Summer Fun

We have had a crazy, fun summer thus far... With new company weekly (mostly family, and also some of my friends from Chicago!), including overlaps, since the time we got back from Mexico, there has been a lot of visiting and wonderful fellowship, and we actually got quite a bit of work done too!!

This is a random quote, but it struck me, and is so true....
how often we don't understand this!!

One of my cousins got engaged, and we hosted their engagement party, which was a blast!! I guess it's that time of life! So many of my friends (including those younger than me), are now either getting married, or are already married with children... I'm so happy for them!

Just love this... :) (what is it about girls and romantical ideas?)

The McNeil family, who runs the Mercy Maternity Clinic in Davao, Philippines spent the some time with us during their furlough in the US, which not only was very uplifting, but brought the Philippines new and fresh to mind... How I miss that land!! All in God's good time..

Also, a chiropractor friend from Mexico spent some time here training us how to do chiropractic adjustments and test each other on supplements. Besides all the work that was accomplished, we had a LOT of fun, including all the ideas my brothers got for creating things!!

We slaughtered our steer -- "Sammy" last week, and the boys are planning on brain-tanning his hide. SO looking forward to eating fresh Hamburger again!!! Amazing how fast we go through that stuff...

We also had the Bible Bee get-together BBQ last weekend, following a full day at the local Maxwell Conference -- SO good!! I am so thankful my brothers and sisters and I are truly best friends!!

Tomorrow, we have our Client Appreciation Banquet for my dad's Financial Planning company-Pinkerton Retirement Specialists, for which I am supposed to play about 2 hours of piano...that should be interesting!! =)
And, in 2 weeks, we have 2 weddings (back-to-back, but NOT ours ;p) at our house, which we are busy preparing for--mostly yard work...so looking forward to them!!

Anyway, that is our summer, and that isn't including our blooming, gorgeous garden; swimming in the lake often; and rafting down the Spokane River. =) And, of course sewing... :) I am loving getting back into it!! And, it is now cria season!!! We've had 4 born so far, and another 10+ due in the next few months...

My little guy-Independence was born on July 4th...he sure is a bugger!!

Recently, I have been participating in a local college-age Bible Study hosted by a friend of mine, and we are currently going through Jill Briscoe's book '8 Choices That Will Change a Woman's Life'. I am really enjoying it, and God has specifically given me a young women to encourage in her search for the Truth regarding Lies and Fears she has been believing. Praise God, He is giving her victory!!! I am so blessed to be able to serve God here in the US, and not just in other countries...hard as it can sometimes be to not want to be out 'there' serving, instead of in my home State.
I would love to share these principles with anyone...they are life changing!! Please feel free to contact me!!

God is so good, and He has been teaching me SO much. He has given me much to think about this summer, and a furthered vision for the future (more on that later).

The Scripture passage I am trying to apply this month is Psalms 15...
LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?
He that:
- walketh uprightly
- worketh righteousness
- speaketh the truth in his heart
- backbiteth not with his tongue
- doeth no evil to his neighbour
- taketh not up a reproach against his neighbour
- a vile person is contemned {despised} in his eyes
- honoureth them that fear the LORD
- sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not
- putteth not out his money to usury
- taketh not reward against the innocent

 He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Very thought-provoking.... How often do we look inwards--at our heart--and do some 'heart-circumcision'?? Something I am doing again... I pray this is an encouragement for you as well.