Purple belt!

We once again interrupt the spiritual blogging here to interject yet another big family accomplishment, which we are very proud of... Adam has received the rank of purple belt in Moo Gong Do! Here are some pictures from the testing and the belt ceremony.

Take down!

Ditto

Doing his Hwa Shim Il Hyung form during testing.

Using a hook kick for his board break

Receiving rank advancement

Purple is an awesome color!!!

Adam's teacher Miss Doner attended to support Adam. She's as proud of him as we are!

Great job, Adam!!!!! Keep it up! Adam is approaching his one year anniversary of practicing the art of Moo Gong Do (March 16th). He has his eyes fixed on that black belt someday.... I know you can do it, mister!! Never give up!

We now return you to the regularly scheduled spiritual blogging of Northern Apostolic Mom..................................................

Excellent teaching/preaching

Many of you know that I am a faithful worshiper with the saints of God in Memphis, TN. Every Sunday, I come home from MY church (which is always good teaching!) and log on to www.tpcmemphis.org and listen to the excellent teaching of Bro. Terry Black. My awesome friend Britt lives down there and attends this church. Then I go back to MY church for more excellent worship and preaching! I love Sundays!!!

This past Sunday, I happened to miss the preaching in Memphis as I was at FOUR... count 'em... FOUR 2nd grade birthday parties at one time at the local bowling alley. I think the entire 2nd grade class from my school was there... I felt like I was at work!

Anyway... my mother-in-law called to say we MUST watch the archived service from that day. They had a guest preacher from Boston, MA named Dr. Gerald Jeffers, and his preaching is powerful and anointed. His message was on disappointment.... meaning being taken out of your place or position. We are to be laborers with God. When we are disappointed, we are no longer in that position. God blesses many times in accordance to place. God said I have set my name in this place. When the devil comes along and begins to fight you, he tries to get you to resign your position, or place. Once you do, you miss out on the blessing that comes with being in that position or place. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. We get disappointed because we don't understand God. We think that he hasn't heard our prayers, and we don't understand why he doesn't move on our behalf. We get hurt because we watch our kids on drugs, etc etc and what is actually happening is that God is watching to see how we handle the hurt. How we handle the hurt determines what kind of person we become. God says it is necessary for us to become hurt or offended to reveal the true content of our heart. We are chosen by God to do his will by how we react in the fire of hurt and disappointed. How do you react when your wife is not treating you right? What do you do when your husband isn't acting right by you? What do you do when your children are rebelling against your authority? He's trying to prove you. Are you just puff 'n' stuff? What is your character made of? He cannot release His power in us until He forges His character in us. We want to skip the character-building part and just skip to the power part. God doesn't work that way. We are to rejoice in ALL things... good and bad. We are to have joy in every situation, because the love of God has nothing to do with situations. We keep ourselves full of His joy by staying in His presence. He inhabits the praises of His people. SING!

There was so much more to his message, but that is the main point of the preaching. It was so good! He preached two other messages as well, but I will blog those at another time.

So... do some introspection on your own life. How much of God's character is forged in your life? I know I have precious little.... not in comparison to others, but in comparison to HIM. I don't like the fire process. I don't like hurt and offense. But I do want my Jesus to be able to use me, so I choose to work on the JOY in every situation, even though I know it will be painful, and that I will at times fall far short. But my God has promised to finish what he started in me. He is faithful above all things. I love you Jesus!

Thanks for reading!

Important family news!!

We interrupt this spiritually minded blog to bring you important family news! I am not going to talk about everyday life stuff, just important stuff... like the fact that Adam is no longer a cub scout... he crossed over into boy scouts tonight! Here are some very cool pictures....

Here the Webelos IIs are listening to the boy scouts describe what will be expected of them as they cross into the troop...

One thing they had to do was remove their Webelos insignia (neckerchief and colors) to receive the boy scout ones.... here are the "left behind" neckerchiefs...

Here is Adam, crossing over the bridge...



receiving his rank as an official boy scout.

They also received an arrowhead around their neck as a symbol of passing through the arrow of light...

Here they are!!!! The new additions to the troop!

Of course, Nicolas made rank this evening as well. He and all the boys in his den received their Bear badge tonight... way to go! Nick and Adam also received their awards for completing the God and Me/God and Family program. The medallions are lost in the US Mail system somewhere..... if they ever show up, we'll have a ceremony at church to award them.





It was a fun evening, full of LOUD SINGING, and generally loud noise like only cub scouts can make! Sandy was on hand for the events of the evening.... thanks Sandy for supporting your little brothers! They loved having you there!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled spiritually minded blogging.

My study list is growing!

One thing I am doing this year as I read my B.R.E.A.D. is writing down thoughts and questions I have as I read. (DUH!). I know, it's a no brainer. But I have never done it! So, here are the things written on my list of "things to study" thus far:

1. Does the laying on of hands "require" you to speak? Is the power in the words spoken, or in the obedience of the act of laying on of hands? Or both? Or neither?Do a study of all accounts of this act.


2. Peter's progression as a healer in the book of Acts...

• Acts 3:6 But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee... in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
• Acts 9:34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed!"
• Acts 9:40 Peter asked them all to leave the room, then h e knelt and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, GET UP!"

Very intriguing.... increased confidence and boldness... and the name of Jesus is missing in the third one....

3. Pre-incarnate Christ? John 17:5 is a verse that causes me to wonder...

5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

I'm looking into this because a few months ago, my pastor blew my theology out of the water concerning the Oneness of God... so I must study this out. I am convinced that God is ONE... totally! I just need to be able to understand this concept for myself. I am a Berean Christian!

4. Study Lev. 21:18-23. If Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and if Malachi 3:6 is true (I am the Lord, I change not), then how can this be?

18 No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, 19 or has a broken foot or arm, 20 or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. 22 However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings. 23 Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy.”

Some verses of Scripture are just hard....

Also written on my list of things to study is not a study topic, but an observation:

As I sit here reading the book of Leviticus, wondering why in the world I'm reading all this ceremonial law stuff, I am also reading a book my pastor gave me called "Living a Joyous Life" by Rabbi David Aaron. The Levitical laws are so boring and ritualistic - Rabbi Aaron talks about his negative feelings toward Judaism and how it kept him from enjoying being one of God's chosen people. God knew when the time would be right for me to pick up this book and benefit from it. He does this over and over for me. Hinds' feet in High Places is another book that I had for months before I was able to read it... and when I did, I grew exponentially in the Spirit! Also, the Cross and the Switchblade was another book that I held onto for a while before being able to read it, and the timing was PERFECT in my life when I finally DID read it. I love the Lord! He takes care of me.

Church at home

Greetings! We are having some very snowy/icy weather here in Vermont. Our pastor in his wisdom decided to forego the midweek Bible study service due to icy roads. I was sort of glad, because I had an eye appointment today, and they dilated my pupils... I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to read the notes on my music at the piano tonight! But God knew!

I'm actually never happy in my spirit when church is cancelled. I love the Word of God and like being challenged by it. So, we had a little impromtu lesson here at home with the family (Mom, Dad, Adam, Nick, and Sandy). I have been having great difficulty with a couple of boys (ahem) in the following areas: respect, responsibility, and kindness. I've had it up to here (that would be the top of my head) with their horrible behavior here at home. So I suggested a book like Colossians.... Jason in HIS wisdom chose Galatians. Check out how some of this read, from the New Living Translation: RESPECT

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[c] 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.


Also, check this out...

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

We had a little discussion about the need for a peaceful home. We discussed that these types of behaviors are displeasing to God and unacceptable in His kingdom. We also discussed that mom is at the end of her rope.....

Then we got onto the next topic... RESPONSIBILITY

4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Yes, the lack of responsibility in my boys is a bit on the frustrating side. I have to admit that Adam is pretty good most of the time. Nick is definitely a work in progress.... with a LONG way to go! When told to do something.... ANYTHING... like clean your room, or put away your laundry, or do the dishes, etc etc. we go through the gamut of responses (with Nick)... disgusted sigh, foot stomping, eye rolling, door slamming, whining, etc etc etc. Yes, he gets the appropriate consequences and it gets done, but real obedience is in the heart, and THAT AIN'T IT!!! So we pointed out verse 5 to him that says we are responsible for our own conduct.

And the third topic we breached? KINDNESS....

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

This was just a refresher on the fruit of the Spirit, emphasis on kindness. The cool thing? While we were discussing this very verse, there was a knock on our door, and it was Elizabeth, our next door neighbor who is Adam's age. She came in and handed each of the boys a Valentine's coupon to Friendlys that says, "I'm sweet on you! Enjoy one free kid cone with this valentine." A perfect example of kindness at the perfect time! I'm not sure how much they heard this evening, but I am praying it sinks into their hearts.

God is working for my good

Hello all! It has been a long time! However, it has been a wonderful, spiritually-charged time for me and for our church. :) As a result of being away from my computer during this time, I have managed to not only stay ahead in my scheduled Bible reading, but also read all of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the book of Acts. That means that when I get to that portion of my annual Bible reading program, I can skip from Oct. 1st to mid-November and be a month and a half ahead! I also came up with several topics/ideas that I want to study out more... one of them being the concept of the pre-incarnate Christ.

One of the requirements of the 30 days of prayer and fasting was that we were to make at least one prayer meeting a week. Most everyone came to the 5pm prayer meeting right before our 6pm Sunday night service. Our Sunday evening services were amazing! The Holy Ghost moved in such a powerful way each week. This past Sunday, we finished up the prayer meeting, and Karen took her place at the piano. Emily, Sandy, and I took our place at the mics to praise sing. But Jason said, "I don't want you to play. God is doing something, and I am going to have the church pray... I want you all to pray too." BANG! We started to pray and the Lord swept into that room like a flood! We never sang a note! The preacher never preached a word! God did what HE wanted to do, and it was incredible! My youngest son Nicolas was surrounded by the older boys (Adam's age... 11, 12) and he began to speak in tongues and it freaked him out, so he abruptly stopped! AHHH! It's okay... God is faithful to finish what He starts! Nick is ready to receive the Holy Ghost... he just needs to prepare himself mentally!! Amy, our pastor's 9 year old daughter, came very close to receiving the Holy Ghost as well. All of our teens and pre-teens already full of His Spirit touched God and were refreshed in the Spirit! Something broke in the spiritual realm that night, and our pastor decided to continue our fast for another 21 days. (Many other churches across the country are doing the same thing, because strongholds are coming down everywhere!!) He came to me and told me that if I wanted to blog, then I should blog only about the spiritual things that God is accomplishing during this time. No problem! God is on the move and no man is going to be able to take the credit for anything! HE will receive ALL the glory! So stay tuned to see what God does next here in Vermont and across the country and globe! PRAISE JESUS!!!!

PS... I want to give God glory for a couple of things. First, we have had some amazingly snowy weather here lately. Our first nasty storm last Friday created some treacherous driving conditions. I had to go get my son Sat. morning from a sleepover birthday party. As I headed up the on-ramp of the highway, a driver coming in the opposite direction lost control of their car and instead of going down the off-ramp, shot over into the on-ramp lane, headed right for me! I tried to pull my car over to the right quickly without losing control of MY car on the slick road, and he shot past me on the driver's side, just missing me. He also somehow missed the other 4 cars behind me... THANK YOU JESUS! He is my protector!

Also, with the rash of tornadoes that broke out down south last night, one of them hit Memphis, TN, which is where my friend Britt lives (actually, she's across the border in Olive Branch, but that is a technicality). Anyway, the tornado missed their church by only about 3 miles! As far as we know, everyone in the chuch is fine. God is so good!

I'll write again soon! It's nice to be back! BETH..... OH MY GOODNESS!!! Congratulations???? Wow... you are a strong woman! I'm not sure how I would handle that................ glad your washer is working finally! LOL!