super hero

When you have two big brothers, there is no way to avoid superheroes. 

So what's a little sister to do?  Join right in, of course!

 

 

 

 

 



Thirty Years With Cannibals

My brother-in-law recommended this book to us after hearing that we had applied to be associate missionaries with New Tribes Mission.  To see more about that click HERE.


I'm so happy he did.  This book written by John G. Paton about his life of missionary service was thoroughly enjoyable and the Kindle version is free (see HERE).

John G. Paton was born in Scotland, where he grew up in a home in which Christ was lovingly by both his father and mother.  He knew he wanted to serve the Lord in his occupation and set out to do whatever it took to fulfill that goal.  Ending up in Glasgow, he was a city missionary there with a thriving ministry.  This was when The Lord called him into missionary service.

He and his wife became the first missionaries on Tanna, an island of cannibals in the New Hebrides.  Soon after settling in there his wife and small child died from fever and ague.  Paton kept on ministering to the natives of the island despite poor health, constant threats to his life, and the natives theiving from him anything they could lift.  After years there, he did not see many notable changes in the natives and had to flee the island because one of tribe leaders was on a death hunt for him.

Later on in his life he and his second wife returned to the New Hebrides, but to a new island.  The natives, wanting to kill them, sold their sacred grounds to the Patons to build their house upon.  Only the native Spirit Men could walk on the sacred grounds without dying.  When the natives saw that no harm came to the Patons, they understood that he God of the Patons was more powerful than the spirits they worshipped.  Many of these native people came to know and trust The Lord Jesus as their Savior.  A church was founded there and the natives grew more and more in love and understanding of the Gospel.

What most impressed me about the life of John G. Paton, was his constant trust in the Lord.  Innumerable times Paton would come to a crossroads where he knew not how the Lord would provide, each time he "committed it to the Lord" and the Lord provided!

I highly recommend this book!

works in progress

My daughter wanted to paint one day last week.
She probably would not have thought of the idea except that I was painting that day.
She truly wanted to come into the little bathroom and paint the walls with me.  That would have been fun, but we are getting our house ready to go on the market.  That was not an option on this day.

I wanted to tell her no, todays not a day for you to paint.  That was the easy answer on this busy day of schooling, and painting and all the other chores that go along with being mom.  Sometimes, more often than I'd like to admit, I  tell her no because it's easier than saying yes or I think it's easier than saying yes.  I'm a work-in-progress.  Actualizing more and more a truth that I know, some things that are a little difficult, or a lot difficult, are worth it.  And that the unknown tends to loom more difficult than it is.

But this day I realized it's not going to be that hard.  It's going going to take all day. Just a few minutes.  Just the time it takes to set her up and let her get to it.



I found a leftover paper plate from a party and a little plastic applesauce cup for the rinse water and the paints and a good fat paint brush.  She picked out what she wanted to paint, a couple of big Cinderella coloring sheets.  We put the dog in the kennel so she could paint on the patio.  And she painted away.

In the end, she mixed all the paint colors together, her Cinderella turned out an inky black, and there was stray paint on the patio, but she had fun. 

And I could see again how much she is His masterpiece.  I pray one say she can see this.   I am contiually amazed a how God gave me such a gift.



We are His workmanship ("masterpieces" NLT), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.   Eph. 2:10






By the way, we'll soon be putting our house on the market.
It's a wonderful house with a large backyard, lots of storage, and a newly painted bathroom.

No more photo a day

I'm resigned to this:  taking a photo every day is a task unaccomplishable by me at this point in my life.

However, here's a photo run down of SOME of the things from SOME of the days of last week.

Sunday was great.  I love my church, Heritage Park Baptist Church.  You would too.  On last Saturday we mulched our flower beds.  When Megan went outside Sunday morning, she said it smelled yucky.  Here she is looking cute for church with her pink boots on.















Monday was a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day.  Ok, it was as bad as all that, but still it wasn't very good.  At least it ended well with a Starbucks and a friend!  So thankful to God for coffee and friends and so much else!




 



Tuesday was better than Monday.  I had my eyes checked so I could order new glasses.  I took Seth to order a pair of everyday glasses.  He's been wearing a pair of sports glasses all the time.  The nose pad on them was coming apart, so I thought I'd see if they were still under warranty.  Technically (according to the ladies at the vision center) they were not under warranty, but they gave us a new pair of frames anyway!  Yay!  And Megan got sick this day.  :(

Wednesday was very good.  Megan was still sick, but in good spirits.  It was Store night at AWANAs (FUN!) and my boy, Seth, finished his TNT Book 3.  That's quite an accomplishment.  (I don't want to leave out Todd, he finished his last SPARKS book a couple of months ago and finished the review two weeks ago).  I'm so thankful for the AWANA program.  My kids and I have learned so many Bible verses because of it.

Thursday was a super day.  I went on another newborn shoot with my friend, Ginny Henderson of Ginny Henderson Photography.  That baby was so super duper cute!  I decided that if I wasn't going to be a stay-at-home mom or a missionary with New Tribes Mission, I could be a photography assisstant.  That job would suit me just fine.


                                                           
On Friday I ordered new glasses for myself and we celebrated Mother's Day a little early with dinner at Luna's. I decided that nachos are my all-time favorite food. I love nachos.

Saturday was soccer-free due to lots of rain yesterday. I like soccer, but it's really, really nice to have a day off. Instead we spent the day playing with the neighbors, working on the house (we are kind of, sort of remodeling a bathroom--gotta get this house ready to sell!), and baking. Later on we'll be grilling...yum!

And check out my neighbors super cool artwork.  It was her Mother's Day gift last year.  It's such a neat idea and I love how it turned out!  It's hanging above the couch in their living room.



Back to Brazil

God has been doing big things in our lives.

Watch this to find out more.

 

 

Click below to see our new member profile page on NTM.org

Keith and Holly Splawn

If you want to hear the sermon from our pastor on Elijah calling Elisha click on the link below.

Elijah: When A Prophet Wants to Chat

 

soccer saturday

Just a few pictures from this weekend's soccer games.
It was neighborhood rivalry weekend.  Megan played her friend and our neighbor that lives around the corner from us.  Todd played our next door neighbor.  Megan's team lost (big time).  Todd's team won, 2-1.  And I didn't get to watch Seth play.  His game  was at the same time at Megan's, but at a different park!  His team won too, 2-0!

 

 

 

sunday snapshot: daily photos week 16

sunday

Our pastor baptized his son on Sunday. 

It was a very sweet moment.

monday

A fun horse that belongs to a sweet neighbor and friend

 



tuesday

photoless day

:(

 

wednesday

This girl can talk. 

She's so talky she needs two phones at once.

thursday

I couldn't get this song out of my head on Thursday.

Want to be Real by Chris August

friday

My sweet Todd turned eight on Friday. 

 



saturday

CinderMegan is on her way to a princess party.

i heart faces: friendship challenge

battle hymn of the tiger mother

Last year my friend read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua and thought I would like it.  She was right.  It was fascinating.  I'm not sure why, though.  Maybe it's the kind of fascination one would get watching a train wreck.  So incredulous that it is hard to look away, but such a disater also.

Amy Chua is an American born daughter of two Chinese immigrants.  Her mother raised her the "Chinese way" and she's determined to do that with her daughters.  The greatest fear in her life is that her daughters will suffer the generational decline that other second generation Chinese Americans endure.  How she puts it here:

     "The next generation (her daughters' generation) is the one I spend nights lying awake worrying about.  Because of the hard work of their parents and grandparents, this generation will be born into the great comforts of the upper middle class.  Even as children they will own many hardcover books (an almost criminal luxury from the point of view of immigrant parents).  They will have wealthy friends who get paid for B-pluses.  They may or may not attend private schools, but in either case they wll expect expensive brand-name clothes.  Fianlly and most problematically, they will feel that they have individual rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and therefore be much more likely to disobey their parents and ignore carer advice.  In short, all factors piont to this generation being headed straight for decline"
 

She grits her teeth and by sheer determination and domination demands from her daughters excellence.  She goes into the trenches with them and is their comandeer in every area of life.  There's no part of her daughters' lives that is not under her control.

Here are some of her rules for her daughters:

There were not allowed to attend a sleepover, have a playdate, be in a school play, complain about not being in a school play, watch TV or play computer games, choose their own extracurricular activities, get any grade less than an A, not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama, play any instrument other than the piano or violin, not play the piano or violin.

Her oldest daughter played the piano and would practice daily for hours with her mother hovering over her, sometimes instructing her, sometimes insulting her, and sometimes yelling at her, but never encouraging her.
An example of actual things she said to her daughter during piano practice.

"OMG, you're just getting worse and worse."
"I'm going to count to three, and then I want musicality!"
"If the next time's not PERFECT, I'm going to TAKE ALL YOUR STUFFED ANIMALS AND BURN THEM!"
 

Her younger daughter played wasn't as compliant as her oldest daughter. They fought each other constantly about her playing the violin.

 

 



nail salon

Photo a Day, Seth's birthday edition

Last week, during all the chaos of what happened in Boston and West, we had a few very good events to celebrate.  I'm thankful for those.  My husband's company won a contract that he labored to help write at the beginning of the year,  our Seth's 11th birthday and a sweet friend who was offered a job perfectly suited for her.  I'm so thankful that often God gives the good with the bad.  He knows our frame, what we are made of and what we can handle.

For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
                                 Psalm 103:14
 

   sunday...working on water balloons

  and winning

   monday...slugworth

Seth loves critters, especially slimy ones.  I won't be surprised if he becomes a herpatologist when he grows up.



                   wednesday...Seth making cookies

                            One of Seth's sections in his TNT (AWANA) book required him to
                            do something nice for someone else.  One suggestion in the book 
                            was to make cookies for the Cubbies class.  Seth decided that was
                            the right plan for him.  Megan really liked it too, because she's in
                            the Cubbies class.




   Friday...Seth's 11th birthday, him with his Pokemon cards

How has it been eleven years?  I just can't believe it.  Seth, you are forever my big lug.  I love you so much and I'm so proud of you.




   saturday...another small group baby is on the way.

It was a wonderful day for a baby shower.  I'm so excited for Ashley and Kevin and little baby Travis who is due very soon.  And it was a pleasure to spend a few hours with all these ladies that I love from the small group Keith and I host. 

crawfish etouffee like Maw Maw used to make

We had a little party this weekend with lots of crawfish.  And we had some leftover crawfish.  And I don't love crawfish, but my dear husband does.
I thought I would make him some crawfish etouffee with those leftovers.  When I started looking for recipes, I noticed many of them used cream of mushroom soup as a base for the sauce (gag).
When I saw the title of this recipe, I knew it was the one I needed to try.

Any recipe with "Maw Maw" in the title, has to be good, right?  It doesn't hurt that it calls for two sticks of butter.  Let's just say I skimped a little on the butter and it didn't hurt the recipe at all.

Crawfish Etouffee like Maw Maw Used to Make

Here are some of my ingredients....
and here it is..I even like it and I don't like crawfish.

mostly a photo a day: week 15

Monday...Megan watching her stories.

 

Tuesday...free cone day!

 

 

Wednesday...A vacation resort for lizards by Kyle and Seth.


 

 

 

Friday...was so nice that I opened the windows.

Saturday...that means soccer!