Happy Birthday Catrina "19"

This is Catrina....she is our intern that we are hosting while she interns at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Tumalo. She is 19 years old TODAY!!! Happy Birthday Catrina.

Catrina is DARLING. She is GOOFY, and she is sweetly STRANGE!! She is very smart and very witty. We are sooo blessed to have her live with us.

Catrina is probably one of the most courageous people I know. She has grown up in a wonderful family in Minnesota, and she has always been home-schooled...one might think this means she has been pretty protected so she is shy and timid. NOT SO!!! Just the opposite actually...she is confident and outgoing.

This girl moved out here from Minnesota without knowing a soul, and without ever talking to us. She had a few conversations with Lashae, but she really had NO idea what in the world she was getting into. And anyone that KNOWS us knows that is a brave move......

She moved out here in April and has never looked back. She keeps in good touch with her family and friends, she misses them and loves them a ton, but she is solid as a rock. She has not waivered for a second on why she is here and if this is the right thing for her.

She has such faith in the Lord....at first you may think she is just naive, but it is just plain COURAGE and FAITH! She trusts the Lord completely, she doesn't worry, she knows what she wants in life, and she has patience and perseverance...sometimes those 2 things do not go together in one person, but they do for Catrina; all that faith and courage are wrapped up in a very tiny package with a great big heart.


Catrina is a GIFTED musician. She can play about any instrument, she writes amazing songs, and she can sing beautifully.

We love her to pieces and wherever the Lord leads this girl, I know she will follow, and it will be good.

Random

I've got a few things on my desk and on the brain at this point....

Besides the normal...5 kids, and 1 intern each involved in totally different things, in totally different towns....1 husband, 1business...homeschooling,potty training, football,cross country, Bible Study, laundry, meals, cleaning...you know the REGULAR mom stuff....

I'm involved in Lord's Acre Run ....Columbia River Circuit Finals Ticket Sales...a tax audit....adoption paperwork.....and travel for attending a conference in Texas.

Sooooo............if you are trying to enter the Lord's Acre Run, and you get entered in the bull riding at the rodeo, or if you are the IRS and you end up with a 3rd graders spelling list, or if you are buying tickets to the rodeo and I adopt you, or if you are wanting the football schedule and I give you our itinerary for traveling to Texas...just bear with me....it will all work out...

Baptism

I'm pretty sure if you look over towards Powell Butte you will see some sort of glow...that would be some amazing kids that got baptized on Sunday. And their parents...of which I am one...are walking on clouds. Pretty proud and excited. Luke got baptized, and so did our amazing friends' kids...McKennan and Kennedy. Pretty fun morning at the Powell Butte Christian Church.

I have to include the conversation that went on behind the scene while Luke and Kennedy were getting ready:



Kennedy: Luke, what question are they going to ask again?


Luke: They are going to ask if you have Jesus in your heart and your answer is YES!!



I loved this for so many reasons. But, if you knew these two kids...you would crack up with me. Make no mistake about it...it was Kennedy's decision to get baptized and NOBODY needs to tell her how to answer. She is very sure of herself and usually she is the one lining Luke out. Luke is a boy, and he has 2 older sisters so it is only natural for him to take instruction and Kennedy is smart and quick and sure...so she is usually 2 steps ahead. They just have this worked out and they have a great relationship...they are GOOD friends.

I thought the whole thing was precious and I'm just thankful to my Lord that we got to witness such an exciting day, and enjoy it with friends.

WHAT A BLESSING!!!

While We Wait

We have prayed for Esther everyday since Charlie and Lashae met her in Uganda. She is a 9 year old girl that has stolen Charlie's heart. She is in Redeemer House Orphanage. She was rescued over a year ago from unthinkable circumstances.

Redeemer House is a wonderful orphanage where the kids get to go to school, they learn about Jesus, they get 3 meals a day, they have wonderful caretakers, but they don't have PARENTS, or a forever family - they have wonderful people that care for them and they have others children in the house to be their friends, but they don't have PARENTS OR SIBLINGS.

We wrote Esther a letter and asked her if she would like to be in our family. We asked if she would like for us to adopt her.

It hasn't been very long, but we are just waiting....waiting to hear - we have offered to do whatever we can, we have offered to do whatever it takes to bring her home and make her our daughter.

So now we wait...we wait to hear back...we pray for her, we pray that she takes us up on the offer. We will love her NO matter what - we just feel her already in our hearts, but we would love to have her in our family, and let us shower her with love, gifts, attention, support for the rest of our lives.

I was wondering yesterday what her thoughts or reaction may be to all this and it reminded me of our Lord....

He has offered THE GIFT OF SALVATION to each and everyone of us. He has already done all the work, all the sacrafice, He has paid the full price, and all that needs to be done to bring us into His family. He loves us whether we accept the invitation to be in His family or not. And He waits for us to accept the gift.

He's so anxious to hear us say we will accept because He is excited to shower us with gifts, and an eternal family, and attention, and support. He is excited to have a relationship with us, a relationship that He has already made the way for. But, He will wait, He will wait until we accept the gift that He is offering. He will wait until we say YES we want Him in our lives, we want to rely on Him, we want to be His child. He will wait, and then when we say YES and accept the GIFT...the Heavens explode with rejoicing...just like the Brewer house will explode with rejoicing if we hear Esther say YES she wants to be in our family!!!

Texas and Adoption

We've talked about Texas...we've prayed about Texas....we know people in Texas......but I HAVE NEVER been to Texas. We've talked about adoption....we've prayed about adoption....we know people who have adopted...but WE HAVE NEVER adopted.

So....there is an adoption conference in Texas on Oct. 1 and 2....I thought it just sounded right up our ally....but I knew we could not afford such a thing....so on a whim, I called our credit card company because we have the whole point thing....that just never seems to work out for me for one reason or another.....so just to ease my mind...thought I would call and see how much it would cost us....full on knowing the only price we could afford would be FREE!!!! Sooooo, called and guess what....2 tickets to Austin Texas AND AND AND a free hotel...that happens to be beautiful. Now, let me tell you...we can afford FREE... we are flying to a state we have dreamed of and prayed about, going to a conference to learn about a call and a ministry we have dreamed of and prayed about. Yippee Jesus....He does give good gifts!!!! AND AND AND....Charlie and I are going alone...my sister and her hubby will be there, but we have made an agreement one mom to another...it is a time to be with our men....Charlie and I have not spent more than 2 hours alone for a LONG time, and I am looking forward to getting to know him again. HEHE ....And I'm sure he feels the same about me.....NOW STOP LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY.....we all know he will totally enjoy the hotel without Reece between us....I'm admitting and confessing....most nights he is sleeping soundly right between us...on occasion...Charsie has mercy on us and he sleeps with her.

Charsie and Surprise

We did things a bit different this year. We stayed home a lot more and we didn't participate in as many things as we usually do. Well, this did not mean we didn't have much to do...Charsie took the opportunity to to train Surprise...this is a horse we have had since birth and we didn't even know her Mama was pregnant. So one morning we stepped out and there was a baby filly..what a SURPRISE.

In our defense...the vets did not even know and we had taken Surprise's mom several times because she had an infection in her jaw we could not get rid of. Anyway when she was just about a year old she got her foot caught in the fence and by the time we discovered her she had nearly pulled her own foot off trying to get out. So needless to say, we thought we would never be able to use her. We have had her for 8 years and she has just become more of a pet than anything. Charsie decided last year that she would like to train her. So while Charsie homeschooled last year she brushed her, washed her, saddled her, and spent a lot of time with her. On Sunday Charsie got her all ready and Charlie got on her for the first time, and then Charsie got on her. What an accomplishment. Charsie started this project last year and she was only 12 years old. This is why we call Charsie the animal whisperer. She did this ALL on her OWN!!! We are pretty proud of her, she has so much patience and perserverance.

A Few Fun Things!!!

Things I'm looking forward to in the near future:

Luke and Kennedy (our dearest friend's little girl that I claim as my own EVERY chance I get), are getting baptized on Sun. That is such a PRAISE. Charlie and Robert (Kennedy's dad) got baptized a few years ago on the same day...isn't it so fitting that now their kids are doing it on the same day.

Kole has a football game every Friday for awhile, and we are getting to go see 2 out of my 3 sisters during this football season because the schedule has us going from one end of the state to another.

Lashae is working at Crystal Peak Youth Ranch as an intern and getting to spend a lot more time there...she loves it and it makes her so joyful and she keeps bringing the COOLEST people home for us to meet. That place is a magnet for AWESOME people. I think it's because it's all about the LORD there and doing things that GLORIFY HIM.

Charsie is starting Cross Country today. I love to watch that girl run and it is soooo fun having a daughter that also has a love for running. Blesses my heart.

What ever is going to come out of Reece's mouth next....He just yelled from my bedroom that there is a rocket ship outside...he heard an airplane go over our house. Cracks me up!!! Not always do I approve of what comes out of his mouth, but it is usually funny...sometimes cute funny and sometimes naughty funny, but we laugh at it all...sometimes under our breath and sometimes outloud...which ever is fitting.

These are just a few fun things that make me think it's just going to be some good times right around the corner.

Wait and Be Still, or Go and DO

So many times in the Bible it tells us to wait, be still, be patient, sit at His feet, be quiet, listen....

Exodus 14:13-14 (New International Version)

13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Psalm 37:7 (New International Version)

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

Then there's the story of Mary and Martha:

Luke 10:39-42
39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.[e] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Jesus is telling Martha to calm down sit at his feet and listen!!!

Ok...so how does all this sitting, and being still, and being quiet match up with: go, and do, and get up, and follow me, and take care of widows and orphans; because I see all these words and passages as ACTION. He also tells us to LOVE our neighbor and then tells us in a parable what this means and it is full of action and doing. Not a lot of sitting and being still.

Luke 10:25-37 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise

Here he says GO!!!

Mark 16:15 (New International Version)

15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

Then there's Faith which is FULL of action

James 2:14-26

Faith and Deeds
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.


James 1:27 (New International Version)
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

So I was asking the Lord how this all matched up...seems a bit contradictory...and here's what I learned...

We are to be still and listen and sit at His feet, and He will give us the heart and the desire and the faith to take action and LOVE our neighbor, and to follow Him, and to do good works, and to take care of widows and orphans. He will sit us down like we do our own children when we sit them down and tell them to just be quiet and listen to me, then we explain to them what we have for them to do.

Because each of us has a purpose and if we sit with Jesus and listen He will tell us, and He already has in His Word, but He will also give us specific for each of us to do, but we must sit down at His feet, be still and listen. And then when He shows us WE BETTER MOVE. It's like when I finish telling my kids what is expected of them and what they need to do and I have been clear with instuction they BETTER MOVE!!! No dilly dallyin around...just move and do what I said.

Well, that is no different with God. He has told us in His Word what to do and who He is, and He will reveal Himself and our purpose when we seek Him and Listen and spend time with Him and His word and then our hearts our changed and we want to do what He has for us and we want to GO and DO and LOVE and SERVE

We are home!!!!! We had a ball....we played and ate....and played....and ate.....and shopped and slept......and had good talks, and we are refreshed!!! I thought I would post a few of the pictures. I had a blast taking a ton of them......

This is how we started our vacation...hmmmmm??? Charlie saw this sign and could NOT resist he did a u-turn right in the road and had me take a picture. We feel as if we've been walking around with a big ole question mark on our heads as of lately...so this picture was appropriate.

Here's my graduate. I relish these times even more with her because now that Lashae is graduated and 18 years old I don't know how many of these little family get-aways she will be attending. I know she is embarking on her own life now, and I hope that forever and ever she still comes when we go...but, I know this won't be the case, and I'm happy for her and her future.

Charsie and Luke played and played in the FREEZING water. The water temperature did not phase them one ounce, they played until..."their fingers were not doing what their mind told them too"....this was a quote from Luke.

Yep!!! You are seeing right those are our 5 beautiful children IN OUR BED!!!! Thank God they didn't sleep in there...but they came in the morning and took over. haha..thought it was kinda funny!

Kole dug this HUGE hole that him and Luke got in and then we buried them. We kept Reece at a safe distance...because if he fell on their heads it would have been bad. It was a job digging them out.

Here's my man!!!! Aren't I the luckiest woman alive???





I can not believe how blessed I am. Kids are such a GIFT from God!!!

Icing the knee!!!

We had a great Bible Study time with the kids both mornings...of course it turned into an all out competion....can we do ANYTHING without it turning into a competion...guess not..Charlie gave them some verses to look up so they raced to see who could find them the fastest and they had to figure out the theme he was on...even Reece got involved...he got a gideon Bible from the Hotel, and thought he was right in the action.

Off to the Beach!!!

GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT?????

We are getting out of Dodge...we are leaving bright and early in the morning for the beach. We will be making a FUN stop at ....my favorite....an outlet mall to do some MUCH needed school shopping, and then on to the beach!!!

We are going to hang out for 2 nights. We are doing it in perfect Brewer style, which means we don't have a place to stay, we don't have a concrete plan, we just know we are GOING and we will be back Monday afternoon.

We are positive we are going to have a blast and much needed time with just our family. We have much to talk about pray about and just BE!!!

I will share pictures and any family insights with you when we get back. Yippee!!!!!