A Reformation Celebration!

We have been celebrating this weekend!  No, not Halloween.  We haven't participated in Halloween since our eldest was a baby.  Sure, we have bounced around from doing nothing at all, to going a Fall Festival at a local church, but we have always felt it was pointless. We realized early on it just wasn't good.  Here is something I received last week that seemed put it into words for us.

Our country is in the grip of a fear crisis. The tension because of this fear is almost palpable. There is fear over elections, fear over the economy, and fear over hundreds of other issues ranging from the environment to terrorism.

The one fear that America is missing is a fear of the Lord. As a people, we no longer fear God. Because we do not fear God, we no longer hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).

Instead of hating evil, Americans toy with it. We toy with holidays like Halloween that were conceived in evil and that promote the “cute-ification” of evil, whether that evil takes the form of witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness, or some other form of malevolent imagery paraded before our children. We laugh at the very things that the Lord describes as “abominations,” and we find ourselves obsessively fascinated by, and attracted to, all things dark.

Yet we do not fear the Lord.      

You can read this article by Doug Philips in it's entirety here.

It just so happens we have found something far better to do with the last few days of October.  We celebrate the Reformation.  I would venture to say that most Americans have little more than a faint memory of something learned in school about King Henry VIII and the Roman Church. Sadly most don't even know what the Reformation is, even those claiming to be Christians. I'll do my best to sum it up.

The Roman Catholic Church and it's beliefs and practices like purgatory, particular judgment, devotion to Mary, the intercession of the saints, most of the sacraments, and the authority of the Pope were under attack. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his Nintey-Five Thesis to the door of Wittenberg Castle challenging the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church on its many false practices such as selling indulgences, the scam of paying money to the church which claimed it would get dead family members out of purgatory, and the others mentioned earlier.  On November 1st, All Saints Day, flocks of people found and read this thesis, thus the birth of the Protestant Reformation.  There were many events, several of which cost many men their lives, whose purpose was to reform the medieval Roman Cathloic Church. These had great impact on the church as we know it today, as well as the world, by returning the Bible alone, not the Bible and man made traditions, as the authority in the life of the believer, as well as the Bible being made available in the language of the common person. Now people can read with their own eyes that God alone saves, not God and the Church, not God and the Pope, not God and 10 Hail Mary's, but the Scriptures alone, faith alone, God alone.

We have spent the month of October learning about great men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Thomas Cranmer, and others, and their contributions to the Reformation as well as Pope Leo X, King Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, and others in opposition to this Reformation.  We nailed our own Ninety-Five Thesis to the bathroom door, burned our own Papal Bull and ran from Pope Leo, and many other exciting things to learn and remember these significant events.

We used  this book for our family worship and recommend it for your own study.  There are many other excellent resources out there for adults as well as children, let me know if you are interested.

To close our month long study, we attended the 18th annual Reformation Conference at Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel, MS.  The key note speakers, Michael Haykin and Don Whitney, were excellent.  I will post links to the incredible sermons they gave once they are made available.

The Reformation reclaimed the Scriptural teaching of the Sovereignty of God over every aspect of the believer's life. All of life is to be lived to the glory of God.  As the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." Therefore, every activity of the Christian is to be sanctified unto the glory of God. ~Pastor Jerry Marcellino, Audubon Drive Bible Church

Soli Deo Gloria!

To God Alone be the Glory!

Did I mention, I am married to a Jet Pilot? (he's almost done!)

We had about the coolest field trip ever on Monday.

Mr. Pilot is bouncing for his CQ (practicing for his carrier qualification/landing on the ship.) He leaves next week for the ship so I made plans to go out of town to keep us busy. After an up close and more personal look, I am glad I will have something else to worry think about while he is gone!

Before you check out our pictures, you will need to get some perspective with this short video.

First we helped dad transform into Mr. Pilot.

That gear is sure heavy!  I holds all kinds of stuff like flares, knives, a life jacket, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I pray he never has to use.

Gotta love that mustache!

I must admit, I think my Mr. Pilot has the best Lip Jacket out of his entire class.

Walking out to the flight line.

Getting ready.

We all piled into the line shack, a tiny (really tiny) little space right on the runway where the two bosses sit and grade the pilots on their bounces.

It's NOISY!

Really Noisy!

As Dad was taking off Pops yelled out "Ready, Set, FLY!" and Mr. Pilot's LSO (Boss) said that was completely awesome.

Yes, that is Boy's head, and that is Mr. Pilot taking off in his jet.  I said we got an up close and personal look!

Bye Dad!

That is MY Dad!!!

If you watched that video link already, you may have heard "Roger Ball" over the radio.

Mr. Pilot's Boss let the kids give dad the radio calls.  Even the Bosses melted when Butter said "Roger Ball" to her daddy over the radio.  It was precious.

If the pilot messes up the tiniest bit, the boss calls out "Cha-ching" over the radio and the pilot has to pay for it.  $15.  For real.

We heard lots of Cha-Ching's that day, but Mr. Pilot wasn't one of them.  He's lucky.

In fact, he's the only one in his class that hasn't had one.  Did I mention he's lucky?  Not just because I am a frugal woman and could buy a lot of things with $15, but also because if he messes up on the ship it would cost way more than $15.  Way more.  I said I was glad I'm going out of town next week!

Bucket slept through the whole thing.  But, she was there!

We watched dad land and then headed back to meet him.

Even though he never left our sight, we were all very happy to see him on the ground again!

and we took turns trying on some of his gear

It was a very exciting day!

If you happen to think of us next week, keep Mr. Pilot in your prayers for a safe trip out to California, and safe "traps" on the ship.  You could pray for my nerves too, if you don't mind :~)

Bucket is 3 months. Already!

Lil' Bucket is 3 months old.  I have said it before, and I will probably say it every time I talk about her, she is getting big fast, and time is flying!

She is "talking" to us all the time, and she is almost never not smiling.  She is such a happy baby!

She doesn't get to nap long, it is inevitable that some doting brother or sister will give her a hug or a kiss and "accidentally" wake her up.  Then, said brother or sister will announce "The baby is awake, and wants me to hold her!"

 See, she's 12 pounds now.  I know because I weigh her on my postal scale once a week. Ok, sometimes every day.  Or twice a day. Yes, I'm a bit obsessive.  She doesn't mind.

 Hanging out in the car waiting for Dad, I think her eyes might stay blue.  She has the same reddish hair that Guys had, and her eyes stayed blue.  

 Checking out some toys at a friends house.

 Napping in her homemade t-shirt.

Bucket is a very cuddly baby, she loves being snuggled close.  That is a good thing, especially since Butter can't walk past her with out giving her a really smooshy kiss and a big bear hug.  You can tell by Bucket's expression how she really feels, but she's a good sport. Most of the time.

In our home someone is always reading and someone is always holding Bucket so that means someone is always reading to Bucket! This week she's learning all about Confucius and The Great Wall of China, Fancy Nancy, Gospel Powered Parenting, and Systematic Theology. Maybe she'll be really smart?

It has been a quick three months with her, yet somehow it feels like she has always been with us. She has certainly brought much joy to our family and we are so blessed by her smiles and coos.  

Silly Sleepers, more!

 Some mornings I might feel as though I slept with my eyes half open, but I never, I repeat NEVER wake up loving my alarm clock! Never.

My Little Lady, Guys.

My little Belle is turning into a fine young lady!  She has grown and changed so much this year (and I don't just mean physically) so we thought we'd celebrate and let her accompany Mr. Pilot to the Navy Ball.

 Doesn't she look lovely?

I did her hair myself, and was really quite pleased (I was really nervous to start, but Dad says it took me less then a half an hour, free, and beautiful.)

We practiced table manners and conversations for weeks before we told her our plan.

When she tried on the dress she guessed maybe it was for Christmas. When Daddy told her where she was going to wear it, she cried.  I may have cried a little, too.

She had such a lovely time, and even won the table centerpiece.

I think she looks simply Elegant, and no doubt will remember that night forever.

Just a laugh...

We always seem to have a comedian in our home.  It is currently Butter who is making us all laugh.

Yesterday Dad was telling a (rather long) really funny story.  At the end everyone (including Butter) laughed heartily.  Amidst the laughter, Butter requested "Uh, could you please start at the beginning?" in a rather puzzled tone.  Everyone laughed even harder...

After the big kids finished squeezing fresh orange juice for breakfast, Butter yelled out "Guys, I have a great idea! Next time, let's make ice cream juice!"

During our family discussion time Sis provided the answer "be obedient to God" to the question asked.  Butter clarified for us, "like, if God tells you that your tummy is hungry, you do it.  You eat."

A little laughter always brightens my day!

Today, I am thankful...