She's a Funny Kid

Story 1
When Toothie was about five years old she was in a stage of copying books, etc. (This was before she was able to read.) She asked if a Davy Crockett book was "Copywrited". Mom told her yes. She said " Shucks! I wanted to write it down and sell it"

2012

Story 2
The other day we were driving home and we noticed that it was a full moon. Toothie said " I would like to go to the moon when its halved"

Grace

American Citizens

I wrote this when I was 11 years old:


Dear American Citizens,

            I hope that you are working hard and trying to honor and serve your country, but most of all, the God of creation - whom created you and me. I also hope that you are ready to make a stand for what’s right and that you’re ready to do whatever it takes to protect yourself, your family, and your country.

            We all want liberty and freedom but I believe that we are losing liberty and freedom more and more every day. We need to educate ourselves on the state our nation is in now.  Also we need to educate ourselves on the lessons that our Founding Fathers learned.  Also remember the morals they gave to us so that we can live in a free and independent nation.

            If we read and study the Founding Fathers, we can clearly see that George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams and many others were warning our generation about our government systems. For example, these quotes by Thomas Jefferson, “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have”  and t "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people there is liberty.''  George Washington also gave us a few quotes on the matter such as, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.'' and  ''A government is like fire, a handy servant, but a dangerous master.''

            These men warned us beforehand because their grandparents came from a bad state of living as we are having now. So we need to learn what some of these words mean and memorize them. We need to be ready to protect them with all our might because our God gave them to us to treasure and to hold for ever.   Words such as Liberty, Heritage, Freedom, Patriot, along with a few others mean OUR freedom  and OUR liberty; so let’s learn what they mean:

                
 Liberty - The state of being free from oppression, tyranny, confinement, or slavery; freedom;

This is a pretty clear definition of  Liberty, but what does tyranny mean:

Tyranny – Harsh, absolute, and unfair rule by a government, king or other ruler.

Liberty basically defines Freedom, but let’s see what the dictionary defines it as.

 Freedom – The condition or state of being free; political independence; possession of political rights; boldness of expression; liberty; unrestricted access or use.

So Freedom and Liberty mean the same thing.

Heritage - Property that is inherited; something handed down from past generations; a legacy.

Our founding fathers have past down the Heritage of Liberty, Freedom, and a sense of patriotism yet we are ready to give it away.  We are giving way to communism at the drop of a hat, because we don’t want to earn our living or fight to live daily not only for our country but for our God the Kings of Kings and Lords of Lords.

Patriot – A person who loves and defends his country.

            Are you a patriot?  Are your children? Are you ready to give your life for your country like so many of the ones who signed the Constitution? You are not a patriot if you don’t protect the First Amendment of the Constitution.  Do you protect the Constitution? Are you ready to resist tyranny and bring liberty to the land?  I believe that there is tyranny in the land and not liberty. Just like Thomas Jefferson said “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people there is liberty”.  Is this what we’re seeing today? The liberty and freedom fought for by the Founding Fathers and, most of all, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Paul, Peter, and others.  We have a privilege that no other country has, and yet we are ready to give it away to communism. I pray that this nation will never be ready to give it a way

            But before I go any further, I want to thank the men who are rising up and taking a stand for what’s constitutional and Biblical. I just thank  you for your hard work and pray that you will continue  what you are doing  for the glory of God.  Also remember, that you are an influence to your children and  grandchildren and  no matter what you do,  it will be an example for generations to come.

            Another reason why our nation is failing is because were not self-educated. Our modern day school history book will hardly ever mention the Founding Fathers and the Constitution. Back in the pioneer days, the school’s history books were the Constitution, the Bible, and a book called the Lives of the Signers. We are a long ways from that education.

           Did you know 87% of our public schools' history textbooks do not mention Christianity? It does mention the Jewish, Amish, Mormon, and Catholic beliefs but not Christianity*. I would like to mention a quote by our president Obama, “Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation , a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation and a nation of nonbelievers.’’  This is who your President is and this is what the schools are teaching children. Parents, we can’t let the teachers teach this to our children, your children - your blessings from God. We can’t throw our children into the world while at the same time shooting our Christian nation in the foot. And if you are a teacher please be careful of what you allow to go on in your school room, especially when it comes to history and the Bible.

             Here is a paragraph out of the Book Faith of Our Founding Fathers by Tim LaHaye page 1; “Secularism is taught in those same textbooks, a life and world view for children and young people that little resembles the one taught in this nation for the first 150 years of its history. Almost no mention is made of the public schools that represented education at the time the Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia to draft our nation’s Constitution. Consequently, a whole generation of school children is being robbed of its country’s religious heritage in the learning process.’’

            You can’t teach your children one thing at home - such as, we are a Christian nation or we need to protect liberty  - when they’re going to public school where they are being taught another thing such as:  we need to share and be fair and that we are no longer a Christian nation . They are teaching communism! There is nowhere in the Constitution or any other document that says there should be a separation of church and state. But this is what they are teaching our children in the public schools. But that’s a whole other subject.  Ask your middle or high schooler (who goes to your normal public school): "Have you ever read the First Amendment or the Constitution? What does the Constitution mean to you? What does Liberty, Freedom, or Heritage mean to you?"  See what answers you get -  if you get any. Yes, there are some self-educated children out there, who may be very interested in the Constitution, but do their fathers participate with them?

            We may be getting off the subject a bit, but it all boils down to the father preparing the generations to come -  to serve and to protect our country, our liberty, our freedom that our Founding Fathers gave us. I would like to give you a few more quotes on our liberty:  ''Firearms are second only to the constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.''(George Washington) and "the people are the best guardians of their own liberty.''(William Henry Harrison).

I was a very patriotic 11 year old.

                               Grace

My week

I have to apologize for not posting as often as I have been. This past week I have been  really busy with our spring piano concert, a St. Peter wedding, and just the norm.

 I've  also started redoing my room this week. It's going to be more of a 40's style, so I am really excited about that!

Today at church R.C. Sproul Jr. came back for the weekend and preached at our church. As of  right  now, I am just relaxing on this Sunday evening and preparing for piano lessons tomorrow morning.

Grace

Our Chicks

This our Black Maran Chickens

Family Picture!

These pictures were taken after my great- great aunts funeral.

Let's Have a Tea Party!

Pretty Faces.

Are they fighting again? 

Grace

Presenting Mozart!

He plays on this piano all day long.

Communion and our Creeds

                Communion is a lovely thing. Communion is something not to be taken lightly or carelessly. It is something that demands us to become humble, repentant, and honest.

Our Creeds are a lovely thing, also. Every Sunday young children to old grandparents sing and declare their Creeds, which state what we believe in and in whom our hope is in and  proclaiming we will not be ashamed.

In my mind communion and our Creeds are the most beautiful picture ever painted, and right now I would like to paint the picture of communion for you. This is what I see every Sunday morning:

Every Sunday we begin our services with the reading of the Bible and the singing of the Psalms. We go on to sing  our Creeds. It’s our declaration of faith. We sing the Nicene Creed or we sing the Apostles Creed. We are proclaiming what we believe.

I, along with many other children in our church, still have a hard time grasping and understanding  all the terms and words. If you asked us to explain our Creeds to you, we might have hard time explaining, because we don’t fully understand it, but yet we embrace it. It’s our Creed because it's Mom and Dad's creed, because it's our church's creed.  It’s my family's creed.  As a child, it is my goal to learn of and live up to our creeds, but when I am no longer under the ________  household then I have to decide if, I will continue in the faith that I was brought up in, or stray.

As for my parents and those in our church, they know why God gave them children. It is so that they may teach as many children as possible the Creeds and their children’s children the Creeds.

We will have our Sermon and more singing of the Psalms and Hymns. During the sermon and hymns, it seems as if every baby is crying or laughing, reminding us that they are there. They are there to learn the Creeds and to partake in communion.

Before communion in our church, we verbally repent of our sins that we have committed in the past week. Then everybody gets ready to go up to the alter. All of the children and babies seem still and quiet now. Suddenly we become sober and thoughtful. It’s as if during the rest of the service they were saying “Hurry up. I can’t wait for communion.”

The piano player starts to play and the church begins to sing. The front row slowly walks up to the alter. Father, Mother and all the children bow at the altar. I said earlier that the church had already repented of their sins and so now they can bow humbly and with good conscience. They partake of the bread and then of the wine. They arise slowly and return to their seats, feeling renewed and rejuvenated and ready to go on through another week.

It is the time for one family to stand up to go to the altar. This family, a few years ago, lost their moma in a tragic car wreck.  This left  the seven children motherless. But now, they go to communion with their new mother and they still declare their creeds.

Another family goes up to communion and they too lost their mother in a tragic car accident.  Nine children  were left without a mother. They also go to communion willingly and joyfully.

Here is another family arising to partake in communion. One of the sons push his older brother in a wheelchair. This boy had a bad wreck but still doesn’t ask “why”.

Other families go to communion. Some are in wheelchairs, some can’t walk, some are blind, and some have diseases and illnesses, but they go to communion.  They declare their creeds and while never asking “why”.

Many of the families have adopted children.  They believe it is their purpose to teach these children the creeds and lead them to communion.  Some of these families have children who have disabilities or illnesses. The parents are dedicated to them for the rest of their life.

Then on the very last row, a husband, with his six children, pushes his wife in her wheelchair knowing that this could be the last time she would ever join her family at the Lord's Table on earth. I don’t believe there was dry eye in the whole church. Everybody was mourning and crying, but never really asked “why”.

To read what I have just wrote, one would think that the church is  full of sadness and gloom. But picture this… the preacher praying over all the expecting mothers that come up to communion. The preacher praying over every newborn child that he will hold to this creed. The preacher praying over every betrothed couple, praying that they will have children to teach the creeds to.

When communion comes to an end, it is as if you can feel a sense of energy. It is as if everybody is rejuvenated and refreshed. Everybody knows that they are fulfilling one of their purposes in life and they can’t wait to do it next week.

I bet that you are wondering what our creeds are and why are we able to go through these hardships and not ask “why”. And here is why:

“…On the third day He rose again; He ascended into Heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead…”

We have communion every week to remind us of what Jesus did and who we believe in.  We sing our Creeds and recite the Heidelburg catechism to assure and remind us of what we believe in , why we are here, and what our purpose is.

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the hell
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Heidelberg

Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; (c) who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, (d) and delivered me from all the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. (j

Written by: Grace

The 4 L's

When I was about Ten years old I came up with The 4 L's to Friendship. Here they are.

1. Love

2. Lift -up

3. Listen

4. Learn from one another

It's not worked yet, I still don't have any friends : (
Just kidding!!!!

Grace

I Love a Piano

The Get Well Co.

      Back in December of 2010, I became sick and had an emergency surgery to remove my appendix. After my surgery, I received some get well cards and phone calls.
      Well, about a week before my surgery Toothie came down with a cold and she was feeling depressed because no one was sending her any cards or calling to check on her. So I made a card and put it in the mailbox for her. It looked like this:

The Get Well Co.
123 ABCDE RD.
FGHIJK, LMNOP 45678

              Get Well Soon!

Hope you have a Merry Christmas
     and a Happy New Year!

              Love,
                Your Family

THE GET WELL CO.


    This little girl was so proud of her card and she put on the fridge. She showed everybody her card from the Get Well Company.

2010

The Pointer

Droopy has fond his pointer finger!

Grace

Fruit of our Labor

Before

After

Purple Eye made this for mom. It's an apron rack in case you couldn't tell.

                    Here are the newest members of the family. They are Black Marans. Out of 12 eggs we got 7 chicks.

Yesterday, I mentioned that we planted 100 strawberry plants on Saturday. And here they are.

Grace

Death Knows Not Its Time

This was written about a mother at our church. She passed away Friday. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
The Monday before she passed away our church gathered outside her bedroom window, where she lay dying, and sang hymns.
This was written by Eric Owens, a fellow church member and President of Highlands Ministry.

Death Knows Not Its Time

Half the church was there. It’s not a large church. About three hundred souls in total. But they were there. Truly there. Fully there. There for her. She lay in bed, above them, directly in the path of hymns and spiritual songs wafting to heaven, to God’s ears. To hers through a small opening in the window. She lay dying, according to earthly wisdom. Quite frail to their eyes. Smaller than she was. Becoming more seed-like.

They came to minister to her, to her husband, to her six children, to each other. They came to be with each other, to be with her, to be who they are. For it is that verb which is the most powerful one in a community of believers. They “are” a royal priesthood, a sacred community bound by oaths and vows, fathers, daughters, sons, mothers, friends, shepherds, sheep, an army. They are because He was. Because He came.

“What e’er my God ordains is right: Here shall my stand be taken;

Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, Yes I am not forsaken.

My Father’s care is round me there; He holds me that I shall not fall; And so to Him I leave it all.”

They sang. Some wept. The mothers most of all I think. Those who knew about being mothers, about being wives. They thought of those who had gone before, so many, so suddenly, so recently. But they didn’t ask why. They sang.

“Jesus! what a guide and keeper!  While the tempest still is high,

Storms about me, night o’er takes me, He my pilot, hears my cry,

Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.”

Sue was there, with her frail body ravaged by a disease not yet determined, unable to walk and talk like she once did. Her husband, so dedicated to her care, stood behind her wheelchair. He was there too.

So too was Rich. He of the near-fatal car wreck a few weeks ago. He too in a wheelchair. He was there.

And there was Dan and his family, whose father was not there because he was recovering from heart surgery just a few miles away. Christie stood with two of her children, two more were with Dad, suffering nearby with an ailment.

Susannah was there though she has just buried three of her friends in three short years. She too was there. Laurence was there though his Angela wasn’t, once again too ill to travel far. He was there. He is always there.

What a sight they were. The halt and the lame, the older ones in chairs they brought to support their fragile limbs, the younger ones in strollers, the weak in wheelchairs.

This is an army? Happy when they could be cursing God? Singing for another when they could be lamenting their own sad state?

They sang with hope in their weak voices, with joy in their saddened hearts. Like they had an answer. Like they had the answer. Because He came. Because He died. Because the grave could not hold Him, it cannot hold them either.

And that frail, tiny seed will be planted in a garden and will one day bloom triumphantly and eternally. And one day, soon enough, they will all gather together once again. And none will lie in bed, and none will sit, and none will weep. And they will sing.

“And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,

And when from death I’m free I’ll sing on;

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,

And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,

And through eternity, I’ll sing on!

WRITTEN BY: ERIC OWENS

http://highlandsministriesonline.org/fellows/death-knows-not-its-time/

Best of Friends

This Saturday we planted 100 strawberry plants and built a fence.

This picture was taken during lunch break.

Riding a Horse

Some of the kids got to ride a Horse. No not our horse, but one of friend's horses.

Just too cute!

He is a cute cowboy

"I don't want to be a cowboy"

Yuck!

The Romeike Story

Have you signed?

I want to be like dad

Droopy watching Pops and Purple Eye

Joel Salatin

Purple Eye dressed up like one of our favorite guys.

Joel Salatin

I signed!

Let's Party

Here with Cousins.

The barn yard.

Purple Eye eating his Sheep cupcake.

I don't want to be a cowboy!!

Happy Birthday Droopy!!

Grace