Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday

    I read the title of an article today that said "How Spiritual Are You?" The subtitle read: "You may be closer to God than you think." HA! God's holy word tells us that our best, our righteousness is as filthy rags! Think of it!
    One time Dad was doing plumbing work at someone's house and he had to take the whole toilet out. The hole in the ground was filthy. Honestly I think it was the grossest thing I have ever seen or smelled. I stepped back and covered my mouth and nose. I still wanted to help Dad but I did not want to help him with that! Dad turned around and said "Can you imagine putting some food right there?" Oh! I gasped with disgust. I knew what he was going to say next. "That is how God views sin. He can have no part in it."
    It is Good Friday today, the day our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ died. . . for you and for me. For an ungrateful and undeserving world. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13)
    It is easy not to think about how blessed we are. It is easy not to think about the price it cost for our salvation. It is easy not to think about the pain Christ went through for you and me. Good Friday is a reminder.
    Good Friday was not at all a good Friday for Jesus, but it was a wonderful Friday for all of mankind. Good Friday reminds us just how horrible sin is, how holy and forgiving God is, and how amazing His grace is. Without Christ's death we would have no forgiveness of sins, only darkness. Without Christ's death we would have no way to get to God no matter how "good" we thought we were. And without Christ's death we would have no understanding of true love.
    The first thing Jesus prayed on the cross was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
    The last thing Jesus prayed on the cross was, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."
    Yet three days after Christ died, He was risen again.

"Without the victory of the resurrection, the death of Jesus would have been in vain. For death by itself is no victory, no matter how well-meaning the sacrificial lamb, no matter how noble the cause. Through His resurrection, Christ broke the power of death once and for all time. Salvation was not completed only because of the cross. It was completed by the victory of the empty tomb. "... Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor 15:54b-57 NIV"

~Katherine Walden



Momo

Baby coming!

Hey everybody!
Well...it's the second to last day of March. Boy, until last week things had gone by fast. Then they started to drag as last week started Mom's 10 week count down! Now we're at 9 weeks...hurry Jack, hurry!
(Oh yeah, on the blog we'll be calling "Baby J" Jack)

So I could say a lot about what I think about this process but I decided to try and find out what some one else thinks--SquiRe. So I interviewed him. Read on.

Are you happy to be getting a new brother? Yeah
Why? Because I’ll like to have brudders and sisters and everbody in this house cuz I love everbody in this house

What’s the first thing you want to do with him? Um, play with him…nicely. And hug him…very softly. And have fun with him and do lots of things with him and I don’t know what else I’m gonna do with him. Maybe say some things. *shrug*

If you could choose, what would you have named him? Um…huh…I think…*stares into the wall for a long time*…I don’t know what to name him else…maybe…I’ll call him….uh….Weeah? That’s a boy name right? Isn’t it?

I honestly wouldn't know.

Are you happy the new baby’s a boy? Yes-cuz we have a lot of girls, that’s why! I want twenty boys!…I want more boys than twenty! So are we done?

Not yet.

*SquiRe frowns*

How long have you been waiting? Six days. Uh…I guess…I don’t know…twenty days?

No, I mean for Jack. How long have you been waiting for Mommy to have him? Oh! *mumbles: oh i thought you was talkin' 'bout somethin' else...* A thousand years, I would say…or more than 1000 years

Who do you think he will look like? Um, like a baby for a while, and he’ll look like a boy. I don’t know any other things to say about him. Sorry, I don’t know any more. So…are we done now?

Sure.

Can you play a movie then for me?

There you have it.

Reporting live from the Blog and for the Blog.
SAM

I  edited  this  out  and  now  I'm  editing  it  back  in  after  some  friends  said  they  would  like to  participate:

Well,  SquiRe  is  now  asking  me  for  more  questions to ask him and write down! So if you feel up to it, he would love it if you could send in some question for him (or anybody else, for that matter) to answer--and they don't just have to be about Jack. If I get enough, then I'll make a follow up post with them. Thanks! I love comments! ;-) SAM

Food for thought

"Duty is only a substitute for love. . ."

The video is a bit hard to follow at first, but very thought provoking.



(You can view the full video here.)


Risa

Yee-haw cowboys!

Howdy ya'll!
No, I haven't suddenly become obsessed with cowboys and down south. Though I will always be a fan of the rodeo--I mean, how could I not since my papa (aka: grandpa) used to ride the circuit? Well...I think I'd like it anyway... ;-).
But, that's what this post is about. The rodeo. Among other random things that come to mind. I was planning on posting about it soon after we went, and some of you have been waiting for it (sorry L and L!), but our camera wasn't working and it wouldn't be half so fun if there were no pictures, right? Face it: humans are very much visual creatures!
So, here are some pictures of it! Courtesy of our young friend (and possibly photographer in the making?? =]) J. And since she was taking them, she isn't in them...

This was taken right after we arrived, so the team roping hadn't started yet.

So was this one ;-). We had so much fun! While we waited for the main event of the day, K, Squire's friend, was going around and handing out snacks--what a good "sharer" =]

And the team roping begins! Oh, and that's K...

Not a bad shot, J! I love team roping...but then I love all lthe events...

I mentioned that our papa used to be part of the rodeo, but I didn't mention that when our boy cousins were younger, they did mutton bustin'! Yehaw!

And there's Squire R and his friend K!

Actually, I'm pretty sure the calf got away from these two before they had a chance to rope him...better luck next time, fellas!

After the team roping was finished, we went to see the animals. Made me miss when we had horses...well, Papa did...and it made me miss his ranch...but at least we have the rodeo!

K, J, and R were "feeding the horses" by taking the hay out of the stall and slipping it back in, spilling most of it in the process =].

Hey...I thought one of my sisters posted about it but I guess not! About a month ago in Feb. Baby Girl had her birthday!

This pictuire was taken the morning of it. Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen???

Well...Irish music doesn't really go with this post, now does it? We'll be changing the music list soon anyway, to Momo's choice of songs...last time it was Risa's.

This was quite a random post, huh?

TTFN! Ta-ta-for-now!

SAM

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Hi everyone and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is a great holiday! For our family it is right up there with Thanksgiving. Okay, maybe it isn't that big but we still love St. Patty's Day!

Below is a fun video I though you might enjoy in honor of the day:

~Momo

P.S. Fun Fact for you: In Ireland they wear blue for St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Birthday, Momo!

We are so glad she is in our family! Today we celebrated with family the day she was brought into this world. In honor of the occasion I would like to share a few things I love about my wonderful, passionate, caring, very goofy sister:

She is ever eager to share a laugh.

Willing to sacrifice for the undeserving as well as the deserving.

Always has a smile.

Rejoices in God and the life He has given her.

Always near with a listening ear and an empathetic heart.

Has a broken heart for the lost and weary.

Diligent steward with the gifts God has given her.

Has a love for all she meets.

Serves with cheerfulness without a murmur of complaint or request of praise.

Lifts the spirits of those around her.

Grieves for all who grieve and rejoices with all who rejoice.

Loves me for who I am.

Believes all things, hopes all things.

And most importantly, she loves her Lord with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMO! <3

Risa (again)