JUST ANOTHER DAY OF HOMESCHOOLING

Math, English, Spelling, Bible, tangrams (which go along with our current study of China), alphabet rods, Mom getting butted by BillyBob (sorry, no photo of that!), finding Africa on the globe to know where z.z.zebras live, having guests for lunch, and getting held hostage by BillyBob, the billy goat. As Tandra says, some things only happen at the Van Orders........

BillyBob has been feeling his "oats" lately, and keeps breaking out of the pasture. This morning as I tried to lure him in with grain, he got the best of me, so when we saw this outside our window, I was NOT about to deal with him. I almost made our guests stay a few more hours till Evan got home, but our neighbor came to the rescue!! Thanks, Dwight!! :)

AT YOUR FEET

I heard this song for the first time ever tonight while visiting this blog. I was so blessed by this song, as it's my heart's cry. God continues to walk me through every moment of every day, but the more I walk with Him, the more I crave just being at His feet. When I think of what that "looks" like, I see complete surrender to Him and His will in every area of my life. I see beautiful fellowship, that brings about true joy, which is talked about in 1 John chapter 1. I see time in His Word and communing with Him through prayer. We truly can lay everything down -- WHATEVER we are going through -- definitely not in my strength, but His. He truly is all that we need. It's the ONLY place to find peace. I'm so thankful for the Word of God. Thank you, Jesus. (Be sure to pause the music at the bottom before hitting play.)

LIVING FOR WHAT?

As I was glancing through some recipes, trying to come up for something to make for dinner tonight, I came across some scribbling on the back of one of my recipes. I assume I wrote it down on the "nearest" piece of paper one day while listening to a teaching, and I think I remember it coming from Paul Washer. Reading it today, hit me again, as it's what we have been constantly talking about lately....

"All things were made through Him and for Him. Are we living our lives in total contradiction to the reason we are made? Do we live every moment of our lives to please Him? Entire worlds were made for his delight! Are you living for legitimate purpose? For what really matters?"

QUOTABLE QUOTE FROM THE BEREAN CALL

Christianity Today, the Emerging Church Movement, Rick Warren's Global P.E.A.C.E. plan, and those among some mission and parachurch organizations (e.g., those that follow the leadership and teachings of C. Peter Wagner) have a penchant for trying to find buried nuggets of Christ in the culture, or accommodating Christianity to the culture, and vice versa. Many are about sanctifying and redeeming the paganism of a society, or at least trying to harmonize and work with all religions. This is all fodder for syncretism and ecumenism. They are contributing to the religion of the Antichrist. A. W. Tozer took such an endeavor to task by noting that Moses did not enter into a panel discussion with the Israelites for finding some spiritual merits of the golden calf, nor did Elijah trade edifying insights with the prophets of Baal, and neither did Jesus seek a meeting of the minds with the Pharisees. Furthermore, promoting a "group hug" among contradictory religions with the intention of solving the world's problems is a grand delusion at best. Isaiah, speaking for Jehovah God, makes His view absolutely clear: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this [God's] word, it is because there is no light in them" (Is 8:20).

Warnings are also clear in the Word of God that a great spiritual battle is being waged all around us, that we are in the days of rampant apostasy in the church, and that we are being subjected to an increasing antichristianity in the world. What then must a believer do? We must diligently follow the Lord's prevention and protection program, the heart of which is found in Psalm 1: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." But certainly there's more: prayer and fellowship, for example. We need to circle the wagons at times--for spiritual protection, counsel, encouragement, and ministry to one another. If such things become our disciplined practice of life, though the Apostasy dries up the spiritual environment around us, we and our families nevertheless shall be fruitful in the Lord. TBC

GRANT

Thank you for your prayers! God is so good! Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'" God is faithful to give that voice. We didn't know which direction to send Grant -- right or left. God made it clear, and he will be on a plane this afternoon headed to U-Turn for Chist in CA! Praise Him!

Please continue to pray for Grant, as he is in the middle of detoxing right now. He's struggling, weak and very vulnerable, but completely broken and desiring Christ. My heart is just breaking for Grant right now. He was resting today before leaving, and his eyes just kept tearing up, again and again. Praise God for His great love & mercy and for the work He's doing in Grant's heart.

It's overwhelming, however, when you see the hundreds and hundreds of people in Grant's shoes in this area. Evan was able to visit his mom's house last night with Grant. The brokenness over this entire community is completely incomprehensible. Only God can work the miracle it's going to take, and it may take just ONE AT A TIME.

JOSEPH #2 & MORE PRAYER REQUESTS!

Please pray for a man named Grant. We are working out the details to send him to U-Turn for Christ. He's broken -- praise God! Please pray that all the details will come together soon and that we will have wisdom to make the right decisions to get him there! Thanks!

Also, pray for Cheryl and Rhonda. They are both at rock bottom right now, but are not yet to that place of surrender. Cheryl tried so hard to detox, but failed today. She needs the Lord. Thanks for your prayers!

God is working! Praise His Name!

DO YOU DESIRE GOD?

JUST TWO PUPPIES LEFT!

We only have 2 weeks left with these cute little things before they leave us for their new homes. All but two have been spoken for at this time, but we have had phone calls this weekend, hopefully finding homes for the last two. This is the fun stage of puppies. They are so stinkin' cute right now -- the stage where if you didn't know how big and crazy they get in a few months, we would want to keep them all! This chocolate female is one of the two still available. Isn't she sweet? :)

KIANA IS 5!

What an amazing child God has blessed us with in Kiana! Exactly this time a year ago, we almost lost her with complications from croup. I am so thankful to God every day that He has blessed us with her! She's a tough "cowgirl", and yet she's gentle in spirit. She loves to give kisses and hugs as tight as she can, (and they usually hurt!)

Kiana's favorite things are bunny rabbits (more specifically "Buttercup"-- HER bunny), her new pink legos, anything to do with Petshop, Schleick animals, and of course, horses! She is my movie-junkie (the one I have to keep very limited!), and enjoys webkins on the computer. She's loves puzzles, is learning to read, but loves Math more than anything in school. She has been known to sit and work through a dozen pages at a time on her own! Setting up jumps and running through the house with her stick horse is not an uncommon sight around here. She keeps life exciting, that's for sure!

My prayer for you, Kiana, is that above all else, you will be drawn so close to the heart of God, that striving to know Him will be the main thing you live for. I pray that you will become a prayer warrior and a Bible scholar -- that all things in life outside the Lord will grow strangely dim. I pray that He will use you for His kingdom every day that He gives you life and breath! You are such a blessing to my heart and to this whole family. I love you dearly, sweet girl! Love, Mom

PLEASE... pray for Rose today. Thanks.