Eli's 1st Package! (and a flashback to the 80's)

Well, the little dude got his first package in the mail today! I let him get it out of the mailbox and when he saw his name on the package, he beamed from ear to ear. He tore into that thing and was so delighted with the new stencil set, paint set, and stickers. Way to go, Mim! He loves mail!

I was listening to the christian music station on tv today. They were playing a ton of 80's flashbacks. Songs by Twila Paris "God is in Control", Larnelle Harris "Friends in High Places", John Elefante "That's Why God Made the Moon," and Leslie Phillips, "Strength of my Life." Good times! It made me wonder what these old school artists are up to these days.

Speaking of the 80's, Eric and I caught an episode of "Airwolf" last night. Do you guys remember this cool tv show with the coolest helicopter ever? It has like the best tv song theme ever. Sing it with me :Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo....yeah, like whatever! Hey, do you like love how I am using the word like in all my sentences? Like, Oh My Gosh! Such an 80's thing to do...insert "like" before every conceivable word!

So, like, what are your favorite remembrances of the 80's? Like, you don't even have to mention Reagan, he is like, soooo on the list already! Like, I remember clean sitcoms like Mr. Belvedeere, Growing Pains, and the Cosby Show. What about you?

On a side note, I signed up for this Bible study by Beth Moore that starts tomorrow. I had no idea what it was about, but as I was looking up some stuff on the net today, I came across it and it is like about the Jewish feasts! How cool is that? God is like so amazing and funny.

My Little Blunder

So, I was singing at church this morning. I was already nervous about the morning because I didn't get to practice with the gang on Thursday night. During second service sermon time, I decided to venture into our library and kill some time before we went back up on stage. I just love books. Really, just looking at all of the titles gives me a sugar rush like a kid who eats all of his Christmas stocking candy in the span of 3 minutes. So, I guess I was having way too much fun and lost track of time. My friend Mendy poked her head in the library and said, "Aren't you supposed to be up there with them??" AHHHH!! I RAN all the way from the library to the back of the stage where I could poke my head out of the curtain for all to see..."wait for me, here I am!" Well, they were already singing, "Sing to the King." I couldn't breathe, much less sing! So, I just mouthed it for awhile, trying to not remind myself that I was the only girl on melody that morning. Sheesh. Why couldn't we sing, "Breathe to the King" for crying out loud! Maybe my obsession with books won't get in the way of my obsession with singing the next go round!

Jewish Studies...Part Three (Rosh HaShanah)

I am getting soooo much feedback on these Jewish studies posts! I can hardly contain myself! Well....we will wrap up the studies with this post. This one intrigues me the most. I love studying this stuff. Do you ever feel incomplete...like a big chunk of you is elsewhere? Do you ever have a longing so deep to see your Savior's face that you can hardly stand it? Do you ever wonder why a good movie or a good meal or a good conversation never quite measure up to bringing complete fulfillment? I think God created tons of "good" things for us to enjoy, but nothing is going to fill that deep void until we reach our real home and see the One who redeemed us.

One of the feasts that intrigues me the most is called Rosh HaShanah. It is the only one celebrated at the new moon. This feast is referred to as the head of the Jewish civil year. It has been called "Yom Teruah" which means "day of the awakening blast" and also "shout." It can also be called "Yom HaKesah" which means the "day of concealment."

Isaiah 26:19-21 says this:
"But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins..."

If you believe in a pre-trib rapture, then the Church (Bride) must be concealed in Heaven during the Tribulation...away from the earth and the effects of God's wrath. In the above verses, we see "God's people" as being hidden (or concealed) until the wrath has passed by. The cool thing about Rosh HaShanah is that it is the only feast celebrated during the new moon. The new moon is the one where you can't even see it...it first appears as a sliver. Before "NASA," the Jewish people would require two witnesses to be watchmen for the new moon. When they both saw the edges of the new moon, they would announce it to the Sanhedrin, who would then tell the High Priest. Rosh Hashanah was called the "unknown day" because there was always a 48 hour window in which it could occur. It is still a two day feast.

The coolest part is that the verse that says "No man knows the day or hour" (Mt. 24:36) is a common idiom said during this feast. No one knew which day it would take place on...but they had to be prepared.

We know they were to sound the ram's horn on this day(Rosh Hashanah) because of this verse: "Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon..." Psalm 81:3 The sounding of a trumpet...often a shofar (ram's horn), is in many verses that make reference to the rapture. Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15:51-52 that "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMP; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1st Thessalonians 4:16-18 say: "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the TRUMPET of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words."

Rosh HaShanah was not the only feast where the trumpet was blown, but this feast is referred to as the "LAST TRUMP." Pentecost is called the First Trump and Yom Kippur is called the Great Trump. Pretty neat stuff!!

I don't think we are to be "date setters" or anything like that...in Acts, it says we don't get to know the time, but instead, we get the Holy Spirit. But, I do think God wants us aware of the seasons...to be aware of world events and how they might match up to Biblical prophesy. Rosh Hashanah is on September 30th-October 1st this year. I am by no means saying that THIS is the year...but if the rapture will occur on this feast, then it does give us yet another reason to look forward to fall every year!

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Jewish Studies...Part Two (Wedding)

One of the things I am beginning to realize is that if I could only understand the customs of Jewish culture, then the scriptures would make that much more sense! After all, Jesus was a Jew and he talked in Jewish terms, not American ones. Ha. The realization that I need to understand Jewish culture better is a little bit frustrating for me, since I don't know anyone Jewish, nor have I ever been to Israel. So, bear with me when I say that most of my research has come from the Internet. I must preface this outline by saying that I lean towards a pre-tribulation rapture...and the Jewish wedding traditions seem to point to exactly that. I am by no means a biblical scholar, and I know great, Biblical people who think the rapture will occur mid way thru the Tribulation, or even "pre-wrath." I just thought the wedding customs of that time were cool enough to pass along...decide for yourself if you think they are prophetic in any way.

There is so much information! I am going to try and keep this simple. (Ha.)

Here are a few of the customs/practices of the Jewish wedding and how they point to Christ:

1. Betrothal: A prospective groom would enter the bride's house, ask for her hand in marriage and offer a price for her. This was an actual legal covenant. (Christ bought us with his blood.)

2. The Cup: A glass of wine was poured for the prospective bride. If she drank, that symbolized her acceptance of the covenant. (At the last supper, Jesus poured wine for his disciples, when they drank, it symbolized the accepting of the covenant.)

3. Gifts: the groom showered the bride with gifts...partly so that she would remember him in the days to come. The betrothal period was about 12 months long...she would have to wait to see him again. (Our gift: the Holy Spirit...our counselor...the one who always point us to Christ.)

4. Mikveh: a cleansing bath for the bride (Baptism for us.)

5. Preparing a place: I am unsure as to whether the groom is preparing a "home" for them as a couple, or just a bridal chamber for the honeymoon. It is almost always attached to the father's house. The father of the groom is the one to tell the groom when it is time to go fetch his wife...after the room is ready. (Jesus is preparing a place for us while we are preparing our hearts for him.)

6. Comes for his Bride: It is done in secret. A blowing of the trumpet announces his arrival. The bride is even unaware of the day and hour. (The rapture speaks of the trumpet being blown.)

7. 7 days in the wedding chamber: The bride was veiled on the way to the groom's house. The couple spend 7 days together and then he announces his Bride to the crowd. (A parallel would be that if the bride (church) has been raptured, then she is spared the tribulation---the 7 days in the wedding chamber equates to the 7 year tribulation on earth.)

8. Marriage supper: feast, feast and feast!

Study #3 will delve into the idea that the rapture will occur on the Feast of Trumpets.

PS--I finally found out why the Hebrew grooms stomp on a glass during the wedding. It symbolizes their continual sadness at the fact that the Temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed. We as Christians don't "need" a church in order to worship...God makes his dwelling inside of us. But for the Jewish people, the temple was where God LIVED. I can't imagine their despair in not being able to set up a tabernacle so that God would once again dwell among them.

Jewish Studies....Part One (Feasts)

I have been passionate about this topic for quite some time now, and I thought I would jot down some of my thoughts. It gets me so excited...I don't know why I love to study this stuff, but praise God for the little bit of understanding that I am getting as I delve into it! It is fascinating...our God is such a God of order and a God of fulfilling His promises. When God instituted the feasts that the Israelites were to celebrate (marked down in the dreaded book of Leviticus!) He did it so that they would already be celebrating something that WAS to come! Jesus Christ would fulfill all of the feasts! Each Jewish feast, in its own way, would demonstrate the work of redemption thru Christ. What are these feasts? Well, I am so stinkin' glad you asked!! First of all, the Hebrew word for feast is "moadim," which means "appointed times." 4 of the 7 feasts have been literally fulfilled on THE EXACT DAY that the Jewish people celebrate them! How amazing is that?? The other 3 feasts are waiting to be fulfilled. The first four feasts happen in the spring and the last three are in the fall. More on that later...

1. Passover---fulfilled at Jesus' death

Jesus was crucified at the same time the lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for the Passover meal...why Jesus is called our Passover Lamb. In Exodus, the Israelites were instructed to take a lamb that was unblemished and kill, cook, and eat it, and take the blood and wipe down their doors with it. When God was striking the Egyptian first borns, he passed over the homes that were covered in the blood. (See Exodus Ch 12...so awesome!)

2. Unleavened Bread--fulfilled at Jesus' Burial

Jesus' body was actually in the grave during the first days of this feast. Unleavened meant without yeast...which signified without sin. His sinless life was the perfect sacrifice and he is the bread of life.

3. First Fruits--fulfilled at Jesus' Resurrection

His resurrection guarantees our resurrection!

4. Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)---fulfilled in Acts when God poured out His Holy Spirit

This ushers in the church age...birth of the church.

(There is a break between the spring feasts and the fall feasts (summer...duh!!) This is a symbolic time that represents the dispensation of grace...the church age.) The next 3 feasts all occur within 15 days of one another and are all yet to be fulfilled. Seems to me that if the first 4 were all fulfilled on the exact day of the feast, then the next 3 will be as well! Cool.

5. Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)---many believe this feast will be fulfilled at the Rapture

(Rapture being when Christ snatches His bride from this earth and takes us HOME! Glory!)

This feast starts on September 30th this year...but more on that topic in a different post.

6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)---Christ's actual 2nd coming

This also will be the day of salvation for the NATION of Israel....perhaps even the battle of Armageddon when the enemy of Israel will be destroyed. (Passover is celebrated for personal salvation and the Day of Atonement is celebrated for national salvation.)

7. Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) (Sukkot)---Christ's millennial reign on earth

In the Wilderness, when the Israelites were wandering for 40 years, they set up "booths" to live in...devout Jews will to this day set up outdoor booths to live in during this feast. The feast represents the day that God Himself will "tabernacle" with his people once again and dwell among us. (Oh, be still my heart!!) This festival is all about CELEBRATION!! It points to the marriage supper and Christ's reign on earth.

In Part Two, I want to share some cool stuff about Jewish weddings and how many of the rituals point to Christ and things to come!

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY SISTER!!!

Hey Sweet Thang! Happy Birthday! The older you get, the younger I get! Pretty soon, there won't be any age difference between us! I love your zeal for life, your carefree attitude and your giving spirit. I love your fashion sense, your love for shoes and purses, and your frugal business thinking mind. I love God for giving you to all of us...you have kept us in laughter!

I can't believe you are 20! I used to change your diapers, for crying out loud! You were an ADORABLE 2 year old, with blonde pigtails and kissable cheeks. You were dear to my heart then, and grow dearer every day! I love ya, girl! Hope you have a special day!

Eli stories

I was picking up Eli today at school. As Eli was getting into the van, all of his classmates were yelling "Bye Eli!!" His teacher grinned and said in a matter of fact way, "he is sooo popular!" Eli looked at me with the hugest grin as we were pulling away and said "what?" As if he didn't know WHAT! That boy is a charmer, I tell you!

For weeks now, Eli has been begging for a package that would come in the mail. He is just like me, I swear! (Except I am not as popular!) :) So, he asked me how he could get a package. "UMMMMMM, call Mim???" So, there you have it, the boy wants a package. He doesn't care what is in the package, he just wants a package.

Weekend Rundown...

We went to see my family over the weekend. Great times! All of the "big boys" (age 8 and up) went to the just GLORIOUS Razorback game. We girls and little guys were smarter than that and had some real fun!

We started our day at Fayetteville Botanical Gardens...amazing! I want to go back sometime without kids so I can actually read about each plant. It is the most breathtaking spot ever! It is every aspiring photographer's dream! Eli and Sam enjoyed the "kiddie garden"...complete with a tree house that had a huge bird's nest at the top. The little girl with Mini is a girl she babysits...she didn't mind smiling for the camera. Why are little boys so full of energy the hardest thing in the world to photograph???

We then loaded our bellies with McDonald's and went to Lokomotion! It is this fun, fun, fun place that has everything from arcade and bumper boats to putt putt and go-karts. Eli got to ride the go-kart by himself and was beside himself with joy. He was so intense while driving, we couldn't even get him to look our way and smile! Sam was upset that he isn't quite 4 years old...he REALLY wanted to drive one, too!

We then crossed the huge bridge that leads to the putt putt course. We watched the fish and turtles swim down below and then headed to our golf game. If Sam hadn't been so tired, I think he really would have enjoyed this part. He would carry his ball to about 2 inches from the hole and putt away. He really enjoyed the challenge! HA! Needless to say, by the time we got that kid down for a nap, we had to WAKE him up at 5:30!

Later that night, we had a birthday party for Sam and Amelia. Nana and Grandad came...we went to eat prior to the party at AQ Chicken House...MMMM. Sam got tons of toys and Mini got tons of clothes. Fun day!

Sweet Tribute

One of Kiley's best friends, Libby, got married recently. Kiley was blessed with four BFF's from high school and they kept in touch through the years. When Miranda got married, Stephanie, Libby, and Kiley were the bridesmaids...along with some other friends and sisters. When Stephanie got married, same thing. In a way, when Libby got married, they were able to keep tradition by including Kiley in this way...her picture was tied around those 3 girls' bouquets. I thought it was a sweet idea and way to remember their best friend.

Knocked Flat on my Back!

It has been two of the worst sickness days ever! My PA friend is pretty sure I have a viral infection of the inner ear. Sounds awful, huh? It hit me suddenly at 10 am on Tuesday. Waves of dizziness combined with outbursts of vertigo...which led to feelings of nausea and tummy aches. I can't even walk a straight line without holding on to the walls. The poor kids have been good and fended a lot for themselves.

The motion sickness pill, meclizine has taken some of the edge off, but then I get sleepy! I have slept a TON these past two days. The only relief I can find is a dark room that has a bed! This infection typically lasts about 48 hours...which would end at 10 am today. Pray with me that it does!!

Western Day!

Today was Western Day at the boys' school! Cowboy Up!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Sam!!!

First party...family! He got a new "kid" goal and a new set of clubs.

The below are from his second party...KIDS! Here, Savannah is trying to steal all of my vintage VHS tapes. She knows a good thing when she sees it!

The below is of Carter, getting his daily shot of caffeine. No lie, the boy loves coffee!!!

It has been party central over here! Sam turns 3 today! I can't really believe this...everything seems to go faster with the 3rd born. I don't know why that is...but I don't know that I like it!

Samuel Brennan got his name the moment we found out he was a boy. I cried when my Doctor told me he was a boy. I thought I wanted a girl so badly. Combine that desire with some pregnancy hormones and I was crying a river when Dr. Cole uttered the news. After he saw the first tears fall, he told me his Momma raised 3 Godly boys and that everything would be perfect. As soon as I accepted the whole thing...(span of about 2 seconds...once you see that perfect being inside of you, you don't care what it is), I became grateful for the opportunity to be a Mommy to another boy. My first two had absolutely stolen my heart and I was sure that this one would be no different!

When the little guy came into the world screaming his head off with a head full of blond hair, I knew he would be different! He definitely looks like his Daddy...some of the baby picture comparisons are downright scary! Sam was a perfect baby. He loved to sleep, he was a good eater, and he was almost always content. Sam was as laid back as could be. Yep, he captured my heart, as well.

As a two year old, he became a bit more feisty. Being the third born is not always an easy challenge, but Sam was determined to make sure everyone knew he existed and that he could hold his own against his two tough brothers. I really don't think it has ever crossed his mind that he is younger than Cade and Eli! He tries to do what they do, and often succeeds. I have to remind myself that he IS younger, and therefore, should have more defined boundaries!

My laid back baby got a bit strong willed, but I love his fierce independence and strength of character. I don't think he will be easily swayed by peer pressure as he gets older. If he doesn't want to do something, he simply doesn't do it...and he could care less about what people think of him. He marches to a different drum beat and God bless him for it!

Sam has always been a comfort to be around. He has been "easy" to be around...making you feel at comfort with him and yourself. Cade has always exuded feelings of pride in Eric and I as parents. Eli has exuded feelings of delight and joy. Sam exudes feelings of peace and calmness.

Eli summed it up pretty well the other day when he told me that Sam was no longer a baby. He informed me that he is now a "kid." Well, "Here's looking at you, KID!" I love you with all my being Sam...you are my only 3rd born son!