Friday, March 27, 2009

Glen Rose Trip - part 2

Here are some more pictures from our trip to Glen Rose a week ago:


I thought this was very interesting


A beautiful view: the sun shining through the clouds


"Oh no! T-rex!"


"Behold now, Behemoth!"


Johanna, Jaden (hiding behind Abby), Abby & Caleb with Behemoth


Beautiful 'Texas Skies' :)


An incomplete hyper-beric (spelling?) chamber inside the Creation Evidence Museum.


A giant geode in the museum

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Mom's birthday

Hopefully we'll have some pictures to load up from Mom's birthday celebration in the next few days. We haven't 'officially' celebrated it yet. Yesterday (Mom's birthday) Joel had to work, and it just wasn't a good day to do it.

Today Joel, Caleb & Dad traveled down to Tolar, Texas (down by Glen Ros) to purchase a diesel suburban. They were gone from around 2pm till just a few minutes ago, around 9:45pm. Anyway, today - obviously - was not a good day to celebrate.

So... to get my point across (finally), we'll either celebrate it sometime tomorrow or Sunday. We'll try to post some of the pictures from it.

Another quote~

"Opportunity is missed by most because it is
dressed in overalls and looks like work." ~ Thomas Alva Edison

You are welcome to leave your thoughts about this qoute!

~Johanna

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is Mom's 49th birthday! Happy birthday Mom!

We all love you so much, and we're are so glad that you are still with us! It has been a joy (and a challenge) to serve you while you have been sick these past months. But, thank the Lord, you are getting better...slowly but surely! Praise to Yahweh!

May the Lord bless you this day, this year...and always. May He give you many, many more years of fruitful service for Him on this earth.

We love you Mom!
Joel, Abby, Caleb, Phoebe, Johanna & Jaden

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bill Would Give Feds Control Over Family Farms

Action Alert for all of our Freedom lovers - H.R. 875
An article posted on NaturalNews.com on March 11, "Stop Federal Takeover of Food Regulation in H.R. 875," warned: H.R. 875 would essentially transfer all state control over food regulation to the Food Safety Administration (FSA), a newly established federal bureaucracy to be created within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Its implications point to the elimination of all independent, family farms as well as all organic farming operations due to overbearing federal regulations subjectively determined by FSA in favor of corporate factory farms.
The writer also hammered home another constitutional point: "While stripping states of what little Tenth Amendment powers remain, H.R. 875 would establish a central regulatory body with even more unaccountable authority than that of the FDA."


This is an important piece of legislation that could cause unmeasurable havoc to be wrecked against those who love freedom and independence from the STATE. Please take action and contact your congressman (house of represtitives) and urge them to vote NO on H.R. 875 also known as: To establish the Food Safety Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes.

A Simple Solution

It worked again.

A very simple home remedy comes to the rescue once more. And Jaden's earache is alleviated.

About 12 years ago when Caleb was about four, he told me during a Sunday morning church service that he didn't feel well. We walked the block home. (I probably carried him.) He didn't tell me until we got home that he had an earache. And then he got his point across quite graphically. He laid on the floor writhing in pain, and gripping the side of his head while screaming, "My ear, my ear." Pretty good indicator of an earache, wouldn't you say?

I was panicked. It was Sunday. Doctor's office was closed. We had no insurance or other funds to cover a trip to the emergency room. There was no painkiller in the house. We had recently decided to quit using prescription and over-the-counter medications because of their toxic effects on the liver. And I was out of our herbal pain reliever.

What was I going to do? Here was my dear child in extreme pain and all I could do was sit and hold him and wrack my brain for a quick fix. I cried out to the Lord for help. And He brought to mind something that I had either read or heard. I'd never tried it, but since it was the only thing that came to mind, I thought I'd give it a shot.

I sliced the "hairy" root end off of an onion, took a small piece of cotton ball and soaked it in the resulting juice. I then gently twisted the cotton into a pencil shape, retaining as much juice as possible, and placed it in the ear canal. Of course, this was met with some resistance by Caleb (ha! what an understatement!), but I prevailed. I sat and held him as he whimpered a while longer, settled, and then he fell asleep.

When he awakened an hour later, he was fine.... for a few minutes. And then he began holding his other ear and screaming and writhing on the floor. De ja vu. But this time I knew what to do and sprung into action. Again, it wasn't long before he fell asleep in my arms. Again, he slept for an hour. Again, he awakened pain free. That was the end of his earache.

This remedy has worked repeatedly for us over the years. Sometimes we've had to put in more than one onion-soaked cotton "pencil" in the same ear, especially when a child was bigger. And even if the child only complained of one ear hurting, I got to where I just put it in both ears so we wouldn't have that "de ja vu" experience. (I noticed that these earaches would occur when the children had drainage from seasonal allergies or colds, so we worked at preventing those and agressively treating them when they did occur.)

So, when Jaden was screaming and moaning in pain last evening, guess what Abby did? Yep. And it worked.

Isn't the Lord God, Jehovah Raphe ("The Lord Who Heals") good?!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Our trip to Glen Rose

Here are several pictures from our recent adventure down to Glen Rose, Texas:

A pile of petrified logs. Doesn't it look like a pile of firewood? :)


An Ica Stone at the Creation Evidence Museum











A dinosaur footprint in the Paluxy River















Joel, Johanna, Me, Caleb & Jaden (left to right) in front of a replica of a vertical petrified tree in horizontal strata.












Dinosaur skull replica (not sure what kind of dinosaur)












In front of Carl Baugh's Creation Evidence Museum. Just outside the front door they had giant pieces of petrified wood (probably from a trunk of a tree).

Friday, March 20, 2009

Update ~

Here is the latest adventures our family has had (from Abby's blog):

Today was another beautiful, almost spring day here in N. Texas. The skies were blue and clear and the sun shone brightly (the high was over 80). It was the perfect day for an adventure, which is exactly what we did.
Joel has been wanting to purchase another vehicle for his own use for some time now, and would prefer a diesel one so that he can do the bio-diesel thing. There is a suburban that has been up on craigslist for several weeks now that has drawn his interest, and so today we drove the 5 hour round trip to see and test drive it. Since we were going to be in the general vicinity, we decided to swing by Dinosaur Valley State Park and see the dinosaur foot prints and human foot prints that are preserved in the Paluxy river that runs through Glen Rose.


Before we went to Dinosaur Valley State Park, we stopped off at the Creation Evidence museum. Dr. Carl Baugh has a small creation apologetics / research ministry down there and the museum was quite packed, which was great! They have a whole display of old scrolls that contain the whole Old Testament. Some of them were as old as 700 years! They have quite a few fascinating fossils, pictures of nature and resources.

We swam in the cool waters and enjoyed a few minutes of gazing at the embedded relics of a by-gone age of creatures fierce in nature that once lived with man (not so long ago). The river has many slippery rocks, covered with moss and the gritty river floor made for an interesting bathing experience. Jaden found a stick (such a boy!) and clamoured over rocks and slipped in the shallow pools made from the naturally rocky ground. It was a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Then we drove another 30 minutes to Tolar, and the diesel suburban. It is dark blue and really quite nice for its age (1995). It rides very smoothly, the interior is solid and comfy and it runs well. We were quite impressed, and I think that we might just be making another trip down there a week from today.

You can be in prayer for our family, several of us are dealing with colds or allergies (not sure which), but we are coughing, sneezing, wheezing and sore throats. Jaden has a slight fever right now and is not feeling very well. I hate seeing my family ill. Heaven looks better all the time.

I hope that your Spring Break has been a blessed one! Have a great weekend and a beautiful Sunday!

Blogger's note: sorry for the lack of pictures, our Internet is still acting up!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

A quote ~

Here is a really good quote:

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom
good for anything else."

-Benjamin Franklin

Monday, March 9, 2009

Abby's Blog

I would ask each of you Texas Skies blog readers to go check out Abby blog. There are five posts I want each of you to read. Click on each one of the links to read each post: Uncle Jimmy Update number 1, number 2, & number 3. Also be sure to check out these interviews: Daughters at Home interview #1, Daughters at Home interview #2.

Thanks for stopping by Texas Skies!
- Phoebe

Answering Darwin Conference - Part 4




We had quite a crowd! I must admit, that little fellowship hall was quite full!











Visiting with Mrs. Martin













Joel talking with Dr. Martin. The Martins graciously gave our church library several books.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Joy ~ A Study

Note: all scripture passages are taken from the New King James Version.





Luke 6:22, 23
Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed you reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.


Luke 10:17
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”



Luke 24:52
And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.



John 15:11
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."



John 16:22, 24
“Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” 24 “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”



John 17:13
“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”



Acts 13:52
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.



Acts 20:24
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.



Romans 5:11
And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.



Roman 14:17
…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.



Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.



Galatians 5:22, 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is not law.



Philippians 1:4
…always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.



Philippians 2:17, 18
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.



Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!



1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.



Hebrews 12:2
…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.



Hebrews 13:17
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.



James 1:2
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials…



1 Peter 1:8
…whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him (Jesus Christ), yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.



1 Peter 4:13
…but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.



1 John 1:4
And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.



3 John 4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.



Jude 24, 25
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.







Do you think that maybe, just maybe, God wants us to be joyful?! These are just a very few of the passages in the Bible that talk about Joy. There are many, many more in the Old Testament. If you ever want to do a study like this, just get a "Strong's Concordance" or "Young's Concordance" and look up whatever word you're studying. They are very helpful.

God's Majesty and Love

4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. 7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. Psalm 145:4-13 NKJV

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Answering Darwin Conference - Part 3

Sunday morning we had Dr. Jobe Martin as live guest speaker . He gave his testimony (life story) during the Sunday School hour. We had around 35 people for that service. The presenation he gave during regular service was about the effects of Darwinian ideas on the church, Christian society & the culture at a whole. It was a very informative talk. We had over 50 people for that one.
We had a fellowship meal afterwards, and several of the church families had a chance to visit more extensively with Dr. Martin & his wife.









Before church, visiting with Mr. Amos.










More set up









Dr. Martin, Joel & I set up his projector for his power point.

I'll try to post a few more pictures when the internet connections gets "heals itself!" :)