorn."

On October 31, 1517 (what is now known as Reformation Day), Martin Luther began the Reformation with a declaration that the church must be recalled to the authority of God's Word and the purity of biblical doctrine. With this in mind, the best Christian response to Halloween, might be to scorn the Devil and then pray for the Reformation of Christ's church on earth. Let's put the dark side on the defensive."

Al Mohler

http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11610063/page2/
http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11610063/
http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/mohler/1228337/

A Sunny Fall Day...

Here are some shots I took in the backyard of my sweetie pies on one of the sunny days we've enjoyed lately!

Visit from the Traugotts!

We were so excited to get a visit from David, Kelly, Alyssa, Meredith and Brooklyn a couple of weekends ago! We talked and laughed and enjoyed catching up with our dear friends! We played a 4 hour game of dominoes, took 6 little girls out to dinner, worshiped at church together, went and looked at our soon to be house (Kelly was a lot braver than I was in the barn!), Steve and David took the girls for a walk in on one of the trails in the neighborhood, Kelly and I got a quick cup of Starbucks and we talked and laughed and talked some more! How grateful we are for our sweet friends! The girls played really well together! In fact, today I called for Sydney and she informed me that her name is now Alyssa! =)

First Science Project

So, Chick-fil-a has these cute little science projects in their kids meals right now, so I decided to add one to one of our school days! It was a simple project, so Sydney joined in, too. I read the directions and we pulled out everything we would need. One thing I forgot to do was tell the girls not to look over the bottle when they poured in the different ingredients! Reagan's "blew up" right in her face! Good thing it was just vinegar and baking soda!!

Berry Patch Farm

Yesterday Sissy, Mark, Madeleine, Ainsley and Emma stopped in for a quick visit on their way home from Blue Ridge! We had a great time visiting...it went by super fast! The weather held out for us, too, so we were able to go to Berry Patch Farm to pick out some pumpkins! We walked around and looked at the few little animals they had and then took the hayride to the pumpkin patch. The girls had fun looking for their own little pumpkins and gourds. (Reagan has been wanting to buy gourds to decorate the house with for weeks!!) Then we had popcorn and boiled peanuts and watched the kiddos play on the play ground for a while! It was a fun afternoon. Then we headed home for tacos. Reagan was so excited about having a sleep over in her room with her cousins. All the kids were pretty worn out! It was funny watching Mark try to keep his eyes open as we were talking, too!

Now I need to go and figure out what all I'm going to make with my pumpkin!

ThE FaIR!

Last Monday we loaded up the van and headed to the fair!!!

Highlights:
Riding the Ferris Wheel with Reagan!
Watching Steve be a goof ball as he rode one of the many rides that went in a fast circle!
Watching the girls go from ride to ride and go on them all by themselves!
Petting all the different goats, chickens, sheep, etc.!
Eating corn dogs, cotton candy and fried oreos!
Seeing Reagan's face as she flew down the slide on the potato sack! (She looked as though she
was going to wet her pants!)
Remembering the fair is NOTHING like Disney World!
Listening to two little girls still talking about how much fun they had that night! =)

PS Thanks again Kim for watching Jordyn! She had so much fun with you guys! =)

Jordyn's 15 month check up (at 16 months!)

Well, I was only a month late getting Jordyn to her 15 month appointment. Good thing the doctor's office reminded me! =) Our little chipmunk cheek little girl is actually the smallest out of the three, I think! She's got big cheeks, but other than that she's still in her 12 month clothes! The other two were out of those by the time they were one!

Here are her percentiles:
Length - 31 inches (56%)
Weight - 21 lbs (24.5%)
Head - 58%

She is still barely pulling herself up and she won't even try to walk or go up the stairs, but hopefully it won't be long! She loves playing doll house. In fact, today she played with it for hours! She loves fruit and she is clapping and waving to people! She says "hi-ya" which I think is adorable! In the mornings she gets really excited when I take her into Steve's office to tell him "hi"! She's still a good little sleeper, and although she doesn't scream all the time, she has quite a temper. She has a mouth full of teeth and enjoys using them to eat, eat, eat!! I find the Lord giving us more and more grace and love for her, for which I am so grateful! She loves Reagan and she loves to hit Sydney =). I'm sure she'll grow to love Sydney, too!!

Random Pictures!

Here are some random pictures I just found that I hadn't blogged yet!

The Townsends and The Church

Sunday morning Chad gave a message about our mission as a church. One thing he said is that the church is like a hospital and like a headquarters. He asked if gathering together makes any difference. Later Sunday evening I was checking my email and saw that my friend Alisha had given her testimony at MLC that morning. I wept as I read how the Lord has worked in and through her family - especially over the last couple of years. Thankfully, the Lord allowed the Townsends and our paths to cross several years ago. We were in the same homegroup and regularly I would leave group challenged by Alisha's humility and the questions she would ask. It is obvious when you talk to Alisha that she wants to honor the Lord with her life and that she loves her Savior. We love the Townsends and we are grateful for how the Lord has used them! See, we do need the church. We need other people to point us to Jesus, whether we are going through times of prosperity or great trial. How grateful I am for the church and for the love and care the church has shown this family (and so many others!). How grateful I am that the church is not just a place we gather on Sunday mornings, but are a people who desire to love and glorify our Savior and serve and love one another. How grateful I am for Greg and Alisha's humility in accepting help in their time of need. The Lord has not only used the church to encourage them, but He has used them to encourage the church in many ways. Others have been drawn closer to the Lord through Sarah's trial. I know He has in our home. See, everyday for over a year my girls have prayed for Sarah unprompted by us. It amazes me to see their faith in our God healing her. So many times we've been driving down the road and one of the girls has said "Mommy, we need to pray for Sarah right now" or "Mommy, can we just pray for Sarah" and I've wondered what she's going through right that moment that the Lord would prompt the heart of a child to pray! We are rejoicing with the Townsends and we will keep praying for them!

I asked Alisha and she said I could share her testimony here...

How great though Art.

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds they hands have made. I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my savior God to the, How great though art, How great though art.”

My daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with stage four, Rhabdomyosarcoma, in April of 2008. She was placed in the hospital immediately to begin chemo and radiation therapy. We were staying in a large room with picture windows overlooking a lake. I was standing, looking out the window one night after Sarah was asleep. The stars were bright and the reflection on the water was beautiful.

In my mind I saw the hand of God holding stars. The hand opened and the stars filled the sky. Then I heard a question. Which is easier, to place the stars in the sky or to heal Sarah? I said, “But what are you going to do?” He said, “I am going to heal her.”

The next night as I was walking in the halls, I heard “How Great Though Art” playing over the speaker. From then on out, it became my theme.

Sarah’s treatment spanned over 18 months. Her schedule was grueling. She had 54 weeks of chemo and six weeks of radiation. Most of her chemo was inpatient, so we were in the hospital 14 days of each month. At times I felt like Abraham who had been promised the stars, but did not always see them shinning.

However, he Lord is faithful, and He carried me through so many days with that promise of healing and many other means of grace.

One of the major lessons that I learned through this trial is that the Lord is my keeper. I memorized Psalm 121 and said it often. “I lift my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

I could tell so many stories of how God kept us, but today I would like to take the opportunity to tell you how he used the church to keep us.

Instead of listing out the hundreds of people who served us, I would instead like to ask all who served by praying, feeding, cleaning. Laundering, calling, organizing, mowing, giving words of encouragement or any other service that I have now forgotten, to stand.

To paraphrase Elyse Fitzpatrick, “God uses means. You have been the means.” Thank you.

We were brought hundreds of meals. Our laundry was done for months while we were in the hospital. Our yard was mowed for weeks. Our house was cleaned every week for almost a year. When I say cleaned, I mean top to bottom, no stone left unturned, clean. When we were home, Sarah was normally nuetropenic, meaning she had no white blood cells to fight infection. Cleanliness was very important and I could have never kept it up without help.

Although I cannot list everyone who helped, I would like to thank a few people. First, Rebekah Phillips has organized every ounce of help that we have received. She would get a call unexpectedly and was always eager to drop everything and help. She made me feel as if she had nothing else in the world to do but serve our family.

Betty Vallery cleaned our house for a few months, every other week. For those that know Betty, she has a full time job, so she would come after work and stay at our house well after dark.

Denise Vogel cleaned our house, every other week for ten months. Not only did she faithfully clean for us, she also encouraged me along the way. In those moments when I was home as they arrived, she said so many things that lifted my gaze toward God. When I felt like I was drowning in duty, she pointed out evidences of grace that I had not seen. She let me know that God was still working on me and creating good out of a really hard situation.

Mary, Denise’s daughter, came with Denise most weeks to help clean. She folded laundry, cleaned glass, and cleaned the kids’ rooms. She also played with Sarah, made her cards, and brought her presents. Sarah loved to come home after Mary had cleaned her room because Mary posed her dolls and set up areas for Sarah to play.

Elyse Rawlson probably has no idea how much she served me personally. Practically, she has helped me find curriculum and offered advice on home schooling when I was strapped for time and had no idea what I was doing. Spiritually, she has given many words of encouragement to me that have literally picked me up and made my legs move again.

Janelle Phillips was going through nursing school at the time and was a huge means of grace to me. One day I had taken Sarah to the doctor and then for an X-Ray. We went to the cafeteria to get lunch afterwards and ran into Janelle. She asked me how I was doing, and I promptly started to cry. She gave me a hug and bought me lunch.

In addition to the physical help, we received monetary help along the way. As you can imagine, the medical bills added up fast. We have what you would call “major medical” insurance with a relatively high out of pocket expense each year. I am amazed to say that we have not paid a single penny for Sarah’s major medical expenses for two years now. I would say that we have received over 12,000 dollars in donations from you and others.

Time does not allow me to tell you of all the people or moments of service, but understand that this does not begin to convey all the help we received.

We serve a great God, and you all have been a wonderful picture of God’s love to our family.

I am equally amazed to say that Sarah is in remission. Nothing is impossible with God and I am grateful that He chose this route for Sarah and am grateful that He placed us in this church. Thank you Lord, and thank you church.

Dear Grandpappy,

We miss and love you!

xoxoxo
Reagan, Sydney and Jordyn

House Update!

Well, the Lord very clearly shut the door to the Kellogg Creek house, and although we were a little disappointed at first, we are grateful that more issues came to light before we made a big investment! We are planning on looking at more houses on Thursday! So, the hunt begins again! I am looking forward to finding where we are to settle, but I'm also grateful that we are where we are right now! So, Thursday we'll focus on houses in Woodstock and then we'll go from there. I am glad the girls are excited about looking at different houses, too! They've been so good going from place to place!

My friend Jenn emailed this quote on impatience to me. As I've thought about it multiple times today I am even more aware of how impatient I am...I want to know where we are going to live...now. I want my children to do what I want them to do...now. I want so many things right now. How grateful I am that the LORD is so patient with me! How grateful I am that He sees each moment of our day and He has them all planned out perfectly!

"Impatience is a form of unbelief. It's what we begin to feel when we start to doubt the wisdom of God's timing or the goodness of God's guidance. It springs up in our hearts when our plan is interrupted or shattered. The opposite of impatience is not a glib denial of loss. It's a deepening, ripening, peaceful willingness to wait for God in the unplanned place of obedience - and to walk with God at the unplanned pace of obedience. To wait in His place and go at His pace." (John Piper, Future Grace)