Ride Em Cowboy

Today Daddy had the privilege to go to a Ligonier Conference to hear RC Sproul and Steven J. Lawson. (How incredible is that?)

So while he was gone today, we went to ChesterFest (a little carnival of booths, kiddie games, etc.) It's become a yearly tradition as well - sort of a neat little small-town gathering here in a suburb of Richmond. The kids got up the nerve today to ride ponies today for the first time. I know, I know, lots of kids ride ponies but for some reason, mine have been too scared to do it until now!!

Being a Mother

I listened to a sermon today by John Piper (not surprising huh? can you tell we like him around here?) entitled, "Marriage Is Meant for Making Children...Disciples of Jesus". It is powerful, convicting and encourages me to desire to stay on my knees in prayer for these little ones entrusted to us.

The observation that stands out most to me today is : "the most fundamental task of a mother and father is to show God to the children."

Wow! Just stop right there and that is a sermon in itself... but of course there's more. He goes on to say ... "Children know their parents before they know God. This is a huge responsibility and should cause every parent to be desperate for God-like transformation ... Children are absorbing from dad his strength and leadership and protection and justice and love; and they are absorbing from mother her care and nurture and warmth and intimacy and justice and love ..."

"...all this is happening before the child knows anything about God, but it is profoundly all about God. Will the child be able to recognize God for who he really is in his authority and love and justice because mom and dad have together shown the child what God is like. The chief task of parenting is to know God for who he is in many attributes and then to live in such a way with our children that we help them see and know God."

Will the child be able to recognize God for who he really is? Oh I sure hope so! I know that I fall short so many times and I am thankful for God's grace during those times. But I pray that we will be more intentional in how we live and in how we raise our children. I pray that we grow to be more like our Father so they will recognize Him for Who He is!

Read the entire sermons here.

County Fair

It seems that all of my posts lately have been strictly pictorial ... but that seems to be the easiest way to describe what's been going on around here.

For the past 4 years, we have made it a yearly tradition to go to the County Fair around the weekend of Emmie's birthday. So last Tuesday night we went to the County Fair with PawPaw and Granny ... here are the pics:

Coleman posing by the Pig covering the trash can ... well it is a County Fair!

Bumper Cars with Dad

PawPaw and Calvin

Coleman and Emmie in the cars
In the helicopter ... Coleman isn't big on heights, but we told him that it didn't go very high...

Calvin with PawPaw (he's not big on loud noises, can you tell?)

Granny and Emmie

Dad and the kids
Mommy and Ellerie

Hey I like the view up here!

Emmie as Superman

Coleman as Superman

Many fun memories! We can't wait until next year!

First Day of School

We started school here today! Dad worked today (fitting for Labor Day) so we went ahead and started our school year. The kids were really excited - in fact, they wanted to start last week. I am thankful that Ellerie is 4 months old and that she is such a sweet baby. She sleeps alot, naps alot, and is happy most all the time, which makes for a happy Momma! Her schedule and ease makes the school day schedule work out perfectly. I'm sure every day won't be this easy but today was so much fun!

Coleman started 1st grade this year.

Emmie started Kindergarten.

Calvin had some special activites to work with during school.

All in all, a great day ...

A quick trip...

My parents, Daddy Mac and Mimi, were able to come up for a couple of days last week. They came for Emmie's birthday party. They can't come to all of the grandkids birthday parties, but want to try to come to at least one - soo this was Emmie's turn. It was a whirlwind of a trip - they flat wore us out! We went shopping at Sam's the first day and then went for a well-check for all 4 children that afternoon! (What was I thinking? That in itself is a blog post.)

Here are some pictures of the visit:

Ellerie getting a bath...

Her crazy hair after her bath ... maybe going to have curly hair?

The girls...

The 'Macs' ... Daddy Mac and Calvin Mac

Cuddlin'

Reading Books

All the Barber Grandkids...

Happy Birthday Emmie!

Sweet Emmie turned 5 on August 26... and she has been celebrating for a couple of weeks. Her cousins couldn't come to her Chick-Fil-A party so we had a get-together at Granny's a week earlier. Last Friday, she had a party at Chick-Fil-A with most of our church family (we're a small church plant, so yes, almost the entire church was there)! Daddy Mac and Mimi were able to drive up from GA to be a part of the festivities and PawPaw and Granny came as well.

Emmie has grown up so much this last year. She had such a kind heart and spirit and loves to ask questions. Her favorite TV shows are Home Cookin With Paula Deen and Rachel Ray. She loves to play 'Mommy' to her babies and color creative pictures. She got a new Bitty Baby for her birthday so her first one would have a sister (although she can't have anyore sisters - had to nip that in the bud). She then informed me that she would have to get 2 babies dressed every morning! She exclaimed to me, "Mommy, that's going to be CRAZY!" Don't I know it?

Here are some pics:

Opening presents with the VA cousins.

Pink cupakes with the VA cousins.

Belle birthday cake at Chick Fil A

Presents with the church family

Mommy and her Bitty Babies

Happy Birthday sweet girl! We love you and are thankful for the joy and endless laughter you bring to our life!

What you need to read today...

Since it's busy around here getting ready for a birthday and company...

You need to hop on over to Justin Taylor's blog and read "$3 Worth of Gospel, Please." My heart is convicted ... may my heart be changed...

And read this blog post about a Mom's 'quiet time' ...

Enjoy!

Good Doctrine

Today I read an article by John Piper, entitle "Good Doctrine Makes Better (Teenage) Saints." I challenge you to read the entire thing. Here is a small teaser: "even though growing a church by serious teaching of biblical truth may be harder and slower, it does bear more radical fruit than less doctrinally serious strategies of growth. "

My husband and I were involved in Youth Ministry for many years and are saddened by what we saw and still see among many youth 'ministries.' There is such a push to 'entertain, entertain, entertain.' The prevailing attitude is that the Bible seems boring so we need to step it up; the Gospel doesn't seem relevant so we'll just share the good part (Jesus died for you); we have to make it fun for the youth to want to be here... and the list goes on.

Don't get me wrong, it's not the games are wrong, or that food is off-limits, or that the Body shouldn't have fun, but what should be the focus? Doctrine is what usually gets pushed aside when ministries focus on 'bringing them in' by various measures... and at what cost? Well, it could be the cost of their soul.

So what do we do? According to Piper, we should "work our heinies off teaching and preaching and modeling the Truth. And resist an entertainment model for youth ministry. And cultivate a joyfully blood-earnest atmosphere for worship. And call for our youth and our retirees to go risk their lives somewhere for the risen King Jesus. This is where serious truth-driven ministry takes us."

Enough said!