Unbelievable Damage

On Tuesday night, we got a call from one of our youth staff. She was calling to ask us to pray for the tornado that had just hit Union. Thankfully, she had just received a call from her daughter, Bonnie letting her know that she was safe. We had finished our bible study and just before everyone left we were able to pray for the students and teachers and parents involved. I just got a moment to check online and see the damage. It is astounding. Apparently 80% of the student housing is destroyed.
Union University Tornado Pictures
Pray.

Homeschooling questions?

I am looking for any information… insight… advice you can give me on homeschooling?

1. Where do you get your material?
2. How much does it cost? (for budgeting)
3. How have you structured your day w/ all your children?
4. What have you found to be most encouraging about homeschooling?
5. What have you found the most challenging?
6. What have you learned the most?
7. Any other things I should know?

Humble reflections on Ex 28

Exodus 28:29
So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.

Reading about the installation of the great high priest of Israel captivated me. Even though it describes in detail what the high priest should wear... from colors to size to thread to adornments, I was most captured by the beautiful picture that this detail draws out. How the Sons of Israel are represented by beautiful gems. These brilliant gems are secured to breastpiece that the high priest wears when going into the Holy Place. This breastpiece hangs heavy on his heart so that it will be a continual remembrance of the sons of Israel before the Holy Lord.

What a picture of how my Great Holy High Priest the Lord Jesus has us the sons of Israel.... the offspring of Abraham because of faith, hanging on his heart. He continually remembers his beautiful gems in the Holy Place intercedes for His people.

How glorious are His ways!

Exciting New Blog

I just came across an exciting new blog, Mommy Speech Therapy . She has several posts on helping kids with different sound. The post on the TH sound is what caugh my attention. This is the sound that Gabi struggles with the most. I'm excited to work with her suggestions. I haven't been very attentive to her speaking, so I'm sure any effort on my side will probably help. We will see.

Seven kids... quiet ... too good to be true.

We had an extra 3 kids join us this morning. It was surprisingly quiet most of the morning. I had to do very little mediating among the older kids which was a pleasant delight. I think I had my expectations set correctly with the two year old girls... They are just learning how to share. The boys played in Sam's room so well that I was able to have all the girls help me make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. They enjoyed measuring, mixing and cracking the eggs. In the meantime, I was quite impressed at how well the 4 year old boys were playing together. They were diligently working... with the toy saw and a cardboard box. I was pleased that I didn't need to break up fights or try to get these 2 stubborn boys to share. After a while, they all went outside to swing on our tree rope. After our friends left, I went into the room where the boys had been playing. I notice they had made a rope out of some packing tape and tied all of their tools to the bunk bed. Then I noticed they had found my tripod and had taken it apart. Then they proceed to stab the wall over and over again... so now there are little holes all over this one section of the wall. I thought the quiet was a little too good to be true.

Birthday Fun Survey

I surveyed Grandma and Grandpa Thiel and the grandkids about the birthday party we had for all the fall birthdays. Here are the results:

What was the best part you liked about the birthday party?

Grandpa answered:

"Being here in Vermont with us together."

Grandma answered:

"The same.. being here together."

Gabriela answered:

"Making the balloons and putting the balloons on the poster and eating cake."

Madeline answered:

"Dressing up and wearing the tutu."

Sam answered:

"Opening presents"

Juliana answered:

"M&M's"

Eleanor answered:

"M&M's"

Jeremiah:

slept through the party

While cooking...

While I was baking a delicious biscotti recipe tonight I thought I would try to get in some reading. I just started the diaries of David Brainerd. I love reading missionary bios. I have heard that David Brainerd's writings have inspired many to the mission field.

My friend told me to post this picture of my re-engineering of this cardboard box. It is nothing special.. but it works. Here it is.

I might as well post the recipe too.. A friend gave me one the other day and I LOVED IT!

Chocolate Chip Biscotti
1/2 C olive oil
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 C mini chocolate chips
1. Cream oil with sugar, beat in the eggs, then mix the vanilla. Add sifted flour and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well and then mix in the chocolate chips.
2. Form 2 loaves of flat logs. Dough will be sticky. (You may need to add some flour to handle the dough).
3. Bake loaves @ 375 for 15 minutes, then 350 for 30 minutes.
4. Slice the logs, turn the logs on their side and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Store in an airtight container or freeze.

First Soccer Game

What a fun night. After packing up the 4 kids... loading up dinner, drinks & our game necessities, we were able to make it downtown to watch the UMass vs UVM game.

Once we got there we were eagerly searching for Stu's jersey.. #17. We scooted around the field so that we might get a better chance to see him. It worked and just in time. We took the picture, wished him luck and gave him a box of chocolate chip cookies the kids and I made for him. He went in the game not much longer after we took this picture.

So we went back up to the bleachers and started cheering. The funniest thing was trying to get the Sam and Gabi to either say.. "Go Stu"... which came out more like "Go Sto" or "Go Amick" which they heard and repeated as "Go Nick". It was great to see Him play.. and Sam was facinated at all the big boys running around.

We didn't get to watch till the end (it went into overtime). But I'm glad to say UMass Won. (2-1)

Check out UMass News to read a play by play of the action.

Little Lessons...

God was so kind to teach Gabi & Sam a great lesson today. They went to their cousins house for lunch. When, I came over to pick them up, I brought a book for my niece as a gift. Well, this made Gabi & Sam very jealous and whiny about not getting a gift. What a moment. Their heart was totally exposed. I sat them down on the spot and reminded them what the bible says:

"It is better to give than to recieve." Acts 20:35

And wouldn’t you know when we got back home we found a gift on our front porch. The kids were so excited. We then talked about how excited Madeline must have felt to receive the book today. We talked about how we don't need to covet things because the Lord supplies all we need and even beyond. I told them that God was so kind to teach you this lesson about giving... and coveting.

Our prayer for these little ones, is that they would get a new heart by faith in Christ. That they would come to love the commands of the Lord and obey them. That they would live their life... loving people more that things, just as Jesus did.

Our New Baby Boy!

Jeremiah James

July 11, 2007

The Lord has blessed us with another healthy child. I the midst of a crazy summer and intense week. Jeremiah was born. With my due date during the week our annual Youth Retreat, we knew we were in for a roller coaster of a ride. But the Lord was kind to us in answering our little prayers. Steve was able to drive back up (1.5 hrs away) from the campground with plenty of time to take me to the hospital to have our fourth baby. Camp ran fine with an assistant director. And he was also able to return to the closing night of camp.

What a labor of Love this week was for so many, 30 adults labored over the souls of 95 kids. As my labor was hard and challenging so to was that of these adults. But ... What a beautiful sight and sound it was to hear the same day that Jeremiah was born that a couple teenagers from our youth group were Born to God and came to Faith.

Praise God! Glory to His Name!