by the way

Happy Birthday Titus!

2012-02-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

We love our little Ty-Man! 

You keep us laughing with all your cute saying and sound affects, not to mention your love for baking in the kitchen (cracking eggs is his specialty...but not before sampling the chocolate chips).

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Wedding Bells....

2012-02-14T12:42:00.002-05:00

It's happened again....

Another anniversary for Josh and Heather! Today they celebrate three years!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

"All Because Two People Fell In Love...."

Happy Birthday Luke!

2012-02-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

He's the silent participant in all the boys' outside games. Moving boards for their fort, heaving the biggest object that obscures the path leading to "Oregon", pulling wagons and carrying passengers on his bike. In return, he's a member of the "pack"...riding on the leaf trails, hiding behind bushes (his 5"10 frame clearly visible behind that hedge) and getting an equal portion of all the snacks.

He's the cheerful helper in the house responsibilities; takes out the trash with a grin on his face; faithfully reminding us when we need more bags! Putting silverware away gives him great satisfaction, especially when he can inform the "kitchen person" of his completed deed! If you want vacuuming done, tell Luke! And if you don't want vacuuming done...well...don't tell Luke, because once the word vacuum is spoken, as Daddy would say: "You might as well hang it up!"

We love our Birthday Boy!!

Snip, snip...

2012-02-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

Haircuts. Oh joy...

Actually, it doesn't have to be that bad...if you're a good client, the barbher might make you some chocolate chip cookies...

Anita

:: The Good Ol' Days ::

2012-02-04T09:04:00.000-05:00

Meet the Pony Express and its riders...

:: Moment of the Week ::

2012-02-04T06:36:00.000-05:00

Fresh Florida strawberry shakes....

no sugar needed, just pure yummyness.

This is one of the benefits of Florida life...you can buy fresh berries in February!

Never eat slimy worms...

2012-02-01T16:17:00.000-05:00

History lessons with Alexis...

You should probably join her little class because you will learn all about the Pony Express, its riders and the impact they had in our country. You could also learn with Samuel your North, East, South and West rhyme just in case you ever get lost...

Never
Eat
Slimy
Worms

This is definitely a boys class. They love it.

Anita

St Augustine...

2012-01-25T16:50:00.000-05:00

Our family doesn't normally travel long distances to sing, but we were recently asked to do a family concert in St. Augustine. Everyone was really looking forward to it, especially the boys whose enthusiasm spilled over in the form of questions: "how many days till we leave?", "how long will it take to get there?"

The concert was scheduled for Sunday night and when we arrived and started setting up and practicing, who should walk down the center isle of the church? None other than Uncle Kevin and Aunt Denise! Us older children were in on the secret, but Dad and Mom were certainly surprised. We were so blessed by the support of them and our grandparents who took the time to drive all that way and stay the night with our family.

The 115 year old church was beautiful set right in the middle of the oldest occupied city in the United States. We left that night overflowing with the joy of meeting fellow believers in Christ.

The Lord protected us when our trailer tire blew...

These young men looked so handsome in their little suits...

Our wonderful Grandparents who came all the way from Lakeland...

The acoustics in the church were amazing...

Watching the sunrise...

If you look closely you can see how our family was featured in the paper...

Thankful for His blessings...

Ready to do some sightseeing!

This is what happens when we decide to "just look" at the hats...

Lunch on the water front...

Fellowship with Saints...

2012-01-23T19:47:00.000-05:00

Our family will be speaking and singing at The Bible Fellowship in Wimauma Floridathis Sunday evening (January 29) at 6:00p.m.

We are looking forward to singing a number of songs and the messageis on Biblical Parenting. If you would like more information as to where thechurch is located, I've attached a link to the church website above for you toclick on.

We would appreciate your prayers and wanted to offer the above info in caseyou live nearby and would like to join us and The Bible Fellowship that evening!

Olivia

:: Moment of the Week ::

2012-01-14T06:33:00.000-05:00

Pass another marshmallow...

:: The Good Ol' Days ::

2012-01-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

Cooler weather...

Shoveling Leaves...

2012-01-11T16:51:00.000-05:00

While some of you in the north are shoveling powdery white snow, we are raking up all our Summer leaves...

Our big oaks are getting ready for Winter....

Happy Anniversary!

2012-01-07T08:52:00.003-05:00

Happy 28th Anniversary Dad and Mom!!

"Youcan give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." –Amy Carmichael

“Blessedis the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shallbe as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by theriver, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; andshall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yieldingfruit.” Jer. 17:7-8

Happy Birthday...

2012-01-05T17:46:00.000-05:00

"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness and honor..."

Proverbs 21:21

We are so grateful for your life Ben and your commitment to following Christ. We love you....

::In The Kitchen At Christmas::

2011-12-27T18:12:00.002-05:00

Craving something sweet-an'-salty? We've got the most satisfying solution!

After buying the Flipz pretzels and feeling slightly "shamed" about the price we paid, we thought: "how hard can it be to make our own and pay the same price for maybe 5 bags worth?" (not to say we don't buy Flipz pretzels anymore:)) These taste amazing and are so fun to make for snacking on while playing a game or watching a movie!

You Will Need:

1 package of CandiQuik. Vanilla flavored. (You can find this at Wal-Mart)
1 bag of pretzels. One package of CandyQuik doesn't quite cover a family sized bag of pretzels.

If you don't have a double boiler, (we don't have one either) you can use a pot with about an inch of water brought to a boil on the bottom, and a smaller metal bowl set on top. Continue checking the water and add more when low. It works just as good!

The CandyQuik package also has instructions for microwaving, but the pot on the stove is much better because it's not necessary to continue microwaving every couple of minutes.

Now! Here's how it's done:

First, break up your candy into the metal bowl and wait...and wait...and wait...until it becomes the right smooth consistency.
The first time we did this, we put a couple of pieces of candy in at a time, but we soon realized we were going to use all the candy anyway so we put it all in the second time. (it really depends on how many pretzels you want to do)
After the candy is smooth, start putting the pretzels in. (a few handfuls at a time) Once the pretzels are evenly coated, use tongs to remove them and gently tap on bowl to remove excess candy. (this may be slow going as you can't grab huge handfuls of pretzels at once...maybe one or two at a time.)
Cover a couple of pans with wax paper and lay pretzels to cool. (while waiting for these to harden we decided we didn't want to wait that long and stuck them in the freezer for about 5 minutes...hardened right up and cut waiting time in half!!)

Please enjoy your delicious snack!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

We Pray You Have A Very Merry Christmas!

-From the Huron Family-

Glory to the new born King...

2011-12-25T20:26:00.000-05:00

        Hark! the herald angels sing, 
 "Glory to the new born King, 
 peace on earth, and mercy mild, 
 God and sinners reconciled!" 
 Joyful, all ye nations rise, 
 join the triumph of the skies; 
 with th' angelic host proclaim, 
 "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" 
 Hark! the herald angels sing, 
 "Glory to the new born King!" 

 Christ, by highest heaven adored; 
 Christ, the everlasting Lord; 
 late in time behold Him come, 
 offspring of a virgin's womb. 
 Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; 
 hail th' incarnate Deity, 
 pleased as men with men to dwell, 
 Jesus, our Emmanuel. 
 Hark! the herald angels sing, 
 "Glory to the new born King!"

          I especially love this third verse...

 
 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! 
 Hail the Sun of Righteousness! 
 Light and life to all He brings, 
 risen with healing in His wings. 
 Mild He lays His glory by, 
 born that men no more may die, 
 born to raise the sons of earth, 
 born to give them second birth. 
 Hark! the herald angels sing, 
 "Glory to the new born King!"

 -Charles Wesley

::Christmas Day::

2011-12-25T06:15:00.000-05:00

Rejoice!

2011-12-24T14:32:00.000-05:00

Rejoice in His birth,

Rejoice that He reigns forever and ever...

Rejoice in His unending love...His amazing grace...

Skype...

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Since we can't all be together for Christmas, Skype is the next best thing! Merry Christmas Josh and Heather! So glad you enjoyed the package...

Come see...

2011-12-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

 "And it came to pass, as the angels were 

gone away from them into heaven, 

the shepherds said one to another, 

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, 

and see this thing which is come to pass, 

which the Lord hath made known unto us."

Luke 2:15

Praise the Lord...

2011-12-24T07:15:00.000-05:00

Psalm 150

 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: 

praise him in the firmament of his power. 

 Praise him for his mighty acts: 

praise him according to his excellent greatness. 

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: 

praise him with the psaltery and harp. 

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: 

praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 

 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: 

praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 

 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. 

Praise ye the LORD.

::Christmas Eve::

2011-12-24T06:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas Quilt Square...

2011-12-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

Circle of Flying Geese...  

Maybe the whole quilt will be finished by next Christmas...

December 23rd

2011-12-23T06:10:00.000-05:00

"The Rich Family In Church"

2011-12-22T12:25:00.000-05:00

Mom read this Christmas story to us and we loved it.
Don't forget to be generous in all that you give...all that you do...andall that you say...

I'll never forget Christmas 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, andmy older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four ofus knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five yearsbefore, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.

By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A monthbefore Christmas the pastor of our church announced that a special Christmasoffering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save andgive sacrificially.

When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save$20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept ourelectric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio,we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house andyard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could.For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sellfor $1.

We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives.

Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'dsit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy havingthe money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so wefigured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surelybe 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyoneto save for the sacrificial offering.

The day before Christmas, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got themanager to give us three crisp $20 bill and one $10 bill for all our change.

We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so muchmoney before.

That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that wewouldn't have new clothes for Christmas; we had $70 for the sacrificialoffering.

We could hardly wait to get to the church! On Sunday morning, rain waspouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from ourhome, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in hershoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet.

But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smithgirls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and Ifelt rich.

When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second rowfrom the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.

As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had asurprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled eggs with ourfried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom wentto the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelopein her hand. We asked what is was, but she didn't say a word. She opened theenvelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one$10 bill and seventeen $1 bills.

Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and staredat the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poorwhite trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone whodidn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers andsisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to sharesilverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night.

We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew wedidn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought wewere poor!

I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my classof over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew we were poor. Idecided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. thatwas all the law required at the time. We sat in silence for a long time. Thenit got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school andcame home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what wewanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn'tknow. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday,but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way.

Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. Atchurch we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how the churches in Africamade buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to but roofs. Hesaid $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can't we allsacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiledfor the first time in a week.

Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it toDarlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in theoffering.

When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a littleover $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offeringfrom our small church. He said. "You must have some rich people in thischurch."

Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over$100."

We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? Fromthat day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I ambecause I have Jesus!

Can I have one?

2011-12-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Titus "helping" in the kitchen...

Whimsy Nativity...

2011-12-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

Mama is so creative...

Look what she made with the little boys! Dad sanded and cut the pieces of wood and the boys helped paint. We will definitely be making these again next year!

2x2 wooden strip ($2-3 for eight feet at Home Depot)

2 1/4" wooden balls. (Michaels or Joann's)

Baby Jesus shape came 2 to a package. 

Paint.

Wood glue (to glue heads and Baby Jesus) 

Raffia, ribbon or wire to keep set together!

Mom finished the gift by putting a really pretty Christmas tag on the nativity. So simple, but oh so sweet!

 Uncle and Auntie with their nativity...

December 22nd

2011-12-22T06:06:00.000-05:00

December 21st

2011-12-21T06:09:00.000-05:00

The Counting Line...

2011-12-20T20:36:00.002-05:00

The little boys like to take turns pinning on the new day...

Sister Shop...

2011-12-20T17:49:00.003-05:00

Busy filling Christmas orders for The Sister Shop...

Painting With Pebeo...

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pebeo paints have interested me for a long time. I always thought it wouldbe fun to paint simple words or pictures on glass and be able to just bake itin the oven, and have that, "professional, artsy" look. All of ussisters decided to give it a try, and give mugs to friends for Christmas. Itwas so fun! The paints are inexpensive at Michaels or Jo-Anns (especially ifyou use coupons!) and you will be able to make dozens of projects with just onelittle bottle. The colors are vibrant, and the paint is thick, so you don'thave to worry about drips or even second coats. I loved working with"turquoise 20", the color is so pretty.

You simply wash your cup, plate, item/ and dry well. We bought these cups atour local Dollar Tree for, lets see....$1.00! Because it's Christmas, right nowat Walmart, you can buy a set of 12 white mugs for $9.99. Great deal, and niceshaped cups. They stand up fine to the heat...no cracking or breaking. =)

We used Pebeo Paints.
Porcelaine 150 / Brilliant Gloss.
Paint brushes.
We also bought a black Pebeo pen! Very nice to draw and writewith...we used the fine tip. (I used this to draw my little houses on the cuppictured at the end of the post.)

If you mess up, a wet towel or baby wipe takes it right off...
I did this a lot as the stamps are a little tricky to use on a roundobject. Also, the paint washes right off any stamps you may use. No staining.

Let dry overnight.

Bake at 150' for 35 minutes. Don't take them out of the ovenright away, they are hot! We baked ours in the evening so that we couldjust turn the oven off and let the cups have time to cool down.

These cups are now dishwasher safe!

If you are having company for Christmas, these would be super fun to do as agroup. Orrrr....you still have a few days before Christmas....you could stillmake these as gifts! ;)
Anita

December 20th

2011-12-20T06:15:00.000-05:00

::In the Kitchen at Christmas::

2011-12-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

This is one of Mama's divine recipes! She found this soon after she wasmarried and has tweaked it here and there over the years. It's one of myGrandfathers favorite desserts and we usually have it for holidays and anoccasional birthday. (when birthdays come one after another as in our family,pie is a welcome change!) Last year we took a birthday trip to the ocean. Thiswas the dessert I picked...unfortunately, it turned into "strawberrymelt" with graham cracker crust! But! It was still creamy and lusciouscoming straight from the iced cooler!

Ana'sStrawberry Pie

You will need:

16 oz cream cheese (twopackages)
12 oz sour cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
3 pints sliced& hulled strawberries
10 oz package frozenstrawberries.
1 cup water
2 Tablespoonscornstarch
6 oz (2 packages)strawberry-banana jello
3 graham cracker crusts

Blend cheese, sour cream and sugar and spread in bottoms of crusts.Spread the sliced and hulled strawberries on top. (Note: we no longer put freshstrawberries in between the layers...I suppose it's because we've decided welike it better that way. Don't worry, the pie still tastes exactly the same!Sometimes we'll put them on top for decoration)
In blender, blend frozen strawberries, water and cornstarch. (you candissolve the cornstarch in the water and pour it right over the berries in theblender)
Put on stove and cook until thick. Add jello. Pour over pies.Refrigerate. (you can make these the night before or the day of...just give enoughtime for the jello to become firm)

Garnish:
Whipped topping: 1 pint whipping cream, 1 Tb sugar. And if you like extracream you can double this recipe! Top with whipped cream right before serving!

100 Doughnuts...

2011-12-19T19:23:00.000-05:00

We make them every year...

Our neighbors get some, friends that drop in, and of course, we eat the rest...=) They are melt in your mouth good. No bragging...just the facts.

We made them earlier today, so if you want some, it's already too late!

Got Mail!

2011-12-19T19:15:00.005-05:00

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, 

so is good news from a far country." 

Proverbs 25:25

Knittin'...

2011-12-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

::In the Kitchen at Christmas::

2011-12-19T11:57:00.001-05:00

If anyone remembers this postthey might recall the picture of the Apple Fritters. Quite a few people askedfor the recipe so today, it's going on the blog!

This was something Anita found when having a craving for fritters. Eventhough these don't have the traditional look, they have the same amazing flavorand it's much faster when you don't want to be rolling out dough and crimpingedges. (I must say I love doing that too though)

We normally make these for dessert with ice cold glasses of milk but theytaste just as amazing in the morning with a hot cup of coffee....mmm....

-AppleFritters-

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil for deep frying
2 cups Original Bisquick mix

1/2 cup cold water

1 egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large unpeeled (we peeled ours)apple, chopped. (About 1 3/4 cups.)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

STEP 1:
In deep fryer or 4 quart heavy saucepan, heat oil. Medium heat. (6-7)

STEP 2:
In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, water, egg, granulated sugar and cinnamon.Fold in Apple. (Note: you don't need to cook the apples first to softenthem...they come out perfectly soft after frying!) Working in batches, drop batterby tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, oruntil golden brown. Use a metal slotted spoon to remove fritters from oil;drain on paper towels.

STEP 3:
Before serving, sprinkle fritters with powdered sugar. It helps to waituntil fritters are a little cool before sprinkling with sugar.

TIPS:
A medium-large ice-cream scoop works great for measuring the batter anddropping into the oil.

December 19th

2011-12-19T06:08:00.000-05:00

Cutie Pie Stringing Popcorn...

2011-12-18T22:57:00.000-05:00

I love this boy...

::In the Kitchen at Christmas::

2011-12-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

Is everyone as excited about the Christmas season as I am? It seems to bepassing way too quickly and then, not coming soon enough!

One of the things we really look forward too is the Christmas baking.Sometimes, we'll pull out worn cookbooks, thumbed through magazines and ourcollection of torn out pages titled: "we'll make it for Christmas"and talk about what we want to try first. So many possibilities, not enoughtime!! We wanted to post a few of our favorite recipes for everyone to enjoy.

Something we love to make for breakfast all year and not just in December,is waffles. Some may say: "waffles? for all of you!?" Well, yes! Wemake them in batches of 4 with our griddle. Some like them soft and some likethem crispy. And I must say the recipe is oh-so-good...especially with whippedcream smoothed in between the layers and oozing out the sides...

You will need.....

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 egg yolks

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup cooking oil orshortening, melted

2 egg whites

(by the way, this is just a single recipe...if you want a bigger batch justdouble it...or in our case, triple it!)

In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and 1/2teaspoon salt. In a small mixing bowl beat egg yolks with a fork. Beat in milkand cooking oil or melted shortening. Add to flour mixture all at once. Stirmixture till blended but still slightly lumpy.
In a small mixer bowl beat egg whites till stiff peaks form.Gently fold beaten egg whites into flour-milk mixture, leaving a few fluffs ofegg white. Do not overmix.
Pour batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased wafflemaker. Close lid quickly: do not open during baking. Cook about 4 minutes.(depending of how you like your waffles. Soft or crispy) Use a fork to helplift waffle off grid.
To keep waffles hot for serving, place in a single layer on abaking pan in a warm oven.

So, there it is! Hope everyone enjoys! As you continue to make these youmight tweak it to fit how you like to bake or what you want it to taste like.One thing I've learned is...don't get egg yolk mixed in with the egg whites!The egg whites will NEVER stiffen up if that happens!! (trial and error)

Happy Eating,

Olivia

This is the yummy homemade whipped cream!

Heavy whipping cream and some sugar....it's lick-the-bowl worthy!

The noticeable lumps in the batter are the stiffened egg whites...they aren't supposed to be completely mixed into the batter.

I know that many people don't have a maker that makes four waffles at a time, but just be patient while they bake...it's definitely worth it!

December 18th

2011-12-18T06:04:00.000-05:00

Sewing for the littles...

2011-12-17T23:29:00.000-05:00

Lights

2011-12-17T07:41:00.002-05:00

Fixing Christmas lights...

December 17th

2011-12-17T06:07:00.000-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2011-12-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

Christmas mail! We love it! Our dining room wall is being smothered in all our friends and family's Christmas cards and greetings. I think we will have to leave them up all year...

Christmas Wheels

2011-12-16T19:40:00.000-05:00

Even the boys like to decorate for Christmas...

Shepherds...

2011-12-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:8--18

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

I love shepherds...

They were simple men that God chose to use in a special way so many, many, years ago...

They were the first to bring the glad tidings that Jesus, our new born King of Kings was come to earth. He was born! He had come! They were bold in their declaration, for they wanted all to know the good news. They saw baby Jesus and believed the Savior had come. They readily went and they joyfully shared all they had both heard and seen.

I didn't get many pictures of our church's Christmas presentation this year, but I was able to get a few shots of my favorite shepherd men. Our presentation was so wonderful and special this year! We had many from our community attend, and enjoyed sharing laughter and Christmas stories with them over delicious refreshments afterward.. The Lord has blessed us so much.

Anita

December 16th

2011-12-16T06:14:00.000-05:00

December 15th

2011-12-15T06:05:00.000-05:00

December 14th

2011-12-14T06:11:00.000-05:00

Christmas In The Park...

2011-12-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

Every year, for 40 years, our town has had the Lighting of the Christmas Cards. Standing taller than me at 8", these cards are made of wood and have a painted Christmas message. At the bottom of each card is the name of the person or family who made the card. They circle the perimeter of our park in San Ann. Every year it's fun to discuss which card we like the best and the unique designs of each one.

This year we were thrilled to be asked if we would like to make a card for our family and our church! It made us so excited to be a part of this community and the acceptance we feel from our small town. Not everyone is asked, so we feel privileged to be a part of this special event.

We knew we were going to need paint...and in at least three different colors. So, before buying any, someone thought we should check our local landfill.....The Dump:) And it was amazing that we found the exact colors we needed! Even a brand new can of the white primer to start with!

We wanted a two dimensional look to our manger, so Daddy cut pieces of wood, sanded and stained them, and made a rustic looking cradle. Mama did the baby's curly hair with brown caulking.

So, every year in December, people gather for cookies, hot cider and singing. At the appointed time, a switch is flipped and the many lights dotting the park explode their brilliancy, revealing the many messages of Christmas...

Olivia

Ready to begin!...

Sponging...

Staining the manger...

We needed a snack to keep up our energy:)...

Securing the hay...

Sanding...

Titus kept whizzing by us on his scooter...

Almost complete...

I love the finished product!...

December 13th

2011-12-13T06:03:00.000-05:00

December 12th

2011-12-12T06:07:00.000-05:00

December 11th

2011-12-11T06:16:00.000-05:00

December 10th

2011-12-10T06:09:00.000-05:00

December 9th

2011-12-09T05:30:00.000-05:00

December 8th

2011-12-08T06:15:00.000-05:00

December 7th

2011-12-07T06:09:00.000-05:00

Joy to the World!

2011-12-06T22:11:00.003-05:00

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises." Psalm 98:4

Until Isaac Watts came along, most of the singing in British churches was from the Psalms of David. The church--especially the Church of Scotland--had labored over the Psalms with great effort and scholarship, translating them into poems with rhyme and rhythm suitable for singing. As a young man in Southampton, Isaac had become dissatisfied with the quality of singing, and he keenly felt the limitations of being able to only sing these Psalms. So he "invented" the English hymn.
He did not, however, neglect the Psalms, In 1719, he published a unique hymnal--one in which he had translated, interpreted, and paraphrased the Old Testament Psalms though the eyes of New Testament faith. He called it simply, The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. Taking various Psalms, he studied them from the perspective of Jesus and the New Testament, and then formed them into verses for singing.
"I have rather expressed myself as I may suppose David would have done if he lived in the days of Christianity," Watts explained, "and by this means, perhaps, I have sometimes hit upon the true intent of the Spirit of God in those verses farther and clearer than David himself could ever discover."
Watt's archenemy, Thomas Bradbury, was greatly critical of Watts' songs, which he called whims instead of hymns. He accused Watts of thinking he was King David. Watts replied in a letter, "you tell me that I rival it with David whether he or I be the sweet psalmist of Israel. I abhor the thought; while yet, at the time, I am fully persuaded that the Jewish psalm book was never designed to be the only Psalter for the Christian church."
"Joy to the World!" is Isaac Watts' interpretation of Psalm 98, which says: "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth." As he read Psalm 98, Isaac pondered the real reason for shouting joyfully to the Lord--the Messiah has come to redeem us. The result, despite the now-forgotten criticisms of men like Bradbury, has been the timeless carol that has brightened our Christmases for nearly three hundred years.

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n and nature sing..."

"Joy to the world! The Savior reigns; let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy..."

"No more let sins and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found..."

"He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love..."

December 6th

2011-12-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

December 5th

2011-12-05T06:11:00.000-05:00

December 4th

2011-12-04T06:06:00.000-05:00

December 3rd

2011-12-03T06:16:00.000-05:00

December 2nd

2011-12-02T06:08:00.000-05:00

December 1st

2011-12-01T15:36:00.001-05:00

::The Good Ol' Days::

2011-11-27T22:45:00.001-05:00

One of Ben's lawn clients came by and dropped this off...

::Moment of the Week::

2011-11-27T22:39:00.001-05:00

Fall smells so good...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:09:00.001-05:00

Blessedare the people whose God is the Lord.
                                                             PSALM 144:15
Letus rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!
                                                              REVELATION 19:7
Everythingthat has breath praise the Lord.
                                                              PSALM 150:6
Singto the Lord, for He has done glorious things.
                                                                   ISAIAH 12:5
Seekthe LORD your God, you will find Him.
         DEUTERONOMY 4:29
InHim our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.
                                                                       PSALM 33:21
Nowto Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...be glory.
               EPHESIANS 3:20,21
Give thanksto the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
                                                                                       PSALM 118:1

We pray you see the blessings of the Lord on this special day! HappyThanksgiving...

Consider the Heavens...

2011-11-21T20:53:00.001-05:00

Of the many fantastic adventures we had while on our trip, one was to traverse the mountain trails...hiking:) Dad and the older ones were all set to go, but Samuel was determined that he could survive the two and a half mile hike...and we decided that we just couldn't turn our backs on those amazing binoculars.

The trail was dotted with numbered posts, so every time one was passed a shout would travel down the line: "number four!...number ten!" and so on. Towards the end there were a few who hoped every number spotted was the last:) But the weather was gorgeous, our energy high and we made it to the beautiful lookout! It's amazing how small you realize you are while gazing out. How we can deny the Creator when we are able to see His amazing creation? The foliage was glowing all around us as we trekked back down the trail and we think about it often while waiting for our Florida trees to take on their Fall wardrobe...

"When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of Him?..." Psalm 8:3,4

"Becation..."

2011-11-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

We inhaled the cool weather and it's scents. Gazed at the beautifully changing leaves on the mountains. It was wonderful to spend a week in Georgia. We browsed small antique shops and boutiques, hiked mountain trails, picnicked by lakes and sang hymns around campfires while filling our stomachs with warm sticky s'mores.

Poppa and Nana open their home to us every year and we grow closer with passing time. Every year it's harder to leave than the last....watching Poppa sing; Jesus shining through....Nana's tears trickling through fingers that cover her face while watching Samuel's baptism video; my heart giving a jolt as I realize the strength of love....what precious memories God allows us to make and to keep until next time.

It was still dark and frosty cold the morning we left. We hurried around packing last minute things, rolling sleeping bags and tying shoes. Thomas the Train coloring books and half peeled crayons got tucked into backpacks for later. Sweet-Pete pressed his prized, orange glowing leaves between pages of a book. We gave hugs one last time, and waved goodbye...

Getting wet under Dry Falls...

Only nineteen minutes apart!...

We visit this spot every year...our favorite place to picnic.

We could have had a fish fry with all the fish we saw...

I love "becation"...

These little animal puzzles were great for on the road and cold rainy days...the little guys loved em'.

"Tube Steak" dinner at Poppa and Nana's...

Cozy evenings...

"Every man is king of his castle...until she arrives..."
We love their castle...

Look what Treasure bought in Highlands with her pocket change!

We wanted to buy this until we looked at the little white tag...and then again, maybe a photo is cheaper.

All Anita asked Luke to do was: "pretend like the bird is biting you!", and this is what he did...

We love this photo because it shows that Luke completely understood, thought it funny and played along!

Time to hit the road!

Let's make a...

2011-11-17T14:31:00.001-05:00

...Wreath!

You may already have a Fall wreath on your door, but let me give you an idea...

Jo-Ann Fabrics and Michael's are having big clearance sales right now. 70% and 80% off fall garlands and single stems! Our church didn't have wreaths for the front door, so I made some for under $9.00 each! I used a 50% off coupon on the grapevine wreath (which made it around $3) and the garland was the most expensive addition at $2.50.

Sooo, for just a little bit of money and enjoyable crafty time, you could make your church, neighbor or friends a Thanksgiving wreath! You could even make one...or two...and drop them off anonymously, with a simple, "Happy Thanksgiving" note....it isn't too late...Thanksgiving is still a whole week away. =)

Make sure you secure all those extra berries and stems well because the wind really likes to blow them away!

Anita

11.11.11

2011-11-11T13:40:00.001-05:00

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day (later changed to Veterans' Day) for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

As Americans we have great patriotism for our country. And today we honor those who fought the fight to protect their loved ones and the place they called home.

I think of my grandfathers, uncles and cousins who served, and I thank them for what they sacrificed...

Pastor Dan Wade, who also served, once said something that I never forgot: "Whenever I happen to see anyone in military uniform, whether Army, Marine, Navy, Coast Guard or Air Force, I go up to them, shake their hand and thank them...thank them for what they have done or are doing for our nation."

Let's remember the Veterans around us today...and thank them.

Yes on 26

2011-11-08T08:19:00.002-05:00

Please join us in praying for all of Mississippi as they vote on Amendment 26.

Amendment 26: Why?

VOTE PRO LIFE - YES ON 26

Even though Amendment 26 is very clear and simple in what it says- some still have questions as to why? Why this approach? Why now?Why did Personhood Mississippi start this?

We have a Frequently Asked Questions page that will answerquestions more fully. It will be updated regularly as morequestions come. However, this page is meant to answer the mostsimple, basic questions of "Why"?

First, while the content of Amendment 26 and what it doesin law is quite simple, its effects could be profound:

If Mississippians vote Yes on Amendment 26, all human beingswould be ensured equal rights in our state & protection underlaw - regardless of their size, location or developmentalstage.
If Mississippians vote Yes on Amendment 26 - Abortion will beoutlawed. Unborn children will no longer be killed "legally".Mothers in crisis will be protected from a harmful medicalprocedure.
If Mississippians vote Yes on Amendment 26 - human cloning,embryo stem cell research, and other forms of medical cannibalismwould be effectively stopped - which would focus the attention ofmedical researchers on approaches that have been proven to actuallywork (like adult stem cells) and do not require the killing of aninnocent Person
If Mississippians vote Yes on Amendment 26 - a legal challengewill be set up to the unconstitutional court ruling "Roe-v-Wade"that allegedly "legalized" abortion. Court decisions do not makelaw because courts are not given the authority to make law.However, when court rulings are treated like law they have theeffect of law. When a court makes a horribly unjust, immoral, andunconstitutional ruling, it should not be allowed to stand inperpetuity - if so, we would still be treating some AfricanAmericans as property because of Dred Scott. No, wrong courtdecisions should be challenged until they are overturned.
The Personhood Amendment does just that - challenge Roe-v-Wade atit's very core.

Therefore:

If Mississippians vote Yes on Amendment 26, the rule of law andobedience to the Constitution will be restored in our state in thisarea of law and the path towards restoring the Constitution acrossthe nation will be advanced

Finally, and mostimportantly:

If Mississippians vote Yes on Amendment 26 we will be honoringGod and loving our neighbors in our lawsystem.

Little Brown Church in the Dale

2011-11-07T09:15:00.001-05:00

"Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou has done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: They cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered." Ps. 39:5

"By the Way" has been a little quiet, because we have just returned for two whole weeks of simply being away. We enjoyed seeing the beautiful leaves change, laughing with family, hiking, driving, thinking it was cold enough to snow and yes, lots of eating. Every year Dad plans this time away for us, and every year the Lord showers His blessings on us, and we find ourselves recharged and ready for another year. October is like our January 1st...it's the beginning of our year.

We have so many special friends "in the mountains", as Dad says, and we received such a blessing from them this year. Our fellowship was tripled as three churches gathered on a Sunday night for a time full of singing and sharing God's goodness. As I took some of these photos, the phrase to an old tune kept running through my head...especially when I looked at Dad's face. "No place is so dear to my childhood, as the little brown church in the dale." Have you ever heard that song, Church in the Wildwood"? It isn't full of doctrine or even all that poetic, but it seemed to encapsulate our evening. The gathering of saints in the little brown church...

"I have no castle, no earthy kingdom...

...but my cabin will do, 'till I get home...

...my mansions yonder, on the hills of glory...

Tina has a mission to save babies. She is a foster mom, and every year she shows us her new babies. So precious, so little and just so needy. This little baby boy is currently going through withdrawal of three drugs his mother took while carrying him. He is the sweetest thing, and she is hoping to personally adopt him. Please keep her in your prayers. She is saving lives.

...oh I hope my mansion, sits near God's throne...

Our long time friends the Keeners, just finalized the adoption of this little boy, Travis. He loves his Daddy and even sings in the choir with him. Such sweetness.

...But build my mansion next door to Jesus, and tell the angels I'm comin' home...

...it doesn't matter who lives around me, just so my mansion sits near God's throne."

"O Lord, I beseech thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servants (these three special churches), and to the prayer of Thy servants (especially these Pastors), who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, Thy servant this day..." Nehemiah 1:11

Anita

Grateful Moments...

2011-10-10T20:45:00.000-04:00

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto

Thy name, O Most High: to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning,

and Thy faithfulness every night..." Psalm 92:1--2

So grateful for these blooming pumpkins...and our little farmer...

So grateful for brothers and sisters...

Our hearts are full of gratitude towards the Lord for allowing us to minister together as a family...

We didn't just sing and play our instruments for them...they blessed us...

Words, affirmation, hugs and pats that only Grandmas and Grandpas know how to give...

So grateful for laughter...

Ahh...the hilarious moment when tooth is lost and boy realizes that maybe the popsicle he

was looking forward to, would be lost too.

All was well...Abuela to the rescue!

So grateful for brothers that love books...and love to be read to...

So grateful for a sewing machine...

Fall Pinwheel Quilt...

So grateful for our cozy home and busy kitchen...

Apple fritters...fresh hot and ready...

So grateful for those little hands that draw potato people with skewed eyes and mouth...

So grateful for the quiet moments that are always found in even the busiest of days...

tea anyone?

What are you grateful for?

Happy Birthday Mom!...

2011-10-02T08:24:00.000-04:00

They say that man is mighty;

He governs land and sea.

He wields a mighty scepter

O'r lesser powers that be.

But a mightier power

And stronger than man,

From His throne has hurled.

The hand that rocks the cradle...

is the hand that rules the world.

-William Ross Wallace.

We love you Mama.....Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Anita!

2011-10-01T08:44:00.000-04:00

A slight "cold" front came through last night! Perfect for celebrating your special day...

Anita, you mean so much to all of us...as the oldest in our family, the first-born daughter, the first grandchild and our "big sister", (smallest in stature though...) You never fail to see the bright side of any situation; encouraging us to do the same...You enjoy capturing life with your camera, allowing us to treasure timeless memories...You love cats, and that's ok....even if some of us don't agree on the topic:) We like the cats because you love them. That's what makes you, YOU!

Happy Birthday!

The Mail Came Today...

2011-09-29T20:53:00.000-04:00

...and surprised us with this. 

Our own Samuel on the cover of Home School Enrichment!
[you can see a small photo of Ben too if you scroll to the bottom of this page...]

:: Moment of the Week ::

2011-09-24T21:18:00.000-04:00

Harvest Pear--Roasted Marshmallow

Knitted by Mama...would you like a bushel?

:: The Good Ol' Days ::

2011-09-24T21:07:00.000-04:00

This is Quince.
The cat Dad said we were "absolutely not keeping".
Quince is famous. Our whole town knows about him, and he's ours. To keep. You see, that's how our family owns cats...they're always homeless down and outs...that we rescue. Quince is forever indebted to our little town for saving his life. Maybe I can get Olivia to tell the story some time...it's quite humorous...really! I get razzed quite a bit for this being my cat, but he really likes Dad and Mom too. Just ask the news man...he thought it was a good story too...

Anita

Home Again...

2011-09-18T21:20:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all who prayed for Luke! He was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon! We thank the Lord for answered prayer. Luke's fever is gone and the redness in his leg is not as intense. The infection is still present but the swelling in his leg has gone down considerably. He is doing very well back at home even though it has taken a little bit of adjustment to get back into his "routine"! Anyone who knows Luke has come to learn that he is a very "one track mind" young man...meaning it was very strange for him to be away from home for three days!

We thank you all for keeping him in your prayers this week! We are so grateful to have him home...it just wasn't the same him not being there. (I was serving the boys dinner one night and made a plate for Luke without realizing he wasn't at the table!)

The Lord is so good,

Olivia for the Huron family

"For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord..."
(Jeremiah 30:17)

Luke, My Teacher....

2011-09-16T18:40:00.000-04:00

Our Luke woke up with a fever and a badly swollen and fevered leg this past week. His heart was racing and he couldn't put weight on his leg. Concerned, Santiago took him to the emergency room on Wednesday morning. Cellulitis had developed in Luke's leg and was making him very sick. Please pray for Luke as he is still in the hospital and doctors study blood cultures to determine what strain of bacteria is attacking his body. He is being given antibiotics, but identification of the "enemy" is the best defense.

Luke has agenesis of the corpus collosum. He is a little child in a man's body. All Luke knows is trust and obedience.

And he knows his mama and daddy. The kind man wheels Luke down the hall to his new room and I follow, never leaving him alone. The man tells me to wait until they get Luke settled. I am uncertain. It will just be 10 minutes, Ma'am. They don't know Luke....how he feels, how he talks without talking, his fears.....One minute later, the man is back. I can tell by his face, I am needed. I speak 'Luke-ish' and we communicate. The man is grateful.

He has learned what the lady with the little box wants. She has vials and wants blood...his blood. He knows he hurts when she does her job. One more prick in his already dotted arm.

Big, sad eyes follow her around his bed.....and then slowly........he draws his arm out from under the sheets and willingly proffers it.

Luke knows.

Daddy never leaves his side. Grizzled and rumpled, sleeping in a chair. Daddy reads Psalms, prays and talks to anyone coming into Luke's sanctuary about Luke's best defense....Jesus.
So many need to know what Luke knows.

Luke doesn't know who his enemy is, but he knows he can trust. And he knows he can obey. He proffers. Luke is my teacher. Can I learn?

I need to know what Luke knows.

Ana

::The Good Ol' Days::

2011-09-09T21:36:00.000-04:00

Laughter with those you love.....priceless.

:: Moment of the Week ::

2011-09-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

I can already smell the pumpkin pies...

Cowboys, Indians and Stars...

2011-09-08T14:23:00.000-04:00

W e seem to have all three around here lately! A friend of ours recently gave the boys a play tepee and there is no end to their imagination on how to use it. Just yesterday our two youngest, Samuel and Titus, brought out their Thanksgiving costumes, cowboy hat and their "Daniel Boone" caps and proceeded to "hunt" our gray cat, Quince. I don't think he was aware of the impending "doom" he faced ahead!

The other day Mom shared a story about the heavenly stars and their similarities with boys...wait, don't laugh...it's true!

One morning Alexis came into the kitchen and said she had read a verse in Job about the "morning stars singing together", and wondered if stars actually made noise? So Mama looked up stars and how they "work". She found that they do indeed make noise! They move at the speed of light and make noises that sound like they're popping, drumming, exploding and cracking! Scientists are known to call it the "music of the stars".

In Mama's own words: "I've discovered my boys are a lot like stars....they move at the speed of light....and they pop, drum, crack and explode their way through everyday life!"

I love that illustration! Thank you Mother-o'-Mine!

Olivia

"Aha! Bagged the game...

Happy Birthday Cilicia and Alexis!

2011-08-15T00:11:00.000-04:00

It's been 22 years of wonderfulness....

We love you,
Daddy, Mama, Anita, Luke, Livy, Ben, Treasure, Paul, Santi, Jon-Michael, Peter, Samuel and Titus

A Baptism to Remember

2011-08-04T18:29:00.000-04:00

S amuel is 6 years old. Ever since he could comprehend who Jesus is, he's wanted to know more and more. He asks question after question; some easy to answer and some that really make you think!

At our Vacation Bible School this year he put his faith and trust in the Lord. It was a day of rejoicing! Samuel's little body couldn't of radiated more joy!

So, two weeks ago Samuel was baptized. He fully understands that he is publicly identifying himself with Jesus Christ. He clearly shared why he wanted to be baptized.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life...."
(John.3:16)

Happy Birthday, Samuel!

2011-08-04T12:24:00.000-04:00

It's the big
6
for our Samuel today!

Happy Birthday, Treasure!

2011-07-30T13:19:00.000-04:00

You are such a burst of sunshine and joy to us!

We love you and pray you have a special 17th birthday!

Dad, Mom, Anita, Luke, Cilicia, Alexis, Olivia, Ben, Paul, Santi, Jon-Michael, Peter, Samuel, and Titus

Catch Up...

2011-07-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

::::

I haven't been posting many "Moments of the Week" this Summer, but after going through lots of picture files yesterday, I thought I'd post some fun and favorites. As far as some of the photos go, Olivia made the stunning seven layer rainbow cake (don't you just want a slice?!), and with the heat index at '105, the boys have enjoyed the slip-n-slide...three cheers for mega size Dollar Store soap that adds to the water fun! Our "Chief Alligator" has put up with our festive cake pops in lieu of birthday cake, and our 4th of July fireworks display. Thanks to the boys and Uncle Kevin, it was.......amazing.

The Lord has blessed us and we continue to stand in awe of His provision and goodness to us. I hope you are counting your blessings too...

Anita

"An Infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others."
A.W. Tozer

Happy Birthday, Olivia!

2011-07-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

What would we do without our Olivia...!
We certainly couldn't do without her contagious laugh and fun ways...not to mention her cookies! She is the cookie queen and keeps our Abuelo coming weekly for a chance at gingersnaps, and you never know when our neighbors just might find some sort of surprise goody in their mailbox.

We thank the Lord for you, Olivia and appreciate all you do for our family!

Happy 20th!

Planting Seeds for Eternity

2011-07-01T14:19:00.000-04:00

This past June 13^th through the 17^th, we had our very first Vacation Bible School! Approximately one year ago, our daughters Alexis and Olivia had a strong desire to reach out to the community by doing a week-long Bible school. We prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom and over a one year period, we received insight on how we might be able to conduct a week of Bible instruction, activities that encouraged biblical character and a setting for the whole family. Alexis and Olivia never lost their fervor. We decided to focus on a theme and immediately began putting ideas on paper. We based it on the life of Joseph and his godly character. The Lord truly blessed our humble efforts. With the help of many of in our church, we had a wonderful time of ministry and joy as 5 young boys joined our 8 Heritage children. The Lord honored our direction in having the school include family members of all ages, rather than separating the children into specific age groups. We were so happy to see a grandmother and her grandson attend every day as well as a young mother and her 4 boys. After a week of Bible teaching and activities, hearts were prepared to hear the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. We used the Scriptures, Wordless book and “Salvation Bracelet”. Five put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, including 3 sons and their mother, and our very own Samuel! Needless to say we are excited about discipleship!

Santiago

“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest”.
(Lk. 10:2)

Storyteller in prison....

AJ was so eager to answer questions....

Joseph and the coat of many colors...

Question and answer time...

"Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus...."

Intersession...

Craft time!...

Ashton loved black paint!...

Lunch Time!...

Character teaching time...

" Suffer the little children to come unto me..."
(Mark 10:14)

Happy Birthday Peter!

2011-06-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

Peter, we love you so much! We thank the Lord He brought you into this world 8 years ago. You have such a servants heart; always willing to do what needs to be done. Your thoughtfulness towards your older sisters is such a blessing (especially when you bring them fresh cut flowers from the garden) Your tenacity to live life for Jesus is convicting....

Happy Birthday!!

Daddy, Mama, Anita, Luke, Cilicia, Alexis, Olivia, Ben, Treasure, Paul, Santi, Jon-Michael, Samuel and Titus

::Sermons from Heritage::

2011-06-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

God wants us to confound our critics, compel His Church, and convert the lost!

In this message entitled "If God Be For Us", Pastor Santiago Huron delves into Festus' consultation with King Agrippa concerning the prisoner, Paul. King Agrippa is intrigued by this interesting and unusual case and requests a hearing. Learn four characteristics of God's nature toward Paul as he was unjustly imprisoned, falsely accused and left defenseless before men. We, too, may be assured of God's defense of us when we suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness.