Baptism Service

Our church chooses to use a local river beach for its baptism services.  I so enjoy going.  A couple of the men will lead worship while those wanting to be baptized line up.  After a brief time of prayer with one pastor or deacon, the person heads into the river to be baptized by one of our pastors….usually Pastor Brett. 

On the way home from church today, Dacia Grace expressed her interest in being baptized today.  After a conversation with her, Arthur and I gave our whole hearted approval. 

We headed off to the river where we met our good friend Emily and her children, Kibi and J-den.  Dacia Grace was so excited to learn that Kibi had also decided to be baptized today.

Waiting in line with Daddy.

Happy for the others baptized.

 

Being prayed for by Pastor Brett right before being baptized.

 

Waiting in line for Kibi and Emily to be baptized.

What sweet faces!

Pastor James (children’s pastor), Pastor Brett (senior pastor), David Frost (college pastor) and Joey (Pastor Brett’s son).

Enjoying Math

Treasure in My Heart – UPDATED!

Since we are studying Proverbs this year in school and discussing how God gave us His words to hide in our heart like treasure, I decided to have Dacia Grace make a treasure box.  This treasure box designed to hold memory verses from her grade school years will be a lasting memento of God working in her life.  

After planning very carefully how she wanted her treasure box to be painted here she  is working diligently on it.  Once it is all done, we will post a picture of the final box.  It is going to take several days to finish it.

Here she is working on the final touches ……

 

Science

Our curriculum, My Father’s World, includes three fantastic books for science.   We are so excited to go through these books.  There will be many hands on activities.

Our first topic of discussion will be “Close to the ground”.  We will be doing nature hikes, creating a worm jar to watch worms tunnel through soil and then feeding some ants……at the park NOT my house!   In preparation of these activities we read some fun books from the library that introduce the importance of worms in our environment.  Dacia Grace loved them!

First Grade

Today was the first day of First Grade at the Fanno Creek Academy and Dacia Grace R-O-C-K-E-D it! Last night we went over a chore chart of sorts that allows her to be responsible for her morning routine and then for staying on task during school.  I am so glad that we took the time last night to go over this chart.  It was such a useful tool which will be used over and over an over again this year.

Here she is working on her morning folder that I created from several different things I found online.  What a beauty with her toothless smile!  Probably the best picture I have of her since her teeth were pulled.

  

Working on her reading notebook.  Her handwriting has approved so much during our August break.This year we are studying the book of Proverbs but before we dive into that we are learning about scrolls.  Here Dacia Grace is working on her alphabet scroll which she will continue to work on over the next week until all the pages done for a scroll.

Here is a list of what she would like to learn this year:

(1) To read my Bible

(2) To paint better

(3) To read on my own

God of all Comfort

Last night we lost the baby!  We are grateful that our God is the God of all Comfort.  We are grateful that we serve a God that is ALL THE TIME GOOD!  We live with the hope that we will one day meet each and every child that I have had the privilege to carry in this world but never held in my arms this side of heaven.

Knowing what we know about our pregnancy history we chose to tell everyone that we were pregnant this time because we wanted to embrace the life that God had blessed us with for as many days, weeks, years as we were privileged to have that one in our lives.  The reality is that we will have that little one in our lives for the rest of our lives.

We pray that in our sorrow that God will work it for His glory and good.  I know that God has used my pain of miscarriages in the past to help others going through it for the first time.  It is not easy.  It is not pretty.  It is not fun.  But through it all God is there!

We don't claim to understand why we cannot carry a child to term. But we have.

We thank God so much for the miracle of Dacia Grace.  Each and every miscarriage highlights that miracle in our lives.

Please do not pity us.  Please do not try to fix us. 

God is good!  He is all the time good!  Even when the world would say that He is not good, we rest in the comfort and knowledge that He is good!  His mercies never end!  They are new every morning!  Great is His faithfulness to us!

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

II Corinthians 12:9

Let now your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to My self; that where I am, there you may be also.  And you know the way where I am going.

John 14:1-4

Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the bitterness.

Surely my soul remembers

And is bowed down within me.

This I recall to my mind, 

Therefore I have hope.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, 

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; 

Great is Thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says my soul,

Therefore I have hope in Him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him

To the person who seeks Him.

It is good that he waits silently 

For the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3: 19-26

Roses are red;

Violets are blue.

Babies are sweet

Hoping to paint the Hom nursery a pretty pink or blue hue!