A Gentle Reminder from My 4 Year Old

Wednesday night, Josh was dishing out sorbet for the girls to eat whilst I read to them. Ruth - as I braided her hair - was telling her Papa how much ice cream to give her, and to make sure it was... a lot. I quietly reminded her that Papa was a kind Papa and would not be stingy with this treat.

Suddenly - like a lightening bolt - it hit me that God is the same with us. How many times have I specified how much of a "gift" or good thing I want from Him - the Giver of good things - and fail to remind myself that God is NEVER stingy ...with His good gifts?

Doesn't the Bible say that every good and perfect gift comes from our Father in heaven?

Papa lovingly protecting AND teaching his girl.

The Girls New Beds

Upon our return home from out monthlong vacation, we found a huge wooden set of bunk beds sitting outside, waiting for either the burn pile, or rain to demolish them.  Thankfully, there had not been rain here in most of the time we were gone, so the bunk beds were safe.  Ruth had been needing a new bed for a LONG time, and we wanted to move Anna back into the girls room...so we snatched them up.

We took the girls to WalMart, and bought them their very own set of sheets...they both wanted the same color - which makes life easier for me.  Here is the finished product:

First Outdoor Festival of their Lives...

The second half of June we spent in Pennsylvania, at the Agape Farm setting up and participating in the Creation Festival.  We learned a whole lot about ourselves and our girls those two weeks.

• Our girls camp VERY well.  Two weeks in a tent was almost enjoyable...except that...

• Being sick (puking and diarrhea) whilst camping is no fun, especially due to the lack of toilet.

The girls only got to see two adult concerts, and had one morning in the kids tent (sorry, no pictures of that one).  Anna ended up with some kind of virus similar to 5th disease.  Mama threw in the towel when Josh woke up in the middle of the night to help clean up Anna puke, and then decided to...well...he ended up with diarrhea too.  We left a day early, and I am okay with that, as Papa spent the next week sleeping most of the days away!

Below are pictures from the Casting Crowns concert.  Yes, I am wearing one of Josh's heavy flannels, and I was STILL cold by the time we got back to the room!  It got COLD at night...which was an absolute Godsend with a feverish, uncomfortable Anna.

Bagel Making at the Larson Home

Okay, since we did this several months ago, I forgot the recipe.  You will just have to use your imaginations!

Josh is kneading the dough.

More kneading.

Josh is rolling out the dough so it can be rolled into small balls.

Josh is showing the girls how to roll the dough into a ball.

After making 8 dough balls, we let the rest and raise.

Rolling the dough balls into "snakes."

To make the bagel a circle, Josh wrapped it around his hand.

This is the finished circle.

They get boiled for a couple minutes, then flipped.

These have just been flipped, I believe.

These bagels are ready to be baked.  I don't believe you bake them for more than 10 minutes total, flipping them after five minutes.

The finished product!

We used spelt flour.  I found that they taste better hot with cream cheese rather than reheated the next day.

Virginia Vacation

The month of June was vacation time for the Larson's.  We went to visit some old friends from our Friend Ships days in Virginia.  One of our many adventures took us to West Virginia to see our dear friends Mark and Jean Pfau.  This is a picture of Josh showing Shalom fish in the water below the bridge we were standing on.

My beautiful Ruth having an "adult" conversation with one of our friends.

Ruth and Shalom with their new favorite person, Lori Miller.  You will see why she is their new favorite down below.

Back in the Blacksburg area, we went to see some old FS crew, the Danners.  They live on a lake, and took the girls out on their boat.  Both Ruth and Shalom got to ride behind the boat with Josh and Jennifer Ward holding them onto the float.  They loved it!

While in Virginia, Ruth turned 4 years old!  She had stuffed crust pizza and M&M cookies with ice cream as a "cake."  Our wonderful hosts, the Steinakers put up with our galavanting, and times of just staying still.  They were great!

THIS is why Ruth and Shalom love Lori!  She let them ride on her big horse Romeo!  Both girls agree that they liked riding in front of Lori, rather than with Lori "pulling" the horse!

For Dess Annette, because she asked.

Josh and his girls...

Mama and her Girls...

The whole family together Easter Sunday...

Plus one more...you can't read it, but it says, "Pregnant."

A Meek and Quiet Spirit

I looked up the word quiet in my Bible - it has a small concordance in the back.  Here is what I found:

• Proverbs 1:33 - But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.  
• 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - And that you study to be quiet and to do your own business amd to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.
• 1 Timothy 2:2 - For kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peacable life in all godliness and honesty.
• 1 Peter 3:4 - But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

I found "meek" in the back of my Bible 10 times.  Here's what I found:

• Numbers 12:3 - (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
• Psalm 22:26 - The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
• Psalm 25:9 - The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
• Psalm 37:11 - But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
• Psalm 149:4 - For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
• Isaiah 29:19 - The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 61:1 - The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
• Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
• Matthew 11:29 - Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
• 1 Peter 3:4 - But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

When I first started looking into meekl and quiet, I knew that God had made a mistake.  there is NO way I could be meek and quiet, and I perceived meek and quiet to be.  How could someone once described as a spitfire and strongly opinionated have a meek and quiet spirit?!?!?!?

 Then I read the following quote on a forum, written by a woman I admire:  Rebekah Pearl Anast.  She gave me hope!  What do you think?

The two people in the bible who were described as meek were Moses and Jesus. Both were willing to endure hardship for the sake of others... believing what lay ahead. Heb 11. Both were amazingly bold before God in prayer, but willing to suffer even death that others might live. Some say that meekness is "quiet strength." I think it is best understood by reading through the lives/stories of Moses and Jesus.

A quiet spirit is exactly that: A spirit that is quiet... not full of turmoil or distress. Not loud and impatient... just quiet. No matter what is going on around you, you discipline your spirit to stand in faith, quietly... waiting on God, not freaking out. Not panicking at the circumstances, but waiting and believing.

The phrase "not afraid with any amazement" is a description of Abraham's wife, Sarah. When Abraham said they were going to leave home and family and wander the wilderness looking for a city whose builder and maker was God... Sarah was not amazed or afraid. She followed him. When he said they were going to have a son when they were nearly a century old... she laughed... but she wasn't afraid to give it go... 

Hbr 11:11          Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
 Hbr 11:12         Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

When the famine hit and they went to Egypt, when she was told say she was his sister rather than wife, when her son was taken to be sacrificed on an altar...

Sarah was not afraid with any amazement. She was fearless and unamazed. She stood waiting for God to show Himself in every situation and refused to let herself question and panic and drive Abraham to something other than obedience to God.

Her husband was sufficed with God... so she was sufficed as well. No emergency rooms, no desperate calls to mama, no panic-attacks and tearful pleading for him to do something else...

She was not afraid with any amazement. Whose daughter ye are if ye do well.   

1Pe 3:1      Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
1Pe 3:2      While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear.
1Pe 3:3      Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
1Pe 3:4      But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1Pe 3:5      For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
1Pe 3:6      Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are,