Warm Spring Days

Well, maybe not as warm as what we are used to in Belize but warm for these parts! ;) We have enjoyed working together to prepare the garden, do spring weeding, cleaning and finishing up our new outdoor kitchen. The 'Mission House' has been abuzz with hard workers, children and adults alike. In addition, the children have taken advantage of the warmer weather and have set up a stand where they were selling both cookies and Mother's Day cards. The King children are very industrious!

'Cookies for Sale!'







Timmy, Grant and Ryan have done all of the rototilling for the garden so far!







It has been so fun to watch the boys' eagerness to help and contribute. They are such willing helpers!

 




Time to add the fertilizer.. and more rototilling!



The girls just love to help daddy!




Someone recently donated some kitchen countertops, cabinets and a nice double kitchen sink




Grady and Jeremy work on the kitchen..




The girls are enjoying the sandbox Nana bought for them! Just like their old one from last year..





Stephanie comes for a 'visit' ;)





It is amazing to see just how much more can be accomplished with many hands!



Time at the 'Mission Home'

We all jokingly refer to the home which we are staying in as the 'Misson Home' as there are always friends and family coming and going.. the house is always full of visitors and activity. Meaningful fellowship is cultivated and the Love of Christ is exhibited and expressed daily.. The house itself is located close to the end of a quiet rural road, nestled among fields, evergreens and rolling hills. The children love to ride bikes on the road as it is not heavily travelled and so less cars to contend with. One clear and cool Sunday evening we all agreed that it was a perfect evening for a walk. It was so nice to spend time with our friends as well as some of their extended family who also were there that night. We found ourselves exploring an old abandonded chicken operation which had all been torn down and turned back into 40 acres of lush grassy fields. The guys went off to explore the creek which runs on one side of the property. We intend on going back to the creek for a picnic once the mud dries a bit and it warms up! What a blessed evening with friends and loved ones.

A Walk to Remember

Picking daisies

What a lovely bouquet Becca!

Ashley with Stephanie

                                              

Special Friends

The grass was so tall, the children practically dissapeared!

The guys get back from exploring the creek

The old chicken farm

Little Laura and Ash

                                                                             Dad and Mom





This is a scary photo of two runaway strollers! No babies were harmed in the snapping of this photo! ;)

Heading back to the 'Mission Home'

A nice quiet moment

Degoede's Tulip Farm

Ok, now after seeing these pictures, I was sorry to have not joined the fun! A friend invited us to the bulb farm in beautiful Mossyrock, WA but only Amanda and Ashley were able to go.. here are a few photos from the trip. We hope to head out there with the whole family before the tulips are finished for the year.

  The whole crew~ Stephanie's sisters, niece, Jeremy's mother, Ashley and Amanda

                                                  A shot of Ashley, snapping photos..

                                                               The Three Amigos

Peeking at the koi

The breathtaking flower beds

Happy 18th Birthday Miss Joyful!

Lord, there are no words to describe how overjoyed we are to have had this lovely young lady of yours in our home for this past 18 years. Lord, she has been such an inspiration to so many people, her family most of all. In this past year while facing the darkest days of her young life.. she remained in you and stayed faithful to you. She has grown so much in her love for you.. while you work your good will and pleasure in and through her life. Lord, we are so honored to care for your precious daughter Amanda. Lord, help us to be parents worthy of this most high call and honor.

In your word today, I read this verse in 2 Timothy and thought of her..

2 Timothy 2:19-Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from all iniquity.

I thank you that you know Amanda and that she is yours.. Thank you for the work you are doing in her life and for allowing us to watch her grow and faithfully serve you with her humble and joyful spirit.

HAPPY 18th Birthday Amanda! May you grow more and more in the knowledge of Him.. and may you continue to diligently seek His Face! Love, Mommy

(P.S check out her sweet and wonderfully written blog at  http://wwwjoyfullyhislamb.blogspot.com/)

Speaking of Humility..

Someone recently lent me a book by Andrew Murray entitled 'Humility'.. don't laugh if you read my recent post talking about being humbled! ;) Anyhow, it is SO good that I thought I would copy a portion of Chapter 2 here on our blog. I would encourage any Christian who is serious about his walk to read it. What an amazing blessing to me! Here is is: I retyped and shortened portions so please excuse any typos:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth"

'Jesus's first words of his proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven reveal the open gate through which alone we enter...The poor, who have nothing in themselves, to them the Kingdom comes. The meek, who seek nothing in themselves, theirs the earth shall be.The blessings of heaven and earth are for the lowly. '


"Learn of me , for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls." He offers us meekness and lowliness, in those we shall find perfect rest of soul. Humility is to be a salvation.

The disciples had been disputing who would be the greatest in the kingdom, and had agreed to ask the Master..(Luke 9:46, Matt 18:3) He set a child in their midst and said 'Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, shall be exalted." "He that is least among you, the same shall be great."

and later he said "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant."  Even as the Son of Man came to serve" Humility, as it is the mark of Christ the heavenly, will be the one standard of glory in heaven; the lowliest is the nearest to God. The primacy in the Church is promised to the most humble.

Speaking to the multitudes and the disciples, of the Pharisees and their love of the chief seats, Christ said once again "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matt 23:11)

On another occasion, in the house of a Pharisee, He spoke the parable of the guest who would be invited to come up higher (Lk 14:1-11) and added "For Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." The demand is inexorable; there is no other way. Self-abasement will be exalted.

After the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Christ spoke again "Everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." In the temple and presence and worship of God, everything is worthless that is not pervaded by deep, true humility toward God and men.

After washing the disciples feet, Jesus said (John 13:14) "If I then, the Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet" Humility seems to be the first and most essential element of discipleship.

At the Holy Supper table, the disciples still disputed who should be greatest (Luke 22:26) Jesus said 'He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. I am among you as he that serveth."

How little these teachings of Jesus are preached and practiced! How little the world has seen it.. how little has it been seen even in the inner circle of the Church."Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." Would God that it might be given us to BELIEVE that Jesus means this! We need to learn this lesson that Jesus calls us to be servants of one another and as we joyfully accept this we will experience a fuller liberty from sin and self. It may at first appear hard.. only because of the pride which still counts itself something. But, when our hearts are set upon this, the true sanctification, we shall study each word of Jesus on self-abasement with new zest, and no place will be too low, and no stooping too deep, and no service too mean or too long continued, if we may but share and prove the fellowship with Him who spake, "I am among you as he that serveth."

Bretheren, here is the path to the higher life. Down, lower down! This was what Jesus ever said to the disciples who were thinking of being great in the kingdom, and of sitting on His right hand and His left. Seek not, ask not for exaltation; that is God's work. Look to it that you abase and humble yourselves,and take no place before God or man but that of servant; that is your work, let that be your one purpose and prayer. God is faithful. Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and bless. He that humbleth himself-that must be our one care- it is God's care and by His mighty power and in His great love, He will do it.

Jesus , the meek and lowly One, calls us to learn of Him the path to God.Let us study these words of Jesus until our heart are filled with the thought- My one need is humility. And let us believe that what He shows, He gives; what He is, He imparts. As the meek and lowly One, He will come in and dwell in the longing heart.

Condensed from Ch 2 of 'Humility' by Andrew Murray (public domain)