PLUS ULTRA ...there is more beyond...

Read the Bible Daily

2012-01-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Some solid words of advice from J.C. Ryle:

"Make it a part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s Word. Private means of grace are just as needful every day for our souls — as food and clothing are for our bodies. Yesterday’s food will not feed the laborer today; and today’s food will not feed the laborer tomorrow. Do as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Gather your manna fresh every morning. Choose your own seasons and hours. Do not scramble over and hurry your reading. Give your Bible the best, and not the worst part of your time! But whatever plan you pursue, let it be a rule of your life to visit the throne of grace and God’s Word every day."

Winter Has Struck But...

2012-01-24T13:57:00.004-07:00

Okay, so winter has finally struck up in Minnesota with below zero temperatures and some snowfall. It was inevitable I guess. But we are keeping warm with thoughts of our upcoming trip to Orlando, Florida for this year's Ligonier Ministries National Conference- yippee! This year will be the best conference of all as my dear husband will be attending with me for the first time ever. I have always wanted to share in this with him so I am really, really, really excited! This year's conference theme is the Christian mind and is being advertized thusly...

BURNING HEARTS ARE NOT NOURISHED BY EMPTY HEADS

One of the things most alarming about today’s culture is the way in which evangelicals are responding to attacks. Gone are the days, it seems at times, when believers devoted themselves to thinking deeply about the world in order to respond humbly to the church’s enemies without ceding any intellectual ground. Many evangelicals have bought into the idea that having one’s heart in the right place is all that matters—that a passion for Jesus and the life of the mind are mutually exclusive. What this view misses is that burning hearts are not nourished by empty heads. We must develop our minds if we are to sustain our passion for the Savior and deal with the bias against us.

At Ligonier Ministries’ 2012 National Conference, we will be addressing this problem as we consider the theme of “The Christian Mind.” From March 15-17, 2012, R.C. Sproul will be joined by Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, Michael Horton, Steven J. Lawson, Albert Mohler, Stephen Meyer, R.C. Sproul Jr., and Del Tackett to consider the importance of building a Christian worldview, the role of education in the Christian life, science and God’s natural revelation, defending the faith, and many other topics. It promises to be an exciting time of training and fellowship as we all learn how better to think like Christians in order that we might live like Christians.

On top of this spectacular event we will also enjoy our time in Orlando by visiting the Cheesecake Factory nightly and this cool looking cigar lounge called Corona Cigar Co. Once the conference is over we will head down to Tampa for a few days where we will stay in a hotel on the water. Tampa has a number of cigar places to visit as well as Busch Gardens which is easily the best theme park in the country as it houses wild animals and roller coasters! Awesome!

Winter in Minnesota?

2012-01-09T11:31:00.004-07:00

We have been having some very mild temps so far this winter in Minnesota. I have to say I am quite pleased with them. Last week we had a day that reached 57! Yesterday was another nice sunny day so Matt and I decided to enjoy a little hooka action. As you can see in the picture we have no snow. Today's high is 45 while tomorrow's is 50- yippee! The news is attributing this mild winter to La Nina. Whatever the cause is I like it!

We picked up this hot plate at Menards to assist in heating the hookah cools which is a very convenient way to do it. The only thing that would be better is if we were in Arizona using hot mesquite coals from the fire pit! Someday...

Matthew Perryman Jones

2011-12-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

If you don't know the music of Matthew Perryman Jones you are missing out. Here is one of his many awesome songs. I especially love the last verse.

Josh Garrels

2011-12-28T18:04:00.004-07:00

I can't get enough of this song- AWESOME!!

Improvements to Our Hacienda

2011-12-28T07:56:00.001-07:00

Matt and I have wanted Mexican saltillo tile for as long as I can remember and we are finally having it installed in our Tucson Hacienda. Here are some pictures of the project so far. It is not yet finished but we can already tell how beautiful it will be when it is done. Our tile installer and favorite handyman, Tavo, is doing a superb job and even adding to the Mexican-ness of it all by etching Mexican pictures into some of the tiles. I will add more pictures once it is done. I can't wait to see it and one day, Lord willing, live in this Hacienda!

Christmas

2011-12-28T07:46:00.002-07:00

This was the first actual Christmas that Matt and I have ever spent with my family. We headed up to my Mom's on Christmas Eve after I got out of work and stayed over for two nights. Christmas day was spent lounging, feasting, laughing, playing games, and singing Christmas hymns.

Jax's first Christmas

Libs loved her Tangled backpack

Levi loved his Star Wars sticker book

Jax in his new monster hat, covered in Lib's groovy girl dolls

Grandpa Joe loved his treat basket

My Mom's delicious Christmas spread

Our Christmas wines

Singing Christmas hymns together

Mad Skillz!

2011-12-24T17:27:00.001-07:00

Matt built us this beautiful wine rack, and just in time for Christmas. This husband of mine has mad skillz! Our new favorite place to sit will now be in the basement facing this beauty! Thanks, honey!

Ron Paul, the Military & Foreign Policy

2011-12-20T07:54:00.004-07:00

Ron Paul is the only candidate to vote for. His foreign policy throws many people off... until they actually give it some thought and then realize they have been feeding on the war propaganda of Washington. Our first clue is to see who our men and women in uniform are are supporting.

One other thing to take note of- when a candidate is ferociously hated by all the corrupt politicians and the corrupt mass media (who do not report with journalistic integrity but rather are all about pushing their agenda - yes I am talking about FOX, CNN and the rest) this should also clue you in on who to vote for!

Winter Has Arrived

2011-12-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

We had the first real snow of the season yesterday. I had been telling Matt that we probably wouldn't have snow until December but he didn't believe me. I am glad it held off this long and hopefully we won't get dumped on this year the way Minnesota did last year. We found out today that snow blowing isn't as fun or as easy as it looks. Some of this might have to do with our particular snow blower which we bought used off of craig's list. The other part of it is that we don't know anything about snow blowing and are finding out as we go things like wet snow clogs up the blower and you have to go super slow in the lowest gear. Who knew? The worst part of it all is that we have many, many feet of sidewalk we are responsible for which might as well be an ice skating rink. Luckily our nice neighbor from across the street came over to tell us where we can get a free salt and sand.

Wine for Normal People

2011-11-22T20:26:00.001-07:00

I have been learning tons about wine over the last month. Wanting to better serve my customers in my new job I threw myself into wine research. I have found an extremely helpful wine podcast that I highly recommend called Wine for Normal People. It can be downloaded for free on itunes. I have been listening to that as well as reading the couple of wine books I have. I also had to attend a wine tasting last week for work with 50 wines from around the world. The goal was to find some new wines for the store- a tough job but somebody's got to do it! On top of this tasting I also get to taste wines just about daily at work. And sometimes I even get sent home with wines like this Steltzner Claret. Again, a tough job...

The Return of McMom

2011-11-01T08:54:00.008-07:00

McMom can't get enough of Minnesota! And now that I have taken her to the best craft store ever- Hobby Lobby- she is sure to return for a third visit in the future!

This was a lightning trip but was very fun and productive as she bought me a beginner's sewing machine for my birthday and taught me how to sew- yippee! We sewed blankets, napkins, bread cloths, and furry-fringed legwarmers for the upcoming Minnesota winter. I also learned about button holes and zippers. I can't wait until I am making my own beautiful curtains!

We also had another visitor come down to see McMom- my Mom. She slept over one night and we had a ball. We took the moms to my work so they could see the store and meet my bosses. My boss Peg surprised me with great kindness when she gave me 2 bottles of wine and not just any two bottles but my favorite two- Souverain and Castello Gabbiano's Chianti Classico. This was say thanks for Matt's help as he came in a few days and helped around the store before it opened. So that was very nice. And because my work research must continue we took home two additional bottles- one German Riesling called Funf and an Old Vines Zinfandel for Matt who loves the Zins.

We then went home where we feasted on McMom's famous roast and Yorkshire pudding- yum! And then came the highlight of the evening, Spades. Matt and I have not had anyone to play Spades with since we left Arizona so this was a real treat for us. The moms were good enough to oblige us in this though they didn't know how to play. We played Team McReynolds against Team Likes. A hard battle was fought and I am sad to say Team McReynolds won... though it was by the skin of their teeth. The best part of the game was the last hand where my Mom made a bad move and I merely responded with some slight indignation and for some reason this caused a severe fit of uncontrollable laughter. To preserve the dignity of some at the table I will just say that I stress that the laughter was uncontrollable!

Work Research...

2011-10-21T05:34:00.005-07:00

I didn't really start drinking wine until we were living overseas. I mean we would have wine with Matt's dad when he would take us out to eat at nice restaurants but I really didn't appreciate it and often times it just made me sleepy. Living in Ireland and taking multiple trips around Europe changed all of that. It started with wine tastings and turned quickly into full blown love for wine. I remember the first time we went to Italy, drinking carafes of wine that were filled from spigots on the wall in the restaurants. Though the atmosphere was so cool I remember thinking Italy's wine odd. Then somehow Chiantis became my favorite and sangiovese my grape of choice.

When traveling we tasted wine almost everywhere we went and were even fortunate enough to do wine tours in Bordeaux, France and in Tuscany. These I will never forget as seeing vineyards and chateaus in the Tuscan countryside is nothing less than stunning and eating a multiple course French meal with fresh cheeses and wines is unforgettable. My mouth waters even now at the thought of it and my heart fills with joy!

Most women like sweet white wines- well, not me. The bigger, the bolder, the redder, the better! Give me Chiantis, Cabernets, Zinfandels, Tempernillos, and Portugal's best reds. Give me any red wine from Italy and I will love it. Give me a full bodied, fruit forward, dry, smooth wine but do not give me sweet.

I know what I like but now working at a wine store I see how deficient my knowledge is in wine (particularly in whites) and I am excited to learn more, taste, read and share with those who come in. So I've pulled out all my wine books and have started tasting wines I don't normally drink (as you can see in the picture above I had a Chardonnay with dinner last night which is unheard of in my house). The wine vendors that come into the store will no doubt also be of great value in my wine education and I've already met my favorite vendor who carries my favorite wine of all time which is a Cabernet Sauvignon called Souverain from the Alexander Valley. I am trying to talk my bosses into carrying this wine so the vendor is going to bring it in for them to taste. He is also bringing a great Chianti called Castello Gabiano. We visited this gorgeous vineyard while in Tuscany.

Valleyscare Weekend

2011-10-18T08:38:00.006-07:00

Extreme Swing

Matt and I headed up to the Twin Cities over the weekend in order to join Reegz, Cbass and Janni in their spooky evening of Valleyscare and to surprise my nephew Jace with the dresser we recently painted for him.

"Valleyscare" happens each October when Minnesota's beloved amusement park ,Valleyfair, fills the park with spooky haunts. I hate all things scary but since Matt loves them and never gets to watch scary movies with me I thought we should go. I did not go in any of the scarey attractions with my group but I did indulge myself in many a ride. Valleyfair was part of my upbringing as my dad took us every year for Regan's birthday. I loved it then and love it still. Even though each year I find myself more and more afflicted with motion sickness (can't watch some TV, movies, and most all video games) I can still ride the wild rails of rollercoasters, thank God! This year I braved the "Extreme Swing." Words can hardly describe the feeling you get when you're falling forward from the top, other than to say I thought I was gonna die, but this ride is awesome! The rollercoaster "Wild Thing" was also a favorite. I did not have whatever it takes to ride the wicked looking rollercoaster "Steel Venom" but Matt, who will brave any ride, enjoyed it.

We were happy that Jace was gone for the weekend- not because we didn't want to see him- but because we wanted to sneak his new dresser into his room while he was away so he could come home and be surprised by it. It turned out pretty well me thinks. Good job Matt!

Before

After

Mayo Foundation Gala

2011-10-08T14:07:00.001-07:00

Matt and I got to go to a formal dinner last night at the Mayo Foundation House for his work. The house is pretty much a castle and used to be occupied by Dr. Mayo and his wife. We had wine and h'orderves on the main floor and then moved up 2 floors to a grand wooden paneled banquet type room where we had a 3 course meal staring filet mignon which could be cut with a butter knife. The dinner ended with pumpkin cheese cake and then cordials and chocolate dipped strawberries on the way out. I think this was the first time in my life I ever ate with real silverware. Anyway a good time was had by all and the best part of the night was getting to see my handsome husband dressed up and getting to wear a gown myself- always fun!

I Don't Know Why He is So Fat!

2011-10-07T12:32:00.007-07:00

Sharptooth thought he was in cat-heaven when I refilled his food storage container and left it down for a few minutes so I could take his picture.

First Fruits of My New Labor

2011-10-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I got a part time job at a wine store!

Don't worry, I am not giving up domestic engineering. I just thought it would be fun to use my extra time to work in a field I love such as wine.

I am excited but not as excited as Matt. We stopped in to the store today so he could see it and meet my new boss. By the end of the conversation Matt was offering to come in and help out at the store. He was thinking he was going to help with stocking or something of that nature but my boss said Matt could come in and help out with wine tasting. I mean we do need to make sure this store is selling the most delicious wines. Then he sent us home with a bottle of wine to test out... I like this job already!

New Blog Alert!

2011-09-30T13:29:00.001-07:00

As many of you know I love to blog. I have more than one blog. The one you're currently on is what I consider to be my personal blog. My second blog, The Traveler's Table, is one I started while living overseas. It is dedicated to food and recipes particular to countries or regions. I got the idea for this blog when I started seeing how different food was when you have it in the actual country it comes from. I have now started a third blog called With My Hands which I have given the tagline "creating, restoring, and all around homemaking." This new blog will concentrate on things that I (and we) do around the house including furniture restoration, cooking and baking, DIY projects and will also include more things as I learn them, Lord willing, such as sewing, gardening, and a bit of homesteading, etc. I hope you'll stop in for a visit!

Birthday Shirt

2011-09-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

I received this shirt as a birthday gift from mi buena amiga Yunuen. She is from Morelia, Mexico. We have been friends for about 5 years now and she knows how much I love Mexican food, music, houses, architecture, decorating, colors, furniture, culture, etc. She knows I am really Mexican inside so she had this shirt made for me. Everytime I look at it I can't help but smile! Thanks Amiga- I will wear it with pride... or shall I say orgullo!

Birthday Weekend Extravaganza

2011-09-26T16:13:00.002-07:00

What a wonderful Birthday weekend I had! Saturday morning we headed up to the Jerry Robinson seminar which was very interesting, informative, and at times scary. Robinson is a brilliant guy and he fears the Lord. I learned a lot and especially liked the session where Robinson explained the petro dollar system- which clarifies so many things about American politics and our foreign policy. It was also cool to meet Robinson after listening to his podcast for the last couple of years. He remembered us contacting him in the past as the couple who was "listening over in Ireland while sitting on the porch with wine and cigars"!

After the seminar we headed over to the Booya with the family. Booya is a stew that my uncle makes by cooking it for 2 days in this giant drum. There is so much he gives all the guests ice cream pails to take booya home with them. The booya is full of homegrown veggies, beef, pork and chicken as my uncle lives on a farm. Delicious!

Everyone takes pictures in the oversized chair after they are stuffed full of booya.

It was Jax's first booya.

After the booya we headed back to Regan's where we had a fire pit with some friends which was also fun. Lots of talk about the seminar, Ron Paul and the like. Then on Sunday after church my Mom started cooking the birthday feast- turkey and all the goes with it! It was the best birthday meal I ever had.

After dinner I didn't have to do any dishes but got to snuggle up with Jax instead. He loves me and and thinks of me as his favorite auntie.

All in all it was a great birthday. Thanks to my loving husband and family (including my third sista Cbass)!

Birthday Spoil

2011-09-23T09:14:00.006-07:00

Today is my birthday and I woke up to find one wrapped present in bed with me, one wrapped present in the fridge, and one more wrapped present on the TV stand. My husband is so darn cute! And he knows what I love most- books! He got me these three books which I have been wanting real bad. Thanks honey!

This is going to be a fun birthday weekend. Tonight Matt and I will have a delicious dinner and wine and then tomorrow we will head up to the Twin Cities where we will be attending a day seminar with our favorite economist Jerry Robinson. And I am so excited that Regan and Pete are joining us for this. After the seminar we will be heading over to Wisconsin to my uncle Tommy's farm where he is having his annual booya. For those of you who have never heard of a booya think giant, delicious stew. My dad's side of the family has been having booyas every year for as long as I can remember but because I've lived away I haven't been to one for years. I am excited to see my Uncle Tommy who my sisters promise me looks and talks just like my dad. After the booya we are having a fire back at Regan's with some friends. We will sleep over and then Sunday after church my mom is cooking me my favorite meal for my birthday which is Thanksgiving- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, green bean casserole, fresh bread, pumpking pie... YUM!

Update: A few hours after I wrote this post I found another wrapped present in my car! Another book from my wishlist- yippee! Thanks honey!

Near Our Family Cabin

2011-09-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

About a week ago my uncle saw this amazing site right near our family cabin in Danbury, Wisconsin and snapped this picture. In all my years of living in Wisconsin/Minnesota I never saw a moose. But I guess they're out there. Wow!

Domestic Engineering

2011-09-01T06:35:00.003-07:00

I got a kick out of reading this article this morning which I spotted on the Challies blog. It brings to mind my own situation of being a homemaker... with no kids. Moving around so much over the past couple of years I am often meeting new people and facing the dreaded, "and what do you do?" question. In Ireland I was told by the immigration people, whose job it is to ask this question upon entrance into the country, that I was a "lady of leisure." For a while it was fun to say that but now I am looking for a better answer that yields a better result when faced with said question. I want my answer to reveal in the most serious and gracious way possible that my situation is acceptable by God and my husband and, dare I say, even blessed as well. Matt and I marvel from time to time how the majority of men (and women) do not value a wife at home anymore. Not even in households with kids. It seems that all that is valued anymore is a wage. This seems to be sadly true in many Christian homes as well.

When people find out that I do not work they then immediately assume I am home with the children. When they find out we don't have children and I don't work (GASP!) they don't know what to make of me. Am I lazy? Do I not have any employable skills? Why on earth would I not work? Why on earth do I sit home with no kids? Maybe I am sitting on the couch all day watching soap operas, eating bonbons? Strangers are thrown off by this domestic situation of mine. And some people who aren't strangers but friends and family don't know what to make of it either. Some even look down on it. And some are even Christians.

I mean what kind of wife must I be? And what kind of man must my husband be to allow such? What goes on in this strange household?! Well let me tell you. My husband comes home to a clean, inviting home with a relaxing atmosphere where he can unwind from a day of stressful work. Don't get me wrong, my husband enjoys his work but he does work in a challenging field where his mind must be fully engaged or else people die. That being said he appreciates coming home- not to chaos or additional work- but to relax and enjoy a homemade meal. You see I love to care for my husband and my home. I love to cook, bake, clean, organize, make our home beautiful, and even mow the lawn! I love to spend money wisely and find the best prices on all that we buy. I am by no means a perfect wife but I try to do whatever I can so that when my husband gets home he can just chill and we can spend time together doing things we enjoy. Sounds ludicrous doesn't it?! On top of my immediate household responsibilities I also have time for other things, such as attending Bible studies, reading, ministry, learning new things to benefit my household (gardening, canning, and sewing are on the horizon) and I actually have time for people.

We are blessed by God in Matt's career. He enjoys what he does and he brings home the bacon. I do not have to hold a job outside the home but that doesn't mean I don't bring value to our household. I used to work outside the home in a "real job," a career I could have retired from someday. But homemaking is what I was cutout for. Homemaking is my vocation. I do not miss the workplace at all and I am so thankful that I am able to stay home and care for my family and home. Thanks and praise be to God for this wonderful blessing.

Hungry Jax the Barnacle

2011-08-22T12:18:00.001-07:00

Last week I got up to the cities and was finally able to see my adorable nephew, Jax. He is 4 weeks old now and much more active than the last time I saw him. He makes all kinds of squawks and what my sister calls "kitty sounds." I think she just calls them that so I can think of him as a cat and not be afraid of him! Anyway, he eats non-stop (this is how Grandpa Joe named him hungry Jax) and is awake much more now. It was quite a feat for me to get him to go to sleep. He likes to be held up high and given little spanks on his bottom (just like my cat Indi!) and then he'll finally go to sleep so I can snuggle with him.

A Life Changing Read

2011-08-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

This book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am just finishing up this book by Randy Alcorn. I have never read anything by Alcorn and I have never read anything on heaven before. I read this over the course of about 6 months and I am dying to read it again. I am wondering if there is a study guide to go along with it so I can get the most of out of it. I am also wondering what other books I can read on heaven.

I have been thinking wrong about heaven my whole life. I can't believe what God has in store for us! This definitely changes the way I look at life, maybe the way I look at everything...

Learning Skills 101: Learning How to Learn

2011-08-11T07:32:00.001-07:00

I have been listening to some great lectures on "The Life of the Mind" given by Presbyterian minister Kenneth Samples. This is an eight part class he taught using Mortimer Adlers's book "How to Read a Book." This class is right up my alley and I am hoping to get Adler's book soon so I can read it and further sharpen my reading skills. If you love reading and learning I highly recommend this class which can be downloaded for free here The Life of the Mind by Kenneth Samples

Class lectures are as follows:

Intelligent Reading - Introduction"

Intelligent Reading - The Academic 10 Commandments"

Intelligent Reading - The Renaissance Christian"

Intelligent Reading - IDEAS"

Intelligent Reading - Introduction to Logic"

Intelligent Reading - What Makes a Good Argument"

Intelligent Reading - Three Types of Arguments: Deductive, Inductive, and Abductive"

Intelligent Reading - Logical Fallacies"

Matt at Work

2011-08-01T08:02:00.001-07:00

First Visitors!

2011-07-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today I received my first visitors to our new house. Jax came down with his mom and aunties. They brought me a beautiful housewarming basket of wine, cheese, raviolis, chocolate goodies and coffee mugs. We had lunch and hung out for a while. I don't know how its possible but Jax is even cuter than the last time I saw him! Indi was very interested in him when he was snoozing on the futon. I had to guard him from her as Cbass was convinced that Indi thought he was a baby kitten and that she wanted to drag him away by the scruff of his neck up into her cat tree so she could nurse him and clean him...

Thanks for coming ladies and for bringing Jax and the goodies!

He's Here!

2011-07-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

Thursday morning Jax fled the womb for the world. Weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces mom was glad to get him out! He is so precious I can't stop petting him! He and mom are doing well. Praise the Lord!

35 Miles Closer to Tucson

2011-07-19T08:19:00.003-07:00

As many of you know the Midwest (and much of the rest of the country) is undergoing a freak heat wave. We were lucky enough to be moving in the middle of it this passed weekend. Saturday afternoon we arrived in Rochester to unload our moving truck in 100+ degrees. I heard on the news this morning that yesterday's temp was 115 when you factor in the heat index- SICK! Let me state for the record that Arizona's heat IS A DRY HEAT and much more bearable than this Midwest summer!

Despite the heat we are settling into our new house and area very well. Rochester is around 120,000 people which seems po-dunk next to the Twin Cities, which boasts a population of over 2 million, but I really like this town. It has most everything you need and nothing is very far away. Matt has traded in a 25 mile drive (one way) to work for a 3 mile drive. Our new home sits in the southwest side of the city with many stores close by and countryside not much further away. This town is very manageable and the area is very pretty with many hills and trees. I think I could get used to here...

Levi the Twin's Catcher

2011-07-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Living far away from my family for the past 12 years I have missed most everything having to do with my nephews and niece. Fortunately we were here for baseball season this year and got to see most of my nephew Levi's games. Towards the end of the season he started playing catcher and he is so darn cute in his catcher's uniform! Here are some pics from the championship tournament from this passed weekend.

Our Next Project

2011-07-11T18:43:00.002-07:00

Summer Nights at the River

2011-07-08T20:12:00.001-07:00

My sister Regan lives by the St. Croix River and she often takes her kids to the beach to swim. This is the spot where she and I baptized each other about 10 years ago after we became Christians. Tonight we went to this beach for an evening BBQ with Regan's family and my other sister Jamie and a couple friends, the Bransons and Jane. Matt grilled us up some burgers while the kids swam and buried themselves in sand. Good times!

Baby Lundstrom En Route!

2011-07-08T13:34:00.002-07:00

We recently had a shower for my sister Regan who is pregnant with child #4. She surprised me in a great way with the news of the baby the week I moved up here by taking me out "shopping" for the afternoon but really she took me to her ultrasound appointment. When she told me where we were I screamed in the car! As many of you know I don't want kids myself but I am totally excited about my sis having another baby! He is due to arrive July 21st.

Madre McReynolds Visit

2011-07-08T13:20:00.004-07:00

Shortly after Matt's dad was here visiting we got a visit from Matt's mom, Sandi and his niece Ariana. Ariana is 3 and half and so this was her first trip. She was very excited to go on an adventure with her NaNa to see Matt and Dana. She did very well on the plane and handled being away form her parents. They were here for just over a week. We took them to Rochester, Stillwater, shopping, to the movies, to the park, Como Zoo, and swimming at Regan's. The weather was hit and miss and the pool too cold for their Arizona blood but all in all we had a good time. I was very excited for Ariana and Liberty to meet as they are the cutest girls in the world and I am not just saying this because they are my nieces!

Midwest Severe Storms

2011-07-08T13:00:00.003-07:00

My mom lives in northwestern Wisconsin where she also owns a cabin. We all planned to go up to the cabin for the 4th of July weekend. Friday night severe storms swept across Minnesota into northwestern Wisconsin. The severe storm hit my mom's town, Danbury around 7PM. My mom and Joe had just left the cabin and were driving in the car when the black sky let loose rain, thunder, and incredible winds. "Straight line winds" is what the news said afterwards but I wonder if there wasn't a tornado hidden in the storm too. The storm ripped trees out by the roots as well as chopped many off halfway up and twisted others. By the grace of God my mom and Joe were okay as well as her house and cabin. Her car and garage roof each suffered a tree but the damage was minimal compared to what it could have been. The sons-in-laws all headed up over the weekend and helped Joe with cleanup, chain-sawing trees until the blades could take no more. They worked hard through heat and because my mom's house was out of power for 3 days it was a real challenge to get water. The worse part is that Joe's dog died in the storm. He was in the house and it seems he dropped dead from fear as he was extremely afraid of thunder. Joe is very sad as he had the dog for 9 years and took him everywhere with him. We are going up again tomorrow to continue the clearing.

Padre McReynolds Visit

2011-07-01T11:41:00.002-07:00

As usual I am way behind on my posting. We have had a number of visitors in the past few weeks, plus some birthdays, a baby shower, and hoedown in Cowtown (a big family get together with my dad's side in Hastings). On top of this we are getting ready to move and have been in the process of buying a house. To say the least we've been busy and have busy weeks ahead.

Matt's dad was here for 4 days in early June. He helped us move up here in January and returned in summer for a proper visit. A few places we took him while he was here were Rochester, White Bear lake, downtown Stillwater, Roma Market, and to see the Mississippi River. There were baby Canadian Honkers everywhere while he was here. We consummed much wine and cheese and had a grand ole' time. Here are some pics. As you can see this Arizona native found June in Minnesota to warrant a jacket!

at White Bear lake

Lift bridge in downtown Stillwater/St. Croix River

eating in downtown Stillwater

cheese plate

honker babies

Memorial Day Weekend Family Fun

2011-06-04T11:54:00.001-07:00

The family cabin is on this crick

Grandpa Joe playing Libs in some tether ball

Libs learning how to play badminton

The badminton court where many a battle was fought

Grandpa Joe and the snaggletooth Sparky dog

Reegz, Jax and Libs

Levi taking a dip in the crick

Jace giving Libs a piggy-back ride in the crick

Cbass, me and Reegs

Pete and Reegz

Levi torturing his sister on the trampoline

Gatos

2011-06-04T11:09:00.002-07:00

Levi was kind enough to give the grass caterpillar he made in school this spring to the cats. Since they can't go outside they really appreciated the gift. Indi especially loves to chew on it. I'll keep watering it til she eats it down to the nylon. Thanks, Levi!

This picture speaks for itself, literally...

Making the Switch :(

2011-06-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last week Matt had to go to the Minnesota MVD and switch our vehicle plates and his license over to Minnesota. I refuse to surrender my Arizona license but every time I look at the car now all I can do is just shake my head.

Lately...

2011-05-23T15:30:00.003-07:00

We have been having a lot of fun over the past few weeks doing many different things that I have been meaning to blog about. We have made a few trips down to Rochester as Matt has been interviewing at the Mayo Clinic. I have been doing one of my favorite things there- looking at houses! We are trying to decide if we are going to buy one or not and we are still unsure at this point but I have already found one I really like. We also attended a great conference at our church on desiring God given by Pastor John. Amazing! That same weekend we also had a fun Cinco de Mayo fiesta at my sister's house with my family and some friends. My two funniest aunts came from cowtown and cracked Matt right up. We made chiles rellenos for the fiesta along with Mexican red rice, beans, tacos, guacamole and salsa. No one had ever had rellenos before and they got mixed reviews. I used the mildest chile I could find but some thought they were too hot (this is Minnesota afterall). I also attended a free lunch concert with my sister Jamie who loves music (and loves all things free!). She talked me into going with her to see Easton Corbin who I had never heard before. I don't listen to a whole lot of country but I like acoustic guitars and twang so I appreciated the show. We met him afterward as you can see in the pics. Well, that's just a few of the different things we've been up to lately. We have a busy month coming up with visits to the cabin and visitors coming up to see us from the desert. We'll also begin packing soon for our move south to Rochester which I am considering a small detour on our way to Tucson.

Spring Has Finally Sprung

2011-05-23T15:19:00.001-07:00

Looking down my street

Spring has finally sprung up here in Minnesota and there are beautiful blooming trees and flowers everywhere. I was ecstatic to find a lilac bush next to my garage because this is my favorite flower of all due to its wonderful aroma. They only bloom for a few weeks each spring so you can be sure I will be picking them every day for my tabletop til they disappear. I will try and bring my camera out and about with me so I can capture more of the beautiful Minnesota spring to share with y'all.

Bleeding hearts- a perfect flower in the yard of a perfusionist!

A lilac bush in my yard

My favorite flower!

You Might Be A Minnesotan If...

2011-05-23T06:00:00.009-07:00

You consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 18 inches

 of ice and sitting there all day hoping the food will swim by.

You are proud that your state makes the national news 96 nights

each  year because International Falls is the coldest city in the nation.

You have refused to buy something because it's too "spendy."

You think a basketball team consists of twelve white boys.

You're a card-carrying member of both the NRA and the ACLU.

Your local Dairy Queen is closed from December through February.

You instinctively walk like a penguin for three months out of the year.

Someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there.

Your dad's sun tan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead.

You have apologized to a telemarketer.

You may not have actually eaten it, but you have heard of Lutefisk.

You have worn shorts and a parka at the same time.

You have either a pet or a child named "Kirby."

Your town has an equal number of bars and churches.

You have had an entire telephone conversation with someone who

dialed a wrong number.

You know how to say Wayzata, Mahtomedi, and Shakopee.

You grew up thinking rice was only for dessert.

You think that ketchup is a little too spicy.

Every January, from age 2 to l3, you let your older siblings talk you into

 putting your tongue on a steel post.

You consider Lime Jell-O a highly versatile food: a breakfast dish when it is filled

with fruit, a salad when it has shredded carrots and a dab of mayonnaise, and a

dessert when topped with Dreamwhip.

You never had to rewind any part of "Fargo" because you missed some of the dialogue.

You always believed that vacation meant "going up north."

Your town has an annual festival honoring a fruit, vegetable, or ethnic food.

The first time you saw "Grumpy Old Men," you thought it was a documentary.

You can recite, from memory, more than a half-dozen "Ole and Lena" jokes.

Every time you see moonlight on a lake, you think of a dancing bear, and sing,

gently, "From the land of sky-blue waters...Hamm's-the beerthat's so refreshing..."

Your dog dies, your spouse leaves you, you lose your job, and your car breaks

down, all on the same day, and your first thought is, "It could be worse."

Who Lives Here?!

2011-05-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Upon arriving home from church and lunch this afternoon we climbed into bed to relax for a bit on this rainy, dark day. After laying in bed for about 10 minutes we heard the tornado sirens go off for the first time since we've lived here. It was creepy to say the least! We ran out to the living room and turned on the news to see if St. Paul was having tornadoes. As it turned out it looked okay for our area but to the north and slightly west of us a number of cities were in danger and some damage had already been done.

This is the third day this year that tornadoes have been found whirling around the skies of Minnesota. I remember scary tornado skies from when I lived here as a child but I am not sure if I've ever actually seen a tornado. As amazing as it would be to see one I do not want the destruction that it brings so I hope never to see one. Last year apparently was Minnesota's most active year for tornadoes with 48 occuring on one day in June! I found a website detailing Minnesota's tornado history which was pretty interesting to read about. Hopefully this year's tornado season will not make the website!

Go Twins!

2011-05-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week, in the middle of our freaky cold spring here in Minnesota, my sister Jamie took me to a Twins baseball game. I was wearing two jackets and we lost 15 to 3 but it was still fun! Here are a few pics from Target Field.

Baseball is about the only sport I understand in the least bit and I even think it's kind of fun to watch. I never cease to be amazed at how fast the pitchers are able to pitch the ball and I am constantly checking the speed clock.

My sister Jamie is the biggest Twins fan in the world and the whole state of Minnesota seems to be behind the Twins. This makes baseball season up here kind of fun!

Even the Cats Miss Arizona

2011-04-29T04:53:00.001-07:00

Spring time in Minnesota is depressing. It seems like forever since we have seen the sun here. Even the cats are starting feel it. After a long overcast and rainy day here we came home to find the cats seemingly trying to tell us something, like "take us back to Arizona!"

Article

2011-04-29T04:12:00.001-07:00

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is my favorite fiction book. Though written a long time ago it is still referred to often. I ran across this article on Tim Challies blog where the author was comparing Austen's age to our current hook-up, pornified culture. The whole article is good and worth a read but I especially liked the end:

"Admittedly, Austen’s world is idealized, yet consider this: who would you prefer your daughter to bring home? 1) a young man whose sexual imagination has been formed by Jane Austen along with Homer, Virgil, The Song of Solomon, Dante, and Shakespeare or 2) a young man who has spent the last ten years of his life fantasizing about women whose images he has objectified and consumed through pornography? Who will make a better husband? A better lover? A better father? That so many of our young men are being shaped by pornography does not bode well for our young ladies or for our society as a whole. If we are witnessing the passing of the gentlemen, there is much to lament. Although the path is difficult and the outcome uncertain, perhaps it’s time for the gentleman to stage a comeback."

Easter Weekend

2011-04-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

dying eggs

Matt, Joe and Pete enjoying some sun (finally) on Resurrection Sunday

Reegz and Mom

Earlier in the week Regan brought the kids over to dye Easter eggs. Then we all went to Regan's house today where we grilled pizza. After dinner the kids shared the story of Jesus' passion. It was a great day for HE IS RISEN!

Jamie, Levi and Steven

Levi and Liberty telling us the Easter story with the Resurrection Eggs

Matt, Jamie and Mom

my sisters and I

Grandpa Joe and Liberty

Amil Study

2011-04-19T15:51:00.007-07:00

RC Sproul is one of my favorite Bible teachers and something I really, really appreciate about him is that he is so fair when it comes to teaching on things he disagrees with. What I mean is that he does not misrepresent systems, ideas, theologies or people he doesn't like or agree with. I long to be this way myself and know I fail in it as it is so easy to let emotion take control over truth. God help me!

It wasn't until I joined a Presbyterian church that I first ran into people who do not like John MacArthur and do not think of him as a top Bible teacher. This was shocking to me and confusing since MacArthur is usually a key note speaker at the Ligonier Ministries conferences (whose president and founder is a Reformed Presbyterian). Some of the criticisms I heard regarding MacArthur usually had to do with him being a "dispensationalist" and him not being "reformed." I learned the five points of Calvinism as a babe from MacArthur and so I could not understand why anyone would say he wasn't reformed- he loves the doctrines of God's sovereign grace! My current eschatology study has taught me a lot not only about eschatology but also covenant theology, dispensationalism, and what it is to be reformed. I now understand why someone would say MacArthur is not reformed as he does not subscribe to the whole system but I don't know why they give him so much grief for being a progressive dispensationalist- as if it makes him a heretic. Progressive dispensationalism and classical dispensationalism are significantly different. After listening to hundreds of hours of his preaching over the past 10 years I can tell you he absolutley is not a classical dispensationalist but the critcisms I hear about him are always disinctives of classical dispensationalism. Either his critics don't understand the difference between the two systems or they're misrepresenting the truth.

Unfortunately the misrepresenting of truth is not only a problem for us sheep but for all people, shepherds included. Through my current eschatology study I have come to find out that I have been taught misrepresentations of amillenialism and covenant theology from MacArthur. His teaching on these matters appear to be more emotionally driven than fact driven. This is unfortunate and makes me very sad as I hold him in the highest esteem.

Anyway, I have been listening to a great study by Kim Riddlebarger on amillenialism which has started to make clear things that were so confusing to me before that I probably couldn't even formulate a coherent question regarding them. Riddlebarger has been making clear to me how these different eschatological systems can each seem compelling. It all has to do with your presupposed hermeneutic. Riddlebarger believes that interpretation of Bible propehcy begins with identifying methodological presuppositions and that the way to determine the best eschatological system is to first identify and evaluate the underlying hermeneutic involved. He then goes on to compare dispensational and reformed hermeneutics.

Dispensational hermeneutic:

1. Claims to hold to a literal interpretation of prophetic sections of the Bible

2. Recognition of distincitve programs between the Church and National Israel.

*This system of interpretation can be called an "Israel-centered hermeneutic."

Reformed hermeneutic:

Here is where Riddlebarger talks about the analogi fide idea which means "Scripture interprets Scripiure." (I have heard "Scripture interprets Scripture" my whole Christian life from MacArthur).

1. New Testament interprets Old Testament.

2. Old Testament writers spoke in pre-Messianic terms describing the glories of the future in terms of the age they lived in.

3. New Testament always interprets Old Testament figures in light of their significance- especially in Christ.

*This system of interpretation can be called a "Christ-centered hermeneutic."

Riddlebarger teaches that Old Testament themes are types and shadows of glorious realities that are fulfilled in Christ. The general thrust of redemptive history goes like this:

(1.) types and shadows to (2.) language used by the prophets describing the glories of the coming messianic age to (3.) the reality of that is found in Christ. This means Jesus is the true Israel, the true temple, the heir to David's throne, etc.

I am really enjoying Riddlebarger's series on amillenialism and considering it very seriously. I really appreciate that Riddlebarger seems to be fairly representing the different systems and people he is talking about. He displays great passion and humility in his teaching. His series can be found on the right sidebar of his blog and is free for download.

Thrifting Booty!

2011-04-15T14:40:00.001-07:00

I love getting good deals and I have a great thrift store near my house that I frequent (thank you Regan for introducing me to it!). On top of having really good prices on most things they also have certain days of the week where you can get an additional 25% off! Some things I have gotten here are a couple of Mexican serape blankets, a couple of table cloths, an electric kettle, an egg cooker, and my favorite pair of jeans. Recently I have been looking for certain furniture so yesterday when I went (and dragged Matt with me- he hates any store that you have to dig through) we got an amazing steal. We got a TV armoire for $7- plus we got to take an additonal 25% off the price! I also got a little bedside stand for my guest room for $4 (plus 25% off) which I took home and promptly repainted in a southwest color. The armoire is a tad bit too small for our TV so Matt gladly turned it into a home for his humidors.

bed stand before


bed stand after I repainted it

A True Word From Jerry...

2011-04-05T12:42:00.001-07:00

FTMDaily Financial News Update: America’s Entitlement Mentality is Killing Our Nation

by Jerry Robinson on April 4, 2011, FTMDaily Editor-in-Chief

There has been much talk recently about the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor in America today. This gap exists for a reason. Let me explain.

Who makes your food? Do you produce your own food? Or do major corporations prepare and package your food and leave it lying in tidy little stacks in grocery stores for you in exchange for your money?

Who creates your entertainment? Do you create your own? Or do you willingly trade your hard earned dollars to the cable company, and to Hollywood studios in exchange for it?

Who provides heat and cool to your home? Do you? Or do you pay utility companies to do it for you?

Who makes your clothes? Do you? Or do you willingly exchange your money for those who do it for you?

Who makes your paper towels? Do you? Or do you willingly exchange your paper money for the convenience?

Who employs you? Do you employ yourself? Or do you willingly exchange your time to a company who is willing to take the necessary risks to produce a good or service of value to society?

We can go on… who makes your cotton swabs, your make-up, your jewelry, your paper, your computers?

Are you catching my drift? What I am saying is that we are the most consumption-crazed nation on the planet.

Do you want to know the secret behind building wealth? It is unbelievably simple. So much so that most people will completely ignore it.

The secret to wealth: Produce something of value that “consumers” will buy. That’s it! There’s nothing more to it. Sure, there are some more creative strategies to implement later in the game, but this sums it all up nicely.

Those who are truly wealthy think like “producers”, not “consumers,” in almost every situation. And those who are broke, and one paycheck from foreclosure or bankruptcy, think like “consumers.”

How many people do you know who actually produce any of the items that I just mentioned above? I guarantee that almost everyone you know consumes exclusively. Those who make the real money in this society are those who produce. Those who are broke in this society are those who opt to consume only, while never producing anything of real value for society.

So why should the “producers” be ashamed? And why should the “consumers” demand their fair share of the producer’s profits? When we take away the profits from the producer, we are essentially taking away his incentive to produce for you.

Broke American “consumers,” who rely on those “rich and powerful” producers to make everything for them, are now claiming that the “producers” have an unfair advantage and that the government should tax them more heavily and give the consumers even more money.

America’s “entitlement” mentality exists at every level of our society today.

Many Americans today believe that they have a “right” to a job, when no such right exists. We are not owed a job. If someone loses their job, that is not society’s problem. It simply means we must get up, dust ourselves off, and find a way to bring value to society.

Many Americans today believe that they have a “right” to healthcare, when no such right exists. We are not owed healthcare at the expense of other people. If someone pays into a faulty system and that system fails, that is not our grandchild’s problem. We should take responsibility for our own generation’s mistakes by confronting those responsible and should not seek to pass the headache on to future generations all in the name of preserving our own lifestyle — and protecting our “rights.”

Many today believe that the nation’s producers (i.e. corporations, employers, etc.) should be heavily penalized for being rewarded for their innovative inventions and production. Are we really willing to make our own clothes, our own entertainment, our own food, etc? If not, why do we bite the hand that feeds us? If we take away the incentives from the “producer” to keep making your $100 pair of jeans and your $3 roll of paper towels, we will find that we have to actually make things ourselves.

Many today claim that their circumstances, (lack of a college education, born on the wrong side of the tracks) hold them back. You do not need beneficial circumstances to produce something. Put down the video games, the remote control, and invest in a free library card. You do not need a college degree to learn how to add value to society.

Many today, who add little to no value to society, want their “equal share” of national resources. If someone does not add value to society, and instead chooses to give all of their money to those who do, why should they be given special treatment?

This system is broken and cannot continue. America’s entitlement mentality, which has been created by politicians, and encouraged by the population at large, has led this nation down the wrong path. It runs contrary to basic logic and common sense.

Conference Lectures Are Up

2011-03-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ligonier Ministries has put the 2011 National Conference lectures up on their blog for people to watch.

They are all worth listening to but my favorite would be a toss up between R.C. Sproul Jr.'s message called "Almighty Over All" and John Piper's message on "25 Years of Desiring God."

Enjoy!

Conference Booty

2011-03-29T10:38:00.003-07:00

I try not to go crazy at the conference bookstore each year but it is so hard because I love books! Thankfully I have budget and only a carry-on bag to get books home- this helps keep me under control. Here is this year's booty...

On top of this my mom also bought some great items she is sharing with me: the mp3 audio of this year's and last's year National Conference lectures and mp3 audio of the entire Bible as read by Max McLean. Hope my ipod is hungry!

9

2011-03-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Upon my return from the conference I found this on my bedside table, a gift from my loving husband in honor of our anniversary which was this past Wednesday, the day I left for Florida. I was so blessed to find these beautiful roses and a bottle of one of my favorite wines we used to drink while living in Europe. It is a Portugese wine called Altano from the Douro region- yum! Happy Anniversary, My Love- by the grace of God we have made it 9 years.

My Soul Refreshed in the Lord!

2011-03-28T11:51:00.002-07:00

Just back from the Ligonier Ministries National Conference in 85 degree Orland, Florida. What can I say but praise be to the Lord who poured out His word upon me richly at this conference, making me wise unto salvation, teaching, reproving, correcting, and training me in righteousness! Honestly, this conference was just what I needed to refresh my soul and was an answer to many of my prayers over these last few months.

Here are a few pics from some good times together in Orland last week...

Time for the Conference- YIPPEE!

2011-03-21T07:32:00.006-07:00

My mom, sisters, and friend Cbass have been attending the Ligonier Ministries National Conference in Orlando, Florida since 2004, missing only last year due to the dates being moved to summer. This will be our 7th conference! We love to go for the two and half days of awesome Bible teaching, the amazing book store, and the time of fellowship and fun we have together. Not to mention the fact that it is in one of our favorite places to visit, Florida! This is the first time I will be traveling with my family from Minnesota and this is the first time I am really looking forward to one of the aspects they always look forward to- the weather! Spring is trying to take hold in Minnesota but March is know n for snow storms filled with heavy, wet snow. The temps here have been slowly creeping up but 80 degrees this week in Orlando is going to feel awesome! We leave Wednesday and the conference starts Thurdays morning. The speakers this year are Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, John Piper, RC Sproul, and RC Sproul Jr. I can't wait to hear all the lectures as well as the Westminster Brass bringing down the house with A Mighty Fortress! I love when they play Holy, Holy, Holy and stop the music towards the end of the song and let the voices of the saints rise to heaven in a glorious chorus! I love the banter of the the guys back and forth on stage and how RC always cracks himself up while he preaches. I love spending hours in the bookstore which is huge and has any book I could ever want. I love going out to eat at yummy places with the ladies every night like the Cheesecake Factory... Oh, I can't wait to go!

Here is this year's schedule:

Thursday March 24

Forty Years of Proclaiming God's Holiness (RC Sproul) Ligonier Ministries' purpose is to awaken as many people as possible to the holiness of God by proclaiming, teaching, and defending God's holiness in all its fullness. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul will expand on this statement, explaining why a proper understanding of the holiness of God is absolutely crucial if we are to know the true God as well as the depths of our depravity.

War on the Word (Steven Lawson) The first temptation recorded in Scripture is an attack on the trustworthiness of God’s Word. Such attacks have continued unabated to our own day. In the past, such attacks were usually made by liberals, but today we hear more and more doubts cast upon God’s Word by professed evangelicals. In this lecture, Dr. Steve Lawson reminds us of the importance of a commitment to the authority, inspiration, and inerrancy of Scripture.

Why the God-Man? (Sinclair Ferguson) The Apostle Paul declared to the Corinthian church that he had decided to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The person and work of Jesus are at the heart of the Christian faith. In this lecture, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson explains what it means to confess our faith in one who is fully God and fully man and what it means that this Jesus was crucified for our sins.

OPTIONAL SESSION: Redeemed Womanhood - Generation to Generation (Susan Hunt)

OPTIONAL SESSION: The Next Story (Tim Challies)

Questions & Answers With R.C. Sproul and Ligonier's Teaching Fellows Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, and R.C. Sproul Jr.

Friday March 25

Defending the Faith (RC Sproul) In his first epistle, Peter informs believers that we are to be always prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us. In this day and age, the number and kinds of questions that arise are astounding, but this does not give us an excuse to give up the fight. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul reminds us that apologetics is the duty of every Christian in every walk of life.

Almighty Over All (RC Sproul Jr.) Most Christians claim to believe in the sovereignty of God, but many define His sovereignty in a way that ultimately exalts man over God. Scripture continually magnifies the sovereignty of God, but what does this mean? In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. explains what it means to say that God is sovereign and examines the implications of this confession for our lives and ministries.

Worshiping the Triune God (Steven Lawson) Fallen human beings have devised many ways of worshiping their gods, but the living God will only be worshiped in a manner that honors Him. We know we are called to worship our Lord in a manner pleasing to Him, but what does this look like? In this lecture, Dr. Steven Lawson examines the biblical principles of worship and explores the insights of the Reformers into this vitally important facet of Christian faith and life.

OPTIONAL SESSION: Believing God (RC Sproul Jr.)

OPTIONAL SESSION: Pillars of Grace (Steven Lawson)

Don’t Waste Your Life (John Piper) Many people, even Christians, go through their lives devoted to trivial things, living for comfort and pleasure. There is no passion for God. In this lecture, Dr. John Piper will exhort all of us to not waste our lives on such trivial pursuits. Only a life passionately devoted to the cross of Christ and the glory of God will be considered a life not squandered on the last day.

Clothed in Righteousness (RC Sproul) Justification is the article upon which the church stands or falls, the main hinge on which religion turns. Yet as important as justification is, many Christians remain confused about it, and others actively blur its features. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul will explain the basic tenets of the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone that we might know the ground on which we stand before a holy God.

OPTIONAL SESSION: An Unexpected Journey (Robert Godfrey)

OPTIONAL SESSION: By Grace Alone (Sinclair Ferguson)

Ministry Reflections with John Piper & R.C. Sproul A round table discussion on the valuable lessons learned by each man throughout their ministry experiences as well as advice to the next generation of Christians and leaders in the church.

Saturday March 26

Evangelism & Missions (John Piper) The highest motive for missions and evangelism is not obedience to the Great Commission, although obedience is required. Nor is the highest motive love for sinners, great as that love may be. The greatest motive for missions and evangelism is a passionate zeal for the glory of Jesus Christ. As Dr. John Piper will explain in this lecture, worship of the living God is the fuel and goal of missions and evangelism.

Pleasing God (Robert Godfrey) Scripture calls us to be holy as God is holy and exhorts us to strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. There are pitfalls, however, as we strive to mortify the flesh: we can easily fall into either legalism or antinomianism. In this lecture, Dr. Robert Godfrey will provide biblical guidance and wisdom for Christians struggling against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Twenty-Five Years of Desiring God (John Piper) Celebrating the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him, Desiring God was published twenty-five years ago to explain how delight is our duty. In this lecture, Dr. John Piper will expand on the themes and vision of this paradigm-shattering work.

INVASION!

2011-03-19T17:15:00.003-07:00

Regan warned me Liberty was going to turn Sharptooth and Indi's cat tree into a Barbie play house and she sure did! On top of this we have been playing endless hours of Nintendo (Mario 1,2,and 3, Paperboy, and Tetris!), putting on makeup, cooking, and we went to see another movie at the cheap theater- Guliver's Travels. The funniest thing was when Liberty got all excited that we had a toy at our a house- it was the box and styrofoam pieces from the new TV we just got which she quickly turned into a fort. Kids!

Only one more sleep and then Liberty goes up to Grandma's. Then Indi can come out from under the bed and life can return to normal... that is until the next babysitting adventure!

Day 1 of Our Captivity...

2011-03-17T17:35:00.001-07:00

I am babysitting for the first time in my life EVER!

Or rather we are- but Matt gets to go to work while I am held captive by my niece. She is 6 years old and surely the cutest girl I have ever seen. Today after taking showers and having uncle Matt comb out her hair we went out on a little adventure. We went shopping at the thrift store, then to see Tangled at the cheap theater, and then on the walk home we stopped at the Mexican bakery and got some treats. Once home we played some Super Mario Brothers on the original Nintendo, baked a green cake for St. Patrick's Day, and then got dinner ready. Jamie and Steven joined us for Irish bangers and green mash for the holiday. Here is a picture of Liberty with her cake. We will have her here with us for 3 more days or as Liberty would say "3 more sleeps!"

Look who was waiting for Liberty to arrive!

MY Contribution to Salvation

2011-03-14T08:02:00.001-07:00

"The only thing that I contribute to my own salvation is the sin that makes it necessary."
- Archbishop William Temple

The Rapture: History & Influence in America

2011-03-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Rapture: History and Influence in America from Derrick Sims on Vimeo.

We Missed Painting...

2011-03-07T12:06:00.002-07:00

We spent so much time painting while we were in Tucson we missed it... or to be more honest I missed it... or rather I just miss bright Mexican colors. So we recently bought a cheap ($8!) shelf at a local thrift store for our TV and painted it to remind us of warmer desert days. Here is how it turned out...

Before...

...After

Recent Concerts

2011-03-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

I love love love music and lately I was able to attend two different concerts of artists I really enjoy. They are both in the top 15 most beloved artists of my heart. The first one is Sara Groves who is a Christian singer songwriter. She sings my favorite song of all called time "When the Saints." She recently performed at a women's conference up here so me and my sister Regan, who introduced me to her music years ago, went. Groves is an extremely talented songwriter who has a beautifully clear and crisp voice, the kind of voice that pours out easily as if it takes no effort for her to sing at all! She unfortunately didn't sing my favorite song during this concert but she did sing a song that went strait to my heart about marriage. Here is a video of her explaining it and singing it on a radio station.

The second concert was of a singer songwriter by the name of Griffin House. Matt introduced me to him a few years ago. He plays acoustic guitar (my favorite) and is also a very good songwriter. Matt and I saw him last night at a really neat venue in Dinkytown at the U of M called the Varsity Theater. This place was really cool inside and very intimate. We sat about 15 feet back from the stage at a round table. I wish concerts were always like this! Anyway, so you can get a taste here is a video of Griffin House playing one of his more fun songs, written about his personal history.

Griffin House has played in Tucson before but I would be surprised to ever be able to see Sara Groves in concert there so living in Minnesota has some benefits!

A Serious Sharpening...

2011-03-03T11:54:00.006-07:00

This is one of the best sermons I have ever heard and because of it I may have entered the fold of covenant theology- which I have only flirted with in the past. Ryan and Ben and Phil will be so proud of me...

"The Law, the Prophets and the Last Days" by Sinclair Ferguson

This sermon is from the study I am doing on eschatology- the fruit of which may not be a particular view of the millennium after all but may instead be a serious sharpening or even a kind of paradigm shift in my understanding of the Bible as a whole and God's plan of redemption. I hope you will take the time to listen to this amazing sermon and at the end stand up in triumphalistic worship of Christ and God the Father, who is all in all.

For further information on covenant theology versus dispensationalism check out this helpful article by Ligon Duncan. Dispensationalism: A Reformed Evaluation

The Truth about the Sharptooth... and his Sidekick

2011-03-02T16:10:00.005-07:00

This video is to stop up the mouths of all you Sharptooth mockers! He is supposed to be big, he is very strong (the vet can't even hold him down!), and he is the friendliest, fluffiest, most beautiful cat the Lord has created!

And don't forget about the Sharptooth's faithul Sidekick, Indi...

40!

2011-02-23T15:55:00.001-07:00

My sister Jamie is 40!

I can't believe it!

Happy Birthday. I love you, Sis!

The Millenial Maze

2011-02-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have been raised in the faith by the best Bible teacher in the world, John MacArthur,who has taught me to love truth, to love doctrine, to have the highest view of Scripture (which is all sufficient), to understand the biblical teachings of God's sovereign grace and many, many more things. One thing he has also taught me is what can be called a dispensational premillenial view of eschatology. As a new Christian I assumed all believers understood end times this way and was shocked when I heard another trusted and beloved Bible teacher, R.C. Sproul, criticize the rapture. After this I thought more about the rapture and became suspicious of it myself due to the vagueness of the verses used to defend it. For many years now my questions on eschatology have multiplied and I have wanted to study it more in depth. I decided last week now was the time to start that study.

I am trying to give all the eschatological views an equal hearing. This is hard on one hand because I am used to a form of premillenialism so this one sounds most familiar and normal to me. But then on the other hand I know excellent Bible teachers in each camp so if Sproul claims that the Bible teaches postmillenialism and Sinclair Ferguson teaches amillenialism and Francis Schaeffer holds to historic premillenialism and John MacArthur to dispensational premillenialism how can I fail to look into these things? And the scarier question is how do I expect to be able to figure this out if the greatest minds cannot agree? Well, I am looking into it anyway because I long to know and so I must try.

Here are some of the resources I have been using so far:

Finding Hope in the Millenial Maze Conference (14 audio messages)
Wayne Grudem's "Biblical Doctrine" textbook
John MacArthur Study Bible
R.C. Sproul Reformation Study Bible
Eschatology comparison chart

There is a good chance I may end up a "pan-millenialist" as they say (it will all pan out in the end!) at the end of this study but I must try and make sense of it biblically. I will let you know how it goes...

But God Remembered...

2011-02-20T20:42:00.002-07:00

Minnesota was dumped on with snow right before we moved here last month with one of their snowiest months on record. I really wanted Matt to experience a good snow- even a blizzard before the winter was over. I hoped it would come on a weekend so we could stay in and and watch it out the window, all snuggled up with hot cocoa. A romantic snow-in so to say. Last week we had some really nice days, with temps in the 50's even, so I was ready for spring. But God remembered that I had wanted a blizzard...

Today my family planned to celebrate my sister Jamie's 40th birthday. The snow started this morning while we were in church around 10 and by the time we left for Regan's house in the afternoon it had been snowing a few hours and the roads were a disaster. We passed many cars in the ditch along the freeway on the way there and thanked God we were not one of them. We had a wonderful time at Regan's with the family, all the while the beautiful snow was falling. By the time we left about a foot of snow had fallen. We wondered if we were going to make it home the 16 miles we had to drive. We didn't know how the Element would handle it. We treaded slowly home. The freeway had been plowed but all the other roads we drove on were not. We saw many cars in the ditch again. Amazingly we were able to make it down our road and into our driveway. About three quarters of the way up our driveway Matt proudly proclaimed, "the Element will not be mocked!" And right then we got stuck in our driveway, about 15 feet away from being inside our garage! We had to get out and shovel the remainder of the driveway so we could get our car in the garage. And the snow is still falling...

Visiting... yes, that's right!

2011-02-17T07:41:00.002-07:00

We have been enjoying some unseasonably warm days in Minnesota this week, temps in the 40's and 50's which, in February, is rare to say the least. Well, we were feeling so good yesterday we decided to go out and buy a grill so we could enjoy the warm winter air while having a cigar and grilling out. We picked up a basic little charcoal grill at Home Depot and on the way home we were rocking out in the car to some favorite Mexican music (see video below for song). It was so warm we had to roll the windows down. Then I leaned over to Matt and said, "What are we doing here? We belong in the desert!" He looked at me and without missing a beat he said, "Visiting!" GOOD ANSWER, HONEY!

MacLaurin Institute Lectures

2011-02-01T11:54:00.002-07:00

One thing Matt and I consider exciting and fun about living in Minnesota is that we are living near a major metropolitan area. We live in the suburbs of St. Paul and are just a hop away from downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Twin Cities, due to their sheer size, offer many things to do that Tucson does not- like major sporting events and concerts to name just a few. We haven't gone to any performances yet but we did go down to the University of Minnesota over the weekend to hear some lectures and then over to Dinkytown for lunch. For those of you in Tucson, Dinkytown is like University Blvd, with shops and restaurants and college students. The University of Minnesota is a beautiful campus and I look forward to exploring it more this summer.

The lectures we went to were put on by the MacLaurin Institute. This is a Christian organization which endeavors to bridge the church and University. They have different events all year round like lectures from visiting Christian scholars. This weekend a professor of the history of science from Messiah College in Pennsylvania was the speaker. He gave three lectures. The first one was on the life of Christian Chemist Robert Boyle. The second lecture was on the supposed warfare between science and religion. The third lecture was on the life of Galileo. All three were very interesting. I look forward to going to more of MacLaurin's events.

Desiring God Pastor's Conference & Booty

2011-02-01T11:32:00.002-07:00

My sisters and friend Cbass serve as often as they can at the Desiring God conferences put on by John Piper here in the Twin Cities a few times a year. Now that I live here I am able to join in the fun too. Last night my sisters, Cbass, and I welcomed the incoming pastors for this year's conference on, "the powerful l ife of the praying pastor." About 1700 Men came from all over the country and even a few foreign countries. It was such a blessing to welcome them and see their smiling faces, knowing they were here to be refreshed and encouraged in the word so they can continue in their personal growth and then go home to feed their flocks! We got to give them a bag of goodies (books!) which the volunteers also receive. Here is a picture of what the goodie bag contained plus the new Piper book I bought called "Think: the Life of the Mind and the Love of God." This conference housed an amazing bookstore with reduced prices and let me tell you I had to run through it as it was a dangerous place to be for me! If we are still living here next February I am hoping to house our Pastor from Tucson who would like to come to this conference. You can listen to and live stream the conference at Desiring God.

Conference Draws Nigh!

2011-01-28T09:41:00.003-07:00

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Ligonier Ministries 2011 National Conference (March 24-26 in Orlando) from Ligonier on Vimeo.

A Post From the Road

2011-01-15T19:45:00.011-07:00

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Moving is said to be one of the 3 most stressful things in life. Well, I don't think I'd go that far but it definitely is stressful. With all the packing, spades, and goodbyes I didn't get a chance to blog my last week in Tucson. Suffice it to say it was busy and we were very sad to leave our most favorite city, our church, our friends and Matt's side of the family. We left Tucson yesterday morning hitting the road around 8 AM. Matt and his Dad led the way in the moving truck while I followed close behind in the Element with the cats. We had taken out the two back seats and built a cat wonderland in the back by erecting a plastic fence behind the the two front seats which we secured with plastic ties and duct tape. We then filled the back with blankets and pillows and of course the cat loo so the cats could travel in comfort. Indi yowled non-stop for the first 150 miles, sometimes convincing Sharptooth to do rounds with her. She finally settled down enough to just throw a few yowls here and there the rest of the way. The first day we traveled 720 miles, stopping to make camp in Clayton, NM which is near the border with Oklahoma. New Mexico is full of horses, chiles, kokapellis, and high desert landscape with the beautiful Santa Fe area being the highlight. Today we got back on the road around 8 again, driving through a bit of the panhandle of Oklahoma, then across Kansas (cows, silos, and oil rigs), and up into Kansas City, Missouri where we are staying tonight. Today's car ride, 540 miles, was much quieter with Indi just giving me reminder yowls every once in a while lest I forget she was in the backseat. Tomorrow's journey will take us about 440 miles, through Iowa and then up into Minnesota -where the high there tomorrow is 14. The high in Tucson when we left yesterday was 70. I tried to encourage Matt by telling him he was going to experience living in 4 seasons for real now. He wasn't impressed. I guess I'll have to take him walking on a frozen lake...

Bathroom Remodel

2011-01-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Matt and I did a quick remodel on our master bathroom a few weeks ago. This bathroom had the same hideous orange laminate counter tops our kitchen had before we remodeled it. As you can tell from the before and after pics the bathroom turned out pretty darn good. Good job, honey!

Going Away Party :(

2011-01-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a going away party at our house. It was a good time as most of our amigos were able to come. Here are a few pics from the get together.

Indi's Southwest Cat Castle

2011-01-06T14:07:00.002-07:00

Matt designed and constructed this cat castle a few years ago for our cats. This is the third time it has been re-carpeted. He could not have bestowed it on a more appreciative cat than Indi as she plays on it constantly. This time the re-carpeting brought with it some vigas sticking out of the house. This is to remind the purrs where they come from- Tucson, Arizona!

Madison = Misdirection!

2010-12-28T10:20:00.002-07:00

Ok, I am up in Minnesota visiting my family and the cat is finally out of the bag! What a hard secret it was to keep! In case there are any of you out there who do not yet know- Matt, though he was invited for an interview by University of Wisconsin at Madison, he did not actually take a job there. We just told my family that to throw them off the trail. The truth of the matter is that Matt was offered a job in Minneapolis which he has accepted. I have had a lot of fun the last few days surprising my family with the good news. They are very excited as are we! ... Go Vikes!

Ryanhood Christmas Gig

2010-12-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Last night Matt and I got to go see our favorite Tucson band, Ryanhood. I stumbled across this band on Noisetrade.com last spring and downloaded their album because I saw that they were from Tucson. I immediately loved them. When Matt and I moved back to Tucson late this summer we found out Ryanhood was playing Sunday nights at a local winebar just down the road from us so we went to see them a number of times. The bummer thing was they weren't playing together but were alternating Sundays and playing with other local artists. They told us they were taking a break for the rest of the year because of being on tour for so long. We thought we wouldn't get to see them before we moved away but then they announced a Christmas gig here in Tucson. We saw them last night at the Rialto Theater. We almost didn't make it but were so glad we did once they started playing. They are an extremely talented guitar duo and we were very blessed by their awesome and fun performance last night. Here is a video so you can check out their style.

Go Badgers!

2010-12-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

Ok, this may be a little bit premature but I am so excited I can't contain it! As you my readers are aware Matt was off interviewing this week in Reno, NV and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Yesterday afternoon he was officially offered a job by both places. Both jobs are good but due to the fact that Madison is just a hop, skip and a jump away from my family he has decided to accept the job in Madison. The official paperwork is due to be sent to him Monday so you can bet we will be celebrating that night! My sister is already calling us cheese heads and I have already called her a swampie. These are the respective terms of endearment between the rival states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Let the rivalry begin- go Packers! Go Brewers! And most of all go Badgers!!!

The Consequences of Non-Expository Preaching

2010-12-14T09:36:00.001-07:00

Recently I listened to a great two part series by John MacArthur on the consequences of non-expository preaching. In this series he unfolds these fifteen consequences

Failure to preach expositionally...

1.Usurps the authority of God over the mind and soul of the hearer.
2. Usurps the Lordship of Christ over His church.
3. Hinders the work of the Holy Spirit.
4. Manifests a lack of submission to Scripture.
5. Severs the preacher personally from the sanctifying grace of Scripture.
6. Removes spiritual depth and transcendence from the souls of the people, crippling worship.
7. Prevents the preacher for truly speaking fro Christ whom he serves.
8. Depreciates by example the spiritual duty and benefit of studying the Scripture.
9. Breeds a congregation that is weak and indifferent to the glory of God.
10. Robs people of their only true source of help.
11. Creates a destructive disconnect between sound doctrine and life.
12. Dishonors God by omitting these truths that trouble, offend, and terrify sinners.
13. Disconnects people from the legacy of the great theologians of the past.
14. Removes protection from error that is deadly to the church.
15. Deceives people that they have heard from God when they haven't.

I highly recommend this series. You can read the text or download the audio here: Part 1 Part 2

Greetings from Lake Tahoe

2010-12-13T17:07:00.001-07:00

Matt just sent me this picture from his time interviewing in Reno. As you can see they are trying to butter him up by taking him to the beautiful Lake Tahoe. Looks cold, but would be considered a heatwave compared to the weather in the Midwest right now!

Advent Preaching Series- Take a Listen!

2010-12-13T10:00:00.002-07:00

The Pastors at my church are currently preaching an Advent series for Advent season. Last week our Associate Pastor, Luke, preached an awesome sermon on Isaiah 49 called Prophecy of a Savior. Any pastor who can clearly explain Isaiah so that you can understand it is easily worth his weight in gold! The week before that our Senior Pastor, Phil, also preached a very good sermon to kick off the Advent series called Covenant Promises of a Savior. These are both free for download. I encourage you to take a listen!

On top of these great sermons there is also a fantastic Sunday school class that has just started this weekend called The Dirty Dozen. This class will be 12 weeks of 12 different theologians from church history. The first class yesterday was on Athanasius and the Arian controversy of his time. I will post the link as soon as it comes up online.

Interview Time!

2010-12-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here is what it has looked like around my house lately with Matt having a few phone interviews for jobs. This week he is out on in person interviews in Reno, Nevada and Madison, Wisconsin. I am especially excited about Madison as it is only about 4-5 hours away from my family in Minnesota. I only get to see them about once or twice a year so if we lived this close I would get to see them much more often. We don't know how many candidates are being interviewed but hopefully we will know something by the end of this week!

Thanksgiving for Forgiveness

2010-11-25T10:09:00.004-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Matt and I had our coffee around the fire bowl this crisp and wintery Tucson morning and spent a little time talking about what we are most thankful for this year. The top of the list this year and every year has to be forgiveness from God in Christ. I recently listened to an awesome study on forgiveness from my favorite Bible teacher John MacArthur. He taught this four part study out of the book of Philemon. It was amazing. As he says in the beginning of the study "we are never more like God than when we forgive." I highly recommend this study to you. It can be found here free for download on the Grace To You website.

Thanks be to God who demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Feline Fun in the Desert

2010-11-17T14:47:00.002-07:00

We take our cats outside every so often for supervised visits with nature. They absolutely love it but they cannot go out without us or they would quickly become coyote food or road kill. Here are some pics from today's field trip into the east patio where they learned all about cactus...

Kitchen Gone Mexican

2010-11-13T19:19:00.001-07:00

Matt and I have been making the most of our time here in Tucson while he looks for a job. Each day we get up early, have our coffee and then get to work on the house. We have made many improvements in these last couple of months with kitchen remodeling, painting, yard work, and a host of other odds and ends around the house. Here are a few pics of the kitchen so you can see how it turned out. We did this all ourselves with Matt's mom helping us on the tile work.

BEFORE...

AFTER...

We were inspired by a Mexican kitchen we saw at a store here in Tucson called Rustica which had copper cabinet inserts and was very colorful. Due to the cost-prohibitive nature of these special kind of cabinets we thought we'd try making inserts ourselves. We searched high and low for tin but in the end had to use aluminum. We chose a different southwest design for each cabinet pair and Matt hammered them out using an awl. We also used a bit of paint to give them an aged look and mounted them to our existing outdated cabinets giving them a whole new look. We then removed the orange laminate counter tops and constructed the countertops and backsplash using Mexican talavera tile. Craigslist made it possible for us to upgrade our appliances and then we replaced the sink and lights and painted. It all turned out muy bien! The only thing missing now is the dishwasher and saltillo tile on the floor. Someday...

The Serpent at the Tucson Zoo?

2010-11-12T16:48:00.002-07:00

A few weekends ago we went to the Tucson Zoo where I saw the snake from Genesis chapter 3. YIKES!!!

¹Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. -Genesis 3:1-7

An Amercian Family Photo

2010-11-12T16:37:00.003-07:00

Matt and his brother thought it would be fun to dress like rednecks and take pictures with their guns one day. Once we started taking pics we were laughing and having so much fun we had to take one with not just the brothers but with the whole family. I thought my friends in Europe would especially appreciate the pics given their feelings regarding firearms. What can I say but viva la second amendment!

Costume Party Winners

2010-10-31T20:43:00.008-07:00

Beth & Jeff the smore

Ryan & Yunuen the Southside cholos

Nick & Betsy the rubix cubes

Matt & I the Bedouins

Matt with Ben the hot dog

Liam & Natali as Peter Pan and Wendy

We were the winners

Matt and I went to a costume party over the weekend at our friend Liam's house. Here are a few pics of some of our friends who joined in the costume fun. Matt and I dressed up as Bedouins which are Arab nomads who live in Egypt, Jordan and Israel. We also took our hookah along which fit our costumes perfectly. At the end of the night Matt and I won a six pack of pumpkin beer for best costumes.

Book Shelf Gone Mexican

2010-10-28T09:01:00.003-07:00

Matt and I have been having tons of fun working on our house these past several weeks. We have been trying our hand at a number of different things. This is what you have to do when you can't or don't want to pay retail prices for things! This past week Matt repainted and distressed an old bookshelf we bought off of craigslist to give it a Mexican look. It turned out great. I am sure this will be the first of many things we will distress!

Before

After

Close up- see the blue underneath?

Wine Tasting in Sonoita, Arizona

2010-10-16T17:53:00.006-07:00

Matt, Sandi and I recently took a drive about an hour south of Tucson to a town called Sonoita where Arizona has its vinyards and makes its wines. For a fee we were able to taste 8 local wines and have lunch. There was also a blues band and some craft tables selling goods. The vinyard also had an old church which was pretty cool. Here are some pics from our day together. My favorite wine there was the Tombstone Red.

House Projects

2010-10-11T14:00:00.005-07:00

Sorry about all the lag time between posts. Matt and I have been busy working on our house which needs lots of love! Thankfully we love doing house projects. Currently we have been working on our kitchen- updating the cabinets, appliances, sink, counter tops, paint, and lights. My mother-in-law Sandi was over last week helping us for a few days with the tile work. It is almost done and I cannot wait to post pictures as it has turned out beautifully. In the meantime here is a picture I took last week when the tile work was just beginning.

Sugar, Salt and Repatriation

2010-09-24T18:21:00.003-07:00

While living in Ireland I heard the term repatriation a few times. Repatriation is the process of returning a person back to one's place of origin or citizenship. I heard it said that when a person returns to their home country that person may have difficulty with various things. In fact if you read about repatriation on wikipedia there is a section entitled overcoming repatriation which says:

"Repatriation is often the ‘forgotten’ phase of the expatriation cycle; the emphasis for support is mostly on the actual period abroad. However, many repatriates report experiencing difficulties on return: one is no longer special, practical problems arise, new knowledge gained is no longer useful, etc. These difficulties are highly influenced by a number of factors including self-management, spouse's adjustment, time spent abroad and skill utilisation. What is crucial is that every individual perceives these factors in a different way."

When I heard about repatriation in Ireland I even heard about people reading books on how to enter back into their culture. I couldn't believe it! Returning to the U.S. was not going to be a problem for me at all. In fact over this last year I longed for nothing more. Maybe repatriation difficulties only affect people who do not wish to return to their country of origin or to people who have been away for much longer than I have been away for.

I have now been back here for about six weeks and there are a few things I can tell you. America is the land of plenty. We have so much here. I once heard on a radio show that the middle class level of Europe is equivalent to the poverty level in the U.S. in terms of standard of living. I cannot speak for all of Europe but my experience of living in Dublin confirms this. To repeat myself: we have so much here in America. Whatever you want. And it is affordable.

There are just a few small things I have had to adjust to being back in the U.S. The amount of sugar and salt used in food here is outrageous! I was prepared for things to be too sweet but I was very surprised by all the salt. Beyond these trivial matters I cannot complain one bit. America is the land that I love and I am so thankful to be home.

Birthday

2010-09-23T22:28:00.003-07:00

Today marks two things- my birthday and my first blog entry since returning to my motherland. Matt and I have been busy these last few weeks catching up with friends, family, and Tucson and also trying our hand at a number of house projects. This past week we have been working on our kitchen but today we took the day off to celebrate my birthday. I had a very nice and chilled out day spending a long morning at Brueggers and then taking a nice drive out to San Xavier Mission in the afternoon. After that we had dinner with Matt's family. Then we returned home to find a house full of friends and family and a big birthday cake. That sneaky husband of mine stealthily set up a surprise party behind my back! He also got me exactly what I wanted for my birthday- a hookah! We wasted no time in setting it up and puffed on it all night long. What a great birthday- thanks honey!

Extra! Extra!

2010-08-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Economist Jerry Robinson and "Follow the Money" Radio Show

2010-07-30T04:02:00.007-07:00

A little over a year ago Matt and I were introduced to economist Jerry Robinson through a radio talk show we listen to where he was interviewed. We liked what we heard and then found out that Jerry Robinson has his own weekly radio show where he discusses global economics, geopolitics, and culture. We have been listening to him for the past year and have learned a lot from him. His current radio show is called "Follow the Money Weekly"." A typical show opens with Jerry commenting on the week's major news stories, followed by an interview with an financial expert of some kind and then ends with a short report on precious metals by Tom Cloud.
Jerry Robinson is of the Austrian school of economics. He is editor of the financial website FTMDaily.com, founder and CEO of Makers Group Financial, a columnist for WorldNetDaily, an international conference speaker, and author of a number books including "The Bankruptcy of Our Nation" Along with his weekly radio show, which can be podcast from Itunes or more easily downloaded from his FTM website, he also teaches monthly educational webinars on different financial topics which can be live-streamed for free. And don't miss his regularly updated blog. Jerry Robinson provides a wealth of information and has started me off on my economic education so I can better understand what is going on in the U.S. and the world. I highly recommend his radio show, websites, blog, and resources to all of my friends out there.

Is the Bible just another book?

2010-07-19T11:19:00.001-07:00

As I make my way through the 2010 Ligonier Ministries National Conference videos I continue to be blessed. Today I listened to Steve Lawson's sermon titled, "Is the Bible just another book?" In it Lawson proceeds to give a list of 10 reasons to believe the Bible is the word of God.

1. The direct claims of the Bible about itself.
2. The perfect unity of the Bible in the midst of its vast diversity.
3. The reliable transmission of the Bible.
4. The historical accuracy of the Bible.
5. The scientific accuracy of the Bible.
6. The fulfilled prophecies of the Bible.
7. Jesus' testimony about the Bible.
8. The amazing indestructibility of the Bible.
9. The ethical superiority of the Bible.
10. The supernatural power of the Bible.

He explains each of the ten reasons providing verses, examples, and facts. My favorite was the last one- the supernatural power of the Bible. At the end I wanted to get up and give him a standing ovation in my living room!

As they say in Ireland, "Happy Independence Day!"

2010-07-06T03:51:00.005-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! I know this post is a few days late but I have been sick and so just getting around to posting it. Over the past 2 years we have spent all American holidays with our expat friends Dave and Betsy which was a real blessing. This years 4th of July was our first holiday without them since they are now back in NY. So we invited over a few friends for a BBQ. We also planned on lighting off some fireworks but Sunday brought Irish gale force winds and though they had let up a bit by Sunday night it was still not safe. Even without the fireworks it was a blessing to have dinner with our European pals who put up with our American flag napkins, Elvis on the stereo, and a slew of typical 4th of July food. It was so cute to hear each say "Happy Independence Day" as they walked in the door!

Left to right: Catrin (Wales), Erin (Northern Ireland), Edwina (Ireland), Ebe (Ethiopia), and Matt.

Ligonier Ministires 2010 National Conference

2010-07-01T03:17:00.002-07:00

The Ligonier Ministries National Conference which I usually attend each March with my moms, sisters, and friend was moved this year instead to June. Due to schedules we were unable to go. However I was so happy to be able to live-stream the conference this year and to my surprise the conference videos have been archived online and are available for viewing now. This years pre-conference focused on Christians and types of media while the main conference topic was "Tough Questions Christians Face." I have already listened to about half the lectures and they are excellent as expected. I don't know how long they will be available so make your way here to listen.

The Brave New World of New Media by Ed Stetzer
Principles for Conduct in Communication by Tim Challies
Taking Captive New Media for the Church by Burk Parsons
The Hypersocialized Generation by Albert Mohler
Questions and Answers
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? by John MacArthur
What is Evil and Where Did It Come From? by R.C. Sproul
Why Do Christians Still Sin? by R.C. Sproul Jr.
How Do We Know Which Interpretation is Right? by Derek Thomas
Is the Bible Just Another Book? by Steven Lawson
Is the Exclusivity of Christ Unjust? by Alistair Begg
Questions and Answers
Why Does the Universe Look So Old? by Albert Mohler
Is Calvinism Good For the Church? by Burk Parsons
If God is Good, How Could He Command Holy War? by Derek Thomas
Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing of Loved Ones in Hell?by R.C. Sproul

Saturday, June 19

8:30am - 9:40am with Albert Mohler
Why Does the Universe Look So Old?

Many Christians believe that the universe is only 6000 years old. Others say that all observations of God’s creation indicate that it is much older. In this lecture, Dr. Albert Mohler will explain the difference between general and special revelation and the difference between both types of revelation and human interpretations of that revelation. He will also discuss how these facts should inform our approach to questions of science and faith.

9:40am - 10:30am with Burk Parsons
Is Calvinism Good For the Church?

Recent years have witnessed a resurgence of interest in the theology of John Calvin, but is this necessarily a good thing? Does Calvinism weaken and destroy churches as some contend? Is Reformed theology a hindrance to the church’s life and work? In this message, Burk Parsons will take a look at Reformed theology and explain why Calvin’s view of God, man, sin, Jesus Christ, and salvation are precisely what the church needs in this and every generation.

11:15am - 12:05pm with Derek Thomas
If God is Good, How Could He Command Holy War?

Numerous skeptics have challenged the goodness of God by pointing to His command in the Old Testament to exterminate the Canaanites, including the women and children. Christians have also wondered how to understand those passages of Scripture. In this lecture, Dr. Derek Thomas explains the meaning of Old Testament Holy War in light of redemptive history, showing that it is fully consistent with the holy and good character of God.

12:05pm - 1:00pm with R.C. Sproul
Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing of Loved Ones in Hell?

Many of the toughest questions Christians face from skeptics involve the doctrine of eternal punishment and hell. But it is not only unbelievers who ask questions about hell. Many Christians have unbelieving loved ones who have died, and they wonder how they can enjoy heaven knowing that their loved ones are in hell. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul helps Christians understand what the Bible has to say about this deeply troubling question.

Recent MacArthur Quote

2010-07-01T02:51:00.001-07:00

"What makes life exciting to me is discovery."

This was said by John MacArthur at the end of a sermon he recently preached on understanding God's sovereignty in salvation and man's responsibility. Some things will not be understood this side of heaven and MacArthur is happy to leave some things for heaven. His above statement resonates with me as I believe there is nothing better in life than discovering and getting to know God. This is a lifelong process which continues into eternity. Amen!

Swimming in the Irish Sea

2010-06-14T11:57:00.009-07:00

As my time in Ireland winds down I am starting to think about things I want to do before I leave. One of them is to swim in the Irish Sea. My friend Honor is hardcore and swims in the Irish Sea all the time so I joined her and another friend Erin for a dip today. The high today was 64, a typical summer day for Ireland. I have no idea what the water temperature was. Suffice it to say that getting in the water up to my neck and staying in for a few minutes was a very impressive feat. The Irish say you will start enjoying the water as soon as your body is numb. I stayed long enough for my legs and upper body to be numb but my arms felt so strangely cold that I got out after a few minutes. Anyway, I am quite satisfied that I did it and even happier that I lived to tell the tale!