Our First Responsibility: Our Family

"The most discerning audience we will ever have is our own family. They know precisely whether or not our life matches our message.  Only when we pass the test of consistent living at home are we qualified to expand our ministry. Our family responsibilities are not barriers to a future ministry; they are basic training for it. For example, the skills David leaned in order to protect and feed the family flock were later used to conquer a giant and feed a nation. The skills  church leaders learns in order to meet the needs of his own family will be used to understand and meet the needs of the church. This explains why Christ told a certain man to go home to his family and first demonstrate his faith to them."

I've mentioned it before, but one of the very favorite resources used by our family are the three volumes of Character Sketches. The quote above is from one of the four chapters on the character quality of Availability in volume 2. The definition for Availability being studied in this chapter says:

"Availability is serving my family first before I consider other needs or wants."                          I Timothy 5:8

Our homes are our training grounds. Walking in the fullness of understanding in what He desires to accomplish in our souls through the responsibilities we carry at home puts even the mundane tasks in a different light. If we truly believe that everything we do in our home, before or for our family, is for His Glory and our sanctification, we can't treat any of it as unimportant. 


Don't hear a burden in this, hear an opportunity. 


If we understand just how much He desires to accomplish in our souls through ministry in our homes, to our families, it actually gives us more Grace (defined as the power and desire to do His Will). It actually energizes our Purpose and plants seeds of exciting expectation as we await the Fruit He will bring forth, not only in our hearts, but in our home, our children, our spouse. 


As we focus on the ministry of the Home and Hearth, it helps us say "no" to things that are not for this season. By refining our purpose, we are granted discernment to see requests for the expenditure of our resources in the context of our main focused responsibility in this season. When we clearly see our responsibility, it helps us commit to only those things that will bless our purpose in this season, knowing that, as we are faithful, He prepares us for expanded ministry in the next season.


We would be wise not to despise the season of "small things." Small does NOT mean unimportant. Instead, these "small things," the ones seen by only a few, are extremely important if we are to be fitted well for His Purposes. Focusing on the "small things" is the only way to learn to be used in the "big things," where our influence and ministry are expanded by Him to accomplish His Purposes. In our families, the small things all matter. And, if we pay attention to our hearts here, He will purify and build into us a foundation on which can be built expanded areas of influence and ministry, by His Hand, in His Time. 


My family see me clearly. They know when I am chaffing under the yoke of ministry in our home. They know when I am despising the season of small things. They recognize when my attitude is not that of a servant, joyfully ministering in my responsibilities. And in those times when I am centered on self, I miss out on the potential to influence, the blessing of serving, the opportunity to humble myself. Every time I choose poorly, it costs our family something. None of my choices, as a wife and mother, are made in a vacuum. They all affect those He has given me to serve. And they cost me, in rejecting an opportunity to be made more into His Image in that moment of choice.


It is no accident that I still have several children at home (all day :). The refining of the "silver for the Silversmith's use" is requiring decades, in my case. I'm a "tough nut to crack." 

Kisses From Katie: The "Beginning" of a Book Review

Katie Davis is living the life of a drink offering, being poured out completely in the service of her King. She first went to Uganda during the midpoint of her senior year in high school. She was "ruined." 


"Jesus wrecked my life, shattered it to pieces, and put it back together more beautifully."


Planning initially to spend a year in Uganda after she graduated from high school, before starting college, but ended up staying there. She is now in the process of adopting 14 daughters. Being only 22 herself, she never dreamed she would be a mother of so many, so soon.


"People often ask if I think my life is dangerous, if I am afraid. I am much more afraid of remaining comfortable. Matthew 10:28 tells us not to fear things that can destroy the body but things that can destroy the soul. I am surrounded by things that can destroy the body. I interact almost daily with people who have deadly diseases, and many times I am the only person who can help them. I live in a country with one of the world's longest-running wars taking place just a few hours away. Uncertainty is everywhere. But I am living in the midst of the uncertainty and risk, amid things that can and do bring physical destruction, because I am running from things that can destroy my soul: complacency, comfort, and ignorance. I am much more terrified of living a comfortable life in a self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus than I am of any illness or tragedy."

"Jesus called His followers to be a lot of things, but I have yet to find where He warned us to be safe. We are not called to be safe, we are simply promised that when we are in danger, God is right there with us. And there is no better place to be than in His hands."

"For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite Bible verses has been Psalm 37:4: 'Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.' I used to believe it meant that if I did what the Lord asked of me, following His commandments, and was a 'good girl,' He would grant all my desires and make my dreams come true. Today, this is still one of my favorite passages of Scripture, but I have learned to interpret it in a totally different way. It is not about God making my dreams come true but about God changing my dreams into His dreams for my life."

All those quotes are from the Introduction! :)


She has a blog! Kisses From Katie

To be continued . . .

A Pastor in LA Was Arrested While Protesting the Treatment of Six Chinese Prisoners

Friday, February 17, 2012

LA Pastor Arrested for Protesting for Release of Six Chinese Prisoners of Conscience Outside Chinese VP’s Hotel

China Aid Association

(Los Angeles—Feb. 17, 2012) A pastor in Los Angeles calling for the release of six Chinese prisoners of conscience outside the L.A. hotel of visiting Chinese vice president Xi Jinping was arrested Friday morning and taken away in handcuffs.

The protest by Pastor Eddie Romero was modeled after a similar one-man protest in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning outside the White House by human rights activist and Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Horowitz.  Both men were arrested for calling for the release of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, longtime political dissident Liu Xianbin, former judge Guo Quan, Uyghur house church leader Alimujiang Yimiti and the woman house church pastor Yang Rongli.

(Photo shows Pastor Romero just before his protest and arrest.)

Go here to see a photo gallery of his protest and arrest:http://lang.sgvtribune.com/photos/photos.asp?a=1417401

Romero, who is also director of ChinaAid’s Los Angeles office, said in an e-mail Thursday urging others to join him, “As a pastor, I must raise my voice to injustice; as a professor of Philosophy, I know the ethical thing to do; and as the Director of China Aid Los Angeles I would be negligent of my duties to let this moment pass in silence.”

Quoting from Micah 6.8 in the Bible, Romero said that he wanted the action to “remind China's Vice President Xi, US Vice President Biden, Governor Brown and Mayor Villaraigosa that we are...‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with (our) God.’”

He also prepared a formal statement, which is below.

Romero, pastor of the Hacienda Christian Fellowship, in 2008 had traveled to Beijing during the Olympic Games where he staged dramatic protests in Beijing hotel rooms highlighting China’s human rights record.

Statement of Pastor Eddie Romero

"I, along with others, have taken a step today as an act of kinship with heroes and heroines of faith and conscience now languishing in Chinese prisons.

Many politicians and diplomats want to draw a clear distinction between the economy and human rights, for fear of offending their Chinese counterparts.  My hope is that Vice President Joseph Biden, Governor Jerry Brown and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will rise above any pandering spirit but [act] as true statesmen, intentionally blur the artificial line between the economy and human rights.

In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, I had the privilege of raising my voice for the persecuted on Tiananmen Square, the very place where the fight for democracy and freedom reached an apex and then suffered a brutal and bloody fall in 1989.  My message then and now remains the same “God says, let my people go so they may worship me” (Exodus 8.1).  Good women and men of faith and conscience have suffered too long under the unjust hand of the Chinese government, and more specifically the Chinese Communist Party.

I, and countless others, have great hope for progress in US-China relations as Vice President Xi Jinping assumes leadership in China.  The sixteen-year persecution of his father for acts of conscience not dissimilar from those of the China Six—a persecution which Vice President Xi acutely shared—offer hope that he will understand the importance of rule of law reform as a means of protecting and enhancing his county’s security, success and respect.

The treatment of the China Six will send a clear signal about Vice President Xi’s vision for China’s future and his interest in improved relations with the United States.

By Rev. and Professor Eddie Romero. Director of ChinaAid-Los Angeles Office

---

ChinaAid ContactsBob Fu, President;  Mark Shan, Spokesperson

Tel: 1+ (888) 889-7757      Cell:  (267) 205-5210

Email: Bob@ChinaAid.org Mark@ChinaAid.org

LA Office: Eddie Romero Tel: (323) 521-6777  Email: ChinaAid.LA@gmail.com

Website: www.ChinaAid.org www.MonitorChina.org

We have loved Bob and Heidi Fu for years!! They do an incredible work helping to support the underground Church in China. China Aid released this article--I thought you would want to see it.


After doing more research, I learned that this pastor stepped off the curb into the street with his sign and that is why he was arrested. If that's the case, it puts a very different light on things. Even in protest, we are still to be respectful and submit to authorities as long as possible. :)

Planting Scripture in Our Hearts

The process we must undergo to become more and more like Jesus takes place in every level of our being. A large part of the battleground is that of our thoughts. Learning to think His Thoughts, by engrafting Scripture into our souls, helps change how we think. 


An important part of our homeschooling is the memorization of large sections of Scripture. The kids have learned to quote many chapters. It's easier for some of them than it is for others, but all of them have learned so much! It takes lots of little steps, consistently taken, to "get there from here." I am so thankful for what they've learned, believing it will help them have the Mind of Christ Jesus as we seek to better reflect Him to all those around us.


Elizabeth, #5 of 7, is very shy. She doesn't like to talk in front of others, unless she knows them very well. But she is a memorizing machine. :) And, when I saw on A Holy Experience that Ann was encouraging all of us to learn the Sermon on the Mount, and then to link up a video of what we are learning, I asked her, since she's already memorized it, if she would like to link up a video. She said she would like to. So here she is, the sweet little thing, quoting Matthew 5, 6, and 7.


It encourages me and the other kids to keep working on it. 

Caleb's Parenting Advice, A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

Caleb was our only son for several years. And that was not okay with him. He prayed diligently for brothers, and the Lord imported them from Russia just for him. He takes his role as "big brother" very seriously, even while he's away at college. His influence has had such a huge impact, we will never truly see its scope this side of Heaven. But we are so thankful to the Lord for the passion He has placed in the heart of this tender warrior to help shepherd the hearts of his little brothers. 


As from the beginning of our time with Joshua, the battle rages in him between seeking only the approval of the Father and seeking the approval of "man." Joshua doesn't even understand the degree to which his choices are controlled by his desire to "please man." The scars left in his spirit because he was thrown away by those who were supposed to love him are still influencing him, steering him to seek love and approval from everyone he meets, trying to fill that gaping hole only He can fill. Balanced by the Father's Love, his naturally gregarious nature will be a great tool in His Kingdom. Out of balance, it drives Josh to do things without thinking about whether he should, whether it is wise, whether it would please Him. He tends to think only about whether someone else will be impressed.


We talk to him about the driving force behind his decisions, and about how we must "keep him on a short leash" until we know He fears only God, not man. We pray and pray. We encourage him to choose with wisdom, using God's criteria, not man's. But we are still troubled by many of his choices.


Caleb, too, went through a season when he was seeking the approval of man. During that time, he wasn't really himself. He would tend to be sullen and easily discouraged. His spirit was not at peace, and so nothing else really worked. It was a time that sent us to prayer a great deal, knowing that the Lord would have to touch his heart and help him to seek Truth which is embodied in Christ. The Lord answered our prayers, and the fruit of the Spirit in Caleb's life is so very precious to us. Maybe even more precious than it otherwise would have been had we not seen how the Lord had moved his heart.


Caleb has been reading the biography of Hudson Taylor, which is one of the most important books I've ever read. It's been a while since I last read it, and so, while we were discussing our concerns over Joshua, Caleb was reminding me of a portion describing the early years of Taylor's life. He believed it would help us with Joshua. And I think he is exactly right.


A little background here, in case you are unfamiliar with Hudson Taylor and his pioneering missionary work in China during the 1800's. He was used by the Lord to take the Gospel to areas of China that had never seen a white man, never heard of Christ. His unorthodox methodology became the standard for later efforts as he, instead of maintaining a "Western" worldview, fully embraced the dress, language, mannerisms of his adopted home. The missionary society the Lord began through him is still operating. But there was quite a journey required by his soul before he was fit for service in such a huge way.


During Taylor's early life, he, too, struggled with being too strongly influenced by peers. His parents and sister continued to speak Truth to him, but his earlier conversion had been to religion, not to Christ Jesus, and so there was no "staying power." He says this in his writings about that season of his life:

"Often had I tried to make myself a Christian, and failing of course in such efforts, I began to think that for some reason or other I could not be saved, and that the best I could do was to take my fill of this world, as there was no hope for me beyond the grave. While in this state of mind I came into contact with persons holding sceptical (antiquated spelling) and infidel views, and quickly accepted their teachings, only too thankful for some hope of escape from the doom which if my parents were right and the Bible true awaited the ungodly."

The narrative continues:

"He was all wrong, and his parents could not but see it. The father tried to help him, but found it hard to be patient with the phase through which he was passing. The mother understood him better, and redoubled her tenderness and prayers. But it was his sister Amelia, now thirteen years of age, who was nearest to him and best able to win his confidence."

That little phrase, out of the 500+ page first volume of the biography is what Caleb reminded me of. He believed that was an important key to help Joshua in the phase he is going through right now. 


It's hard to be 14 1/2, 5' 1/2", 103 lbs in a family where the guys are all 6' tall and 200 lbs. We keep reminding him that he is exactly, perfectly designed just how the Lord planned for him to be, but he struggles with trying to compensate for size with a "tough-guy" attitude. He loves the Lord, but he struggles with what that means in his choices. 


I have taken Caleb's advice, and believe it is exactly what I should be focusing on, continuing to pray that Joshua will seek Wisdom and Discernment, but also focusing on lots of hugs and teasing and words of praise and encouragement. He needs to be reminded constantly that we love him and are his biggest fans. Knowing that helps him not need the approval of others so much. So cranking up the cheering squad from the home team is the plan. Especially from Kregg and I. We need to constantly, consistently speak words of affirmation, encouragement and praise to him. We normally try to do that, but during this season for Joshua, we need to do it even more. 


And he loves it! He is so very attentive to serving me in any way he can. Several times a day, he will ask me if there is anything he can do for me, anything I need. That tender heart is exactly the type of ground into which the seeds the Lord is sowing will take root and grow strong. And as Hudson Taylor's dear sister stood with her parents in praying for her brother, Caleb prays and encourages Joshua.


And so for now, we wait. And pray. And pray. And wait. Knowing that He Who is Faithful will hear and answer. Again.

Our Father is Faithfulness in Essence. There is not a single moment during a single day when that Faithfulness falters or fails us. Can't happen! If it could, He would be denying His Nature. He would have changed! And that cannot happen. So if it "feels" like His Faithfulness is wavering in the tiniest degree, the evil one, or our own sin nature, is trying to deceive us. We can build our lives firmly on the foundation of the Faithfulness of our Father. (that's a lot of "f's" :) If you find yourself in a situation that causes you to question whether He is really Faithful to you, right now, ask Him to show you. Ask Him to help you see it. Guaranteed: It is there! Even in the most challenging, trying, frightening circumstances, the Truth of the matter is that we just have to look into His Face. He will be known by us if we seek Him.


How has He proven His Faithfulness to you? Find a post you wrote years ago, or write a brand new one. Your testimony can be something "earth shattering" or it can be the quiet whisper in your spirit speaking to you at just the moment you needed it. It could be the newly unfolding understanding of a passage in the Bible. It could be the Wisdom to speak exactly the right words at exactly the right time. It could be the softening in your child's heart that you have been praying for. Whatever it is, we should give Him Glory. And that's why there is this tiny little link-up every Friday. It's simply a way to encourage us to write it down so that we don't forget. In times of trial and testing, remembering all the times He has shown Himself Faithful to us will help us to believe He will again be Faithful.

Great Backyard Bird Count

There's a neat opportunity for all of us this weekend. The Great Backyard Bird Count starts tomorrow and runs for four days. It's a great chance to intentionally notice the birds wintering in your yard.

There's a very helpful website with everything you need to get started. You can print out a checklist for the birds likely to be seen in your area, by your zipcode. Then, grab a pair of binoculars, a field guide, and a comfy perch and watch for at least 15 minutes. You can watch as long as you like on one day or all four. The information gathered is compiled online and helps scientists understand how the different populations are faring. 

It's a great opportunity to help your kids understand the work of scientists and to participate in the gathering of usable data. Who knows? You may be raising a budding ornithologist! 

If birdwatching is a new skill for your kids, it would be helpful to look at the field guide ahead of time and notice the identifying characteristics of the birds you are likely to see. It can be a little frustrating when you are trying to look at a bird that keeps moving or actually leaves, while looking it up in the field guide to make a positive identification. 

There is also a wonderful website called The Handbook of Nature Study with additional information on all kinds of nature studies. She offers wonderful resources, many of them free, others at a nominal fee. 


                                                              

Edible Egypt

I admit it freely: this was mainly "twaddle." If you've read any Charlotte Mason, you know where I'm headed. We work very hard in our homeschool to make sure the choices for our time are worth our time, educationally. We don't do a bunch of stuff that isn't actually moving us toward the content goal. Another way to put it is, we try to avoid "fluff." But this project in Mystery of History was going to be too much fun to miss. After all, who wouldn't want to eat an entire country?

Plus, it gave me an excuse to by a sheet cake pan. I've needed one for years, but just haven't purchased it. Having an atlas exactly the right size made things so simple. Opened up, it was just the right size for our stencil of Egypt.

 The kids made toothpick flags to mark the important cities and features.

All cooled, ready to decorate.

There is a great selection available these days for adding color and details.

A strict "NO EATING OUT OF THE CAN" policy was enforced.

We traced the outlines from the atlas and made a stencil for the other incredibly easy part: spray on tinting! We had never used this before, but it was great fun. Stinky, but fun. It smells like silly string. I'm sure you all know exactly what silly string smells like, right?

Now for the details.

Gel icing in tubes with tiny tips made the addition of details very quick and easy.

Then the flags went in to mark everything.

Praline almonds worked well for the mountain ranges.

Rebekah (of course) carved chocolate chips into the shapes of the pyramids, but somehow I didn't get a picture of them, and they were some of the first bites to disappear.


I'm not ashamed to say it: We will definitely be "twaddling" into other countries, turning them into delicious desserts.

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. :)

This Season of Preparation

The weeks drag on for Mackenzy. She wrestles with her heart. With her fiance over 400 miles away, both of them working lots of hours, taking lots of classes, and having schedules that are mostly opposites, phone calls are few and far between, and it makes the waiting harder for her. She misses him. He misses her. And it's easy for them to just want the waiting to hurry up and be over.


Plans for the wedding are progressing. We have lots of the big pieces in place, but there are still millions of tiny details to determine. And during all the planning and working and studying, preparations need to be made in their hearts.


It's always a transition, learning to live together. It requires so much Grace. Even when you are deeply in Love, there will be sharp edges that need to be smoothed away. Preparing your heart to humbly walk the path of becoming one requires lots of prayer.


And that's what we are encouraging Mackenzy to do: trust the Lord for His Purposes in this season and don't miss the lessons available in the next few months.


During seasons that are unpleasant, the temptation is to wish them away. We can be tempted to shift into a survival mentality, planning to go through the motions, hoping the time will pass quickly and the unpleasant season will be over. 


But if we succumb to that temptation, we can miss learning things the Lord has for us in those unique times and circumstances. As students in His Classroom during this life, there are always lessons to be learned, Blessings to be found in His work on our hearts. 


Are our eyes open?


Do we expect Him to teach us in every situation? Every season?


The rate of our growth toward spiritual maturity is directly affected by our attentiveness "in class." When we expect lessons, we can often see Purpose where we otherwise would only chafe under unpleasant circumstances. 


There's always a lesson to learn that will help make us more into the image of Christ and to better prepare us for what lies ahead. Are we being good "students?"


Mackenzy is learning. And so are we. During these last few months with her living at home, we don't want to miss any lessons He has for us.


May we each walk in Wisdom, trusting His Purpose in all the circumstances He allows into our lives.

"It's Just Like Riding a Bicycle"

I am non-athletic. Completely. But, because of my sister's diligent efforts over a period of years, I used to be an okay skier.


The last time I went was eight years ago. It was a complete fiasco. I had convinced myself, since then, that I couldn't ski anymore. 


The boys' Scout troop was planning a trip to Ruidoso and Kregg asked a few weeks ago if I would like to come along and bring Elizabeth and Rebekah. My initial response was that I would come, but wouldn't ski. I was thinking I could watch them come down and snap a few pictures. At least the girls would get to go. But as it drew nearer, I got to thinking that I should at least give it a try. "It's just like riding a bicycle," he said. It was, after all, just for one day, and if it was dreadful I could sit at the lodge and stay warm, waiting for all of them.


So we made plans.


I would leave earlier than the troop with the four youngest. Kregg would wait for Caleb and his roommate, Warren, to drive in from college, and then they would travel up with the troop. 


We bought and downloaded a new audio book to listen to on the drive. (If you don't know about BlueBehemoth.com, you should check it out!) We got everything packed and loaded, and shut down the house. Then we took off. Kregg had printed me out a map with my route highlighted so I wouldn't get lost. Elizabeth, because she is very prone to motion sickness, was my navigator, sitting up front with me.


Several hours later, we pulled into our hotel, unloaded and then went to find dinner.

The wait for a table for five was 30 minutes so we opted for two adjacent booths. After eating, we went back to the hotel to await the arrival of the rest of the guys. It ended up being pretty late. Kregg pulled in and picked up Josh and Ben to deliver them to the house the Scouts were staying in, then came back to the hotel with the girls and me. 

Early the next morning, we headed up the mountain. Caleb always has a silly face ready when I point the camera at him. Warren is much more cooperative. He was so excited to go skiing for his very first time! He had no idea just how much fun he was in for, with Caleb teaching him to ski. :) He should know by now that anytime he comes with us on one of our trips, he's in for an adventure. 

I didn't tell her she had her ear band on backwards

Rebekah, in her permanent "snowplow"

It was a glorious day! Which really helped me be braver.

Kregg, Elizabeth, and Rebekah

Kregg, contemplating endless possibilities

Notice the name of this run? Inspiring for one who is "Wild At Heart!"

Elizabeth, Kregg, Warren, and Caleb, about to board the lift

Elizabeth and Kregg riding behind us

Rebekah is still very much a beginning skier, and she wanted me to stay with her. That was fine and it allowed Elizabeth, who is much more confident, to go and ski with Kregg on a little more difficult slopes. As the day progressed, Rebekah was doing better and better. We decided to join Kregg and the others for our last run of the day. 

Big mistake.

The slope we planned to attempt was not one Rebekah felt good about, once she saw it. But by that point, we were past the point of no return. The two of us decided to ski across a little path that bisected the run the others were taking, thinking it would lead us to the "easy way down." It didn't. She was really getting scared. And tired. Both of us were very tired, by that point. Scared and tired on a "black diamond" is a recipe for disaster. 

We took off our skis and carried them. It seemed like we walked forever. And still there was no way to the trail we needed. I was really very concerned that Rebekah was about at the end of her rope. And I just kept praying for the Lord to help us. It was getting later and later, and we were still on top of the mountain. We finally decided we would have to climb up one of the black slopes. That was a chore. Especially after we were already so tired. When we finally made it up, the trail we expected was no where to be found. I began to wonder what would happen if she was not able to keep going. 

We came out on the face of the mountain under the gondola. At least it was wide open. We put the skis back on, but she was so scared that I didn't know if she would be able to conquer her fear enough to do what she knew how to do. It was too far to walk down. She really needed to be able to ski. We just had to focus on tiny little goals. Once we made it part of the way down the face, we found the "easy way down," which made her feel better. She was skiing a little, and I kept reminding her that we were making progress and she would soon be on her favorite run. It probably took us over an hour to make it to that trail where she had gained so much confidence earlier in the day. By that point, it was completely in shadows and the surface had grown crusty and slick. But she did exactly what she needed to, staying in control of her speed and working her way back and forth down the slope. It's actually so much harder to ski that slowly than with moderate speed--I wanted to encourage her to speed up a little because I knew her legs were exhausted, but she needed to focus on what was working for her, so I just stayed close and kept cheering her on, telling her how proud I was of her attitude and perseverance. 

When we were about half way down that last run, and we had hope that we would survive it after all, a snow-boarder came whizzing down the slope. 

I could see it coming and I couldn't believe it. 

He took her out. 

She lay in a heap, whimpering, and I thought I was capable of murder for a moment. 

Not really. 

But I did just almost lose it. I'm ashamed to say that I threw my poles down. Thankfully, the Lord kept my mouth closed and I just focused on getting to her and helping her up. She was trying so hard not to cry. The poor man was horrified. He apologized profusely. He stayed to make sure she was able to get up, and then skied near us for a few minutes. Rebekah told him she was okay and then we made sure he wasn't hurt. I was so proud of her. I knew how hard it was for her to stay calm. I knew how frustrated she was. But she got up and made the very best of it. 

My little girl is growing up.

We made it down and found Kregg and the other kids. I cannot fully express the relief that flooded my heart. Rebekah had stepped away for a moment, and so I was trying to explain to Caleb what had happened. The floodgates opened. I started crying and couldn't finish. I just kept thanking the Lord for getting us through it.

And once it was over and my heart had settled a little, everything was wonderful again. I was so very thankful. It had been a beautiful day and, even though the last couple of hours were incredibly difficult, I am glad I didn't miss it by being too afraid to try to ski again. It really is like riding a bicycle. 

The girls and I started down the mountain in the suburban, thinking Kregg and the guys were right behind us. They weren't. The truck wouldn't start. :)


Kregg called me and I told him I would find a turn around and head back up to see if we could jump it off. He told me to wait. There "just happened" to be a scenic overlook a little farther down. If the truck had started, I wouldn't have taken time to stop. It was so beautiful! The clouds looked like an ocean among the mountain tops. A few minutes later, and the vista would have been completely obscured in shadow. His blessings are always perfectly timed, aren't they?

The truck started up after several more attempts. It's a diesel and we think it was just too cold. After a shower and a lovely dinner, Kregg and the two girls and I piled into bed, completely tired out. The plan for the next morning was to get up fairly early and head home, because Caleb and Warren would still have what would normally be a 2 1/2 hour drive on to Abilene from our house.

But guess what happened? The truck wouldn't start again. It took us almost an hour to finally get it running. We headed over to pick up the four boys, three of them having slept OUTSIDE!! Their nuts!

While we waited for them to come out, we got to watch several mule deer come up out of a gulch to graze in the yards. They were so beautiful.

I have another budding photographer on my hands. :)

He looks SO much older when he has fur on his face! He will turn twenty in a week and a half! Having spent most of the night outside in a sleeping bag, he took a nap to catch up. There was at least one lane open all the way back, but it was a little scary. Kregg and the rest of the Boy Scouts were about twenty minutes behind us, and between the time we past one spot and the time they did, a minivan had rolled several times.

Caleb and Warren left as soon as possible for Abilene, and it's a good thing because, instead of a 2 1/2 hour drive, it took them more than 4. They saw 20+ accidents in that 150 miles. We were so thankful for them to arrive safely. 


It was a wonderful weekend.