The Latest Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

The Happy Couple going in to get their marriage license

Scores of people are heading our way. The programs are almost finished. The list of “to-do’s” that couldn’t be done until now is formidable. The weather is still the unknown variable. The marriage license had to wait until now because they both have to go, and Kris lives in Oklahoma. There have been a few glitches in our carefully orchestrated plan: an over zealous son wielding a pickax smashing the sewer line, two more snakes have become ill, four families requesting the kids’ help taking care of their houses and pets while they leave town this week of all weeks, thinking the music for the ceremony was all ready only to find out that it is yet to do, Elizabeth’s asthma flaring.


You can read the rest here, and jump in on the link-up.

Smack Between the Eyes: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

I am so thankful for this man. We have been married for over 26 years, parenting for over 24 of those years, and he still loves me. :) 


He generally avoids confrontations, whenever possible. But there are those times when, as the head of our family, a situation requires his gentle, but firm touch.


Today, it was me.


I required him to speak Truth into my life because I have been careless at times with the tone of voice with which I speak to my family. He lovingly explained the situation and then prayed over me.


How can you argue with that?  He's right. I can allow frustration or weariness to build inside my soul and then speak harshly to the kids or to him. That's not okay. And every time I do it, a spirit is wounded by my tone. 


I didn't want to hear it. But I needed to hear it. He did exactly what he was supposed to do as the one in authority over me. And I am thankful for it. Even though it was unpleasant, he loves me enough to give me what I need, not just what I want. 


And that's exactly what my Father does for me. He Faithfully convicts, corrects, and offers Grace for me so that I may learn to choose better going forward. He will not leave me here, at this point in my sanctification process. He doesn't want me to speak harshly to anyone, and so He, through my husband's authority, rebuked and corrected me and my heart is at peace, knowing that I am guilty as charged, knowing that they both love me too much to allow me to continue.


I'm thankful.


Today has been filled with a gentle tone of voice. And we are all better off. Any frustration or weariness needs to be taken to Him, not dumped on my sweet family. 

The Lord's Faithfulness is evident in so many ways. And I love to take notes when He, again, displays His never-ever-ending Faithfulness to me, or my family. It helps me to chronicle this Journey of sanctification so that, when the hard times come around again, I can look back and remember that, no matter how hard things seem, He will never leave me nor forsake me. Never, ever, ever. And that fills my heart with Hope.


I would love for you to link up a post here that testifies of His Faithfulness to you or to those you love. It can be something you wrote a long time ago, or something you type out right now. We give Him Glory when we declare the Truth about His nature. So jump right in with both feet. :)

Book Review: "Kisses From Katie"

What an incredibly precious testimony is contained within the pages of this book! Katie Davis has given her heart and her life to the Lord to be used however He chooses. She spends everyday serving "the least of these" in Uganda. She goes where most of us would fear to go, serving the most desperately poor and sick, without thought for her personal safety. She has 13 daughters, adopted because the Lord told her they were hers.


Her entire day is filled with simply serving the one God places in front of her, no matter who it is, or what they need. This means there are days when she brings home a child on the verge of death and does everything she can to save that life. Other days, it may mean that she goes into a neighborhood where even the locals will not go, because she has extra food and they are in need.


The book is filled with page after page of God providing for her needs in miraculous ways, ways that don't make sense to those who are not completely and totally dependent on God alone. 


"And even though I realize I cannot always mend or meet, I can enter in. I can enter into someone's pain and sit with them and know. This is Jesus. Not that He apologizes for the hard and the hurt, but that He enters in, He comes with us to the hard places. And so I continue to enter."


Her heart is evident here:
"I didn't believe it was possible to tell a child about the love of Christ without simultaneously showing her that love by feeding her, clothing her, inviting her in. If a child has never known what love is, how can we expect him to accept the love of his Savior  until we first make that love tangible?" 


And then, "I wanted to share with them the truth that many of us seemed to have overlooked--that God wanted us to care for the poor, not just care about them, but to truly take care of them, and many of us were not doing so."  


Ouch!


It is hard for us to imagine walking away from our lives, moving to a foreign country, and allowing the Lord to send us into areas of profound poverty and rampant disease, trusting completely in His Protection and Provision.


"But it is in the brilliantly, gloriously, wonderfully difficult seasons that God seems to show Himself all-powerful and in control . . . the more I give of myself, the more He fills me up. The more I love, the more love I have to give."


She came back to the U.S. for a period of several months to start college, as she had promised her parents. Her heart was in anguish, longing for Uganda and her girls. Living in the midst of such abundance, ease, and comfort now created for her an impossible tension.


"I have often wondered since reentering the United States why I feel such great culture shock. The amount of stuff that just clutters our lives. All these things make it difficult to readjust, yes. But what has been the biggest shock to my system, the huge disconnect, is that I have stepped out of my reliance on God to meet my needs. I "miss" Jesus. He hasn't disappeared, of course, but I feel so far from Him because my life is actually functioning without Him. By 'functioning,' I mean that if I am sick, I go to the drugstore or to the doctor. If I am hungry, I go to the grocery store. If I need to go somewhere, I get in my car. When I need some advice or guidance, I call my mom or go plop on my roommate's bed. If I want to feel happy, I get Brad, my little brother, or someone else to make me laugh.


I keep forgetting to ask God first to heal me, fill me, to guide me, to rejoice with me. I have to set aside 'time to pray' in the morning and at night instead of being in constant communication with Him. In Uganda, because I was so physically 'poor,' I was completely dependent on God and spiritually as wealthy as ever. As I sit here writing, I am frustrated with my own stupidity, my human willingness to step back into dependence on stuff and these places I swore I detested."


It is so very hard to be totally dependent on the Lord in the midst of our incredibly blessed lives. We need to constantly ask Him to show us our need for Him, to help us see how completely incapable of walking this life without Him in every moment.


I love this passage from the book:

"Remember, God will never give you more than you can handle."

People repeat this frequently; I heard it when I was growing up and I hear it now. It is meant to be a source of encouragement, and it would be if I believed it were true.

But I don't.

I believe that God totally, absolutely, intentionally gives us more than we can handle. Because this is when we surrender to Him and He takes over, proving Himself by doing the impossible in our lives.

Now, how's that for Perspective? Wow!

I could go on and on, at this point in the review, with stories of how God has done just that for Katie Davis. But, the thing I took away from this book is the need to allow the Lord to move us to the place where we are completely submitted to His Plan for our lives--even to the point of doing something "radical" when He asks. He will ask it of us if we are allowing Him to steer. There will be something He asks of us that, in our wisdom and strength, is completely impossible and insane. But our obedience to His request of us teaches us dependence and brings Him Glory.


Now, I do have one concern about this book. I really do not want to bring this up, but it would be completely inconsistent with so much I have said here at the Antbed and believe to be absolutely imperative to a transformed life in the very center of His Will.


When Katie was a senior in high school, she talked her parents into a mission trip to Uganda. They didn't think she should go. She kept after them until they relented. Once there, she never wanted to go home. She talked her parents into allowing her to stay for a year before returning to go to college. By that point, she was "all in." Her heart was completely captivated. And the struggle began. Eventually, she told her parents that she was not going to be able to obey them and stay for college. 


Is Katie supposed to be where she is? Absolutely.


The problem lies in trusting God to lead us through the authority He has placed over us. If she had fully submitted to that authority, as unto the Lord, I believe to the marrow of my bones that the Lord would either have given her the Grace to wait on His Perfect Timing (which would have received her parents freely given permission and blessing), OR He would have changed the hearts of her parents to be able to release her from the commitment she had given them to attend college. 


Has the Lord done incredible things through her time in Uganda? Absolutely!! 


But she expresses in the book how poorly she treated her family and friends, while here for that one college semester, because she was so conflicted. It is only when we are completely submitted to His Will through the authority He has placed over us that we can walk in perfect Peace, regardless of circumstances. It would have made her testimony even more powerful if she would have allowed Him to move in this area on her behalf, without wounding her parents or her friends. Without feeling that she had to take matters in her own hands. She uses the verses about loving Jesus even to the point of hating fathers and mothers. But when we are under authority, God uses that authority to cover and protect us and He guides us under it, not out from under it. The Lord may have had a specific lesson He wanted her to learn that would have made her ministry even more profound. I don't know. But, I do know He is perfectly capable of changing the heart of those in authority over us whenever He sees fit.


Now, please hear me here. I am NOT condemning anyone. All I'm trying to say is that, if you read this book, the fullest of blessings come in complete submission to God's Authority. 


Do I perfectly practice this? NO! That is why I recognize it so clearly--because He's trying to teach me this same lesson. 


Kisses From Katie is an incredible testimony of just how powerfully a single person can be used when they say "yes" to the Father. You will be blessed and touched by the stories of so many individuals the Lord uses Katie to minister to. I highly recommend it! :)                                               

Our Clan is Taking Over the World: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

We alternate holidays with our families. Christmas 2011 was a "Conder Christmas." We convene at my in-laws and commence the celebration. And part of that celebration is a new family picture. It's always amazing to see how many new faces have been added since the last picture, and how much more gray I have in my hair. :) 


Hannah has taken our picture the last couple of times and she does a beautiful job. This one was taken in the Welcome Center on the campus of Abilene Christian University. Our niece's sweet husband has "connections" so we could get in the building. With this many in the picture, the main goal for the photographer is simply to get as many people with their eyes open and looking toward the camera as possible. 


Amazingly, Hannah took this picture and then PhotoShop-ed herself into it. And Samuel, our grandson, was the only one not looking at the camera, so she took his head out of another one of the shots and stuck it on his body in this one. I assure you, the process was quite bloodless and painless.


As difficult as it is to coordinate an undertaking with this many variables, I'm so thankful everyone made the effort. Having a record of our time together is priceless. We always try to be thankful, but seeing this picture this week is especially precious.


You see, Grandpa has Multiple Myeloma.


He was diagnosed six years ago. And it broke the hearts of everyone in that picture.


It is not curable, medically. The goal in treatment is remission. He underwent a stem cell transplant that almost killed him. In preparation, the patient is given a substance that causes the body to produce millions of new stem cells. These are harvested. Then a massive dose of chemo is administered to kill off almost everything. For a month, Audie was deathly ill. 


We prayed.


For the past 5 1/2 years, he has not required any cancer treatment. None! And we have been blessed to have his presence in our lives, in the lives of our children. And the magnitude of that blessing is beyond description. We have savored every moment we've had in his presence. 


He and Marlene travel to M. D. Anderson every few months for routine checkups. We have been warned that it will come back. It's just a matter of when. Last week, when they went, one of the tests came back with elevated numbers. The doctors are concerned he may be coming out of remission. A follow up test after they returned home had some of the numbers back down to normal, and we are praising the Lord for that. 


They will return to Houston in a few weeks, instead of months, for the doctors to try and evaluate the situation more clearly. 


Spending part of last weekend with them, you would never have known they were facing anything other than the need to mow the yard or make plans to remodel their kitchen. They both walk in such Peace and Love that they are a blessing to everyone around them. 


We are praying for healing. That's what we all want. We want to keep both of them here with us forever because we love them so much. We know the Lord knows our hearts. And He Loves them more than we do! Because of that, we can all choose Peace. Even in the midst of circumstances that could break our hearts, He is Faithful and everything He allows into our lives is the most loving way for Him to accomplish His Purposes. And so we praise Him! We will praise Him for whatever path they are called to walk, trusting Him.


What an incredible God we serve! He is Worthy of all our praise, adoration, and confidence.

I would be blessed to read of His Faithfulness in your lives. Would you join us as we testify of His Faithfulness to us? It is amazing to see His Hand in our lives, His Presence with us as we walk through life. What more could we need or desire? He is Enough. 

Happy "Extra" Day!

When the load grows heavy, when our hearts feel weary and empty, when it seems we can only see far enough ahead for a single step, Joy may seem elusive.


The Truth of our situation is this: there is always "enough" to accomplish what He's given us to do. Today. 


If we could see miles ahead, would we be as dependent?


If we knew everything would turn out exactly the way we envision, would our prayers be earnest?


If we look at our day, and all that is on the list is what He's put there, Grace is Sufficient. When we get ourselves in a bind, it's usually because we didn't let Him make the list that day. 


And the pressure on those days when we feel like Bilbo Baggins as he said, "I feel . . . thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread," is our warning sign that things are out of balance. That feeling is a blessing, reminding us to press into His Heart, allowing Him to scratch anything off our list that shouldn't be there. 


Too often, though, I tend to dig in deeper and try to plow through the list, as I planned.


This morning, I told Him I was weary and begged Him to help me. And as we sat down to begin school, He reminded me that He is Sufficient for Today. In fact, He gave me an entire extra day! Most years, this would be March 1. But we have one more February day to walk in Grace! And for me, that was such an encouragement as this day began.


May your "extra day" be filled with an expanded understanding of His Provision, of His Perfect Timing in all things, of His desire to bless us through balance, and of His Trustworthiness to manage our "list." 

Between 5 pm Friday and 10 pm Sunday

We left home Friday in time to pick Kregg up from his office on the way out of town. It was Caleb's birthday, and we were headed to Abilene to take him out to dinner. Since Kregg's parents also live in Abilene, we always have the additional blessing of seeing them. 

Back at Grandma's and Grandpa's, we sang "Happy Birthday" to him. Grandma had made a scrumptious birthday dessert. Oh my.

Saturday, I took Caleb to a Christian bookstore. Boy, was I glad I had some "school money" saved up, because they had an amazing sale going on and we found many, many wonderful resources. Kregg took several of the kids to the zoo. It's amazing to us that a town as small as Abilene has such a wonderful little zoo. 

He took some great pictures. 

We had dinner at their house and then started home. We always want to bring Caleb home with us, but we let him stay. This time. :)


It's hard to believe he's 20 years old!! What an incredible blessing he has been to us all these years!

We went to church Sunday morning, then we had a lunch meeting with a precious young couple from church. We left there, drove back to Midland, loaded up, grabbed Mackenzy, and left for Lubbock. She had a fitting scheduled for her wedding dress and that was the only time that would work. It gave us a good excuse to visit Samuel. 


And Jeremiah and Hannah. :)


We drove straight into town and headed for the bridal store. Hannah met us there so we could visit while Mackenzy was being fitted and while we shopped for the dresses for Elizabeth and Rebekah. Jeremiah picked up Kregg, Josh and Ben (You should have seen how quickly they bolted out of the bridal store!) and took them to a more manly store: Guitar Center. We had been trying to find Caleb's birthday present, but it wasn't available in either Midland or Abilene. Lubbock, however, had just the thing. They made their purchases and then we met back at their house. They left so quickly, I hadn't even seen Samuel yet!!

And he's crawling!! 

Hannah had completed editing the engagement pictures of Kris and Mackenzy, so we got to see them. Oh my!

Then it was time for dinner again.

It's so hard to leave and go home!


We pulled in about 10 last night after traveling 660 miles since Friday at 5. It was a glorious weekend.

Where Are My Car Keys?!

Samuel is getting cuter by the day. We haven't seen him for a few weeks and when Hannah sent me this picture and these two videos, I immediately felt an overwhelming urge to grab my keys and drive the two hours to see him. NOW! 


Instead, I am being a responsible grownup and staying here. For as long as I can stand it! :)

This is really low-light, but you can still hear him practicing his growling. Little boys have to be able to perfect all those "man noises," you know. :)

Now that his growling is coming along nicely, it's on to the "raspberries."


Where are those keys?! Who needs sleep anyway?  I could drive up and be back before breakfast! I'm sure Hannah and Jeremiah wouldn't mind me waking him up in the middle of the night. :)

Those Who Were Willing to Come

Reading through Exodus, something jumped out. After Moses had been to Sinai and received the instructions from the Lord, he cast the vision for the Israelites: They were to be His People; They were to follow His Law; And He would dwell among them in the Tabernacle.


And so they prepared to build His Dwelling Among Them.


The blueprint was specific. The materials list was specific. 


Then in chapter 36, it says this:

"Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work."

The craftsmanship was exquisite. Those gifted by the Lord were gifted for His Glory, for His Purpose. But, even though some were gifted for the work, it is implied that there might be some who were not "willing to come and do the work."

Of course, that little phrase provided lots of "food for thought."


Are there gifts He has given us that we aren't willing to use for His Glory?


Perspective makes all the difference.


If those craftsmen, gifted by the Lord, had truly understood what this Tabernacle meant, could anything have kept them away? If they had understood how that Tabernacle would be filled with the Glory, wouldn't they have lingered as long as possible? And their work? Wouldn't it have been carried out with more joy and passion and excellence than they could ever have mustered for any other project?


What about our gifts?


Do we have the perspective for their use that brings Him the most Glory? Do we use them for His Purposes? Do we seek excellence in their use because it's all for Him?


How can we, as parents with incredible ability to influence, how can we help our children to capture that Vision for their gifts? How can we encourage excellence, not for their glory, but for His? How can we help them have the true perspective on our time here?


Don't we have to have a true perspective ourselves first, before we can pass that vision on to them?

"every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work"

May we be willing. With everything that is in us, may we say, "Yes, Lord. Use us as You see fit."

Our Friendly Septic Tank Man: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

We really "moved up" in the world a few years ago when our neighborhood received city water. Prior to that, we had lived for years with well water. And our well water is so hard, it comes out in the shape of little bricks. So there was much to celebrate when we received a city tap for water. But that was the only hook-up they installed. We are still on a septic system. 


For those of you who don't know what that is, be thankful.


Anyway, because our home was built for a smaller family than ours, our septic system is under constant strain. Which means, we have to kind of "baby" it. We have used the same company to take care of it for years. I don't trust anybody else. Our septic tank man has kept us from having any serious trouble and so I do whatever he tells me to do. If he says, "Double up on the bacteria treatment." I double up on the bacteria treatment. If he says, "Use Angel Soft tissue paper." I won't buy any other kind. If he says, "Do not use bleach or any other harsh cleaners, and do NOT use anything antibacterial." Then you better believe I follow his advice religiously.


At least once a year, he comes to clean everything out. We all stay inside. I try not to think about what they are doing with that giant stainless steel truck in my back yard.


When he's finished, he comes in so I can write him a check and so he can hand me the boxes of bacteria for the upcoming year. Of course, we are usually having school when he comes. During his last visit, he was in quite a talkative mood. He sat down at the school table and began to tell me how blessed our children are to grow up in our home. 


He went on to explain his childhood and how he hadn't been raised in a wholesome family. And because of that, his life was really "off track" for many years. We talked about the Lord and politics and homeschooling and his family. It made me cry. 


We sometimes forget, I think, just how blessed we are. Seeing our home and family through his eyes broke my heart. The heart hunger that had left its scars in his soul were still evident. But instead of being bitter, he was choosing hope. He was choosing to try to live his life better than he had been raised to live it. 


Those days when this job seems never-ending, it can be easy to lose sight of the blessedness of it all. Even though it's hard and long and steep and heavy, his words reminded me of why we have made the choices we've made. Being in our home for those few minutes, he saw the fruit that we can sometimes take for granted.


The Lord renewed my vision, and my heart, through the annual visit of my friendly septic tank man. And I was so blessed!

How has He reminded you of His Faithfulness this week? What has happened this last month that made you say, "Thank You, Lord!" Have you seen growth in your spirit? In the spirit of your child? Has someone told you how you have blessed them? All of it points us back to our Abba Father and what He is doing in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes. Will you tell us about it here? We LOVE to read about what He is doing in and through you! Grab the button, add it to your post, (or not) and link up a page in your heritage of faith. Add another chapter to the book He is dictating by His Faithfulness every moment of every day as we walk this earth.

The Battle for the Imaginations of Our Children

This was drawn by "youngest" years ago

As those created in the Image of our Creator, creativity is at the core of our beings. Endowed with the incredible tool of imagination, man has been "creating" from the beginning. Intended for His Glory, our ability to imagine and create should be used to accomplish His Purposes through us. Is it any wonder the evil one has our imaginations in his wicked cross-hairs? Our enemy would love to hijack, for his own purposes, a Gift that is intended to be used in Holiness. 


So how do we thwart his efforts?


How do we protect the imaginations of our children?


Are we not the "guardians at the gate?"


No doubt, you remember your amazement when your young child came up with some incredibly fanciful idea or story or drawing. Watching their young minds at work is truly a humbling experience, because we recognize the potential contained in the gift of imagination. 


Is it any wonder there are so many attempts to capture the imaginations of our children? Attempts that do not have holiness at their core? Think of all the books and cartoons and movies and video games and regular games and apps for phones, and the list goes on forever, that try to capture the imagination of your children. Or even of yourself? 


Have you ever wondered why?


Have you ever wondered why millions and millions of dollars are spent creating things to sweep us up and away on flights of fancy? Have you ever considered just how many hours people in the United States spend each week allowing someone else to direct the course of their thoughts, strictly for "entertainment purposes?"


I'm going to spout off here, from my personal view of the world as I see it in black-and-white: I don't really believe anything is neutral. Either something is worth our time, or it isn't. Since time is our most valuable resource, the choice of how to spend it is of importance. Sure, there is value in relaxing. But we can't use the need to relax as an excuse to allow anything into our minds that isn't going to bless us in our walk with the Lord. 


We are choosing.


Whether we recognize it or not, we are choosing what captures our imaginations. Many people will argue that they aren't affected by watching something on television that they would never "live out themselves." But we must not be deceived. What we allow into our minds does affect our minds. 


As parents, what does this say about our responsibility to train our children in the use of their imaginations?


Their imaginations are always active. 


Are we offering them wholesome, encouraging, uplifting fuel for the insatiable appetites of their minds?


Their imaginations will be captured by something?


Are we being intentional about what that something is?


Do you know what your children are reading? Listening to? Spending time on? 


What is the value system of those who have created whatever it is that your child is fascinated by?


Our value system is reflected in what we create. 


If our children are reading, watching, absorbing things created by people who do not seek to glorify the Lord, is that truly what's best for our children? Especially when they are young, and their value system is still in the process of being formed? Especially when they do not yet have the spiritual discernment to recognize the schemes of the enemy that may be disguised in a book or game?


As parents, the Holy Spirit offers us the help we need to discern what is best for our children. All we have to do is ask and then be willing to allow Him to reveal Truth to us. 


There is SO much great stuff out there to capture the imaginations of your children. Of course, books are some of our favorite resources. And with the growth of homeschooling, many materials are becoming available again that have been out of print for decades. There is a wealth of historical fiction from a Christian worldview that is filled with adventure and truth and will capture the imaginations of your children. Biographies of great men and women are treasures that will bless the whole family. There is an incredible power in watching how people walk out their faith. 


Even if we haven't realized how easily worthless or even ungodly influences can creep into our home, the Lord will help us weed out and replace things with better choices. And, our children will acquire a "taste" for truly worthwhile things. That doesn't mean that our vigilance will not always be required, but it does mean that it will get easier as our "tastes" improve.


Our imaginations are intended to bring Him Glory. May we feed them properly.

Psalm 145: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Every day I will praise you and extol your name

for ever and ever.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They will tell of the power of your awesome works,

and I will proclaim your great deeds.

They will celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all;

he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O Lord;

your saints will extol you.

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom

and speak of your might, 

so that all men may know of your mighty acts 

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord upholds all those who fall 

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you 

and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand

and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise his holy name

for ever and ever.

This was one of the chapters we read this week in school. And it spoke to me so powerfully. I LOVE it when His Truths jump off the page and confirm what the Holy Spirit has been teaching you, branding the lessons on your heart. His Faithfulness to us is complete. Perfect. Enduring. Engaging. Foundational. 

Confession time: there have been weeks when I have had a niggling little doubt in my heart about whether there would be anything for me to write for a Friday link up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith." Oh, it's not because He isn't Faithful. It is because I'm not. It is because I don't always have eyes to see. It is because my heart is not always open and humble. 

But, praise God, His Faithfulness to me doesn't depend at all on me! 

My________________ (fill in the blank with the "sin-of-the-week" that clouds my spiritual eyes) cannot diminish His Faithfulness a single bit. And He is grounding me so firmly in this Truth that the fiber of my soul is changing. The freedom that comes with a fuller understanding of His Faithfulness is so liberating. It changes everything!

We would love for you to link up here and share your testimony of His Faithfulness in your life. Be brave! You can do it! Even if you've never "linked-up" before, I promise it doesn't hurt a bit! :) Start writing pages in the Heritage of Faith for your family. Is there a verse you have read lately that spoke Comfort to your heart? Or maybe one that encouraged you, or strengthened your resolve to walk in Faith? Maybe you have been blessed by someone in the Body of Christ? Maybe you see a change in the heart of your child? All of it reveals His Faithfulness to us! Write it up and link it up! We'd love to hear another story about our Abba Father!!! :)

Our Latest Adventure, Part V (The End--Finally)

Our last port was Falmouth, Jamaica. We had scheduled an excursion to Dunn's River Falls and Dolphin Cove. Samuel had not slept well the night before, so he and Hannah stayed aboard the ship to see if they couldn't catch up on some sleep. The rest of us headed out for, what we didn't know then, would be our favorite day of all. 


Our guide was named Norman, but he told us to call him "Daddy," because we were a family for the day. It was pretty funny, since he was probably in his mid twenties. He regaled us with songs and jokes and interesting tidbits about the country of Jamaica, and its history as an English colony.


We arrived at Dunn's River Falls and, even though we had told them to wear water shoes, had to rent pairs for several children so that they would be allowed to climb the 900 foot waterfall.

We were divided into groups and assigned to a guide who would lead us up the best path, and to a videographer who would make sure to preserve any embarrassing moments for posterity. There was no way to keep my camera dry, though I really wished it could have come along. Kregg's parents stationed themselves at an overlook and took the camera to snap some shots as we passed.

Then we went to Dolphin Cove. 

A face only a mother could love. Rebekah took this picture and I love it! :)

Do I have the world's coolest in-laws, or what?!

There was a lot to see and do at Dolphin Cove.

Kregg was holding a stingray.

 

  

  

Probably the highlight of the entire trip was the fulfillment of one of Mackenzy's life-long dreams: to swim with dolphins. 

  

  

 Kregg found this little hat for Samuel with "dreds" attached. It was pretty funny.

Playing miniature golf in the middle of the ocean is amazing.

Kregg, Caleb and Jeremiah entered a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

Ben just loves wearing a dress shirt and tie to dinner. :)

And we were blessed with another gorgeous sunset.


This trip was such a precious time for our family. Just a few years ago, we could never have even considered going on something like this and that makes us appreciate it even more.