Thursday, April 27, 2006
Sacred Ink
My old youth pastor put together this web site called Sacred Ink on Christians, Tattoos and Christian Tatoos. It is pretty interesting, but even more interesting is that my bro is on the site. SO check it out and click on Chris F to see my little brother, the PhD candidate.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Smiles
Little Hadleigh Claire has been smiling for a few weeks, but we have failed to get it on film. Finally this morning I put on a little outfit that Grandma and Grandpa got her for Christmas and she was all smiles. I grabbed the camera and went to town and we managed to get a couple good shots.
Ethiopian Feast?
As I mentioned previously, Hadleigh and I are reading a book called "Putting Amazing Back into Grace" by Michael Horton. We have liked it so much that we have gotten Dave into it as well and so now our whole family is reading it together. I thought it ironic since we just visited a Luther sight over the weekend that Horton quoted Luther's "Bondage of the Will".
And if God be robbed of His power to elect, what will there be remaining but that idol, Fortune, under the name of which all things take place at random! Nay, we shall eventually come to this: That God has not determined by certain and glorious election who should be saved, but has left them to choose for themselves whether they shall be saved, while He, in the meantime, should be gone to an Ethiopian Feast!
If therefore we are taught, and if we believe, that we do not need to know these things, Christian faith is utterly destroyed and the promises of God and the whole Gospel fall entirely to the ground; for the greatest and only consolation and assurance for Christians in their adversity is that...God does all things immutably and that His will cannot be resisted, changed, or hindered."
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Good Ole' Marty
This weekend was Protestant Women of the Chapel's Annual Training Conference. For those of you who don't know, this past year I served as the President of PWOC in Baumholder. I basically headed up the women's ministry for the chapel. It has been good, bad and ugly! Overall I am very thankful for the opportunity I had to intentionally serve the Lord and to serve the women of this community. Now that my time as Pres is drawing to a close I am thankful too.
When I was asked to serve in this role Hadleigh wasn't a gleam in our eye, let alone a thought in my brain. Now that she is here I am anxious to be able to focus on her and devote my time to being a mom. I cannot even believe I am saying this, but it is true.
This weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to teach a seminar at the conference. The topic was "Community Matters" and I basically taught a biblical overview of why it is important to care about "outreach" and what local PWOC's can do to make a difference in their respective communities. Women from all over Europe gather at this conference every year to be trained. My class was at 0830 and I didn't think I would have maore than 15 ladies...but 30 showed up, including the lady who was in charge of organizing all the seminars and also a Chaplain (that was a little intimidating). The Lord was gracious and we had a great time exploring the scriptures and coming to an understanding of why the Lord has called us to care for the women he has entrusted to us in ministry.
The conference was in a little town called Willingen which Dave equates to being Germany's version of Gatlinberg, TN.
Willingen is also near Assinghausen which Dave HAD to drive through to get a picture of. According to Dave, if we ever get a dog, he will be named Assinghausen. On the way home we stopped at a city called Marburg, which I think has now become one of our favorite German cities. Marburg is a famous university town. It is famous for the Grimm Brother's Fairy Tales and also for Martin Luther. It was here that the Marburg Colloquy took place. Luther, of the German reformers and Ulrich Zwingli of the Swiss Reformers met to debate 15 points. They came to cuffs over the Lord's Supper (you can read the article for more info) and parted ways.
The city is on a hill, a steep hill, with the castle at the top. Apparently legend has it that Jacob Grimm said there were more stairs in the alleys of Marburg than in the houses. We walked the streets until we reached the castle and then back down.
You can't tell from our clothes, but spring has almost arrived in Germany. Friday it was 22 degrees (not sure what that is for you Americans, but it is warm for us), and Saturday it was about 16. In the morning it was cold and rainy, so we put on warm clothes but by the afternoon it was nice and warm. It is so nice to see the sun and to have warm weather. We are REALLY hoping that it sticks.
In any case we never would have stopped in Marburg were it not for Martin Luther, so we are thankful that he had his counsel there so that it would become a famous reformers sight. Thank you Marty!
When I was asked to serve in this role Hadleigh wasn't a gleam in our eye, let alone a thought in my brain. Now that she is here I am anxious to be able to focus on her and devote my time to being a mom. I cannot even believe I am saying this, but it is true.
This weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to teach a seminar at the conference. The topic was "Community Matters" and I basically taught a biblical overview of why it is important to care about "outreach" and what local PWOC's can do to make a difference in their respective communities. Women from all over Europe gather at this conference every year to be trained. My class was at 0830 and I didn't think I would have maore than 15 ladies...but 30 showed up, including the lady who was in charge of organizing all the seminars and also a Chaplain (that was a little intimidating). The Lord was gracious and we had a great time exploring the scriptures and coming to an understanding of why the Lord has called us to care for the women he has entrusted to us in ministry.
The conference was in a little town called Willingen which Dave equates to being Germany's version of Gatlinberg, TN.
Willingen is also near Assinghausen which Dave HAD to drive through to get a picture of. According to Dave, if we ever get a dog, he will be named Assinghausen. On the way home we stopped at a city called Marburg, which I think has now become one of our favorite German cities. Marburg is a famous university town. It is famous for the Grimm Brother's Fairy Tales and also for Martin Luther. It was here that the Marburg Colloquy took place. Luther, of the German reformers and Ulrich Zwingli of the Swiss Reformers met to debate 15 points. They came to cuffs over the Lord's Supper (you can read the article for more info) and parted ways.The city is on a hill, a steep hill, with the castle at the top. Apparently legend has it that Jacob Grimm said there were more stairs in the alleys of Marburg than in the houses. We walked the streets until we reached the castle and then back down.
You can't tell from our clothes, but spring has almost arrived in Germany. Friday it was 22 degrees (not sure what that is for you Americans, but it is warm for us), and Saturday it was about 16. In the morning it was cold and rainy, so we put on warm clothes but by the afternoon it was nice and warm. It is so nice to see the sun and to have warm weather. We are REALLY hoping that it sticks.
In any case we never would have stopped in Marburg were it not for Martin Luther, so we are thankful that he had his counsel there so that it would become a famous reformers sight. Thank you Marty!
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Happy Easter!
Yesterday Hadleigh Claire began her first Easter festivities with a little package from Papa Froggy and Nana Patti.
She received an adorable little dress and two Peter Rabbit books.
Here is our new little family just after celebrating Easter in our newly renovated chapel and having a good meal at the DFac.
During our worship service I was excited to sing one of my favorite songs (and we rarely sing it), "In Christ Alone" enjoy the words.
Verse 1:
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Verse 2:
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift if love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on the cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ in I live
Verse 3:
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then, bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He us mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
Verse 4:
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand
She received an adorable little dress and two Peter Rabbit books.
Here is our new little family just after celebrating Easter in our newly renovated chapel and having a good meal at the DFac.
During our worship service I was excited to sing one of my favorite songs (and we rarely sing it), "In Christ Alone" enjoy the words.
Verse 1:
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Verse 2:
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift if love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on the cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ in I live
Verse 3:
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then, bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He us mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
Verse 4:
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand
Friday, April 14, 2006
He Numbered the Stars
Hadleigh and I like to read together. We have made it through quite a few books recently, including, but not limited to "The Poky Little Puppy", "Snow Bear" (which her grandparents just sent), "London Refrain" and "Paris Encore" by Bodie and Brock Thoene. We are currently working on "Putting Amazing Back into Grace" by Michael Horton. Horton actually has a radio program called The White Horse Inn which deals with issues that in evangelical America (OK, I am totally not doing that justice...anyway). There are a few of us in our chapel community that get together on a monthly basis to listen to one of the radio broadcasts and then to discuss it. We call it "Reformation Sunday" and it is pretty fun/interesting.
When I realized that Horton was the one on this radio program we were occassionaly listening to, I remembered there was a book on my shelf that I had yet to read and I thought this sufficient motivation to pick up the book. It is a wonderful book. In fact, Hadleigh might become a theologian since she is hearing great theology at this early age... I was struck by this passage early in the book and so here it is my musings for the day.
"In his best-seller 'When Bad Things Happen to Good People', Rabbi Harold Kushner states, 'Bad things do happen to good people in this world, but it is not God who wills it. God would like people to get what they deserve in life, but He cannot always arrange it. Even God has a hard time keeping chaos in check and limiting the damage evil can do.' Such a limited view of God is exploded by the biblical notion of creation. It fails to account for a God who 'determines the number of the stars' and who 'calls them each by name' (Ps. 147.4), who numbers our hairs and sees to it that every robin's breast has a pattern. While sin introduced disorder, destruction, and decay, the same God who created order from chaos is ruling and redeeming his world so that one day 'the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay'...(Rom. 8.21-22)."
When I realized that Horton was the one on this radio program we were occassionaly listening to, I remembered there was a book on my shelf that I had yet to read and I thought this sufficient motivation to pick up the book. It is a wonderful book. In fact, Hadleigh might become a theologian since she is hearing great theology at this early age... I was struck by this passage early in the book and so here it is my musings for the day.
"In his best-seller 'When Bad Things Happen to Good People', Rabbi Harold Kushner states, 'Bad things do happen to good people in this world, but it is not God who wills it. God would like people to get what they deserve in life, but He cannot always arrange it. Even God has a hard time keeping chaos in check and limiting the damage evil can do.' Such a limited view of God is exploded by the biblical notion of creation. It fails to account for a God who 'determines the number of the stars' and who 'calls them each by name' (Ps. 147.4), who numbers our hairs and sees to it that every robin's breast has a pattern. While sin introduced disorder, destruction, and decay, the same God who created order from chaos is ruling and redeeming his world so that one day 'the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay'...(Rom. 8.21-22)."
Like Mother, Like Daughter
It is so much fun to have Hadleigh around and to continue to get to know her. More and more we recognize little things in her that remind us of me or of Dave.
She has some crazy expressions like her daddy. She doesn’t like taking her vitamins like her mommy. She takes about 30 minutes of stretching and yawning to wake up like her mommy and she also has a slobber problem.
Soon after Dave and I started dating he kindly offered to make me a night guard. One night he brought over some materials to make a mold of my teeth. He prepared the materials and put the tray in my mouth and I held it in place. After a minute I started feeling like I was drooling, so I tried to wipe my bottom lip only to pull away a strand of spit. Dave, ever the gentleman, grabbed a paper towel for me to wipe, but to no avail.
Finally he pulled over a trash can and I stood above it with a long strand of drool that went from my mouth into the trash can. I was mortified, since we had only been dating a couple of weeks, and Dave was hysterical. In any case my saliva ducts are in good working order, and so apparently are Hadleigh’s.
She has some crazy expressions like her daddy. She doesn’t like taking her vitamins like her mommy. She takes about 30 minutes of stretching and yawning to wake up like her mommy and she also has a slobber problem.
Soon after Dave and I started dating he kindly offered to make me a night guard. One night he brought over some materials to make a mold of my teeth. He prepared the materials and put the tray in my mouth and I held it in place. After a minute I started feeling like I was drooling, so I tried to wipe my bottom lip only to pull away a strand of spit. Dave, ever the gentleman, grabbed a paper towel for me to wipe, but to no avail.
Finally he pulled over a trash can and I stood above it with a long strand of drool that went from my mouth into the trash can. I was mortified, since we had only been dating a couple of weeks, and Dave was hysterical. In any case my saliva ducts are in good working order, and so apparently are Hadleigh’s.
Monday, April 10, 2006
The Moores
This past weekend we had a special visit from our buddies Paul and Lisa Moore. They are our good buds from Atlanta, but we actually haven't seen them since before they got married, September 2004. Now they are expecting their own little one this August.
They came through on a whirlwind tour of Germany and England. While they were here we sent them to Trier and Luxembourg City. We also took them to dinner at Burg Lichtenburg, which is an old castle about 4km from our house. They have the best German food we have had since being here. It was fun to catch up a bit and to introduce them to little Hadleigh who slept wonderfully each night they stayed with us.
A Christmas Story revisited
Little Hadleigh Claire loves to go on walks. This past week the sun decided to make an appearance everyday which warrants celebration for one, and a walk. Even though the sun was out and the birds were chirping it was still pretty chilly, in the low 30s, so the first day I went out I bundled Hadleigh Claire up and put her in her car seat. Once I put her in, I just had to start laughing because she looked like Ralphie's little brother from "A Christmas Story". Her arms stuck straight out and I couldn't get them to stay down. She was so cute I had to take a picture. We went on our walk that day and even though it was sunny when we started out, it was hailing by the time I got back to the house. The rest of the week was fine, no hail, only sun, so we went on walks everyday. Unfortunately this week is off to a bad start. I don't think this week we'll be able to walk outside because it is overcast and rainy.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Miss Hadleigh Claire Goes to France
Today we took Hadleigh and Mom to one of our favorite little towns in France. Metz is a little over an hour drive for us just across the French border. The cathedral there is pretty cool. Some of the windows were bombed out during WWII and Chagall redid a couple of the stain glass which is totally awesome.
After the cathedral we roamed the streets and managed to find the tea shop that has some of Mom’s favorite tea- Tango Blues. It rained off and on during the day, but we did manage to see a little sun. Once we had finished with Metz we drove back home through Luxembourg City.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)