God spoke to Isaac

Earlier today, Isaac, Ezra and I were outside playing in the sprinkler in the front yard. The kids were riding their bikes back and forth through the sprinkler just like they always do. When I say "ride" their bikes, I mean, sit on their bikes and push their bikes along with their feet on the pavement. Isaac had pushed his bike this way ever since he was old enough to sit on it. He just uses his feet to push the bike along the pavement. Many times I have tried to get him to actually pedal his bike using the pedals, but he has always refused to even try! So today we were playing as usual when I heard Isaac say, "Look Mom, I'm pedaling my bike!" And sure enough, there he was, pedaling along, and doing it just great, for the first time ever! At nap time, I was cuddling him, and I told him how proud I was of him pedaling his bike for the first time. He smiled and then he said to me, "I never wanted to pedal to before. Last days(which is what he says instead of 'yesterday'), I always just pushed my bike with my feet. But today when I was on my bike, God said, "pedal!", so I pedaled! I obeyed God, Momma! He said "pedal" and I did it!" Praise God for His faithfulness to my children! To hear Isaac say that he heard God's voice was SO EXCITING! And that Isaac responded to what God said is even better. We truly serve an amazing and glorious God.

Lake of the Woods

Wow! What a trip! We spent Friday, Satruday and Sunday on a camping trip up to Lake of the Woods, which for those of you who don't know, is right on the Canadian border of Mn and Canada, about 8 hours north if you include stopping for lunch and potty breaks. Oh my goodness! We left the twin cities around 10am on friday and headed north after meeting up with Aaron, James's brother and his wife and four kids. Aaron and his family were hauling their boat behind them because Lake of the Woods is supposed to have some great fishing. Actually, my whole idea when I planned our family camping trip with the Knoblauchs was, "hey we are going to have seven kids, so why don't we go to this great big lake with a 3 mile long beach and have a fun road trip whihle we are at it!" Well, fun road trip we did! As we drove north, the clouds became darker and darker and darker until, about 2 hours south of Lake of the Woods it began to downpour, and I mean, really downpour! We thought, we will drive through and by the time we get there, it will be clear skies! Well, we got through the storm and then about an hour later, it started again. When we got up to the campground, it was clear skies. We set up our tents, unpacked everything and began grilling our chickend and roasting our corn. James even engineered a really nifty rain shelter out of a tarp, some clothesline and three huge sticks that he found. We had a really nice time friday night by the fire. We tucked ourselves into our little campsite for the night and fell asleep. Well, about 4am the rain started. It kept raining and raining and then about 7:30 am James said we better go into town for breakfast because it was soaking at the campsite. So we all bundled into the cars and headed for town. We had a great breakfast at the Ranch House restaurant in Baudette, MN and then James and the guys bought some fishing bait and we decided to wait out the rain. Well, that didn't end up workin gout, because it just kept on raining! Until around noon, we decided to pack up. The forecast said more and more rain until Sunday, so we headed back to the campsite to pack up. After we packed up in the rain with ponchos on (which was actually pretty fun, James and I were a good team!), the real fun started! We decided to drive down the windy trail to the actual LAKE of the Woods, since we hadn't seen it yet, in the rain. About halfway down the road we saw that a tree had fallen in the storm and we could not pass. I threw James his axe and he chopped the tree so we could move it off of the road and then we got down to the beach. There were about 30-40mph winds on the beach and James and I ran down there and snapped some pictures. Then we hopped in the car and headed the 4hrs back to Brainerd to stay at his mom's house with Aaron and the kids and Debbie(James Mom) and Keith, her husband. They had also come up to camp but there tent was missing two pegs and they had to stay in a hotel friday night! We finally got to Brainerd Saturday night and Aaron's car tracker said that we had driven 15 hours at that point in the last 1 1/2 days! We had dinner and put the kids down and everyone crashed. Then on Sunday we drove the boat to a beautiful lake in Crosby, MN and spent the day on the lake, the kids playing and going on tubing rides behind the boat. We finally got our beautiful sunny day! And acutally, we all got a lot of sun and layed around talking and had a picnic by the lake. It was a great day! Then we packed up and drove back home on Sunday night. Gosh, I feel like I just took a two week obstacle course run or something! It was a crazy weekend

The Present American Age

Comedian George Carlin passed away on June 22 at the age of 71. A comedic legend, yes, but not someone who’s known for sensitive, retrospective insight on life, but he said this not long ago…

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but
shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more,
but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and
smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees
but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet
more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly and laugh too
little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too
tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too
much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to
life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but
have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered
outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not
better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the
atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan
more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We
build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies
than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small
character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days
of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These
are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one
night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from
cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the
showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can
bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share
this insight, or to just hit delete…

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not
going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because
that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the
only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.
Remember to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but
most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes
from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person
will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the
precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.

When Will We Get There?

I was reading an article in Send! magazine which is a magazine about reaching the remote areas of Asia for Christ yesterday. The story I was reading was about a young man who had no purpose in life and was on the verge of stepping in front of a speeding train when the voice of Christ spoke to his heart and said, "Why are you doing this? Your life isn't over yet! There is a purpose for your life, that purpose is Me." The young man gave his life to Christ and began traveling to remote areas of his home country with the gospel. For over two years he knocked on doors talking about Christ, handed out tracks, reached people in any way he could. Many of the areas he went to were hostile to Christians and he was once even stoned for his message. For over two years he never saw even one person give their life to Christ. Yet he pressed on, seeking God and crying out to Him daily. In due season, he reaped a bountiful harvest for His Lord! But imagine if he had given up in those times of discouragement and persecution. Times when it seemed that all he was doing he was doing in vain! I remember when I first gave my heart to the Lord and I just burned with a passion to live a radical life like that. As I embraced God's will for my life in marriage and mommyhood with an equal amount of passion and a desire to reach the nations for Christ, to be on the mission field on short term trips, going back and forth from here to other countires, touching people for Christ and handing out food with my children, that vision never left my heart. And it hasn't to this day. But as the days and weeks and years go by, sometimes the tediousness of American life and bills and what seems like mundane living can really dull you down to those dreams that once burned so strong in your heart. It seems as if the thing syou are doing every day are not leading you towards that vision...but as I read that story, I realized that God uses times like these for preparation of what lies ahead. To see my children giving food to needy little children and to be in that place of total abandonment in a place that is nothing like America! I would sell it all and live that radical life, and I know that our hearts desire to walk that out with Jesus is coming closer and closer each day.

Weekend at Shell Lake

My parents live at a little cabin in Shell Lake, WI. They were out of town this weekend and offered their cabin to us for a family get away! Here are some cute pictures from this weekend.

Beach Day at Lake Josephine

Some of the moms from the church had abeach day with the kids yesterday, and it was a blast! The kids had so much fun playing together in the water and eating lunch together, and to top it off, we met a mom at the beach who emmigrated here from Iran in 2005. She was very friendly, and we invited her to visit Maranatha. Here are some pictures from beach day that Amber sent. Thanks for all the fun girls!

I will thank You, Lord,
among all the people
I will sing Your praises among the nations
For Your unfailing love is higher than the heavens
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds

Be exalted O God
above the highest heavens
May Your glory shine over all the earth!

Psalms 108:3-4

Why do we act?

I have been reading the story of king Saul in the old testament recently, and when I was reading last night, something really struck me about Saul's downfall. After he is crowned king of Israel, he is surrounded by the Philistine army and he and his army are waiting for Samuel's arrival before they begin battle. Samuel is going to offer a sacrifice to the Lord on Israel's behalf so they might seek the Lord and pray that He would give them victory in battle. Samuel is a long time coming. At this point, Saul looks around, sees the huge Philistine army that is ready to attack him and his men, and he makes a decision. He offers the sacrifice in the place of Samuel. When Samuel arrives shortly after and sees what Saul has done, he tells Saul that because of what he has done, God is going to take away his authority as king. Saul says to Samuel, " you were a long time coming, and I felt compelled to act." What caught my attention is that Saul acted on his compulsion and not on the commandment of the Lord. He looked around and saw the overwhelming circumstances and chose to act based on his feelings, instead of waiting for the Lord. Because of this decision, he loses the kingdom. I know that the Lord has used this to speak to me about waiting on Him in the midst of overwhelming circumstances that look as if they might destroy me/and my family. Just like Samuel was a long time coming, sometimes it seems that God's salvation of a situation is a long time coming and it seems as if it might be too late, and that is when we make the mistake of acting on our own behalf. God is teaching me that in those moments of decision, instead of acting on compulsion, that is when we need to be still and trust that He is coming!

Our Hearts Cry!

I've been to town and now I'm back again
I'm tired of living for the pride of men

I've been to church and now I'm back again
I'm tired of living for the pride of men

And the world might think I'm crazy
because I don't run with them
but it's just plain idolatry
when God can't have all of me...

Because I want to live for the will of God
oh Lord
I want to follow, with all of my mind, my heart, my soul
I want to follow you
oh Lord

The enemy of my soul in the world
the enemy of my soul in religion

Where do You want to move me?
Where do You want me to go?
Oh God, draw me out, draw me out, draw me out
by Your hand

Your freedom
to be like the child You created me to be...

Father's Day!

Here's to the best daddy in the whole wide world! We love you James

My Calling

Does anyone else love being a mom? Until I met Christ, I never really wanted to have kids. I grew up as an only child and wasn't really around little kids and I never babysat much. It wasn't until God revealed to me what my true calling was that I truly embraced my role as a mommy. As Audra can tell you, when I was eight months pregnant with my first son, Isaac, I didn't even know what a "onesie" was! That's how clueless about children I was right up until I had Isaac. Motherhood was such an overwhelming and all consuming change from the life I was used to. I never realized what it meant to give your life for another person's well being until I had a child. Everything inside of you screams to want to be selfish and take care of your needs, but stronger than that is this longing in your spirit to BE the mama, the teacher, the cuddler, the trainer, the role model, the playmate, to defend and take of and instruct and pray for and engage with your little disciples! It is so sanctifying to give your all for your children, for the purpose God has for them and for you and ultimately, for His glory. Praise God that I was able to embrace that vision all those years ago when I was young and immature and didn't really understand what life was about. If I hadn't followed Jesus's voice down the path He was leading me, I would have missed the greatest blessings in my life: Isaac, Ezra and Shiloh Maia!

What He Went Through

When I was up at my parents cabin this past weekend, I was making a fire down on the beach for the boys. I was pulling some old decking wood out of a pail to put it on the fire when three huge splinters went into my finger! The biggest of the three splinters went into my skin and poked out the other side....suffice it to say i was in a LOT of pain. I got a needle and tried to pry them out, but the force with which they had gone in had shoved them really deep inside the skin. I was almost in tears at that point and my dad drove me into town to get some numbing gel to try and help with the pain while I perfomed my "little surgery" on my finger to get these splinters out. I put the numbing gel on my finger, but it didn't really do all that much and I realized that in order to get the wood out, I was going to have to pierce the skin open, cut the skin covering the splinters open and then pull them out. After about a half an hour, I was able to bring myself to do it. I used a nail clipper to literally cut my skin open on my fingertip and it was bleeding, let me tell you! Then I pulled the splinters out, and they didn't come out on the first pull either. Do you know what I was thinking the whole time I was doing this? If the pain I am experiencing from cutting open a small section of skin on my finger open is SO painful, I can only imagine how painful it was for Jesus to go through all the whipping and beating and pierced hands and feet that he willingly submitted Himself to for me and you on the cross? And yet..........He did it! He must have experienced 100,000 times that amount of pain, yet for the joy set before Him, He endured that cross. Oh, what love is this, that He would give Himself for me, little old me. But, He did!

Fire!

James and I were reading the kids their night time bible story the other night, and we were reading the story of Pentecost. Isaac pointed to the flames of fire on the disciples head, and wanted to know why there was fire on them. We have always told the kids, "don't touch fire, you will get burned!" so he didn't understand how the fire on their heads could be a good thing! We explained to him that it was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit manifesting as fire upon the people, and something amazing happened. Isaac closed his little eyes and squinched up his little nose and prayed and said, "God, I want some FIRE on me!" then he did it again. "God, I want some FIRE on me!" It was so amazing to see our little son say those words! How many of us are so content, me included sometimes, to go through our day without the fire of God upon us? When Isaac prayed that prayer, my heart rejoiced, and I remembered how earnestly I had prayed that prayer when I was a new believer. May we all come to Him like children, saying "God, I want some fire on me!" (:

Pictures of James's Deck Job

This is a picture of the beautiful 300 sq ft deck that James built for my parents over the last two weekends in Wisconsin

Motivation

I was listening to a sermon last night on the way home from Wisconsin in our van about motivation. The preacher was talking about two different kinds of people, those who are internally motivated and those who are externally motivated. The internally motivated people have the purpose and vision and motivation inside of themselves from God to get up each day and press towards the goals that God has for them while the externally motivated people only move when a negative external circumstance forces them to action. For example, lets say that a dad of five kids is faced with losing his job. The internally motivated person would look at the situation and believe that God will take care of their needs and provide another job for them and he would press on. The externally motivated person would doubt God's love for them based on negative circumstances and would only be moved to find another job when something negative forces his action, like the inablility to pay a mortgage payment or bills. I was thinking about this and God was speaking to me about training kids! He was telling me that our ultimate goal in the training of our kids is to get them to be internally motivated to live for him each day. In the begining their training comes by our externally motivating them to do the right thing, basically training them and praying for them while instructing them in what is right until they catch the vision and internalize that inside their hearts and then they behave the right way out of an internally motivated right heart. When kids grow up, I believe that they abandon Chrisitianity because they were only externally prodded and forced to be Christians, and they never internalized a love for God and a vision to live for him in their own hearts. So when the parents watchful hands come off of their life when they turn 18 and they have to begin a life of their own, the external motivation to do what is right is gone, and they jump ship to the world. If through the process of their training as children they begin to become internally motivated in their own hearts towards a life of faith and intimacy with God, they will grow and grow in that faith when they are released into adult life, because their faith is their own, it is not just a product of outside circumstances.

Shiloh in Mama's Sweater

The Begining of Summer.........

We have been so busy the last month, we went camping on the North Shore on Memorial Weekend and then spent the last two weekends in Wisconsin while James rebuilt my parents deck. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks!