The Collins Family

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-21T23:59:00.001-04:00

Just a season....

2009-09-08T12:23:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone.... I'm back! Well for a few minutes anyway! Things have been a little crazy around here. I got my friend Cyndi to post a few pictures so now I'll post a few more and fill you in with some more details on Miss Abigail Faith Collins!!

Abigail is still in the NICU. She weighs 2lbs. 11ozs. today. She went off oxygen but is actually back on it now. She is on a very low setting and may be off in a few days. She is still being tube fed for all her feedings. We should be starting bottles or nursing in the next couple weeks. She is off her IV and PIC lines and seems to be holding her temperature pretty good. They have actually turned her bed down quite a bit but are keeping her in the incubator because she's SO small.

The nurses and Drs. at the NICU are just wonderful, as usual. We are just counting the days until she can come home. It's been SO amazing how many wonderful friends and family God has given us to help us during this time. I have someone scheduling people to watch my big kids so I can go to the hospital and hold Abigail. We also have had people bringing some meals which has been a wonderful blessing to our family as well.

Have I ever told you guys how amazing my husband is? Well I know I have you just have to read some old posts if you haven't heard :) He has been my rock during this time. He ran the house SO well while I was in the hospital for 2 weeks but has also been so helpful in the evenings with the kids so I can spend more time with Abigail. He is such a blessing to me I can't imagine my life without him. He loves our kids so much and is SO great with them. I love to watch him hold Abigail too. It's just the sweetest thing ever! He talks to her and tells her how much he loves her. Our kids are so blessed and so am I.

The Lord's grace and mercy has been poured out upon our family during this time. We feel so blessed to have another child and that she and I are doing fine. She was so worth every drs. appt. and complication. This is a season... so temporary in the long run. We'll look back at these few weeks one day smile. For now yes, it's hard. I'm tired and I cry.. A LOT! I want so badly to have Abigail home and for life to be normal again. I feel like I'm in that move Groundhog's Day.. each day feels the same.. I pump every 3 hours. I visit Abigail, I hold her, I spend time with the big kids and I do it all again the next day etc. etc. etc. But for now I wait upon the Lord for my strength to be renewed each day. He will carry us through this time and make us stronger for it.

Thanks for reading and please continue to pray for Abigail. She needs to grow, grow, grow! Pray for my big kids as they are being carted around to many different people's houses.. they love it but I worry about their schedules. And most of all pray that Neil and I will be a testimony to God's grace and love to each nurse, doctor or NICU parent we come in contact with.

Grace to you all,

Jamie

Abigail Faith Collins

2009-08-24T20:32:00.007-04:00

Born August 23, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
2 pounds 4 ounces
14 inches long

She is in the NICU on minimum oxygen and breathing on her own. Mama is doing much better and has had GREAT blood pressure readings since delivery.

Let summer begin!!!

2009-06-23T15:31:00.004-04:00

Well, we have already been to the pool several times and the kids are loving it. Emily likes to play outside the pool and walk around mostly but it won't be too long before she's jumping in like Carson and Sarah Grace. We are taking a little break from school but will be starting back soon so we can take a break when the baby comes....

Well, Neil finally did let me find out what we are having...... Carson was a little disappointed but he soon got over it. It's going to be so much fun with 3 little girls in the house! I loved growing up with 3 sisters!

The Loss of a Friend...

2009-06-09T15:03:00.003-04:00

I first met Miche' at MOPS. She was one of the leaders of our MOPS group and was also very involved with MOPS as a regional leader. Miche' was always together. Do you know those types? Their kids are always dressed nice and clean, they are always "put together" and look nice? They are always together enough to be able to serve others at the drop of a hat? That was Miche'. She loved her family and friends and most of all her Savior and it showed. When I was in the hospital with Emily Joy she came to visit me. Always encouraging and up lifting. She was one of those that wouldn't just ask "how are you?" but would say "how are you really?" she wanted to make herself available to those in need. She would bring a meal or give you a call even though I'm sure she had many other things to do.

I was listening to a message today from Vision Forum on Hospitality. It made me think of Miche'. The message was a challenge to me in my walk. The speaker spoke about how hospitality is an opportunity to serve others. It's not about showing off your talents of cooking or your clean and perfect home. It's about fellowship and allowing others to see Christ Love through us. It's about showing our children how to love and serve others by helping clean or prepare a meal. I have always loved having people over for dinner but I'm not sure I have been doing it with the right spirit. I'm going to be working on this so don't be surprised if you get a call from me inviting you over for dinner so I can practice! :)

I have learned that we need to reach out beyond out close group of friends. Reach out to those who might not otherwise get a dinner invitation. Making our home a living testimony of God's grace and love and lifting up our husbands in the process. Making him proud of his wife, children and home. Allowing him to be free in invite others over and supporting his vision for ministry within the home. What a powerful tool our home can be if we become keepers of it as God has commanded.

Miche' made her life about serving others. She was called to meet her savior on May, 25th 2009. A wife, a mother, a friend and a servant to the King. She did it with excellence. She will be missed by many.

I don't want to waste another day of my life focused on myself. I want to be a doormat or a butler. You must listen to this message from Sundays sermon (6/7/09). Then the doormat and butler statement might make more sense to you. I'll try to keep you updated on how I am doing in the area. The bottom line is... are you treating others the way that Christ would treat them?? I know I have a long way to go in this area.

A work in progress....

Jamie

Field Trip to Morefield Mines

2009-05-08T23:06:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful day at Morefield Mines. The kids dug for minerals and had fun just getting dirty and playing in the mud. We really didn't find anything great but the kids don't know that :)

Here are some pictures from our day....

Our Big News... another blessing!!!

2009-04-02T18:30:00.004-04:00

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

God is so good. He has decided to bless us with another child. We are due at the end of October. The kids are so excited. Carson is really praying for a boy but says he will be happy either way. Sarah Grace is already such a good big sister I can't wait to see her with a tiny one! Emily is going to be IN LOVE with this baby. She loves babies and always wants to hold them. She has a funny way of saying "hold" but we hope she has that fixed before the baby comes. It sounds like horse without the "s" sound at the end. So you can imagine her asking over and over again to "hold" my friends babies.. it's been quite funny :)

I have not blogged in forever mostly because I haven't been feeling too great. I've had more sickness with this baby then my others. I hope that I am starting to head out of that stage of pregnancy soon. Neil is so excited and he is already such a great father it's just a shame not to let him be a father to MANY!! He spends so much time with them and truly loves it. It's so cool to watch.

Well, I'll write more later and try to post some updated pictures of the kids too as soon as I take more! The snow is long gone and we are enjoying the spring weather!

The Snow!!!

2009-03-05T14:54:00.005-05:00

Snowball Cookies (no they were not made with snow!)

What we have been up to ....

2009-02-18T15:50:00.009-05:00

Emily enjoying a cupcake at the Valentine's Day party... this picture cracks me up with her legs crossed like that.. what a little lady :)

Carson as a snowman .....

Sarah as a snowman ... one of the games at the Valentine's Day party

Carson right after he got his yellow belt!! He was so proud of himself and so are Daddy and Mommy!!

Sweet Emily Joy right after a bath.......

Neil using his brain power to finish a puzzle started by the kids...

There is more then one way to eat a corndog!

The girls....

2009-02-13T17:29:00.001-05:00

We went to the park on Wednesday with some friends and I happen to snap this shot of the girls as they walked along the path.... God is so good and children are such a gift...

2009-02-12T15:43:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Me and my babies...

2009-02-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday my Sweet Emily Joy

2009-01-24T08:46:00.001-05:00

These are some pictures from our "friend" party on Friday... we had such a blast!! My friend Kim took these pictures. I have not even downloaded mine yet... I think if I ever fall into a lot of money I will hire a photographer to follow me and my family around and take pictures!!

2009-01-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

My wonderful husband....

2009-01-16T15:13:00.000-05:00

My children and I are so blessed with the most wonderful husband and father in the world. He spends countless hours pouring into our children and I can't imagine a better gift to give your wife and mother of your children. He is such an amazing man! I have been reading Created to be His Help Meet and it is teaching me more and more each day how to support and love my husband in a Biblical way. I'll be sharing more later about this book but for now I just had to praise my husband for the wonderful Christ-like example he is in our home.... he shares he heart on his blog about being a husband, father, evangelist etc. I hope you'll stop by and hear his heart sometime.... http://towncriertimes.blogspot.com/

2009-01-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

A Mom Moment ....

2008-12-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we were at a restaurant a couple days ago and my husband (always full of humor) says to a man who is wearing a Dallas hat..."We need to get you a new hat..ha ha ha how about a Steelers hat??.." Ha ha ha and everyone laughed no harm done(lucky we didn't get shot you know how those Dallas fans can be!) so....

Fast forward to today at Walmart... I am walking along with my sweet children and my we pass a lady that is wearing a Redskins sweatshirt.. my 6 year old son says as loud as he can "we gunna need to get you a new sweatshirt!!" I thought I was going to pass out right there in the middle of Walmart!! I just kept walking and as I began I lecture my son about manners it hit me...I know exactly where he got this from..His father!! So... I call my husband and tell him the whole story... well, his is laughing so hard I can't even understand what he is saying...so when Daddy gets home he gets to explain to Carson why what he said was not very polite :) It's just not the same :) lol children.... always teaching us....

Do I really need to say anything more?? Ok, maybe tomorrow but for now just read this...

2008-12-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

Rick Warren: Opposed to gay marriage, not gay partnerships

Rachel Zoll - Associated Press Writer - 12/27/2008 6:35:00 AM

Pastor Rick Warren, chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to pray at his inauguration, said in a video message to his church that he doesn't equate homosexual relationships with incest or pedophilia, but opposes redefining marriage just as any conservative Christian would.

Warren said that disagreeing with gay-rights activists on same-sex marriage does not qualify as hate speech and doesn't mean he is anti-gay. He said Obama chose him to give the invocation at the swearing-in to show that people with different views don't have to demonize each other.

"We're both willing to be criticized in order to try to bring America into a new day of civil discourse and to create a new model that says you don't have to agree only with your side on everything," Warren said in the video posted Monday night by Saddleback Community Church.

Gay-rights advocates were enraged that Obama had given the evangelical clergyman a prominent role at the Jan. 20 inauguration. Obama said he wanted the event to reflect diverse views and insisted he remains a "fierce advocate" of equal rights for gays.

Warren had backed Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in his home state of California, where he founded Saddleback. He had recently said that he opposed any redefinition of marriage, including a brother marrying a sister, or an adult marrying a child.

In his video, he insisted he wasn't equating gay marriage with incest or child molestation.

"I have in no way ever taught that homosexuality is the same thing as a forced relationship between an adult and a child, or between siblings," Warren said. "I was trying to point out I'm not opposed to gays having their partnership. I'm opposed to gays using the term marriage for their relationship."

On Tuesday, the church replaced a brief article on the Bible and homosexuality with an audio message on Saddlebackfamily.com to better explain the church's view that Scripture prohibits sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman, according to Larry Ross, a Warren spokesman.

Anyone can attend Saddleback worship services. But the church article had said that gays "unwilling to repent of their homosexual lifestyle would not be accepted" as members.

Saddleback members must sign a broadly worded covenant in which they agree to follow Bible teachings. While gay relationships aren't mentioned in the pledge, it is meant to cover the spectrum of conservative Christian belief.

2008-12-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It's About the Cross... (pause music at the bottom before watching)

2008-12-24T09:58:00.001-05:00

Rick Warren will deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration... surprise, surprise, surprise..

2008-12-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

Pastor Rick Warren, who hosted a Saddleback Church Forum attended by both Barack Obama and John McCain, will deliver the invocation at Obama's
inauguration.

I don't even know where to start on how wrong this is. It's too late and I'm too tired.

Rick Warren you never cease to amaze me, rubbing elbows with baby killers is now top on my list!

Seriously People?? Is this what we have resorted to???

2008-12-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

Are you kidding me?? Come on people..

Gingerbread House Party with our Homeschool Friends

2008-12-14T22:15:00.000-05:00

Sarah's House...

Sarah working on her house...

Carson's house and....

Carson's Working on his House...

All of the candy for decorating.... yummy... Emily got to sample some of the decorations...

CHRISTmas Fun....

2008-12-11T20:49:00.000-05:00

We had some friends over today to finish up our Christmas Lapbooks and to also make these cute Christmas Ornaments. Click here for the link on how to make these.

I'll post some pictures of the lapbooks later.

Well, I am ready for Christmas. Everything is wrapped and ready to go. This is the first time I have ever been done this early and it's great.

So now I'm looking forward to getting to enjoy this time with my family.

A couple of nights ago, we decided to go for a ride and look at some Christmas lights. There is one neighborhood that has a lit house that is amazing! So we stopped and got out. We were walking around looking at the lights when we heard sirens!! That's right.. Santa on a firetruck. Now we are not a family that does "Santa" but our kids of course know who he is because of the world we live in. Anyway, it's was really neat to stand there watching my kids wave at Santa and all of the sudden I got very emotional (no I am not pregnant). I can remember as a child running out to the end of the driveway to see Santa on the firetruck. He would toss us a candy cane and say "Merry Christmas" in that big joyful voice. All of the memories just came flooding back. As I stood there with my wonderful husband and 3 sweet children, I just loved being me. I love my life, my family, and my Savior for all He has done for me. I'm SO thankful for all of the wonderful blessings I have in my life and I hope that I never take then for granted. One day, the kids will be grown and Neil and I will sit and wonderful how it all went by so quickly. I don't want to rush through any of this.. not the potty training.. the school work.. the diapers.. the boo boos .. the hugs and kisses... the bed night stories with Daddy.. none of it.. I want to learn to treasure each moment and find joy in everything that I do. I don't want to get too focused on if my tree is pagan or if I shouldn't have let my kids wave at Santa.. and the list goes on. I'm not perfect, and anyone who knows me could vouch for that. I realize I can't do it all. I can't have the perfect house, the perfect meal, the perfect children etc. but I can have peace in what God has given me and do the best I can to make my house a warm, inviting home that my husband can't wait to get home to and my children want to emulate when they are grown and have their own homes. I want it to be a place of worship and warm fellowship with those I love... So now ... I take a deep breath and just relax and enjoy :)

Merry CHRISTmas!

The Christmas Parade

2008-12-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Daddy took Carson out to the Christmas Parade on Saturday. They had a great time. Carson handed out many tracts and got to watch Daddy open air preach. Afterwards the team came back to the house for food and fellowship. It was a great day.

Planned Parenthood?? How about premeditated murder??

2008-12-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Indiana Planned Parenthood Covers Up Sexual Abuse of 13-year Old - The most amazing videos are a click away

Carson

2008-11-27T10:19:00.000-05:00

Brian McLaren....

2008-11-21T15:25:00.001-05:00

Romans 12:2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Brian McLaren Shills for Pro-Abortion Obama
Aug 20
In this political ad, Brian McLaren says you can learn a lot about a man by how he treats his family. As a so-called pastor, McLaren should also know that you can learn a lot about a man by how he treats babies in the womb. Obama, who virulently defends the right to kill babies in the womb, and who twice voted against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act when babies were being allowed to die on dirty laundry carts after failed abortion attempts, has blood on his hands. That doesn’t stop Brian McLaren and KirbyJon Caldwell from telling us that Obama is a man of character. The fruit of Brian McLaren’s postmodern theology is truly evident here. 50 million dead children can be overlooked as meaningless in the interest of promoting change. Everything must change, says McLaren. Everything but the relentless slaughter of America’s most precious and vulnerable citizens. And God sees it. (from Slice of Laodicea website)

For more information go to the Slice Of Laodicea website by clicking here.

** You will need to pause the music at the bottom of the page to watch the video.

A Before and After...

2008-11-20T17:43:00.000-05:00

Today I got to see my good friend Cyndi... she sure has changed since the last time I saw her.. I guess that's what having a baby can do to you??

Here is a before and after..

I Will Survive.. (homeschooling..)

2008-11-14T19:24:00.001-05:00

Blessings...

2008-11-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

We are so thankful for the children that God has given us. I can't believe how big they are all getting. Emily is talking up a storm and Carson and Sarah play so well together and have lots of fun playing outside on these nice cool days. God is so good.

Fighting for the preborn...

2008-11-07T12:07:00.000-05:00

Tiny baby feet at 8 weeks after conception...

Christians.. we must fight for them..

We are planning an outreach on November 15th at the local Killing Place (abortion clinic). We will meet at 7am for prayer. If you are intersted in attending please send me an email... I just can't sit and do nothing any longer... will you join me?

This picture is the best one I could find that wouldn't make anyone sick.. just do a search for it and you can find the pictures and proof yourself friends .. for so long it was easy for me to just not think about it.. but it's real and we must do something..

Why Should God Bless America?

2008-11-05T16:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I am not really even sure where to start. I guess I am not surprised by the people of American voting in Obama as our new president. I am not surprised because American has totally turned it's back on Christ so today American got what it deserves. We are in for some big changes and it's time for the true Christian's to step up and start reaching the lost for Christ while we can still do so without being arrested. Then I guess we will just all hang out in jail together. :)

I think it's so strange to me that so many voted for this man that believes it's ok to kill preborn children! Now let me ask a question...

If Obama was an animal killer would he have one? If he wore fur coats and pushed for animals to be killed for any reason (research, sacrifices or whatever) would he have won? NO! Animals have become more important then humans?? Are you kidding me?

Well, I wonder what it will be like to live in a Socialist country.. guess we will find out pretty soon.. "spread the wealth" Obama but my God still sits on the throne!

So hear is the question... Why Should God Bless America?

Here is a nice artical I got from a friend... it sums it up pretty well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends of the Preborn,

Last night showed how self-absorbed and indifferent the American people are to the brutal injustice the preborn in our nation suffer under. Obama was elected president. Never has a candidate run as many pro-death ads as he did. He already has the preborn in his rifle sites and plans to sign FOCA into law within the first 60 days of his administration.In Colorado, the personhood amendment was defeated soundly. And in South Dakota, the pro-life forces there also lost. They thought that their amendment (to outlaw abortion) lost in 2006 because they did not have life of the mother and rape/incest exceptions. So this time they added those exceptions to the amendment. The result? They still lost! Results in 2006 were 55% to 45%. Results in 2008 were 55% to 45%. The same. So what does this say about the wine and cheese pro-lifers idea that we simply MUST HAVE these exceptions in order to win?While the preborn were spit upon by the American people across the country, the people of California passed a state-wide measure to outlaw the crowding of chickens in their cages by granting them larger state-mandated space.Take time to read Francis Schaeffer's book - Death in the City. It is based upon the book of Jeremiah and lays out a sound biblical blueprint for living as Christians in a nation like America. We plan to seek God, and then continue on with what He has given us to do.

May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!

Pastor Matt Trewhella

http://www.MissionariesToThePreborn.com

A Message to ME from Ray Comfort!!!

2008-11-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

My hubby just got back from Calf. He was there as a leader for the Ambassadors' Alliance. He had a wonderful time was very honored to be asked to come back as a leader! We just finished downloading some of the video and pictures from his trip and I opened this video. How Cool!!

Go hear for more information about the Abbassadors' Alliance.

http://www.ambassadorsalliance.com/

"This is SO going on my blog!" Family Fun :)

2008-10-27T22:32:00.000-04:00

Fun on the trampoline....

We had a time of family fun the other night and I was able to capture some of it on video. Sarah did a dance, Carson did some Tae Won Do (to music) and Emily and Daddy did a dance too. It was so much fun so I thought I would share. Enjoy :) You can actually hear me say "This is SO going on my blog" at the end of Daddy and Emily's dance. Neil was cracking me up! (as usual :) So this video below is the Daddy and Emily one. The videos take so long to upload I had to pick one for now...

You gotta love the starting pose.. he is going to kill me for posting this... lol

The Deeper Conference

2008-10-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

Music by: Jim Burton

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Corn and more...

2008-10-12T23:00:00.000-04:00

Well we sure have been busy. Last weekend we took the kids to a local nursery and they had this corn box (just like a sand box but with corn!) The kids had so much fun. Neil also took them into the corn maze while I went to the grocery store and hit a couple yard sales.
I found a bike for Sarah for $5! I also found some other really good deals.

This week we have been busy too with school, AWANA etc. Emily is getting to be such a big girl! She has been saying two new things "What's that?" Sounds like "Wusat?"
The other one is "Who's that" souds like "who-dat" really cute!!

Funny Mom moment.....

The other morning I put Emily in her highchair with a drink and a few cherrios and I decided to take a hot quiet shower! I am always worried about her choking and this time was no different. So I am in the shower trying to enjoy the quiet moment and I am thinking... "what is she choked while I was in the shower? " then I would dismiss the thought. Well, just as I step out of the shower I hear Carson started yelling from downstairs.. it went something like this:

Carson: MOMMY COME QUICK!

Mommy: (in my calm voice) What is it Carson? I just got out of the shower..

Carson: Hurry up it's Emily somethings different about her.. she looks funny...

Mommy: (pure panic.. she looks funny because she's blue from choking on Cherrios Jamie! Great job!! Wonderful...) I'm coming !!!!

So I go running downstairs.. now I had time to grab a towel but let's just say it wasn't a very big towel... as I sprint into the kitchen ready to preform anything from the finger sweep to CPR.... I see Emily sitting in the high chair with a pair of yellow sunglasses on!!!

Carson: See Mommy doesn't she look different?

Mommy: GOOD GRIEF CARSON YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK I THOUGHT SHE WAS CHOKING!! (calming down and catching my breath...) Carson, next time please don't say "Mommy Hurry" unless something is wrong OK?

Carson: Ok Mommy... and if she is choking do you want me to say "Mommy come quick Emily is choking?"

Mommy: (realizing she has a 61/2 year old big boy) Yes, Carson great idea.

Welcome Bethany Paige

2008-10-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

Well my BFF Cyndi had a baby on Monday. Her name is Bethany Paige and she is SO CUTE! I was able to spend some time with Cyndi while she was waiting for her little bundle of joy to arrive. I thought this picture was too cute of Bethany smiling so I decided to share. It makes me want another one!

The Girls

2008-09-30T08:48:00.000-04:00

"The Girls" I love this term! This might sound strange but it's such a cool thing to say and to hear my husband say.. "I put it in the girls room". I love that I have 2 girls (so far). My sweet Sarah is such a little mamma! She loves her baby sister and Emily adores her too! They have so much fun together!

Well Carson has started taking Tae Kwon Do. He takes is at the same place that Sarah takes dance. So far he loves it and is doing really well. The class that he is taking is during the day so it is filled with homeschoolers which is nice. He knows many of them from skating or from our homeschool co-op. We had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed our time with Daddy!!

God’s High Call for Women

2008-09-24T13:23:00.000-04:00

From Pastor John MacArthur

God’s High Call for Women Although women have traditionally fulfilled supportive roles in serving the church and gained their greatest joy and sense of accomplishment from being wives and mothers, the feminist movement has successfully influenced many women to abandon these divinely ordained roles. Unfortunately, this movement has made headway even in the church, creating chaos and confusion regarding the role of women both in ministry and in the home. Only in Scripture can God’s intended design for women be found. The Old Testament and Women In the creation account of Genesis 1, God’s first word on the subject of men and women is that they were equally created in the image of God (v. 27). Neither received more of the image of God than the other. So the Bible begins with the equality of the sexes. As persons, as spiritual beings standing before God, men and women are absolutely equal. In Genesis 2, there is a more detailed account of the creation of the two equal human beings that reveals differences in their God-given functions and responsibilities. God did not create the man and the woman at the same time, but rather He created Adam first and Eve later for the specific purpose of being Adam’s helper. Eve was equal to Adam, but she was given the role and duty of submitting to him. Although the word “helper” carries very positive connotations — even being used of God Himself as the helper of Israel (Deut. 33:7; Ps. 33:20) — it still describes someone in a relationship of service to another. The responsibility of wives to submit to their husbands, then, was part of the plan from creation, even before the curse. The first books of the Bible establish both the equality of men and women and also the support role of the wife (see Exod. 21:15, 17, 28–31; Num. 5:19–20, 29; 6:2; 30:1–16). Throughout the Old Testament, women were active in the religious life of Israel, but generally they were not leaders. Women like Deborah (Judges 4) were clearly the exception and not the rule. There was no woman with an ongoing prophetic ministry. No woman was a priest. No queen ever ruled Israel. No woman wrote an Old Testament (or New Testament) book. Isaiah 3:12 indicates that God allowed women to rule as part of His judgment on the sinning nation. Jesus and Women In the midst of the Greek, Roman, and Jewish cultures, which viewed women almost on the level of possessions, Jesus showed love and respect for women. Though Jewish rabbis did not teach women and the Jewish Talmud said it was better to burn the Torah than to teach it to a woman, Jesus never took the position that women, by their very nature, could not understand spiritual or theological truth. He not only included them in His audiences but also used illustrations and images that would be familiar to them (Matt. 13:33; 22:1–2; 24:41; Luke 15:8–10) and specifically applied His teaching to them (Matt. 10:34ff.). To the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), He revealed that He was the Messiah and discussed with her topics such as eternal life and the nature of true worship. He also taught Mary and, when admonished by Martha, pointed out the priority of learning spiritual truth even over “womanly” responsibilities like serving guests in one’s home (Luke 10:38). Although men in Jesus’ day normally would not allow women to count change into their hands for fear of physical contact, Jesus touched women to heal them and allowed women to touch Him (Luke 13:10ff.; Mark 5:25ff.). Jesus even allowed a small group of women to travel with Him and His disciples (Luke 8:1–3), an unprecedented happening at that time. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and sent her to announce His resurrection to the disciples (John 20:1–18), despite the fact that women were not allowed to be witnesses in Jewish courts because they were considered liars. In Jesus’ treatment of women, He raised their station of life and He showed them compassion and respect in a way they had never known. This demonstrated their equality. At the same time, however, Jesus still did not exalt women to a place of leadership over men. The Epistles and Women In the Epistles, the two principles of equality and submission for women exist side by side. Galatians 3:28 points to the equality, indicating that the way of salvation is the same for both men and women and that they are members of equal standing in the body of Christ. It does not, however, eradicate all differences in responsibilities for men and women, for this passage does not cover every aspect of God’s design for male and female. In addition, there are many other passages that make distinctions between what God desires of men and what He desires of women, especially within family and within the church. The Family While Christian marriage is to involve mutual love and submission between two believers (Eph. 5:21), four passages in the New Testament expressly give to wives the responsibility to submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:5; 1 Pet. 3:1). This voluntary submission of one equal to another is an expression of love for God and a desire to follow His design as revealed in His Word. It is never pictured as demeaning or in any way diminishing the wife’s equality. Rather the husband is called to love his wife sacrificially as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25) and to serve as the leader in a relationship of two equals. While husbands and fathers have been given the primary responsibility for the leadership of their children (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 1 Tim. 3:4–5), wives and mothers are urged to be “workers at home” (Titus 2:5), meaning managers of the household. Their home and their children are to be their priority, in contrast to the world’s emphasis today on careers and fulltime jobs for women outside the home. The Church From the very beginning, women fulfilled a vital role in the Christian church (Acts 1:12–14; 9:36–42; 16:13–15; 17:1–4, 10–12; 18:1–2, 18, 24–28; Rom. 16; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 1:5; 4:19), but not one of leadership. The apostles were all men; the chief missionary activity was done by men; the writing of the New Testament was the work of men; and leadership in the churches was entrusted to men. Although the Apostle Paul respected women and worked side by side with them for the furtherance of the gospel (Rom. 16; Phil. 4:3), he appointed no female elders or pastors. In his letters, he urged that men were to be the leaders in the church and that women were not to teach or exercise authority over men (1 Tim. 2:12). Therefore, although women are spiritual equals with men and the ministry of women is essential to the body of Christ, women are excluded from leadership over men in the church. Men and women stand as equals before God, both bearing the image of God Himself. However, without making one inferior to the other, God calls upon both men and women to fulfill the roles and responsibilities specifically designed for them, a pattern that can be seen even in the Godhead (1 Cor. 11:3). In fulfilling the divinely given roles taught in the New Testament, women are able to realize their full potential because they are following the plan of their own Creator and Designer. Only in obedience to Him and His design will women truly be able, in the fullest sense, to give glory to God.

Emily's Boo Boo and Childhood Memories.....

2008-09-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

Well we were outside playing in the nice fall like weather and Emily tripped and fell on the driveway. She got a boo boo on her nose as you can tell from the picture. She bounced back pretty quickly. She was cracking me up with this hat on so I took a picture to document her boo boo like any good mother (right?).

Speaking of mothers. I was thinking of my mom yesterday morning. Have you ever had one of those moments after you have children that you thank God for your mother and you feel the need to call her and apologize for all the things you did as a child? Well here are just a couple of those things.

First of all CLOTHES. I use to try clothes on and toss them in the dirty clothes or leave them on the floor. Well, my son has adopted this behavior for himself and I think of my poor mom every time I go into his room (after I have told him to clean it up) and I look at the heaping pile of clothes hanging out of his dirty clothes basket. I ask him "Carson, are all of those clothes dirty?" (I can literally her my mothers voice as I am saying this). So one by one I pick up each item and do what with it ladies?? Come on ... you know the answer.. yes.. SMELL IT! :) Over half of the clothes go back into the drawers and the rest are off to be washed.. Oh, what joy!

OK, here is the other thing... I am sleeping in my bed. Not sure of the time but everyone in the house is still sleeping (so I think). Then I start to sense that someone is watching me. So I roll over and open one eye as I do I jump out of my skin and gasp!!! Carson!!! What's wrong??? "Nothing, Hi Mommy, Can I get up now??" As my heart starts to slow down and get out of the danger zone I take a deep breath and once again ask very calmly "Carson, when you come in Mommy's room can you say "Mommy or something instead of just standing there??" lol lol

I can remember in our house growing up we had a few rules when we went out. Always be home by curfew and most important of all... when you get home you must "Check in" this consisted of walking into my mom's bedroom and telling her you were home. I remember many times I would come in and into my mother's bedroom as she was sleeping peacefuly in her bed.. and in my quite voice say "mama, I'm home" only for her to jump straight out of bed and gasp and say "WHAT'S WRONG???" then my standard response "nothing mama, I was just checking in" lol

Ahh, what sweet memories. I sure did have a wonderful childhood. With 3 older sister and a much younger brother there was never a dull moment. My mom, the strongest women I know, raised us to love each other and the Lord. I value that so much. Ok, now it's your turn. In the comment section of this entry (just below this post) let's here your moments. The times that you thought to yourself "I sound just like my mom, my poor mom" lol

Blessings,

Jamie

Oh, how sweet the blessings....

2008-09-17T22:21:00.000-04:00

My 3 sleeping angels. Well. I just had to take a picture of all of my babies sleeping. I can't believe how big they are all getting. I am truly blessed to be at home with them and to be able to spend so much time with them. I am even more blessed by my wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for his family. He is such a wonderful husband and father. It's so amazing how you can love someone more and more each day you spend with them. My children are a blessing from the Lord and a wonderful addition to our union. I'm so amazed at what a awesome God we serve.

Loving My Life,

Jamie

The Excellent Wife??

2008-09-11T23:28:00.000-04:00

I started a new study today with a group of women at our church. I'm so excited about this book. My friend Michelle gave it to me awhile back and I am very excited to now be doing a study on it. I'll be blogging about it I'm sure so if you want to get the book and join in!

I want to be the wife (and mommy) that God wants me to be. I want to be used by Him to bring honor and glory to my Him, my husband, children and home. I pray that God will use this His Word and this book to do a mighty work in me!

I am also reading Train Up A Child too! I should be doing much more reading and less TV watching at night! This should keep me busy!

First Ballet Class

2008-09-09T14:52:00.000-04:00

Sarah had her first ballet lesson today. She had a lot of fun. Her friend Kendal is in her class so I think that really helped her to jump right in. I'm so proud of her. I was able to watch her some but I couldn't get any good pictures. She got to wear her ballet shoes and tap shoes too. Getting her ready for dance reminded me of my many years of dance. Such sweet memories. It's going to be interesting with Emily. Sarah's dance class is at 12:45 and it's right in the middle of her nap. She was so tired today. I hope she is able to adjust. Carson has really been bugging me today about piano lessons. He really wants to take lessons. I just hope he is ready for the practice he will have to do at home. I'm excited about him doing piano because I feel like it's a way for him to serve the Lord.

School, Naps and Playtime with Daddy

2008-09-08T14:52:00.000-04:00

Sleepy girl... Emily loves to sleep with her sippy cup!

Well, we have still been busy with school and had a wonderful weekend too. Saturday we spent at home waiting for the big storm which ended up being just some rain and a little wind. We stayed at home and played with Daddy and boy did we have fun! Here is a video of some of our activities. Don't worry, the kids love this and no children were harmed in the making of this video. The shirt Neil is wearing might be harmed. I have been trying to get him to get rid of that shirt for awhile but he keeps wearing it because is so comfortable. We did end up going out later in the day. We headed to the gym and pool.

Here comes Hanna

2008-09-05T23:39:00.000-04:00

Well, Hanna is on her way. We are all waiting for the rain. I hope we don't get too much wind! We tend to loose power a lot out here then we are always the last to get it back. There isn't much more we can do now except wait. We don't have a generator so if the power does go out we will be packing up our stuff and heading to my mom's I guess. We do have a freezer full of food we we are going to hope and pray that we don't loose power.

First Day of School

2008-09-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

Well, we are back doing school everyday now. We did some school this summer but took a lot of time off too :) Carson is in First Grade and Sarah started Kindergarten. Emily.. well, Emily is trying to do whatever sister and brother do as you can tell from the picture. She is into everything and I'm not yet sure exactly what I will do with her while I am doing school. Today we tried just letting her play in the room but she ended up on top of the school table several times. After awhile she figured out that she could play and I wasn't going anywhere so she was fine for while. Carson is doing such a great job at reading. I am so proud of him! Sarah loves to draw and paint and she is starting to learn to read and I am so proud of her too. Sarah is so sweet with Emily and the two of them have such a good time playing. We are working on Creation in our history and tonight we started reading Little House on the Prairie. We are using a Classical approach to our homeschooling which involves a lot of "living" (books that teach us by reading about them in "real" books instead of textbooks). We still have a very structured Math and Handwriting Program that goes along with it too. We had a fun day and some friends even came over afterschool and we made some whole wheat tortillas!! Oh, what fun!!

Steeler Kids

2008-09-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

Well we went to ChicFilA on Monday (Labor Day) for our free chicken tenders and I decided to take a few pictures of the kids in their Steelers Stuff. Too Cute Hu??? We had a great day with Daddy home. What a special day :)

Chores.....?

2008-08-25T09:39:00.000-04:00

Well we had some chores to do and while Carson, Sarah and I were working Emily found some markers. She was only upset in this picture because Carson was holding her hand! Carson and Sarah love to help around the house. They had fun this day helping me sweep and mop the kitchen floor. Emily had fun with the markers. I am loving my time with these kidos. We are getting ready to start school. It's been so much fun just hanging out and playing this summer. Today we are going to have lunch at Ms. Hollywoods house (a friend from church Ms. Hollywood is not her real name but that is what Carson called her and for security purposes I chose to use that name. Not to mention I think it's really funny that he called her Ms. Hollywood!)

Tuesday night and Wednesday I am going to be canning. I try to remember to take a few pictures.

Making Cinnamon Buns!!

2008-08-22T11:04:00.000-04:00

We had fun last night making Cinnamon Buns. The kids got to help and they did a great job. We had some last night before bed and finished them off for breakfast. Yummy!

The Chapman Family

2008-08-19T21:34:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching the Chapman Family on Larry King (http://www.youtube.com/) or http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/ My heart goes out to this family after the tragic death of their daughter Maria. The interview was well done and they did a wonderful job explaining their feelings. One thing that Steven said that really stuck with me was about if the accident could have been prevented. There was some discussion about the size of the SUV etc. He said that if you start going down that road then you start saying that the car is sovereign. In a nutshell I think he was saying God IS Sovereign! He is in control and in that we can have peace. So no matter what we are dealing with if GOD is Sovereign then we need not worry about it. Amen!

(I added Steven's Song Cinderella to my playlist.. just listen to the words of this song! It makes me want to cherish every moment I have with my children!)

The Olympics

2008-08-18T22:03:00.000-04:00

I have been staying up watching the Olympics almost every night. This is the first time I can really remember doing that. It catches up with me during the day but it's worth it. But just one random thought.............

................... Does anyone else think that the "Bird's Nest" looks like a giant toilet??

Our New Toy

2008-08-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

Well this is our newest thing. We got a trampline from Neil's brother. The kids have been loving it. Here are a few pictures of them jumping with Daddy. It's a great way for them to get some energy out!

We had a group of kids come to the house today from my the daycare where my mom is the director. The kids were in a Bread Club this week and I was going to show them how to mill wheat and make bread. Carson was so funny. He tried to teach the entire class. No really .. teach like asking questions "Does anyone remember why we put the yeast in the bread?" It was so funny. I guess this proves two points. One my child loves to talk and really loves to explain stuff and he really doesn't get the teacher/student thing yet. Anyway, it was cute and he had a great time. He just seemed so big to me. They are all growing so fast. I am trying to just enjoy the moments I have with them.

Homeschool Humor

2008-08-12T11:41:00.000-04:00

I saw this and thought it was funny. Not that any of our parents do this but I thought some of you could relate. We are gearing up for 1st grade with Carson and Kindergarten with Sarah. We have already started some stuff but we won't be going full strength until the pool closes. We just love spending time with friends and having fun for a couple more weeks.

My Nephew is going to the Junior World Series!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-06T13:51:00.000-04:00

Britt and Lew

Atlee Juniors Capture Southern Regional!!The Atlee Baseball Juniors All-Stars, managed by Marty Johnson, defeated Florida 3-1 today to advance to the Juniors World Series in Taylor, Michigan. Atlee will face the Central Region champion at 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, August 10th.

This is so exciting... Lew is my nephew and Marty Johnson (the manager) is my brother-in-law (my sister Melinda's Husband).... We are so happy for them. Mom just got off the phone with Melinda and she was so excited. They play their first game on Sunday. Below is a link to listen to the games online.

UPDATES

http://www.littleleague.org/Series/2008divisions/jlbb/qualify/ussouth.htm

Listen to the games:

http://www.cityoftaylor.com/listen

Our Skating Adventure

2008-08-01T23:04:00.000-04:00

Well we went to a Homeschool Skate Morning on Thursday. The kids had a blast! Carson put those skates on and was gone... his friend David was there so the two of them had a fun falling down together. They would just laugh and get right back up.

Sarah had fun too. She wanted Mommy to help her around the rink a few times but then she was fine. She didn't like to fall but got use to it after awhile. I was able to catch up with some friends and play with Emily while the kids were skating. We all had fun and hope to go back in a couple weeks. We might even do this during the school year some too... for PE ;)

Crab Craft Idea

2008-07-28T15:37:00.000-04:00

Crab Craft

Well we got motivated after getting home from the beach (and Carson getting a Hermit Crab) to make Crabs! This craft is easy to do. Items needed: Small paper plates, orange paint, yellow foam paper or construction paper and google eyes. Let the kids paint 2 plates and wait for them to dry (this is the hard part.. the waiting...) then cut the legs and claws out of the yellow paper. Staple the legs inside the two plates and glue on the eyes. We also cut out our names and glued them on as well. This is optional. Enjoy!

2008-07-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Our Family Vacation to Nags Head NC

Emily Joy enjoyed playing in the sand. This was her first real beach experience. At first she didn't like the sand on her hands but she got over that real quick. She loved to pool too. She even went under the water some.

2008-07-25T20:32:00.000-04:00

Sarah enjoyed playing in the sand. She also loved playing in the pool. Sarah is getting very brave in the water. She learned how to do hand stands in the pool. Sarah and Emily liked to play in the sand together but Emily liked stepping on the sand castles. The always sweet Sarah would just build a new one.

2008-07-25T18:45:00.000-04:00

Carson loved playing in the ocean. He also loved playing in the pool with Sarah and Daddy. Carson is swimming very well. He likes to dive down in the pool for stuff. Uncle Scott bought Carson a Hermit Crab while we were at the beach. Carson has been taking good care of his new pet.