New Year Challenge

Well, can you believe another new year is upon us? I can't!

As is tradition with a lot of people, Dano & I have set a goal... a resolution, I guess! We have decided to read through the Bible in 2009. We plan to use a schedule I found online. They have several options. The one Dano chose for us is the chronological schedule. We think this will be exciting!

I'm sorry to say, that I have never done this. I have tried several times to read through the Bible, but I have never completed it successfully! Hopefully, this year will be different. Not only will Dano be holding me accountable, but Olivia wants to do it, too. So, I cannot be a slacker!

Supposedly you can do this by reading just 15 minutes a day?? So, I figure, if I can read e-mail for that much time (or more) or watch TV for that much time (or more) or chat with my sisters for that much time (or more) or read something else for that much time (or more) THEN surely I can read the Bible for that much time OR MORE to complete this goal!!

So... the challenge... do you want to join us? If so, let us know. We can all hold each other accountable!! Comment below or send us an e-mail.

Here is a link to what we are using. http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/31/cjan01.htm
I printed it out for us, but you can even do it online... you won't even have to look up those hard to find books! ha! I guess we all need to practice those skills. If you don't want to use the plan we're doing, just click on the link above and click home at the top of that page... then you have several choices.

Well, I look forward to hearing from you! You can just ask me every so often how I'm doing!

Blessings for a Happy New Year!
Melinda & gang

PS A friend from church loaned us a flat screen monitor til we decide what to do about our computer laptop screen. This screen is awesome!! Thank you friend & God!

Merry Christmas!

We hope you have had a blessed Christmas season and Christmas morning! God continues to bless us all so much... creation alone is a precious gift! But how amazing God gives us so much more... and His greatest gift, of course, is His Son, Jesus, which enables us to have relationship with God through the forgiveness that is freely given if we ask! Thank you, Lord! We hope you have been able to focus on that in the midst of "CRAZY" that the "season" often brings! =0)

Well, we've had a fun time this morning... after reading Luke 2 with the kids, we went to open gifts in the living room. It really is more fun watching the kids open gifts than opening gifts yourself, isn't it?! =0)

If you've sent us an e-mail over the last couple of days, I will hopefully be replying soon. We've had some more computer problems! (Maybe it is time to buy a new computer???) This time our laptop screen went out. This is the second time this has happened. (Our computer is about 5 years old.) The first time it was under warranty, & it didn't cost us a dime to have someone come replace it in our home! This time, we're out of warranty. boo hoo So, we'll have to pay. I haven't researched it yet, but I know the last time I looked it up (even on e-bay) that a screen was about as much as a new computer! Crazy! If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them!

However, in the meantime, we thankfully still had our old monitor out in a box in the garage. It is HUGE... not the screen... just the rest of it! ha! BUT I AM SO THANKFUL for hanging on to this piece of junk for such a time as this! ha! =0)

So, until we figure out the best thing to do, we are set for now!

Hopefully, sometime today I will be sending out our e-mail Christmas card that I had planned to send out yesterday! =0) For now, I'm going to help with lunch then play Battleship with Olivia! Games are so much fun! I'm glad we're branching out beyond Candyland!

Enjoy your day! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Love, Melinda & family

PS The pictures above are from last night. The kids were posing in their Christmas jammies. Granny (Dano's mom) always sends them new jammies for Christmas Eve... a fun tradition! Thanks Granny! Oh, also... the kids decorated the tree all by themselves this year! I never thought I could give up that control... but gosh, I love it! I had to put some up high, & I didn't let them do the fragile ones... but I'm liking this! =0)

Fear Not

I've had on my heart to post this for a few days now then this morning I received some scripture in my inbox (from a free service from MOPS and 411God.net). So I thought maybe that was God spurring me on. Here is a portion of the scripture in the New Living Translation:

Isaiah 35:3-4
3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
and encourage those who have weak knees.
4 Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”

Isn't that encouraging? I think so!

We (all of us) have a great opportunity to live in fear... fear of sickness, fear of death, fear of losing someone close to us, fear of financial ruin, fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of... (you fill in the blank).

But isn't it great that our God addressed this issue SO MANY TIMES in His Word!? I LOVE how God is on top of stuff! I have heard that the phrase "Fear Not" is in God's Word well over 100 times. I wish I knew that number... if YOU do, please comment below! Not only does HE tell us NOT to fear... He tells us WHY we don't need to. One is the scripture above that I wasn't really familiar with. Numerous times in the Psalms we can see WHY we don't need to! He's all powerful... the one in control. But some scripture I think we are all familiar with BUT we need to have on the tip of our tongue is:

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

That says it all, doesn't it?

Some may say, "That's great. But the thoughts of my problem overwhelm me. How can this REALLY help me?"

Well the scripture says, we have to take our thoughts captive.

2 Cor 10:5
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

So what does that mean? Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ?

I think (based on God's Word & other reading I've done), that it means whenever you have a thought that does not line up with God's Word (in today's case a fearful one), then you consciously CHOOSE to stop that thought from playing in your mind 1000 times. Well, we all know we can't just think NOTHING... so we have to REPLACE this thought with a thought that is "obedient to Christ." Where do we find thoughts that are obedient to Christ? In His Word, of course! Yea for having God's Word so readily available to us! So, if you have a fearful thought, you need to quote a scripture contrary to that spirit of fear. Choosing one of the above about being strong because He is coming to save us, is a good one, or the classic... 2 Timothy verse... or any verse that fits your circumstance.

I have to confess that the reason this has been on my heart is that I have been battling the spirit of fear. It shouldn't be such a battle. God has already won. He's on my side. God reminded me of these truths, and I felt His nudge to share them with you, so I hope this is a blessing to you!

In my battle of fear, I have used these other verses, too:

Psalm 139 (about our little one)

Matthew 6:25-34 (as we transition from one mission organization to another)

Phil 4:5-7 (good for ANYTHING)

Well, there is my heart. I hope God can use it to speak to you as He has been speaking to me. I encourage you to spend time in His Word (as I need to be more of) ESPECIALLY during this crazy time of year that SHOULD be focused on our Lord instead of all this busyness that is bossing us around!

Love,
Melinda =0)

PS If you have something you'd like to have me be praying with you about, e-mail me or post below. Together we are stronger.

PPS I think you need to read this right now before leaving...
Phil 4:5-7
5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Now, isn't that what it is all about... our GENTLENESS being EVIDENT to all? Who would receive the Glory for that? GOD! Especially if people know our circumstances BUT see that PEACE of God that transcends all understanding! Praise the Lord! May HE receive Glory! That is why we were created... for HIS GLORY!

Father, help us bring you glory. Help each of us have EVIDENT GENTLENESS. May your PEACE guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for being WITH us, our Emmanuel. Thank you, Father. In Jesus name, Amen!

Dano's Birthday is Coming

Next weekend is Dano's birthday... it's not the "BIG" one yet... but it's getting closer!

Anyway, I was wondering if you had the chance, could you send him a birthday card? I just think that would make his birthday a little more special. If you need our mailing address, just let me know!

He is such a great man, husband, & father... he deserves a great birthday! He has REALLY earned it the last few weeks taking care of his sick family! Just today I have finally felt better! Tuesday was a good day, but all the rest I have been really sick, and Dano has taken care of me & the kiddos. He's just wonderful. God blessed me more than I could have imagined 17 years ago when we got married!

Thanks for helping make his day special!

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Age of Viability

As of tomorrow, I am 26 weeks along! Yea! In my mind, this is the "age of viability" although in reality it is a range from 24/25 weeks to 28 weeks basically. What does that mean? It means if for some reason the baby was born early or needed to be born early, the chances of the baby surviving outside the womb are very high! Of course, our prayers & desires are for this baby to get his/her full 40 weeks (plus or minus a week) in the womb, God's perfect place of preparation.

Thanks for all your prayers during this pregnancy. Even with being sick, the little one continues to be very active! What a wonderful blessing!

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Not Better =0(

Well, I had a relapse just like the kids. This morning was very bad. Also, I think my gall bladder may be acting up as well.

Derek has been whiney this morning. He was just now setting the table for lunch & laid down in the floor (kitchen) with a quilt & said he was cold. He has a 99.3 temp. Boo hoo. (normal temp is barely 97)

I realize in the grand scheme of things, these challenges are small. I am thankful for the fact that we are only dealing with small illnesses. However, right at this moment they do feel a little overwhelming.

Thank you for praying for our family. We get occassional things here & there, but we have never been down for this long. We trully appreciate you praying for us, our health, our perspective, and our attitudes.

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Getting Better

Thanks for the prayers. I was symptom free all day, but I'm still weak. Sometimes my tummy hurts, & I just want to lay around, but overall... I'm definitely improving! Please continue to pray for Dano (he's still fine) and the rest of us to stay healthy! Blessings, Melinda =0)