The Youngins

School is in session

2010-09-03T18:44:00.005-06:00

for all of us, this year. I'm enjoying working at the school and having fun with two particular students, who still think it's fun to see their mom at school.
Below, Porter (pre eye exam) and Riley on their first day of second and first grades:
Po, post eye-exam, marveling at how different the world looks: And the youngest Youngin' on her first day of preschool with her proud sibs:

We're excited and blessed at the start of a busy year.

Cousins '10

2010-07-11T15:12:00.006-06:00

We were blessed with a visit from our Connecticut Cousins. And Porter decided that the best way to assert his rightful claim as the only boy cousin on the Pensak side was to get a buzz cut.

Beekeeping

2010-07-11T14:52:00.003-06:00

Although it seems the summer just started, it's really almost over. We've enjoyed swimming with friends, a visit from cousins, and are about to leave for a week in Memphis. But what have I really been doing with this time before school and the inevitable routine starts again? Reading. And I have Laura Lee to thank for my preoccupation. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes, or even if you don't and you just want something new to read, start with The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. It's the first in an amazing series that re-imagines Sherlock's retirement, and his unlikely partnering with a young woman named Mary Russell. But, like I told Sarah when I told her she simply had to read them.... clear your schedule. Holmes-mania may take over your life.

Riley Stuff

2010-05-25T21:05:00.006-06:00

Sometimes it seems like one of the kids has more stuff going on than the other two. Riley has definitely had a lot going on lately. She and Lizzie danced in their ballet recital,

and she enjoyed bubble day,

and graduated from Kindergarden.

I'm proud of her. And we continue to be amazed at God's provision as we look back on another school year at PCS. He has truly shown Himself to be the kind of Father who loves to shower His children with good gifts. To say that I am grateful sounds a bit trite. But I am grateful.

Po had a birthday

2010-05-22T14:29:00.007-06:00

and he got Star Wars sheets. We've worried that he wouldn't get any sleep because he loves to do just about what is pictured above. He even asked Poppy if he wouldn't mind sleeping on top of the sheets. He had fun throwing the ball with said Poppy when he and KK came to celebrate the Po turning 8.

He enjoyed relishing in the sugar high that came after I brought doughnuts to his class. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness for the young guy he's becoming.

Specially Handmade by Louise

2010-04-25T16:40:00.002-06:00

My grandmother, Louise (Meme, to us), handmade these dresses for my cousin Lisa and I. What a wonderful thing to see my own two little ones in them this past Sunday. My mom did a wonderful job of preserving them through the years. They even have a little tag in the back that says "Specially Handmade by Louise." I'm glad that they have grandmothers and great grandmothers that can sew, so as hopefully to spur them on towards learning the craft one day. Their mom can sew a button and a boy scout patch, but there certainly won't be any "Specially Handmade by Laura" tags anytime soon. Thank you Meme, for making these with love!

Hi Ho the Merry O'

2010-04-25T16:38:00.004-06:00

My husband took our three kids camping. By himself.

Spring Breakdown

2010-04-05T16:43:00.008-06:00

Over Spring Break we took the kids down to the Lynn Meadows Discovery Museum on the coast. I had to pay Porter a dollar to pose for this picture, but I find that it is well worth it.

For Easter, we enjoyed a great visit with Brice's mom and step dad Mike.We managed to get a family picture while enjoying lunch with some friends after church. Lizzie must have been suffering a mild heat stroke from the 85 degree South Mississippi spring weather.

We took the obligatory picture with a bunny on Easter, and we are now fending off the "but I would take really good care of a bunny if I had one like Ramsay has one and I would clean its cage every day" routine.

Happy Easter from the Youngs. May the sickness in our tummies over all that candy never dull our longing for the sweetness of our Savior who is risen indeed!

3 and 6

2010-03-10T09:51:00.011-06:00

Liz had a great third birthday. She spent most of Saturday answering all those hectic birthday calls....

painting with friends at her art party,

and showing off her splatter-paint cake.

Riley woke up to some new tunes for her 6th birthday so now she can listen to Taylor Swift to her heart's content.

She even fixed her own side ponytail before heading off to school.

Happy Birthday week to both of my sweet girls!

Pinewood Derby

2010-02-20T19:47:00.006-06:00

As we've been watching the Olympics this week we've been laughing as the commentators have said things like, "ever since she was a seven year old girl she's been dreaming of winning a gold medal in the women's half pipe." Really? Who dreams of being a professional snowboarder when they're seven? But, when Porter woke up this morning, his first words were, "I've been waiting for this day." So... we may have a professional mechanic on our hands.... or at the very least, a really great boy scout den leader like his dad. Derby Day has come and gone, and all the boys hard work paid off. Po's car ended up placing 4th out of 12, which was just shy of getting a trophy. But... we were proud. Ben, Porter, Seth

Po and his wedge car... he got caught up in the Olympic Spirit and named it "USA."

Kite Flyin

2010-02-20T19:43:00.003-06:00

with the kids on a windy January day. Fun.

We are Living in a Material World....

2010-02-20T19:25:00.007-06:00

and I am a (30 year old) material girl. My cousin Erin and I got to celebrate our 30th in style... we were born just a few weeks apart in January of 1980.... so it seemed only natural for our respective spouses to throw us a rockin' 80's bash. We sang karaoke....we drank Bartles and James. Thanks Brice and Blair for the awesome party!

Two Children and a Wedding

2010-01-03T17:43:00.014-06:00

Porter and Riley were honored to be the ring bearer and flower girl in our dear friend's wedding. Haley and Will are such a beautiful couple and they had quite the lovely wedding. I may be a bit biased, but her wedding party was exceptionally good looking. Porter's dance moves earned him the name "Soul Man"... Lizzie relished her role as the "princess of the wedding" and Riley can tell you exactly how many petals she dropped. Success.

Fa la la

2010-01-03T17:31:00.004-06:00

Our Christmas was filled with miracles... snow in Mississippi in December, and Santa somehow located Zhu Zhu Pets despite the drastic shortage nationwide. Sure hope he didn't pay those e-bay prices! Merry Christmas!

Thanks..

2009-12-05T23:04:00.009-06:00

to Riley for being such a good Indian in her program,to Aunt Katie for the adorable hats,and for taking lots of pictures like these...

and to Porter for learning to play his DS upside down, and to KK and Poppy for the beautiful house we all got to stay in for Thanksgiving so we could all be together and take family photos like these!

2009-12-04T16:27:00.001-06:00

Thankful

2009-11-19T20:59:00.001-06:00

for these two...

You sunk my battleship!

2009-11-14T07:40:00.003-06:00

Ask any kid in den 11 and they'll tell you that 1/2 the reason they wanted to be a cub scout this year was to get the chance to spend the night on the USS Alabama in Mobile. So, when Brice couldn't go because of a previously scheduled trip, Poppy came to the rescue! None of us may fully understand the joys Poppy experienced sleeping on a cot suspended from the ceiling on a WWII era navy battleship with 70 first and second grade boys.... we'll let him share those memories when he's fully recovered and emotionally ready to tell his story. But until then, thank you Poppy for giving of your time and energy! Porter will never forget it!

Tricks/Treats

2009-11-01T15:57:00.002-06:00

A bug-eyed lady bug, a scout (or Porter, on a Tuesday as we liked to call his costume) and a rhinocerous. Lizzie definitely has her sibs beat in the "willing to go out on a limb" category.

Trim

2009-10-17T15:47:00.004-06:00

I cut Lizzie's hair for the first time... (Before)

(After)

Goal!

2009-10-17T14:43:00.003-06:00

Porter, shortly after a wicked-awesome goal a few Saturdays ago!

Coach Dad

2009-10-15T19:44:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to give a shout-out to Brice, who works hard all day and still takes time to be a den leader and soccer coach. We always knew he looked like a natural in his scout uniform, but I've learned that he can also carry off the purple coach uniform. We love you dad.

Porter's Tiger Cub Den, at the Armed Forces Museum. (Po is third from left, for those interested)

Riley's soccer team.

Yee-Ha

2009-10-15T19:35:00.003-06:00

I didn't ask Riley to pose this way. I really, really didn't. The kids enjoyed dressing up for the recent cowboy day as part of Spirit Week. Growing up, I remember how much fun it was to have a week where you got to wear something different besides your uniform. I guess Lizzie had been growing weary of her usual uniform around the house too....

We Got A Bobcat!

2009-09-30T08:35:00.002-06:00

Porter joined cub scouts this year. Last night he recieved his first patch, Bobcat. Unfortunately, they don't turn the boys upside down to pin it on like when I was a kid.

A Little Less Conversation....

2009-09-19T14:25:00.010-06:00

Sometimes it's all you can do to just keep on keeping on when times are tough. With the death of a very close friend recently, I've not taken the time to document too many of the fun, every day moments that our family has been having. My tendency has always been to bury myself in busyness when things are sad, bad, or just plain depressing. How comforting that God gives us our own little refuges to hide in when we just can't deal with talking about the sad things. Our kids have to keep going to soccer practices, scout meetings and ballet, and the world can't stop just because I'm sad. What a relief!

The kids had a great opening day of soccer! Somehow, both of their teams ended up being called "The Cheetahs." Riley's team came up with that name, and Porter thought it was cool enough to suggest to his coach.
I guess Cheetahs aren't really gender specific.

Liz-a-lina Ballerina

2009-08-19T20:46:00.003-06:00

Finally, after two years of watching from the sidelines, it was finally Lizzie's turn to shine.

Firsts

2009-08-11T10:13:00.010-06:00

We had a good first day of school today. Porter is now an old pro, and displayed a sufficiently "this isn't that big of a deal" attitude throughout. Riley is taking the whole thing very seriously, and her first words as she rolled out of bed were, "I have a lot of work to do." Lizzie is getting used to the idea of having my undivided attention for the first time, and I'm adjusting to having one kid in the house all day for the first time in seven years! Here's to firsts!

It's a cruel, cruel summer....

2009-08-04T19:49:00.003-06:00

...mostly because it's over. Take one last jump in the pool, kids. School starts Tuesday!

Friends are friends forever...

2009-08-04T19:44:00.004-06:00

I was blessed with a visit from my longest, oldest best friend... hard to believe we've known each other since we were three. She and her precious baby boy, Wendell, came by for a quick lunch on their way through town. I love you Sarah and Wendell! And much thanks to Katie and Mrs. Short for taking the time for the pit stop.

West Virginia...Mountain Mama

2009-07-29T14:51:00.010-06:00

Porter, Riley and a not-too-thrilled Lizzie, posing with my cousin Lisa's baby, Miles.

Lizzie, eating tomatoes as fast as anyone can slice em.

Posing during the nature hike.

Porter, riding the range.

Riley, working on archery with Brice's cousin Bryan

All the grandkids and great grandkids sporting their archery caps.

Riley and Ryleigh

Although we would not recommend driving 12 hours with three kids to the general population, our kiddos really came through for us and were absolute sweethearts in the car. We stopped on the way up and visited my cousin Lisa and her family in Chattanooga. Then, on to West Virginia where we really enjoyed Brice's family reunion: meeting family, horseback rides, archery, the works! We even found out that one of Brice's cousins has a moniker that sounded very familiar. Once the two little girls got over the initial shock of realizing that they were not unique in the world, Riley Young and Ryleigh Young really enjoyed meeting each other!

We are Family

2009-07-16T14:17:00.002-06:00

Thanks again to Katie for taking this. I love my family!

Memphis Trip

2009-07-05T19:36:00.008-06:00

Please appreciate the extreme difficutly it took to get this picture. Left to right: Lucie, Nadine, Riley, Porter, Lizzie, Poppy, 2nd row: Joey, Brice, me, mom, Katie.

Hard to believe we just celebrated nine years.

Po preparing to scare the ducks.

Riley participating, Deenie meditating and Lizzie.....

Smiley Riley.

Lizzie, about to take a walk apparently.

My incredibly photographically gifted sister in law Katie took all these while we were having our annual "post general assembly" gathering in Memphis.

A-campin' they will go

2009-06-30T13:26:00.005-06:00

Brice and Porter got to spend a fun belated-father's day weekend camping with Brice's dad, our brother in law John, and cousin Ethan! They had such a blast kayaking, hiking, and generally getting really really sweaty. Here's to an annual tradition!

Running through the Sprinkler

2009-05-28T14:38:00.003-06:00

Ballet Belles

2009-05-28T14:33:00.007-06:00

I think these pictures of Riley, friend Gracie, and all her other ballet friends speak for themselves. I have no explanation for Riley's strange poses pre-recital (she's the one on the right in the front in the group shot). Congratulations sweet ballerinas!

007

2009-05-13T09:31:00.004-06:00

We had a great time celebrating Porter's 7th birthday with a 007 spy party. The kids got to complete an obstacle course, go on a scavenger hunt, and compete to read hidden clues. Happy birthday Agent Porter. We love you and we're proud of you!

Happy 60th Birthday Poppy!

2009-04-27T08:37:00.001-06:00

We love you!

Bulldog Babies

2009-04-27T08:26:00.007-06:00

We finally bit the bullet and took all three kids to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend! We had a great time showing them Brice's allmamater, and the place I like to pretend I graduated from. That little green bundle on Brice's shoulder is Lizzie, napping through the baseball game.

Baseball Blitz

2009-04-12T17:30:00.002-06:00

Porter and Ben are loving baseball! And they've got some pretty sweet fans in the stands, too!

This one's for the grandparents....

2009-04-01T11:49:00.002-06:00

Birthday Bowling

2009-03-31T13:14:00.002-06:00

Elise, Lily, Katie Rose, Riley and Gracie.

Riley waited patiently for several weeks for her birthday party. She had a blast bowling with her friends! They look like a little bowling league in their matching t-shirts.

Pensaks in Da House

2009-03-25T08:46:00.006-06:00

We had a great time with Joey, Katie, Nadine and Lucie. We miss them already! Porter learned how to ride his bike without training wheels...

Nadine and Riley played Mermaids...

Lizzie had fun riding the carousel at the zoo...

and Lucie watched patiently from her perch in the baby swing.

Birthday Bonanza

2009-03-10T11:26:00.010-06:00

The girl's birthdays are only four days apart.... so we've had quite the blowout birthday week. We started with Lizzie's 2nd birthday, on Friday. She really enjoyed this singing card from Papa and Nana.....

And she had lots of help opening presents!

Riley's 5th birthday is today! She loves her new scooter...

And has been enjoying her new curtains from KK and Poppy...

All in all we had a great birthday week, and we might be just about birthday'ed out. Happy 5th and 2nd Riley and Lizzie! you are very loved.

I love my kids because

2009-02-26T06:38:00.007-06:00

Porter likes to take pictures with his mom... even when he's in the baseball stadium with his friends....

Riley eats things like sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, red onions... and eats them with relish!

Lizzie is always eager to help!

My Buddy

2009-02-10T16:37:00.002-06:00

It's rare to get a cute shot of Lizzie sitting still these days, but she was in a cooperative mood this past Sunday. Hard to believe this cutie is about to be 2.

A Dream Realized

2009-01-31T18:13:00.005-06:00

Riley recently told me all she wanted for her birthday was to ride a real-live pony. Well, actually she told me she wanted a pony ride, a new outfit, some new shoes, LOTS of new Polly Pockets, a dog bed for Simon, a kitty cat bed for Rory, and a lunchbox for school next year. So you can imagine how happy she was when ONE of her birthday wishes came true very early this year! We had no idea when Brice took them to the Chili Cook Off at First Pres. today that there would be a pony ride to go along with the chili. We don't think the best chili won, but everyone enjoyed the pony rides, and Lizzie got to practice her very best "pageant" wave.

Pony Express

2009-01-29T13:47:00.002-06:00

Check out the note that Riley wrote and mailed today to her cousin Nadine. Do you think she is excited about Nadine's upcoming visit?

Swingin' Sista

2009-01-19T13:18:00.005-06:00

Ever since Lizzie was 6 months old and big enough to go in one of those baby swings on our swing set, we have tried to introduce her to the world of back and forth. Every time we deposited her into the swing, she would start screaming until she eventually would hyperventilate. To put it mildly, she did not enjoy the swing. Today, we let her try a big kid swing, and the results speak for themselves. I felt like she was Forrest Gump and we were screaming "Swing Lizzie, Swing!" instead of "Run Forrest, Run!"

Christmas, Cats, and Cinderellas

2009-01-10T14:40:00.007-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. We had lots of family including my parents and Brice's dad and step-mom, who all really enjoyed watching the kids discover what Santa left for them in their stockings....

...and enjoy the quiet time that the Leapsters provide. We all had fun playing the new Wii, too.
After Christmas we went to the zoo, and had a very up-close and personal visit with the jaguar. Riley kept saying he was licking the glass because he was lonely. Or... hungry.

And in the lazy days before school started back, the girls enjoyed some of their new dress up.
Riley actually said "presenting Lizzie" before this picture was taken.... although she doesn't look like it Lizzie really did enjoy most of this process.

Sunday Cool

2008-12-21T18:26:00.002-06:00

Not at all sure why this video is insisting on uploading this way.... it's a shame. But I promised the kids of the BEST sunday school class ever that I would upload this video today. Please keep in mind these opinions were not in any way coerced by the fact that I had just given them honey-buns. Merry Christmas to Ramsay, Emma, Savannah, Hannah, Thomas, Winn and Michael!

Well hello my name is Simon....

2008-12-16T12:49:00.002-06:00

Check out what Santa brought a little early this year! Sweet little Simon!

Riley-lina Ballerina

2008-12-16T12:43:00.002-06:00

We feel so blessed that all of our children are healthy and strong! Especially Riley... she had her ballet "observation" yesterday and here's a little video of her doing her favorite tap step!

Snow Pals

2008-12-11T11:02:00.005-06:00

I think the pictures say enough...

Thankful for Leaf Piles

2008-11-30T13:54:00.005-06:00

From left to right, at least in the first picture: Cousin Gracie, Porter, Cousin Ethan, Riley, Lizzie, Cousin Rachael.

It's the End of an Era

2008-11-14T13:04:00.005-06:00

Porter's soccer team, the Orange Crush, ended it's tour of domination last Saturday. They were undefeated in their age group thanks largely to a really great coach and one kid on his team who will most likely be bending it like Beckham one of these days. He improved a lot this year and had a great time. To celebrate their last game, we surprised them by lambasting them with sillystring ... look closely and you'll see a pink bundle being held by someone on the tunnel- Lizzie is Porter's biggest fan!

Boxin' Em In

2008-11-11T17:05:00.001-06:00

No help needed! I thought this was pretty impressive.

Just Doing

2008-10-31T13:36:00.005-06:00

A few shots from our first day back at home. Several people have asked Riley if she is getting sick of having to be off her leg. "No," she said the other day, "I'm just doing." We're so thankful that God has given us a litle girl that is so content to be in the moment- never asking what is next, and thankful for whatever is before her. There's lots of times where I've had to ignore her for quite awhile to help out Liz or Porter, be on the phone, etc. But she is (and has always been) the type of kid to just wait and enjoy whatever is in front of her. Thank you to everyone for the many gifts- as you can see from the pictures above both girls have enjoyed them. Riley has a new coloring book rotated every hour and enough books and stuffed animals that we may have to buy a larger house. I think Lizzie prefers our house cluttered because there's always something to get into. Thanks for the prayers.

Home Again!

2008-10-31T06:39:00.008-06:00

We got home last night from an appointment in Jackson at a Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist. Dr. Palmer feels that we are more than likely fighting a low-grade baterial infection that is treatable with oral antibiotics. After we get the results of Riley's latest bloodwork, we will be able to judge more conclusively if she has an infection or arthritis. Apparently inflammation in a joint such as the knee can occur in children either as a result of a reaction to a bacteria in her system such as e-coli, or she may have a case of Juvenile Rheumatory Arthritis. The good news is we're on the road to figuring out which one of these things Riley's been suffering from, and none of them require further hospitalization!
She has been so brave throughout all this, and yesterday seemed more like her silly self than she has in a long time. She's limping around on that leg and wanting to do everything on her own. She does still tire out easily, but we're just so happy that she's in the mood to pose for pictures below, at our "celebration" dinner at Keiffer's after our appointment in Jackson.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for Riley and for us, for the gifts, cards, facebook messages, hospital visits, food, and phone calls. All of these have been an expression of Christ's love to us. A special thanks to my mom for coming down for almost a week to help with the other kids.

Riley Update

2008-10-28T12:17:00.003-06:00

It turns out Riley had every right to be crying about that boot from the last post. She didn't have a fracture at all. After several days in the boot, her knee swelled up to three times it's size, she started running fever, and we were told to rush to the ER. One long night and lots of tears later, we figured out she had some type of infection that had settled in her leg.
After a very rough couple of days, we now feel that we have our Riley back. She went to physical therapy today and showed off some ballet moves to the delight over several senior-citizens. We're so proud of our litte girl for being so tough. God is teaching her (and us) patience and we are so thankful that she is doing so much better. Hopefully we can get her home soon. Thank you for your prayers!
Our first time walking out of the room. She hasn't put weight on that leg in two weeks so this was a big deal!

Her bed is running out of room - if she gets anymore presents she may need a bed for her stuffed animals!

Gimme A Break

2008-10-22T13:26:00.002-06:00

Riley is not too excited here to show off her new walking cast, or as she refers to it, the "ugly plain black boot." Riley is wiping away tears as I am saying "I'm just taking a picture of your boot!" Naturally, Lizzie obliged by showing off her shoe. It seems breaking bones is hard to do.

Flower Power

2008-10-14T06:01:00.012-06:00

Who knew this innocent photo session would reveal such a violent power struggle?
Take one like this...

Now take one like this....

No Lizzie, you can't touch the flowers....

Now take one like this.... (as Liz exits the scene)

Hey, big spender

2008-10-09T18:48:00.002-06:00

Porter's Last Stand

2008-10-09T07:35:00.002-06:00

Lately Porter's artwork has had a slightly agressive quality...

Orange Crush

2008-10-04T11:47:00.003-06:00

KK and Poppy got to come to Porter's game this weekend!

Porter and Andrew. Right after this picture was taken Andrew said "Now I'm going to kill you for beating us."

Can you feel the intesity?

Go Orange Crush!(I love the team name and anyone who loves REM the way I do will understand why)

Zoo Pals

2008-10-04T11:44:00.004-06:00

Riley and Gracie on the train

Lizzie with Max Bowling.

Mmmmm.....

2008-09-30T18:32:00.003-06:00

I didn't take this picture. So, apparently either Porter or Riley put Lizzie in the reindeer ears and sunglasses and snapped this shot while I was unawares. Sometimes breaking the rules can lead to some pretty funny stuff!

Hey, kids, I found the camera... act excited and I'll take your picture....

2008-09-29T16:01:00.002-06:00

I can always count on Riley for expression.

The Lost Beach Photos

2008-09-29T09:09:00.009-06:00

Here, a sampling of some of our lost beach photos from when we went to Dauphin Island with our cousins this summer. To make a long story short, we found our camera, and got to relive all the "end of summer" moments.... Look closely and you'll see Riley is flying a kite. Seriously.

Little Husky

2008-09-25T10:23:00.002-06:00

Not the greatest picture, but I couldn't resist this one of Liz in her UCONN shirt. A nod to how much we miss Uncle Joey, Aunt Katie, and the girls.

I'm into it, but .....

2008-09-23T20:17:00.003-06:00

Ryken - Page 65 & Psalm 143

2008-09-17T12:35:00.005-06:00

There is no way to be made right with God except through faith in Christ. In Luther's Words. "Now the true meaning of Christianity is this: that a man first acknowledge, through the Law, that he s a sinner, for whom it is impossible to perform any good work.... If you want to be saved, your salvation does not come by works; but God has sent His only Son into the world that we might live through Him. He was Crucified and died for you and bore your sins in His own Body." - Luther's commentary on Galatians page 126

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O Lord;give ear to my pleas for mercy!In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant,for no one living is righteous before you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul;he has crushed my life to the ground;he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me;my heart within me is appalled.

I remember the days of old;I meditate on all that you have done;I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you;my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

Answer me quickly, O Lord!My spirit fails!Hide not your face from me,lest I be like those who go down to the pit.Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,for in you I trust.Make me know the way I should go,for to you I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!I have fled to you for refuge! Teach me to do your will,for you are my God!Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,for I am your servant.

John Brown - Page 73

2008-09-16T19:37:00.005-06:00

That the apostles were not dissatisfied with that part of Paul's doctrine which was peculiarly obnoxious to the Judaising teachers, ' that gentile converts were not bound to be circumcised or submit to the Mosaic law,' was made very evident by their conduct in reference to Titus. "But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: and that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty with we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." The construction of this paragraph is a little involved. Some, following a different reading from our translation, have in rendering it ;left out "no, not" in the 5th verse. They suppose that Titus was circumcised, and that the apostle is explaining the circumstance. Titus was not compelled to be circumcised, but he (Paul) acted on principles similar to those on which he took and circumcised Timothy. It is a very important remark of Dr Paley, that "whenever Paul's compliance with the Jewish law is mentioned in the history of the Acts of the Apostles, it is mentioned in connection with circumstances which point out the motives from which it proceeded, and this motive seems always exoteric, namely, a love of order and tranquillity, or an unwillingness to give unnecessary offence."

Derek Thomas - Page 38

2008-09-16T19:28:00.005-06:00

A New Perspective?

Recent Studies in Paul ( and therefore of the letter to the Galatians ) have gone through what we might call a volte-face. This 'new perspective' insists that we have seriously misunderstood the nature of Paul's confrontation with Jewish factions in the New Testament, because we have misrepresented the nature of Pharisaism and the gospel opposition. This has, of course, serious implications for the way we understand Galatians. ....

According to this 'new perspective' the issue becomes one of Jewish intolerance of Gentiles rather than of the answer to the question of how we may become right with God. The issue becomes one of church membership ( who may be considered as belonging? ) rather than one of salvation itself ( how may we be saved? ).

Norm Better Watch Out!

2008-09-16T19:22:00.004-06:00

I took the older 2 to Lowes this past Saturday morning and let them build a pirate ship at thier kid's workshop. The loved it. After building the rough mmodel at Lowes, we came home and they sandedand painted thier ships all by themselves!

Cuties

2008-09-16T19:19:00.005-06:00

I had taken these pics on my phone and have not had a chance to download them until now. The one of Riley is old. The Lizzie was taken this morning.

Lazer Tag Buddy!

Piggie Tails!

Galatians

2008-09-16T19:04:00.006-06:00

Well,

It's that time of year again. I am beginning to prep for Sunday school. Last major series I helped out with was the book of Numbers. This time I will be working through Galatians, which is really great considering all the NPP stuff going around over the past few years.

I'm going to try something new this time around and see how it works. During my preparation, I will be posting "NUGGETS" from the commentaries that I am reading. So far I have made it mostly thought the first 2 chapters of Galatians in the commentaries. So, I have some backlog to do.

For reference I am using the following Commentaries:

Calvin's Commentaries - John Calvin

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon - William Hendriksen

Galatians - Reformed Expository Commentary - Phillip Ryken

Galatians (Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom) - Leon Morris

The Message of Galatians - John R.W. Stott

Let's Study Galatians - Derek Thomas

Geneva Series of Commentaries (Galatians) - John Brown

Of these I highly recommend 7 & 2 if you want to get into the meat of the book. For devotional purposes, 5 & 3 would be better suited.
Please feel free and comment on the nuggets as your input will help me in planning my lessons.

Brice

Cousin Reunion

2008-09-13T15:07:00.006-06:00

We recently went to Memphis for my grandfather's funeral and got to do some serious catching up with our cousins! We've missed cousins Nadine and Lucie, and we took the opportunity to pose in (matching, natch) our new shirts from Aunt Katie.

ABC's and 123's

2008-08-12T18:00:00.007-06:00

We've had all kinds of new beginnings this month. Mom started teaching preschool at Grace Community School. Riley is going to the four year old class and Lizzie gets to learn sign language and other uber-important baby socialization skills, like don't hit your neighbor with your shoe, and don't eat your paper.
Porter started school today at PCS. Kindergarden is sooooo last year, and he feels very big eating lunch in the lunchroom with the other big kids. So we've got a house full of teachers and students.

It's a bird, it's a plane... no, it was our camera.

2008-07-27T18:10:00.003-06:00

Two weekends ago we took some really great pictures of the kids frolicing on the beach at Dauphin Island, Riley flying a kite with her Papa, touring a WWII battleship in Mobile. Picture the sand, sun, and surf in your mind- and then let the image linger for awhile because there will be no snapshots uploaded to the blog. As we were crossing the bridge that takes you from Dauphin Island back onto I-10, we heard (and saw) something dense- something heavy-fly off the front of our car. Too large to be a flyer for free dry-cleaning, and too small to be anything but- our beloved camera. Somehow it made it from the beach to the hood of our car... and now...somewhere along the interstate, or, I like to think, plunged into the ocean. We hope to soon buy a replacement to capture the first day of school and pre-school snapshots, but until then... imagine how cute Riley would be flying a kite.

The End of an ERA!!!!!!!

2008-07-15T08:17:00.004-06:00

Well,

Today is the end of an Era. The Truck I have driven, and my dad drove since 1989 is being signed over to someone "outside" the family. Fortunatly, I am selling the truck to a friend.

Goodbye my old truck!

Brice

Porter's Famous!

2008-07-11T07:21:00.002-06:00

Smiley Riley

2008-06-30T16:04:00.004-06:00

We had a song we used to sing to Riley when she was a baby called "Smiley Riley" because she was always so smiley and funny, and doing things that were.... smiley and funny. She's still the same way.
You may remember the pictures of Porter and Ben training to be Power Rangers using a very sophisticated training dvd a few months back. Riley found it today.

She has this thing about wanting to hand me her trash as soon as she's done with it. Most kids do this. Riley is incredibly persistent about this, and on this particular day she made up her mind that she was going to give me her empty Capri sun one way or another.

Summer summer summertime......

2008-06-28T15:51:00.008-06:00

KK reading books to Riley, Porter and Nadine at the lake.

Picking blueberries. Riley wanted me to post this picture because it shows how long her ponytail is getting.

Yummy!

Porter and his friends Ben and Andrew, lunching in the fort.

Family Vacation

2008-06-20T11:48:00.016-06:00

We had so much fun with our cousins and grandparents at the lake in Arkansas this week! Check out this cast of characters!
Cousin Lucie
Porter
Riley
Cousin Nadine
Lizzie

Kid Sister

2008-06-09T16:15:00.007-06:00

Those of you that know Riley know that this is what she dreamed of when we told her she'd be having a sister. About a year ago when Lizzie was just a few months old Riley begged me to put her in dress up. Since then, she hasn't had much luck with her dress-up buddy. Until today.

My Buddy

2008-05-30T12:34:00.004-06:00

Look who I found in Lizzie's crib when she woke up from her nap. These days I just can't get to her fast enough.

Happy Working Song

2008-05-30T12:30:00.003-06:00

You can do a lot when you've got such a happy working song to sing....

Sweet Home Alabama

2008-05-28T12:35:00.011-06:00

Riley and cousin Ethan hangin' ten at Uncle John's baseball game

Group picture after church

Me and Rachael- for those of you who remember our wedding she was the four year old flower girl! She's all grown up now and sweet as can be!

The cousins, minus Lizzie, plotting their next attempt at shooting us all with water guns.

Monnee and Mikey (aka Brice's mom and step dad) with the kids at breakfast.

A jungle safari in Alabama? No, they were just posing at Southern Adventures in the jungle-like temperatures.

I hope you had the time of your life

2008-05-21T10:17:00.009-06:00

And friends are friends forever... (sing it with me now...)

Porter takes time to pose with good friends Lily and Jax.

Porter loves his teacher, Mrs. Newman

Staying up late playing some Tiger Woods Golf with dad.

Pool Pals

2008-05-19T10:56:00.004-06:00

Where's Lizzie?

There she is!

Bright as Yellow

2008-05-19T10:50:00.002-06:00

Everyone had such a sunny disposition this Sunday. Maybe it was the visit from KK and Poppy?

I'm a little tea pot!

2008-05-17T18:28:00.007-06:00

I'm not a teapot, but Riley is. She danced and sang at the debut Ballet recital last night. We have video, but I am having difficulty downloading it right now.

So in the mean time, here are some pics from last night.

(She is in the middle wth the "Binocular Eyes", click to enlarge!)

A'camping we will go....

2008-05-11T16:06:00.006-06:00

Happy 6th Birthday Porter!

Nothing Gets Between Me and My Onesie

2008-05-07T07:04:00.003-06:00

Lizzie always displayed a flair for fashion. Somewhat rebellious, even as infant she would put her own spin on the traditional 'onesie' by turning it into an assymetrical, one shouldered gown. Flying in the face of conformity? We call it genius.

Go Speed Racer

2008-05-06T13:30:00.004-06:00

Check out Porter's early birthday present!

Beware: Ninja In Training

2008-04-28T20:36:00.003-06:00

Porter's Saturday Workout.

His black outfit was in the wash.

Lizzie Monster

2008-04-21T06:53:00.003-06:00

My kids have giant heads, so shirts often get stuck on their enormous melons when we're changing clothes. The older two always moaned and groaned about it, but Lizzie thinks it's hilarious. She completes the look by making what can only be described as monster noises, which sound a lot like a baby cheetah or something. You really have to hear it to believe it.

The times they are a changin'

2008-04-07T14:18:00.003-06:00

Things are really changing around here. Lizzie's learning how to do the dishes, and Riley's taken to brushing her hair while she's catching up on calls. We run a tight ship around here.

Hippity Hop

2008-03-24T08:40:00.004-06:00

Lizzie

2008-03-21T14:10:00.003-06:00

A few great shots of Lizzie to show you how she's growing up! She started really walking while Brice was gone.