Track 2011

Track started up last night. It was cold! It wouldn't have been bad had it not been so windy. I didn't do well taking pictures. My fingers were frozen, but I did get one funny one of all the boys huddling together under a blanket. I will get more pictures at future meets. Keith did well.  He came in 2nd in the hurdles, his heel hit the high jump at 4 ft. 6 in.  And in the hundred he was in the middle of the pack.  He made the relay team again and they were SO close to beating the A team.  Pretty good job for the first track meet in freezing weather.  :)

Easter Celebration

I love this picture of the kids before church on Easter. Keith actually cooperated. (A rarity these days)

Every Easter we like to have people join us for Easter dinner who don't have family in the area.  We were lucky enough to have The Riveras, The Christlers, and The Bruszers join us this year.  We had LOTS of kids which is always so much fun and lots of good food!  And of course the huge Easter Egg hunt!  They had eggs everywhere.  At one point they had Jay turn his car on to see what would happen if an egg was in his exhaust  pipe.  It shot out.  Pretty funny.  Here are some pictures of our fun filled day.  Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us do this at your house.  We love you!

Waiting for the egg hunt!

This year Keith helped the little kids rather than participating in the egg hunt.  My baby's growing up.

I'm not sure what they were looking at.

Vikki and I

Sweet Kimber

Dad and Jaret looking for eggs

Sorting through the loot!

Steve's happy with his Mt. Dew

Dad helping Josh count his money

Mom made a cake she made for us when we were kids.  So yummy!  Sorry the picture's sideways.  I couldn't figure out how to turn it.

I'm telling you this was really good cake!

So Thankful

Getting Ready

First day of Spring today!  Of course this means the cycling season is getting closer!  I'm so excited!  I'm a whimp, so while my friend Barry has already begun riding his bike, I'm content for now to do my workouts at the gym.  It's got to get into the 60's before I venture outside on my bike.  Barry would be shaking his head with a disgusted look on his face at me right now, but I just can't take the cold!

First ride of the season will be "I made the grade" in Lewiston.  Last year was my first year that I had ever tried this one, and by the time I reached the top of the hill, I was telling my friend Eric, "I am NEVER doing that again!"  But, I don't think I can stay away.  And, I think I'm in even better shape than I was last year.  I finished the ride in under 2 hours last year, so we'll see if I can beat my time this year.  Surprisingly, I wasn't even sore the next day after this ride.  I felt really good.  Hopefully I can say the same this year.

The other ride I always do is "Eight Lakes Leg Aches"  this one is really fun.  Last year I did 45 miles, which was the furthest I've gone yet, and I will admit that this one about killed me last year.  If Barry hadn't been there, I would have been sitting on the side of the road crying at about 15 miles until the end of the ride.  My legs hurt so bad!  I think I may not have drank enough and gotten dehydrated, so I'm going to be really careful of that this year.  But Keith joined us last year, and he rode 30 miles with my Mom.  I plan on riding with him this year and letting him chose the distance, although I don't know about 75 miles!  He may only have the choice of  30 or 45.  :)

I want to look into a couple other rides this summer also.  There are a few in North ID that look like a lot of fun.  We'll see what I can find.  I'm loving having Keith along with me for the rides, so it would be fun to do a few more with him.

Skiing

Last night I went skiing with the kids, and Mom. This winter, Keith has learned to snowboard and he absolutely loves it! His Youth Group Leader has been taking him to the Mountain and teaching him how. (Thank You Ryan) They were having a ski free night at Mt. Spokane if you brought three canned foods with you, so I thought it would be a great night to teach Kelly to ski.

When I was a kid I LOVED to ski. I learned when I was two years old. In High School I rode the ski bus up to the mountain every Saturday for lessons and a day of skiing. But I haven't been skiing in the last nine years. When I was having trouble with my ankle that was one thing I wasn't able to do.

It felt SO good to get back on those skis last night! Kelly was amazing. By the second run she had it down, and I couldn't believe how well Keith did. He looks like he's been boarding for years.

I love how peaceful the Mountain is. All covered in snow and quiet and still. I used to spend a lot of time in the Cascade Mountains growing up in the winter and the summer. If I had to chose between going to the ocean or the mountains. The mountains always won out.

I look forward to skiing a few more times next season. I'm going to have to buy Kelly a pair of skis next year because I doubt she's going to let me go without her. And I might get some new snow gear for myself seeing as I had to wear the cloths I wore back in 1994. :)

It's a great thing to do with my kiddos and I hope they have as many wonderful memories as I do from skiing when they grow up.

My Life

I'm 36 years old. I know, I'm still young, but lately I've been thinking about my life and is it what I had hoped for? And am I headed in the direction the Lord wants me to go? When you're a child, you have this fairy tale picture of what your life will be like. A husband who is your Knight in shining armor who loves you always and treats you like a princess. (Actually in my case I'd hoped he would be a cowboy that would swing me onto the back of his stallion and ride off into the sunset with me.) You have children who are beautiful and always do what's right. Every day is filled with sunshine and music...and horses. Ok that was my dream anyway.

I married a man from P.A. I've only ever seen him on a horse once and probably wont ever again. We aren't always loving toward each other, but that would be impossible. He is a man with a heart that desires to live out God's will in his life. For him it's to proclaim Christ to anyone willing to listen. I admire him for that and pray always for the Lord to protect and guide him.

My children are who I thought they would be so far. Kelly is my sunshine everyday. She lights up a room, and like her father, loves to tell others about the Lord. At time's she can be a little argumentative, but she's my little angel. Keith is entering those teenage years. I can see we will have a few struggles, and he's trying to figure out how to be more independent yet still stick within his parents boundaries. But, I love my relationship with Keith. I enjoy spending time with him and seeing glimpses of the man he will become once he gets through the awkward teen years. I hope he will be a gentleman, loving and kind.

I have been lucky enough the last (almost) 15 years to be a stay at home Mom. I always said I would never work. Well, times are changing and with Steve's business being what it is, it seems I am having to help a little. So now, my life heads another direction I didn't expect it to go. And to be totally honest, I'm scared to death. Is this the right thing to do? Will my family suffer from me spending my time on this? What am I going to do this summer when the kids are home? Am I willing to let go of being a stay at home Mom, which has been my conviction all my life? I never finished college, didn't even want to go because all I wanted was to be a Mom. I am lucky that what I'm doing is an at home business and I can choose my hours I work, but in order to be successful and grow the business, I have to put some good time into it. I've had to juggle a few things to open up my schedule and I think in the next few weeks, things will fall into place, but this is hard for me and I struggle in my heart about if it's the right thing to do. For now, I'll just push forward praying that God will guide me and show me the way.

So is my life that fairy tale story I'd hoped it would be? Well, my husband's not a cowboy, and we don't ride off together on our horse in the sunset, but he loves the Lord and is a good Father and Husband. My children are beautiful although not perfect, but that's ok with me. My days aren't always sunny or filled with music and horses, but that's alright too. I find my strength and my contentment in the Lord everyday. And who knows what sort of blessings will come from my job. I know I can't do it in my own strength and if this is the path the Lord wants me to take, He'll help me down it. Life is always changing and it hasn't always been exactly as I've expected, but, that's ok. It's a good life and I see the Lord in it everyday.

Where Will Your Name Be Written

I saw this on a blog Steve follows. Loved it! Especially at this time of year.


"Where Will Your Name Be Written?" (A Christmas Parable).
I wrote the following story in 1995. Over the years, some have made it a family tradition to read the story to their families, on or around Christmas. I am reposting it here, by request.

Not long ago, a very wealthy man hosted a large Christmas party. The man had many friends. Some were genuine. Others hoped the man’s wealth would rub off on them. The party was lavish, and the guests were dressed for the occasion.

As the evening wore on, the time came to give the man his Christmas presents. He sat on a chair in the middle of the room, with his guests surrounding him. One by one, he opened his presents. The man politely smiled as he opened each gift. Realizing that his friends had gone to a good deal of trouble and expense to give him the gifts, he took great pains not to let the bored look of a man who had everything show on his face.

He worked his way down through the pile of brightly colored, foil-wrapped gifts until only one gift remained. With a look of both confusion and disdain, the man stared at the object on the floor. The sound of embarrassed murmuring spread quickly among the guests.

Sensing the uneasiness filling the room, the man reached down to pick up the object. He tried to lift it with one hand, but it was too thick and bulky. A layer of dust covering the object made it slippery and all the more difficult to handle. With two hands, and a bit of effort, the man finally picked up the object. The crowd in the room already tense now fell silent.

It was clear that the object the man had strained to place on his lap was a book. It was older than any he had ever seen. Its worn leather cover was tattered, yet it protected the pages with an air of dignity. The man noticed it was scratched—as if thorns had been raked over its surface. It was held closed by a purple ribbon that unmistakably had been torn from a larger piece of cloth. Upon closer inspection, the man thought he could see drops of blood sprinkled on the purple ribbon; but he quickly dismissed this as insignificant and determined it to be just another quirk among an already strange set of circumstances.

The man untied the ribbon. Although badly frayed, it did not unravel further with the man’s nervous manipulation. As he slowly opened the book, it dawned on him that it had no title.

To the man’s noticeable surprise, the condition of the pages within the book was not consistent with its cover. The paper was the purest white and felt like the most costly satin. On the pages—all of the pages—names were written in ink that was a deep, scarlet red.

The man read some of the names, none of which he recognized. He noticed that many were written in foreign languages, recognizing the romantic languages of France, Italy, and Mexico, and the artistic characters of the many Asian languages. Yet, there were just as many names written in languages he had never seen.

Slowly, the man turned page after page, noticing that the book was filled exclusively with names. More unusual than that, however, was the way the names were written. The ink was the same color and consistency for each name, and every entry took up the same amount of space on the page. It was as if each name carried no more, and certainly no less, importance than any other. The man flipped through the pages for several silent moments, before he carefully closed the book and looked up at his bewildered guests.

“Who gave me this book?” He asked.

The crowd of smartly dressed people parted slowly. A small boy emerged from the crowd and stood in front of the man.

“I brought the book, sir,” said the boy. “But the gift is not from me. If you will open the book to the last page, there you will find your gift.”

The man opened the book, keeping a wary eye on the plainly dressed little boy. He flipped to the last page and, just as before, saw lists of names. “If you will look beneath the last name, I believe it is Terry Brown, you will see your gift,” explained the boy.

The man ran his finger down the page until he found, Terry Brown. As his eyes moved below the name, he saw only a blank space. His puzzlement turned to frustration.

“What’s going on? Where’s the gift?” He demanded.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir,” replied the boy. “I think you misunderstand the gift. The gift is not the book, nor is it anything you may have been looking for in the book. The gift is the opportunity to have your name written in the book.” The boy explained.

Becoming angry, the man stood up from his chair. He gripped the book so tightly that his fingers turned white.

“Who are you?” he roared. “I don’t know you, Son, but by looking at you, I can tell you’re not here with your parents.”

“Look around you,” the host continued. “I have more money than I could ever possibly spend. I have a house full of people, some of whom I even like. I have spent the better part of the evening opening beautiful, expensive gifts, and you expect me to be impressed with a blank space in a book of names.”

The man reached into his jacket and pulled out a pen.

“You have an unusual way of getting autographs, kid”, he said. “As soon as I sign your book, I think you should go.”

He tried to scribble his name on the page. To his surprise, the pen would not write. He asked his guests if anyone had a pen that worked. Time after time he tried to write his name on the page, but no pen worked on the regal and pristine pages.

“You don’t understand, sir,” the boy said, confidently. “The opportunity is not to write your own name in the book, but to have your name written in the book. You see, there is nothing you can do on your own to earn your name’s place in the book. To have your name written in the book is a free gift that can only be given by the Owner of the book. Having your name in this book will secure you a room in a mansion far greater than yours, for all eternity.”

“Who is the Owner of this book?” The man asked. “I’m sure I could afford whatever price he is asking.”

With a look of pure joy on his face, the boy said, “The Owner of the book has already paid the price for you. The Owner is my Lord, Jesus Christ.”

“So this is about religion. Interesting approach, kid.” The man said. “Look, you’re entitled to your beliefs, and I’m sorry I was rude, but nothing is free in this world. I’m a good person. I give to charities. Everything I have, I’ve earned. Except for the occasional hostile takeover, I’ve never stolen anything from anyone. When my time comes, I’m not worried about where I’ll end up. Like I said, I’m a good person.”

The man closed the book and handed it to the boy. “Thanks, Son. I’m not interested. Since it looks like the party is over, I’m going to bed. You all can show yourselves out. Thanks for coming. Someone make sure the kid gets home.”

As he walked up the majestic spiral staircase, he turned to see his guests huddled around the little boy. He could hear them questioning the boy about the Owner of the mysterious book. He shrugged his shoulders, stepped into his dark bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

Many years after that unusual party, the man became very ill. Neither his money, nor his possessions could save his life. Sadly, the once wealthy man passed away, and at the moment he breathed his last, he found himself standing before a Great White Throne. Seated on the throne was One who could only be described as Holy, and standing right next to the throne was a small figure. The man quickly recognized the person as the child who brought the book to the party, all those years ago.

Both curious and fearful, the man asked the One on the throne, “Are you..........God?”

“I Am,” He said. After a brief moment, He continued,

“Why didn’t you accept my gift of eternal life that the boy presented to you? The book he showed you was the Book of Life. There is no greater gift you could have received and no greater gift you could have rejected. You threw a Christmas party to glorify yourself, instead of remembering the precious gift I gave you through the birth of My Son—a gift the prophets foretold and My angels heralded. ‘For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:12).”

The man’s jaw dropped and his eyes filled with great sorrow as the Lord pulled the old tattered book from within His spotless, majestic robe. The Lord gently caressed the book’s cover and said, “The leather cover is made from the sandals that my Son—God in the flesh—wore as He shared My gospel throughout Judea. My Son told the people, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose’” (Luke 4:43).

“The scratches in the leather are from the crown of thorns He bore for you. The purple ribbon is from the robe He wore as He was publicly mocked, much the same way you mocked Him at the party. The drops of blood on the ribbon are His blood, which He shed as the payment for your sins. ‘They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head’” (Matthew 27:30).

“The pages are whiter than snow because all the names written in the book are of people who were washed clean by the blood of the Lamb of God, My Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. These people were forgiven their sins because they confessed and turned away from their sins and, by faith, put their trust in My Son alone for their salvation. They received the gift of eternal life that only I can give.”

The man began to sob for he knew how this conversation would end.

“But Lord!” He cried. “I’ve been a good person! Please don’t send me away!”

“How can you say that you were good?” God asked. You broke My Law and mocked My commandments every day of your life. You lied, stole, blasphemed My holy name, and committed adultery in your heart every time you looked at a woman inappropriately. Your hatred for your fellow man amounted to murder in My eyes. I certainly wasn’t first in your life, and you worshipped the false god of your money and possessions.

“I’m sorry,” said the Lord, with a tear in His eye. “I do not wish anyone to perish. I am the God of mercy, but I am also Holy, Righteous, and Just. Your deeds cannot save you. They condemn you. I do not know you. You are not one of my children, so you must depart from Me.”

The man walked to an open door with his face in his hands. The doorway was as black as coal. In the distance he could see roaring flames. The man, weeping bitterly, stepped through the door, never to be seen again.

The boy standing next to the throne was also weeping. His tear-stained face glistened as the glory of the Holy One shined upon him. “I’m sorry, Lord,” he said through quiet sobs. “I tried to share You with that man. I couldn’t make him listen.”

The Lord softly cradled the boy’s chin in His hand and lifted his head. “One never fails when one shares My gospel with others. The failure is when one does not take up his cross and follow me. Your work at the party was not in vain, my little one.”

The Lord pointed to a group of people that were now standing in front of the throne. The boy wiped his eyes and saw that the group of people had all been guests, all those years ago, at the man’s Christmas party. They saw the book for what it really was. They accepted the Lord for who He really is and received Him as their Lord and Savior. Like the boy, they received the perfect gift, paid for by the ultimate sacrifice, and given by the only One who could give it.

One by one the members of the group stepped up to the throne, bowed humbly, confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord, and spoke his or her name. The Lord reached down and helped each one to his or her feet. With tears of joy now streaming down His face, He embraced each one as if he or she were His only child. “You may enter into Heaven,” He said, “for your name is written in the Book of Life.”

One day, all of us will stand before the Lord. Will your name be written on the pages of His Book?

~~~~~

Although the narrative you just read is fictitious, it contains a great deal of truth. The Bible says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Heaven and hell are real places, and there is but one-way to heaven, through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).

You cannot earn or deserve entrance into heaven. None of the things you do, which you may perceive to be “good works,” will purchase your way to heaven. Because God’s standards for living are perfect, even on our “best days,” this is how He sees our good works. “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you are trusting in yourself to get to heaven, in any way, you will not get there.

God is holy and, by your very nature, you are sinful. Like the rich man in the story, you have broken God’s Law. See for yourself. Honestly answer the following questions. Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen anything? The value doesn’t matter. Have you ever used God’s name to express disgust or excitement, or use His name as a filthy word? Then by your own admission you are a lying, thieving, blasphemer at heart.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The just penalty for your sins against God is death—eternal separation from God, in hell.

But there is good news! The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus the Lord. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Two thousand years ago, God the Father sent His Son to earth in the person of Jesus Christ--fully-God and fully-Man, without sin. He was born of a virgin, just as the prophet Isaiah said he would be, more than 700 years before His birth. He lived the perfect, sinless life you cannot live.

About thirty-three years into His earthly existence, Jesus Christ voluntarily went to the cross. He suffered and died a brutal, bloody death He did not deserve; taking upon Himself the punishment you rightly deserve for your sins against God. God the Father was pleased to crush God the Son under the full weight and fury of His just and holy wrath against sin. God the Father made God the Son who knew no sin to become sin on behalf of sinners so that sinners might become the righteousness of God, through Him.

Three days later, He forever defeated sin and death when He rose from the grave. He is alive today; and He will return at a time of the Father's choosing to judge both the living and the dead.

What God commands of you is the same thing He commands of all people everywhere. God commands you to repent. He commands you to turn away from and forsake your sin, and turn to Him. God commands you, by faith and by faith alone, to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you receive the most precious gift anyone could ever give you, from the only One who can give you the gift.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that God, by His grace and mercy, gives you the gift of eternal life, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Yes, may God bless you this Christmas with a new heart, with new desires. May He take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. May you receive what no person deserves--God's forgiveness and grace.

My prayer for you is that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and not in the books of God's holy judgment against sin.