30+2

Hmmmm, what to post, what to post. 30 seems to be boring so far...ha ha ha. So, I will post about something else.
I have been reading Romans for the past couple of months with my small group. We are reading it for the second time now. We are supposed to be reading 6 verses a day but, I am still in chapter one. I was reading about Paul's longing to visit the church at Rome because of their great faith that was heard through out the world. It got me wondering, what would that church look like today? Would it be like Grace Community or Mars Hill, or Lakewood Church, or maybe Bethlehem Baptist? Granted our world today is much larger then Paul's world. If there was such a church that was known through out the world, would I be skeptical of their faith, their doctrine? Would you?
Another thing I have been wondering about is what great faith looks like, but that will have to wait until I am older then 30+2 :)

30+1

I made it through my 30th birthday without anything falling apart! It was actually a great day! My favorite part was that I was actually able to go to church BOTH services!! That was awesome!! It feels great being among the church body again. After church Curtis and I headed down to Seattle for lunch at The Crab Pot and had a fun time using our mallets to whack open some crab legs. Yummy! Stopped off for coffee on the way home, pick up the kids and came home. Nice and relaxing!

Even though I am 30 now, I really am enjoying life. My kids are in a great stage right now and they make my days go by fast! Phoebe will be turning 1 in a few days. It is crazy. She doesn't seem anywhere close to being one, I blame it on the bald head.

Sorry that today I am a little random. It must be because I am 30 now :)

30+0

Well, today I am thirty. I am not too happy about it either. Well, I am not mad about it but I think I am not happy about it because this officially means that my youth has come and gone. I am no longer a young adult.....I am just an adult! How uneventful.....sigh....I feel settled, now I am just coasting up a hill that I can neither stop or slow the process down. I have always related more towards the younger crowd. Even when I watch movies, I relate more with High School Musical then I do Erin Brockovich. Now, that time is past. I have to remember that getting older is just another process and I am call to enjoy that process! So, that is what I'll do. I am going to blog about being thirty for a full year partly to see if the body(my body) really does fall apart at thirty, and then to see if age brings wisdom. We shall see, but as for now, it is my birthday and I am THIRTY!

Hannah is FIVE

FIVE! I can't believe that she is five already! She will soon be losing her baby teeth! I love Hannah so much and am so glad that God blessed me with her first! She is such a huge help around the house. She does laundry with me, helps cook, is a great cleaner, and a great Phoebe entertainer! She started kindergarten at Grace this year and has been adjusting well. After the first few days she was done with me walking her into her classroom (she doesn't even want me out of the car anymore:() With that said here are her 5 year pictures and her birthday party

Savages!

Ben has always loved swords and sword fighting but since he has been introduced to Captain
John Smith from "Pocahontas" he has been running around with a fireman's hat on backwards and sheathing his sword gun in his underwear singing "Savages". We love it! He is such a little boy!

Where did the time go?

I blinked...I blinked and all of the sudden February 13 became July 11. Phoebe is almost 5 months old. Where did the time go? All of those blogs that I wanted to post about are gone, I have no idea where those thoughts were going. So, Phoebe is great! I love her dearly. She is by far our easiest baby. She rarely cries, smiles at everyone, will go see anyone, and wakes up as happy as can be. Her absolute favorite person is her big sister Hannah. Hannah can get Phoebe laughing at anytime. Hannah is such of a big help! She is learning how to change Phoebe's diaper, soothes her when she is crying, and is always wanting to learn more about taking care of her, I love it! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her.

Happy Birthday!

Today marks the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth! To celebrate, let us review the five main points:

Total Depravity- Man is DEAD in his sin, not sick or injured, but dead. Ephesians 2:1-2 clearly states that. We, in no way, can save ourselves or help God to save us. Our natural man does not seek to know God.

Unconditional Election- God chooses us, not on the basis of foreseen faith, but on His goodness. Because of humanity's total depravity, God of necessity, in eternity past, chose certain people to be saved. There was nothing inherently better or different about the chosen people which caused God to choose them. God was totally free in His decision to show grace and mercy to some sinners who deserved nothing but His wrath. This is, in essence, the doctrine of Unconditional Election.

Limited Atonement- Christ's death on the cross fully atones for the sins of those who would believes. Christ did not die for all men, He died for those who believe in Him. John 10 Christ says that He would lay down His life for HIS sheep. For more information check out these sermons

Irresistible Grace- When God calls believers to Himself, the sinner has no choice but to respond to Christ's calling. His grace overcomes or overwhelms our will for sin and gives us a desire for righteousness. This is spiritual birth. Wikipedia states; The doctrine of irresistible grace (also called "efficacious grace") asserts that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and, in God's timing, overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to a saving faith. The doctrine does not hold that every influence of God's Holy Spirit cannot be resisted, but that the Holy Spirit is able to overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible and effective. Thus, when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved.

Perseverance of the Saints- This is simply stated that God will finish what He started. If we believe that it is God who provided a way for believers, He predestined believers, He calls believers, the logical conclusion is that He will preserve the believers until He calls them home. Sean Higgins stated it best in His sermon, "Every part, all along is God-centered. The only thing we bring to the table is our depravity, which is not helpful and the more we bring the worse we look. So God saves sinners. He planned salvation, purchased salvation, and applied salvation. And don’t think for a moment that He doesn’t guarantee salvation." What a comforting thought!

So happy stinkin' birthday John Calvin!