James 1:23-27 Awakenings

The life of the hearer is characterized by ignoring God's word. But the life of a true believer is characterized by listening to and doing God's word. Kevin showed us pictures of mirrors that were used in the first century AD. They were nothing like our mirrors today - more like trying to see yourself in bottom of one of my stainless steel cooking pans. The person who really wanted to know what he or she looked like would have to really gaze, really closely study to get an accurate picture. That's what James was talking about when he compared studying God's word to looking in a mirror and then walking away. If we want a truly accurate picture of ourselves, both the sin and the incredible love God has for us, we need to gaze into His word intently, often, and with obedience as the outcome.

Up in the Air

Kevin had a fun adventure this week - church member Tom took him up for an aerial view of Brazos County and more in his airplane.

They passed right over our house and the church campus first.

Then they flew over College Station and to Lake Summerville.

And the most important part - the landing!

Then and Now

Then...

The other day as I was sorting through some old papers and photos, I found a piece of notebook paper with a list of times written in columns. After puzzling a minute, it came to me... it was the record of my contractions that Kevin kept on the night I went into labor with Naomi.

With Johnathan, we didn't even have time to write down the contractions.


and Now...

How technology has changed in a mere four years. Kevin found an app for his iPhone last might that he had great glee in trying out - a contraction timer! Simply push the button when the contraction starts, then push it again when the contraction ends. The app automatically records the length of time between contractions and their the average duration.

I got to try it out on some mild contractions for a few hours last night... But obviously I did not go into labor. Nothing new to report today!

James 1:19-21 Humbly Accepting the Word of Truth

Before we can live what we believe, we must know what we believe. Kevin outlined the basic steps of Bible study this morning:

1. Observe by looking at the contest, word definitions, and genre of literature in the book which contains the passage.

2. Interpret by taking the facts and asking, "What was God inspiring the original author to teach his original readers? What is the big idea?"

3. Apply the passage to your life.

I didn't get to hear this message in person, because I was teaching 8 energetic little 4-6 year olds in Children's Church. We talked about being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry - something people of all ages need to remember and live out! So I listened to the sermon at the website. You can, too, at kurtenchurch.org!

Summer Begins

Last day of school

Playing in the pool

Hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, and watermelon in the back yard

Summer is officially started!

James 1:13-18 Temptation

Kevin preached about the dangerous slope of entertaining temptation (an inward pull to sin), and how it starts a cycle that leads to sin and death. He addressed the interesting question of the phrases, "God cannot be tempted" and "No one should say, 'God is tempting me'" - What about Jesus's temptation in the desert. For more one that issue, visit kurtenchurch.org and click on the pastor's blog. You can hear the whole sermon on the website, as well.

At the Alpaca Farm

The kids and I had a fun visit to a nearby alpaca (or as Johnathan pronounces it, ala-paca!)farm this morning with buddies Ellie and Margaret. The animals are so sweet, with their soft fur and big eyes. The kids had fun trying to entice them to come over to sample the hay they offered. If they held still enough, the little alpacas would come over and sniff their faces - at which point the Boaz siblings would scare them off by squealing and running away!

We learned, among other things, that alpacas are mainly raised for hair and are sheared once a year, they only have teeth on the bottom of their mouth, and baby alpacas are called cria.

Here is a little girl who was just born on Saturday.

She and her attentive mama stuck close together.

A morning of furry fun with our friends!

Naomi's Preschool Graduation

Naomi's preschool end of the year program was today. Can't believe she'll be heading off to kindergarten this fall. The kids sang lots of cute songs, were awarded "Godly Traits" certificates, and had pizza for lunch.



Naomi was awarded the godly trait of "Initiative". She definitely loves to take the initiative - she's never been one to sit back and not get involved! Here she is crossing the stage to get her certificate from Mrs. Letz with her baby picture on the big screen (What are they trying to do - make a pregnant Mommy cry?).

Don't miss this video of Miss Naomi singing "I'm Not Perfect":

Still growing...

It's been compared to a basketball, an Easter egg, and a "feat of architectural engineering" (my personal favorite!).

I just call it "the baby bunker"...

Seriously, how much larger can my belly get?

At my 34 week appointment on Monday, we got the report that Baby Boaz is still in the upper 90th percentile for his size - maybe 6 1/2 pounds. And he is very low. I'm starting to dialate a little, so it may not be too long now. We'll keep you posted!

The Nursery

We're ready for you, little guy, whenever you're ready to make your appearance! Here's your new room.

Mommy's Day

Happy Mother's Day to our moms in Colorado!

I had a very relaxing Mother's Day. I resolved to do nothing related to work, and discovered that in my recent months of "nesting," I think I've forgotten how to relax. I do know how to collapse at the end of the day - I just don't remember how to forget about the big "to do before the baby" list! But I did my best to kick back today.

Kevin and the kids helped by getting me a comfy deck rocking chair. I look forward to watching the kids play outside while rocking the baby this summer. They also grilled a yummy dinner and made ice cream sundaes which we enjoyed in the back yard.

The Fire Station Bedroom

We've been building up Johnathan's move to his new "fire station bedroom" for a while now... for the most part he's been excited, but since he's not the biggest fan of change, we weren't sure how he'd respond when it became a reality.

The wall is up...

This is the point at which Johnathan was campaigning pretty hard to stay in his old room. He told me repeatedly, "I can't sleep in here. There's too much boxes!" Can't blame him - it did look like a messy storage unit at this stage.

The big unveiling...

He loves it! We have a few more finishing touches to add, but Johnathan loves his new room and fire truck bed. He actually had to kick the family out so he could have it to himself for his afternoon rest time. The room is very peaceful and has a great view of the playground behind the house.

Now it's time to get the nursery finished!

James 1:9-11

These verses seem a little out of place in this passage in James, teaching about trials, then suddenly jumping to taking pride in both "humble circumstances" and in a "high position". Kevin explained that it is more relevant in this spot that we might realize at first glance. For so many, financial issues are a trial that comes often in life. And both positions, rich and poor, can cause us to fall away from faithfulness to Jesus.

These verses remind us that whether we find ourselves in humble circumstances or a high position, the goal of our life must be a passionate love for Christ, because we all end up the same way, and it won't matter in the end how rich or poor we were in this life.

Kevin also reminded us that for nearly all of us in the United States, in the perspective of all nations, we fall in the category of the richest in the world - even if it feels like we personally don't have as much as we would like. That fact is easy to forget in the materialistic focus of our culture.

My Little Reader

One evening a few months ago our power went out, sending Naomi and Johnathan into a panic. Once we found the flashlights and lit some candles, they discovered that no lights can be pretty fun! On a whim, I pulled out a well-worn copy of Little House in the Big Woods from my childhood and snuggled with the kids on the sofa under a big blanket. I wasn't sure if they'd go for a book with few pictures to look at, but to my surprise, they loved listening, and they actually got upset when the electricity came back on an hour later. I had to show them how easy it was to just turn the lights back off and enjoy the candlelight again!

Anyway, since then Naomi has really latched on to the Little House series. Most nights she and I snuggle in bed and read a chapter or two. We've now finished Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prarie, and we're now working on On the Banks of Plum Creek. Naomi really understands what she's hearing and always asks when she doesn't know a word. I hear her in her bedroom in the evening after she's been tucked in and is having her "reading time," retelling the story to her dolls as she turns the pages of the book.

I remember my mom reading the books to me when I was little. How precious to share this with my daughter!

Mighty Men at Work

A few pictures of the men of Zion doing a service project, painting a home in our community.

They made quick work of it, with lots of help and a couple sprayers!

Expansions

What a busy month this has been! We've been furiously preparing for our newest addition, so here are a few updates on our progress:

As you can see from the picture, Baby Boaz is rapidly growing. In fact, the doctor did some ultrasound measurements an announced that he is averaging at least four to five weeks larger than his age. I'm now 33 weeks, and in about a week, I've been given the go-ahead to walk, excercise, or do whatever I want to do to gently "encourage" him to come out a little sooner. I know he'll come when he's ready, but I'm definitely feeling almost ready to get him out!

In other "expansion" news, the very handy trustees at Zion have blessed us with a new room for our expanding family. They put up a wall at the end of the really long back room, and when it is all done, Johnathan will move into his new fire station room and his old bedroom will become the baby's nursery.

James 1:5-8 Wisdom

We were encouraged this morning to walk the path of wisdom by:

Asking God (this not a one-time event; the tense of "ask" in James 1:5 indicated continually asking)

Believing in God

Responding to God's Word

Living a Christ-centered life

Walking the path of wisdom together with others who want to follow God, too.