Conversations with a toddler cont.

One night as we were getting into the car...

Adele looking up at the night sky: "Wow, that is amazing"

Me: "What Adele, the stars?"

Adele: "Yes, God is amazing"

Amen, Adele. Amen.

Have you looked at the stars recently?

Psalm 19:1
¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Books

I am sick. I feel like every muscle in my body has been taken out pounded with a meat cleaver and then put back. Fever, chills, aches, the flu has descended upon our house. I will be very sad if the kids get this.

Reading two books right now. The first is called What is Faith by J. Gresham Machen. This is the type of book that requires you to have a dictionary nearby. I think I will have to read it a few more times before I get everything he is trying to say.

A section that I just read and liked

A true Reformation would be characterized by just what is missing in the Modernism of the present day; it would be characterized above all by an heroic honesty which for the sake of principle would push all consideration of consequences aside.
Such a Reformation we on our parts believe to be needed today; only, we believe that it would be brought about, not by a new religion which consists in imitation of the reduced Jesus of modern naturalism, but by the rediscovery of the gospel of Christ.

But this new Reformation for which we long will not be brought about by human persuasions, or by consideration of consequences, or by those who seek to save souls through the skillful use of ecclesiastical influences, or by those who refrain form speaking the truth through fear of "splitting the Church" or of making a poor showing in columns of Church statistics. How petty, in the great day when the Spirit of God again moves in the Church, all such considerations will seem!

No, when the true Reformation comes, it will comes through the instrumentality of those upon whom God has laid His hand, to whom the gospel has become a burning fire within them, who speak because they are compelled to speak, who, caring nothing for human influences and conciliation and external Church combinations and the praise or blame of men, speak the word that God has given them and trust for the results to Him alone. In other words, it will be brought about by men of faith.

I pray that I would be more in character as those who are mentioned above.

Speaking of modernism and new religions...read this article.


The second book I am reading is Seeing with New Eyes - Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture by David Powlison. This is actually book one of three written by Powlison on counseling. I often feel very inadequate in my responses to people who are dealing with some very hard issues. Thus the reason for reading this book.
I am not very far into this one yet. The point that has stuck with me so far is how important the Psalms are. This quote is challenging.

Rather, "psalms" provide a paradigm for a living, speaking faith in Christ. To be "filled with the Spirit" is to have your language alive to God, both your daily conversations with others and the inward conversation within your heart. Your cognitive stream-of-consciousness and your social interactions are meant to be pslam-like and psalm-informed. That includes the ability to quote a pslam in a timely and relevant way, but it is something much more. Paul calls you to a lifestyle of joyous dependence on Christ, to live in faith like the Psalms.

Dress up/ my girls have been compromised/ last day

So this is what Brandon is wearing to work tomorrow. He has to go out on the tracks to investigate some problems. I kid you not the jacket weighs like 5 lbs.

It is actually two coats that snap together. One can turn into a vest in the hot months.

The boots weigh about 5 lbs. each.

The safety glasses are too big for my head.

Good thing I am not the one actually having to wear this stuff.

---

So Addie and Moriah surprised my girls with t-shirts to a very popular movie. They also brought the movie along for them to watch with the girls.

I must say that they are not usually allowed to watch such things and now their little brains have been compromised. Brandon was shaking his head when he came home.

The movie was Highschool Musical 3. Yes, never has this house seen such a girlie/chick flick/ teenie bopper movie. Hopefully it will be years down the road before it ever happens again :-)

---

Sadly, tomorrow is our last day with Addie and Moriah. Where has 7 weeks gone? We are thankful for the visit with them. It was good spending so much time with them and getting to know them more. I feel as if we really miss out on knowing our siblings living this far away. Lord willing more will come to visit in the future....and maybe stay for good :-)

It has been great having the extra help. I can get all three kids in the car at once! I don't have to clean the house on my own. Ummm, I could go on and on.

It is always a blessing when our friends and family in the States can get to know our friends over here. We are thankful that God has allowed us to live in a time where traveling long distances is so relatively easy. What a blessing.


I am tired and need to go over my Bible study questions for tomorrow. See you on the flip side.

Preaching, Youth Camp, bits N pieces

Last Sunday Brandon was asked to preach at the McKinnon church. He was asked to fill in for Pastor McEwen who was away. Brandon had previously attended a preaching class held at the Geelong church for those interested in learning how to put together a sermon, understand how to prepare, and get a sense if they are being called for that sort of ministry.

Brandon isn't feeling called to be a preacher at this moment in time. The class was good though in showing him how much work it takes in preparing a sermon.

Preaching at McKinnon seemed to go well. Our kids didn't blow up half-way through, the sound system held together, and the Psalms were not so obscure that the older people it the congregation (pretty much everyone) couldn't sing them.

Brandon did hear later on that he talked a bit too fast and his accent made it hard for the older people to follow. I'm sure practice would help with the first but I don't think there is anything he can do about the second.

---

This weekend we were planning on enjoying worshipping at Geelong but have been called away last minute to the youth camp at Dixons Creek. I wish I could say the reason for us being there is a happy one but sadly some friends of ours are going through a difficult time and felt like they should rest from serving at the camp. We are gladly filling in, I just wish it wasn't because of the trial God has laid on them.

You could pray for them. I know I haven't given many details but if you have ever been through a hard time you will know a few things to pray for.

So because we are going to camp this weekend it will be the fourth out of the last five weeks we have not been to Geelong for worship. McKinnon, Frankston (leading a youth group trip), Geelong (but I didn't go b/c Adele was sick), McKinnon (Brandon preaching), and this Sunday at Dixon's Creek.

I am not sure how I feel about being gone so much...it is hard to be part of a church when you are not there. I think in the future we may need to be more careful about how we plan our away times. Just making sure they are spread out a bit more.

---

We made $250 at the garage sale. I don't know if this is a lot in the garage sale world. I was happy with it though. I think we will give $130 to the Barnabas Fund and then another $70 to the Bush Fire relief. The extra $50 from selling our old fridge, tv, and outdoor furniture was used to take us and B's sisters out for dinner and ice cream in St. Kilda. We thought we would treat them seeing as though they helped a lot with setting up and manning the garage sale.