Zach's newest accomplishment...

Today was a big day in Zach's life! Today, he received his retainer! He has been VERY excited for this day to come! He needs it to hold space where he had some back teeth removed. He has been counting down the days until today! At 6:05 this morning, he woke up and told me that "in 6 hours minus 5 minutes (12 noon)" he would have his retainer! He chose BRIGHT neon yellow for the "roof of the mouth" part, and had chosen to have the Virginia Tech logo put on it - the kids get to choose a picture to have incorporated into the plastic. Well, someone must have written down the wrong code for the picture - he ended up with the logo for the UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI!!! I know David was thrilled! Every Hokie dad wants his son to sport the Hurricanes logo on his retainer! Hee hee! The ladies at the orthodontist's office were trying to figure out what to do. Well, being the totally laid back kid that Zach is, he decided it looked cool - like field goal posts (since it is a "U"). He is very excited about his new acquisition - as you can see from the picture!

Happy Independence Day!

Hope all of you enjoyed celebrating our nation's birthday today! We drove to Carolina Beach for the day and enjoyed some watermelon and waves! This afternoon, we read the Declaration of Independence and talked about the sacrifices that our founding fathers made as they fought for the birth of this great country! We wrapped up our evening with fireworks at the local high school. We are so thankful for the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom - they vowed to bow to "no king but King Jesus!" May we do the same in our own personal lives! Happy Independence Day!

Contenders of the Faith

I was reading Jude 1-4 today, and wanted to share with you what God has reminded me of through the words written by Jude and inspired by God:

"Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James; To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
Jude 1-4

In his letter, Jude exhorts fellow believers by reminding them that they are "called, sanctified and preserved in Jesus Christ". He then goes on to tell them that he is writing to warn them of imminent concerns about false teachers and heretics who are already in the midst of the believers. He spurs them on to contend, or fight, for the faith. Those believers are not called to contend for the faith passively, however, but earnestly! This word comes from a Greek word meaning "to agonize greatly". These heretics were twisting the Word of God and denying the Lord God and Lord Jesus Christ.

How the words in this letter are true for today, as well! So many in our culture seek to twist the laws of God and reject the authority of Jesus Christ. It is seen everywhere - on television, in our schools, in our politics. Woe to us if we don't stand against these heretics and contend for the faith! The lies of Satan are spreading through our culture at a startling rate - so many today assert that there is no absolute truth, that man should be free to live as he desires, and anything contrary to that is seen as intolerance. We as Christians must take a stand for the truth - I commit to speaking out and contending for the faith is this dark, lost world. Do you?

Great Season, Knights!

Unfortunately, Maggie's softball team lost on Tuesday and Wednesday, so they are out of the tournament. But, they had a great season! Maggie enjoyed playing, and some of the girls from last season were on her team again this year. They will wrap up the season with a pool party and trophy presentation next Monday. Great job, Knights, and Mags!

One step closer to the big game!

Maggie's softball team (the Knights) started off their tournament with an awesome win tonight over the Gators! Maggie got a couple of runs, and pitched a great game! Because they won tonight, the girls will play again tomorrow night for a spot in Friday's championship game. Way to go Knights! Keep it up!!!! I tried to include pictures - dealing with a grumpy computer tonight. I will try again later!

Great Season, Red Sox!!!

Sorry it has been so long since our last update! We have been very busy with schoolwork, baseball and softball, and life in general! This weekend was Zach's baseball tournament. He played coach pitch level this year, and had a really great season! His favorite position is pitcher, and he is pretty good! The team won their game yesterday, so they played again this afternoon. After a VERY tough game, they lost 12 - 6, but played a great game! Maggie's tournament begins this Friday, and I will keep you posted on how it goes!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

The children and I (Lisa) have begun a study of Botany for science. We are really enjoying all of the hands-on learning that we have been experiencing! One of our projects was to build a light hut to germinate seeds. David was the Official Light Hut Engineer - way to go, Dad! We planted several different varieties of vegetable and flower seeds. It was amazing to observe the process from seed to seedling to plant! This morning, we took our plants outside and planted our own version of a victory garden! What a great way to learn about God's creation!