Sunday, April 15, 2012

They LOVE to.........

April 10 2012

VACUUM: I don't know why but someday I know my daugther in laws will thank me for encouraging this cleanliness. Noah went through a phase when he was younger when he loved it, then he wasn't so sure. But Luke so far is enthralled everytime I pull either vacuum out. He just crawls and chases and tries to touch it.





Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter Morning

April 8 2012

Here are my sleepy heads before church. In their sweet little matching outfits from Mimi.



And here after church at Grana's.

And Babu with his buddies.

Easter Dinner......Saturday

The precious eggs Mimi got the boys.

The Loot


Luke's new puppy. He has yet to be named.




April 7 2012

Mimi, Ali, Grana, and Babu came over Saturday night to help us eat our Easter ham. And celebrate our Lord's resurrection. Mimi spoiled the boys with cute Woody and Buzz Light year buckets full of Easter goodies (books, pjs, suckers, peeps, muppets movie, balls...........). We had such fun spending time with them.

Resurrection Rolls





April 7 2012

This was a fun idea someone posted on FB.

You only need:
-cresent rolls
-butter
-cinnamon
-sugar
-marshmellows

You just roll out your rolls, dip the marshmellow in butter, roll in cinnamon and sugar, roll closed pressing the seams closed. And pop them in the oven cooking as normal according to roll package. The marshmellow dissolves and the roll is hollow (Empty) inside after cooked. So Easy. Hence the empty tomb, resurrection roll.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Saturday at the Taylor's

Taylor Men

Noah and Gigi

The Yummy Easter treat from Pops and Gigi.



The Easter baskets.





Luke loved sticking his feet in the water.

This was Luke's reaction to getting out of the pool.


April 7 2012

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Secret Church

April 6 2012

We are so blessed to have been apart of Secret Church last night, from 6 to 12 we heard about the Cross and Suffering, the most clear and thorough presentation of the Gospel. We were able to simulcast (from BrookHills in Birmingham, AL/ David Platt) into our home, put our kids to bed, and worship and learn about the Horn of Africa with our small group from our home.

We heard Truths about suffering:
I write these down here because they are TRUTHS that I need to hear, reread, and remember. That I am not the main character in HIS story. That the story is about HIM, for HIM, and TO GLORIFY HIM. I am honored that he would love me and let me be apart of this story, for his fame, to point others to HIM, to Love me, to pursue me, to be sent and die for me so that THE FATHER IS GLORIFIED. I could go on and on and on.

Matthew 24:9-14
English Standard Version (ESV)
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The completion of the Great Commission will include great suffering, but eternity will prove it was worth it.

1. A high view of GOD- His sovereignty, His wisdom, His goodness, and His glory is essential for understanding suffering in your life and in this world.
-God exists
-God is sovereign over all evil and suffering.
-God is wise in the midst of all evil and suffering.
-God is good in the midst of all evil and suffering.
-God is worthy of all glory in a world of evil and suffering.
2. A humble view of man- his sinful depravity and small perspective is essential for understanding suffering in your life and in this world.
-We have a dangerous tendency to over estimate our wisdom.
-We have a damning tendency to underestimate our wickedness.
3. The Ultimate reason suffering exists is to exalt the glory of God's Son for the salvation of undeserving sinners.
-To exalt the glory of God' grace.......He creates us for His glory, God saves us by His grace
-Through the suffering of God's Son.....God planned the crucifixion of Jesus before the creation of the world, God permitted sin and suffering in the world ultimately in order to make Good Friday a reality,
-For the salvation of undeserving sinners......God permits sin to enter the world, God ordains suffering to enter the world, God sends His son into the world to suffer for sinners, God saves undeserving sinners for the glory of His grace, and He suffered on our behalf to save us from our sins, AND all of this was planned before time began.
4. God ordains suffering for the Christian in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes.
-To refine our faith.
-To reveal His glory.
-To teach us to rely on Him.
-To bring us to repent and renounce all sin in our lives.
-To lead us to our reward in Him.

The completion of the Great Commission will include great suffering.

Christ will be honored as King

Philippians 3:7-11
English Standard Version (ESV)
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.


Revelation 22:12-13
English Standard Version (ESV)
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

vs 20
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!


Good Friday......Natural Science Museum

April 6 2012

We spent the day with our boys. It was marvelous.

Learning about Animal Secrets.
-where they live
-what they eat
-what they do when it rains
-what their paw prints look like

Where the Eagle's nest is

Where racoons live



Luke was mezmerized by the fish.




Resurrection Garden

So we have been working on this for a couple of weeks. I am sure you have seen this precious idea on Pinterest.

I loved the idea of letting Noah help me make a visual for him to see. The cross, the empty tomb, and take advantage of telling him the story of Christ's resurrection, the perfect sacrifice, God's plan in his loving pursuit for our hearts. To give Himself Glory. To RECONCILE, REDEEM, and REJOICE in RELATIONSHIP with our SAVIOR.

Started with an aluminum pan, because I could not find a pot I liked that was wide but not deep, Plus it was a $1.


I picked up some supplies at the dollar store

threw it all together. This is really a fool proof project.

Got some grass seed and kept it watered. I did have a friend that put moss on it instead of growing grass.

Planting Seed


Growth.

The Crucifixion

32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45 Now from the sixth hour[f] there was darkness over all the land[g] until the ninth hour.[h] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son[i] of God!”

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard[j] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

The Resurrection

28 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he[k] lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The Report of the Guard

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[l] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”