Are You A True Disciple?

First, I thought I would say thanks to the kind friends, Heather and Sarah, who volunteered to come and clean my house today just because they wanted to! They were so kind to do so... My house smells really nice! I do love the smell of cleaners, as some of my friends already know! Thank you for thinking of me!

Had a little review over the lives of Peter and Paul, and some of the other disciples today! I found myself looking into my heart... what a coward and self-centered little person I have become. I see how these faithful ones gave their lives to the painful end for the Gospel of Jesus Christ... It was everything to them to see people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour... no matter the cost, and I, would I go that far? Oh, that I would look beyond my petty little things here on Earth, and all that tie and bind me here. Christ is returning, and so many people don't know that Jesus Christ came and died so that they may be free from sin... forgiven and free! I hide behind these "polite" curtains and shiver when the thought of testifying to someone in an elevator, bus, or grocery store, comes into mind. What if I offend them? What if they laugh at me? What then? Will I pout and sit in my corner and feel sorry for myself that I tried to rescue them from Hell? Do the Christians today believe in Hell? Then, why are so many of us cosying down as if this world is our home?

Oh, that God would give me a faithful and brave heart!

The battle for me is in my little head... perhaps, that is the great battle for all of us... I get so fearful that somehow Satan will steal away this great Salvation through some wretched thought that randomly pops into mind. But, I often I have felt God say that nothing can separate us from His love, and reassuring me that there is no temptation that others have not also gone through! Jesus didn't go this far to die for me just to abandon me in some trial.

Yes, the Cook family is going through some trials, but through God's grace we ARE pressing on. Without Him, we could not! But, His strength is perfect! We still want to share with others of God's love toward us. I have seen Ron go through this trial of cancer with his ups and downs, but he still finds Jesus Christ to be faithful.

If there so happens to be a reader who does not know Jesus, please don't wait... repent of your sins and come to Him today! You have no promise of tomorrow. God is waiting for you to humble yourself and come to Him. He wants you just the way you are.

I tell my little girls "I love you lots and lots with sugar on top!" They love it, and have begun to tell some of my company when they leave that they love them lots and lots with sugar on top. Today, this is what I wanted to share with you, my readers... Yes, that God LOVES you! And, His love is much sweeter than sugar!

Have a good day in Him!

Youth Event

It was so nice to get to go to the Lock-in last night. We had a nice group come from our church. I was suprised at the over-all turn out. It was really good. Glad to see some of you, my friends, and hope to see more of you next weekend.
The girls seemed to have alot of fun. I have a friend who may be coming to my house on Friday, and she thinks she may be able to fix my picture situation. I am so excited!
Well, it's a busy day today, so I must go! Hope you have a great weekend!

Here we go again!

Well, I sure have been enjoying some special words of love and even correction from the Lord these past couple of months. He kindly reminded me yesterday of how I really wanted my children to obey. I take pleasure in knowing they are well trained, and when they disobey, it hurts and frustrates me. That is how God wants me to look at my relationship with Him. How can I expect my children to live obediently if I don't? You know those little areas of life that we can brush under the rug and say "oh, but that isn't really THAT important, is it?" But, then again, down through the ages, it has been those "little things" that caused big problems. Look at the sin with eating that fruit in the Garden of Eden, or Moses striking the rock, or Isreal's complaining problem, or, well, the list could go on and on. Yep, I want to be completely obedient to Jesus. That is in the attitude of it, as well.

Then, there was last night, I felt comforted in just realizing that no matter what, Jesus is there ready to hold me. People are not always available, you know, when that hug is most needed, they just can't be... but, there is One Who is... you don't even have to tell Him you are hurting inside... He knows, and He understands, for He has hurt more than any of us have. I love the story of Lazarus, for there, I see that when we hurt, He cries. Yep, lot's of love from the One who knows our frames best!

For just a little update...

I went to the OB for my 6 week appointment... and, guess what?! NO, I am not
expecting again, if that was what you were thinking! Ha! No, but we might know what is causing my headaches! My blood pressure was still up! Okay, it is not as high as some people I know have it to go, but I usually have pretty BPs when I am not PG. So, I am gonna give this medicine a try and see if my headaches will cease. That sure would be nice... I also plan to get a bit more in shape, with God's help... I heard sometimes that will fix a blood pressure problem. You, ladies, have any ideas on a good weight loss program that is safe for a mama who is also supplying nutrients to her newborn?

Ron is getting chemo today, and I must hand it to him... when I got back from my appointment today, I found a cleaner house. He likes to help me out before he goes to chemo, just in case he doesn't feel too great afterward... but, usually he is fine, just needs to get some sleep.

Looking forward to seeing some of you at a youth lock-in on Friday... yes, we plan to be there with some of our young people and then again the next week for youth rally. I say PLAN because with three little ones, you never know what could happen between now and then... but, it sure sounds like fun!

Thank you for your continued prayers, cards, letters, and love! May God bless all you, our dear friends, have done! Have a good week!

At home on Sunday Night

Yep! Toddlers get sick way too easy! We knew Faith had a yucky cough yesterday, but we went on with our busy day as though she were fine... I just gave her some medicine and went on. This morning we went to church and even had company over for Sunday lunch, then we took a nap. I was so tired when I awoke, for my baby deprived me of sleep last night, and I am not (pause... I just rescued my one year old from eating toothpaste... don't know how much she ate... well, that is what happens when a mother blogs and decides to ignore her children for a few minutes)... as I was saying, I am not quite recovered. When Faith came to me after naptime, she sounded rough! And, she tends to cry alot when she doesn't feel well! So, I am at home with my children, and Ron is at church. I feel one of those eye/headache things coming on! Oh... I need to go soon... smelling something that needs changed coming from the middle child! Oh, the baby does sleep well... during the day, that is... then at night, she comes alive! If my rambling all runs together, that is how my brain feels right now!

On a cheery note, Faithy went to the altar at church this morning and asked Jesus to come in her heart, and she wants Jesus to sleep with her and she wants angels to sleep with her, too. She is not sure if Jesus came into her heart because she cannot understand how He could be in Heaven and in her heart at the same time. But, she says that she asked Jesus into her heart and now she wants to go to the "castles" (the mansions in Heaven... I called them castles when I was explaining them to her a while back, because she is really into castles right now, and I think she would understand that better than mansions). It was so sweet. I am not sure how much she understands, but I think she knows more about the Bible than your average adult these days... just ask her to tell you some Bible stories or quote Scriptures... She is catching on.

Well, as I said, I do have a diaper to change, so I must go!

Hope you had a good Lord's Day! It was VERY cold here!

I am returning from my blog strike!

So sorry my beloved readers... I am feeling carnal toward my computer for not allowing me to put on my pictures, so I have not updated! I even tried going to the library to update it, but they don't have the spot for my computer disk! Grrr!

Well, here is how Ron is. He says to tell you that he is doing pretty well, just having some minor side effects from the chemo... nothing serious. They plan to do a scan of his body at the end of this month to see how the treatments are working.

Girls are fine now. They were sick... but, beside Faith's complaining about her belly, they seem to be great. Hope went the other day for her one month check up and was already 11lbs 4 oz (with clothes). This puts her in the 90-95th percentile in weight. She LOVES to eat!

I am still suffering with these headache things... does tricks on my vision. Welcome to the world of migraines, is my guess. Not that I have anything to cause a headache :-)

Just wanted to let you know that we are still with it, busy, and pressing on. If ANYONE know how to fix my computer... PLEASE tell me what to do to get my pictures on!

Thanks for your patience.

Happy New Year!

Thanks to Christmas money, we are now proud owners af a real digital camera. Pictures are precious these days, so I feel this was a valuable investment! Now, unfortunately, our computer is giving my a hard time with uploading the pictures, but hopefully this is a temporary problem... will try later to get the picts up. Should be much better quality. Hope is more beautiful than that pict I posted the other day.

I have made some new goals that I feel are important in my spiritual walk for this year, and have found that already old habits are hard to break, but with God we are more than conquerors, and I am excited about what this new year holds... although, I know the road will not be easy. I am looking forward to seeing my husband restored, and these new found migraines (?) I am experiencing to soon disappear. No, I am not a health and wealth believer... just hopeful and being more prayerful! May God's will be done!

The new baby has brought me great amounts of joy! She is just fanastic to me, but I do miss some of my sleep. I go to bed extremely late and wake up really late these days, but I think most new mothers suffer this phenomona. Hope was a perfect name for her! I find my older ones being SUPER ACTIVE these days, and wish my energy could keep up... oh, but they are cute.

Faith says that everything that is cute to her is "adorabous". I think it is a combo of adorable and gorgeous. She got up in the night last night and told me she was afraid, and I told her that she need not to be afraid, that Mommy and Daddy and Jesus are here. She wanted to know if Jesus would sleep with her, and I told her that He would. We prayed together and she went back to bed and slept well.

Charity copies Faith in many things. One of Charity's favorite things to do right now is to throw away trash... so she throws away diapers for me... I love it!

Ron has chemo again this Friday. He actually has been getting involved in the bus ministry again... He also has been going calling some, and even teaching some in church again! I am very glad, because that is my Ron I know... He just keeps pressing on with God's help. Thank you all for praying for him.