Visiting the nieces

While visiting my nieces for two weeks, I had fun taking lots of pictures of them. Here are some of my favorites :)

My cousin Jody came to visit.

I gave my niece Nora her very first hair cut.

My sister found a radio flyer wagon on craigs list for $10

They are two very precious girls, they entertained me very well.

Though I was sad to leave them, I'm very happy to be home. I got home sick after a few days, and couldn't shake it!

We skyped with grandpa and grandma (my mom and dad), on two separate occasions.

All in all it was A lovely trip.

Glad to be home. But miss the girls like crazy!

Happy Tears

Psalms 84:6-7 "Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring; indeed the early rain covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion." Psalms 84:6a speaks of passing through the valley of Baca.... "Baca" means "weeping." On the one hand, when we had the intention to come into the church life, we were strengthened in God; on the other hand, we were opposed by Satan, who has caused many saints to suffer persecution. The trouble and persecution caused by Satan can make our highway a valley of weeping.  When we pass through the valley of Baca, God makes this valley a spring. If we take the highway to go to God's house; trouble and persecution will come to us, and such things will cause us to weep. But God will turn our tears into a spring. Only those who weep will have a spring. THE MORE TEARS WE SHED, THE GREATER WILL BE THE SPRING!  Psalms 84:6c says, "Indeed the early rain covers it with blessing." According to our experience, this means that our tears become a spring and that this spring becomes the early rain that covers the valley with blessings. This early rain is the Spirit, and the Spirit is our blessing.... Those who come into the church life by passing through the valley of weeping will find that this weeping eventually becomes a great blessing to them. This blessing is the Spirit. The tears they shed are their own, but these tears become a spring, which becomes the early rain, the Spirit as the blessing.  Whether the valley of weeping is a place of blessing or not depends wholly on us, not on God. If you take the church way, at a certain point you will encounter many trials and troubles. If you turn away, you will find yourself in a real valley of weeping. But if you are faithful at any cost, if you say, "Lord, even at the cost of my life, I will still go on," you will make the valley of weeping a spring... I have seen many who, in spite of all the trials, have still gone on in the church. I can testify that their weeping was transformed into blessing. The tears were transformed into springs, into rain which covered the valley with blessings... Be careful; it all depends upon you. It is not God's responsibility. It is yours. It is not God who makes the valley of weeping a place of blessing; it is you.  My prayer: "Lord cause me to be one who weeps! Lord I want Your blessing. I want my tears to become a spring, to become the early rain that covers the valley with blessings, the early rain that becomes the Spirit as the blessing! Lord even at the cost of my life, I will go on with You! Lord, I give You my life, my possessions, and my future! Lord do with them what You will, nothing else matters to me but You! I just love You Lord!  (Christ and the church revealed and typified in the psalms, pp155-156)

Hymn #1225

Lord, to know Thee as the Body,
Is my desperate need today,
Oh, to see Thee in Thy members,
'Tis for this I long and pray.
No more just to know Thy headship
In an individual way,
But to see Thee incarnated,
As the Body-Christ, I pray.
Through the years, Thy saints have sought Thee,
Longing for reality;
Gazing upward, searching inward,
Thirsting for the sight of Thee.
Now reveal that Christ in heaven,
Is the Body manifest;
And the Christ who dwells within us
As the Body is expressed.
Prone to be misled, I know it,
By my lofty thoughts of Thee,
Easy 'tis for self to seek Thee,
Yet not touch reality,
Oh, how much I need to find Thee,
In Thy members here below.
God eternal dwells among us,
Manifest in flesh to know.
Limit, Lord, my independence,
Let me to Thy Body turn;
Not just seeking light from heaven,
But the church's sense to learn.
May we be the stones for building
Not the formless, useless clay,
Gain in us Thy heart's desire
Corporately Thyself display.


Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1225#ixzz1s30CARxz