Happy Leap Year Day!

The Way

 

This past Sunday, the twins and I participated in another interpretive worship dance during our church service. After doing “Hear From Heaven” last month, our worship pastor asked if I could choreograph motions to “The Way” by Jeremy Camp. I happily obliged, and may end up teaching it to some of the other youth from our church, because this song has become our theme for the year.

The chorus to the song is below:

Shine, bright

Let Your glory fill this land

Lift high, the King of Kings and Great I Am

Jesus, You are the way

This song talks about a number of important aspects of the Christian life. The first and foremost is that Jesus is the only way we can have a relationship with God. It is not by works, but by faith in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross that we are saved. Second, as Christians, we are to let our lights shine! We are the candles in a world of darkness; we are called to share the light of Christ with others!

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

"The Fall of Jerusalem" Book Review

(Written by Ben)

Recently for a school assignment, I read “The Fall of Jerusalem” by Josephus. This is a non-fiction book that tells the story of the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The book is written from the perspective of a man named Josephus. Josephus was originally a rebel until he was captured by the Romans and made a Roman negotiator.

The Battle:

Between the years 66 A.D. and 70 A.D. there was a Hebrew rebellion against their occupiers, the Romans. The obvious smell of rebellion had been clear to the Romans for quite some time. However, they did not know when this outbreak would occur, and indeed grossly underestimated the military might of the Jews, their passion, and their willingness to die for their cause. When the outbreak occurred, the Jews managed to chase the Romans from the city of Jerusalem. However, reinforcement troops were sent by Emperor Vespasian under the command of General Titus. They were given a clear objective: “Accept offered surrender, but if there is none, then take the city by whatever means necessary.” Emperor Titus took 35 legions (70,000 soldiers) and stormed the city that had an estimated 10,000 rebels. Both armies had some advantages; the Romans had strength in numbers, were better trained, and had more highly technological equipment to assist their cause. On the other hand the rebels were in a walled city. The Romans used a style of warfare known as “siege warfare,” a technique that involved surrounding a city so that no one can make it out alive, and then starving your adversaries out.

The lesson

The book has given me some incredible insight into the struggles of the Jewish people. It always perplexed me why at Jewish weddings, a very joyful event; the groom will smash a wine glass with his foot. This is so that even in times of joy, the Jews will never forget the grief their ancestors experienced and the providence of God in preserving their people.

There was some general knowledge I learned from reading this book. I always knew that siege warfare was a very brutal process; however this book has given me great insight into the horrors of this technique of warfare. I have much respect for the fact that the portrayal of these horrors were indeed written by a man who witnessed them.

I also learned many good spiritual lessons from this book. One thing I learned is that unless we are living in harmony with the Lord, we cannot expect his blessings on us. In this book, the Jews were trying to win this battle on their own strength. They had rejected God (by crucifying His Son) and yet expected his blessings on their day of trial. One of my favorite parts of the book was a speech made by the author to his rebellious colleagues. He pleaded with them to see the error of their ways and the futility of their cause. He gave them a summarized history of the Jewish people, a history of their rebellion against God. He explained that they were trying to win this battle alone, without God, on their own strength. He stated that even now that the siege had begun, if they surrendered, the Romans would take the city without plunder or torture. But if the Romans had to take the city by storm, the torture and plunder would nearly wipe out their people. His plan of surrender would have spared the temple, and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews; but Josephus was instead mocked and ignored.

I admired the character of Josephus in this book. Some would consider him a traitor to the Jewish people for switching sides. But in reality, Josephus was captured by the enemy and given a choice between death and being a negotiator. He chose to take the position that would give him an opportunity to help save his people from extermination. He stood by his convictions that any godless endeavor was futile and would not succeed. History has proven him right.

On the other hand, one man that I did not really care for was General Titus. He did not command the burning of the temple, but when he saw it happening, he did very little to stop it. He also was merciless to God’s people, commanding the killing of hundreds of thousands of Jews.

I really enjoyed the story plot and its message. It was a thrilling yet sobering account. I can’t say that it ended the way I would have liked, but it did end the way I would have expected. The city was ransacked, the temple was plundered and burned, and millions of Jews were slaughtered. However, the temple burning in a small way excites me because it was a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and opened the door for even more Biblical prophecies to be fulfilled! I would certainly recommend this book to a friend for its thrilling story and sobering message.

Joy of the Redeemed

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

…And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

(Isaiah 35:1-2,10)

~ Posted by Betsy

Recipe--Quick Cinnamon Rolls (from scratch!)

A few days ago, I promised you our cinnamon roll recipe. Several years ago, I was looking for something special to make for Mom’s birthday breakfast. I stumbled across this recipe and could not believe how easy they were. I don’t claim Cinnabon® greatness, but these are still delicious! J And they don’t require any rising time!

Quick Cinnamon Rolls (from scratch!)

Dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups water

Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened (yes, more!)

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Frosting:

1.5 cups confectioners' sugar

4 oz cream cheese

3 T. softened butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp milk or water

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until crumbly. Make a well in center, and pour in water a little bit at a time. Stir to form soft dough, adding more water if needed. Add the water slowly, so that it doesn’t get too sticky.

Turn dough out on lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (4-6 minutes.) Roll dough into rectangle about 1/3 inch thick and 18 inches long. Spread the cinnamon mixture over dough rectangle. Roll up as for jelly roll. Mark first, then cut into 24 slices.

Place cut side down on parchment paper on a jellyroll pan. (Or in my case, a greased round cake pan.)

Photo Credit: Roma.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

To make icing, blend together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or water until light and fluffy, adding more liquid if necessary. Frost cinnamon rolls while warm. Enjoy!

Friday Flashbacks: Dancing



Dancing as a Gingerbread child in “The Nutcracker.”

Since I was young, I have always loved dancing. I have flashbacks of listening to tapes in the living room, over and over again while I danced to them. I was later accompanied by the twins who marched in circles around the room--thumbs stuck in their mouths--in time to the music.

A sailor in “American Salute.”

From the time I was 7, I danced in a ballet studio. I loved participating in the big productions at the end of the year with all the dancers. I felt so proud during the years when I did two dances instead of just one.

Dancing in the “Oklahoma” dance as part of the “Salute to Broadway” production.

When we moved, I looked around for a dance studio for awhile. I couldn’t find one that I liked very much, and when I did, it was too far. So I moved on to other things.

Me, as a sea anemone and Ben dressed up to be in “Alice in Wonderland.”

But that desire to dance was still there. My Mom mentioned the possibility of doing worship dance. I thought about it for awhile, but had a bit of a struggle deciding. I really enjoyed the ballets and wanted to be in a professional studio.

Dancing in “Starkindler” after joining worship dance.

But over time, the Lord helped me realize that everything I do needs to bring Him honor and glory. While dancing with a ballet studio wasn’t a bad thing, it may not have been the best thing. As I look back now, I would have eventually had to partner dance, and wear costumes that were not the most modest. The Lord has brought about convictions in my life regarding my purity as a young lady, and dancing in that way would have violated those convictions.

Dancing in “Praise is Awaiting You.”

When we joined our current worship dance troupe, it took awhile to get used to dancing after so many years off. But I was thrilled to find that our teacher’s main style of dancing is ballet, with which I was already familiar.

Dancing in “Manger Throne” at our church’s annual Ladies Christmas tea.

The Lord has brought me such joy over the past year through worship dance. Please understand that I don’t have anything against ballet or non-Christian dance studios. I am simply grateful for the opportunity God has given me to use dancing for His glory and not my own.

Dancing to “Gloria.”

“Let them praise his name with dancing. . .” Psalm 149:3

“Praise him with tambourine and dancing. . .” Psalm 150:4

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

These Are A Few of Our (Not) Favorite Things

Too much sugar.

Eating for any reason other than hunger.

Candy.

A lack of diligence.

Procrastination.

Mean words.

The above, and many others, were sacrificed in yesterday’s fire. Our family gathered around the breakfast table on Ash Wednesday, prepared to do battle with faults and false gods. Amidst the scrambled eggs, fruit, cereal and toast were slips of paper, pens, a metal bowl, and a lighter.

After eating what the Lord graciously provided, we engaged in public exposure of our hearts. What has been lurking there that hinders and separates us from fully experiencing all that God has planned for our lives? What bad attitude or false god claws at our heart, tearing us away from His perfect plan?

Exposure is uncomfortable. You feel cold, naked and vulnerable. But when you realize that you are surrounded by the warmth of your family’s love, a flame of hope begins to rise in your heart. Encouragement and unconditional acceptance fans the flame, and it grows, spreading its warmth all through you.

One by one, we held lighter to paper. How easily the written confessions shrivel and curl into gray dust! If only the obstacles they represent could topple so quickly!

Yet we are encouraged. We have taken the first step. Our heart’s desire is that this sacrifice we offer for a season of Lent will not end there. We pray that the change in our hearts will remain, and that we will experience a newness of life that only comes through sacrifice, and death.

“[Hezekiah] did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; wherever he went he prospered.” (2 Kings 18:3-7a)

~ Posted by Betsy

A Principle Within

“I want a principle within

Of watchful, Godly fear,

A sensibility of sin,

A pain to feel it near.

Help me the first approach to feel

Of pride or wrong desire,

To catch the wand’ring of my will

And quench the kindling fire.”

Charles Wesley

~ Posted by Betsy

A Weekend With Cousins

As I mentioned yesterday, we had cousins over for the weekend! My Mom’s cousin and her family drove up from Ohio to visit for a few days. We hadn’t seen them in quite some time, so we were really grateful for the time we got to spend together with them! Here are some pictures to sum up our visit:

Josiah and E had a blast together! They are only a few months apart in age, and both have an interest in Legos®, airplanes, and playing outside.

Our little cousin R loved playing with the twins and spending the nights in their room.

For dinner on Friday night, we had pizza (of course! J), popcorn, veggies, and Trail bars for dessert. It was my first attempt at making enough pizza for a crowd that large. We had four different kinds: spinach, bacon, and feta; pepperoni with peppers, regular pepperoni, and cheese (not pictured.) We watched a cute movie called “The Runner From Ravenshead.” It was a kids’ movie, but was an allegory done in the style of Pilgrim’s Progress. We all liked it a lot!

For breakfast on Saturday morning, we had homemade cinnamon rolls (recipe coming soon!), pumpkin muffins, fruit and cheese.

The twins played “house” with R in the morning. They got a little silly sometimes, but they had fun!

Photo Credit: Roma.

They had a special activity on Saturday afternoon: a treasure hunt! They would read a Bible verse from an index card, and one word would be the “key word.” This word would lead them to another clue, and another, until. . .

Photo Credit: Roma.

. . . they found the treasure! R found a Play-Doh set, and E found a Lego kit. While the kids had fun playing all day, the rest of us enjoyed lots of conversations together on missions trips, homeschooling, good books we’ve read, and more.

For dinner on Saturday night, we had garlic chicken, rice, peas, and rolls. R enjoyed posing for my camera a lot over the weekend! J

Dessert was homemade toll house pie with vanilla ice cream. It was decadent!

Everyone enjoying the evening in the basement: playing, reading, or talking.

Photo Credit: Roma.

After church on Sunday morning, we went out to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch. It was delicioso!

Eating fried ice cream for dessert.

We were very sad to see them leave later that afternoon. But we really enjoyed our time together. It was an encouragement to all of us. We hope to see them again soon!

Weekend Teaser



Photo Credit: Roma.

 This past weekend, we had out-of-town family come to visit. We had a great time with them! Come back tomorrow to hear about what we did while they were here!

Morning Prayer

“Almighty God the maker of every Thing in Heaven and Earth;

The Darkness goes away, and the Day light comes at thy Command.

Thou are good and doest good continually.

I thank thee that thou hast taken such Care of me this Night,

and that I am alive and well this Morning.

Save me, O God, from Evil, all this Day long,

And let me love and serve thee forever,

For the Sake of Jesus Christ thy son.”

Amen.

From “Young Infant’s or Child’s Morning Prayer” by Dr. Watts

~ Posted by Betsy

Recipe--Crock Pot Pork with Vegetables

One of our favorite winter time recipes is crock pot pork with vegetables. It’s very easy to put the ingredients in at lunch time, and have dinner ready in a few hours! This is a great one-bowl meal, and is very comforting on a cold evening. Make sure that when you eat it, you spoon lots of the warm broth over the rice! It’s amazing!

Crock Pot Pork with Vegetables

 

4-6 boneless pork chops, or 3-5# pork roast

1 package of onion soup mix

2 cups of water

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

Potatoes, one small per person

Carrots, 3-4

Cut potatoes and carrots. Place in bottom of crock pot. Layer pork, onion soup, water, and soy sauce in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Before serving, shred pork with forks. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Friday Flashbacks: Trip to West Virginia

One of our favorite vacations was one we took to West Virginia. What made the trip so special, is that we took it with friends who had relatives there. It was a short trip, but we had so much fun seeing the sights, and being with friends!

We saw beautiful waterfalls and mountains.

All of the kids. We had a blast together!

Our family in front of the falls.

We stopped for a visit at the Greenbrier Hotel. It was huge and magnificent!

One of our favorite stops was at the Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, WV. Our first experience with caves!

We had lots of fun doing other things on the trip like eating out together, going to a family reunion, making special garden stepping stones during a power outage, and staying in the beautiful Pipestem area. We’d love to go back some day in the future!

Valentine's Day

It’s amazing how an event can change your perspective on something. This happened with our family and Valentine’s Day. Last year on Valentine’s Day, we had to eat breakfast on the kitchen floor, I was extremely sick with an upper respiratory infection, and we had no appliances, nor a kitchen sink. We were moving out of the house the next day for yet another stay in a hotel while workers restored our house after a flood. Yet we were so grateful for the little blessings of that day, such as friends who brought us a completely cooked and ready-to-eat dinner, and hearing the good news that Dad received a bonus at work.

Valentine’s Day last year.

This year we were very grateful for a low-key Valentine’s Day without so much going on at home. J This year we went out for breakfast at Big Apple Bagel, and then to the library to study for awhile (this has become a twice monthly, Tuesday morning tradition this year.) We all exchanged Valentines at home and we each received a Reeses heart from Mom and Dad.

Later that day, we girls had worship dance practice. The twins had made Valentines for all the girls and teachers, and I made little brownie bites to share with everyone.

The brownie bites.

Daddy bought Mommy a bouquet of roses and some dark chocolates. How sweet! J

Photo by Roma.

‘Though we did nothing fancy, we are very thankful for our Valentine’s Day this year! And we are so thankful for the LOVE of our Savior that we can celebrate on this day as well!

Building Mini-Weapons

(Posted by Josiah)

Hello everybody! This is my first blog post here on our family blog. I wanted to tell you a little bit about some projects I have been working on lately.

Last year, my Mom bought me a book from Vision Forum called “Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction” by John Austin. The book shows how to build small weapons out of household things like spoons, paper clips, popsicle sticks, toilet paper rolls, and more. Over the past few months I’ve been building some of these weapons. I have built a coin shooter, a maul gun, a hanger slingshot, an eraser dart, a depressor catapult, another type of catapult, a siege catapult, a bird target, and right now I’m working on building a concealing book (see picture above.)

Some of the mini-weapons I have built.

Daddy and I have been working on building the concealing book together. I got the big book as a Christmas gift. We’ve been cutting pages out to make a secret compartment. I will store my mini-weapons in the compartment when it is finished.

Maybe I’ll do another blog post some other time about the weapons I’ve made! I think this would be a fun book for boys and their Dads to read. Just make sure you don’t shoot your sisters! J