Ben's Birthday!

A while ago, we celebrated Ben’s birthday! As usual, we were told that we were going on a surprise birthday trip the day of his birthday. This time, we went to. . .

. . .the Michigan Historical Center in Lansing!

We were able to tour a small portion of a re-created mine. It was quite fascinating! Copper mining used to be a big industry in Michigan.

We were also able to tour a model of a Victorian Era home at the Historical Center.

This was a neat topographical map of Michigan. Michigan really isn’t as hilly as it looks on this map; I believe the highest point is only about 1900 feet!

This is a 1950’s style kitchen. You can tell by the pink appliances. J

Since Ben is so fond of 3-part birthday trips, we visited the Michigan State Capitol next! It was quite beautiful and brought back memories of our trip to Washington D.C. last year.

All of us on the stairs to the Capitol building.

We love it when we find evidence of our forefathers’ faith in Christ! We took a picture next to “In God We Trust” on the Capitol wall.

The dome is so beautiful and dizzying! The architecture of the building is phenomenal!

The floor is made out of limestone and marble. In the limestone, you can see marine fossils! Pretty amazing!

This is the room where the Michigan House of Representatives meets. It was funny to see how some of the representatives like to decorate their desks. We saw everything from candy dispensers to Mr. Potato Heads! J

All of us kids in the overlook in the Senate room.

This is the Senate room.

The third part of the trip was a stop at Clara’s Lansing Station Restaurant! This restaurant used to be a train station. Now it has been converted into a wonderful eatery!

We were able to eat in the train car!

I enjoyed some delicious French Onion soup to start my meal.

Next I had Fettuccini Alfredo with grilled shrimp. I also had a mozzarella-filled breadstick. After sampling my parents’ dish, I wished I had gotten the lasagna. Still, it was all so tasty!

For dessert, we enjoyed a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, made per Ben’s request. It was delicious.

Then he opened his presents. This picture turned out funny; he was juggling the balls and I snapped it just as one passed over his head!

And that was his birthday in a nutshell! We are so blessed to have Ben in our family. He is quickly turning into a young man, as we have been reminded with the passing of his birthday. We love you, Ben, and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you!

Senior Banquet

Every year, the youth group at our church has a special event for those graduating from High School. Each year’s celebration is a bit different, as different seniors plan the events. This year, we started off the evening by having dinner at a local Italian restaurant. We had mostacholi, meatballs, baked potatoes, salad, and grilled chicken. It was quite tasty!

Daddy and I at the restaurant.

After dinner, we drove back to the church, where things began to get interesting. J Our youth leader gave a charge to the graduating seniors on trusting in the Lord’s plans for their lives, and the seniors shared their plans for their immediate future. We then changed into old clothes because we were going to have a paint balloon fight. Yes, you read that correctly: paint and fight.

There were 83 balloons on each team and they were all filled with diluted paint. We played the game much like dodge ball. It was quite humorous!

I look ridiculous, don’t I? The goggles were to protect our eyes from any paint.

It was quite messy and funny! Our lines (paper streamers) were soon ruined and it ended up into a bit of a free-for-all.

I got hit at the very beginning of the game. I had paint in my hair, inside my ear :-P, down my back, and all over the shirt.

The gross part was that I let it dry and then it flaked into the rest of my hair. I had paint in my hair for days!

After the paint war was over (our team won!) we played sand volleyball and had a bonfire complete with s’mores. We are really going to miss all of the seniors, but will continue to pray for them as they seek the Lord’s plans for their lives!

Four Paws From Heaven, Part 2

(Posted by Rubia)

I hope you enjoyed the other stories I wrote last time, about things my pets did that reminded me of God.

Here is one that I thought of, that I’ll share this time:

Trusting Zinnia

Being spring, our cat Zinnia’s lip has swelled up again. We believe it to be spring allergies.

It looks as if it could hurt pretty badly. But…she never complains. Sometimes Zinnia’s lips are swelled for almost the entire summer, but never has she shown any sign of irritation. She still acts like her sweet, two-year-old baby self! She even looks rather sweet with her lips sticking out like that.

She always seems to trust in us, as if she knows that we will take care of her, so that she will get better soon.

It is just like the way we should trust in God, even when it seems hard. Because He will take care of us.

“So do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” John 14:1

Fathers

“We best understand the feelings and affections of God toward us when we bend over our own child and see in our human parenthood a faint image of the divine Fatherhood.”

-- (from “The ‘Family” by J.R. Miller)

Happy Father’s Day to some of the finest fathers I know!

(posted by Betsy)

Recipe--Tossed Spinach Salad

We first tried this recipe after reading about it on a friend’s blog. It was a huge hit with everyone in our house! We loved all of the different things added to the salad. Recently, we made it again and I was reminded how much I like it. I really look forward to making it when we have our own spinach! Below is our version of the recipe. If you want to see the original version, please visit Sarah’s blog!

Tossed Spinach Salad

10 oz fresh spinach, torn (we usually double this amount)

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 celery ribs, sliced

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

FRENCH DRESSING:

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a large salad bowl, combine the salad ingredients. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake until the sugar is dissolved. Toss half of the dressing with the salad and serve the rest on the side. Enjoy!

Father's Day Favorites

In honor of Father’s Day this coming Sunday, we wanted to do a special post to honor our father. There are so many special things we love about him and wanted to take this chance to share them and thank him for being such a wonderful father!

Betsy—My beloved…I have always believed that you were one of God’s greatest gifts to me. You were an answer to prayer, as far as the kind of husband I longed for, and yet so much more. And as a father, you are the best! Loving, kind, compassionate, firm when you need to be, strong, and courageous. One of the things I love most is watching you goof around with our children—even when it gets a little loud sometimes! J Another favorite memory is our annual anniversary trips together. These are such special bonding times with my best friend! Because you have first been a wonderful, caring husband, you are also a wonderful, caring father. Thank you for showing us what God’s love for us looks like, by your great love for your bride and your children!



Daddy loves Mommy and protects her. He desires to build and maintain a strong relationship with his wife where each of them fulfills the roles God has given them.



“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25

Bianca—There are so many things that I love about my Daddy that I could write a whole blog post by myself about it! I am so grateful that the Lord chose to bless me with my Dad. I wouldn’t trade him for the world because he is the perfect father for me, chosen by God to lead me and protect me.

I love it when he spends one-on-one time with us kids on dates. He isn’t afraid to let us try new things like flying his plane (with his supervision of course!), mowing the lawn by ourselves, planning our gardens, and purchasing our own cameras, because he knows it will teach us responsibility. He encourages me to do hard things and seek the Lord’s will for my life despite the stereotypical expectations assigned to me by our ungodly culture.

He is not afraid to stand up for what is right, even when others criticize him. He is passionate about missions. He desires to lead his family in the way God intended him to. He realizes the importance of close, Biblical family relationships. He studies God’s word and other theological books on a regular basis. He is an excellent teacher. And he loves me so much! I love you very much, Daddy!



Daddy loves spending time with the family. When he’s gone on long business trips he will video Skype us or call at least once a day.



“Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5

Ben—My…as the oldest son of this wonderful man, I have so much to say about him. One thing that we all highly appreciate is his calm, mild-mannered attitude. It takes A LOT for dad to show extreme emotions of any kind. I have never seen him cry, and on rare occasions does he raise his voice. He is a very comforting person in troubled times. As kids we knew that if daddy acted scared, we’d better be scared; if he showed anger, we knew he was serious! For he almost never showed these emotions, at least not in the presence of his children. No matter what problems he faced and still faces, we have a great sense of comfort in his responsible, yet joyful, calm character.

My father is fantastic at Biblical correction. He is calm, loving, compassionate, and holds the highest regard for the feelings of others. But yet he is very firm when he needs to be! Many times our family has been “culturally attacked” for our beliefs and values. Although Dad has respect for the people from whom the arguments come, nothing can shake my father from doing what he knows is right. He is concrete in his theological beliefs, and his faith cannot be shaken.

Our father’s greatest passion in life is to lead and disciple his family through Biblical teaching and example. He is our guide, our fortress, our protector, and our best friend. He takes this responsibility very seriously.

Although our father was raised in a family with Christian heritage and values, he really has not been a Christian all that long. He became a Christian in his early 20’s. When other people hear this, they are shocked! They think…“Wow!....he’s come a long way!” This is because my father was passionate about his faith the minute he began. He started reading the Bible, and joined a special Christian fellowship known as “The Promise Keepers” (see www.promisekeepers.com). This is an international organization of Christian men committed to seven Biblical promises. It is a group that encourages Christian fellowship and mentoring amongst the men of God. My dad’s life is a living tribute and example of what the saving grace of Jesus Christ can do for your life. So on this day, I honor him. I love him very much.



Daddy really enjoys taking us kids flying in his plane. We have so much fun with him!



“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

Rubia—My favorite thing about Dad is that he is very patient with us, even when he has to tell us something over and over again. He never raises his voice. I like to help him work. I like it when he’s funny! We both have the same interests like reading good books. He always has a large stack of books on his nightstand that he is currently reading. I like to go out with him to spend time together.



Daddy’s current stack of books on his nightstand. As you can probably tell, he is teaching a Sunday school series on Acts, studying Reformed theology, previewing future father and son Bible study material, studying what the Bible says about the necessary qualifications of a man who desires to marry one of us girls, and studying creation science. This is a pretty typical scene at his bedside.



“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” Proverbs 17:27

Roma—He has good self-control. He doesn’t raise his voice. He is a great Sunday school teacher. He spends time with all of us kids. He likes to sing in the bathroom! J I enjoy doing Bible studies with him. He’s not afraid of anything. He protects me from all of the bugs in the world! J (When I was little I did NOT like bugs.) He’s the best Dad in the world!



Daddy is fearless. Doing stunts in airplanes, racing cars for his job, scaring off wild animals when they disturb us, and even bee-keeping, doesn’t bother him.



 “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13

Josiah—I love it when Daddy takes me flying. He even lets me fly the plane! He plays chess with me. He has a good sense of humor. He makes funny faces. He protects me. And he lets me take naps in his chair with him!

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers." Malachi 4:6

We are so thankful for Daddy and his love for God and his family. Thank you for being a godly man, a loving husband, a strong leader in your family, for loving your children, and training them in the ways of the Lord. We look forward to seeing the Lord continue to use you in the years to come!

Breakfast Outdoors

Our family has a thing with eating outside. I think that is one of the highlights of summer that we all look forward to. Something about the outdoors makes things taste better! J

Lately we have especially enjoyed having breakfast out on the porch. It saves us the trouble of setting the table and doing a lot of clean-up afterward. The weather has been quite pleasant in the mornings, with temperatures in the 70’s. I love relaxing in a rocker with a full stomach, a glass of juice by my side, the warm sun beating on my neck, a breeze brushing my face, birds singing around me, and the fragrance of blooming peonies in the air. Plus—and this is the best part—there’s not a mosquito in sight. J What could be better?

We also love sitting outside in the cool of the evening. Nothing says summer quite like a juicy burger with all the trimmings, dill pickles, couscous salad with fresh, homegrown herbs, an orange smoothie to sip on, and cold, sweet watermelon, all enjoyed al fresco.  And after dinner, I love to linger outdoors and enjoy the peace and quiet with a good book to read.*Sigh.* Makes me wish it were evening already!

Look at me; I’m turning into such a foodie! J Sometimes a blog will do that to you. What are your favorite memories of food and summer? I’d be curious to know (and perhaps even borrow some of your ideas. J)

"Joyfully At Home" Book Review

Recently I finished reading a book called “Joyfully At Home: A Book for Young Ladies on Vision and Hope” by Jasmine Baucham. Initially, I was a little concerned that it would be exactly like the book “So Much More” by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, because Jasmine was featured in the documentary, “The Return of the Daughters” that was made by the Botkin family. Thus, the two families have similar beliefs. But I was very pleasantly surprised that this book indeed had a different flavor and style than “So Much More,” while still proclaiming the message of Biblical daughterhood.

The book speaks on many issues of daughterhood, including becoming a good daughter to your heavenly Father, earthly father, mother, and siblings; contributing to a joyful atmosphere in the home; defining joyful contentment; overcoming false views of marriage, husbands, self, singleness, and God’s sovereignty; answering the hard questions about stay-at-home-daughterhood, all of the “what if’s;” the home and the great commission; being hospitable and making the home a place of ministry; making these principles practical and applicable in our lives; and becoming a “ballistic missile” for the glory of God.

The book is written in a winsome and humorous way at times, with lots of personal stories from Jasmine herself. In the introduction, she explains that she used to live and believe exactly the opposite of what this book is about! But the Lord really convicted her, and she now lives a vibrant, joyful, content, and happy life at home preparing to be a helpmeet to her future husband.

What I enjoyed most about this book, and the main idea I took away from it, is the idea of being more hospitable and having our home be a place of ministry. There are so many different ministries and opportunities that I can use to serve the Lord right from home! We have been blessed with a home that has ample space for guests, and lots of hands able to work towards making it a place suitable for ministry. The book has caused me to ask the following questions:

*Is our home a place of ministry, or simply a private retreat for our family?

*Am I truly helping my mother make our home into a place of ministry, or am I selfishly using my time for myself, and making her calling to be hospitable (1 Peter 4:9) more difficult?

*Am I contributing to a joyful, peaceful, comforting atmosphere for my family and for guests? Or am I causing chaos and disorder?

*How can I make our home a more inviting place for guests? Can I help clean more, contribute in preparing food, or play with younger children to give my parents more time to meet the spiritual needs of guests?

*Is the purpose of having people over to simply entertain them, or to have true Christian fellowship with one another? Are we also having non-believers over and ministering to them with the message of the gospel and the family?

*How can I serve my family, others, and my Savior best? How can I bring the most honor and glory to God by being joyful and content at home?

As a result of reading this book, I have tried—and am still learning— to help my family have more time to minister to people in our home. The Lord has blessed us with many friends and neighbors to minister to, and one of the best ways to do that is through our home!

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic of Biblical daughterhood. The book is very practical and compelling in encouraging young women to be better helpers to their families during their “single” years (no one is truly single if they are part of a family) and to do it joyfully.