9 years old....the last of the single digits!

Baby girl turned 9 a couple days ago.  This is our last year of having a child in the single digits.  What an adventurous 9 years she has brought us!  We had a bit of ice come in so everything was slick outside.  Sidewalks and driveways were especially bad.  Most roads were clear by the time Little A's birthday came.  When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she came up with a few ideas and we finally landed on one I thought would work: going on a scavenger hunt.

Born late, we weren't sure whether we would have a Christmas baby, a New Year's baby or something in between.  Little A made her appearance at the perfect time: in between.  She struggled to get into proper position for birth and her heart didn't handle contractions well.  So, she entered the world via c-section.

She has always been the quiet one.  Even now, she doesn't use words unless she has to.  But she's great at acting her thoughts out and making you guess...hahahaha.  That brain of hers is always working, though.  This might come in handy if she becomes a spy like she wants to be someday.  Little A has always been the adventurous type, although, never wanting to leave those she loves.  How do you go on adventures while dealing with separation anxiety?  This is what Little A must face from time to time.

She is very independent.  She never wanted help doing anything and insisted doing everything herself.  With her brother and sister a few years older, she has a fantastic imagination and can entertain herself well, although she prefers company.

Little A has inherited the artistic gene and loves to draw and paint.  I cannot tell you how many sheets of paper she has gone through in this house!  Sometimes, we'll find a YouTube video for drawing and we'll draw something together for our art class.  It's perfect since I'm not artistic at all.

After enjoying her lunch choice of corndogs, it was time for some afternoon fun.  With the icy weather outside, we bundled up to try out geocaching for the first time.  I thought this would be the scavenger hunt Little A wanted.  However, since we were completely clueless as to how it worked and what we needed to do, it turned out to be very disappointing.  So, instead, we got ourselves some fun treats from the QT kitchen and headed back home.

By the time we came home, Seth was home for the day - early!  It was time for Little A to open her gifts.  We had enchiladas for supper, her favorite meal.  Then had cake and ice cream.  She wanted to watch the movie Pixels while we ate.  Later, she watched Zapped.

Overall, not too bad of a day.  We went on an adventure.  She did some painting and got a new spy watch.  We watched a couple of movies and ate her favorite foods.

This sweet little girl is so talented and loving.  She has a bright future ahead of her and I look forward see to what God has planned for her.  Happy 9th birthday!!!

Can Christians...

Can Christians...

Lie?  Yes
Cheat?  Yes
Murder?  Yes
Use swear words?  Yes
Use God's name in vain?  Yes
Commit adultery?  Yes
Be pedophiles?  Yes
Have premarital sex?  Yes
Be gay?  Yes
Be white?  Yes
Be black?  Yes
Be Asian?  Yes
Be of Jewish descent?  Yes
Be Catholic?  Yes
Be Protestant?  Yes
Be homeless?  Yes
Be rich?  Yes
Be poor?  Yes
Be depressed?  Yes
Be suicidal?  Yes
Be perfect?  No

Christians can be anyone, come from any background, struggle with any sin.  Christians are sinners.  No one is perfect, not even those who are true followers of Christ.  We often come off as judgmental hypocrites who are intolerant of anyone who does not believe the same.

Here's the reality:

Romans 3:23  All have sinned.
Romans 6:23  The wages of sin is death.
John 3:16  Whoever believes in [Jesus] shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Let's be honest.  Everyone judges someone else at some point in time.  It doesn't matter who or why, it happens.  Sometimes, we butt our noses in someone else's business where it doesn't belong, before we know all the facts.  Sometimes, we try to stand up for something we believe in only to smear the name of Jesus across the ground.

This is what I believe:  You are a sinner. (Romans 3:23)  You need a Savior. (Romans 6:23)  The Bible is God's Word. (1 Timothy 3:16)
This is what I want you to know:  God loves you. (John 3:16)  Jesus died for you. (Philippians 2:8)  God wants a relationship with you. (John 15:9)
This is what God wants us to do:  Do justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with Him.  (Micah 6:8)

I grieve for those who do not know the Lord and love living in their sin.
I grieve for those who have claimed to know Jesus, but have turned away from His Truth.
I grieve for myself, when I choose my own way instead of God's because I know He wants what is best for me.

I rejoice when God chooses to use me for His purpose.
I rejoice when a fellow Christian returns to the Lord after knowingly living in sin.
I rejoice when someone comes to Jesus as his/her Savior.

Jesus summed up the 10 Commandments with these 2 commands (Matthew 22:37-39):
Love the Lord your God.
Love your neighbor.

I don't believe the second is possible without the first.  In fact, I cannot love someone else the way God does because I'm still a sinner.  The very definition of God is love.  We are to follow His example.  But first, we must love Him.  When we love God, we desire to be like Him.  As we become more like Him, we are able to love others as He does.

1 John 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another.  For love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

I know it seems like we Christians bring our "religion" into everything.  This is why:  True followers of Christ surround their lives with Christ.  Every decision we make, every political issue, every activity we get involved in should be in line with God's Word.  We cannot separate our faith from our life.  The life of a Christian is following Christ.  Yes, we make mistakes.  Yes, we may come off as judgmental.  But what we believe and how we make decisions is something we feel so strongly about that we cannot take it out of our arguments.  We stand firm on what the Bible says.

No matter what you believe or what you think of me, I love you.  When I tell you that you are a sinner headed to hell, it is not to condemn you, to judge you, or to hate you.  It is because I care about your soul and where you will spend eternity.  This is a serious thing to consider.  I don't want you to spend eternity in hell.  God created hell for satan and the angels who followed him.  He does not want you to go there.  However, He cannot allow someone who has not confessed his/her sinfulness into heaven.  He is a holy and just God.

You probably have many questions.  You have probably heard all the answers before.  Or maybe this is the first time Christianity was explained a little more clearly.  I don't know exactly what all of my readers believe.  Regardless of what you have heard or currently believe or thoughts you have about what I've written, please feel free to talk to me.  Ask me your questions.  I will do my best to answer them.  The most important thing here is where you spend eternity.  You have a choice.  It is not mine to make.

50th Anniversary

August 13th is a special date in my family.  My parents were married on August 13th.  So were my dad's brother and his wife, as well as my dad's sister and her husband.  It is my dad's sister and husband who celebrates 50 years today!  A couple weeks ago, we all headed to Honey Creek State Park Resort in Iowa to help them celebrate their golden anniversary.

We got to stay in cottages equipped with full kitchens, dining area, and living room.  With so many of us, we had 3 cottages for the weekend.  Everyone arrived on Thursday and thus began the golden weekend.

There were many activities to do including a water park, beach, and nature walk.  Friday morning, a few kids went on the nature walk while most of us headed to the water park.  The water park included a little kiddie pool where my young niece could play.  We hung out in the lazy river.  Some of us played some basketball or tried the obstacle of walking across the water on lily-pad type things.  And of course there was a fun twisting water slide!  Everyone made their way to the water park at some point I think.

We all met back at the cottages for lunch. We chatted and told stories and laughed.  The kids were all wanting to hit the beach so we cleaned up and off they went.  The area had been getting so much rain that the beach was 95% under water.  They had to put up a temporary border for swimmers in the lake as the normal border was much too deep.  I opted to stay in the cottage as the morning had worn me out.  I played card games with my sister, Lisa, and my mom.  Then, we headed back to the water park to meet up with the beach goers.

For supper, we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers.  Then, of course, we roasted marshmallows for our traditional s'mores.  We heard they would be shooting fireworks that night....an event that takes place only once every 5 years.  Everyone, which included 16 adults and 11 children ages 2-15, piled in our vehicles and headed to the fireworks show.  The kids got free glow sticks as we watched the display.  Afterwards, we sat and waited for traffic to move so we could get back to the resort.  Our family decided to make the best of it and did the Chinese fire drill, giving the cars behind us a good laugh.  We had to explain to our kids what it was.  At first, they weren't too sure about the idea, but once Seth and I got out and started running, all 3 of them joined us.

Saturday, some of the guys went golfing.  My aunt, June, had some boxes from our childhood she wanted us to go through and look at.  We talked my uncle Bob and honorary uncle Richard to take the kids to the water park.  My mom, my aunt Lou, honorary aunt Joanne, and my aunt June sat and watched my sisters and I walk down memory lane.  We found puzzles, old books, Mad Libs, and many things we used in the "store" we always pretended to run.  We giggled about old celebrity crushes like Mario Lopez, and Toby Mac.  And a note that I had written..."I'm in the restroom, come in!"

By the time we finished, it was time for lunch.  The kids returned from the water park and we enjoyed another picnic.  We discussed afternoon plans.  The nature center opened up this afternoon.  Some wanted to see what was there.  Others wanted to go back to the water park and others to the beach.  I headed to the beach.  The younger kids enjoyed playing in the sand while the bigger kids swam out to the border.  The golfers had returned in the meantime.  As the day went on, some kids wanted to go to the water park.  Others joined us at the beach.  Adults came and went, more kids left to the water park.  (Disclaimer: all kids were with at least one adult at all times...kids weren't running around all free and adultless!)  Eventually, I decided I was done with the beach and headed to the water park, leaving Bob and a few of the older kids in the lake.  As we arrived at the door of the water park, we met my dad, Lisa, and her husband Andy on their way out.  I decided to join them on a trip to town.

We arrived back at the resort ready for the anniversary party.  We picked up the pizza while in town and bought ice cream.  We ate and talked about the fun we had.  The honorary couple, my uncle Ron and aunt June, opened gifts and cards.  Then, as tradition has it, my sisters  and I sang a song.  This year, we parodied Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Lisa wrote the lyrics and the rest of us gave our input on changes to make.  Even my niece offered a quick line before she walked out the door.  It was perfect.  We ate cake and ice cream and told more stories.  Ron's brother Richard and his wife Joanne had joined us for the weekend.  The "secret" talent of the Cannons had come out: we play our teeth.  First, my dad played The William Tell Overture.  Then my sister, Amanda, and I played Dueling Banjos...er Teeth.  Richard and Joanne were quite impressed.

Soon, the party had to end.  Sunday morning, we all packed up our belongings and headed to a picnic area after we checked out of our cottages.  We had a time of worship, singing hymns and other songs as well as reading from the Bible things that God had spoken to us recently.  Then, we had our final meal together before we all headed back to our regularly scheduled summer.

It was a fun weekend.  We are thankful that we were able to celebrate this significant event with everyone.

Happy anniversary to Bob and Lou!

Happy anniversary to Mom and Papa!

Happy 50th anniversary to Ron and June!

We love you all.

Time Adventures: Secure your future with the past

Another Vacation Bible School has come and gone.  It's hard to believe this was my 11th VBS!  This year, I had the privilege of having my older 2 children be in the skit.  I think they both were in for a surprise when they realized how much work goes into it and what I required of my cast.  I also think they enjoyed themselves.

Before we could start, we had to train all of the time leaders and time cadets in order to prepare for the mission.  We learned the routes the teams would be taking, became familiar with each time era, and sung songs.  We also saw the craft, played the games, and taste-tested some food.  All went well and we were ready for time travelers to board the mission.

This year, we centered our theme around time traveling.  Mark Lindsted did chalk talks for the lesson each night.  These along with singing, the skit, and handing out rewards all took place in the time machine.  Mark took our time travelers to different times as he taught them about sin, death, and salvation.

The time travelers first had to register with mission control so we knew who was present for traveling through time that night.  We also made sure each team leader had their necessary information and destination plans.  We had teams of astronauts, cowboys, gladiators, and knights.  We also had the mighty midgets/minions who weren't quite old enough to join the other time travelers.  There was also a new group: time cadets.  They were leaders in training, learning the ropes of the different areas and helping out when needed.

When stepping out of the time machine, the time travelers would then travel through the time warp.  They could end up playing games in the coliseum or making a craft somewhere in the future.  Later, they went to the library of time and learned a Bible verse.  They also got to sit in the Garden of Eden and enjoyed a delicious snack.

1 Corinthians 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.

After traveling to each time, the time travelers then traveled back through the time warp to the time machine where they could watch the skit.

The skit was called Your Time, My Time, No Time.  Dr. Horace Perrin and his assistant Dr. Macy Saniya invented a time machine.  However, before they could test it out, their childhood friend, Zaman Early stopped by, pushed a couple buttons, and several people from different times appeared in the lab.

Throughout the week, the scientists and Zaman talked to Adam and Eve, Synclair Brede who was a passenger on the Titanic, Ellema Ham who owns the barn in which the Great Chicago Fire started, Dmitri Fonda who was an astronaut from the future on his way to Mars, Serina Norris who was a nurse at Pearl Harbor, Saul the Pharisee who would later become known as Paul the Apostle, Albert Einstein, Rahab, Samantha Simon who was a missionary from the future, the Roman Soldier at the cross of Jesus, Mary the mother of Jesus, John the writer of 5 books of the Bible, and Deirdre Townsend who was a Christian living during the Tribulation period.  Oh, they also saw younger versions of themselves who they tried to avoid as this was a delicate time paradox.

Due to a family emergency, the astronaut could not be here so we found a quick replacement who learned his lines and fit in his costume!  The Lord provides!  From what I heard, people really enjoyed the skit.  We had at least 70 children in total attend, averaging between 55 and 60 kids each night!  There were also a few parents and other family members who came Friday for family night.  Praise the Lord!!!

Even though I'm incredibly busy during VBS season, I love it.  I get to see how God uses various members of the body of Christ to come together and serve Him and bring His good news to others.  We continue to pray that the many seeds that were planted will grow and souls will be saved.