Thank you for Holloween?

So today for lunch Lilly prayed before we ate. One certain part of her prayer kind of made me squirm..."and thank you Jesus for Halloween. In Jesus name, Amen." I have to say that Halloween is my least favorite "holiday" and I do not look forward to it at all. Simply because of the history behind it, and all the pains people go to as in essence they are celebrating evil, evilness, and evil things I don't like participating (all the skeletons, dead people, witches, devils, scary things, etc.). Now we do not celebrate these things, but I know the meanings behind all the dressing up, etc. Lilly of course in all innocence was thankful for the fun things she gets to do like dressing up and going to the Fall Festival to Trunk or Treat. I am happy to let her do this, but at the same time, "I HATE HALLOWEEN!"

The best conversation...

"Mommy look, that's all heaven!" Lilly commented on our car ride home yesterday when she saw all the clouds in the sunset. As we continued to observe and talk..."We will get to see Nannie (her great grandmother). There will be a lot of really good food. More and bigger than we have here. And bed"s. Will it ever be dark in heaven?" "No" Mommy said. "And we are all going to have cabins, and we will have new neighbors." Judah asks, "Is that all heaven up there?" "Yes" Mommy said.
As we continued to talk, we came to discuss all the aspects of heaven, how you get there and that they don't want to die right now. I so wish I would have had a recorder or the camera to record all their thoughts and questions. It was the best! I love hearing their perspective. When we were almost at our destination we even got on the subject of Martyrs. That's a difficult one to explain to a two and 4 year old. But Lilly's Sunday School lessons the last two weeks were about Daniel and the lion's den so she could get a little grasp of what it meant.

No Lion's Allowed

"Judah, Judah, remember I told you not to be a lion for a while?" Quote from Lilly this morning. She does not like it when Judah goes after her and growls like a lion. And she also doesn't like it when he wants to play bad guys and she wants to play dolls.....but right now they are sitting sweetly together at "their table" with a baby doll on each end, one in a highchair and the other in a shopping cart, and they are playing with beads....we shall see how long this lasts!

So I decided since it has been so hot and "un-fall like", I had to change my blog background. The Fall background was cute, but just didn't translate on these 90 degree days!
Seeking to walk in the Spirit today moment by moment and also to teach the kids to do the same. We prayed the Fruit of the Spirit together this morning and I am trying to remind them of the fruit when they are "fighting" with each other or disagreeing. I am also trying to stay one step ahead of them so the three of us don't start barreling down the hill of frustration, anger and discouragement. Our wonderful God gives us the tools and the people around us to spur us on to good deeds. So I am stepping gingerly in the moments to be wise in what I do, how I act, react, and speak. Although in doing this, my warm breakfast is now cold as I have now stopped 5 times in the midst of eating it to be one step ahead of the kids, or to discipline them when needed. But I just need to give up my desire for hot food! I will take my kids warm hugs over hot breakfast....

New Beds!

Before......

After....

And the new daybed/trundle...

We have moved the kids to the next stage. Toddler beds are gone and now they each have a twin. They are getting so old and I can't believe so BIG! Judah's on the bottom of course and they are loving it! Shad's cousin Courtney gave us this bed, it was her old bed since she was little and now that she is out on her own and in her twenties, she wanted to branch out beyond the rod iron hearts. So we are so excited to have this gift and know that it will be well used.

APPLES!

Apples, apples, apples! We went apple picking with Mimi and Grandpa and friends. It was a blustery day but perfect for picking. Lilly helped make cider and she and Judah both ate a lot of apples. They will be "regular" for the next few days I think. The apple trees at this particular place are old trees and the apples are grown organically so we could eat them right off the tree. They are good little apples! Perfect size for the kids since they can never usually finish a whole apple and they are at the stage where they don't want it cut up anymore, they want it whole! Anyway, just thought I would share the happenings!
The only down side was that Judah got car sick on the way up and threw-up, but after we arrived, ate lunch and went on our way he was fine. And his stomach seemed to handle the many apples he ate just fine. :)

Thnigs to come...

Here are a few pictures from yesterday. Shad is teaching Lilly to play the guitar, Judah is becoming a skater (I need to figure out how to put video on here) and Lilly is loving to roller blade (all because of 80's night with the High School group a few weeks ago).

College Memories

Today Shad and I attended the San Diego Christian College innaguration ceremony for the new president of the school. It was a neat time to be back and see the changes. In some ways it just seems like yesterday that we were there and in other ways it feels like a lifetime ago. Some of the same teachers, and employees are still there. It was neat to catch-up with a few of them. Also, the new presicdent, Paul Ague, is an awesome man and the horizon looks exciting. We had a fun time there and it was neat to see what the Lord is doing there, has done in our lives since being there, and looking forward to what He will continue to do.

Blackberries...

Just so you know, my new favorite place to shop is 99cent Store. They have really good produce. Who would have thought?! And yesterday when I went, they had blackberries! Shad's favorite and the kids too. With all the financial crisis happening the stocks that are actually going up are 99Cent Store and Big Lots. My kind of deals!
Had a good week. Kids are with Mimi and Grandpa for a few days. Have a busy Saturday today, so it was a relief to have them with Mimi so that I did not have to try and shuffle them around today.

The simple things.....

Here is a picture of happy Caren...you may be wondering why Caren is happy?

I HAVE A NEW WATER HEATER!!!!!! You may be wondering WHY that would make Caren so happy...well, because it has been almost 6 years of waiting!!!!! And do you see the metal pipe than runs under the water heater stand? That is even better, THE DRYER VENT! All these years I have had to open the side door to the garage and kick out the vent pipe and hope that no unwanted or undesirable creatures (or people for that matter) come into the garage while the wash gets dry. YAY! You can see me jumping up and down right!!!!?

So my Dad, the veteran plumber and true servent, and Shad, my always willing to learn something new and good muscle husband spent all day Friday running a new water line, venting the dryer and venting the gas water heater as well as setting up the water line that goes into the house for the refrigerator ice maker and water system and connecting the new water heater. So many exciting things....:) Just needed to vent my happiness! Before now we have had this HUGE 100 gallon tank that was originally the hot water holding tank for the old solar that we USED to have on the house. But we got rid of that when we did the roof within the second year we lived here. So this beast has leaked several times and the last time Shad was out of the country the electrical wires fried because it was just old and not meant to be a water heater (which my wonderful Dad was able to fix then). So I have been waiting, and now we have hotter water and a happier laundry routine!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!!!

Sudan, Africa

Well, a new adventure for Shad will begin in a few weeks. He will be ministring with e3 Partners in sounthern Sudan. He will be talking with the Taposa people and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Below is some info on the country and the people that Shad has put together...

Kapoeta, Sudan

Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) (Arabic: السودان ‎al-Sūdān) is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest in the African continent and the Arab World, and tenth largest in the world by area. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. The country's name derives from the Arabic Bilad-al-Sudan, literally "land of the blacks." Sudan has recently emerged as the world's most unstable country according to the 2007 Failed States Index, mainly due to its military dictatorship and the ongoing war in Darfur. The country has long been plagued by civil war stemming from political and economic inequality: most people in Sudan's northern region, which includes the capital city of Khartoum, are Arab Muslims; while most southerners are non-Arab Black Africans who mainly practice traditional African religions

Toposa: is an ethnic group in Sudan. The population of this ethnicity possibly exceeds 100,000. The Toposa who are cattle keepers and armed to the teeth with old British rifles and AK’s. The Toposa are a fierce people who conduct raids on other tribe’s cattle across the border in Uganda, Kenya and even in country in Sudan. They love their cows and do not eat (Unless it dies naturally) or sell them. The Toposa diet is blood of the cow mixed with milk and a sort of kasava. Decorative markings made by knives and razors, along with the lack of clothing, save a blanket wraped around the waste, give the Toposa a very distinct look. Wealth means‚cows, and guns mean‚ power.
Important Facts About the Toposa Culture:
- The Toposa abhor the practice of circumcision and indeed despise any circumcised person.
- They also do not accept and frown upon the idea of head count of humans and animals. (so… It’s not a good idea to ask how many children they have or how many cows!)
- Also to say very much about how wonderful a person is or a child is they believe can bring bad luck.
- They Toposa adults attend meetings, gatherings and functions in which important decisions concerning the clan or whole community are made. Women and children are kept at a distance while the men discuss the people’s affairs. Tradition has it that important matters are discussed and decision made in the early hours of the morning before sun rise. Respect for elders is mandatory for the younger generations.


Spiritual beliefs of the Toposa:
As you read their beliefs it is interesting to see that they may stem from the truths of the Bible. Their morals are essentially the morals of the spirits. Shadows are spirits--their shadow is a picture of their soul. The shadows of the dead can be seen as clearly as those of the living. The Toposa God lives in the largest physical area (the upper sky). They call it the realm of God. Their God is called Nyakuj and so is the realm He lives in.

The lower level of the sky, just above the trees, is called Kidiama and is referred to as "flying area of the birds.The spirits are called Nyekwam (the same word for "wind". Nyakuj is not included with these spirits.
Nyakuj is a mystery to them. He is always up in the sky, far away. They do have a story that explains man's origin and fall. The Toposa participate in the supernatural world because it IS their world. The Toposa are separated from the upper world but the spirits are not ...they live in both worlds and are Nyakuj's messengers. Therefore, Nyakuj sends peaceful messages as will as messaged of punishment: if someone is killed by lightening (which is a spirit)it was a punishment from God). It is believed that the spirits enforce theToposa customs, thus making sure that Toposa people behave lilke Toposa people.

The spirits of the dead are called ngipara and they are usually considered separate from the othe spirits called nyekupe who are in the form of snakes. Since the spirits who live in the sky just above the earth,
some of the stones are so sacred that the people cannot go near them (stones are a part of the physical world.).Only members of a certain clan can sacrifice a bull at a certain sacred stone. This particular stone
is connected with the power of Nyakuj or the spirits to bring rain. Rain is expected soon after the death of an old man. Their ancestors are a very significant part of their lives.Trees are also part of the spirits. A bent tree is associated with malaria. I have touched on a few of the examples that were given
in this chapter to explain the importance of the physical world--there are many others.


As you can see they are a colorful and genuine people. May God be at work in the tribe of the Toposa people! Thanks for taking the time to learn about the people that we will be reaching in the name of the Lord!!! Again, PLEASE join me in this opportunity to do as we were commanded in the Great Commission.

Here is a funny pic from yesterday. Shad and the kids were being funny....


And today we went to a little water play park in a nearby community and the kids had a blast... We went with my friend Rachel and fellow blogger...




I thought fall was upon us, but here we were in 90+ degree weather playing in bathing suits! So I guess we still need to wait a little longer. I'm, glad its Tuesday, but it feels like Friday!