95 Theses

It's that time of year again.

On October 31, 1517...Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the Castle Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany in obedience to what the Lord was showing him regarding sin and spiritual bondage.

How seriously to do you regard our freedoms and the principles they are based on? Friends, there is much at stake. Vote.

photo by Sheena Christine Starks

Happy 17th Bria!

Nana and Papa matched his savings dollar for dollar this year.

Supreme Court

The following is taken from www.breakingchristiannews.com
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"With the upcoming elections 8 days away, satan has worked hard to deflect attention off of the real issue. This has been relatively easy through the economic meltdown and an unpopular war. Many Americans, including Christians, will vote based on these two issues. While these things are obviously important, they pale in light of the real issue-the Supreme Court.

The cover story of USA Today, on Thursday of last week, spelled this out quite clearly. It stated that the real legacy of the next president won't be the economy or the war, but the Supreme Court. The next president of the United States will appoint at least 2, and maybe 3, Justices in his first term. If he serves 2 terms, it could be 5 Justices-there are 5 of the 9 on the Court 70 years old or older! Since the trend is to appoint younger and younger Justices, the next president will most likely shape the court for the next 30-40 years! This means we are not voting only for a president, we are voting for the Court we want for the next generation! The vote we cast on November 4th will do more to shape the culture we give our children and grandchildren than any other vote of our lifetime! Perhaps some succinct bullet points will help us see this clearly:

Without question, no institution, organization, or agency has shaped the current culture of America in the last 50 years more than the Supreme Court. You don't need millions of people, the majority in Congress, or the President to shape the culture of America. You only need 5 people-the majority of the Supreme Court. Five people can kill 50 million babies (the number aborted since Roe vs. Wade), legalize homosexual marriage, remove parental rights, put God out of schools and government, rob from us our Godly heritage, etc.

It is now split-sometimes 5-4 toward life, family, morality, our godly heritage, the intent of our forefathers when they wrote the Constitution; sometimes 5-4 toward death, immorality, legislating their beliefs from the bench (though not their constitutional role or right, this is easy-they simply say the Constitution is a fluid, living document and therefore must be changed to accommodate the times), removing God from our nation, etc.

2-3 Justices will retire over the next 4 years, their replacements chosen by the next president; possibly a couple more will step down 5 to 8 years from now, making it 5 potential Justices that could be appointed by the next president if he serves 2 terms. This will determine how the Court rules for a generation.

The first two Justices to go will almost certainly be Stevens who is 88 years old and Ginsberg who is 75 and ill. They are the two most liberal and are no doubt waiting to retire, hoping for a president that will replace them with 2 more liberals. These two replacements alone, if they are good, conservative judges could shift the Court toward righteousness for many years.

Conclusion: our vote this November 4th will be not for a president, not for the economy, not for ending our involvement in Iraq. Our vote will be for what we want America to look like 40 years from now!

2 Chronicles 7:14

"If my people, which are called by My name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

A list of things to remember during this historical week in our country...forwarded by a gal in our Tuesday morning Bible Study.

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

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And here's one of mine (not original....simply regurgitated): According to the Word, things are going to get worse.

Galilee's response to our drive home from piano lessons....

"Wow, people really have issues."

(then)

"I have no desire to see this stuff."

Everyone thinks Aunt Florence is in her early eighties....but she's actually 92!!!!!!!!!!!! Does she not look amazing?

Nate and Marion

Here's what I learned about Nate and Marion today.

Nate lost his wife 7 years ago. He cries often but not unapologetically. He was in the chicken farming business and has roots in Austria. His daughter is battling a rare form of cancer, his 17 year old grandson committed suicide and he lost both brothers....one older....one younger last year. His granddaughter is an artist but to make ends meet....she works in an abortion clinic. She's becoming discouraged with the horrors she sees every day.

Marion wanted 12 children. She loved her two sons but hoped for girls. Adoption was not an option. Her husband ....who passed away first....threatened divorce if she pushed the large family issue. After putting her son on an airplane to visit his grandmother....she lost him in a tragic crash when he was 13. She's got grandchildren, but is foggy about whether any of them are granddaughters. (Nate reminds her that "yes"....one is a girl) Marion was a tomboy growing up and she absolutely fusses over my girls.

They hooked up when Marion approached Nate six years ago and asked, "Do you want to be friends?" Nate...... still grieving the loss of his wife.......said, "Yes." They have been together ever since. In his words, "Her family has adopted me and my family has adopted her. We do everything together." He is devastated by Marion's recent memory loss.

All this information was exchanged during an afternoon visit...where the girls were gifted with stuffed animals and much love was bestowed.

What a humbling, humbling encounter.

Bridal Shower

We had a lovely time last nite. The bride-to-be is a sweetheart and my girls....in the wedding party.... feel like princesses.

Arizona State Fair

We had a ball! My favorite memories:

Bria and Zion sharing a bumper car.

Jemima tackling every ride head on with no fear.

Galilee trying the roller coaster even though she was petrified....crying ...which was appropriate for her...and then riding it a second time w/no tears. And she even did the Ferris Wheel this time! Well Done!!!!!!

Mcabe winning Zion an ICEE, a teddy bear, and a pink elephant.

Zion screaming at the top of her lungs all the way down the very steeeeeeeeep looooooooong slide....reaching the bottom and still screaming thru tears ...she sobs, "I want to go again!"

Ummmmmmm...can I just say what an ENORMOUS blessing this ministry is????????? Free music lessons twice a week?????????? It is not too good to be true. It is the Lord's people using their talents and gifts to glorify their King in thanksgiving.

Every so often, I make a big pot of meatballs. No pasta....just meatballs. It's one of my comfort foods. Reminds me of Brooklyn.

We live in a pretty pretty place, I think.

Lord of the Flies

collage by Mcabe

Co-Op

Happy Home Fellowship Birthday Celebration Jenny, Sean, Jemima, and Cate.


We've been together as a group for five years now. We started off larger...but not stronger. With the dwindling....depth and intimacy have developed and continues to develop.

We are going through Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

“The motivation for this book stems from a growing conviction that those of us whom I call conservative evangelicals may have become so preoccupied with some of the major sins of society around us that we have lost sight of the need to deal with our own more ‘refined’ or subtle sins” (p. 9).
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So Far.....so convicting.

Here's a snapshot of Friday evening. I said such and such about this and that...made a pretty good case.... as far as I was concerned. Tim, a man of few words turned from where he was sitting on my living room floor....looked me directly in the eye and said, "I don't buy that."