I Cannot Hide

The third day Pandamania Vacation Bible School verse is:

"But even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you

 the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and 

 light are the same to you."

Psalm 139:12

Matthew spotted this authentic Chinese rickshaw hat in a local used store. Chris will be wearing this hat for the dramas I have written. With his black hair, he looks the most Chinese.

God is everywhere! It is impossible for us to be in a place where God isn't present. Even when we have forgotten God or deny His existence, He is still there. 

God sees everything! He sees those tears that fall from your face, even in the solitary darkness of your room. He feels your sorrow and He feels your pain.

God notices you! When you feel so lost in a capacious crowd, you are not, for you stand out to God, a beacon in the darkest of night.

God delights in your happiness! He sees your laughter, all your smiles and the way you dance or act in joy. Those moments bring such pleasure to His loving heart. God knows what makes you happy and He longs to fullfil those desires of your heart.

Always remember, that you are never alone, forgotten, lost or unnoticed. God is there and His watchful eyes are upon you!

God Knows Us

The day two verse of Pandamania Vacation Bible School is:

"You know what I'm going to say even before I say it, Lord."

Psalm 139:4

I arranged the two stuffed panda bears on my grass to make it look like they are having fun wrestling together. Aren't they cute?

God knows us better than we know ourselves, so much that he knows what we are going to say even before we say it. Therefore, nothing we do or say surprises God!

It is comforting to realize that we can turn to God for understanding and wisdom during those times when our thoughts are confused leading to such agonizing frustration and anxiety.

It is reassuring to note that God is there waiting for us to seek Him for the answer during those times when a decision has to be made, and we just don't know what to     do—fearful of making the wrong choice. But God knows what decision is best!

Pray to God. He will always hear, even the most silent prayers. And just as certain as He hears, He will answer!

Wonderfully Complex

For each day of the week at Pandamania Vacation Bible School, the children will be encouraged to learn one verse, for a total of five verses by the end of the week.

Yesterday, I had a brainstorm. I obviously can't take real pictures of pandas, so I decided to take several pictures with my camera of two stuffed pandas that I bought recently.

Isn't this panda adorable! It almost looks real. I think my neighbours perceive me as crazy, taking pictures of two stuffed pandas in my yard. Oh well, I won't deny it.

I bought the bamboo poles from a dollar store for effect. I then had Matthew put the different verses on the five chosen pictures. I plan on giving them out as rewards to the children who have successfully learned all five verses at the end of the week. I even found bamboo frames to put the pictures in.

The first verse the children are to learn is as follows:

"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous — how well I know it."

Psalm 139:14

Our physical bodies are so incredibly made. They are amazingly unique and complex. Just pondering this fact alone gives assurance that there must be an intelligent Designer. And that Creator is God! We all know it, but some will acknowledge it and others will deny it. May the eyes of the blind be opened in our world. May people be zealous to seek the truth, instead of being quick to believe a fatuous fabrication.

Noah Puppet Show

I wrote a puppet show for the children this Sunday about Noah building the ark. My son, Tim, got to use one of my new puppets. He was Noah.

Here is the puppet show below.

To view a larger version of the puppet show, click the "YouTube" link on the bottom-right corner of the video.

I can't believe I wrote those comments about marriage. The scary part is that the children even laughed at them. I wrote them to poke fun at my bachelor sons.

"But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, 

male and female to keep them alive with you."

Genesis 6:18-19

  

If it wasn't for the righteousness of one man, who had the willingness and strength to stay faithful to God in a selfish and wicked society. none of us would be here today. I look forward to meeting this man one day! I wonder if he saw our puppet show, he'd laugh. I can't imagine Noah being 600 years old when he built the ark. However, he lived another 350 years after the flood.

The postcards that I made for the children were well received. It was a joy to see their sweet faces in receiving them. They loved the cute animals attached. At the end of children's church, each child was asked the question, "What is your favorite animal and why?" The answers were so diverse and thought-out that I extremely enjoyed listening to their answers. It is truly astonishing the perplexity of all the different animals God created for man's delight!

Friendship Is Gold

Last night, all of my four sons, my husband and I went to the theatre to see the movie Cars 2.  Of course we had to see it in 3D and wear those geeky sunglasses. I sat beside Daniel and giggled when I looked at him and he smirked backed at me. When a good animated/family movie comes out in theatres, we often all go together to see it. We have done this as a family for many years and still enjoy doing it. Hey, what can I say? We all enjoy humour and there is always so much humour in these types of movies.

The lesson that was predominant in this movie was the value of friendships. As with any close relationships, whether it be with your married partner, friends or family members, there will always be conflict at times caused by disappointment and fuelled by anger. At these moments, the ability to forgive and to say "I'm sorry" is essential for a relationship to continue. Those two words spoken in sincerity can restore a fractured heart and bring imminent healing to any relationship. However, the person receiving the apology must be also willing to forgive.

The Bible has many verses about the importance of being able to forgive. This is one of my favourites:

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 

as God in Christ forgave you."

Ephesians 4:32

If you are struggling to forgive another, is easier to do so when we realize the forgiveness we have received in Christ Jesus and the price He paid in order to offer that forgiveness to us.

The Bible also says restore that precious relationship right away. The longer people wait, the more damage it does to their mind, body and spirit. Don't wait and go to bed angry and hurt.

"And 'don't sin by letting anger control you.' Don't let the sun go

 down while you are still angry."

Ephesians 4:26

I love to take pictures of sunrises and sunsets. They are so beautiful! God's creativity is so astounding at times!

When I look at this picture and remember what Ephesians 4:26 says, I can't help but think of the close intimate relationships that I have had in the past that were completely destroyed because one person was unable to forgive or to say "I'm sorry". Why can those two small words be so hard to say when they can bring so much healing to the other person? I'll never know. May we work harder to restore these trusted relationships as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will continue to haunt you forever or until you are ready to forgive or apologize.

The Lord's Regret

My son, Matthew, took this picture of me and my new car to send to my mother. I am very happy with this vehicle! So far everything is fine. Just to make sure though, I got extra insurance. I don't want to take any chances.

As I continue my studies in Genesis about Noah, I cannot help but ponder verse 6 in Genesis chapter 6. The Bible says that during the life of Noah that "The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled." The turmoil and pain God must have felt at the time had to be immense because he loved man so much! Yet, the people had turned against their Creator. They had forgotten His love. They failed to remember the delight He had in creating them and the beautiful world for  them to live in. They disregarded His earnest desire to have an intimate relationship with them.

Parents who have had a rebellious or wayward son or daughter turn their back against family and the godly principles they were taught would have some understanding as to how God must have felt. There could be no better parent than our heavenly Father, and yet so many people, even today, reject and scorn Him. Therefore, godly parents who have had children that have gone astray should never feel guilty. God is not at fault when one of His children forsake Him and neither is a parent who truly loves their child and desires only the best for them. As parents, all we can do is our best and then continue to pray for our children daily, knowing that God fully understands the joys and heartaches that come with parenting.

I bought this puppet recently at a Christian book store, not knowing I would be soon doing a study on Noah.

The actual puppet's name on his tag is "Noah". I have many animal puppets, but only one people puppet, so I bought this guy and three others. They weren't that much money and my sons and I liked the feel of these puppets in operating their mouths. I thought they were cute too!

Noah, A Righteous Man

This Sunday I will be teaching the children the story of Noah. The Bible states in Genesis 6:9 that, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God."

What amazes me about this Bible story is that Noah was the only man on earth at the time who was righteous. The rest of the human race is described in Genesis 6:5: "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time."

The question I ask myself is: How did Noah remain faithful to God without the support of a Church family or other Christians when everyone else was so evil? His strength in resisting the temptation to be accepted by others and his determination to be different for righteousness' sake is inspiring. How often are we, as Christians, afraid to speak the truth for fear of being condemned or ridiculed? Many times our desire is to be politically correct and acceptable to others, but sometimes that desire goes against the character and holiness of God. When I am reminded of the true story of Noah, it gives me the motivation to not be afraid to be Biblically correct, no matter what the outcome. It is more important to speak the truth and do the will of God than to be concerned with what others will think. I pray I will be able to instil this message in the hearts of the children this Sunday.

Here is one of the 60 postcards I made to give to each child to take home and colour. Matthew coloured this one for me as an example. I have also attached a small animal to each card as a memory of this extraordinary, God-fearing man called Noah. If it wasn't for his obedience to God, we wouldn't have the animals that we see here on earth today. (I love animals!)

Now an update on my wheels. I have a car to drive now! Praise be to God! The cargo carrier is coming in next week, so we can haul our musical instruments, as well our personal belongings, etc., in July when we will be travelling to minister to other children. I can't wait! It is now three and a half weeks away!

The paint actually has sparkles in it!

My Tangled Scooter

Since I am temporarily without a vehicle, Matthew offered to loan me his Tangled scooter that I bought for him as a prop in a play I wrote. I appreciate the offer — I was even tempted to use it — but I am not that desperate, not yet anyways. Well, maybe ...

Don't you just love that movie? If you haven't seen it, it is a must!

I guess you are wondering by now which vehicle I chose in exchange for my black 2006 RAV4. When Matthew and I went to the Toyota dealership yesterday morning at nine, my salesman immediately spotted us. I will be honest with you. I was sick to my stomach and didn't sleep well the night before. Anyways, the salesman excitedly came over to us to show us a blizzard pearl 2009 RAV4 that was just traded in earlier that morning. If you recall, I never liked the colour black. White was my preferred colour. This RAV4 has a bit more kilometers on it though, apparently mostly freeway driving. However, it is in better condition and newer than my other one. Plus, it is white, not black! Or did I already say that? Matthew really likes it because it has a cool sound system, a typical reaction from a musician. This RAV4 is a little more money, but not much more.

"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." 

Romans 8:28

I praise God that everything worked out for the good, just like the verse above states. It wasn't by coincidence that the 2009 RAV4 was traded in at the right moment when I so desperately needed one. I have the colour I wanted too! (I know, I keep repeating myself). It is just that black shows up all the dirt and this sparkly pearl white is so pretty. I'm a woman. What can I say? Colour is important. Ok, maybe brakes are too ...

Hopefully, the 2009 RAV4 will have been inspected, front windshield replaced, washed and ready for me to take it home later today. I can't wait! If not, I just might have to use Matthew's scooter to run to the store. I am running out of milk, bread, butter ... I have an army to feed!

God is good!

We Lack Nothing In God

My son, Chris, loved to play in my kitchen cupboards when he was a toddler. His favorite thing to play with was my large green mixing bowl. He had many store-bought toys to play with, but he was content to be near me in the kitchen and play with my bowls.

The closer we get to Jesus, the more content we get — so much so that we are in need of less worldly material things to make as happy. Just like my son was the most content to be near me and play with plastic bowls than to be away from me and play with elaborate colourful toys in the playroom. Oh, if we could learn from children, how much happier we would be and less money we would spend.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He refreshes my soul."
Psalm 23:1-3a

I am clinging to this verse because at the present time I don't have a vehicle to drive. I know God will provide. I just desperately need His wisdom right now. I will be exchanging my 2006 RAV4 for another vehicle on the lot. This is my only option, as the mechanics cannot determine what caused the brakes to fail three times. I am thankful to God that I never got into an accident, However, I need God's wisdom to make the right decision. I don't want to be tempted/forced to buy something new, fancy or expensive if I don't need to. The picture of Chris reminds me that happiness does not come from expensive toys. I just want a reliable vehicle that will be safe to drive, so my family and I can continue the work that God has called us to do. I know that there is one out there that God has set aside for me. I just need God's guidance and wisdom to know which one it is.

No Brakes!

Monday morning I said goodbye to my father- and mother-in-law as they left to travel the long distance back to their home. Then I got into my RAV4 to do some shopping for Children's Church this Sunday. When I tried to stop at a red light, my brakes wouldn't work properly. I applied pressure, but there was an opposing force. My brake pedal wouldn't go down. Then the vehicle lurched forward and finally the brakes worked. This is the second time it has happened to me since I have bought the vehicle, so I decided to forget the shopping and drive the vehicle to the Toyota dealership where I bought the RAV4. I didn't make it there. The next time I tried to stop, I was unable to do so at all. Instead, I gained power and to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me, I ended up on the shoulder in a very large mud puddle. Nothing was slowing me down. I had no choice but to shift the accelerating vehicle into park, (my poor engine) and turned the ignition off.

I didn't have a cell phone, so I got out of my vehicle and stood outside it, looking stunned and walking aimlessly around. I was too far from home to even consider walking; plus it was raining. (It has been raining here forever it seems.) I also didn't have a coat on, so I was getting drenched. I didn't see the advantage of staying in my vehicle. I wasn't too happy with it at the moment. Then finally a middle-age man saw my distress and stopped in his work truck. When he got out, the first thing I noticed was that he had a shirt on advertising a pub. I thought, "Great! He's probably hung over." I was wrong! The man turned out to be very nice. He gave me his cell phone to use, after dialing 411 for the Toyota dealership's phone number. Then when I phoned the dealership and explained what happened, the lady who answered said that she was too busy at the moment to help. She asked for my phone number so that she could call me back later. I gave up and hopelessly ended the call. The perturbed man then phoned the dealership himself and demanded immediate action. (I guess I was either too polite or a woman, or maybe both.) Anyways, I got action. A tow truck was sent pronto and my RAV4 is now in their shop.

As of yet, the Toyota service department is unable to figure out exactly the problem: most likely a computer malfunction. To make things worse, the brakes worked correctly when they took the RAV4 for a test drive: it is intermittent as to when the brakes fail. If they ask another dumb question, I just might not be so polite. "Did you press the brake pedal all the way to the floor?" "Are you sure it wasn't just the anti-lock brakes?" "Maybe the floor mat bunched up underneath the brake pedal?" How stupid do they think I am?

Anyways, the moral of the story is: a man that I would have considered the least likely to stop to help me did. He wasn't a friend of mine, or a relative, or a Christian. He was a complete stranger, taking his time to help me. I was reminded of the "Good Samaritan Story" in the Bible. When a Jewish man was severely beaten and robbed, it was not the Priest, nor the Levite that stopped to help him, but a Samaritan (who generally despised Jews in those days) that stopped to help the injured man.

Many people drove by me as I stood outside my RAV4 before this man stopped to help. I don't know the occupations of the other drivers, or whether they had relationships with God or not. All I know is this man, wearing a shirt advertising alcohol, stopped to help me. I told him he was my "Good Samaritan" and thanked him. I also said a prayer for him, that God would bless him and make Himself known to him.

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your

strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'"

Luke 10:27

The man in the truck who stopped to help me was loving his neighbour. May we also follow his example and take time to help someone in need, for it is the will and heart of God.

After heavy rains, I took this picture of a rainbow, reminding me that in the midst of a storm there can be a beautiful moment. My "Good Samaritan" was a beautiful moment!

Praise You In This Storm

In times of trouble, deep discouragement or fear, we need to look to God for strength and comfort. This is where our help will come from.

"I lift my eyes up to the hills,. Where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the Lord, Maker

 of heaven and earth."

Psalm 121:1-2

On our moving trip here two years ago, we passed this magnificent mountain. When I gazed upon it I immediately sensed the presence of God. Calmness replaced the anxiety and sadness I felt from leaving our home, and the people we loved, to go live in a new province and city. The peace of God flooded my soul and I had the emotional strength to keep going.

Psalm 121:1-2 appears in the song, "Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns. My sons made their own recording of this song for my dad's funeral. Tim is singing. Daniel is playing the electric guitar, Chris the drums, and Matthew the bass.

If you are going through a storm of trouble or distress, I pray that this song will bring you comfort:

Always remember that God is right there, waiting for you to go to Him, so that He can surround you with His love and serenity, even in the midst of the most turbulent storm.

My Father

Today is Father's Day and I thought I would take the opportunity to honor my father who died a year and a half ago. My Dad was in the Canadian Airforce for five years until the end of World War II, as an airframe mechanic. When he left the airforce, he married my mother and obtained work as a sheet-metal specialist until he retired.

My father later became a Christian after witnessing my healing from God. 

This was one of the verses my father clung to. Paul, an Apostle of God, was speaking and referring to himself in this verse. However, my father applied this truth to his own life.

"But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example

 of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that 

they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life."

1Timothy 1:16

No matter what we have done in the past, God can forgive and we can start again with a clean slate.

"I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will

never think of them again."

Isaiah 43:25

When God forgives, he no longer remembers our past sins. People do not have this ability. We can forgive or be forgiven, but we will always remember. It is comforting to know God doesn't.

After my dad became a Christian, he began working in Church as a boys' club leader. He was in charge of the crafts. I remember so vividly the hours my dad would spend preparing for these crafts. One was a model of a church that lit up. It took the boys weeks to build, but what a craft! My dad spent several weekends cutting up all the little blocks of wood to build these churches. The churches even had stain glass windows, a steeple and a cross.

Then for Easter one year, he had the children make crosses to hang on the wall that were made from hundreds of burnt matches. I recall my dad burning all those matches for these children's crafts. He had to do it just right, so as not to burn the matches too much. I was in wonderment watching my dad do something we as children weren't suppose to do and that is play with matches.

However, the thing I remember the most, is the joy my dad had doing these things for God and the children! He passed that love on to me and I have passed that love onto my sons. Working with children is so rewarding. Their smiles, their excitement and their eagerness to hear about their Heavenly Father make it all worth while. We may not realize it at the time, but children notice the time a person spends preparing for them beforehand. They never forget it. Christians leaders in children's ministry are sometimes the only examples a child will ever have of the love of God in their lives. May the Church always value this ministry and realize its importance.

Running The Race

My father and mother-in-law have served God in ministry for forty-two years. They started off as preachers of the Assemblies of God in United States and then immigrated to Canada to be home missionaries in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Here's a picture of the two of them at Queen Charlotte City:

My father-in-law at a beach in Queen Charlotte Islands digging for razor clams:

After serving God and the people there for seven years, they pastored several more churches throughout BC until their retirement. However, they continue to minister to people in a home group and are still asked to lead worship occasionally, as both are very musical. My father-in-law sings and plays the trombone. My mother-in-law harmonizes with him and plays the piano. In days gone past, she used to play the accordion as it was transportable, since they didin't have keyboards in those days.

My mother-in-law playing the accordion:

My father and mother in-law have fought the fight to do good and serve God. They have kept their faith in Jesus and His Word. One day there will be a glorious reward for them in Heaven when they get to meet their precious Saviour face to face. May they be an example to all of us, especially when we start to feel weary and tired, longing for justice, peace, and righteousness in our world.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which

the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day

—and not only to me, but also to all who

have longed for his appearing."

2 Timothy 4:7-8

We are currently enjoying a visit from them.

This is a picture my son, Chris, took of them in our home:

God will not only reward my in-laws, but all of us who run the race and cross that finish line. There may be falls along the ways, but don't give up. Get up, dust yourself off and keep going. Your reward will be great! It will be beyond your imagination!

In The Beginning

We as a family and band are practicing the songs we will be teaching the children for Vacation Bible School in July. Matthew and I wrote one song called, "In the Beginning" which we will teach the children as well. It is about how God created the world and mankind. I hope that the creation story will be forever etched in their minds so that when they are told the untrue, they will recognize it to be false.

Here are the tentative lyrics:

In the beginning, there was no one but God

The Earth was now lifeless, it was formless and void

Covered by water, only darkness abroad

Starting the first day, God said, "Let there be light"

His power did sunder, the light from the dark

This is how He made, the day and the night

Chorus:
It was good, it was God

Who created you and me

It was good, it was God

Who made the world you see

It was choice, not by chance

For God so loved us all

We are cared, we are loved

Now we need to heed His call

On day two of creation, God created the sky

For something to breath, He constructed a space

By separating the waters, below and up high

On day three of creation, God spoke His command

Water fled and dry ground appeared
Plants, trees, and flowers sprouted on land.

(Chorus)

On day four of creation, God created a display

The moon and the stars, to govern the night

The sun which was larger, to light up the day

On day five of creation, God put fish in the sea

At that same moment, He put birds in the sky

These He created, for us all to see

(Chorus)

On day six of creation, the animals He made

Large, small, and paltry, He created them all

Diverse and creative, to be displayed

Then God created, both Adam and Eve

Made in His image, to be loved for all times

Now what you must do is in Him believe

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Genesis 1:1

The Bible makes it very clear in Genesis that God created the earth and everything in it.

". . . And God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:10

Indeed it was!

Humility of Christ

I was teaching the younger children one year, the story of Joseph, so I had Matthew dress up as Joseph using a colourful afghan that my neighbour loaned me. I spotted it one day when visiting her and an image came to my mind: the image of Joseph! (My mind is always programed that way. I can't seem to stop it.)

Jesus had no arrogance in Him whatsoever. Doesn't my son look arrogant though? I had to check my spirit after I took this picture. How easy it is for arrogance to set in our hearts. May we always have the humility and servant-attitude of Christ, so it is never about us, but others.

"But (Jesus) made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness."

Philippians 2:7.

The title Christian means "follower of Christ". As Christians we follow Jesus' example as set out for us in the Bible. It is mind-boggling to think that God, the Father Of All, the King Of Heaven And Earth and the Saviour Of All Men is a servant to us. In fact, He is the greatest servant of all! We must be careful then not to allow titles, talents, education, positions, or wealth to interfere with this mind-set. We as Christians are to be God's servants, serving humanity with a humble spirit like His Son, Jesus did.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve (Disciples) and said, "If anyone

wants to be first, he must be the very last,

and the servant of all."

Mark 9:35

A Gift From God

My husband has been trying to persuade me to buy myself a new vehicle for two years now. I don't like to spend money, so it takes a lot of coaxing. He has been worried that my old vehicle is not going to make the long trip in July for us to do Vacation Bible School. Recently, my sons have been pressuring me, as well; so I decided that last Saturday I would take a look at used vehicles. I didn't want a new one. Daniel, Chris and Matthew came with me to offer their advice. Tim stayed at home because he was sick. I prayed on the way there.

To make a long story short, my sons had to drag me away from drooling over FJ Cruisers and Jeeps. They told me that they are impractical. They use too much gas and have little storage space. Too bad. Instead, my sons tried to talk me into buying a black RAV4. It is in excellent shape, looks brand new and has very low mileage. It had just come in and was still in the shop for cleaning and inspection. The only problem is that I didn't like the colour. My sons thought it was cool! Despite their opinions, I decided to go shopping some more, dragging my sons with me. Finally, I came to my senses at the end and bought the RAV4. I am proud to say that I only glanced at the FJ Cruisers and Jeeps before I left the lot.

I made the right decision, with the help of my three sons, of course. Now I won't have to check the oil every week and have people gasp at the black smoke coming out of my exhaust. My old vehicle didn't have a block heater either, so I couldn't drive it anywhere in the extreme cold and leave it for any length of time. Yes, it gets that cold here. Otherwise, it wouldn't start and I would be stuck. Ok, I confess. It has happened to me a few times, since I moved here. The winters can be brutal!

Here is a picture of my new vehicle:

It is a 4-wheel drive! This SUV drives like a dream! I don't even think about FJ Cruisers or Jeeps anymore. Ooh! There goes one now up our street.

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give
good gifts to those who ask him."
Matthew 7:11

The RAV4 is an answer to prayer and a good gift from God. God enjoys giving gifts to His children, even more than we enjoy giving gifts to our children. Can you imagine that? It is so much fun having Christmas and birthdays parties for your children! I have never been able to sleep the night before my children opened up their presents for Christmas or their birthdays. I am just way too excited! Now if I get that excited, just think how ecstatic God must get when He gives gifts to us! All we need to do is ask!

I Want To Be A Star

Three of my sons and I were in the children's Christmas musical and drama last year. Daniel was in Egypt at the time. My three sons played a band called the Manger Boys. Tim was the singer. Matthew was the bass guitar player, using a mop and bucket, and Chris was the cajon player. Tim, Chris and Matthew then had to quickly change because two of them were shepherds and one was a wise man in the manger scene afterwards. I was one of the main actors in the drama and it was such a pleasure to work with the other actors. The practices were so much fun!

For two nights, my sons got to look like famous rock stars. However, as servants of God, my sons' desires are not to be stars, but to lead others to the Star, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible actually refers to Jesus as a "Star".

"A Star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel."
Numbers 24:17b

Tim singing and acting like a star:

Matthew's home-made bass guitar:

Close-up of Matthew:

Chris as one of the wise men:

The Bible says that we should have no other gods, but God alone. Therefore, it is wrong to present yourself as an idol for others to worship. If you do so, pride will set in and you will falter because of your humanity. Therefore, many will be disappointed, causing some to even fall away from their faith. God is the only one who is worthy of people's worship. He is perfect and He will never disillusion. We need to lead others to God, not allow ourselves to become gods to others for them to idolize and worship. All our talents and all our gifts come from the One who created us.

"You shall have no other gods before me."
Exodus 20:3

"Let My People Go"

During the Fall, I taught the children in Church the story of Moses. I got excited and wrote a song for the children to sing to the tune of "Zacchaeus Was A Wee Little Man". My sons really rocked the song up and the children loved it! The lyrics are:

Moses was a wee little baby
A wee little baby was he
His mother placed him in a basket
For Egyptians not to see
But as the Princess passed that way
She heard the cries inside
And she said, "I'll name him Moses!"
You're gonna be mine today You're gonna be mine today

Moses was raised an Egyptian prince
An Egyptian prince was he
He eventually discovered he was an Is-ra-elite
His people were slaves who worked all day
God spoke to Moses through a burning bush
For he heard his people's plea
And God said, "Go tell Pharaoh!'
To set my people free To set my people free

Moses was a timid tongue-tied man
A timid tongue-tied man was he
He asked brother Aaron to come with him
For the Pharaoh he was afraid to see
So off they went to ask unfair Pharaoh
To set their people free
And Pharaoh said, "No, never!"
For his heart was hard as dry clay For his heart was hard as dry clay

Pharaoh was a stubborn evil man
A stubborn evil man was he
God had to send ten dreadful plagues
Ten dreadful plagues sent he
Finally Pharaoh decided to obey
And set God's people free
And the Israelites said, "Hooray!"
God delivered us today God delivered us today

Matthew spoke the words in quotations. The first exclamation of words, he spoke in a female-like voice and the other three in a deep manly voice. The children thought it was funny.

I also wrote weekly dramas telling the story of Moses and Pharaoh.

Chris is Pharaoh, but he couldn't keep a straight face at home. We joke around way too much when practising. My sons are hilarious! When they actually perform though, they are very serious in their roles, and never laugh at their underlying jokes. We let the children do that. It is so rewarding to hear children laugh.

Chris as Pharaoh:

Matthew as Aaron and Tim as Moses:

Here is a picture of all three of them in our living room practicing:

"Now go; I will help you speak and teach you what to say."
Exodus 4:12

Moses was afraid to speak on behalf of God to Pharaoh. However, God's response to Moses' fear and tepidness is stated in the verse above.

From experience I have come to know first hand the truth of this verse. God is always with each one of us to help us to speak and teach us what to say when we are in His will. Many times I have been in amazement at what comes out of my mouth when teaching children because they were not my thoughts or words, but God's. Give yourself to God as His servant and He will use you in ways you have never dreamed.

Playing The Piano

One of my brothers and I use to love to sing growing up. I would also enjoy singing with one my cousins when we would spend the summers together. When I went to Bible College, I learned to read and write music more in depth. The music courses were some of my favorite courses, probably because music is quite mathematical.

Then when I graduated, my husband bought me an old upright player piano from his boss to fulfil my desire to learn to play the piano since I was a young girl. I then found a piano teacher that would come to my house, while Daniel, just a baby at the time, jumped in the jolly jumper entertaining himself. I practised two hours a day, and accelerated at a fast pace.

When my sons were old enough, I then taught all my sons to play the piano. I ended up teaching two hours a day, a half hour per child. I loved it! My sons were all gifted in music and it was a joy to see them develop their talents. Parents would hear them play and the next thing I knew I had more students than I had the time for. Later we became a family band.

Here is a picture of Daniel trying to play the first piano my husband bought me. We had to move the piano bench away so he wouldn't try to climb it and risk hurting himself. He still managed to reach his fingers to the keys and try to play like his mommy.

Daniel was the only son that when he played the piano he would break strings constantly because he would put his whole self into it. Just think, I wanted a girl so I could teach her to play the piano! Instead, God gave me four sons that play.

"Praise the Lord,
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for His acts of power;
Praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,
Praise Him with the harp and lyre,
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing,
Praise Him with the strings and pipe,
Praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord."

Psalm 150

When I learned to play the piano I studied classical and gospel; but when I taught my sons, they learned only Christian songs, traditional and contemporary. At an amazing young age, they all started playing for church. The joy and satisfaction of singing and playing your instrument to God surpasses any secular song or music!

Look At The Birds

A week ago, we added two more pets to our household. I am sure you have guessed by now that my family and I are animal lovers. We have two dogs, one cat and now two birds. They are budgies. I enjoy hearing them sing during the day. Winters are so long here that I thought it would be nice to hear birds sing throughout the year in our house. My son, Matthew, loves birds and they are really his pets. He is trying to teach them to talk. However, Tim, with his sense of humour, is trying to teach them first the phrase, "Let me out! Let me out!"

Whenever Matthew enters the kitchen, the birds start to sing. They know him from everyone else in the household because he is the one that spends time with them daily.

The Bible tells us that God cares for the birds, and if God cares for the birds, how much more God cares for us.

"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for

 your heavenly Father feeds them. and aren't you far more valuable

 to Him than they are?"

Matthew 6:26

Matthew hasn't named the birds yet. Do you have any suggestions? If so, comment on this post. We don't know if they are male or female yet, so the names will have to be non-gendre names.

Dr. Daniel Mark Graves

Today, my oldest son, Daniel, has his graduation ceremony for obtaining his PhD in electrical and computer engineering. He is now officially, Dr. Daniel Mark Graves.

Here is his picture:

Oops! Wrong picture! That was a few years back when Daniel graduated from pre-school.

Here is a more recent picture of Daniel in Egypt:

Last December, Daniel attended a conference in Egypt to present one of his papers.

When Daniel was in grade 4, his teacher sent home a note depicting a face of a demon and stating that Daniel did very poorly on his first multiplication test. Well, that night and several nights after, I helped Daniel study his times table and sent a note back to his teacher the next day to never send me a note with a picture like that on it again. Daniel almost aced his next math test.

When I attended the parent-teacher meeting near the end of the school year with this same teacher, she told me with annoyance that she contemplated failing Daniel and holding him back a year. I was shocked and asked her, "Why?" She told me that Daniel wouldn't answer her when spoken to and felt he lacked maturity and intelligence. I asked Daniel when we got home, why that was. He told me that his teacher was a screamer and he was scared to answer her.

Fortunately, we moved to another city the next year and God blessed Daniel with a Christian teacher. His new school gave him an aptitude test by request of his teacher and I soon got a call back. His teacher told me that Daniel was gifted. He wanted to put him in a special program to challenge his intellect. Now keep in mind, this occurred only six months later. It shows how teachers can make a big difference in a child's life. I wanted to write his grade 4 teacher a letter, but I didn't.

Then when Daniel was in grade 8, his teacher wanted my permission to give Daniel another test in mathematics. I agreed and with his teacher's recommendation, Daniel skipped a grade. The picture of that demon flashed through my mind. How much better it is to encourage than to discourage? I wanted to write his grade 4 teacher a letter again, but I didn't.

In grade twelve, Daniel received the Bronze Governor General Award for the highest grade point average in his graduation class. I would like to add he obtained in his provincial exams 98 percent in chemistry, 97 percent in mathematics, and 96 percent in physics. I wanted to invite his grade 4 teacher to the ceremonies, but I didn't.

If I listened to his grade 4 teacher, and allowed her to put discouragement in my son's heart, Daniel might not be Dr. Daniel today. Don't listen to discouragement, but be encouraged because the Bible says:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the
LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

Matthew: Gift of God

Matthew is truly a gift of God. When I was pregnant with Matthew in the first trimester, I almost miscarried him. I wasn't nauseated in the least bit like I should have been, which my doctor told me may not be a good sign. Then I started to bleed one evening. However, I decided to wait til morning to go to the hospital. I felt I had probably already miscarried, so I didn't see the need to go right away. I was very despondent before I went to bed. I prayed to God, but I felt it was already too late. I had miscarried twice before I was pregnant with Matthew, so I wondered if maybe it wasn't God's will for me to have a fourth child. 

Then when I woke up in the morning, God gave me His peace and the assurance that I would carry this baby full-term. I never went to see the doctor as planned. The bleeding stopped and I began for the first time to feel nauseated. I gave birth seven months later to a healthy eight and half pound baby boy. I named him Matthew because his name means, "gift of God."

Here is a recent picture Tim took of his brother Matthew:

Matthew is the one that looks like me the most. He has my hair colouring and blue eyes. He is also the only son who talks non-stop if you are ever alone with him. Ever since he could talk, he has been like that. I always know what he is thinking and feeling. My husband tells me I am like that too.  He says it makes his job easier because he never has to guess. Uh, okay.

When we were up at my brother's lake-front property one summer, the time Matthew caught his first fish, my brother took Matthew for a ride in his truck. When they arrived back, my brother told me he got a kick out of how much Matthew talked. He told me that Matthew never stopped and wasn't too sure if he was taking the time to breath periodically. I laughed.

Matthew just beginning to talk and from there on it has never ended:

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him."

 Psalm 127:3

Each child born in this world is unique and special! Every child is a gift from God!

Self-Control

I have another dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Barlow. I got him six months after I got my Shetland Sheep dog, Barney. A lady, who lived in a barn with no carpet or tiles on the floor, was selling these puppies for really cheap. It was kind of creepy to go inside the barn and see that it was her home. I am embarrassed to say that I was surprised to see that the puppies were well taken care of. The lady was very nice and she seemed happy to live there. Maybe at one time she used to live on the streets. I don't know. If so, the barn would be like paradise to her. It sure made be appreciate what I had so much more. I am glad I got one of her puppies. I got first choice too. I took a male. He was the cutest.

Barlow today at 2 1/2 years old:

When I first brought Barlow home, I left food out for him to eat at his will. This was a mistake! When I turned my back, he ate, and ate, and ate. In fact, he ate the whole large bowl of puppy food. When I picked him up, his stomach was three times the size and as hard as a rock. I panicked and called my sons. I thought he was going to die for sure. I didn't know what to do. My sons all laughed and said that Barlow reminded them of a tick! He ballooned out just like a tick does when it borrows its head in the flesh of an animal or human and fills its stomach with their blood. I looked at Barlow and wondered why he didn't stop. He couldn't possibly be comfortable with a stomach that full. I guess I don't have to say I never again left a bowl of food out for Barlow to eat freely. To this day he is on a restricted daily amount of food.

Barlow and his insatiable appetite:

The Bible says it is important to use self-control in everything we do in life, so that we can be more effective and productive in serving Him and serving others.

"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation

that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world."

1 Peter 1:13

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to

goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,

perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual

affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these

qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being

ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord

Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 1:5-8

Barlow could have died that day from overeating. Sometimes when people don't use self-control in their own lives, they too can destroy their lives and hurt the ones they love the most.

This dog actually likes to go trucking with my husband. It is kind of funny that two other truck drivers, in the same company that Brian works for, have Yorkies that they take trucking with them periodically. Yorkshire Terriers are intelligent, playful and have a great deal of spunk! They're not afraid of anything, even the inside of a noisy semi-truck! My husband, however, has a tendency to overfeed Barlow because he feels sorry for him. Oh, how we all need to exercise self-control in some areas of our lives.

I Hate Baths

This is a picture of my Persian/Himalayan cross cat. As you can see, I have just given her a bath and now she has a bad attitude. Like most cats, she hates baths. She was angry that I gave her a bath when she didn't want one. We too can develop a bad attitude when we have to do things that we do not want to do, even though it is for our own good.

"Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, 

because they keep watch over you as those who must give 

an account. Do this so that their work may be a joy, not a

burden, for that would be of no benefit to you." 

Hebrews 13:17

My cat needed to trust me that it was time for her to have a bath, but she decided otherwise. The Bible says we are not to follow my cat's example. We are to trust those who care for us and obey them with a joyful heart, so that their work may be a positive experience and not a negative one. Likewise, we need to put our complete trust in God, our Heavenly Father, by obeying all His commandments, knowing that they are there for our own good, no matter how we may feel.

Now, don't anyone feel sorry for my cat. Her hair was greasy and malodorous. Believe me, she needed a bath! Too bad she didn't heed this Bible verse and make it more a positive experience for me.

The Peace Of God

My sons and I are getting ready for Vacation Bible School 2011, and the theme this year is Pandamania. I have already written the plays for each day of the week, and the costumes are also complete. Matthew and I had a great time searching for them at the local used stores. However, we bought this costume new. Matthew plays the panda. We will post the dramas during the week of VBS this July for you all to watch.

Matthew in the panda costume holding a baby panda:

I won't say anything more. I don't want to give away the plot.

The children are encouraged to memorize a Scripture verse for each day of the week during VBS. I believe helping children to memorize Scripture is very important because then God will bring to their minds the verses they have learned when they need to hear them the most.

As a reward for the children learning the verses, I will give them these cute velvety panda puppets that I found at the dollar stores. Can you believe that? I only paid $2 for each panda. I then stuffed their tummies full and stitched them up. They are so adorable! I will give them to the children at the end of the week. I will also give each child this picture that Chris took of the pandas with the verse on it about God's peace. I plan on framing them with bamboo frames. Some of the pandas are sitting in and near an authentic Chinese rickshaw hat that Matthew spotted at a used store.

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose

thoughts are fixed on You." 

Isaiah 26:3

I chose this verse because in China the panda is a symbol of peace. They eat primarily bamboo and do not prey on other animals for food. In the distant past, if China was at war with other countries, the battle would immediately be halted and peace be established, if a flag was raised picturing a panda. Even to this day, China will give pandas to nations as a gesture of peaceful relations.

Pandas may be a symbol of peace in China, but only God can establish true peace in our hearts when we trust in Him and keep our thoughts on what God says in His Word.

Point2Jesus

My sons have recently named their band. It is now official. The band is called "Point2Jesus". Tim is the lead singer and keyboard player, Daniel is the electric guitar player and back-up singer, Chris is the drummer, and Matthew is the bass guitar player.

When the band leads worship for children, I teach the children sign language for the key words in the songs. I have loved the beauty of sign language for a long time and enjoy teaching children to sign. Once Tim was able to lead the singing, I backed off in leading singing to be a part of this ministry. It is amazing how quickly children pick up sign language and love to worship the Lord in this way. Currently, we are leading children's worship twice a month for the church we are attending.

Tim's picture:

A young girl gave Tim this chameleon as a gift last year at Vacation Bible School.

The only way I could ever get a serious picture of Tim as a child was when he was sleeping. To this day, I still have the same problem.

Tim as a child sleeping without making a face:

When Tim attended Sunday School as a child, his teachers would often complain to me about him cracking jokes in class. Today God uses Tim's sense of humour to minister the love of God to children by making them laugh.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Proverbs 17:22a

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with singing."
Job 8:21

My sons and I love to laugh and we enjoy making others laugh. We have so much fun! Laughter can alleviate the stresses children and adults face in life. Laugh as much as you can! for it is God who created the joy of laughter.

Epilepsy

Chris, my third son, had epilepsy as a young child. He would have grand-mal seizures while he was sleeping. Therefore, I was not able to discover this until he was considerably older. Many times I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear strange noises in one of my son's rooms, but by the time I checked on all four of my sons, they were sound asleep, as if nothing had occurred. The only thing I noticed was that Chris drooled a lot when he was sleeping because his pillow was frequently soaked. Since there is nobody in my side of the family with epilepsy or Brian's that he was aware of, I was not able to figure out was going on. Chris never has seizures during the day. As far as I can recall, he has had seizures since he was at least five years old.

Then one night, when Chris was eleven years old, he came to me before bed and told me that something strange happens to him while he is sleeping, but he couldn't explain it. I asked him if it was nightmares and he said, "no". He didn't know what it was, but the feeling he experienced frightened him. I was perplexed, a bit concerned, but not worried. I asked more questions, but he was unable to answer them. Then one night, I was having difficulty sleeping and awoke at the time when I heard those familiar noises. I yelled out with concern, "Who is making those noises? Nobody answered, so I immediately got up and instinctively checked on my youngest son, Matthew, who was sharing the same room for the first time with his brother Chris. I had already woken Matthew with my yelling, so when I checked on him, he said, "It's not me, Mom! It's Chris! I looked over and saw Chris for the first time having a grand-mal seizure. I was shocked. I went over to Chris and talked softly to him, reassuring him that I was there. I can tell you that it is a horrible feeling for a mother to watch her child have a grand-mal seizure. I felt so helpless and just as frightened. I was extremely worried that he might choke or suffocate. I made sure his head was turned to the side. Then I was thankful that all the times he experienced these seizures that he didn't die from choking or suffocation.

Then came the doctor visits, the trips to the pediatrician and the tests. It was later determined that Chris was having three to four seizures a week. I felt bad for Chris because he was a competitive athlete and the drugs to control epilepsy would slow down his motor skills considerably that he would no longer be able to compete. We decided with the pediatrician's approval to forgo the drugs for now. We then began to pray to God for a miracle. Chris continued to be competitive in track and field, swimming and basketball.

It wasn't long after this that I heard about a missionary from Mexico coming to our town for camp meetings. Apparently, he had an amazing healing ministry that God had given him. There were incredible stories written about some of these miracles, almost unbelievable. Limbs appeared where they were once amputated and the dead became alive again. Many of my friends refused to go because they thought he was probably a fake. I will admit, that thought did come to my mind when I read some of these stories, but I was going to check him out anyways. I figured it certainly wouldn't hurt and if it turned out that it was true that this man had indeed been given the gift of healing from God, then Chris would be healed. After all the Bible does say that God will give the gift of healing to some of His followers.

"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and another the word
of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit,
and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting
of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of
spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the
interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works
all these things, distributing to each one individually
just as He wills."
1 Corinthians 12:8-11

At the first camp meeting, my three sons and I arrived early. We sat in the front row. Daniel was working at the time and was unable to come. When the missionary came on stage, I knew instantly the presence of God was upon Him. We all felt it very strongly that we shook uncontrollably. I guess we sat up too close! We listened to him preach and tell mind-boggling stories of God's miraculous power. Then when he had the altar call for anyone to come up that had an incurable illness, Chris went up immediately. The man prayed a simple prayer and Chris felt fire go through his entire body. He was completely healed from that moment on. Never again did Chris have another seizure.

I took this picture of Chris yesterday with his new camera:

I told you he looks like his father.

Today, Chris wears a purple bracelet for awareness of epilepsy. He does this so if anyone questions him about the bracelet, he testifies to them about God's miraculous healing power. Praise be to God!

There were so many people in the Bible days that refused to listen to Jesus and believe in His miracles. They thought he was a fake and a heretic. Later they crucified him. These same people persecuted and killed many of Jesus' followers afterwards as well for preaching the Word of God and performing miracles with the power that God had given them. I am glad that I decided to see for myself if this missionary was from God before making accusations. Now my son, Chris, is a testimony of God's healing power!

For those who do not know Jesus, study His Word, the Bible, and then pray to Him. Don't make assumptions based on what others have said in the past. Decide for yourself.