Happy New Year 2017!

~Posted by Roma

 

Our goal for 2017 is to Post. More. Often! ;) So beginning next week, look for more regular updates coming on Eagles Wings! For now, our family would like to wish all of you a blessed New Year in 2017. We look forward to all that this new year brings!

 

Here is a blessing over all of our blog readers for 2017:

“…To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor:

To bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of

righteousness,

a planting of the LORD

for the day of His splendor.”

(Isaiah 61:2a and 3)

Why We Celebrate Christmas

~ Posted by Roma

“This is a very old picture of us kids in Michigan back when we were really small in 2006!” J

It has come to my attention, especially this past year, that there are a number of Christians who actually do not celebrate Christmas. Some Christians celebrate parts of Christmas, but may not do all the things other Americans love doing—such as a tree, Santa, presents, etc. Some Christians really emphasize Thanksgiving (which is good—Thanksgiving is wonderful!) because they know they will not be doing any celebrating in December. Other Christians love Christmas time (like our family J) and then there are some Christians that really don’t celebrate it at all and they have reasons why they don’t. In this blog post, I would like to take a look at the origins of Christmas and then try to explain why our family still celebrates it.

Before I begin…one thing I love about this free country we live in is that you have the freedom to not celebrate Christmas if you don’t want to. In writing this blog post, I am not trying to force anyone to celebrate Christmas. I simply want to share why we do. And I will be very open with you…we love Christmas time! We love Jesus. We love celebrating His birth. We go all out with Christmas tree (s) PLURAL in our home. We have so many ornaments full of memories. We exchange gifts, eat a lot, have a tiny little nativity scene in the corner of the living room, have advent activities and readings with candles at night, listen to Christmas music—Christmas is a favorite in this family.

Some Christians believe Christmas has pagan origins. And they are right. Here is what Hank Hanegraaff says in his book, The Complete Bible Answer Book:

“December 25^th was indeed a pagan festival commemorating the birthday of a false god. While this is historical fact, what is frequently overlooked is that the church’s choice of December 25^th was intentional. Instead of Christianizing a pagan festival, the church established a rival celebration. While the world has all but forgotten the Greco-Roman gods of antiquity, they are annually reminded that two thousand years ago Christ invaded time and space.”

So what Hanegraaff is saying is that Christians in the early Church decided to establish a rival holiday instead of celebrating the pagan one. They wanted to point people to Christ at Christmas. Most people know that we don’t really know exactly when Jesus was born. He probably wasn’t even born in December at all. But think about this: What if you adopted a child from…Haiti. He or she has no birth certificate. You know around the time he might have been born but you don’t know exactly when. Do you decide to pick a day to celebrate his birthday, or do you just decide to never recognize his birth and celebrate your biological children’s birthdays only? No! You would pick a day to celebrate that child’s birth because you love that child that you’ve brought home from Haiti! How much more, then, should Jesus Christ the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Master of the universe, be celebrated! I believe He deserves to be celebrated. He didn’t have to leave earth at all to save us wretched sinners. But God decided to not even withhold His one and only Son from us.

Some Christians argue that He should be celebrated every day. I absolutely agree. But even though your parents celebrate every day that you are their child, they still set aside an even more special day to remember that you have been with them another year. Angels in heaven celebrate Jesus every minute of every day. But at Christmas time, they took the time to come down to earth, mingle with people, and sing “Glory to God in the Highest!!!” To the angels, it was a VERY special occasion. As Christians, our Lord and Savior is celebrated by us every day. But we also put aside an even more special day to remember His birth—His first coming--and to remind us to love, and remind us to give.

What about Christmas trees? I mean—aren’t those really pagan? Here is the passage from the Bible that Christians sometimes point to: Jeremiah 10:2-4. At first glance, this scripture does seem to be condemning Christmas trees. Let’s take a look at it:

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree from the woods in the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.’

Hmm. Interesting. Do we use hammers and nails in a Christmas tree? No. Do we shape our Christmas trees with chisels? Usually not. Jeremiah was not talking about Christmas trees. He was talking about wooden idols, that people in his day would fasten with hammer and nails and shape with chisels, and bow down to and worship. In fact, Hank Hanegraaff says something very interesting in his book, regarding Christmas trees:

“Christmas trees originated in Christian Germany two thousand years after Jeremiah’s condemnation of manmade idols. They evolved over time from two Christian traditions. One was a ‘paradise tree’ hung with apples as a reminder of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The other was a triangular shelf holding Christmas figurines decorated by a star.”

In our house, we love to put up Christmas trees; first, because it reminded Christians long ago--and reminds us--of the tree of life that one day we will eat from in Heaven; and second, because Jesus would later die on a tree to save us from our sins. As for our ornaments, we put those up simply because they are all so special to us in different ways. One ornament has a buck and a doe, inscribed with the year my Mom and Dad got married, and it says: “Our first Christmas together.” J Another ornament in our house has a picture of us kids with one of our adopted college student brothers, O. Other ornaments on our tree are ones that we made, ones that family and friends gave us, etc.

Then there is Santa Claus. What do we do with him? Actually, he is far from being a dangerous fairy tale. “Santa Claus” is an Anglicized form of the Dutch name “Sinter Klaas” which in turn is a reference to Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas can be celebrated as a genuine hero of the faith, just like Luther, or Calvin, or Spurgeon, or any of those other great men of God. He was an historic 4^th –century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving. He lavished gifts on needy children, and valiantly supported the doctrine of the Trinity at the Council of Nicea in AD 325.

Of course, our world has taken that story and completed secularized it and changed it up. I will be honest with you…my parents allowed us kids to believe in Santa Claus when we were really little, and we loved it. We loved the idea that he was watching us in a snow ball, seeing if we were good or naughty. ;) We loved the idea that he was the one that left the gifts, came down the chimney, ate our milk and cookies, and left us a note. (Back in the day when we didn’t know what our Dad’s handwriting looked like). But when we all reached an appropriate age, my Mom would pull us aside and talk to us about the real Saint Nicholas. To this day, even though we all know the truth, my parents still label half of the gifts “from Santa” just for the fun of it. Whether or not you allow your kids to believe in Santa for awhile is up to you, but we loved it as little kids. Just like we loved the tooth fairy. J

In the end, I believe that this is all a heart issue. I believe that if your heart is in the right place, and you do not worship the Christmas trees nor Santa nor anything else on earth, and you know the reason for the season—CHRISTmas, than I think it is okay to put up a tree and give gifts and hang lights and remember the life of Saint Nicholas, and remember what JESUS has done to save you.

For us, Christmas is about how much God loved the world, that He sent his one and only Son. Christmas is about love; about giving; because God gave the best gift ever by giving us His Son, to be born and live and grow, and one day shed his blood on the cross for our sins, so that now we have a way to be with God in heaven when we die. Ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and trust Him with your life, if you have not done so yet.

“Christmas 2011 at Abuela and Abuelo’s house in Ohio.”

In conclusion, we celebrate Christmas because it is first and foremost about Christ, after whom it is named. We put up a tree, because Christ would later die on a tree. We give gifts because God gave the greatest gift to us. by giving His one and only Son. We put up lights because we as Christians are the light of the world; a city on a hill. Jesus is the light of the world and He lives in us. Our red bows remind us how Christ came to this earth to shed His blood for us on the cross. We put up round wreaths because God is eternal, He has no end. He has always been there. He made us. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. The evergreen is also a symbol of everlasting (eternal) life! We eat—and share--candy canes, which are shaped like shepherd staffs and remind us that shepherds were one of the first ones to hear about Jesus! These candies are red and white because the blood of Jesus Christ can wash you clean of sin and make you white as snow. We sing Christmas carols that celebrate and honor Jesus Christ. Everything points to Christ at Christmas and we can take this holiday and USE it as a great witnessing opportunity. I love Christmas! HE is the reason for the season! MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!

"Business By the Book" Book Review

~Posted by Ben

As assigned reading for school, I have been reading “Business by the Book” by the late Christian economist, Larry Burkett. Since Business is one of my main career interests (politics being the other) I was really looking forward to reading this book! It was published in 1990, right on the heels of a time in business known as “the greedy eighties.” This term used in business circles describes a time of economic prosperity following Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts on the wealthy in the early 80’s. These tax cuts caused a resurgence in small business investment that sparked an unprecedented interest in entrepreneurism and “climbing the corporate ladder.” This effect was the backbone of the “Reagan recovery” from stagflation.

Such changes had both positive and negative consequences on American culture, especially the culture of American Business. Although the 80’s were a time of great economic growth, blue collar cities like Detroit and Flint experienced a grave economic downturn due to disinvestment and deindustrialization. Sadly, many businesses came to the harmful conclusion, “profits over people.”

It was at the pinnacle of this time period that Burkett wrote “Business by the Book.” In it, he presents the “radical” idea that it is entirely possible to conduct Business in such a way that is profitable, productive, and Biblical. He cites the reconstruction of Japan after World War II as his prime example. When General Douglas was appointed by President Truman as the military governor of Japan, he instituted laws for business largely based off Biblical truths. This, combined with the Japanese inherit respect for authority, as well as their strong unity and national pride, propelled them beyond their teacher to become one of the largest economies in the modern world. Burkett also gives a variety of positive examples of Christian businesses in the US that have based their business plan off of the scriptures and have experienced great profit for it.

In this book, Burkett deals with a lot of required decisions in modern business, including decisions on hiring, firing, borrowing, lending, management selection, employee pay, discounting, and many others. He also, using scripture, provides answers to many questions common among Christian businesses; questions such as, “Should I hire women to be in management over men?” “Should Christian businesses hire non-Christians?” “Is it acceptable for Christian businesses to borrow money?” “Can Christians sue people and/or other businesses for money?” “What do I do about an insubordinate employee?” When addressing all these questions, Burkett constantly goes back to scripture when giving his final answer on the subject.

I would highly encourage anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship to read this incredible book! My dad and I are now doing it as a weekly study, as many of its principles apply to everyday situations we both experience at work. I’m so grateful for Larry Burkett and all the wisdom he was able to share over the course of his life!

Merry Christmas!

My how time flies! We can hardly believe Christmas is already here and the year 2014 is drawing to a close. We apologize for things being so quiet here on the blog. Life has been full as Dad started his new job in Oklahoma and the rest of us have kept busy with school and showing our house. We continue to pray that God brings the right buyer to our house and shows us the right home up in Oklahoma. We’ve had some illness go through the house this winter, but at the moment, everyone is enjoying good health for Christmas! J

We pray this Christmas that you would be reminded of the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ. He was born to ransom us from our sins, and this time of year we celebrate that incredible gift! Merry Christmas and may God bless you and yours in the New Year!

~Bianca for the family

No Greater Love

~Posted by Rubia

 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose….

 

….Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:28, 35-39

 

A good friend of mine shared these verses with me in an email this past week. What an encouragement from the Lord through her! They have always been wonderful for me to meditate on.

 

The scripture passages surrounding these verses all seem to be very fitting for the present time. Paul talks about our present sufferings vs. the future glory yet to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18-25), then about how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will when we pray (verses 26-27); about how God works all things out for the good of those who love Him, about His sovereignty, and His all- powerful love for us (verses 28-39). So then, I quote, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble? Persecution? Danger? Our past? Present? Life? Death? Anything?

 

…..”nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Words cannot express God’s powerful love for us. I challenge myself today, “Do I believe that and trust in that as absolute truth with all my heart? Now I can declare that even in the hardest of my days, I believe!

 

My friends, may God’s word here speak to your hearts and encourage you to praise Him for what He has done, and to worship Him! I believe Christ’s death and resurrection truly changes everything for us! Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ! He is God!

 

Big Changes

When we get comfortable in life, it seems that God brings about big changes to shake things up. He has done that in our family recently . . .

On September 29^th, my Dad was in a group of people that got laid off at his company. Due to financial hardships, they laid off 35+ people in 2 weeks. The news was pretty shocking to us kids. We haven't even lived in Texas for 2 years, and our Dad has never been laid off before. We were really expecting—and hoping—to stay right here in Texas until he retired.

So quite suddenly, we are living on a week-to-week basis. He has been talking with head hunters/recruiters and is already interviewing for several jobs! The very sad part is that more than likely, we will have to move. The chances of us moving out of Texas are pretty high too. Which most of us find pretty heartbreaking. </3

Right now we don't really know where we'll be moving or when. We are constantly reminded to trust in God’s provision for our family’s needs. Please be in prayer for us as we navigate this process and seek God’s direction for our family!

My "Jonah Day"

 

 

~ Posted by Ben

 

I don’t normally believe in using social media for ranting. But I’ve decided to document a not-so-happy day I experienced recently in hopes that through it, I may encourage and provide comic relief to those of you who may experiencing a “Jonah day” today! J

 

This story has a background that includes a college conference; potential food poisoning thereof; an Eagle Scout project proposal; a deadline, and a nasty habit of procrastination on my part. This story then has a main plot that includes missed deadlines, chasing people around town for signatures, waiting for phone calls that never came, transportation issues, stress-related health issues (we won’t go into details :/), red ants, forgetfulness, and getting lost. And the end….well, let me walk ya through. J

 

CPE3

 

Bianca participates in an online college program known as “College Plus.” College Plus, or “CP,” is a Christian collegiate organization that works in partnership with several colleges and universities, to provide a fully accredited Bachelor’s degree for half the cost, in half the time, and with twice the flexibility. Bianca has been working towards a BA in International Studies with this program since January. I’m planning on enrolling in College Plus as well, so recently Bianca and I decided to attend “CPE3,” a large, week-long event hosted by CP in San Antonio. We had an EXCELLENT week! I enjoyed myself immensely, but knew that when I got back, I would have to work hard on finishing my Eagle Scout Project proposal that was due several days after I returned.

 

Eagle Project proposal

 

After I returned from CPE3, I got right to work on my Eagle Project proposal. I finished it, but somehow missed seeing that I needed some very important signatures before submitting my proposal (face palm). Naturally, I discovered this Monday night…and I needed 3 signatures by the next night. L

 

“BEN JUDAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! GET OUT OF BED!” This was my Tuesday morning wake-up call. Somehow I overslept my alarm, it was 9 o’clock, and I had a deadline!! I leaped up and began discussing strategy with my mom. After a quick grooming and breakfast, my sister drove me all the way to church (about 25 minutes away) to obtain my first signature (the church is the beneficiary of the project). Here’s where the fun began. Our Lead Pastor could not sign it without first reviewing and understanding the project proposal, and getting consensus from the staff.

 

So we left the proposal, promising to return later that afternoon, and Bianca and I ran over to DPS to sign me up for a driving license test (that’s a story for another time) and then we went home. I was actually able to do some school work before dashing back to church to pick up my project binder, and then heading to the BSA Court of Honor that evening that I, as Senior Patrol Leader, had to preside over.

 

This is one part of the story that is actually quite happy. That evening would be my last Court of Honor as SPL, as my 6-month term was ending. At this Court of Honor, I was presented with 4 merit badges, an SPL award, and an Honor Camper award for the year. I also received many compliments from parents on my leadership over the last 6 months. I was truly humbled by their recognition.

 

However, after the Court of Honor I was informed by my project coach that there was a whole other packet of paperwork I needed to do. Thankfully, he was able to obtain a 24-hour deadline extension from the District Advancement Coordinator. I was also able to get 2 of the 3 signatures I needed for the proposal, at the Court of Honor. But I had a lot of work ahead of me…

 

Early the next morning, Mom drove me back to church, where I dropped the proposal off AGAIN (they didn’t have sufficient time to look over it on Tuesday), and then came home and plowed away at the extra paperwork given to me by my project coach. I was able to finish it shortly before heading BACK to church with my siblings for youth group that evening.

 

This is where the story really gets crazy. I get to church, and it turns out my proposal isn’t there. It’s with one of the associate pastors who went into town. Our Lead pastor rushes out to find him, gets the binder, and comes back. We then have a long discussion that results in some major changes of plans for the landscaping I am proposing to do. Drawings are changed; a landscape extraordinaire is consulted; and I get the final signature I need.

 

So I’m standing outside, talking with a guy who did a project there earlier this year, about the location of the sprinkler systems in the area where I will be working. In my mind, I’m thinking, “What a lousy 2 days I’ve had! This is the hardest signature I’ve ever tried to get. How could things get any WOOOOORRRSSSEE--AAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!!” Sudden pain shoots up my legs. I look down, and I am standing on a massive red ant hill.! I broke into what from a distance, probably looked like a white boy’s lousy attempt at break-dancing, as I furiously swatted at my legs, knocking dozens of red ants to the ground.

 

In the midst of this, my sister comes out of the church, ready to drive me to the house where I would be dropping off the proposal documents. I’m pretty sure she was trying not to laugh at my predicament…but she was also in a hurry since she’s supposed to be upstairs to help with youth group in 15 minutes. We drive, and are literally turning onto the street where the district advancement coordinator lives, when I groaned and grabbed my already-throbbing head. I realized that I forgot to add the extra paperwork I had completed that day to my binder.

 

Bianca turns around and heads all the way back to the church, while I resist the urge to slam my noggin on the dashboard. Through all of this, I am continually slapping at my legs to kill yet another red ant (they stick with you for a while). My stomach was churning, as I’d been suffering from a bit of, *ahem,* discomfort the last couple of days (not going to go into too much detail there, but there was an accidental food poisoning incident at the event Bianca and I attended. I had been feeling a bit iffy since returning, and it wasn’t being helped by all this stress.)

 

So we get back to church, where my sister needs to go help with junior high youth, so my Dad swings by from the office to take me back to the DAC’s house now that we have ALL the papers. As I’m walking up his driveway I’m thinking; “Walk slowly, don’t want to trip and die, because that would happen with the day I’ve been having!” But I successfully dropped off the completed documents. YEEESSS!

 

The rest of the evening went off quite normally…except for tripping over my sister’s ankle at bedtime and face-planting in our living room. But I finished the day with my objective met, and without serious injuries sustained. Needless to say, I showered very carefully that night so as not to wipe out and suffer a head concussion. Haha! J

 

At the end of the day, I’d learned some important lessons:

 

#1 Never procrastinate.

#2 Always take others’ schedules into consideration when working with people.

#3 Always plan for the worst so that you can deal with it when it happens!

 

I figure that as long as I’ve learned my lessons, I will be better prepared to meet life’s challenges ahead.

 

If you are currently suffering a “Jonah day,” I hope that this post and its ending provided at least some encouragement, if not some comic relief! May God, in His grace, bring you through whatever suffering you’re going through. Nothing in your life is capable of surprising Him. Keep up the fight!

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

The Door

Cappella Sistina, Rome, Italy. May 2014

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

 

Rev. 3:20

 

~ posted by Betsy

Moments For Sisters

Mount Vernon, VA, 5 years ago. I am right in the middle—

not only in this picture, but in birth order too.

~Posted by Rubia

 

The title of this post is taken from a book one of my sisters and I were given for our 12^th birthday, several years ago.

 

Most of you faithful blog readers know that there are 5 kids in this family, and in that 5 is a trio of girls! (Girls rule.)

 

I have been pondering lately about the relationships specifically between the three of us. What does it look like and what should it look like? Is it the same at home as it looks in public?

 

First off, I am thankful for my sisters. In fact, I am grateful for my whole family. I know that God intentionally hand-picked each family member. I know that He intentionally has us children in the birth order that we are in. Why do I believe that? Because He is sovereign. (Psalm 139:1-18.) And why might I believe that I am in the very middle? Here’s one practical reason: The experience with older siblings and younger siblings is exactly equal: 2 above me, and 2 under me. So, what? Well, I believe that God knew exactly what I was going to be like, and knew that I would need equal experience with siblings. I specifically needed to learn what it feels like to be a younger sibling, and also learn what it takes to be an older sibling.

My older sister Bianca (at age 4) holding me.

Self examination part 1: As a younger sister to an older sister: So how am I doing? I often think. This is not easy. How does it sometimes feel? I ask. Are hurt feelings or feelings of being bossed-around or less important ever my fault? My answer is actually yes!

 

I admire Bianca. She is a good daughter, sister, friend and student in her life. She is busy. She is ambitious. She is an avid reader. She is always learning. She is wise. She is passionate about being godly.

 

The question dawns on me: Do I think that maybe sometimes she has a hard time dealing with a younger sister (like me) who’s feisty, not always thoughtful, asks her for things, takes up her time, and takes over her bathroom? With her godliness and wisdom, she shouldn’t have an issue, but in spite of who I am, she might sometimes. (Guys, I’m not always sure what words describe me.)

 

What do I strive to practice and encourage other younger sisters to practice? Girls, let’s seek the Lord, and grow in being who HE is. Jesus was not a younger sister, but He was a sibling. We don’t know much of His childhood—only that He was perfect. Are we perfect? No. BUT when we have the Holy Spirit in us, we can daily become more like Christ. We can take on His characteristics. What is He like? He is everything that true love is. See 1 Corinthians chapter 13. I am memorizing it right now.

We blew it again. How much longer is time out?

Self examination part 2: As an older sister to a younger sister: I used to think that Roma and I only being 7 minutes apart did make a difference! J Now I believe that in maturity it doesn’t. Rather, the difference is in who we are. We are twins with obvious similarities, but we are also different people. People who make mistakes. People who love each other more than anyone else but also occasionally hurt each other, or even, believe it or not, misunderstand each other. Here’s one thing I’ve learned: I better not try to talk to her at 5:00 in the morning. I’m a morning gal, but even then my brain is not completely on and oftentimes, I end up saying the wrong words from my bed, which brings me grief later. (Unless both of us completely forget the conversation, since it was too early!)

 

Roma is a pure sweetheart. She is innocent, peaceful, and sensitive. She is my best friend above all others. Yet we are different. So sometimes I communicate with her in the wrong way. Sometimes my bad day spoils her good day. Sometimes the thoughts and feelings in my heart spoil her perfect cheerfulness and contentment.

 

What do I strive to practice and encourage other older sisters (or twins) to practice? Girls, be sensitive to your younger sisters’ (or twin sisters’) feelings. Be careful when communicating. Spend lots of time with her, but leave her alone when she needs it. Be enduring—be patient. Find her love language and demonstrate it to her with your best effort.

 

Jewish proverb: “Those who tease you, love you.”

(Left to right) Bianca, Roma, Rubia.

That proverb was one I took from the small book I mention called “Moments for Sisters” by Robert Strand. Great little read! Another amazing book I am working my way through is “Making Brothers and Sisters Your Best Friends” by Sarah, Stephen, and Grace Mally.

 

Q. What is a Parent’s dream for their children?

A. Of course, one would think, “Best friends!”

Q. Does that usually happen?

A. Well…..it’s a rare gem.

Q. But is that possible?

A. This blog post was meant to tell you, “Yes!!!”

Q. What do I believe to be one of the most powerful testimonies to one’s Christian faith?

A. The way he/she values/treats family! Why? Because the way he values his immediate family is the way he values his church family, which is the body of Christ. And if there is unity in the body of Christ, we can expect to be able to effectively communicate the Gospel.

 

Scripture references: Psalm 133:1; Prov. 11:24-25, 12:16; Prov. 14:26, 29-30; Prov. 15:23; Prov. 17:17; 1 Cor. 13; 1 Thess. 5:11; Matt. 5:7-9, 7:3, 20:26-28; Luke 23:34a.

 

Bible stories: Gen. 4; Gen. 27:41, chap. 33; Gen. 45; Matt. 18:21-35.

 

My Parents

My Parents in Rome, Italy

~Posted by Ben

This is my blog post for the month. And since we are in-between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I thought I would do a tribute to my wonderful parents Mark and Betsy.

                              

My parents recently celebrated 25 years of marriage with a trip to Italy. In 25 years they have finished grad school, held multiple jobs, lived in 7 places in 4 states, owned 5 homes and had 5 kids! Needless to say, God has done A LOT in their lives over the past 25 years. I have been blessed to witness the last 17 of those 25 years. I have seen them go through times of joy and times of sadness, times of peace and times of stress, and they have stuck together for better or for worse, for rich and for poor, in sickness and in health…and will stay together until death do they part. For them, marriage was not a contract, but a covenant made before God.

Sadly, we live in a world of fractured families. Our world is plagued with divorce, single parent homes (particularly single mother homes), illegitimate children, and in very rare cases, even homosexuals raising adopted children. It is becoming less and less common to find families that are intact; families as God designed them. I remember as a little kid having friends who came from homes with divorce or were being raised by only one parent (I actually still have friends like that, I think we all do). I did not view myself as superior to them simply because I came from an intact family, but I remember feeling sorry for them. Sorry that they did not have both a dad and a mom in their lives. I couldn’t imagine life with either a mom or dad. Or a life where I had both parents but they did not live together. I could not imagine the feeling of knowing that my parents weren’t together anymore because they no longer loved each other.

I’ve been blessed by God to grow up with the security that I will never have to experience that pain. But I pray for those who do. I’m not inferring that it is impossible for a person who has grown up in this situation to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives and live in a godly manner. God’s grace is sufficient to use people from difficult backgrounds for His glory. But it is still not the design He had for families.

I have been blessed to be raised in a family where my parents truly loved each other and loved us and taught us to love one another. My parents have worked overtime to insure that we are being raised to love God and others above ourselves. To love one another with a sacrificial love that cares for others’ needs above our own. To love people the way Jesus loved people. Not just in word, but in deed (I John 3:18). They taught us that love is a verb, not just an emotion. This kind of love is what has given me great security over the years. No matter what came our way, I knew that our family would band together and by God’s power make it through anything that life threw at us. I thank my parents for being who they are. For loving us, for caring for us, for teaching us the ways of God, and for instilling in us Biblical ethics such as the fruit of the spirit. Above all, I thank them for setting an example for my siblings and me of what a family who follows God looks like. They showed us what must be done to preserve a Christian heritage in a time of sinfulness and compromise. I thank them for showing me Christ in their lives.

Mother’s Day has passed, Father’s day is approaching. I would encourage you to give thanks to God for the parents He gave you. Not because they are perfect, but because He knew that you need them in your life. I encourage you to thank your parents for all that they’ve done in your life. For the example they’ve set, and for loving you even when you weren’t always easy to love. I thank God for my parents, and will do so every day that I live! God bless you all!

The Roman Road

Standing on a 2000-year-old Roman road, Rome, Italy. May 2014

 

“Watch the path of your feet

And all your ways will be established.”

Prov. 4:26

 

~ posted by Betsy

Things Above

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Col. 3:2

~ posted by Betsy

Our Rite of Passage

~Posted by Roma

Bianca had her Rite of Passage when she was 13, a long time ago. Ben had his Rite of Passage when he was 14, a few years ago. Last Saturday, May 17^th, was a very exciting day: Rubia and I had our Rite of Passage Ceremony!

A Rite Of Passage Ceremony happens for us when Mom and Dad recognize that we are growing older and they want to celebrate that we are going through a doorway—a passage way—from childhood to adulthood. Age doesn’t matter so much—it’s more about maturity. So, before our birthday, we celebrated with 12 other ladies (including our Mom, Bianca, and our Abuela) at our church! It was small and simple; the way we liked it. J

We arrived at the church and found the most gorgeous decorations all over the upstairs youth room made by our sweet friend, Mrs. H! There was a table with all the food and blue, yellow, and violet plastic table wear, (we LOVE those colors) and there were two huge fancy chocolate cakes with rich white frosting! There were beautiful cookies, a table with punch, tables and chairs set up in front of the podium where the speaking was done, and a table full of gifts. We were showered and spoiled! J

My Mom made a speech in the beginning. Dad came up, read his letter to us, and showed Ruby and I the video he had made for us on the big screen. It was a wonderful gift from him. J After the video Mom spoke some more, and then Ruby and I stepped up to the podium and shared our testimonies. Then a few other ladies including my Grandma and Mom read their letters to us. We each received a binder filled with letters of affirmation from Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, and even Haiti!

After the reading of the letters, Ruby and I stepped up in front of the ladies, and we had the Passing of Blessings. The ladies each read a blessing over us that was written on cards for us to keep. That was special! Then everyone gathered around us, and we were prayed over. We then enjoyed a fellowship meal together and the men and boys joined us.

We had a big layered Company Salad, (Ruby and I adore salad) deviled eggs, Chick-fil-A chicken, pistachio salad, crackers with hummus and mockamole (like guacamole), cake, punch, and cookies. Ruby and I have loved opening the gifts, reading the letters from all over, and enjoying the new books, journals, music, gift cards, jewelry, etc

It was so wonderful—we felt so, so special, and blessed! We had celebrated our birthday for days. A few days before all this, we were taken to a very special restaurant for dinner and given purity rings by our Dad, then we had this ceremony, then on our actual birthday, Abuela made her amazing Puerto-Rican cooking…I could go on and on! We had a wonderful ceremony, birthday, and wonderful time with family. Praise be to the Lord for His abundant blessings!

Rite of Passage Preview

This past weekend, Rubia and Roma celebrated a very special milestone: their Rite of Passage ceremony! Much preparation went into the event, and it turned out beautifully. Come back on Friday to hear more about it!

Open

“The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.”

Deuteronomy 28:12