"We don't have problems we have opportinities."

This is my Dad's favorite saying and I guess it's mine too, since I say it all the time when life gets frustrating or things are not going as planned. Brilliant Bible scholar that I am fell across James 1:2 this morning and realized that this is scriptural. I'm not sure if Dad got it from the Bible or life, but now I can back up my optimism with scripture.

James 1:2 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity
for great joy."


Shay

Our favorite new picture software

This is the last set of pics. Our friends the Drums (who we miss sooo much) told us about this great software for pictures called Picasa it is a part of Google. It is a great way to sort your pictures and it has some great ways to enhance your pictures. This is an example of one of them. Just Google it - it's free!!!

More updates in pics

Our favorite new pastime in the mornings - we have built quite a few cities
Damie playing soceer - this is his coach
Sierra and her baby had a picnic in the back yard.
Jesse doing what he loves best - watching a bug he caught! This child really needs a pet - we will hopefully take care of that when we get to the DR!

Update in Pics

I haven't been updating the blog like I should, we have had a guest over the past month (Grammy's been here) so I thought I would just show you what we have been up to.
Grammy loves pictures and she has a picture of Noah (our cousin) like this so we posed!
Just playing - yes Grandmother that is Tang on my mouth :)

I made Sierra a quilt out of my scraps for her baby doll.

Bubbles from Grandmother

Grandmother sent us a package and it had these great bubbles, when the rain finally stopped we got to play with them! Thanks Grandmother!!!

My First Quilt

I am addicted! I went to a quilting class last Thursday and by last night I had finished the center of the quilt and I need the do the border, backing and edging. This was a very simple quilt - 9 squares which had 3 pieces each and then you sew the 9 squares together. I have done it all by hand (no sewing machine here). I have to say I have enjoyed doing it by hand and think I will do the next one by hand as well. This one was to remind me of Costa Rica - the reason for the bright colors and it is just something to put on the couch to cuddle with. All of the quilts I make will be USED not put up. Being here this year without our Stuff has taught me something. I don't want to put away the things I love, I want to use them, I want to make memories with them. My next quilts will be one for each of the kids - I think I am going to use the same pattern and let the kids pick out the material. I'll post a picture of this one when it is completed.

Ode to Faith, a Dog, and a Cadillac

Many years ago, I saw perfect faith in action. It was not a monk in a tower or a widow feeding the hungry. The source of my inspiration was a Maltese dog. Don’t laugh; faith comes in many shapes and sizes. I was traveling north on Interstate 85 when a dark green Cadillac came cruising passed me. The only passengers in the vehicle were a large man and a little pile of fur standing motionless by his side. Some time later a thought began to take shape in my mind; that fine little animal was the embodiment of what faith in God should look like. I have listed a few of the attributes that he demonstrated.

1. The dog was happy just to be with his master.

2. He was not busy, but he was still heading to a destination.

3. His master was the only one who knew where they were going.

4. The view never changed (dashboard, sky; dashboard, sky). However, he was content with his circumstance.

5. His master could see obstacles ahead and avoid them. Yet, he was unaware of even their existence.

6. His purpose for being there was simply to adore and bring companionship to his master.

7. If he were to attempt to control the vehicle certain disaster would result.

8. He does not need to know how a car works or what makes it go in order to reach his destination. He simply climbs in beside his master and worships until he gets there.

Let’s all just cuddle up to “The Master”

and enjoy our ride to wherever “there” is.

Romans 1:20

What to do when life gets hard.

Title: The Path to Blessing

Author: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Source: Streams in the Desert
Scripture Reference: Deuteronomy 1:36-36

"To him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon because he hath wholly followed the Lord" (Deut. 1:36).

Every hard duty that lies in your path, that you would rather not do, that it will cost you pain and struggle or sore effort to do, has a blessing in it. Not to do it, at whatever cost, is to miss the blessing.

Every hard piece of road on which you see the Master's shoe-prints and along which He bids you follow Him, surely leads to blessing, which you cannot get if you cannot go over the steep, thorny path.

Every point of battle to which you come, where you must draw your sword and fight the enemy, has a possible victory which will prove a rich blessing to your life. Every heavy load that you are called to lift hides in itself some strange secret of strength. --J. R. Miller

"I cannot do it alone;
The waves run fast and high,
And the fogs close all around,
The light goes out in the sky;
But I know that we two
Shall win in the end, Jesus and I.

"Coward and wayward and weak,
I change with the changing sky;
Today so eager and bright,
Tomorrow too weak to try;
But He never gives in,
So we two shall win, Jesus and I.

"I could not guide it myself,
My boat on life's wild sea;
There's One who sits by my side,
Who pulls and steers with me.
And I know that we two
Shall safe enter port,
Jesus and I."

Happy Mothers Day?

This morning Gwyn asked me to help the boys make cinnamon toast for her and Grammy for Mother's day. 30 minutes later this was the results. In my defense I put it too far away from the broiler and then realized it and moved it too close to the burner. oops! Later, as Gwyn and Mom prepared more cinnamon toast, it occurred to me that I had really made a masterful play for Mother's Day. I had made them feel needed which I believe is an important thing for any mom to feel. They need to know that without them in our lives we will never survive! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, Gwyn! We could not live without you!

A Shared Trauma - Good-bye to Billy and Laurie

I've always heard of how soldiers or victims of natural disasters are often bound together in deep friendships by their having shared a stressful situation. This phenomenon has now become personal to me! The stress of leaving all, moving your family to another country and breaking through the language barrier for example; not to mention all the other stresses of life in general are shared by all of the students here at school. But, for me one couple in particular found their way deeply into my heart.
Billy and Laurie Drum are wonderful people from the Great "country" of Texas. They graduated after 2 trimesters and will be serving the Lord in Peru after 6 weeks in Texas. Billy is a tall skinny teddy bear of a man that cries about as easily as I do. I must say that I love him most for teaching me to make his Mexican salsa. Laurie is everything you expect a good Texas woman to be strong, independent and highly intelligent. She and I had a break at the same time each day (2nd tri.) and we had some great talks between class. She was never afraid to tell me when I had a bad case of stupid and I greatly appreciated her for that.
They have 2 older sons Ryan and Miles and a daughter Sara who is their crown jewel. She is 4 and was in Jesse's class at school. They were totally cute together and great playmates. I have a not so secret desire that they will meet in college and fall in love. I asked Billy and Laurie how they felt about arranged marriages and they did not seem entirely opposed to the idea.
I'm not sure how life here will be without them, but God had a plan for our time together and I'm sure He has a plan for our time apart as well, but, I hope that we will be together again on this side of Glory. May the Lord bless them in all they do!

Proverbs 20:6
"Son muchos los que proclaman su lealtad, ¿pero quién puede hallar a alguien digno de confianza?" (NVI)

"Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving, but where on earth can you find one?" (The Message Bible)

I found not one but two and I will not soon forget them! For they have carried a piece of me with them.

Learning to sew

I (Gwyn) have the sewing bug. I am taking a quilting class here and want to get a sewing machine when we come home. I got Sierra a my first sewing kit and I bought me one too, so we could make the things together. She has done pretty good, it is good practice in patience. We made a pretty little bag and now we are working on stuffed animals.

Grammy's Here

Grammy Sugar is here for a month. We were all glad to see here and of course she brought presents. Shay has always loved music and so do our kids, we have finally entered the 21 century and Grammy brought everyone MP3 players. The kids love them, even Jesse has this little bitty one and they dance around. If they are by themselves they really enjoy it and sing and dance, but if they are all in the room together they keep asking what song the other is listening to and saying listen to mine.. Damie has loaded his with Toby Mac (a little of his mom's influence) and the other two love praise and worship music.