is definitely coming out and I love to screech!  I really just want to be able to say everything.  My new favorite is saying babababababababab especially when I’m kinda angry.  Some people say I’m going to be a talkative one just like my daddy.  I hope so.  I love to watch what he does to see if I can learn any new tricks from him.

Daddy and Me in Portland

Here I am courting the beautiful miss Baby Hazel.  Well, our parents think it’s cute but really I just want to grab her face.  I can’t understand why they don’t let me.

Flirtin' with Hazel

I’ll settle for holding hands.

Can we be friends?

It’s getting more tricky for my mom to have me places where we’re supposed to be “quiet”.  I think I should be able to say whatever I want whenever I want to.  But I sure do love going to church.  I can’t wait to get in on all these “potlucks” they have!

Playtime at the Annual Meeting

The Mommies are coming!  One of the highlights of my week (during this freezing cold winter) are days with the babes and the Moms at the mall!  It is especially a treat for me since I used to work as a Store Manager and a District Manager.  My trips to the mall in California used to include greeting my occasionally drunken Store Manager whilst being in an undercover sting operation to fire the staff.  I remember one particularly horrifying day when I had to sit down and fire 4 people, one by one.   What a nightmare.  So all the more reason to Praise the Lord for this new sweet season of life!!

I love going to the mall now!  We get  great exercise, and much needed Big People conversation.

We find some hilarious items we could never buy on our stay-at-home-mommy budgets.  Check out this hot little number.  Only $915 on clearance!!!

And if you’ve got any free samples.  Ahem, Harry and David or the Packers Cheese Store, we’ll try anything delicious.

Watch out!  It’s the Stroller Gang

Glory to God for giving us careers in Discipling these little people and giving us fun places to do it!

 

 

ESV Study Bible

(Update Note, Bethelehem Baptist’s bookstore has ESV Bibles for 30% off)

So for Christmas my Mom and Chuck gave me an ESV (English Standard Version) Study Bible.  It was on my Amazon wish list.  But when I got it, I was contemplating returning it because my primary Bible has been the NIV (New International Version).  Chuck said I should look at it first to see if I liked it.  So I started reading it… and WOW… I was blown away. By FAR the best study bible available.  Wonderful notes, color maps, incredibly helpful theological articles, plus a great font and layout to boot!  Oh, plus they have the complete study bible online.

Kaelin and I were also in the market for new personal bibles.  We prayed and discussed about whether we would make the “switch” (a big decision because it’ll affect what bible our future ministry will use, etc.).  We decided to switch for these reasons:

1.  Crossway – publisher of the ESV - makes COOL Bibles with sweet covers (we just bought two Thinline ESV Bibles).  They are much more innovative than Zondervan (which makes the NIV), especially in the realm of online Bible technology.  I also like their font choices better
2.  The ESV is a more literal translation (all English Bibles are translations from Hebrew, Greek and in some parts Aramaic.  Literal means it tries to keep in tact the word meaning and word order from the original language).  I was already using it for inductive Bible studies.  I was also becoming more frustrated with some of the ways the NIV words somes things.  The ESV is also a READABLE literal translation, much moreso than the NASB.  It is a bit more difficult to read than the NIV, but not that much.
3.  The ESV is the primary Bible for the churches of many of the pastors I look up to, including John Piper and Mark Driscoll.
4.  The ESV Study Bible comes out of the reformed tradition, which aligns with our theological understanding of God.
5.  Cor uses the ESV

So quotes on our site and in our newsletters will now be ESV instead of NIV.

Now, don’t go tossing out your other Bibles.  The NIV is a great translation of the Bible, and so are many others.  In fact, I feel incredibly blessed that we have the Bible in English!!!  I have a great love for the Bible – any Bible – and we should not take that for granted!  When doing research about the ESV, I was moved to tears by Piper’s sentiments:

I love the Bible the way I love my eyes—not because my eyes are lovely, but because without them I can’t see what’s lovely. Without the Bible I could not see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). Without the Bible I could not know “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). Without the Bible I would not know that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior. I love the Bible because it gives the wisdom that leads to salvation, and shows me that this salvation is nothing less than seeing and savoring the glory of Christ forever. And then provides for me inexhaustible ways of seeing and knowing and enjoying Christ. 
(John Piper – Why Bethlehem uses the ESV) 

It seems like every few months either one or both of us get overwhelmed with provision.  It especially started when we realized we had to raise support at the beginning of LDI last year.  There were many tears when we realized we humbly had to ask people for help.  But many of you came forth and did!  It blew us away in a way that words cannot convey.

But of course, we worried about other things.  We were really stressed about not being able to get insurance while Kaelin wsa pregnant, and that happened.  We were stressed about not having a car that would be easy to transport the baby, and Kaelin’s parents gave us a station wagon.  We were stressed about not being able to pay for LDI this year, and two big checks came in right as I signed up.  

Again, in the last few weeks we’ve been stressed as our support has not quite reached our monthly needs.  But again, a few awesome people have stepped up by God’s calling and helped us out.  Praise the Lord!  

Also, ESPECIALLY praise the Lord for all those faithful givers who have supported us since the beginning, you truly are saints that deserve God’s greatest blessings!  Every time I think ministry is too hard or I feel overwhelmed, I think of all the faith you have exhibited in generosity and it moves me tearfully forward.

God also provides in many little ways.  Like I wanted a new USB flash drive to carry files to/from church.  I did not get one for Christmas so I was wondering if I needed to buy one.  Then I got a coupon in the mail for a free 4 gb flash drive from MicroCenter (a computer place).   It was addressed to a guy named scott or “current resident”.   I was like “Cool!”.  I went and picked it up.  Oddly enough… they did not even have my address on file and they had to enter it into the database.  The cashier was really confused how I got the coupon to begin with!  That’s God for you. 

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(Matt. 6:31-33)

Well, after an awesome trip to Portland for the holidays, we’re now back into the swing of things.  My first week back I did Romans Retreat, which is 45 hours of studying Romans chapters 1 through 8.  I did it last year as well, but took a lot more away the second time through.  It was also great to hang out with all the LDI guys.  This last week I started up classes again, which I am extremely excited about.  I am looking forward to what God will do this semester!

When we got home from being gone so long, Luke didn’t really recognize our house.  Now he’s back into the swing of things.  We’re still trying to find the balance of getting things done and spending time with him.  We do praise God every day for him, especially for how happy and smiley he is most days (and also screamy when he gets really happy… lil dude’s got some pipes!)

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Many of you will no longer receive paper support letters from us in the mail.  We would rather save paper and money and encourage you to keep up with us through this website.  If you would like to continue to receive paper letters, I will be putting up a form to sign up to do that shortly.

You can read more about what we’re up to on our January Support Letter:

Read our January Updates!

and I like to eat! I’ve been watching people do it for a long time and you know what, I’m pretty dang sure I could pull it off if they would just give me the spoon!! So far I love rice cereal, apples and bananas are okay. I really hate squash. I can’t believe they tried that one!

Let me do it!

Oh, and I can roll over and my screaming is getting quite good. I think I’m starting to learn, “manipulation” as they call it and I’m probably heading down the road of needing some, “discipline”.

My family at Susan's

I found out I look pretty dapper in preppy polos and sweater combinations… and I’m not so bad at the piano. Or this keyboard, where Robert Norman showed me how to synthesize songs for movies and whatnot.

I'm a natural

Life’s pretty good and I definitely know what I want. I think my parents are in for a real adventure with me!

Sweet son added to me as well

At small group last night, we answered the ice breaker question, “What would you be if money were no obstacle?” At first, the question sort of overwhelmed me. Even though I had nearly 20 minutes until it came to me I still felt flustered to answer. Here is what I said: “Well, for about the last 3 or so years I have wanted to be a Mom and a Wife (capital M and capital W )and I’ve always wanted to do ministry of some sort… Paul nudged me and said, “and write, right?” “Oh, yeah, AND write…

I felt disconcerted with my answer. I forgot to say so many things. I want to travel, I want to be near the ocean. Of course, I have always wanted to be the supporter and the wife of a man like Paul. I’ve wanted to be an actress, a singer, a fashionista, an international business woman, a graphic designer, a teacher, a dietitian, a dentist, an athlete, a professor…..So many things, so many things. Is this not the question everyone asks themselves several hundred times throughout the course of their lives? I know for me it has changed that several hundred times, easily. So did I forget to say so many things?

Just a minute ago, by the dear grace of God, my attention was turned to Ecclesiastes. Written by Solomon, the richest, wisest, most affluent, probably best looking man in the Bible, he experienced more pleasure and riches and knowledge than I would ever dream to. This is really the book you should be reading if you just want to be so many things because after “everything under the sun” he chased he gives the warning, set your sights on God. This is the most important thing.

I’ve never felt as sure before to pick a “life verse” for myself but this has got to be it. Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you,” is a verse the Lord directed my attention to in the depth of my despair in California. My focus needed a major reset. It seems it is time for it again. And, since I am still young I’d like to add, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth….” that my course may fling straight into the glory of the Lord. It doesn’t really matter what I would be if money were no obstacle. I am choosing God, again today as before. And as I write I am grinning because I have done this before, and dang is it good. God, money is no obstacle for you. What would I be but a passionate lover and worshiper of you???

Sweet man added to me as well

Whoops!  Our website was down for a few days.  Sorry about that!

We are still in Portland getting ready to fly back to Minneapolis tomorrow.  It has been a wonderful trip!  God truly has blessed us.  

We haven’t been updating while we’ve been on the trip, so we’ve got a backlog of posts and pictures to put online.  Come back soon to see them!