National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

Waiting for her name to be called as the next inductee

into the Noblesville High School NHS

Receiving her certificate and flower

The beast with Mama & Papa

Diapers & Duct Tape

This is what our nap/bedtime routine now consists of.  After washing the monkey's sheets EVERY day last week, we decided it was time to bring the duct tape back out - the chipmunk was the last animal who required such intervention!  We're hoping the monkey isn't quite as determined as her older sister was considering the chipmunk could still manage to get her diaper off despite the fact that we had wrapped duct tape around it several times!!!!

A Good Reminder

One of the recent e-mails I received from Walk in the Word -

All Things

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
- Romans 8:26-28

If anybody has been through a deep valley and rested on the promises of God, they've likely been to Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." That verse is so powerful you could comfort a Christian just by saying the reference. Going through a hard time? - Romans 8:28 - and they'd know what you mean.

Why is this passage so powerful? It begins with confidence, "And we know." We don't merely think, we don't wonder, we know.

The word know communicates experiential knowledge - the kind that comes from life. You didn't go to church or to college to have this explained to you. You didn't Google the answer. You know only because you've been through it. Over time you've come to know something that only those who love God can know.

Only God's children - those who have turned from their sin and embraced Christ by faith, those who are increasingly learning how to love God more and more - understand the great promise of this verse. Only those who have tested the promises of God and proven once again His faithful love can know this.

I woke up in the middle of the night this week. While there have been times when fears have descended like a cold cloud in those dark hours, this time I laid in bed and talked with the Lord. I told Him how much I loved Him. I have found that the more you go through in life, the more you love the Lord. Can you identify? You test His promises and find Him to be so good and faithful. He knows what He is doing. He is worthy of every moment of trust.

Have life's difficulties caught you off guard? Do you wonder today if God is good? If He wasn't going to use that hard thing for your good, it wouldn't have happened. He had to sign off on every single thing that touches your life (He's sovereign, remember?). If He let it happen, He's going to use it for good. That's not to say He wanted it; He's not the cause of evil, but He is the solution. He's the master chess player who takes every move we make or someone else makes and strategizes the next move to ensure His purposes are accomplished.

I have come to realize over time that the ultimate good of Romans 8:28 is not "my little blueprint for my life"; the ultimate good is God's blueprint for the universe and my place in it. I'm committed to God's purposes. I want His will to be fulfilled and His kingdom to advance. I want to be a part of that.

I believe God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him; for the good of those who are the called according to His purpose.

Red Envelope Day

Please check out this site, and help send a message to Washington that we will not support the shedding of innocent blood.  I know that most, if not all, who read this do not support abortion; however, I have seen images in the last few days that have made me sick to my stomach.  The beast has a friend at school who is working on a project and they viewed a video showing the "effects" of abortion.  Here is a link to another powerful video.  It is graphic, but we all need to see the reality of what is happening.

http://www.abortiontv.com/Movies/hardtruth.htm

Here's what God thinks of these little lives~

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my  mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts,  O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Psalm 139:13-17

You can go to redevelopeday.com and get the details.  You can even have them send out postcards for you for a very reasonable price! 

Tribute to the Monkey

I HAD to change our background to honor our little monkey!  We had our follow up at Riley this week, and the doctor was very happy with her 2+ pound weight gain over the past couple months - she finally topped 20 lbs!!  I think the fact that they weighed her with clothes and shoes this time helped a little!!

Swagbucks

Use this search engine and earn "swagbucks" which can be redeemed for gift cards and other good stuff!

My New Screensaver

I came down the other day to find this on my computer...

No Earmarks?

Sorry, just a little politics...

Top 10 Porky Projects

By Eric Bolling
Co-Host, “Happy Hour,” FOX Business Network/Host, “The Strategy Room,” FOXNews.com

With the economy on the brink, President Obama has put forward some gutsy spending initiatives. He says they will help jumpstart the economy and bring it back to life. But some of his spending may not be for the good of all the people, I gather.

As the dollar signs flashed before my eyes, I set out on a mission to find some of the more ridiculous earmarks and porky projects.

Here are some highlights…ah…lowlights:

Top Ten “Porky” Projects:

10-$1.7 million for a honeybee lab
9- $800,000 to study catfish genetics
8- $8 billion train from Las Vegas to San Francisco
7- $5 million for salaries at the Sugar Beet Lab in Michigan
6- $500,000 for the fruit fly research
5- $200,000 for Tattoo removal in Los Angeles
4- $400,000 to train teachers on bullying

……and the bronze, silver and gold go to these stars:

3- $59 million to study the mating habits of the Pacific salmon
2- $2 million for astronomy awareness in Hawaii!
1- $1.8 million to study the effect of swine odor on the environment

If it weren’t so ridiculous, it would be funny….We are not laughing, Washington.

Joshua's 6th Birthday

The roadrunner turned 6 last week!  Here are a few pics from

our "family" celebration.  Mama & Papa will be coming

in a few weeks for a joint celebration.  The GOOD gifts

will come then :0)

Notice the birthday ribbon from school pinned to

his pajamas!  

Opening a few gifts & looking for the one he REALLY

wanted...

He found it!  The light saber!  

The Master?