Boat Building

Mckenna had to build a boat for school.  It had to be built out of whatever you had laying at home.  It had to have a motor, a steering wheel and it had to float for 5 minutes.  So, i went online and found this picture.  I didn't want the boat to look like it was built by a parent.  So we took this picture....

And made this!

She got a "job well done" but her teacher didn't think she'd want to ride through a storm on it since it  was as little tippy.

(I know this pic is not the best, but i wanted to put a pic of her and the boat and this is the only one I had!)

A Precious Gift

The lady where we are staying goes every Monday to the MudHut with all the MudHens to do ceramics.  They have a small little building by the community hall where, for a very small price, can use whatever molds and whatever paints to make whatever ceramic item that their heart desired.  Well, we were VERY blessed that Donna's heart felt desired to make us this.  We got 4 bowls and 4 dinner plates with this very cute decal on it.  The girls were also promised a little miniature tea set that includes 4 cups, 4 saucers, a tea pot and a cream and sugar bowl.  I will definitely take pictures of those also because they are beautiful.  She has a storage room downstairs where she stores all her stuff,  (Unfortunately she can;t display them around her home) I could go shopping there.. some seriously beautiful stuff.  (We exchanged gifts early since we hope to be in Chilliwack on Christmas Day, and we had something little for them so...)  Will do another post about the community potluck when I get back from Chilliwack.  May you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a healthy, prosperous and blessed New Year!!

A love Note

"Mommy I love U and you are the best mommy i love you efar (ever) and that is true  From Emmy  Merry Christmas  I love you soe much I love you all to the mantin (mountain)and way to the mewn (moon)  I love you mommy  Love from Emmy or Em"

This was given to me this afternoon.  The only words that I helped her spell was Christmas.  She is excelling in class. She is in the top 3 in reading and the top in math.  The teacher gave her a math booklet to take home one day when she was sick. Emmy looked at it and started solving one of the math questions.  The question was one where they were given 3 numbers and they had to make 4 math equations.  For example,
12, 4, 3
___+___=
___+___=
___-___=
___-___=
 The teacher said that she was going to have to take out the Gr. 2 math binder for Emmy. She got her love of math from my side of the family.

Snow and sun

by Mckenna Van Oort

Here is a story written by Mckenna:

Title: My Friend Freddy

Fred is my imaginary friend.  I like him.  He is gigantic and pink!  You should know what happened when he splashed me with puke! I did not like that so I ran to him and splashed him with a bucket of water and then he left.  I love him but I do not like him puking on me! I do not like him doing that because it makes me feel disgusted.  I love Fredy because he is loveable!  He is also very good because he said he is sorry too.
                                                       by Mckenna

She had to write a story about an imaginary friend and type it up on the computer.  I typed as is.

And here is a letter that she wrote to Emmy:

to: Emmerson
From: Kenna

"You can be the best sister ever I love you  so much I can love you to the moon.  I love you Emmerson!  You are my sister and it will be that you will be my sister for ever and ever so, so, so do you think I love you so much?  I can not tell you."

What can I say?  I am very thankful for the relationship that they have together.  I hope that it remains this way as they grow up.

Then... and Now!!!

AWWW.. my babies!  Emmy would be 6-7 months on the top picture, making Kenna about 19-20 months.

my models

I find that school pictures are so terribly expensive.  BOth Kenna and Emmy's pictures turned out so cute this year, but I couldn't justify paying $10 for 2 5x7s. So, like every other year, I hauled the girls outside. Well, I really didn't haul them outside.  By the time I got outside with my camera, they BOTH were already posed on a rock and smiling!   They ran here and there, finding spots that they thought would look good in a picture. Here is some evidence of how well they did:

Hope you enjoyed!

Mass of Information= 1 Thessalonians

Do you realize how much you can learn from one book of the Bible?  We are studying 1 Thessalonians 1-5 in Bible Study.  We have thoroughly studied
1. the background of this letter- who wrote it, why did he write it, when did he write it, etc.
2. what is true conversion?- the delivery of the gospel, evidence of their conversion, faith, love, hope
3.why there are not more exemplary conversions?  are we not delivering God's gospel God's way?
4. witnessing- what are we to say, when are we to say it, how are we to say it, and why?
5. the respsonsibility to follow-up on someone you have lead to Christ.
6. prayer- Prayer is the most powerful force in the world today. It puts us in touch with God from who, through whom and to whom are all things.
7.  Satan the tempter. Satan tempts us in through our weakness.  He tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread right after Jesus fasted 40 days and nights in the wilderness.  Jesus was able to resist, but are we?

This is just a SMALL part of what I have learned in the last 7 weeks and we have only touched chapters 1,2 and 3.

The last few chapters in this lesson are about lust, love, what happens after we die, and what our behavior should be toward those who are over us.

I invite you to study the Bible for yourself.  Not just read it, but study it.  It will not only bring you closer to God, but will increase your knowledge in His Word, which is so important for today.  Find ALL your answers in the Bible, don't believe anything that you have been told by someone, unless you find it in the Bible.  We need to stick with what the Bible says, carefully checking the CONTEXT of the Bible.  Once you use the Bible out of context, it becomes PRETEXT.  "And when you teach pretext, you become accountable before God for not handling the Word of God accurately. (James 3: 1,2; 2 Timothy:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)"

I am excited to continue studying the BIble this way, hopefully for many more years to come. May God bless you in your studies also.

Changes

Today is John's last day as an employee of Rona.  He has gained alot of experience and knowledge there, but it was not the right fit for him so he has decided to move on.  Surprise, surprise, he is back in construction.  I think that it is in his blood.

 God really works in mysterious ways.  As a contractor, John's new boss, L.L., shopped at Rona.  He most often dealt with John.  So he was able to see and notice that John had alot of knowledge in construction.  So when John confronted him about a job, he already knew about John.  This job may take John out of town for up to and around 10 days at a time, but until March, he should be able to stay in town. He will be building the new Co-Op building and also work on his boss' house.  Hopefully the winter isn't too bad out here, so that he can work throughout the winter.

The girls are still loving school.  I am volunteering on Wednesday afternoons in Ks class and on Thursday morning in Es class.  I am very impressed with how quickly K catches on.  She is a very fast learner!  E is starting to really catch onto reading also and is able to sight read the colors plus words like away, down, come, etc.  I really enjoy doing this and wouldn't mind a job in this field at all.  Unfortunately I have no schooling beyond high school.  So for now, I am still enjoying my Bible study and home to start attending  a young mom's group that starts next Thursday.  Hopefully it won't take away from Bible study.  I was interested in this new group as I will get to meet a few ladies my age.  I have met many wonderful ladies, but they all seem to be 10+ years older than me.

Other than that, there is no real news.  I don't have too many, if any pictures to post.  I hope to take some individual pics of the girls soon and will send those out hopefully by the end of November.  I might even post them on here.

Hope everyone is doing fine, where ever you are.  We want to make a trip to Chilliwack for a week in the middle of December.  JOhn turns 30 this year and I want to have a surprise b-day party.  SSHHH!!!
Hopefully I will get to see some of you then.

Take care!  And thanks for reading.  Feel free to leave a comment!

Are you wise?

I know I have skipped a few Sunday's worth of sermon overviews, but I am not going to backtrack. I just have one little joke that I want to tell you one joke that was shared during the sermon called "Talk is really not cheap"  Here goes:  There was a fellow who was concerned about the lack of control he had over his tongue, so he checked himself into a monastery.  There was a few rules there, one being that he was only allowed to speak 2 words a year.  He thought this was perfect! So after the first year, the head of the monastery asked him what he had to say. "Bed hard," was his reply.  After the 2nd year went by, the head of the monastery asked him again.  "Food cold," was his reply.   And it was after the 3rd year, the fellow finally said," I quit!"  The head of the monastery's reply to that was, " I figured that would happen since all you've done for the last 3 years is complain!
   So this man spoke very few words, but it still defined who he was.

Now onto this past Sunday.  James 3:13-18.  This sermon was titled "The pursuit of true wisdom."  I am really loving this semron series in James as it is very applicable to today.
     Wisdom is rooted in God.  So how can we tell that our life has the wisdom that we need?
We can see it!  What would it look like?
1.  If I am wise I will not compromise my integrity.  1 John 3:3
2.   If I am wise I won't antagonize anger  Proverbs 20:3

Wisdom creates humility and knowledge causes pride.

Lack of wisdom can cause arguemnts.  How?
1. By comparing- You are just like...
2. By condemning- It's all your fault, why did you do it
3. By contradicting- Knowing what to over look in your life

If you are wise, you will not minimize someone's feelings.  PRoverbs 15:4

If you are wise, you will not criticize someone's decisions. Be open to reason, allow discussion and listen to others.  Proverbs 12:15

If you are wise, you will not emphasize someone's mistakes  Proverbs 17:9

If you are wise, you will not disguise your own weakness.

ARE YOU WISE???  Think about it.  I know I have a lot to learn.  How can we learn to be wise?

Colossians 2:3 tells us:  "The secret is CHRIST Himself.  In Him lie hidden all God's treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

God bless!

BIG heart

My Emmy has the biggest heart I have even known someone could have.  She is the most unselfish child I have ever met.  No she is not perfect, but she is ever so sweet nonetheless!  Yesterday, we were on our way to Good News Gang and there was a semi on the side of the road.  On our way home, the semi was still there.  I said to the girls, "Oh-oh, that truck is still there."  THere was a little pause and Emmy pipes up and says, "Mom, I feel like I should help that man!"

Have a good day!

Horse back riding

I can't remember what this horse's name was but the one in the background is Shiloh and he is around 28 years old.  He was also saddled to give the kids rides, but he was more interested in eating than anything else!

Abhau Creek-- the owners of the ranch are thinking about making a 2 mile zipline down this creek.

A small waterfall.. this was the destination of our ride.  

The trees were wet and were sparkling in the sunshine (can't wait to edit this pic!)

Marilyn talking to our guide Martin.  For those of you who watch Mantracker, Martin was on 2 shows with Mantracker.  1 they lost, 1 they won! My horse was used in this show.

The ride back: we went through pasture, forest,  wide open fields, etc. 

A little difficult to take pics while riding a horse, especially mine who had a thing for riding the side of the trail.

Jeopardy.. my horse!

It was lots of fun.. I was a little sore after though. I think it's been around 18 years since I last rode a horse.

Outside my house

This is a pond that we see from the dining room window. It is generally quite green, but  with some wind, can be quite clear.

A close up of the pond

I have used the dryer maybe 5 times since moving here 2 1/2 months ago

This is the view from the kitchen window.

This is taken from the front door

This is the road, take from the deck off of the dining room.

Here are some pics of the different views around our house.  You will then see how truly blessed we are to be able to live here temporarily.  We are actively looking for a house to rent, but they are few and far between.

If you come visit me, I will take you here:)

Doggy pile of cousins 

I do believe that experiencing the season of Fall in Quesnel has been one of the most beautiful experiences of nature for me.  The poplar leaves, the sunsets, the clean/crisp air.  It's indeed AMAZING! I have taken pictures of this place before, it is indeed a beautiful place in the fall, but also the summer.  I promise I will take you here if you come visit me in any season but winter!

Thanksgiving weekend

We were privileged to be host and hostess of our dear brother and sister-in-law from last Thursday evening to this past Thursday afternoon.  It was a busy week, but lots of fun.  The purpose of their visit was to hunt.  It might not have been as succesful as they were hoping, but Tony was able to shoot his first deer on Thanksgiving day.  Unfortunately, most of us came down with a 24 hour flu so that cut into some hunting time.  I was privileged to be spared from it. 
One thing I am really thankful for is WATER!!  Where we live now, their water comes from a well.  For some reason the pump stopped working.  I went to go turn the tap on and nothing came out.  It was a scary moment as there were 4 adults and 7 kids.  Fortunately it happened late in the evening and by morning we had a full tank again and have had no problems since.
On Saturday night, we went together to Ten Mile Lake where the men dropped us off and went hunting.  We stayed behind to enjoy some heat from the fire while the girls and Tyler played on the playground and walked by the lake.  We were able to witness an amazing sunset.. Pics coming!!
On Wednesday, the men and Jesse went on a full day hunt.  Marilyn and I took the rest of the kids to the leisure centre and then to McDonalds, where we were able to watch 8 deer graze about 150 ft from where we were sitting.  Marilyn was actually able to get about 20 feet away from a buck and a fawn.  Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with and Marilyn brought her camera along WITHOUT the battery. 
On Thursday, yesterday, Marilyn and I went horseback riding.  Everyone went along for this trip.  At the ranch, they saddled 2 horses for the kids to ride.  The kids also had a campfire and roasted little smokies and marshmallows.  We got a really good deal as there was a mix-up with the booking.  The Mr. had booked us for 10:00 and the Mrs. had booked someone that was visiting from England for 11:00.  He was living out of a motorhome so there was no way to contact him. So the Mr. who was the guide, took us on a 1/2 loop and then back to the ranch to pick up the other guy and then we went to some canyon/falls and back.  That ride was 2 hours long.  Check out the ranch at http://www.triplejranch.bc.ca/.  It's a beautiful place with amazing hosts/hostesses. Now today I am taking the day off, catching up on some downtime and looking forward to a day of hunting tomorrow.  Hopefully i can update soon with some pictures of dead animals :)
ENJOY!!!

A Feast Fit for a King

I am sure you were expecting a blog on food when you read the title, but that in fact was the title for this past Sunday's sermon!  And here it is:

James 1: 19-27
So what I am really talking about when I say it is a feast fit for a king???  The Bible!!! And it is a feast.. isn't it.  Full of guidance, love, compassion, displine, encouragement... and the list goes on.  It can be such a blessing in our lives if we let it.  But to be blessed by it, we need to receive it:
James 1:21 "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you"
With the right attitude we can receive God's word and be blessed by it
1.  Be careful-- quick to listen and slow to speak
2.  Be calm-- slow to anger
3.  Be compliant-- humbly accept the word that is being planted
4.  Be clean-- get rid of the filth in our lives

Another way to be blessed by God's word is to reflect on it.   To reflect is to think deeply or carefully about.  I am learning what "deeply" means during this Bible Study that I attend.  It's not just reading but also searching, reviewing and remembering.  By that, I mean looking carefully at what we read, pondering, considering and meditating on it, so we can remember it.

And finally, we need to respond to God's Word.  We find in Matthew 7:24-27 an example of responding to God's word:
      ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
                          and also in John 13:17
" If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. "

How do we know that we are practicing God's word?  We will have a controlled mouth,  a caring heart, and a clean mind.  We need to refuse to let the world corrupt us and with the right attitude and much prayer, we can.  We need to pray for wisdom so that we may live our life with our hearts prepared for the seed of GOd's word.

ON another note, I was privileged to be the story reader at the Kerlsey GOOD NEWS GANG.  Good News Gang is a ministry at Northstar Church that meets every Monday night during the school year at 3 separate locations in Quesnel.  It is free and involves games, songs, story, craft and snacks.  It is open to any child in the neighborhood, church going or not.  The purpose of this group is to let kids know that Jesus saves.  And because there is not alot to do for young kids in Quesnel, people will let their kids come.  Please pray that this work will be blessed, and that through these kids, parents may realize their needs also!
God bless you all!

Sunset



The sunsets here are absolutely beautiful.  We are up on a mountain so our view is quite fabulous anyhow, but here are a few pics to show you some sunsets:





You can actually see the sun's rays on this one. 



I can't wait to edit this pics and print them.  They are beyond words, not because of me our my camera, but because of the beauty of  God's creation.

That's it for today.. maybe more tomorrow or Monday, but no promises ;)