A post on just Truman

Look, I am too big for this changing table!!







This is Truman's first s'more. I can assure you, he likes it. . .

Superman!!!! Here I come.

Truman was so pleased with himself in the superman outfit we saved from years ago when the big boys were small.

How Old Are You???

Happy Birthday Craig!!!
January 21, 2007
We all celebrated his birthday before church, and enjoyed homemade coffeecake, coffee and gifts. We then went to church and celebrated the Sabbath. After which we broke the Sabbath by going shopping....We exchanged some curtains for what we thought to be the correct size, although turns out they are too long. Have to go back and exchange, again. While Kathryn and I were shopping in Talbots, Craig and the boys enjoyed listening to the Chicago Bears smash the Saints! He was thrilled and happily surprised. It was 21 years ago when the Bears were victorious under Ditka. That was 1 month before we were married, and in many ways it seems like it was yesterday.

Returned home to enjoy pizza, then indulge in a godiva chocolate cheesecake! Loved it. A great day all around, capped off by the victory of DA BEARS!

GO BEARS!!!

Happy Birthday Graham

January 3, 2007

Graham Carver turns 16!

Craig and I helped Graham celebrate his 16th birthday by taking him out for his first steak dinner. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera, so the picture of Truman eating birthday cake will have to suffice. Craig and I were on our "lemonade fast" so we watched Graham eat his steak and smashed potatoes at J. Alexander's. I think he liked it, though he said the burger was great there, too! I love simplicity!

You may be interested in remembering the actual birth of Graham. He was my first homebirth. Jared was born in a hospital, because I was too afraid to try homebirth! But, because I had no difficulty, I decided to try homebirth with the encouragement of Craigand much to the fear and trepidation of both our families. I attended all my prenatal visits, and finally the day arrived. Somewhere in the middle of the night, I had false labor, and doctor and nurse arrived at the house in Roselle, IL. Right about that time, labor stopped. Completely. Zip. Zero and nada. The doctor and nurse stayed for a couple of hours and then left. Later in the day, Craig took me for a stress test on the baby, and everything was fine. Went home, exhausted and took a nap. I awoke to contractions, and Craig snoring next to me. Read the newspaper for a bit, then, realized that I was in labor, and asked Craig to help me get on my nightgown. By that time, I had the urge to push . . . . already! Craig ran to phone the doctor. He could not think to get the directions out. I kept yelling for him, after walking to the bathroom. He finally dropped the phone (before the cordless phones were around) and got to the top of the stairs to see me push Graham out standing up in the bathroom! (What a sight) Before this, Jared, who was just 2, stood there and started to cry. I said, as calmly as I could, "Jared, it is going to be ok. Do not worry." That's all he needed. Everything in his world was fine, and he continued to watch me, but not crying.

I was the only physical person in the room when Graham was born. He was a beautiful baby. Maybe the cutest we have ever had. I have adored him ever since. God was very kind to allow his entrance into the world to be sweet, and safe. I don't deserve you, Graham. God has indeed blessed me by sending you to our family. You are a gem!

I love you, Graham!

Truman reading

Some cute pictures of Joelle

Joelle looked so cute in her dress, Kathryn snapped some pictures of her. This is a dress that Kathryn used to wear. It is so warm, er, HOT here, that we have gotten very little wear out of it, and it is in like new condition. The blouse is a slip that is very hard to iron. All cotton!
How do you like her pink lips? She put on some of my lipstick, that was a little too bright before I caught her. Oh, the memories....

Truman

The Gospel

The Gospel

I intend to persuade you that the gospel is true and that Jesus is the Son of God.
First of all, it is good to ask ourselves how we know something is true. Truth is nonnegotiable.

Something is either true, or it is false. The World Book Student dictionary states that synonyms for truth are authentic, and genuine. Antonyms for truth are counterfeit (as a fake dollar bill) and fake. The Bible says non truth is a lie. Do you believe a lie or do you believe in truth? They only way you can believe what I am saying is if you have faith in Christ.

The gospel claims that man is under the wrath of God, due to his sin. Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed by heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness."

Notice how the word truth is used in this verse. Men who are ungodly actually suppress the truth.

Then, Romans 3:23 say, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Because we are all in this horrible state, we are condemned to death, even if we try to be good.

Romans 3:10-12 says, "There is none righteous, no not even one; There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have became useless; there is none who does good, not even one.

The good news is that Jesus became our great high priest. He was our sacrifice, led as a lamb to the slaughter, and shed His blood on the cross willingly, to turn God's wrath away from us.

Hebrews 9:11 says, but when Christ appeared as high priest of the good things to come through his own blood He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Christ humbled Himself to a miserable death on the cross, shedding His blood to pay for our sinfulness. He became sin for us, so our debt could be paid by His ultimate sacrifice.

In evaluating the truth of the gospel it is helpful to go back to the Old Testament and see how the coming of a Messiah was prophesied hundreds of years before it actually happened. A prophecy is recorded in Psalm 22 and reads, "For dogs have surrounded me, a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands my feet. I can count all my bones.They look, they stare at me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." The Psalm even starts out by saying, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" How could the Psalmist say word for word one of Christ's sayings from the cross if he wasn't inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so?

This was hundreds of years before Jesus was even born, which makes it a powerful proof for the truth of the gospel.

Some people have tried to accuse the writers of Scripture to write the books after the date of a certain event, thereby making the prophecy a lie. But, in 1947, the 1st of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in a cave in Israel. These Scrolls contain portions of every book of Esther. Even secular World Book Encyclopedia dates the Scroll at 200 BC, over 200 years before the birth of Christ.

In addition to prophecy, there have been thousands of changed lives, due to the power of the gospel. My Dad is a good example of this. He was basically self centered. Yet, something appealed to him about Jesus. A friend told him about Jesus. He never wanted children because he did not want to get married and preferred to focus only himself. Yet, something appealed to him about Jesus.


He felt the love from people at the Bible Study, and this is what really got his attention. After he asked Jesus to change him, Daddy was transformed from a life of lawlessness to a vessel living for Jesus. My Dad's life is a testimony to the truth of the gospel. When people are changed by the gospel they have Peace, Joy, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Self-Control, Faithfulness, & Gentleness. It is evident by watching them if they are saved. Scripture says, "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have Crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

The 3 parts of the gospel are:
1. To hear the Gospel.
2. To believe the Gospel.
Yet, not just these 2 are not enough.
Romans 1:16 says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, To the Jew first and also to the Greek." The 3rd part of the gospel is to put your complete trust and faith in Jesus as Lord.

Here is a Question: What was man made for? The answer is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. We were not created to worship ourselves, or serve ourselves, but to honor and glorify God. Because we can count the gospel as truth, we can believe it and also live it with a life changed by the power of God.

My hope is that you have been persuaded that the gospel is true and can be trusted in completely. "By faith we can have the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of the things not seen. And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a re-warder of those who seek Him."

Thank you

This article was written by my son Graham, with the help of several others. I hope it is a blessing to you. He did this for a persuasion speech a couple of years ago.

Truman Playing....

Rudolph napping

Joelle has been growing her ears pretty big.
what do you think?