Christmas

Regina , Elizabeth , and I - after the Christmas Eve mass

Andrew . What kind of look is that ? Too much coffee ?

Or a see how long I can-stop-blinking contest ? or maybe it's

just really late at night? Any ideas?

We had a nice Christmas Season this year. Humm. Christmas seemed to start with writing Christmas cards. One Sunday afternoon, back at the end of November, Sveta and I addressed and stamped about 60 envelopes. Then leaving Mommy and Daddy with the fun job of writing to the friends and relatives.( Unlike most, we like to write a personal little letter in each card which makes it no small job) So we sent out a record maybe 90 - that would include local ones too. Then their was the Christmas play. We had 3 weeks and about 6 practices. I personally enjoy practicing for our play because of the excitement of working together to bring this joyous message to people. This years play was tittled "the Shepard's Tale" . Ethan acting as the Shepard is relating the story of the Savior to his great-granddaughter. We act scenes as he remembers them ... Fr. Bob and Jerome wrote the script. It really turned out well. Sveta was the narrator and did a good job. She posted some pictures of it on her blog http://www.svetasstation.blogspot.com/ . Their was also the Christmas caroling , the gifts, the manger, the hot Chocolate and cookies, lighting the Advent candles each Sunday ... But what is Christmas to you? What are these things we do mean? What are they pointing to? It started so long ago when God chose the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise, when God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty (1 cor.1:27) When God chose to become incarnate and enter this world as a Babe, the lowliest of all states. In order to bring the hope of salvation to all the world ... mere words cannot explain the love of God toward people He showed to us in sending His Son into this world. Anyhow, this Advent season the example of Mary kept replaying in my mind ... After the Angel had spoken to her bringing her this message from God She responded, " Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Thy word ". She "embraced surrender" then look at all the LIFE that resulted from her submission. Those two words "embrace surrender" have challenged me ... I want to like Mary also say " do unto me according to your word (your will).

Caving

Caving on Thanksgiving ( I found these pictures from our caving back in November with the Dunlaps )

The one on the top is what I look like with no head. The other is Sveta with cousin Holly.

Just a country girl

Just a country girl - that's exactly what I am. What's this country girl doing ? Planning to do ? Moving to the city for 5 months that's what she's doing ... Well kinda. God has opened up an incredible opportunity for me. Our friends Aaron and Emily Starr are starting a missionary training school, The School of Servanthood. They invited me and another girl to be the first interns for this school. I have accepted this invitation. Aaron and Emily live in Columbus, Ohio inner-city. They have a ministry (http://www.reachingthenationsinternational.org/ )reaching to the youth in their neighborhood, they have a couple Bible studies at their house, they're missionary by the way they live...Anyhow, as an Intern for SOS I will be living with Aaron and Emily for 5 months. During those 5 months I will receive ministry and leadership training and will gain hands-on experience with their ministry. I will hopefully also learn how to be a better servant. That's just the beginning, the next 3 months I will be interning in a forgein country. Most likely Haiti. They have connections with a ministry called Living Hope Haiti (http://www.livinghopehaiti.org/ ) I'm really not sure what these 3 months entail. Emily told me this is definitely an "open door" but God may have a different plan that He hasn't showed us yet. I figure I'll get excited about going to Haiti and if God has a different plan then - GOOD, because God knows best.

So when does this start? January 29th is our starting date. The potential travel date to leave for Haiti is July 4th . And I will return home around the end of September.

This upcoming year is going to be one marked with an growing in the Lord and learning stuff that I will remember the rest of my life. I am going to be facing many challenges. First the obvious one, Different cultures. I figure I'll be going through 4 cultures next year; 1. The Starr's home 2. right outside their door is another world 3. Haiti and 4. readjusting to Kentucky life . And many other challenges too. But I choose to embrace them knowing that underneath are The Almighty's hands leading me on. I feel I'm definitely leaving my comfort zone. Please I ask for your prayers.

You may wonder what my family thinks about this. My parents are very excited for me. They knew about this opportunity before I did.They prayed about it a week or two before they asked if I wanted to do it. Someone asked Mommy what she'd ever do without me . She said I've got other girls. Jonathan says he's going with me. Sveta says she's going to miss me a lot...I've got my family's blessing.

I'll end this post with a little thought I have written in a little pink book I write down cool stuff I read in: "We are the clay , He is the potter. Humans have a fascination with the future. For centuries we have consulted astrologers and other claiming to know our futures. We've written books and made movies based on the concept of time travel. We want to know what lies ahead of us on our journeys through life. Just as the clay cannot ask the potter what it will be, so we cannot ask our Maker what we will be. But we can trust that God will create something beautiful and holy with our lives. We know by faith that we are the products of God's hands. In what ways do you need to trust that GOD, the Master Potter , is making you into a work of art? " Author unknown

Remember the only time is the present so embrace it

peom

( sunrise at Glacier National Park. Daddy took this shot)

Quiet Peace

O lord, my heart is all a prayer,

But it is silent unto Thee;

I am too tired to look for words,

I rest upon thy sympathy

To understand when I am dumb;

And well I know thou hearest me.

I know thou hearest me because

A quiet peace comes down to me,

And fills the places where before

Weak thoughts were wandering wearily

And deep within me it is calm

Though waves are tossing outwardly

Amy Carmichael

1867-1951

children are a blessing

Jonathan and Susanna are dancing

Here they are posed. Each year when we take out the manger scene it also means we see Grandma Dunlap's wedding Dress ( bescause the manger scence crate is the safest place for the dress). Susanna is trying on the veil here. The veil Grandma, Mama, many of our Aunts woreand hopefully someday us girls will wear at our weddings.

"Remember how the Psalmist described children? He said they were a heritage from the Lord, and happy is the man that has a quiver full of them. And what is a quiver full of but arrows? And what are arrows for but to shoot. So, with strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly ---all of them sraight at the Enemy's hosts' --Jim Elliot

Psalm 127: 3-5

Sons are a heritage from the Lord

Children a reward from Him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

when they contend with their

enemies in the gate.

This little thought by Jim Elliot and Psalm 127:3-5 is how I got my idea for a blog title. I want to be one of those arrows shot out with strong arms of prayer for the Glory of the Almighty. I won't worry if the world says I am insane to go where God might call me ( or shot me to). For the safest place on earth is in the center of God's will. And that is were I must be. We die in order to live, a seed falls into the dark earth and dies. Out of its death comes multiplied life. It takes faith to believe this, as it takes faith for a farmer to plant seed. It takes faith to liveby it, act, look, and hope.

This reminds me of what Elizabeth Elliot wrote in Passion and Purity; " Think of the self that God has placed in a Acorn. It is a marvelous little thing, a perfect shape, perfectly functional. Think of the grand glory of an oak tree. His intention for us is '... The measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.'

Many deaths must go into our reaching that measure, many letting goes. When you look at the oak tree, you don't feel taht the "loss" of the acorn is a very great loss. The more you perceive God's purpose in your life, the less terrible will the losses seem."

The lord is GOOd, Indeed

ice and laundary

It's December.
Here is a cool piece of ice we found in a bucket of laundary water. Daddy thought the design was unique.
We have our washing machine outside on one side of the cabin. Our electric washing machine froze once so daddy bought an ringer washer which also froze ... The latter was not to big of a problem to thaw. Want to hear how we do laundary? We (usually Ethan) pump about 6-8 5-gallon buckets of water. Then we take that and dump it into the washer ... Let it swish awhile ... rinse .Then ring it out and ta-da the laundary's clean. Well, that's the simplessed version.