The sun touched the top of the mountain almost an hour ago, and daylight is nearly spent. I am just sitting here, pondering the wonderful day we had!

After a good breakfast (everybody's favorite: pancakes), there was school all morning with my firstborn, whose object is to finish as rapidly as possible so she can devour another book of her choosing; my overachiever who wants to do MORE than her assigned lessons for the day; my son who says he can't read but when he focuses his mind on it, zips through a whole paragraph with very few mistakes; and my littlest student, for whom school is just a fun game.

At lunch time we all piled into the truck and headed out for a mountainside picnic, as per Daddy's suggestion. What an awesome school principal! ;o)




We drove up a road so steep I think all the color drained from my face. (Thank the Lord for four-wheel drive!)


We found a nice spot, ate our lunch, and then played and climbed around. The children collected all sorts of goodies from the forest, and some got their hands all sticky with fragrant tree sap. (I love that smell!)


Jessica's colorful collection looks good enough to eat!




(That's baby Jeannette, sleeping through it all.)


The sun was warm, the breeze delicious, and we were surrounded by God's creation to enjoy to the fullest! It was lovely.

Driving down the mountain was not as scary as driving up had been. Three of the children fell asleep on the drive home, and the rest of us needed a nap by then.


Slept pretty hard myself. ;o)

Baby Jeannette awakened from her nap ready to nurse. She is such a sweet, smiley baby, and a delight to her mama. Then we folded some diapers, did some general straightening around the house, and now it is supper time.

Today was just so refreshing! I felt the face of Jehovah shining down on us like the sunshine. Tomorrow may not be so perfect, and things might go "wrong". But a day like today reinforces my joy in the knowledge that God cares for us. I just wanted to share it with you.

Four years ago the Lord gave us our John Benjamin. What a sweet, funny little guy he is! Always sensitive, a lover, not a fighter.. He defers to his brothers and sisters more often than not. When he opened some presents we got for him, he happily allowed his siblings to play with his new toys. I doubt I ever did that when I was four, ha ha!

So here are FOUR things I love about our J.B..

1) His sweet, kind nature.

2) His willingness to help with chores at home.

3) His sense of fun and adventure.

4) His amazingly limber little body. He jumps, falls, runs and climbs like a little spider monkey! LOL

I love you, J.B.! Happy birthday! :oD

This is not the first time I have dreamed of the last days. I believe they are coming (because I believe the Bible), and perhaps we are raising the last generation of Christians. How will we prepare them for the days to come? We must teach them to love Christ above all, to cling to Him when it has become dangerous to their person to do so. We much teach them to walk closely with the Lord. He will be their Guide and their Comfort in times of difficulty and distress. If we would have them stand and not fall, we must pray for them as the Lord Jesus prayed for us. We must train their minds and bodies to endure temptation and hold tenaciously to that which is right. we must teach them to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. The day may come when the Gospel must be given out in secrecy where you are. (But given out, it shall be!) Will they be wise enough to find ways to accomplish the great commission when evil forces make it (almost) impossible?

Fellow missionaries, think not that you shall always be free to serve where you are. Think not that you have much time to accomplish His will for the people you serve. The world's climate continues to change, and being a carrier of the Gospel will not always be so easy or so popular. Watchman! what of the night? What is the state of your people? Are you preparing them for the judgment to come? Or will their blood be upon your hands?

Are your lamps trimmed and ready? The Bridegroom cometh! He does not come at a time that we think He will. We must watch and be ready at any time.

Fear not the persecution of the Church. History has borne out that the suffering of the saints is the seed of the Gospel, and the true Church will live on. Despise the facade of "religion" that only serves to temporarily soothe the conscience and lull people to sleep. But cling to Christ! Be faithful to the end. Read and memorize the Word, and learn Who will be victorious in the end.

They run rampant, if we're not careful!



Luckily, I have a strong and brave hubby who can keep those critters under control. :o)

"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Isaiah 40:11

(Italics mine.)

As I try to ease back into the groove of things after adding a newborn to our mix, the reality hits that "the groove" has to change a bit. These last six weeks have had their stressful times, and some nights with less sleep than I like, but God's grace is always sufficient. I love this verse in Isaiah chapter forty! The Lord seems to have tender regard for mothers with young children, and there is a special grace available to us. In the midst of caring for my brood of seven little lambs I, too, am being shepherded with tenderest care.

There are some adjustments to be made still as everyone is scooting over to make room in the family for our sweet little Jeannette Abigail. I'm thankful for God's tender care, and for the rest He gives when we lean on Him!

I love our new little one. Isn't she beautiful?

Wow, it's February already, and our new baby is six weeks old. Time flies! (It's cliche, but it's so true!) And though I know the time was filled with valuable things like loving and caring for a newborn and making adjustments as a family, it almost feels as though January is missing from my life (just as it's missing from my blog, ha ha).

Recovery seems to be taking longer this time. I've learned that is so for two reasons: she was big, and she came quickly!

So anyhow.. I'm still here! Just wanted to reassure my readers. All two of them. ;o)

The sky is blue, the clouds are few;
The mountains are bluish-green.

The trees are green, the grass is yellow,
And plowing yonder ground is a fellow.

The birds are singing, a baby is cooing,
And LIFE seems so pretty to me!

~By Jessica Coates, age 11