New Year's Resolutions

Praise the Lord…our computer is back in business! We have some catching up to do on blog posts…so let’s get started!:-)

I know that it is a little late for New Year’s resolutions, but we weren’t expecting to have a house flood ring in the New Year! I am now posting these New Year’s Resolutions written by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin of Visionary Daughters. They are written to young Christian women, but I believe they can be applicable to others as well. I hope they bring you encouragement and that you will be challenged!

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Young Christian Women

#1. Resolve to use the Bible alone as a blueprint for thinking and living, rather than culture, feminist propaganda, or peer pressure. Look to the Bible alone to dictate the role of young women. Resolve to study your Bible faithfully each day with the goal of being edified, instructed and challenged. Keeping a journal of the things you learn in the Word each day will help you be more focused and aggressive in actively searching for hard truths to apply.

#2. Resolve to remove from yourself friends who are a negative influence on you, and surround yourself more with friends who will edify you and encourage you in godliness. Resolve to cast from you any outside influence which is unedifying and unsanctifying (e.g. TV show, film, magazine, associates, activities)

#3. Resolve to build stronger relationships with your family members. The state of these relationships should be the most important to you of all, save your relationship with the Lord. Make the most of the time that the Lord has given you to be with your family members by making them your best friends. Resolve to set an inspiring, encouraging example to your brothers and sisters. Resolve to be more respectful to and honoring of your parents, so that it may be well with you.

#4. Resolve to cultivate a deeper, closer, more honoring relationship with your father, which will edify you both. Give him your heart, talk to him, confide in him, pray for him, ask him questions, and let him know that you are behind him and want to build him up to be an even greater man. Search your heart to see if you have committed a greviance against your father in the past which is now an impediment to your relationship with him. Now is an opportune time to ask forgiveness from those you have wronged.

#5. Resolve to do your husband (current or future) good and not evil every day of this year. (Proverbs 31:12) One of the ways we can do our future husbands good right now, even if we don’t know who they are, is to actively preserve and prepare ourselves for them. Preserve yourself by remaining pure physically, emotionally and mentally. Prepare yourself by becoming a worthy bride for a godly man. Develop all the character and skills that a righteous young man will need in a wife.

#6. Resolve to treat and think of other young men as brothers in Christ. Dress and act modestly, in a way that shows consideration for their future wives. Treat young men (including younger brothers) in a way that will build them up rather than tear them down, with respect rather than scorn.

#7. Resolve to clothe yourself with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. Make it start in the inside and shine through to the outside. Resolve to act more gracious, more like a lady. Make “strength and dignity” your clothing. Stand up straight! Smile more. Work on developing a gentle and quiet voice and manner.

#8. Resolve to equip yourself for the Spiritual battle that is taking place. Resolve to work on spiritual disciplines (e.g. prayer, Scripture memorization, in-depth Bible study). Resolve to train your mind (e.g. read many hard books, write, study theology).

#9. Resolve to be a missionary right where you are. Resolve to serve and encourage the people in your congregation. Resolve to develop the character and the messages necessary to disciple the younger women of our generation.

#10. Resolve to not be a compromiser or syncretist. Remember, we are in the midst of a war. As soon as you compromise on a moral issue, you have lost the battle. Win victories for Christ by fighting His battles His way.

Technical Difficulties

Please excuse our recent absence from the blog. Our computer has experienced technical difficulties and we're unable to access pictures to continue our house restoration updates. We will try to post a few things from another computer, and we hope to be back "full strength" soon! Thanks so much for your patience and for checking in on us!

Sabbath

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…” (Gen 1:31)

O day of rest and gladness,

O day of joy and light,

O balm of care and sadness,

Most beautiful, most bright;

On thee the high and lowly,

Through ages joined in tune,

Sing Holy, Holy, Holy,

To the great God Triune.

--Christopher Wordsworth, 1862

(posted by Betsy)

A Year in Review: 2010

I hardly know where to begin in describing the blessings of the Lord this past year! As 2011 gets underway, I will try to give you a glimpse into our 2010, through a few of the many photos taken throughout the year. Enjoy!



2010 started off with several feet of snow. The kids used our sledding hill to its fullest!



In February, we enjoyed our annual “Superbowl” party. Clockwise from front: apples with caramel dip, strawberries and grapes, meat and cheese bouquet, chips and salsa, Grandma’s bambinis, pepperoni bread, football cakes, buffalo chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, carrots and celery (not pictured: Reuben appetizers and bacon cheddar cheese puffs.)



Celebrating the arrival of my new constant companion: my Canon Rebel XSi!



Our family toured the one and only “Jiffy” factory in Chelsea, MI for Josiah’s birthday in March.



In April and May, our family spent two weeks traveling beautiful Virginia. Our journey took us across Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, all over Virginia, and even into North Carolina.



Most of our family in front of Mary’s Diner in Virginia. My Dad ate at this restaurant when he was a boy and his family visited Virginia.



My siblings and I in front of the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg.



Our knights in shining armor! Ben and Josiah try on armor at historic Jamestown.



Roma and Josiah lost in the grandeur of the Lincoln Memorial. We knew Abraham Lincoln was tall, but not tall enough to need stairs THAT big! J



Ben and I standing next to a chart that shows how much money we would be worth if we were measured with $100 bills. At that time, it appears we were about $1,537,800 tall!



Ben was especially excited to visit Ford’s Theatre. Here we pose with a statue of Abraham Lincoln.



This is probably as close as we’ll ever get to the White House! J



We enjoyed many flights with Dad throughout the year. Some of our stops were: Grayling, Houghton Lake, and Jackson, MI.



Many picnics with our church family throughout the spring and summer were a highlight!



Bianca and Daddy on a special outing with the youth group to celebrate those graduating from High School.



We enjoyed SO much produce from our organic garden this year! Bianca looks forward to improving their garden and making it even more fruitful in 2011!



Our organic garden. Left to right: three tomato varieties, cucumbers, zucchini, patty pan squash, and pumpkin (not pictured: pole beans.)



This is Lovey and her 5 kittens. Lovey “adopted” us when she showed up on our deck in July. She lived on our deck for about a month before a friend of ours took her into her home so that Lovey could give birth to her five little ones: Chloe, Iggy, Honey, Lola, and Winky. They have all been adopted into good homes! Praise the Lord!



Another highlight of this year was having Dad, Bianca, and Ben run together throughout the summer. They all competed at a racing festival in August. They look forward to continuing running together this year.



My beautiful grandparents celebrating my Grandfather’s birthday with a family party.



We adopted a yellow lab named Mikey this fall! He has been a good dog (generally speaking J) He still has lots of puppy energy, but he is excelling in training. He is such a lovable guy who knows how to pull off the “puppy face” REALLY well!



It isn’t truly fall until you’ve visited one of the many apple orchards in Michigan!



Turning all of the apples we picked at the orchard into applesauce, apple butter, and freezing apples for pies is a big job! It’s a good thing we all helped out.



Visiting the famed “Big Mac” bridge that connects Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas.



“I may look nervous about my first half marathon, but I’m just freezing to death in these shorts! It’s the end of October for Pete’s sake!”



“Now this is more like it. My first half marathon is behind me, and I have a cozy fleece on. Muuuch better!”



Hard at work preparing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions.



The finished boxes!



We enjoyed attending a “Messiah Sing” performed by a group from our community at a local church. It was very well done!



We immensely enjoyed attending the Northridge Christmas show! We highly recommend it for anyone who lives nearby.



One of our favorite family/advent traditions: driving around in pajamas looking at Christmas lights!



Meeting the musical group, “Selah” at a Christmas concert.



One of our family Christmas gifts was going to see the new Narnia movie together!

 

Christmas morning!



Enjoying a good movie at Abuela’s house.



We love our cousins!



More cousins!



And there you have it folks . . . 2010 in photos! We look forward to seeing how the Lord will work and bless in 2011!

Outside Porch Time!

Posted by Roma

In warmer seasons, our cats love to go outside on the porch for at least 15 to 20 minutes each day, and have fresh air.  They are not outside cats, but we felt bad that they can’t enjoy nice air sometimes.  So every day (in warmer seasons) we take them out the front door and let them walk around the porch awhile.  They also walk on the rocks and sniff and play around the bushes that are in the front landscape.

They love it when they hear my voice saying, “time to go outside” and they come running to the door! And I love to make them happy! J



Zinnia enjoys “porch time” . . .



. . . but not this time of year! L



4:00 o'clock Snack Time!

Following is a post by Roma…

We have a bird clock in the kitchen, and every hour, a different bird sings.  Every day, when the 4:00 p.m. bird sings, our two cats, Zack and Zinnia, and our dog Mikey, come running to have their snack.  They have memorized the song of the 4 o’clock bird (a house wren), and they know it’s snack time!



This was on Zack and Zinnia’s 1^st birthday. They had ice cream as their snack!



I love watching the cats and the dog when they hear that sound, and seeing the excited look on their faces, as they come running into the kitchen for a special treat! I think Bianca’s cat (Zinnia) is the best at begging for food.  Zinnia will meow and meow until she finally gets her treat. The dog and our other cat Zack are excited, but they usually keep quiet.

Our pets are completely satisfied, once they’ve had their snack! :-)



Mikey is completely satisfied after his snack!



Let it Snow!

Note: We interrupt our current series on the house flood to bring you this “forgotten” post. Somehow or another, this post was checked back in December, but was not posted. Since we currently have several inches of snow outside, I thought it would be appropriate to post it now.



Oh, the weather outside is frightful . . .



But the fire is so delightful . . .



And since we’ve no place to go . . .



Let it Snow…



Let it Snow…



Let it Snow!



Flood Update: Part 3

~Tuesday (January 11)~



This is what our driveway looked like on Tuesday morning! We had lots of people at our house!



Our day starts early. At 8:45 a.m., a lady from the restoration company (Miss M) arrives and says she is there to meet the insurance adjuster who is coming later. She is quite friendly and enjoys talking with us kids.

The contractor (Mr. A) shows up about 15 minutes later to get his measurements before the insurance adjuster arrives. He is starting to remember our names and greeted me by name this morning. It is such a blessing having someone who is honest, hard-working, and kind to work for us! After another 15 minutes, another worker from the restoration company (Mr. J) shows up and begins carrying equipment out from the basement.

At 9:30 a.m., the insurance adjuster (Miss D) arrives. Miss M introduces herself, gives Miss D her business card, and then leaves. Miss D then spends the next hour scrutinizing the damage and taking photos. Around 10:30 a.m. she goes out to her car to finish her estimate and Mr. A leaves. Mr. J goes to work in the basement tearing down the drywall in the bedroom. It turns out that the insulation, the studs, and the exterior wall are wet. The drywall and insulation are thrown out completely and the wall (more correctly, the hole) is drying out.



Mr. J rips out the drywall in the basement bedroom.



This is what our basement looked like on Tuesday. They make a big mess while they’re working, but at least they do a good job cleaning up after themselves!



We find out that Mr. J is also a Christian AND homeschools his children! The Lord is bringing some interesting people to work on our house!

After lunch, Miss D comes back inside and reads her estimate to Mom and Dad. The total cost of this flood is incredible. I can’t believe how much damage a small hole in a hose can do. About an hour later, she leaves and Mr. J comes upstairs and begins ripping up the flooring. It is a HUGE mess. The subfloor is so dusty, and there are bent nails and small pieces of wood everywhere. I’m sure they’ll clean it up before they leave, but I’m not excited about the next 2-3 weeks (how long it will take for the wood to be matched, ordered, delivered, and neutralized to the environment.)



Mr. J rips out our kitchen flooring.

While removing the flooring, Mr. J accidently breaks a stone from the fireplace. Apparently, instead of putting the stones in first and then cutting the flooring to fit around it, the builder put the floor in first, then sat the rocks on top of it. And the rocks are only supported by tape! So the stone will have to be glued as well.



The broken rock.

Around 4:30 p.m., Mr. A returns, and Dad chats with him about what the insurance adjuster (Miss D) said. We also find water damage that happened before we bought the house. The subfloor is much darker in front of the fridge. This is also where the ceiling sagged in the basement bedroom. So that explains a few things.

At 5:00 p.m. Dad and I brave the snowstorm to go get pizza and salad from Pizza Hut. I also pick up some bread from some good friends (Thank you for making it for me despite my late notice! I really appreciate it!) We arrive back home at 6:30 p.m. to find the kitchen floor almost all the way gone, 2 dehumidifiers and 2 fans running again, and part of the floor covered with a cloth tarp. We’re back in the wind tunnel. :-)

  

This is what our kitchen looks like without the flooring.



Our basement bedroom minus a wall.

~Wednesday (January 12)~

At 4:30 a.m. our carbon monoxide detector goes off. It is quite loud and annoying! Dad determines it’s just a bad battery, so he tries to turn it off by unplugging it, but it continues beeping. He takes the battery out, but it still. won’t. stop. beeping. Grrr. We’re ready to throw it in the snow! He finally silences it, and I drift back to sleep. At 5:30 a.m. I wake up again, with a terrible “Charlie-Horse” in my leg. I’m often plagued with these during running season, but I haven’t had one in awhile. It’s going to be a tired day since I’ve now lost about an hour of sleep.

Mr. A arrives around 12:30 p.m. to take measurements. Unfortunately things aren’t quite dry yet. The header and the studs in the basement bedroom are still very wet. He leaves a dehumidifier and blower down there, and a dehumidifier and one fan in the kitchen. He promises to return tomorrow to check things out again.

I think we’re starting to lose some hearing due to all of the noise here. Ruby and I keep hearing things that aren’t really there. I’m hoping that all the “noise makers” will disappear tomorrow.

Mr. A emails Dad later that evening. It sounds like if he agrees to the estimate, he will most likely do the job of reconstruction. Thus far, he has done a good and thorough job, and from what I have heard, his character is impeccable. So hopefully we will be able to start reconstruction very soon!



. . . To be continued . . .