Thought for the day

"I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever
and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever
and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be
praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your
works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious
splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your
awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your
great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and full of
compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all
His works.
All Your works shall prais You,
O LORD,
And Your saints shall bless You."
Psalm 145:1-10

Jennifer's Wedding - The Reception

The new Mr. & Mrs. Charles Jurden!

The Bride's cake ~ It was so pretty!

Cutting the Bride's cake

The Groom's cake ~ It was all eaten, and in a flash!

Cutting the Groom's cake.

Stuffin' the cake!

Charles & Dennis - The catcher of the garter



Jennifer and the young lady who caught the bouquet

Lunar Eclipse

On Wednesday, we left for Bible Study Fellowship at our church, the sky was overcast, and it was chilly. But, we hid high hopes that the moon would be breaking through the clouds once the service was over. As we walked to our vehicle, the sky broke and there in all of its night time glory was the lunar eclipse occurring! Wow! We shouted for Joel, but he was a bit late.

Still hoping that the sky would clear, even for just a few minutes, we decided to breakout the binoculars and peer at the cloudy sky, for just a glimpse of the Moon. We were able to view not only the moon, but also Saturn which was very bright that night.

About fifteen minutes after we arrived home, Phoebe, Johanna & Jaden sat atop the Jeep, I heard the shout (I was preparing dinner), "there it is", and came roaring out the back door! Sure enough... there was the moon. It was so beautiful, because by this time, the face of the moon that we see on earth had been covered by the sun and it was beginning to glow a dark golden orange, similar to a hunter's or harvest moon. Joel was unable to take any pictures, but he did find some up on Ken Ham's blog. Dr. Jason Lisle is the Astronomer for Answers in Genesis, and he was able to capture the stages of the Lunar eclipse. I hope you enjoy these beautiful pictures of the "lesser light", and reflect on the beautiful light that we all enjoy at night.

"Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." Genesis 1:3-5

"The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge." Psalm 19:1-2

Poll

Only 12 days left to take our Presidential poll. Thanks to those who have expressed their opinion.

JADEN’S FIVE-YEAR-OLD LOGIC

Jaden looking at his feet!

Mom wanted me to post this 'Jaden Funny'...so here it is. Enjoy! Hope you get a good laugh out of it...I sure did!

____________________________________

"Fifteen year old Caleb has matured quite a bit the last two years, but sometimes he and Jaden are a goofy mix. One afternoon everyone but the three of us was gone. I was resting in my room and heard fussing in the kitchen. Then Caleb sort of yelled, trying not to laugh, "Jaden! Don’t add to the word of God!" Later I asked Caleb what happened. He said that to help calm things down Caleb was quoting 1 Corinthians 13 (the Love Chapter). Jaden interrupted with "Love is not kind." That’s when Caleb rebuked him. Then Jaden said, "But I love you and I’m not always kind to you." Oh, the logic of little ones! (Caleb tried to explain - "Yes, but you are not Love [meaning The Lord God].")

Not long after that incident, Caleb came to me and reported that Jaden had been eating bread and began laughing. He spewed bread crumbs on the kitchen floor. When Caleb required him to sweep it up, Jaden refused and Caleb was appealing to me to enforce Caleb’s request. I commanded Jaden to do it, and he obeyed. In fact, because he went "above and beyond" by helping Caleb sweep the whole kitchen / breakfast room, Caleb gave Jaden a quarter. He went to put the quarter in his wallet.

About that time I came into the breakfast room. While Caleb dished up my supper, Jaden appeared with his wallet. He handed Caleb a dollar bill. Caleb thought he was trading him for the quarter and told him to keep it. "No," Jaden insisted. "Put it in the land fund, so you can buy more land." He passed me, saying, "Acurn." Was he saying "acorn?" I thought, "You little hick." Just then Caleb quothe, "Acurn." "Aha," I said to myself, "they have a private joke."
Jaden went back to his room to return the wallet. Upon his return to the breakfast room, he mused quite sagely, "Mom, when I young and used to hear people say ‘acre’ I thought they were saying, ‘acorn.’ And I would say to myself, ‘Soooo, you are building your house on ten acorns. That’s a pretty small house!’ " :0)"

Have a great day!
Phoebe

Is a Vote for Ron Paul a Wasted Vote?

Considering what time of year it is, Joel decided to write an article regarding the up-coming primary and looking ahead to the general elections in November. Please prayerfully consider what you and your family can do to help save our country! Thank you and God Bless.
~Abby
Chief blogger - Texas Skies

Is a Vote for Ron Paul a Wasted Vote?

Dear Reader,

I have a great concern for this country and the direction it is currently headed, and will likely continue to head in the upcoming years in the realm of national governance (which in turn filters down to very local matters). It seems that the upcoming presidential election will be one of critical importance in determining whether our freedoms as citizens of this great country will continue to erode away. The question that many are thinking is, "Will someone stand against the madness that is going on in our government all in the name of ‘tolerance’ and ‘patriotism’? Will someone help lead America back to the principles that helped to make this Nation so great?" I for one have wondered this many times. Perhaps you have similar concerns. I believe that Republican Presidential Candidate and veteran Congressman Ron Paul is the answer to the question. All the other candidates continue to voice their opinions on how they would change America (supposedly for the better). Many people seem to believe that these candidates will indeed offer change for the better. But, as I have researched each candidate, I have found that Dr. Paul is the only one who gives real, logical, sensible and Constitutionally correct answers regarding how the Nation is to be governed, and how we can fix the problems that we are facing.

This leads to another concern however. Let me explain. I have heard of numerous people who agree with what Dr. Paul has to say, and they mention that they think he is the best candidate for the job, but these people go on to make statements such as:

"I like what I hear about Ron Paul, but he doesn't stand a chance against ______. I'd be wasting my vote if I voted for him, so I'd rather vote for _______, [i.e. the 'lesser of two evils'], just because they are 'electable' and can beat _______, or beat the _________ party."

Perhaps this is what you are thinking. If so, may I strongly encourage you to reconsider! This way of thinking is a defeatist mindset, and results only in more of the same old garbage that has been going on in our government over the past several years.

If all who feel this way would actually go against the grain, against the same old way of thinking, against the "vote for the 'candidate most electable' mindset, and instead vote for a truly principled Statesman (as opposed to any of the flip-flopping, compromising, and I daresay traitorous "politicians" who are in the race), this country would have the opportunity to have as President a man who will lead this country back to the way it is supposed to be governed – according to the Constitution – with its basis in liberty from oppressive tyranny and the freedom to obey God’s law.

As it is, Dr. Paul can still be elected as President, it will just be much more difficult, because he have much more opposition – opposition from people who should know better!

Ignore what the mainstream media says (or doesn’t say) about Dr. Paul. Check out Dr. Paul’s records, do the research (search "Ron Paul" on the internet). You won’t be disappointed! Vote for Godly men who stand upon Godly principles, don’t vote for the "lesser of two evils" or for the person most "electable". Don't vote for men who claim to be Christians, but who are known to have inconsistent voting records, and are otherwise wolves in sheep clothing. These candidates will just continue to lead this country away to bondage and destruction. Consider what Christ had to say about "religious" leaders who willingly lead blind people into destruction (read Mathew 15:14 and Isaiah 9:16)!

Please take time to read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It doesn’t take very long to read through each of these, and they can be understood fairly easily. I believe after reading these two important documents you will be more enlightened as to what our government is supposed to be like, and will be better informed for the upcoming elections.

Remember that this is about your freedom. This is about the future freedom of your children and grandchildren! What will you do?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. May the LORD’s will be done in the following months, and may America Bless God by turning back to obedience of His Word in every area of life!

Joel G. Kautt

"Liberty is the Freedom to Do Right and Obey God's Law. No One has the Right to Do Wrong"
- Dr. Joseph Morecraft

Poll

Make sure and take our Presidential Poll which is found on the Left hand side of our blog under the Texas Skies picture. Only 19 days left to vote! Thanks to all of those who have voted. It looks like Ron Paul is winning so far!

Jennifer's Wedding ~ The Ceremony

Jennifer Anita Russell
&
Charles Ray Jurden Jr.

Were joined in marriage in Tyler, Texas
on Sunday, February 10, 2008

The wedding of Charles and Jennifer was at 3:00 last Sunday afternoon. And it was a beautiful service, simple but very special.

Poppy walked Jennifer down the aisle towards her waiting Charles.

"Who gives this women to enter into covenant with this man?"

The lighting of the Unity candle was unique in that during the lighting process, Jennifer and Charles requested that their guests sing a praise chorus as they lit the candle. It was a beautiful time for us to praise the Lord for bringing these two special people together.

The Unity candle

The Parent's blessing

Another really neat aspect of their cermony was that near the end, before the exchanging of rings and vows, and the kiss, the pastor asked both sets of parents to come up and bless their children, by saying some words of wisdom and praying for them. It was a beautiful time, and of course I cried, actually I don't think there were many dry eyes in the house during that time.

Not "the" kiss, but one afterwards, during the picture session :)

We didn't get a picture of "the kiss" on this camera, so I choose to post this one instead.

The colors were black and white, with fall type colors for the flowers. They were all silk, and so pretty. Each of the attendants wore a large
boutonniere which comprised a single flower of either, gold, crimson, or orange, and some baby's breath. The bouquets were of the same. They were so very nicely done.

The Surprise I

For all of you who are about to *die* of suspense, here is the answer to the first of the surprises that I mentioned in my previous post.

On Thursday (2-7-2008) the phone rang and Dad answered. It was the person who had talked with Dad a couple of weeks ago regarding this particular surprise. This individual wanted Dad to come to a nearby town to pick up the surprise. I had already "picked up" on what it was, but had kept a pretty tight lip regarding it so as not to ruin it for the rest of the kids who didn't know. Anyway, Dad announced at breakfast that I would be accompying him on this "little trip", and that our friend would be here at such and such a time. The friend came by and picked Dad & me up. After dealing with some "business" here in town, we headed to the site of the surprise. It was an enjoyable ride, and of course we were all excited about what we knew was at the end of the line. :) We arrived at our destination, and the friend worked out the final details for our surprise, while Dad and I sat in the car, with our other friend talking and waiting until the "go" was given. Can you guess what it is??? Well, here is where I have to give it away. Drumroll please...



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A new car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, it's not exactly new in the sense that its a 2008, but it is new to us, and very nice indeed.


We are now the very blessed & happy recipients of a 2000 Chrysler Concorde LXi. It is off-white, and is "fully loaded" as the saying goes. Leather seats, a very nice stereo, less than 50,000 miles, a huge trunk, etc. etc., the list is very long.


So now that you are all *gasping* for breath (yeah right!), just like I was as I climbed into it for the very first time, let me just say one thing, THANK Jehovah Jirah (The LORD our Provider)!!!! We are so blessed and don't even deserve it in the least.


Here is a picture of the car. Hopefully we can get a better quality one up on our site soon.

Thanks for sharing in our blessing!

Update

This has been a week full of surprises, of which I will share non (at this present time). You'll have to wait all week-end long, guessing, pondering and driving yourselves crazy trying to figure out just what the surprise is!

On Monday I hope to blog some about this weekend and the wedding we have to attend, and of course the surprises. :)

Please pray for our family this weekend because we have a very hetic weekend. Here are some of the things we have going:

• Aunt Jennifer & Uncle Charles' wedding Sunday. Be in prayer for them and for Jennifer's daughter Lexi. They will be traveling to CO for their wedding trip. Pray for a wonderful time skiing and whatever else, plus for safe road and air travel both for J & C, and also for Lexi and Baylee who will be joining them (Lord willing) this coming Tuesday. They are flying so be in prayer for these two young counsins that they will have a wonderful flight.
• Church services. Pray that our attendance will be up from last week. We've had several people ill and out of town lately, so the attendance is pretty low. BTW for Mr. A's info, Mr. T was able to go home from the hospital last evening. He is doing much better.
• Safe travel for our family as we travel to Tyler for Jennifer's wedding, also pray for Joel and our cousin Reece as they'll be leaving earlier on Sunday for the trip to Tyler.
• Pray for Mom & Gammy as they will be here in McKinney. Due to Mom's illness and other things she will not be making this trip. Pray that everything goes just great for these two and that nothing serious happens (though I seriously doubt it will). I hope they have a great time... talking! :)

Thanks so much for reading our blog. I appreciate those who do. Leave a comment or suggestion when you get the time. I love hearing feedback on what we post.

Next week: I plan on beginning an overview on the United States Consitution and what it means so stay tuned. Also, we hope to post wedding pictures for your enjoyment (Camille). Joel is one of the two wedding photographers (you can pray for him in that way as well), so I'm sure we'll have at least one good photo.

Have a lovely weekend, and I'll see you next week.

~Abby

Happy 10th Birthday Johanna!

Tuesday was Johanna's 10th birthday! We had so much to do that day that I totally didn't find the time to write! So, here I am almost a week later finally blogging about my "little sister" who's not so little anymore! I really can't believe how tall she's gotten, we almost see eye to eye. She's already a decade young! (Above, Jo and her special cake)

Look! A matching journal and notecards! And of course its pink with flowers on it. I love her expression and the way her eyes are so big and beautiful.

Dad and I made the cake, and I guess you could call it a "fruit cake" in the sense that it had several kinds of fruit, but is not like those fruit cakes you receive for Christmas. It was very tasty and especially with the yummy blue frosting and pecans!

Happy 10th Birthday Johanna. I love you!

A bit of trivia regarding her name:


It is pronounced Jo-hon-ah, unlike Jo-hann-ah, and the reasoning behind that is when she was born, Mom & Dad wanted to name her a biblical name that meant "grace" because all of the David Kautt ladies have either a first or middle name that means "grace". So, they came up with a very interesting plan. Dad's father's name is John and Mom's mother's name is Anna so they smuched those two together and out came her name as it stands today... Johanna. She is named after her two grandparents, pretty neat!


She has grown into a little lady over the past 12 months, and its hard to think that she's not a little girl anymore, she is getting so tall and mature. I am thankful fo Jo and all she does around here. She is very intelligent and loves to read books, write in her journal, write stories, and talk.

Happy 10th Birthday Johanna!