Our Precious Lauren

Lauren and Nicole at Bible Study

(please see prayer request below)

Wordless Wednesday #4 - Prayer Request

Please read the urgent prayer request below. Thank you all!

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Urgent Prayer Request

There are some things that we just cannot understand. The hardest for me is seeing a child suffer....

Please join me and MANY others in praying for Lauren Nihei. She is 4 years old and was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor today. Her parents just learned of the tumor 2 weeks ago when Lauren was complaining of severe headaches. Today they were informed that Lauren had approximately 16 weeks to live. If her parents choose to try aggressive treatment, it could be 9 months. Lauren has a little sister, Marissa, who is 2 and her mom, Hillary, is 4 months pregnant. Please help us pray for a MIRACLE and that, above all else, God would be glorified and his will accomplished.

We serve an awesome God who is perfect, holy, and above all things of this world. I know that He has a plan for each of our lives...including Lauren, and it is a plan that will prosper us and not harm us. I don't know what that means for Lauren, or for any of us for that matter. But I do trust that His word is truth and that He sees the big picture when we cannot.


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11


"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

May the Lord bless you and keep you today!

Wordless Wednesday #3 - Praise!

It's official...Joshua is OFF his Prevacid (acid reflux medicine) and well on his way to becoming a healthy, happy, growing boy. All praise be to God who is our Great Physician!

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Follow Me...

I've heard those words a hundred times lately..."Hey Josh, Follow Me!" It seems our little Nicole is a born leader. And her brother would follow her anywhere. Joshua also has one of the sweetest hearts of any 2 year old boy I know. He is almost always willing to give up his toys, his seat, or his snack for her (now, if I can only teach her not to take advantage of that we'll be ok). Once in a great while he gets stubborn and I hear "NO" reverberating through the whole house. When this happens I explain to Nicole - just wait a few minutes and he'll come around to your way of thinking. And he usually does...a few minutes later they are playing together happily.

One morning last week, after reviewing my lessons from the book of Matthew, I pictured myself in the same scenerio - only with two different characters. You see, Joshua's willingness to 'get up and go' for Nicole is exactly what Jesus expects from me.

Matthew 16:24 says,
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

In the early days of my walk with the Lord, I was so much like Joshua. I'd go anywhere the Lord asked me...without hesitation. Is that still the same today? Let's just say that the 2 year old comes out in me more and more often these days. I find myself screaming "NO" because I want it my way. You want me to do what?!? Learn a lesson, experience pain, deal with a difficult child, go where, apologize to whom? I have better plans than that!

One of my favorite songs is "Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me. However, I admit that I cringe every time I sing the chorus (so do my children in the car...but that's because I don't sing very well)...

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

How many people out there can honestly say..."Lord, please bring me pain if it brings You glory." Sure, we endure it when it comes...we even know the He will get us through it. We pray for Him to be glorified in the end. But not too many of us seek it out for the sake of His glory. Even Jesus spoke out loud his hesitation regarding the suffering He was about to endure on the cross...

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42

OK, I guess I shouldn't beat myself up so much. God cares about me - my life, my problems, my dreams and desires. It's alright to tell Him what I want...or don't want for that matter. Is He surprised when I say "NO"...not really, after all He made me and He knows me better than I know myself. As long as I surrender myself to Him in the end..."not my will, but Yours be done" we'll be just fine. And fortunately, He is patient with me and, just like Joshua, I usually do come around to His way of thinking.

Lord, help me to follow You at all cost. Take my dreams and desires and mold them so they align with Your plan for my life. Help me to always glorify You, especially during the hard times, so that others may want to follow You as well. I love you Lord!

Wordless Wednesday #2 - Joy

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Wordless Wednesday #1

"Mommy's Little Ladies"

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Jesus and the Helicopter

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

We were reading the Easter story before bed tonight when my 4 year old (Nicole) and I engaged in a riveting discussion about the cross. We looked at a picture of the cross and discussed the "bad ouchies" that Jesus endured during His death. I explained once again that Jesus had to die on the cross so that we can go to heaven and be with Him forever. She began to rattle off a list of friends and family members, asking if each one would be in heaven with her. After each name I assured her that yes, these people would also be in heaven if they loved Jesus with all their heart.

Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37

She boldly proclaimed that SHE loved Jesus with all HER heart and that she was "so happy to go to heaven one day". My 2 1/2 year old (Joshua), following in perfect suit (and in his own foreign language) proclaimed, "Joshua love Jesus too!" Excitedly I asked him, "Joshua, do you love Jesus with all your heart too?" He thought for a moment and frowned, "No," he said, "Joshua LOVE helicopters."

Oh, the wisdom of a 2 year old! As I thought about it later, I realized how right he was. How can we, as believers, claim to love Jesus with ALL our hearts when our hearts are consumed with so many other things...some good (our families, ministries, and fellowship of good friends) and some not so good (our homes, finances, careers and the opinions of others). Of course Joshua couldn't love Jesus with all his heart when something as wonderful as helicopters was taking up so much room! A very wise person once told me that in order to truly pick up your cross you must put down everything else you are carrying. It takes 2 hands (and a whole heart) to carry your cross for Jesus.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

This also got me thinking about all the non-believers out there who think that Jesus could never love them because of the things they do hold in their hearts. Addictions, wrong choices, and ugly scars. They think, "when I get myself cleaned up, then maybe I'll be ready for Jesus." That is the beautiful thing about our Lord, He takes us just as we are. He knows that we will never be able to set those worldly things aside or clean out our hearts by our own power. All we have to do is surrender our hearts to Him, tattered and broken and filled with garbage as they are...and He will do the dirty work for us!

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Some of us may already have an idea of the big things taking up room in our heart, squeezing out precious space for Jesus...and some of us may not. If you can't think of anything that is holding you back from a passionate whole-hearted love for Jesus, then ask Him to show you... and in His time, He will.

In the meantime, God bless you and Happy Easter!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Our little princess turned 4 on Saturday. We had a wonderful time sharing pizza, cupcakes and presents. I can't believe how fast she is growing up! She loves ballet and all things girl, but at the same time she is often found playing with monster trucks and getting dirty outside (she especially likes mud)...what a nice combination! She also has a magnificent love for Jesus and frequently asks people if Jesus lives in their heart too. Oh, if we only had the same gumption as adults! When was the last time you asked someone if Jesus lived in their heart? We are so blessed to have Nicole as our oldest child, she is paving the way quite nicely for our younger children. Thank you Lord for our precious big girl!

And then there were 3...

Welcome to our newest addition, Abigail Danielle...proudly displayed by her big sister and brother. Time passes quickly with a 4 year old, two year old, and newborn at home!