A Heart Toward Home

"...But as for me and my house, we will serve (worship) the LORD."
Joshua 24:15

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Our Family

I changed our "look"! Wanted to add this picture of our family. This picture was taken the week of VBS at our church. As you can see we all are in our VBS t-shirts. I liked this picture and wanted to share it with our friends and family. Hope you all have a great July 4th!!

Celebrating our dependence on God!
Cantina

Monday, June 29, 2009

A nugget of God's truth...

This week I would like to share some more in Hebrews.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:12-14

This verse really spoke to me. In verse 12 the writer of Hebrews is saying that "you ought to be teachers but you need someone to teach you again". Can you hear God saying (lovingly of coarse) "my child I thought you were mature enough to teach (mentor or lead) others but I see that you are not in the fact that you must be taught." And then at the end of verse 12 the writer says "you have come to need milk and not solid food". I know for me that sometimes I want an encouraging message or someone to tell me what I want to hear and not the truth. That is called pampering the flesh. Ouch!! I have come to realize that "milk" is the comfortable and "solid food" is the truth.

Then check out verses 13 & 14. The writer just spells it out...those who partake only of milk are babes but solid food belongs to those of full age. Although the truth is not always easy it is what will make us grow and bear fruit for our Lord. I picture a parent wanting to get their child on to table food but he is kicking and screaming because the milk is so much easier and taste real good. You see God is like that parent He so desires for us to move forward in our walk with Him and for us to do that it may require something that is not comfortable for us but God our heavenly Father knows whats best!! I am ready to give up the milk for solid food so that I can know Jesus greater and serve Him more.

Last part of 14 says "those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil". One way to be on solid food is to exercise our senses, like reading God's Word, Prayer, witnessing, serving, etc. Then and only then will I be able to discern both good and evil. That is something I can't do if I am on milk (comfortable).

O.K. Lord I am ready...what are you serving today?
Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me that You want me to be on solid food so that You can use me to share with and teach others. Those days Lord that I wander back to the milk remind me that the solid food of Truth is where I need to be. Forgive me Lord for those times that I am wanting my ears tickled. I love you Lord!!

Looking to Jesus-
Cantina

Thursday, June 25, 2009

From our kitchen to yours...

The kids love to help with cooking!! Over the years I have gotten so many delicious recipes from the people in our lives. The recipes have been such a blessing to us and our family has enjoyed them greatly that we wanted to share them with you!! My goal is to post a new recipe once a month that you might try and my prayer is that it will bless you and maybe become one of your favorites. So for June I have chosen something cool...since it is so hot outside this might be refreshing and yummy.
Peanut Butter Pie
4 oz of cream cheese softened
1/3 cup of Peanut Butter
8 oz of cool whip
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 Tbls. of milk

Combine all ingrediants together and pour into regular size graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until firm. You may put it in the freezer to get firm. Sarah likes it in the freezer, she calls it peanut butter ice cream pie. I have doubled the recipe, made two pies and shared one with another family.

Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think.
Cantina

Monday, June 22, 2009

A nugget of God's truth...

I have been reading through the book of Hebrews. I have been slow about it because it is so much to take in. I wanted to share with you all a passage from Hebrews.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

WoW!! Did you get that? God does know and understand our weaknesses. The Bible tells us that Jesus, our High Priest, can sympathize with us. But here is the catch...without sin!!! Jesus was in ALL points tempted as we are, YET without sin. How many times do I compare myself with others of this world, but I should compare myself with Jesus almighty. Jesus is the one who should challenge me in my walk with God because He is my example.

Then in verse 16, the writer of Hebrews says to come BOLDLY to the throne of grace... How does one come boldly? I felt that God was saying I should come with confidence to the King of Kings. I need to realize that God understands when I fall and sees when I fall yet He still loves me and longs to help me up. There is a saying "God loves me where I am but doesn't want me to stay there". God wants me to grow and move forward in my relationship with Him. Verse 16 goes on to say... "that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." God is the one who can help me in time of need, not this world. I find myself going to other sources for help, like self-help books and other women, instead of crying out to my maker and the one who can sympathize with me, the One who can truely help me.

These verses came alive to me as I read them. I know that I have plenty of weaknesses and short comings. God showed me that I can come boldly to Him and obtain mercy and find grace in my time of need.

Thank you Lord for speaking to me through your Word. Help me to hide these things in my heart and to recall them when I am in need. Thank you that You know me and still love me. You are so good to me. I love You Lord!!

A daughter of the King-
Cantina

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Camp's go to Youth Camp

I love this picture of my four kids!! I took this one in our room the first morning we were there.




We went on Sunday night to eat at Pineapple Willies with the Youth Group.



Timothy just hanging out!



Elijah looking for Bryan to come back from a Bible Study. Can you see he has Blue bunny?








Bryan was real good about taking the kids to the beach and to the pool when the Youth got free time.




I kept Timothy in the room most of the time so that he didn't get exposed to too much sun.







We went to Shipwreck Island on Monday. The kids had a blast!!


Wanted to share with you all about where and what we had been doing. Bryan was asked to speak at FBC Ashland's Youth retreat and they told him he could bring his family. So we all loaded up and headed to Lagoona Beach, Florida. The trip down there could not have been any better. We made great timing. We stayed at the Youth retreat place so needless to say it wasn't an uptown condo. One day as I was nursing Timothy I looked around the room and laughed that the 6 of us were living in the hotel size room for three days. Ha-Ha!! We had a great time and the kids liked hanging out with the youth at meals and Bible Study. Bryan took Isaac and Sarah to the Bible Studies with him. Isaac actually made it to all of them. On the last bible study Bryan was having the Youth look up scripture and read it out loud. Isaac was actually looking them up and reading a few aloud too. The youth were amazed that a 7 year old could do that. We are so proud of Isaac!! If you know Isaac you know how shy he is and for him to read in front of older kids and people he doesn't know is a God thing. Sarah was a great help with Elijah!!! They just played and played! Elijah will do whatever she ask. They play so well because they both have such a great imagination. Elijah loved the sand at the beach. To him it was a huge sand box. Timothy did very well. I was a bit nervous because I have never been anywhere with a baby this young. God was so good to us!!! We often said on the trip and even now that we are home that God did above and beyond what we could ever have imagined. As always we are glad to be back home and sleeping in our own beds. The memories we made are priceless.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Fun Day at the Camp house
















This past Tuesday, June 2, Bryan and I celebrated 13 years of marriage!! We can't believe that it has been 13 years. These past 13 years have gone by so fast and we can only imagine how fast the next 13 years will go by. We figured it up that when we have been married another 13 years Isaac will be 21!! Let's not think about it anymore right now and just enjoy every minute with our kids that we can!!! I do want you all to know that I am so thankful for my husband and that he is a God fearing man and because of that I know that he loves me the way I need to be loved!! I love you Bryan and look forward to growing old with you!!


Also on Tuesday the kids and I had Fun Day!!! The pictures above let you know some of the things we did. We had bike rides, blow blubbles, races, Squirt bottle fun, ate popscicles, played board games, ate lunch in the living room while watching a movie and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves!! I love homeschooling because my kids have a relationship with one another that they wouldn't have if they went to school. I asked Isaac and Sarah what they liked best about Fun Day and Isaac said all of it was GREAT! and Sarah said the popscicles. Elijah just jumped right in and loved just being outside. Needless to say they all had a good nap that afternoon!! Isaac, Sarah and Elijah- I want you to know that I LOVE having fun with you guys and look forward to making many more Fun Day memories with you!!



Cantina

Monday, June 1, 2009

Elijah turns TWO!










I can't believe Elijah is TWO!! We had a party on Saturday and he had so much fun!! I made him his own personal cake which he got to have fun with. He loved driving his hotwheel around the cake and then taking a fork and messing it up!! He is so funny. When we started singing "Happy Birthday" he covered his eyes. Of coarse he got tons of great and fun gifts. From a hotwheels race track to a fold -n- go garage, he has had endless fun (so has Isaac and Sarah). Needless to say my living room is not been picked up since the party. Now we must begin to prepare for Sarah's 6th birthday. Pray for us our June is going to be soooooo busy!!! We love you all!! Thanks for visiting our family blog.