New Signs for the Week

Recognize this guy? I know it's tough, but his dog Spot, who is always in tow, gives him away.
You won't believe the difference a week makes.
Wow!
Praise God!
He is communicating so much more! He is signing like a champ, and even making sentences! (Prompted by me, but still...Awesome!) He must sign "I want ____" when he wants something. He's so good at this! I can't believe the progress we've made in one week. I have no doubt that in a few months time he is going to be a fluent communicator, signing and talking. His spoken vocabulary has literally grown in a week because of signing! I can't stop thanking God. You can't imagine what this means for Justus.
For those of you who are already learning these signs, you rock!!! If you have any questions, please let me know. I want him to feel understood and able to communicate with the people he loves and who love him.
I checked out all of these signs on www.lifeprint.com and they are all on there. You just press on the beginning letter of the word at the top of the screen, and scroll down to find the word in the dictionary shown on the left. I wanted to let you know, occasionally, there will be a sign that we use differently. Signs vary from region to region, North to South. The sign we use for candy, on last week's list, is slightly different. Instead of twisting your finger into your cheek, you brush the tip of your finger a few times against your cheek. I'd be glad to show you. Sorry I didn't give you a heads up on that one.
This week's list:
I (point to yourself)
you (point outward)
play
want
go
come
sit
jump (we use jump 3 X's to sign trampoline; one of Justus' favorite things)
Thank You
You're Welcome (look at sign for welcome)
What?
Out (for outside)
table

You can do a quick study on ASL and how it works, (and I'm not the end-all expert by any means) but to give you a few pointers, this is not English. You do not sign every word! This is a conceptual language, and you paint pictures with your hands. When asking a question, you raise your eyebrows. When asking a what, when, where, who, why question, you furrow your eyebrows together. This sounds strange, but it's a very natural expression. Grammar of ASL is actually built into expression. It's a very big deal. You cannot sign with a blank face. So to ask a question, make the signs, and raise your eyebrows. "Do you want to play?" is signed "play" with eyebrows raised.

Practice Sentences:
Do you want to play? (play, eyebrows raised)
Do you want something to eat? (you want eat, eyebrows raised)
What do you want to drink? (what you want drink, what? eyebrows furrowed)
I want to jump on the trampoline. (I want jump, jump, jump.)
Come sit at the table, please. (you come sit table, please.)
Thank you. You're welcome.
I'm going to play outside. (I go play out.)

Let me know of any questions you have. Happy Signing!

The Book Club Begins!

Remember I mentioned the book club? Well, get your books, because we are going to have an online discussion group! I finished it, and really loved it, cover to cover. I recommended it to Heather, and she loved it too! So we are going to facilitate discussion on this book on the "Mama Didn't Raise No Fool" blog at allthingswifeandmom.blogspot.com starting in mid-May.

I don't think the book will be hard to find, but if all else fails, you can order it on Amazon. I love Amazon.com! You can get used copies for cheap.

As you read it, start making notes on how this applies to our everyday! We are not going to just bounce around the theology of this book, but how it plays out EVERYDAY! This is our greatest calling...shepherding our children's hearts toward the Lord...getting to the root sin issues in our correction and discipline...making everything in our home about obeying Him!

I know y'all are going to have some amazing things to share and teach me. Heather and I both are going to have our husbands read it and join in, so share it with your husband if you like. I'll let you know when the discussion begins. Can't wait!

Signs for the week!

Look at this cute boy!!! His favorite things in life are simple. Firetrucks, and all things fire-related (hopefully, not fire itself), trucks, trains, tractors, and all things BOY, Curious George, popcorn, popsicles, cooking in the kitchen, especially when he can help cut things up (with his own special plastic knife) or crack eggs, which he's pretty skilled at, and Ryan Price's new piano CD. He loves it!
But if you know and love Justus, you know that his words are few. So we have a newfound resolve to sign 100% of the time with Justus. We are, of course, still keeping with his speech therapy and encouraging him in speech development! This in no way takes away from that. It actually enhances it. He more likely will attain a word if he uses the sign. But this sweet boy deserves some language and an ability to really communicate all that's going on in that head of his. Thankfully, because I am fluent in sign language, we can do this! So for those of you who want to learn some of Justus' signs, here's a short list of some words to start with and a website to go to. The website is www.lifeprint.com It doesn't require a subscription, like some others, and has a pretty good dictionary to access ASL. (Remember, only look at American Sign Language. We do not use Signed English. Yes, there's a difference.) Here are some Justus-related signs.

Yes
No
Finished (All done, or can be used for 'May I be excused' from the table.)
Truck
Train
Book
Eat
Drink
Popcorn
Candy
Sleep (night-night)
Please
Stop
Red
Orange
Blue

That should be a good start. Tell me how it goes, and come practice on Justus anytime. Of course, Justus can understand everything you say, but he needs these signs to talk to us, so using them with him really helps him learn to communicate in sign. He's a lot more likely to use them all the time if we do. Pretty soon, we're going to see just how brilliant our little brown bear is! He's going to have the ability to really communicate. I can't wait for that!!! We covet your prayers for him, and his language development!

Spring Has Sprung, People!

Yesterday was the official first day of Spring. My kids kept singing Happy Birthday to Spring! We celebrate the beginning of each new season, but especially Spring! It's so great!
The pretty little yellow flowers have started to pop-up sporadically, but we can just hope that the ground is ready to explode with the bluebonnets and red-blankets too! They're the best! We really loved living in Amarillo, but we were desperately lacking in color come Spring time. (Never lacking in wind, though.) It makes driving around town a scenic tour, and who can resist the pictures of their kids sitting in bluebonnets? Not us.
So bring on the Spring! More time at the park, pre-sweaty season, more daylight, and things get to actually live and blossom. It's the best! Thanks God.

Bacak HOPE groupies...on wheels!

This was so fun! I didn't know how the kids would do, but Emma was a self-proclaimed "skating star!" Jax avoided stitches by sticking to the Fisher Price skates, and Justus showed off his stellar agility by being the only two-year-old with "moves." Rusty went directly back to the place and time when he was a superstar Xanadu skater. Luckily, I got to just sit with Treston on the sidelines and be entertained. We were hoping there might be a couple skate where Rusty and I could get out there and make out and embarrass everyone. But no such opportunity arose.

Seriously. This is definitely going to have to be budgeted into our Summer Fun. We've got to do this again HOPE group! Y'all are the best!

Bustin' our own rhymes

Remember my post about the psychotic nursery rhymes? Well, we've been making our own silly rhymes around here. I'm kind of proud of mine for Emma and Jax. Ready?

Emma doodle, kit n' kaboodle,

Your Mama loves you so.

And when you go to sleep at night,

she kisses you on the toe!

Jax, Jax, there ain't no backs,

You'll always be my honey.

With piratey pleasure,

you'll find buried treasure,

and send us all your money.

I love this pic. My crazy kids...they are truly unique. I love every phase they go through. The superhero phase, the dinosaur phase, the pirate phase (Jax's current one), every one of them is fun. They are so fun!!!

One of my favorite Emma-isms lately:

"Dad, you know what I blame you for?"

(now this is a disturbing way to start a conversation, and not one we thought we'd hear before the teen years.)

"You're such a great Dad you're freakin' me out!"

Also, she declared that heaven must have all the animal books you could ever want. You would never run out. (Educational books that tell you everything you never wanted to know about seals, or sharks, or whatever.) She has this unquenchable thirst for knowledge for animals.

Also, she has decided that not only will she be a veterinarian, but she will go to Africa and treat the mountain gorillas, like in this book we got from the library.

Then I'll say "And tell people about Jesus while you're there?" She's like (shrug) yeah. But I'll take care of the gorillas!

Jax, and I'm almost afraid to tell you this, because I'm not sure how it sounds, but he likes to carry things around in his shorts. Like magazines, swords (made from sticks and clothespins), paper towel rolls, that serve as a holster to some self-made weapon, you name it. If you show up at my house, odds are he is not wearing a shirt, because they "make him hot" and he's got his pants loaded down with up to five things. Sometimes he wears his boxers, and then tucks a shirt in the front of them to make a loin cloth so he can be an Indian. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he answers "an Indian." There you have it. Good thing we come from the Cherokee people.

Love This Book!

I am reading "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp. (What's up with the double D and Double P?)

I'm also doing the workbook alongside it.

I have not finished it yet, so a disclaimer could pheasably come later, but I am LOVING this book!

It's all about guiding our children's hearts to the Lord in everything!

Having biblically-based discipline and correction, focused on the heart issues, not behavior modification.

What are our goals for our kids? Are they our society's goals, or are they from God?

What are our methods of motivation, discipline, and communication? The world's, that which you might find on Dr. Phil or any Parenting magazine (by the way, most of that parenting advice from the "experts" in parenting magazines is JUNK if you ask me) or is it from God?

What is the purpose of our families? To be good, successful, happy, well-respected, or ONLY to glorify God? So far, I feel he is so on target, using so much scripture, and I feel challenged and excited about what I'm reading. It's very practical, and focused on our relationship to God and how this plays out in relation to our children.

I'm only on Chapter 9, so I'll keep you updated, but I just had to share this! Buying this book is worth the first 9 chapters alone!

I'm so anxious to throw out all the thoughts, goals, or hidden motivations I have for my children that are according to wordly standards, and making sure that what I'm doing ALL THE TIME is in line with my greatest burning desire for them- to know and love the Lord, to make their whole life about Him, to bring glory to God with all of their lives, and to hide His Word in their hearts in order to keep them from wandering away from Him. Let me share some verses with you that I pray over my kids everyday.

"How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your Word and following it's rules. I have tried my best to find you- don't let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I may not sin against you."

Psalm 119:9-11

"I am overwhelmed with the joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation, and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, filled with young plants springing up everywhere."

Isaiah 61:10-11

This is our greatest desire for them! We are teaching them God's Word EVERYDAY, watching them hide it in their heart, knowing God will use it to keep them from sin. We pray for their salvation (praise God for Emma whose heart already belongs to Him!) and know that our first job is to bring up a little bride and three grooms for the Lord Jesus. I love this word picture of young plants springing up everywhere. Our home is that garden!

But it's not enough to just want that for them. I want to stop sending them even the smallest mixed message, conflicting with these desires. I want to be purposeful every second of everyday with them. I don't want to hold back any tiny crevice of our lives from the Lord. It's all His.

All that to say...I like the book.

It can be our first Bacak Book Club book! Who's in?

We're Putting On Thankfulness

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thess. 5:17

Sometimes we get a bad attitude in this house, grown-ups included. We know from reading scripture that we are supposed to take off our sin, and put on something in it's place. A LOT of the time, the Word tells us to put on thankfulness. It reminds us repeatedly, because we don't always get it the first time, to BE THANKFUL.

So when we recognize a stinky attitude around here, we put on thankfulness. When you are grumpy, the cure is thankfulness. When you are whining, the cure is thankfulness. When you are throwing yourself an enormo-pity party, with everyone around you invited, the cure is thankfulness. When you are fully embracing the role of the victim, the cure is...you guessed it...thankfulness. The list goes on.

We have so much to be thankful for. I feel shameful when I realize that I am being ungrateful to God, because He has poured His blessings on me! It's ridiculous. I'm so blessed, and all of us in America have more than we deserve. I am blessed in every way! From where does this wicked ungrateful heart come? Why doesn't thankfulness come naturally all the time?

It's sin.

Pure and simple.

And the cure...thankfulness.

When I start the kids out, putting on thankfulness, they don't like to start. They want to wallow a while longer. Sometimes I like to wallow too. So they always say "you start, Mom."

So I'll start.

Here are a few things I'm thankful for:

(see pictures above)

1. My husband, Rusty. I adore him. I respect him. I could never have dreamed him up. He is my best friend, and an amazing Dad!

2. My Emma. She's so precious. She's full of spunk...obsessed with animals, living in an imaginative world that I love being invited to, smart, a tender little Mama to her brothers, babies, and animals, and best of all, LOVES the Lord Jesus and His Word.

3. My Jax. He melts my heart. He is going to make one fabulous husband one day. He is so loving and affectionate. He also lives in an imaginative world, closely neighboring Emma's, with fewer animals, and more Indians, airplanes, swords, and office and medical supplies. He wins major points when he tells me "You're so bootiful Mom!" and "I love you", completely unsolicited.

4. My Justus. My little brown bear. He's so funny! He has a sense of humor I've never seen on a two-year-old. He's so sharp! He misses nothing. He's the best mime you've ever seen, because he communicates complex things with very few words. He loves books, fire trucks, big trucks, trains, little boy sound effects (shooting, sirens, etc.), and tickling.

5. My Treston. This little boy has stolen my heart. He's the world's best baby, I always say. He is sometimes assaulted by Justus' two-year-old antics, and just smiles away. He is happy when he wakes up, and happy when he goes to bed. He's one chunky baby, and so squeezable! We're all in love.

6. My church. Living Hope rocks. We have a pastor who is not afraid to tell the truth. (Maybe he is afraid, but he does it anyway.) Our church holds tightly to the Word being the final authority in our lives, and everyone is changed by this! The people of LH are so dear to us! It's our pleasure to serve there!

7. My house. It is a place where we can comfortably host a multitude of college students, Countdown, HOPE group, offering a room to whomever may need it, and live so comfortably. I keep reminding my kids that we are VERY blessed to have this house, and we must always use it to glorify the Lord.

My blogging time is up, but my list could go on. Our families, our friends, our country, our cars, a full pantry, our health. Really, God is so good to us, and we remember that when we purposefully put on thankfulness.

Nursery Rhymes...educational or psychotic?

Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home,
your house is on fire and your children are gone.






Jack Sprat, could eat no fat
his wife could eat no lean
and so between the two of them
they licked the platter clean.
(or as Emma says, the "splatter.")


There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children she didn't know what to do
She fed them some broth without any bread
Then whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed.




Does anyone else find these bizarre? We all learned them as kids, and think them to be whimsical, but as I've been teaching them this year as a part of the standard Kindergarten curriculum, I'm wondering what the heck is wrong with us? "Your house is on fire and your children are gone"? What child would not be disturbed by this! And then there's the old woman, who beats her kids for no darn good reason. Child abuse is not whimsical. It's just not.

What a let-down...

Pop-Secret's cheddar cheese popcorn...don't bother.
It sounded like such a good idea...to me, and Justus.
I was let down.
So were the kids.
Popcorn is Justus' obsession, so we were branching out, but don't branch out with your precious H-E-B money on this one.
Just thought you should know.

The Amazing Race is back!!!

Race fans, did you set your DVR's last night? (And when I say "race fans" I am NOT referring in any way to Nascar.) Amazing Race is back!!! I've been waiting anxiously.
Isn't Phil great? Don't you love the way he talks? Did you hear him say "hooves" last night? Hilarious. He sounds so smart all the time. And he knows everything about everybody...you know, like when they get to the mat, he says "So, you've had some trouble getting along this leg of the race?" It's like he sees all and knows all in the race!!!
And this race is the All-Stars. It's going to be great.
Every time I watch it, I think about if I went on Amazing Race, who would I team up with?
There are a few options.

#1- My husband, obviously. I think we'd be excellent race partners. We work well together, and we'd both train hard and be in excellent shape. I think we'd go far. But we would NEVER do it because I hate seeing these parental teams who leave their children behind!!! It makes me so sad! Like David and Mary from Kentucky who were just on this last season are back in it for the All-Stars. You know their kids are like 'AGAIN!!!???' I think it's so sad that people leave their kids for 6 weeks, or however long it is, to win money. So we would never do that. In fact, I would never leave my kids for that long, even by myself. I can hardly leave them for a weekend. (We never do!) But for the sake of this post, let's just pretend I did.

#2-My brother Chris. My brother has a way of accomplishing things by working people and situations like no one I've ever known. Somehow, we would find the best flights, the best taxis, the sneaky tricks, and we would win! But I would get tired of him telling me what to do eventually, and probably tired of him being right about stuff, and we would have one of those entertaining blow-outs. I think I could run faster than him though, and that would be fun.

#3-My friend Heather. We would be an entertaining team to watch. People would enjoy the banter, like they do on Gilmore Girls. We would be fun! But Heather won't even do the little zip line in her own backyard, so we would eventually lose due to her aversion to risking her life. Oh, and her aversion to running. Neither of us would be able to read a map, so we'd be lost a lot. But we would have fun while it lasted.

I love this show, though! I will never be on it, but it's fun to imagine! Who would you team up with, I want to know!

What would life be like if you had a personal assistant?

Think about it.
What if you had a personal assistant to do all those little things that you just can't seem to squeeze in everyday.
I think about it. I don't think Business Executives should get personal assistants, I think Stay-at-home Moms should have them! That's right! We've got it all backwards. I think I would name mine Shirley. See Shirley's picture? She's good at everything. She's here a lot, so she's NOT too attractive, but has the telepathic ability to anticipate my needs, like Radar did for Colonel Potter.
My life would be so different!
For example:
-I wouldn't go three months past the suggested date to get the oil change on my car.
-My refrigerator would be cleaned out long before it reaches that disghusting mystery smell stage.
-Our broken lamp would get a new lamp shade put on it, instead of the broken one remaining forever and it falling down at the most innoportune moments.
-Prescriptions would be picked up on time.
-I would actually go to the doctor or dentist when needed.
-Our printer would never run out of ink.
-Pictures would be printed, scrapbooking would be updated, letters would be sent.
-We would never get a notice that says our power could be turned off soon.
-I would have new shampoo; the good kind from the mall. (The mall is too daunting a place with four kids, but it's not a problem for Shirley.)
-Patches would be sewn onto my kids Awana's vests securely, instead of patches hanging by a thread and screaming to everyone "My Mom stinks at sewing!"
-Closets would be organized.
-Cleaning out seasons of clothes, storing them in their storage bins, and replacing them with new, season-appropriate clothes would be a breeze. Love that Shirley.
-Best of all...there would be absolutely NO CLUTTER in my house. Not one out-of-place stack of anything. That's Shirley's forte. De-cluttering.

What would your life be like with a Shirley?

What if the super-famous were radically saved?

Do you ever wonder what it would be like if famous people came to know Jesus? I do. All the time. I've made a short list of some of the people I would like to first come to the Lord...some because I like them. And some because of the powerful influence it would have. Just for fun...

Oprah. Because the world hangs on her every word. She speaks with the most authority of all people in our day and age. If she ran for president right now, she would win. She instructs people how to live and they follow. If only she knew how to live- it would be awesome!




Gwynneth Paltrow. Pretty much because she's my favorite actress and
I like her.





Rosie. I used to watch her show, before I had a hundred kids and I actually saw daytime television. I loved her! She does some amazing things. She is very outspoken. (For some of the worst things.) I think she's friends with most of Hollywood. Think of the impact she could have!







Reese Witherspoon. Pretty much because I like her too, and once she knows

Jesus we can become best friends. She can come over...with her oscar and
everything, and we can hang out. She and I will have so much fun. Maybe
I'll invite you over to meet her. We'll see.






Madonna. Despite her heinous career, she is doing some amazing things in
Africa right now. Also, I found myself defending Madonna during her recent
adoption scandal. That was the stupidest thing ever! I'm sure people would
think if Madonna can be saved, then anyone can! (and anyone can, so that'd
be good.)


Lastly, Jon Stewart. He's stinkin' hilarious, but as lost as a duck in a desert.
People will always be captivated by humor. I think people view Christians as
so UNfunny. Jon could change all that.



That's my list. There are so many more. But I want to hear yours. What famous people would you most like to see saved?

9 Years Ago...

9 years ago today, Rusty asked me to marry him.
His proposal set the stage for our marriage.
He washed my feet after reading Ephesians 5 to me.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by God's word."
Ephesians 5:25-26

Rusty has done this. How appropriate that he washed my feet at the beginning of our marriage journey, because he has been a servant leader to the core! He has washed me clean with God's word by encouraging me in my walk with the Lord, refining me, calling me out, and leading by example.
This man gets up before anyone should have to in order to study God's Word. He has ever since I've known him.
He loves me unabashedly, and I have no idea why.
He leads our family, not according to his own wishes, but with a heart that seeks the Lord.
He does what he says he will do. His word is for real.
My husband is brilliant.
He's the best Dad in the world, and SO FUN!
9 years ago, he chose me. That still baffles me, but he did.
He has made me so much better! You really do become like your spouse after you've been married a while, and I got the better end of that deal.
Just like my relationship with the Lord, I don't deserve this man.
My heart overflows with gratitude!!!
Happy engagement anniversary Honey!

Happy Half-Birthday Treston!

How I love this little boy!

Happy Half-Birthday Treston!

Calling All Crock-Potters

I used to LOVE the part of my day when I cooked dinner. I was creating something wonderful. I would search and search for the best recipes. I had a subscription to Cooking Light and Southern Living. I would cut recipes out and glue them onto cute little notecards. I cooked things with LOTS of ingredients in them. Really good things, that even took some time. Creative things. One of our favorites was a Pork and Pear Saute. We loved that! It's been a thousand years since I made that. What happenned?
We had kids. Many kids. Once we started, we just couldn't stop. We have a kid every two years. We love them, but they've taken over dinner time.
I still love to cook, but that time of day is probably the most crazy time of my day. Cooking with Justus pulling on my legs, and "helping" me, and tending to a baby, managing art projects...well, let's just say it's not the same. I now cook things with very few ingredients. Casseroles. Things that can be cooked in one pot.
I feel I am being forced to adopt a new crockpotting lifestyle.
Our semester is back in full swing. For those of you who don't live in a college town, life here still revolves around semesters, even for those of us whose college years are behind us.
Our awesome HOPE group has begun (I love you Bacak groupies!), and we start a new Countdown class tonight. (Check the Countdown link if you don't know about this ministry that Rusty and I love so much!) So those are two very busy nights for us...getting dinner on the table, doing Math, which they do with Lisa in the evening, bath time, and all the chasing, tickling, reading, etc. that must be done before glorious bed time.
Tuesday night was my first HOPE group night since we expanded our family, and trying to cook dinner BEFORE Rusty came home, with all four kids, nearly drove me to drink! So, I've decided I MUST find some new wonderful Crockpot recipes and use this brilliant slow-cooking machine twice a week. For the sake of my sanity. For the children. No one wants me to start drinking, right?
So this is where I am calling to you.
Hear the desperation in my voice?
I need some wonderful crockpot recipes. I have a few, and Heather's new cookbook has provided a few new ones, one in which I'm cooking right now. (Or should I say slow cooking?) But we can't eat these same things every Tuesday and Thursday. I need to expand my reportoire. And not with any kind of beef stew, because I really hate that.
Anyone?
Just one recipe.
Give me one.
Friends, you could e-mail it to me if you want.
Let's have a contest!!! My whole family will be the judges. Whoever gives us the very best recipe wins a special prize.
A prize to be disclosed.
Grab your recipe books and run right back to your computer.
Thanks! The winner will be announced on a future post.

Ladybug Larvae! by Emma Bacak

I got ladybug larvae right. Now they are pupa. Now three of those pupa are ladybugs. Maybe in the spring, I might have ladybugs and all of them might be ladybugs. Daddy says they eat raisins. Soak the raisins for 5 minutes and cut them in half. Ladybugs like to eat bugs that live in flowers in the spring. In the spring, we'll get those bugs, and feed them to the ladybugs. We won't need a jacket when we catch them because it will be spring.
I was so excited when I saw this morning I have THREE ladybugs! Maybe someday, all my pupa will be ladybugs. One time, when they were just little babies, they runned and climbed way up to the glass. Can you believe that? But now they're not babies. But I still love them as ladybugs. I might have to keep them until the spring when they can look for food. These ladybugs are not eating the raisins right now or yesterday! I have to find those bugs, so they eat faster. But there's one little thing Daddy told me...catepillars are larvae for butterflies! And people, they're kind of like cocoons. I love this. I hope they all turn to ladybugs. I think each day, one by one, they'll turn ladybugs. Let's best see. Oh, but one thing...they're yellow. Not red. That's all.
Emma

Lisa's here!

We have wonderful Lisa living with us! Lisa is student teaching, and we are so glad she could stay with us this semester! She is teaching the kids Math, and doing a wonderful job! My kids are so blessed to have the wonderful college students we have in our lives. What would our lives be like without them? BORING. I've decided all the girls that come to stay with us should wear the same size clothes as me too. This is working out beautifully. It's fun to have girl roommates again!
Love you Lisa!

A Unique Opportunity

My husband has some unique opportunities to share the Gospel.
It amazes me sometimes! For example, this week a man was dying, and Rusty had to let him know that he didn't have much time left, and then immediately went into 'what do you believe about God?' This man believed the God-thing was a bunch of junk. But my husband did all he could to share Christ with this man. He prayed with the man's family, as he so often does. I wish I could say the man accepted Christ, but he didn't. He passed away yesterday. Rusty was grieved, not only to lose a patient, but to lose him before he would accept the Truth. I know this is discouraging for him, but the fact is he has opportunities that I will never have. He meets people when they can feel the need for God more than ever. He ministers to families in crisis. And I'm so proud of him that he seizes these opportunities so boldly. Every patient that he sees fills out a spiritual questionnaire, asking if it would be okay with them if the doctor prayed with them. This is not PC. I can't imagine the professional criticism he might receive from some. My husband is so bold, and I'm so proud of him for making his whole life and work about sharing his faith. I pray that God would open my eyes to see the opportunities that He gives me in MY life, and make me bold. Pray for Rusty, and that God would use him to bring people to the Lord through his medical practice.

Ice, Ice Baby.

Oh, how I'm loving ice days. These are pics of ice day 1. Today is ice day 2. The main reason I am loving it is because Rusty is home!!!!
Yes, that's right. If you know my husband, you may not believe it. But I convinced him that people would not keep their appts. (Which they wouldn't. People cancel their appts. if they are having a bad hair day.) So it's like Saturday, and then Saturday again. Awesome.
The kids have enjoyed playing outside, intermittenly. Here is Emma, breaking the top layer of ice on the trampoline. So fun! They have also been collecting icicles, of course expecting them to live when they bring them in the house.
Today, Ice Day #2, they actually went sledding!!! We are the few people in the Brazos Valley who own sleds. (And we'll rent them to you for a small fee. Gotta' make up for the loss of work somehow, right?!) We moved here from Amarillo, where we got snow, and loved it! So the kids went with Rusty to Wolf Pen Park today and did some ice/mud sledding. Well, first they just went down to the side of 6 and did a little sledding there, but a very nice police man came and told them there had been several wrecks off of 6, so they should probably move. What's funny about that was that Jax thought they were going to be arrested! So funny!
I am loving this ice thing. I have Rusty home, and the trees look beautiful. We had a little ice party last night with a few of our Hope Groupers...made a massive fire that set off our smoke alarms, and then watched American Idol. It doesn't get much better than that. Bring on the ice. We might have to sell our house due to lack of income, but for now, it's fun!