pictures

Probably SHOULD be cleaning, but Will just uploaded some fun pictures from our beloved IPhone, so I thought I would share them.

Christmas

I'm going to admit, I'm becoming a bigger and bigger grinch with each passing year. BUT, we still provide the presents. And, this year's hits were the DS for Hope and the princess kitchen for Faith. Bah Humbug, I mean, Merry Christmas.

Lessons Learned

The Lord did provide a peaceful journey home. Will and I spoke of good thoughts in difficult times:

1. The children we do have- the blue eyes and freckles, the long legs and dimples- they were once in that fragile point of life and God graciously chose to continue to knit these children in the womb and then give them to us. What a beautiful gift. One that I do not want to take for granted.

2. Once again, the love of God's people is overwhelming- offers of lovingkindness, prayer visits and phone calls, letters, meals- some even cleaned this messy house and found my little diamond earrings in the process, emails, encouragements, listening ears, and advice. We are humbled by the acts of service and pray the Lord would lead us to follow the examples that go before us.

3. Health- oh thank Him for health- I have been sick for the last month and allowed myself to sit in bed and squander time with murder mysteries and the like. . . not to say the Lord doesn't provide some time "brain candy" (I don't know- does He? Any Scriptures on this anyone?) but I put on my gray-colored glasses and neglected the Word and prayer because I felt miserable. Oh that the opposite would be true. So, pray for people who are wearied by a thorn in the flesh- especially a physical thorn- migraines, sinus problems, cancer and the like- pray for these people that God would be near to them- that they might perservere in His Word and delight in Him AND if you have complete health (as I see in the horizon for me)- thank God for it- nurtue it (I need to eat better, etc.. . . ) and USE it- take that energy and use it for good works.

4. Hot tea with peppermint (especially when provided by my husband) is very healing indeed.

5. Healing- I have heard so much about miscarriages- but I have never heard about the physical healing process, etc. It takes about a week to feel normal and this I just found out today- all of this is important to me because of lessons #1 and #3- I'm so ready to use the health that God has given me to serve my family and to do a much better job than I was doing before by God's grace and for His glory.

Finally, words from dear Spurgeon on the topic:

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." I Samuel 7:12

"The word 'hitherto' seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health. . . 'hitherto hath the Lord helped us.' But the word also points forward. [There] is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys. . . disease and death. Is it over now? No! [Thrones] harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fullness of eternity, the infinity of bliss."

And, a big THANK YOU to all of you who served us for the sake of Christ!

For those of you who already knew

that we were expecting a baby in the end of July/early August, I had a miscarriage this morning at my mom's house. We have an almost 6 hour drive home now and I'm praying for a peaceful journey.

Just In. . .

Words of advice from Hope: If you're out in a desert with peanut butter, don't eat it!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

SO FUNNY

. . . to me, anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZdoSG0IdNE

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OebZJzB7W_c&feature=related

just click on the links and laugh (hopefully)

Faith Strikes Again

Common sight at the Baumbergers. Faith likes to tie up her dolls to "keep them safe from Swiper."

Journey

OK- so here we go. . . on to yet another fellowship of believers. . . here's the story

Almost 5 years ago when I married Will, we had different beliefs- somewhat. I guess people call it Armenian (sorta) vs. Calvinien (I know it's Calvinism, but whatever). I believed in all five points and it was obvious that Will and the church he attended did not. However, the Lord opened his heart to search the Scriptures and our journey began. There are many precious parts to this story that I want to point out for my sake and the first one is that I did not say a word (in my mind I did a few times) concerning our "church" decisions. By God's grace, for us, he allowed Will to be that decision maker with no (or maybe I should say not much) persuasion from me.

Anway, one thing led to another and Will felt it was time for us to leave his home church, the only church he had known for over 30 years- but when the Lord calls, Will listens. (precious part of the story #2)

So, we visited a FIVE POINTS OF CALVIN church that I had found on the Internet. We went. I loved it and to my dismay Will did not, not one bit. We tried another "Doctrines of Grace" church but left with the same reactions. The Lord had not brought Will to this point on the journey. However, the Lord did bring us to a church very similar to his home church with a preacher who highlighted God in every text. His sermons were not about man's duties but about God's greatness. Here is where the Lord led us, and here is where our journey began.

Will began to read and the Lord began to turn his world upside down. Everything he had ever "known" began to crumble as the truths of Scripture began anew. I wish he would write this part of the story. But I saw in him a new love for God, a new realization of his position in Christ. . . no longer was it he who chose Christ but Christ chose him and Christ who works in Will to do His good pleasure. . . so all five point of Calvinism became dear to Will- but let me say IT IS NOT THE POINTS- it is the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST presented by THE FATHER TO DEPRAVED SOULS that is so life-changing- but the truths are found so beautifully wrapped into this doctrine which is why it is so precious to us

OK- so this pacticular God-centered pastor (who also happened to embrace the Doctrines of Grace) was quickly called away from the church we were in. We were left with Will's new-found truths and he was now ready to go to the church I loved.

We began going to that church. The Lord blessed us with great teaching and lifelong Christian family. But then, it was time to move from there. He took us to the other church we visited and we stayed there for awhile- blessed by the admonishment to be in the Word with our families, great fellowship and loving counsel.

But then, believe it or not, Will's studies continued. A deeper theology- one that I don't fully understand (Covenant Theology as opposed to Dispensational Theology) but when I see the Word of God and His Spirit transform my husband, I know it is the truth of the Word that is bringing him closer to Christ.

Anyway, there is a new church-start beginning here in Newburgh. Our family began to be in contact with the families involved in this work and Will's studies were "jiving" with the teaching of these leaders. So needless to say, the Lord has taken us to Cornerstone Fellowship, the new work begun through the prayers and faithfulness of God's people from Heritage Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY.

In the end, another precious part of this story is that on this journey we have only been treated with grace and kindness and goodness by God's people. It is a testimony to the greatness of our God. I am thankful for all of the friends we have met on our journey and look forward to our future together for the glory of God.

Will is 40!

Doesn't look a day over 30, does he?

Thoughts

OK- so my thoughts are coming from a friend who got the thoughts from someone else's blog who got the thoughts from John Bunyan. . . but they are good thoughts to think about nonetheless:

"Bunyan meditated on the marks of a person who is coming to Christ for salvation:

1. Is sin exceedingly bitter to you?

2. Do you run from your sin as you would a deadly serpent? (We won't get into that, Amber :)

3. Do you recognize and flee from the insufficiency of your own righteousness?

4. Do you cry to the Lord Jesus to save? (We've talked about this, haven't we, Amy?)

5. Do you see more worth and merit in one drop of Christ's blood to save you, than in all the sins of the world to condemn you?

6. Are you tender of sinning against Jesus?

7. Is Jesus more precious to you than the glory of the world?

8. Is faith precious to you?

9. Do you savor Christ and His Word, and do you leave all the world for his sake?

10. Are you willing (with God's help) to run in haarm's way for His name?

11. Are His saints precious to you?"

Lately, the Lord has been bringing to my mind this thought. . . "Am I your delight? That ONE delight?" That's it. . . that's when it's for real. . . when He is the apple of my eye, my treasure, my rest, my delight, truly my all and all.

Thanksgiving Day

We try to have a little skit or presentation each year from the kiddos. I can't download the video for some reason, but the pic is above. God is so good; it was a blessed day! (Cousin Libby joins Hope and Faith in the pic. They just love their cousin!)

Unexpected Blessings

We were able to get a new recliner and a little playhouse out of the recliner box.

Actual Quote

Will sent the actual quote:

"Aim at heaven, you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth, you get neither." CS Lewis

Lewis and Piper

Will and I were speaking the other day of CS Lewis. We both admitted they we do not "get him." However, Will said there was one quote of Lewis's that he sort of "got." He paraphrased. .

"When we look to heaven and earth, we get neither. When we look to heaven alone, we get both."

Isn't that an extension of Luke 9:24?

I'm attempting to read Piper's Desiring God, again. Hopefully this time I will get through the entire book. Anyway, this pure happiness and joy found in Christ is a pursuit of mine and what better to do than to read a book on Christian Hedonism.

Here are some words from the introduction:

"Worship is basically adoration, and we adore only what delights us. There is no such thing as sad adoration or unhappy praise. We have a name for those who try to praise when they have no pleasure in the object. We call them hypocrities."

Great Song

How Sweet and Awful Is the Place
1. How sweet and awful is the place With Christ within the doors, While everlasting love displays The choicest of her stores.

2. While all our hearts and all our songs Join to admire the feast,Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,"Lord, why was I a guest?"

3. "Why was I made to hear Thy voice,And enter while there's room,When thousands make a wretched choice,And rather starve than come?"

4. 'Twas the same love that spread the feastThat sweetly drew us in;Else we had still refused to taste,And perished in our sin.

5. Pity the nations, O our God, Constrain the earth to come; Send Thy victorious Word abroad, And bring the strangers home.

6. We long to see Thy churches full, That all the chosen race May, with one voice and heart and soul,Sing Thy redeeming grace.

Love

George Herbert. 1593–1632

286. Love

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,

Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack

From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
5
If I lack'd anything.


'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'

Love said, 'You shall be he.'

'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,

I cannot look on Thee.'
10
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,

'Who made the eyes but I?'


'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame

Go where it doth deserve.'

'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'
15
'My dear, then I will serve.'

'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'

So I did sit and eat.

Hope

Hope's been a cutey lately.

A few nights ago, she came to the dinner table after her shower. As she was looking down at her food, she said quietly, "I should be in a commercial." I asked her what she was talking about. She immediately looked up with bright eyes and cheerfully began-

"Wow! That's some great looking hair you have. And we'll help you keep that way- simple and manageable. . . . "

She continued on and on. I discovered that while taking a shower Hope had memorized the entire "commercial" on the back of the Pert Plus bottle. It was hilarious! Now I know why our water bill is so high.

Then, during politic season, she heard the entire name of Barak Hussein Obama. She couldn't believe it! "His middle name is Insane?" she cried.

Finally, I like that she likes everything! She has begun to go shooting guns with her grandpa at his gun club. They gave her a trophy for being the youngest participant at the gun club. She's fun!

Please Vote

I received this in a forwarded email- I'm not sure who the author is, but it is worth noting:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith

2. From spiritual faith to great courage

3. From courage to liberty

4. From liberty to abundance

5. From abundance to complacency

6. From complacency to apathy

7. From apathy to dependence

8. From dependence back into bondage

"The teacher reminded us that Rome's liberties were not auctioned off in a day, but were bought slowly, gradually, furtively, little by little; first with a little corn and oil for the exceedingly poor and wretched, later with corn and oil for voters who were not quite so poor, later still with corn and oil for pretty much every man that had a vote to sell- exactly our own history over again." - Mark Twain

Pictures in the Park

Another fun day! Some of the funny poses were Will's idea- he says he's not creative but he IS, and I love it!

Halloween Fun

Here are a few pictures- the cupcakes came from a neighbor. Faith asks me to make them every day. If you can't tell, Hope is Cruella DeVil and Faith is a dalmation.

Confusion

My kids are little confused, I think. . .

The other day I was sitting at the table playing with stickers while Faith was playing in her own little corner.

While speaking out loud to myself, Faith heard me ask, "Why am I sitting here when I should be working?"

Faith respond, "Because He made me and takes care of me."

No, Faith, that is the catechism answer to Why do we glorify God.

THEN-

I was being silly and quoted a line (from the movie, Pride and Predjudice, I think) and said, "You don't know what I suffer!" I then asked, "Where did that line come from?" To which Hope replied, "That's James 1:19, isn't it?"

No, Hope, that's not a Bible verse, not a Bible verse. :)

The Lovliness of Christ

Look at the King in his beauty!

"Your eyes will see the King in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar." Isaiah 33:17
(David Harsha, "Wanderings of a Pilgrim")

Contemplate your blessed Redeemer, seated on his great white throne, encircled with heavenly glory.

Look at the King in his beauty!

It is the sight of a glorified Savior that will make the heaven of the believer.
Endeavor now, by the eye of faith, to behold the Lord Jesus in all his matchless beauty and excellence.

Contemplate.... his glorious character; his infinite mercy; his unparalleled condescension, and his boundless love.

There is enough in Jesus to employ the soul in rapturous meditation through a vast eternity!
His excellence, his goodness, and his love can never be fathomed!

O keep your eye fixed on this adorable Savior, while you sojourn in this valley of tears; and in a little while you shall see him as he is; face to face, and ascribe to him unceasing praise!

Ladies' Night

Once a month, a few friends and I meet for fellowship. The hostess provides soup and everyone else brings something. We begin the evening with practical/silly conversation topics so that we can get to know each other better. Then, we come together for a time of testimony. After that, we receive a challenge. Last month's challenge was to write a "psalm." I already shared mine and will share two other psalms which were very encouraging.

Note: Next month's challenge is to listen to a good sermon (Paul Washer/John Piper were in the pick) with your husband or a mom or friend- and the second part of the challenge is NOT to nag your husband about it- just lovingly ask him once and if it doesn't happen- just love him more and let no bitterness enter in but trust the Soveriegn Father and listen to the sermon by yourself and be encouraged.

Anyway, I've been tremendously blessed by this time together. I pray the Lord will protect it. I pray Christ's love will grow in each of our hearts personally and for one another. I also hope that the Lord may see fit to add to the numbers- for His glory.

The first song/psalm:
Oh, how my soul is troubled,
And nearly drowning in the deep wells of despair.
I feel as if I am engulfed in darkness.
My heart, at this moment, would rather
Be suffocated under the weight of this heavy burden
Than to cry out to the Lord.

Oh, Holy Spirit! Draw me into my Savior's arms!
Compel my heart to cry out to the one who
Made me and knows me and loves me
Beyond all comprehension.
For my Redeemer has purchased me,
And He will never abandon me.

The morning will surely come, and the night
Will flee before it.
But even now, in the night,
I will sing praises to my God,
In the midst of my tears.
He will hear me.
He will comfort me and strengthen me.
He will renew my strength, for He is faithful
And knows my weakness.

I will rejoice for my weakness,
When I see His grace and power abound.
For then I learn more how to trust Him,
How to love Him,
And how to worship Him in
Spirit and in truth.
For it brings Him glory
To lead me through every valley on this journey,
And the glory of my King is all I am called to live for.

The next:
When my joy bursts forth, and my
laughter fills the room

This is my song to You

When a sunset holdsmy breath
captive and my thoughts turn
to You

This is my song

When I squeal with delight, like a
young child at the sight of a lizard,

When geese flying south hold my gaze
in the sky

This is my song to You

As tears fall to the floor when you
bring Me to the end of myself and I surrender
my will to Yours

In grief, when I cry out to You, knowing
You alone can bring complete comfort and healing

My life is my song to You

When I can love others, simply
because You first loved me

As I draw near to You, because
You bid me to "come"

From morning to evening, and evening
to morning, may my life be a
sweet, sweet song to You my Lord.

May my life sing ever so loudly to You.

Song of Deliverance

To be all of Thine

O great Creator, Designer of all time,
You formed me to be all of Thine.

Yet born was I, daughter of Eve,
a sinner, perishing, who could not believe.

Loving myself and preserving myself- a must
Enslaved to sin, to Satan, to lust

When young, I was taught to "believe" and then I was "good."
They said to have a daily intake of Your food.

Tried did I and failed.
Tried again and then rebelled.

"I cannot be this bad!" I spewed.
"I do! I must have something to offer You!"

My pride enraged, "But I 'believed'!"
But You, O God, had not set me free.

"No one seeks after Me, not one.
You are dead. It's not you who pleases Me, but My Son."

And then You began in Your great grace to show
there is nothing good in me but to know

Christ.

He in love did chose me.
No good in me did He see.

But for His good pleasure
and endless grace, love beyond measure

He rescued me from despair,
from love of myself and the prince of the air.

I am empty; I am bankrupt.

But for whatever is left in me
I want to be deliberate to dwell upon Thee

in every waking hour, in each moment of the day
may I love as You love me, I pray.

And in this journey still I find
my soul for sin does still repine.

At times, I grasp the filth that fills this place
instead of seeing it as a wilderness

where I am just passing through
to catch a glimpse of You, just You.

And thankfully You chide and say, "This stuff, My love, is not bliss
no, no, My child, it is emptiness."

So each moment in which You enable me to think of You, it's grand
as I travel through this barren wasteland.

Do not let me go, but let me be
Heavenly minded- longing for You to see,

and in Your loving hand I rest
trusting that in Christ I'm blest.

Let me no sin conceal
but ever be humbled as You reveal

the beauty of the rescue

of the great Design

that You formed me and before time
chose me and called me to be all of Thine.

I like this quote-

"A government big enough to give you what you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Picture Crazy

More pics