just us. rossandtaya.com

The courage to try again...

2011-12-29T06:01:00.000-08:00

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" -Mary Anne Radmacher

How about you try doing something courageous today? ...even if it's just trying to do the thing you couldn't do yesterday.

"The righteous may fall seven times but still get up, but the wicked will stumble into trouble." -Proverbs 24:16

"Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light." -Micah 7:8

Take courage. Get up. Try again.

Happy Birthday...

2011-12-25T00:40:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I am second...

2011-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: **If you are in the Whatcom County area, you can hear this real-life account from Brian "Head" Welch at Cornwall Park Church this weekend (Dec. 3-4). Click here for details.**

This is gritty, scary, and beautiful. Reminds me of the man that Jesus healed, who was chained up and living in a cemetary...

*if video doesn't load, click here.

Would you have shared Jesus with this man?

I pray that I would be the kind of guy who would be so believing in Jesus power, with such a heart for the lost and broken, that could see past the tattoos and the language and the drugs and violence and the self-destruction and recognize a person made in God's own image and out of love say "I don't mean to be weird with you, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, I felt like this scripture might mean something to you..." and invite him to experience God's peace and rest.

Can you relate in some way to the life this man has lived?

If you are interested in becoming second and letting God be first in your life, visit iamsecond.com. If you find yourself needing peace and rest, let us know in the comments, or send us an email, we don't have it all figured out, but we do personally know the source of perfect peace and we would love to share it with you.

We are Ross and Taya, and we are second.

welcome, judah.

2011-10-02T20:29:00.001-07:00

God blessed us with a healthy, adorable baby boy on September 24... we named him Judah Ross. His name means "let God be praised."

Psalm 146 has always been our favorite Psalm.

We love that it begins & ends with praise.
We love that it speaks of praising the LORD for all of your life.
We love that it speaks of God remaining faithful forever... He has been to us.
We love the sense of mission that it gives as it reminds us that God gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, etc. and it compels us to go out & share that gospel of good news & victory with others.

Our prayer for Judah Ross is that he would praise the LORD with all of his life & as long as he lives, and that he would be a leader who is unafraid to step into some of the most difficult & challenging situations in life- knowing that God sees, God cares, and God will act.

Judah is an incredible gift to us & we praise God for him.

You look like you could use a laugh...

2011-09-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

LAUGHS! from Everynone on Vimeo.

"A joyful heart is good medicine..." -Proverbs 17:22
"Laughter really is good medicine. It reduces stress, relieves pain, lowers blood pressure and boosts the immune system. It puts people at ease and can lower the tension level in your relationships. Frequent laughter may even reduce your risk for heart disease." -Craig Hassed (Monash University, Melbourne)

God is my Shepherd...

2011-09-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Elijah loves the song called "House of God, Forever" by Jon Foreman. We caught him singing it the other night before bed. He is such a sweet & gentle guy, & it has been really sweet to see his desire to pray & sing praise songs growing more & more. We were created for relationship, even 2 year-olds can recognize this, & the most important relationship anyone can figure out is their relationship with God.

Watching that video of Elijah also reminded us of another clip featuring Isaiah on the same topic at a similar age:

Thank you God, for being our good shepherd & for filling our life with these wonderful gifts!

It's not my fault (the Devil made me do it)

2011-07-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Heraclitus said: “The world is nothing but a great desire to live and a great dissatisfaction with living.”

We are a culture of blamers. In politics we blame the other party. In traffic, we blame the other drivers. In relationships, we blame the other person. It appears that one of the greatest tricks of the enemy is to take the focus off of our faults, and blame other people for our dissatisfaction.

In the story of Genesis 3:1-7, we see that one of the Serpent’s greatest tricks was to cause Eve to become dissatisfied with what she had, desiring what she did not have, and to consider that God was being dishonest towards her.

To put it another way, Satan tempted Eve to blame God for not letting her eat of one certain fruit, blame God for not wanting her to “be like God,” and blame God for making something so attractive to be so wrong.

This same style of temptation attacks us today.

We become dissatisfied with all of the things we have in life. Rather than counting our blessings and considering all that we have, we focus in on the one thing that we do not have (and in 99.9% of the cases it is a thing that we should not have), and we focus in on the one who is withholding it from us.

We are tempted to question God’s goodness and we put ourselves in the place of God when we blame others, or blame God for our dissatisfaction. As believers we ought to follow the Apostle Paul’s example, when he says in Philippians 4:11 “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

The heart that is satisfied is the heart that is prepared to submit and worship, and it is the heart that is better equipped to resist the temptation of the enemy.

Submit. Worship. Resist. Repeat.

Points to Ponder:

Who are the people I am most prone to blame? (God, spouse, children, boss, etc.)
Make a list of the things you are desiring or the areas of your life you find yourself dissatisfied with. After writing the list, take a few minutes to pray & surrender every single item on the list to God’s care. Then ask Him to give you a heart like Paul’s: satisfied regardless of the situation.

Warning, Falling Cows Ahead

2011-07-15T06:04:00.001-07:00

Shakespeare once wrote that it is “'one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.” If we were to look back on the things we regret in our lives, we probably don’t regret temptations that came along as much as we regret our response to them.

How many people would see a sign that warns of cows falling on the road and dismiss it as ridiculous, and just carry along down the road?

In Genesis 3:1-7, we see Adam and Eve responding to temptation. Unlike the sign in the photo, Adam and Eve did not have a sign warning them temptation was coming. However, much like the sign, who knows if they would have even heeded taken it seriously?!?

If someone had warned them, “a talking snake will tempt you to deny God’s authority in your life and will tempt you to do the ONLY THING God forbids you to do...” I would imagine that they may have laughed, considered the advice insignificant, and just carried along down the road.

The Genesis account says that “the Serpent was crafty...” (skilled in deception)

As believers, we must recognize that temptation may come in an unexpected form, and that it may come at an unexpected time.

Like a driver being warned of the possibility that strange debris may be falling from the sky, 1 Peter 5:8 warns us of unexpected and dangerous debris headed our way: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Points to Ponder:

Are there certain “roads” I travel where I may be oblivious to the warning signs? (Certain people, situations, attitudes where temptation could especially catch me off guard)
Ask God to make you alert, and give you a sober mind. Consider areas that may make your mind “drunk” or easily unaware of the danger lurking. Ask your spouse or a friend to shine light on areas that you may not be seeing with a sober mind right now.

Rules for Rebellion

2011-07-08T10:40:00.002-07:00

“I have moved from certainty to doubt, from devotion to rebellion.” -Phil Donahue

If the text of Genesis 3:1-7 could be summed up in one word, I think it would be:

REBELLION

Webster’s dictionary defines rebellion as an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler. It is the action of resisting authority, resisting control, or resisting convention.

In Genesis, we see the Serpent tempting and succeeding in getting both the woman and the man to blatantly rebel against God’s command. The woman takes the initiative in rebelling, while the man is a silent rebel. The text goes to show that whether loud or quiet, whether sneaky or bold, defying God’s commands is not just a little mess up, it is war against God. It is in essence saying to God, “although we stand on a battlefield and you are offering to protect me behind your shield, I am going to take my chances, align with the enemy, and defy your sovereignty in my life.”

As believers, we need to hear God speaking to us through the Bible, specifically pleading with us in Hebrews 3:7-8: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness...” Scripture is clear that God is speaking, but our hard hearts in a time of testing can cause us to ignore His words and resist His authority.

Points to Ponder:

Do you see yourself as a “rule-breaker” or a “rule-follower”?
Do you realize that you can land on either side of that spectrum and still have a hard heart towards God?
Have you ever thought about even your “tiniest” sins as being an act of war against the Creator of the Universe?
Ask God in advance of any testing or trial you may face to give you ears to hear His voice, and a heart that remains soft & tender towards Him.

God is my Salvation...

2011-06-29T09:47:00.003-07:00

"It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent." -Jeremy Taylor

Exodus 2 ends with some beautiful words about God:

"They cried out for help... their cry rose up to God.
God heard...
God remembered his covenant...
God looked down... and knew it was time to act."

When we were picking a name for Isaiah, we saw that the meaning of it is "God is my salvation" and we knew it was perfect. We wanted our son to know that there is such a thing as salvation, and we wanted him to know where it can be found.

When times are hard, we can't count on money, talent, good works, good looks, or luck to bail us out. We need to know that there is a God who hears and saves. That's our God.

When you see people or a situation in need of rescue, do you look to technology, money, talent, or teamwork as the solution, or do you first look to God? Whether it's in the Sudan or the suburbs, God hears, God remembers, & God will act at just the right time.

p.s. We've already got a great name chosen for our third little boy (due in September), but we're always on the lookout for meaningful middle names. Feel free to share your suggestions with us!

Time for a comeback...

2011-04-13T23:28:00.001-07:00

.
This video seems to perfectly illustrate the following verse & I think it may perfectly illustrate the Christian life:

"I trust the LORD God... My enemies, don't be glad because of my troubles! I may have fallen, but I will get up!" -Micah 7:6-8

Maybe you've been knocked down, fallen off the wagon, disappointed yourself or others, or just been sidetracked... I have three pieces of advice for you:

1. Trust God.
2. Get up.
3. Run your race.

HT: twentytwowords

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A year in the life...

2011-02-22T07:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of the photo-a-day project we did in 2010, called Project Life. In many ways, it was one of our hardest years so far, but there were still plenty of joy-filled memories & we have a greater appreciation for the gospel & love for Jesus.

Don't blink. =)

Would I be an Oak of Righteousness?

2011-02-04T08:16:00.010-08:00

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit." -D. Elton Trueblood

When I read this quote, I was instantly reminded of walking along a path, under the "Oaks of Righteousness" at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

As we walked through the memorial we were just overwhelmed by the millions and millions of lives that were brutally snuffed out. We felt like vomiting & just wanted to somehow escape the reality of it.

But then we walked up to the mount of remembrance and couldn't help but notice a few rows of Oak trees that have been planted, each one of them with a little name tag- listing the name of a family who had rescued a Jew during the Holocaust. The majority of these were Christian families who laid their own lives on the line to protect a Jewish family. Yad Vashem wanted to honor these families and used the verse from Isaiah 61:3

“So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

This verse is on a big plaque in the ground at the start of the path that leads through these oak trees. Just as a person is feeling overwhelmed by the millions who were tortured & murdered, you can't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the few who stepped up.

You can't help but ask yourself "if I had been there at the time, what would I have done?"

I guess this is part of why we love Christians who step up & care for orphans. They practice true religion, providing shade from the harsh sun for these helpless children, so that the Lord may be glorified.

Here’s a quote from a Holocaust survivor, maybe not unlike what you might hear from an orphan or widow who has been rescued:

“I believe that it was really due to Lorenzo that I am alive today; and not so much for his material aid, as for his having constantly reminded me by his presence... that there still existed a just world outside our own, something and someone still pure and whole... for which it was worth surviving.” -Primo Levi describes his rescuer, Lorenzo Perone

The Yad Vashem website has a great article that describes the situation "the righteous" would find themselves in, as they would see a Jew standing at their door and needed to make an instant decision. You can read it here.

I really should be working on my schoolwork right now, but seeing the quote at the top of this post took me back to Israel & made me pause to consider how the decisions I make today could affect my kids, grandkids, & even persecuted people. I couldn't help but take a few minutes to journal my thoughts for the sake of my own kids, and pray that when God calls me to make an instant decision that appears risky, He'll give me the grace to make a righteous one.

"It is the righteous man who lives for the next generation." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

photo via Tom Hein

Jesus in a Suitcase...

2011-01-13T21:34:00.002-08:00

I saw this painting this morning & have not been able to stop thinking of friends in China (& Vietnam) all day.

Artwork by Jeff Gill (via Jim LePage)

Right this minute we have friends who are acting as pack mules for Jesus, trying to deliver precious cargo to underground believers in Jesus. I'm so inspired by their example & their faith. I'm also convicted at my own selfishness & timidity here in America. I once read of a Vietnamese pastor who said, “We have learned that suffering is not the worst thing in the world... disobedience to God is the worst.” We're so proud of your obedience to God, B&V!

“It makes me boil when I think of the power we profess and the utter impotency of our action. Believers who know one-tenth as much as we do are doing one hundred times more for God, with His blessing and our criticism.” -Jim Elliot (missionary/martyr)

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

May the God of all hope fill you with great joy this Christmas...

Love, Ross & Taya, Isaiah & Elijah

Things could be better. Things could be worse.

2010-12-15T13:45:00.001-08:00

Here are two fun Christmas-y things I ran across today...

First, I loved how Improv Everywhere came along this Salvation Army bell-ringer to add a little more excitement to his song & service:

Next, I thought this short story sums up how many guys feel about Christmas shopping:

It was a few days before Christmas on the Oregon coast. Two men whose families lived next door to each other opted to go sailing while their wives went Christmas shopping. An unexpected storm surprised the weekend sailors. Before long, the sea became angry, and the two had a difficult time keeping the sailboat under control. While heading toward the harbor, the craft hit a sandbar and grounded. Both men jumped overboard into the icy water and began to push and shove in an attempt to get the sailboat into deeper water. Knee-deep in mud and repeatedly bounced against the hull by unfriendly waves, the one said to the other, "Sure beats Christmas shopping, doesn't it?"

Whether things are feeling better or worse for you, we do hope that this Christmas finds you celebrating the birth of the Savior & the true peace & joy He alone can bring.

The Calgary Trip...

2010-11-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

On October 19th we welcomed a beautiful new niece into the world: Jerika Cheridyn. The photos on facebook just didn't do her justice, so we decided to take a journey to see Jerika (and the rest of her family)!

We had a beautiful drive through Banff (which is magnificent), fun play time with Demi, nice visits with Brielle & Taya, a great worship service at their church, and most of all, great snuggles with Jerika. We love her already. It was a quick trip, but the best part is that we get to see her again soon when we celebrate Thanksgiving all together!

Our Final Prayer Letter // November 2010 // We're Leaving Staff...

2010-11-19T16:16:00.002-08:00

It is with bittersweet emotions that we post our final prayer letter... We'll keep blogging & posting our project life photos, but this will likely be the last prayer letter that you see from us (at least for the next couple of years). We mentioned the lyrics to one song in our prayer letter, but there is another hymn that seems fitting right now as well.

If thou should call me to resign,
what most I prized never was mine;
I only yield thee what is thine.
Thy will be done.

Thanks for following along with us on this 5 year journey. We have been blessed by your prayers & encouragement.

November 2010 Prayer Letter - Our Final Letter (plus Q&A on Page 2)

Isaiah can do it. We can help...

2010-11-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

We took the boys to the Home Depot this morning & Isaiah got to take part in one of the kids projects that they offer on the first Saturday of each month. It was SO fun & we've already got it on the calendar for next month & the month after that & the month after that... Isaiah loved it & it was so cute watching him patiently & carefully build his little spice rack. As they say, woodworking minus patience equals firewood!

Sorrow...

2010-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since we've posted our Project Life photos. It's not that we've stopped taking photos, it's just that life has taken some challenging & heartbreaking twists & turns over the last few weeks.

By now we had hoped to announce that we were expecting another baby, but sadly, we lost the baby.

This is the fourth baby that we have had to say goodbye to before having a chance to meet. We love children & we would have been thrilled if God had given us the chance to parent each one of these babies, but we do trust in His Sovereignty over our lives. Each one of our children were His long before they were ours. Even still, we are so sad.

"I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow... and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD." -Jeremiah 31:13-14

**Please don't read too much into the theology of this song... like most poetry, it could be interpreted in various ways. We do like the musical reminder that one day there will be sorrow no more (Revelation 21:4).**

We hope to post more Project Life photos soon, as well as an important update on our ministry.

After a year of waiting, we are still not close to moving to Australia. We have continued to seek God for guidance & wisdom, & we believe that He is directing us to stop the process of moving to Australia.

In so many ways, these past couple of months have been physically, emotionally, & spiritually challenging.

Our life has clearly not gone the way we would have planned. Dreams have been shattered. Hopes have been deferred. We often try to make sense of why things have gone the way they have gone. We do believe God has a plan & that He will work all things for good, but our tendency is to want an answer right now. We want to know why things went the way they did. We want to know where we are going. We want to know what we should have done differently. We beg God to make sense of it for us. But will we be content to trust that our loving Father not only knows the answer, but He is the answer?

Thank you for praying for us.

"I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer... You are yourself the answer" -CS Lewis

Elijah shares a verse...

2010-10-18T22:57:00.000-07:00

This verse has meant so much to our family lately. There's something about hearing a two-year old say it that makes us hear it from a proper perspective. It makes us want to crawl up on our Heavenly Father's lap & learn His commands, knowing that He loves us & He is sovereign over all things.

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world." -Deuteronomy 28:1

Elijah's 2nd Birthday...

2010-10-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

Elijah's second birthday started with goofy faces & giggles, and it ended with more funny looks & lots of laughs at the Million Smiles park in Lynden. It was such a treat to celebrate his birthday with so many family & friends in Lynden. Elijah is a joy & a gift to us all. We are so thankful for him.

Going to Boot Camp...

2010-09-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

I (ross) saw this video & was instantly gripped by it.

A few friends of mine who are in church leadership started reading & discussing the book right away. Shortly after starting the book I heard that there was an Acts 29 National Boot Camp coming to Seattle... so I'm going to it! Crazy.

The event starts tomorrow & I'm really looking forward to learning more about the kind of man God has called me to be, as well as seeing how He increases my heart for the church.

11 years...

2010-09-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

347,241,600 seconds.

5,787,360 minutes.

96,456 hours.

4019 days.

574 weeks.

The wedding took place 11 years ago. The celebration continues to this day.
The best is yet to come.

Black (& White) Family...

2010-09-15T21:58:00.002-07:00

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams

A few weeks ago we were blessed to have a super-talented photographer snap some pics of us as a part of a give-away through Becky Higgins blog. Here are a few Black & White's from the batch that she just sent us. Thanks Rebbecca B, this was such a blessing!

Isaiah's Blog Post...

2010-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Perhaps sensing that it's been a few days since our last blog post, Isaiah did me a huge favor when he presented me with this piece of paper & stated proudly: "Here dad, I made a blog post for you." I think it might be the best blog post we've ever published.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” -Pablo Picasso

Is the Bible about You?

2010-09-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Who is the Bible really about? Of course it is filled with stories featuring thousands of names, & many nations, & several key individuals, but who is it about? Check out this short video from one of our favorite teachers for the answer- if you don't know it already, it just might revolutionize the way you read the Bible, or it may persuade you to pick it up & read it for the first time in a long time.

*If the video doesn't load properly, click here to view it on youtube

Now that we know who the Bible is about, we're looking for a few people who would want to read through the books of Luke & Acts. We'll each read just one chapter a day & then briefly share what we're learning (through Facebook, Twitter, or old-fashioned email). We'll start a little over a week from now, on September 11.

Would you like to be in the group? Let us know in the comments.

Project Life Tuesday // August 16 thru 29

2010-08-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

August 16: Isaiah has always loved cars & trucks, but now he's at the age where he's really getting into smashing & crashing, so Ross was able to take him to his first ever Demolition Derby. With earplugs to combat the noise & sunscreen to combat the sun, these two had so much fun. When they came home they were both smiling ear-to-ear.

August 17: We got to spend the morning with Trisha & Luis. It was so fun to visit & let the kids play. Even though we're not in the same country as each other, it has been so nice to be nearby & to watch our children grow.

August 18: There is just nothing sweeter than tip-toeing into the room & watching our children peacefully sleeping. It is one of my all-time favorite things.

August 19: You can hardly see it in the photo, but one of the highlights of this morning was when the street-sweeper came by. The kids run from window to window trying to get a glimpse at this mechanical marvel. =)

August 20: This may be one of my favorite photos ever. We went to the Northwest Washington Fair as a family today. Watching the joy in our boys eyes was absolutely priceless.

August 21: Isaiah's newest favorite find at the library are books on tape. Even though there is all sorts new technology & gadgets, a simple audio cassette & a classic children's book still captivate our kids imagination.

August 22: Today Isaiah was invited to bring flip-flops to church for the children in Haiti. He gets excited to give to things like this, but we love it that he is not content with just doing a little bit. We thought it was really sweet that he really considered what it would be like to have no shoes... he got sad thinking about how the kids must have cuts on their feet. To Isaiah, it wasn't good enough to just buy them flip-flops, we had to do something about their wounds too. So he bought two big tubes of ointment & the biggest package of Bandaids that he could find. Oh God, please give us thoughtful hearts like his.

August 23: Whether a participant or a passenger, Elijah is ALWAYS up for a bike ride. It doesn't matter what the weather is like or what time of day it is, he pretty much asks us if we can ride bikes every single day.

August 24: No photo yet... we had a great photographer snap some family photos for us in Fairhaven.

August 25: We were all playing in the yard with Demi & the cousins, making lots of noise & running all around when we realized that Elijah was off on his own, quietly playing with this hose & nozzle. We loved seeing the fascination & wonder on his face.

August 26: Today we took a group of pastors, family members & co-workers from FamilyLife Canada to an excellent conference for people in Christian ministry called Catalyst. It was such a treat to hear from leaders like Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Mark Driscoll & Judah Smith. We were challenged by so much of what we heard, but the one big take-away that sunk into our missionary hearts was this: "If we want to reach people that no one is reaching, we'll have to do things that no one is doing."

August 27: Who would have thought Costco toilet-paper could be such a great toy?!? They started playing with it before I had the chance to put it away & this bundle has been at the center of the kids play-time for several days! So far they have wrestled with it, played cars on it, body-slammed it, jumped off it, ate snacks on it and have used it as a bench to watch Sid the Science Kid.

August 28: What was going to be an uneventful Saturday morning ended up being a kid's dream come true. This morning we stumbled across the 100 Year Centennial Celebration of the local fire department. Besides the delicious cupcakes, they had all sorts of kids games, activities, demonstrations, etc., and the boys especially loved spraying the fire hose.

August 29: Here are a few of the Lego creations that Isaiah has spent HOURS working on & playing with. Many of the Lego's are Ross' from when he was a little boy. It has been so fun to see Isaiah's imagination come out as he builds these vehicles.

Would you like your marriage to be stingy or lavish?

2010-08-27T20:37:00.001-07:00

Which word would you most like to define your marriage: Stingy or Lavish?

"Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give." -2Corinthians 9 (The Message)

Here's how you plant a stingy crop: be overly critical, refuse to overlook an offense, serve yourself first, focus on what you don't have instead of what you do have...

Here are some seeds of lavishness: give a sincere compliment, pray for your spouse, be thankful, plan a date, speak well of them to the kids/in-laws/friends/co-workers, help them out with a pesky task, ask questions & then really listen...

Whether you realize it or not, you'll be planting seeds all week... as the scripture verse says- take time to think it over, make up your mind in advance (instead of just reacting to your mood or the challenges of the day), plant wisely, plant lavishly, & expect a good harvest.

**I originally wrote this little note for our ministry with FamilyLife Canada & FamilyLife Australia. If you live in Canada or Australia, be sure to join the facebook pages for these excellent ministries & receive helpful tips, quotes, & encouragement for the relationships that matter most.**

Project Life // August 9 thru 15

2010-08-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

We're all caught up now! This has been such a fun project & it has really pushed us to consistently look for the "moments" & memories in every single day. Each day is a gift, isn't it?

August 9: Uh-oh. Today Taya was driving around one of the traffic round-abouts & managed to screech to a stop when the car in front stopped suddenly, but the BMW behind her didn't get the memo. We're happy to say it was just a minor collision & the other driver's insurance is taking care of the whole repair bill.

August 10: Tonight we celebrated the upcoming arrival of our precious niece. Can't wait to meet you Baby Girl!

August 11: Elijah learned a new skill tonight... instead of crawling or using his hands to keep his balance, he just bounded up and down the stairs. Our baby is growing up!

August 12: Another highlight of spending the summer near family: celebrating the birthdays of our beautiful nieces Brielle & Taya.

August 13: A little boy with a big heart for the nations...

August 14: Lately Elijah has LOVED cruising around on his John Deere tractor, but now he has a new buddy to cruise with: a stuffed Monkey that Daddy bought for him. These two love to cruise & crash & giggle.

August 15: Race Day! A few months ago Ross decided that in spite of the uncertainty of our living situation, he needed to have a few short-term goals to work towards. One of the goals he set was to run in a 10k race. Today in spite of the sweltering heat & a bit of a rough course, he accomplished his goal (& even made his goal time!). So proud of you Babe!

Project Life // August 2 thru 8

2010-08-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Here's part 2 of our "catching up" on Project Life trilogy. View Part 1 here, or see all previous editions here.

August 2: A boy after his Momma's heart! I love how Isaiah organizes his shoes...

August 3: This is what I often see in the rear-view mirror. I love it when he holds them up & then says in his deep, low voice "I see you Mama! I see you!"

August 4: Isaiah has been doing Taekwondo for a while now & he's really starting to get the hang of it. Today he took his first test & got his Orange Belt!

August 5: If there was such a thing as a Blueberry fan club, our family would be in it! The boys have loved helping me pick fresh blueberries & they each have their own picking style. Isaiah picks the biggest, ripest, most perfect berries... but he doesn't get very many of them. On the other hand, Elijah usually brings back a bucket FULL of all kinds of green ones, blue ones, smushed ones, etc. plus a few twigs & leaves. =)

August 6: Cousins chillin' on Nana's deck after beating the heat in a wading pool. Sometimes the life of a preschooler sounds so appealing!

August 7: Today we attended our second outdoor wedding of the year & both of them have been in the rain. In spite of the weather, Becca & Anthony's wedding was beautiful & we were so blessed by their love for each other & for the Lord.

August 8: Ross is the barber for the boys in the family (he even does his own hair), and today it was finally time to trim Elijah's long locks. It was so cute to see Elijah & Daddy carrying on fun conversations throughout the whole haircut, just like at a real barber shop.

*Part 3 of our Project Life catch-up should hit a website near you sometime this weekend!*

Project Life Tuesday // July 26 thru August 1

2010-08-17T22:00:00.001-07:00

Ross' Dad often says "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." We have been experiencing & enjoying life, but we've gotten more behind on our Project Life than we had planned! Oh well, here's part 1 of our 3-part Project Life catch-up.

July 26: Ross joined his Dad & niece Brielle & Larissa on a mission trip to the orphanage in Mexico (along with an incredible group of families & teens from Victory Church in Lynden). It was hard to not be with him on this trip, but he was able to send some photos & quick updates from his phone. Here's what he shared today:

"Just met Jesus. He lives in a broken down bus with his Mom & brothers. He can't walk b/c of cerebral palsy, but he loves to sing. His mom, Sarah, has to leave him for hours at a time to go work in the fields. They have nothing, but she just kept saying "it's because of God that we have so much to be thankful for!" Seeing this broken & poverty-stricken family look up to heaven & repeatedly say "thank you" totally messed me up. Blessed are the poor..."

July 27: Ross' team spent the day in three camps/slums on the Baja. The highlight for him was meeting the man in the middle of the photo, Pastor Jose. Ross couldn't help but be inspired & challenged by this man who continually goes without many of the basic "essentials" of food, clothing, & transportation, so that he can give them to others who need them more & share the gospel with them. If there is such a thing as the polar opposite of "prosperity gospel," Pastor Jose is living it. Today Ross got to share the gospel with Pastor Jose translating & they even faced some opposition when some men pulled a car around and blared music whenever they would talk. As a dad, Ross' heart was absolutely broken for the kids & families living in such poverty.

July 28: Ross was able to send a few more photos & updates from his phone today:

"Met another boy named Jesus today (along with a few hundred other kids that my Jesus loves). Covered in bug bites. No shirt. Wondering where the next meal might come from. Caked with dust... but God makes beautiful things out of the dust."

July 29: One of the best parts about this trip was being reminded of how Papa cares for orphans & much he loves the people who live around the orphanage... & they love him too!

July 30: Today is the day Daddy comes home! Isaiah got a cool 3-D sidewalk chalk set & he spent hours making a welcome home sign for Ross. The rest of the evening was basically spent hugging & snuggling. We missed each other so much!

July 31: It had been loose for weeks, but today Isaiah's loose tooth finally just "popped" out! Losing his first tooth was a little traumatic, but he was a brave guy. Instead of a tooth fairy, we took him to Edaleen Dairy for a delicious Bubble Gum ice cream to celebrate.

August 1: One of the coolest families in Canada came to visit us today! Sean & Liana have always been role models & their family is such an encouragement to us. It was so fun to show them around Bellingham & take them to a few of our favorite places (Boulevard Park, Boomers Drive-In, & Mallard's Ice Cream parlor).

*Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 later this week!*

August 2010 Prayer Letter // Plus an Update to the Update!

2010-08-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest update from our family... but wait, there's an update to the update! Last night we were about to join in on a FamilyLife Australia planning meeting (via skype), when our friend in Melbourne told us that he had just received exciting news: the first step in our Visa process was approved yesterday!

Keep praying, we've got several more steps to climb, but we do believe that God is trustworthy & we are wholly surrendered to His plan.
Ross and Taya Prayer Letter // August 2010

Grace...

2010-08-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

"In life, as in the dance, grace glides on blistered feet." -Alice Abrams

James 4:6 says that God gives more grace... He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Hope has two beautiful daughters...

2010-08-07T15:15:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the easiest way to make Jesus angry (by being overly religious without loving people). However, as I've thought more about it I've realized that anger isn't always a bad thing, is it?

Some people have a perception that in the Old Testament God is angry, but in the New Testament God is loving. As if they are two separate books with two separate Gods. They believe that it is impossible to be loving and angry at the same time, and because they see the anger, the don't want anything to do with the love.

The ignorant, uninformed, or skeptic might stumble on this, but I believe that a logical person (or at least any good parent) will tell you that it is possible to be both loving & angry at the same time.

This is an issue that has been gripping our hearts lately. We ~~probably~~ have not been angry enough about some things we have seen & heard about, & as a result, we ~~probably~~ haven't been loving enough. How can we know the evil things being done to helpless children & claim to love Jesus, but not do anything about it? Could a loving parent really be loving if they didn't get angry about pain being inflicted on their children?

For us, one area that we have simply not done enough is caring for orphans, widows, & children being sold into slavery. We've heard the stories & we personally know of several great organizations that are battling injustice, but we haven't been angry/loving enough to join with them.

What makes you angry?

Maybe it is:

poverty
divorce
unsafe drinking water
child prostitution
political dishonesty
pollution
racism
hypocrisy
___(fill in the blank)___.

Don't you see that it's good to be angry sometimes? Could you possibly love a God who didn't get angry about some things? I don't think I could.

There is a quote by Saint Augustine that has really resonated with us because it ties in the concept of being loving, being parents, & being angry enough about injustice that we would be moved to action:

“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are anger and courage. Anger that things are the way they are. Courage to make them the way they ought to be.”

So what makes you angry?

Would you let us know in the comments what makes you angry... we'd like to pray for you: that God would give you the courage to show love in the midst of injustice (& maybe we can join you in doing something about it).

p.s. Here's a great anthem to sing as you go about being angry & loving: "God of Justice" by Tim Hughes

Project Life // July 19 thru 25

2010-08-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Playing a little catch up after one of the busiest weeks of our lives... here comes last week's Project Life, just in time for us to post this week's edition tomorrow. Thanks for joining us on this journey! Be sure to click here for past editions, or click the Project Life Tuesday button to snoop on a day in the life of other fascinating families.

July 19: Every time we finish brushing his teeth, Elijah asks if he can "give baby five" to the little buddy he sees in the mirror. We love his joy & we can already see such a sense of humor in him.

July 20: One of the best things about Trader Joe's is that the boys actually love to shop there too! Isaiah loves looking for the Yeti (he's really good at finding it) & loves the free sucker even more. Who knew shopping could be so much fun with kids. =)

July 21: Daddy is leaving on a mission trip to visit orphans & widows in the Baja of Mexico, & Isaiah really wanted to buy some toys for the children. He has such a generous & giving heart.

July 22: Ross has been working on his Bachelors degree & just wrapped up an online course on the Life of Christ. It's such a blessing for him to be able to work full-time & still keep working towards this goal.

July 23: Isaiah spent the week at Bible Adventure Camp, & he loved every moment of it. He was so sad when he finally realized that it was over at the end of the week, but he was all smiles (& funny ears) when showing off his cool crown!

July 24: It has been a real treat to spend time with our nieces Brielle, Taya, Demi (& a new one on the way!). Tonight we got to take Taya to concerts at Creation Fest. We all sang along to one of our favorite bands, Tenth Avenue North, & then Ross took little Taya down to the front where everyone was jumping & rocking to Skillet. We all had such a blast!

July 25: So far, Isaiah has not been into artwork or drawing. He'd much rather do something more active. But today at Grandpa & Grandma's house he drew a scene of something that he & Grandpa did a few months ago! Here is Isaiah's rendition of Grandpa changing a light bulb at Bert's barn.

Where is God? Where are you?

2010-07-25T12:27:00.002-07:00

Maybe instead of "Where is God?" the correct question is "Where are you?"

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them." ~Bono

Project Life Tuesday // July 12 thru 18

2010-07-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

July 12: Today we got to babysit cousin Emily & the boys were in heaven! They love her so much.

July 13: Isaiah is our cautious kid & riding the bike hasn't exactly "clicked" for him so far... until today! He was determined to figure it out & before long he was zipping up & down the street.

July 14: Nana let Isaiah use her camera to take his very first pictures tonight. We think his self portrait is the best. =) Along with about 30 blurry photos he snapped while running around the back yard, he did capture some really beautiful pics & a great moment where we learned that Auntie Penny is going to be a Nana!

July 15: Two cool brothers chillin' on the back steps.

July 16: Isaiah LOVES corn on the cob & today at the Raspberry Festival there was a vendor selling fresh roasted corn. We were eager to let him eat it because his front tooth is loose & we were hoping that the corn might help it along a bit.

July 17: Today was a fun day for the boys in the family because there was an excellent car show lining the streets downtown Lynden. Ross & the boys met up with Grandpa & Papa and they all had a blast. Ross owned a Mustang just like this when we were dating, so he had fun showing the boys his favorite hot rods.

July 18: Today was such a special day for Isaiah. Our relatives Randy & Leslie have the most beautiful & well-kept raspberry fields in the county. Today they let Isaiah come over to ride on the raspberry picker! Their daughter Caitlin told Isaiah all about the plants & the picker & how the berries are processed. He has not stopped talking about pickers since then. He even modified one of his toys into a pretend picker. =)

Project Life // July 5 thru 11

2010-07-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

July 5: We celebrated the 4th on the 5th at Ryan & Traci's house. We had such a nice evening playing games, eating great desserts & enjoying a beautiful sunset before watching the guys put on a fireworks display.

July 6: Savoring the last few tasty remnants of our trip to Canada. We don't have chips in our house very often, but the Old Dutch Ketchup & Dill Pickle chips are memories of Ross' growing up in Canada.

July 7: These boys play so nicely together, and now they're enjoying books together! They really are best friends and we love it.

July 8: The warm weather has finally begun around here & the boys are having a blast splashing & spraying water in our little backyard.

July 9: The warm weather of July also means something else exciting... fresh Raspberry Pie from Dutch Mothers! The best pie in America.

July 11: A friend reminded us that today is John Deere days in Lynden. This day was made for little boys to enjoy! They rode the train, bounced on inflatables, pet the Clydesdales, ate hot dogs & popcorn, & climbed all over tractors... all before 11:00am. What a fun way to spend a Saturday morning as a family.

July 12: Daddy's trying to get a little more exercise and Elijah is more than happy to help! Elijah loves everything about bikes, whether it's riding in the trailer or learning to pedal his little trike. He keeps coming up to us & asking "I ride? I ride? Peeease mama, I ride?"

How to make Jesus angry...

2010-07-09T14:48:00.002-07:00

Do you know how many times Jesus got angry in the Gospels?

Three.

Here are they are:

First, He was angry with the Sadducees as he was kicking the greedy businessmen out of the temple. These men were big on religious ritual but it was all a power-play. They wanted the control, the prestige, & the money that came from swindling people as they made their sacrifices. Their religious rituals actually stopped others from worshiping God, & it made Jesus angry.

Next, He was angry with the Pharisees when they refused to help an injured man on a certain day of the week because it would break from their tradition of how they worshiped God. These men claimed to love God, but it was all about padding their resume. It was a power-play to make them look holy & righteous compared to the dirty & broken lives around them. They loved tradition & they cared more about rules than human need, & it made Jesus angry.

Last, He was angry with his own followers for stopping little children from coming close to Jesus. These guys had been warmly invited to be friends with Jesus, but they thought it should be an exclusive club. Only people big enough to sit still & quietly take notes while Jesus is speaking should be allowed in. For some reason they thought the church needed bouncers to keep people out instead of bellhops to invite people in. They loved being able to listen to Jesus words without distraction & they didn't like people who don't seem to have anything to contribute, & it made Jesus angry.

It appears if you want Jesus to be angry all you have to do is be very religious without caring for people.

Do you long for control, money, good looks, good reputation, & a nice worship service with nice-smelling, nice-looking, nice-thinking people? Do you make Jesus angry?

Incidentally, Jesus says it is not possible to look at a photo like this & be neutral. In the second "anger" passage above, Jesus asks the Pharisees, "Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" What you do when you see someone in need exposes your motives & puts you in one of two categories. There is no middle ground.

I'm sad to say that I have been the one who has made Jesus angry. I've been religious instead of loving. I've destroyed life instead of saving it. Our friends who read this blog are probably more spiritual & more loving towards Jesus =), but I guess I'm kind of mourning my own selfish attitudes & lack of action today...

Project Life Tuesday // June 28 thru July 4

2010-07-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

How was your week? We had a great week celebrating two holidays & making memories. Here's the latest edition of Project Life Tuesday.

June 28: Elijah's first tricycle. He loves it! Anytime we're in the garage or even driving away from the house he points at his bike & says "I ride? I ride? Mama, I ride?"

June 29: The rewards of a godly legacy & grandparents who stayed together.

June 30: We're headed to Canada! We'll celebrate Ross' Grandma Salamandyk's 80th birthday on Saturday & we also get to spend a few days at the condo with Nana & Papa, Cher & Erik, & the girls.

July 1: Elijah LOVED playing in the sand! Being at the lake in Canada was such a fun way to celebrate Canada Day. Here he is helping Isaiah build houses for people in Haiti & huts for people in Africa. It was so cute watching Isaiah talk Elijah into this philanthropic project. =) It may just be sand right now, but we just know that someday these boys are going to make a big difference in the world.

July 2: Isaiah played his very first video game today (& it might be Nana's first game too!). Uncle Erik brought his xbox & a motorcycle game, which had Isaiah laughing so hard that he got hiccups! I love the joy on his face...

July 3: It was such a gift to celebrate Grandma Salamandyk's 80th birthday. She is such a kind & graceful woman. For almost as long as Ross has been alive she has faced major health issues, but God the Healer has sustained her.

July 4: Our last day at the condo. Papa & Isaiah had a special time fishing, hanging out on the dock, & just being buds. Tonight we enjoyed the scenic drive back home & saw a few fireworks in our neighborhood (we'll celebrate Independence Day with family tomorrow).

We hope you had a great Canada Day & 4th of July. We are so blessed with the freedom we've been given.

Isaiah Loves July...

2010-07-01T15:21:00.001-07:00

Something about the month of July brings out the smiles & giggles in Isaiah. We hope it's full of smiles & fun for you too... Happy July!

Project Life Tuesday(s) // June 14 thru 27

2010-06-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

Time for a little Project Life catch up! We were unable to post last week, so this week's post is a two-for-one (no coupon required). Thanks for joining this Project Life/Project 365 journey with us.

June 14: Isaiah asked Ross if he could help him build something out of Lego's. Turns out he wanted to build a church and when it's built he will tell people about Jesus love. I asked him if the church is in Lynden & he said "No Dad, it's in China!" Go get 'em buddy.

June 15: Tonight we had our families over for dinner. In the midst of setting the table I looked up & saw the boys snuggled in the chair with Auntie Taryn reading to them. So cute!

June 16: It's here... the camera we left behind in Vietnam just made it back! We're praying for our friends in Vietnam who found it & sent it to us. They are such incredible people.

June 17: Elijah's favorite way to read a book - upside down!

June 18: We declared today pajama day & the boys were thrilled! It's one of Isaiah's most favorite days. He immediately grabbed a pillow & pretended to sleep on the living room floor. Of course the Little Buddy wants to do everything Big Brother does, so I found them both snuggled up together in the middle of the room.

June 19: We celebrated Father's day with Taya's dad by going to Saturday night church together followed by a delicious family barbecue for dinner. We missed Taryn, who was at a horse camp, but it was fun to be together for this special day.

June 20: We had a wonderful Father's Day as a family. Delicious strawberry waffles & cards & gifts at breakfast. Tons of fun at Boulevard Park's playground with Nana & Papa. A great burger at 5 Guys & Ross' favorite ice cream at Mallard's. It was perfect! Happy Father's Day Babe! You are such an AMAZING Daddy and gift to us. We are so thankful & blessed. Our cup overflows... ♥

June 21: Now that we're in our own place we don't have any excuse to not use the treadmill, right? Right? =)

June 22: Finally! A warm enough day for the kids to put on swimsuits & get wet.

June 23: The boys first time picking strawberries. Lynden is like the "berry capital of the world" & it is such a treat to be here for berry season. Believe me, we're making the most of it!

June 24: Even though we aren't in Australia yet, there is no shortage of ministry opportunities for us. Ross has been helping FamilyLife Australia online & he has recently started going across the border to help the team at FamilyLife Canada & Power to Change (the Canadian arm of Campus Crusade for Christ). Ross is LOVING spinning these various ministry plates & he is learning so much about ministry & leadership along the way. God knows exactly where He wants us & we trust Him to move us along at just the right time.

June 25: Elijah & his friend Sam. They are almost a month apart & they are just too cute!

June 26: Tonight was such a fun night. Ross' sister Cher & the girls have come to Lynden for a visit & tonight we made so many great memories. We met at Dutch Mothers for dinner before going to Lynden's Million Smiles park. It was a night full of giggles & laughs & slides & swings. Such a blessing to have these moments.

June 27: Elijah LOVES "ah-go-nah" (a.k.a granola). It is his favorite breakfast. He always eats his bowl clean and often asks for more.

A million smiles...

2010-06-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

"We had to obey Him..."

2010-06-25T18:42:00.002-07:00

In a frantic rush to leave the country, we accidentally left our camera in Vietnam... but it just arrived in the mail!

It was fun to see a few video clips from our time in Vietnam, but we were most excited to get a picture of our new friends. They're a young couple with young kids living in a hard country, but they love Jesus with all their hearts & they show it by leading underground churches, caring for orphans & widows, & working creatively to practice hospitality with unbelievers with the hopes that they can share the truth about Jesus boldly. They have faced persecution & lived for years as refugees.

I asked my friend, "would you want to move to America?" His eyes got huge & he said "Of course we would want to move to America! And we had an opportunity... But God said He wanted us here, so we had to obey Him."

This is something that really struck us about the believers in communist Asia: they actually believe that God is God and that God is good, so when He says something, they do it. I wonder how shocked they would be if they realized that many western Christians treat God's words as vague suggestions instead of commands.

"Jesus promised the disciples three things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble." -G.K. Chesterton (these friends are a perfect mix of all three!)

If you've read this far, please pray for our friends. We can't share their names here, but their name is the same as a term we would use for having praised God with our voice. They are currently caring for 6 kids who have either been orphaned or their parents face intense religious persecution in the north. In addition to caring for the kids, they have two businesses & lead 4 underground congregations.

They shared with us that the combination of pressure by the government & pressures of poverty have lead to a lot of struggling families (even within the church), and they have asked if we could do some training for building strong marriages & families. Several things would need to fall in place in order for this to happen:

Currently, none of our resources are translated into the language,
The logistics to plan something like this would be a crazy-maker,
Not to mention the need for Visas, $$$, & people to come from across the country without the gov. shutting it down,
Lastly, our own attitudes. Vietnam is probably at the bottom of the list of countries we enjoyed traveling to. There was very little about it that we liked, & we couldn't wait to leave...

We're starting to pray that God might cause all of this to work out & that, we might follow the example of our friends by saying, "we have to obey." =)

Woship should be loud...

2010-06-20T07:43:00.008-07:00

I'm sure many people would disagree with me, but I think worship in church should be loud.

Not necessarily that all the microphones & instruments should be turned up as loud as they can go, but that the voices of the worshipers & everything that is contributing to the worship experience should lean towards the upper end of the volume spectrum.

I think I can prove it biblically & I think I can prove it in culture.

Proof #1
The Seattle Seahawks football fans are known nationwide as some of the best & most intimidating NFL fans. Is it because they dress up like these guys?

No.

It's not at all because of the way they dress or how many latte's they drink or how grumpy they are that they built a stadium without a roof & it rains all the time. They are the best because they make a lot of noise. They cheer like crazy & everyone applauds them as being the most loyal & supportive fans in sports. Don't you see? Even non-religious types & sports reporters equate the willingness of people to raise their voice over an extended period of time to being faithful followers. (For what it's worth, the word "fan" comes from a Latin word meaning "inspired by deity" & carries the more modern definition of being "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion")

Proof #2
Just two scriptures out of many that I believe prove this point...
Isaiah 40:9 "Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!"
Revelation 19:6 "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns." This is the sound of heaven.

I rest my case.

Everyone worships something. Many people who don't even know Jesus worship much louder than the very ones who claim to believe that they have a personal relationship with an all-powerful, awesome, loving God who gave up His very best for them. Should this be?

This Sunday, do you think you can out-worship this guy?

video via: Abraham Piper

Pointing Fingers or Pursuing Peace

2010-06-17T07:42:00.022-07:00

**I wrote this as a guest post for FamilyLife Australia. Be sure to join our FamilyLife Australia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lovethatlasts or, you can join the discussion on FamilyLife Australia's Twitter stream at www.twitter.com/lovethatlasts**

How would you like to be married to the guy in the photo above?
Rather than patching things up after a minor accident, he chose to lash out with a bumper sticker that tells the world what his wife has done. It is a funny picture, but it's all too common in many marriages.

Do you play the blame game instead of putting in the effort to fix the problems & make true peace?

Pursuing peace is one of the secrets to having love that lasts, but it's not easily done. When confronted with the choice of holding a grudge or offering forgiveness, it's helpful to imagine yourself in the other persons shoes (not literally "in" their shoes- that wouldn't be helpful at all! =)).

I saw this statement the other day & thought it perfectly captured the range of emotions we all battle when we've messed up:

For those of us who are Christians, "confessing our sins to God is, for the most part, rather easy. We very much want His forgiveness & we know that He stands ready to forgive. But confessing our sins to the people against whom we've sinned is another matter. They don't know exactly how we feel on the inside. They might not be willing to forgive. They might not forget. They might hold a grudge. They might use this against us sometime in the future. They might lose respect for us. They might lose trust in us & not give us the chance to earn it back. They might reject us..."

So many of us consider these possibilities & are tempted to cover up our own wrongdoing, hoping we'll get away with it. While the offended spouse (out of fear, anger, or sadness) is tempted to lash out like the man with the bumper sticker & say "I'll get even with you! Next time you'll think twice before hurting me (or my precious white van)."

But what if couples agreed to offer true forgiveness, regardless of the pain they feel? What if they committed to forgive the same way that God forgives, not because it's easy but because it's excellent? Can you imagine the freedom it would bring to a relationship? Can you imagine the healing that could take place there?

Forgiveness is so costly to the giver & so precious to the receiver. Will you offer it?

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." ~Mark Twain

p.s. Turns out there the guy with the bumper sticker just didn't shop long enough. Here's a $4 alternative that would probably make his wife feel like a $1,000,000.

Project Life Tuesday // June 7 thru 13

2010-06-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

If we could sum up this week of Project Life in one word it would be "abide." This week felt like the first time in almost 9 months that we just enjoyed being in one place, unpacked, together, as a family... just abiding in the place God has us right now.

June 7: We've been waiting for this day for over 6 months. We finally put the suitcases away (for now). Even though we unpacked them 8200 miles away from where we originally planned, it's still a relief to put them away for a season. We fully trust God to bring us (& our beat-up luggage) to the next place in His perfect time.

June 8: We unpacked a few boxes & the boys have greatly enjoyed playing with some of their "old" toys which feel brand new to them, but the thing they have loved even more than their toys are there books! These boys both LOVE books.

June 9: Happy birthday Grandma! We're so thankful to celebrate this day with you. You are a gift to our family.

June 10: Elijah is constantly making us smile. This picture represents him perfectly- one sock off, cruising around the house, great big smile on his face, & holding his sippy-cup in his own special way (look Mom, no hands!).

June 11: It's about time we start to bring back some of our family traditions. The first one being Friday Night Popcorn & snuggling on the couch.

June 13: Today was the fishing derby in Lynden's wonderful city park & Isaiah caught his very first fish!

June 13: Isaiah caught the fish. Daddy cleaned the fish. And together they grilled it for dinner tonight.

Enjoy more Project Life from our family by clicking here, or enjoy Project Life examples from Jessica Turner & other families all around the world by clicking the button below.

Follow the leader (in your heart)?

2010-06-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

Do you remember playing the game "follow the leader?" I think it's safe to say that the key to the whole game could be summed up this way: Observe & Act.

Are there any correlations between that childhood game & following Jesus?

Listen to Francis Chan's 3-minute observation about the way religious people are often good at memorizing passages or finding out the meaning of phrases, but they suck at playing "follow the leader."

Questions:
Do you think he's being too harsh in his criticism?
Have you ever been called a "radical?"
Is this a message you hear often in your church or community?

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments...

Project Life // May 31 thru June 6

2010-06-08T22:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, we are a little behind, but we're not bailing on this Project Life thing! Here's how we spent the last week (we'll have to fill in the gaps of the 2 weeks before that later =)).

May 31: This is how you know you're at Nana's house...

June 1: Moving Day! We've been living out of suitcases for a little over 6 months now, & when we found out that our Australian Visas were denied & that we'd be "stuck" in Lynden for another 4 or 5 months, we thought it would be wise to look for a place we could rent short-term. We loved being with our parents, but we were really looking forward to having a little more structure for the kids, one-on-one time with each other, & finally unpacking our suitcases (at least for a few months)!

June 2: It's nothing but rain for days in every direction. It rains so much here. Really missing Little Rock today.

June 3: We borrowed a couch & Nana offered to clean it with her super-duper vacuum cleaner. When Isaiah heard there would be bubbles & foam, he instantly volunteered to help!

June 4: Being our first sit-down meal at the new house, I had a really romantic vision of how it would go... but here's what really happened: Burned the chicken skewers. Badly. The smoke set off the fire alarms throughout the house (which made both kids cry). Then when we finally sat down for our meal, the chicken ended up being too spicy for the kids to eat. Memories made? Absolutely! =)

June 5: Today was the Farmer's Day Parade & Dutch Heritage Festival in Lynden. We love Lynden & we love their parades. The boys were all smiles & giggles as they watched numerous marching bands, berry pickers, & what seemed like every single tractor in the county pass by on Front Street.

June 6: In keeping with moving to a new house, we thought it would be fun to check out a new church as well. We're hoping to be a part of an Acts 29 church plant when we move to Australia, so it was fun to check out a local Acts 29 church in Bellingham. Plus, Oikos Fellowship just happens to be down the street from one of the best burger joints around.

Out of the ears of babes...

2010-06-02T20:37:00.001-07:00

Earlier today I saw this video of a little boy who was hearing his mom's voice for the first time & thought it was just incredible.

The first thing that came to mind was a bible verse where Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2 as a response to religious skeptics (it's true, they were incredibly religious & yet they didn't believe & even despised the very centerpiece of their religion). As the little children praised Jesus in the temple, the skeptics wanted Jesus to shrug off their praises or tell them to quiet down. Jesus reply was, "haven't you ever read, 'out of the mouths of infants & nursing babies, you have prepared praise'?" The skeptics didn't say another word. Of course they had read the passage Jesus referred to. They knew they could never stop an all-powerful God from receiving the praise He deserves.

I think the same conversation is happening today. It's as if the grown-up skeptics are saying "we can't figure you out. You don't fit in our box & we don't like it." And Jesus patiently says "why don't you ask a little kid. They know me & & they love me."

I know the verse refers to praise coming from the mouths of babies, but as I watched the video, I just can't help but think that this baby is praising Jesus with his hearing too. We always think of praise as being the songs we sing, but we should consider the fact that we've got two ears & one mouth. Maybe this is a reminder that we need to incorporate an element of listening into our praise.

I'm praying that as a family we'll be thankful for the all of the sights, & sounds, & smells of today & every day. And I pray that with the pure joy that this baby displayed, we will worship God with our mouth & our ears & our whole lives.

p.s. I love how at the end of the video the doctor says, "we call that a late Christmas present." I honestly don't know what any of these people think about Jesus. But I do think there's something pretty incredible about the human body & the ability to speak, to hear, & to communicate, that makes skilled professionals spend their lives trying to figure out how it works so that they might somehow be used to fix it. And then after all of their inventions & interventions have finally showed some sign of "success," within 20 seconds there is a reference to God bridging the gap. He talks about a "Christmas present." That's what Christmas is all about isn't it? God bridges the gap that stands between us & Him & brings healing to those who are helpless. What a beautiful thing.

p.s.s. I'd love to hear what your very first reaction was when you saw it. I bet nobody watches it and thinks "I wonder how they get those cochlear implants to work? Technology is amazing!" What was your reaction? Did you laugh or cry? Did you say something out loud?

Project Life // May 10 thru 16

2010-05-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

We're just about caught up on Project Life again! This week started in China, included a visit to Vietnam, lots of time in airports, & finally lots of hugs from our sweet boys.

May 10: Packing our suitcases with "gifts" for the Hmong believers in Vietnam. We had to pack them with great care so that they hopefully wouldn't cause a scene as they went through the scanner. We ended up bringing a little over 100 books into the country, but we were sad that we couldn't bring many more with us.

May 11: No picture today... =( The car that gave us a ride to the Ho Chi Minh airport broke down & in our rush to get out of the car & in line for our flight, we left our camera behind. We were so happy when we heard that our Vietnamese friend (an incredible man doing incredible ministry in a very hard country) found the camera & is sending it back to us!

May 12: Somewhere over Japan... we left Ho Chi Minh at midnight on the 11th & landed in Seoul, South Korea at 6:00am. We were able to get some sleep during our 12 hour layover, but couldn't sleep on the 11 hour flight from Seoul to Seattle because we were too excited to see the boys!

May 13: We made it home! It was so wonderful to hug the boys again. Oh how we missed them.

May 14: Believe it or not, this was Elijah's first time really playing in the dirt. He loved it!

May 15: We loaded the boys in the van & went for a long, wandering drive around Lynden (they love going for drives). It was a real treat to watch the sun set together.

May 16: Taya's parents invited the whole family over for "Rib Night." Gary marinated & smoked the ribs to perfection & we watched a video of some highlights from China. It was so cute to watch Isaiah eat ribs. He eats them like he eats corn on the cob- extremely thorough! He didn't miss a spot. =)

Thanks for checking out our Project Life (& for bearing with us while we catch up). You can view past editions of Project Life here, or click the button below to see Project Life examples from people all around the world.

Highlight Video from our time in China & Vietnam

2010-05-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

You'll notice the video doesn't show much of Vietnam... that's because we accidentally left our camera in Vietnam! Believe it or not, it has been found & it's on the way back to us now.

Thanks to all those who prayed fervently for us while we made this trip. It was an incredible journey on so many levels. Changing the way we pray, the way we read the Bible, even the way we think about short-term missions, but most of all it has greatly enhanced our view of an almighty, all powerful God who is alive & at work today just as He always has been & always will be.

We'd love to answer any questions you might have about the trip, feel free to leave a question in the comments or on Facebook/Twitter.

Project Life // May 3 thru 9 (China)

2010-05-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

We're back from China & getting caught up on Project Life. This week's edition is all about China. We'll post a video showing some highlights from our trip tomorrow, but for now here are some photos from our recent Bible-courier trip.

May 3: After a tearful goodbye with the kids, we drove to SeaTac airport & got ready for 27 hours of travel from Seattle to Seoul to Hong Kong to the China Border. Our flights were fabulous & God blessed us with very minor jet-lag.

May 4: As soon as we woke up, we were eager to make our first trip across the border. After a thorough briefing on what to do (& even more on what not to do), we packed our bags full of "bread" & made our first crossing with much fear & trembling. It was a success! 52 Study Bibles made it through.

May 5: Today we had a goal of making three trips across the border. We love our own Bibles & it such a privilege to get to carry suitcases full of Bibles for other believers. We saw God at work minute by minute & hour by hour. Our first trip brought 60 Bibles, our second trip brought 70 Bibles, & on the third & final trip of the day we got busted... but God blinded the eyes of the guard & 2 precious Bibles still made it through. We celebrated so much over those 2 Bibles!

May 6: We were missing the boys like crazy even before we left the Seattle airport, but thanks to Skype we were able to connect with them on the webcam. It was so fun to see their smiling faces & to show them the view outside our window.

May 7: We had scheduled to end our trip by making one delivery of "bread" to Vietnam, but before we could do that, we had to go downtown Hong Kong to get our entry Visas. While we waited for our Visas to be processed we spent the day in downtown Hong Kong & made a trip to the top of Victoria Peak. It's a pretty incredible city & we were amazed at the combination of architecture, culture, & natural beauty.

May 8: We were eager to get all of the Bibles across the border that had been confiscated on an earlier trip. We were able to carry 110 in on the first trip, 89 on the second trip, & then we got busted again on our last trip of the day... but every single time we got stopped, God somehow arranged for some Bibles to make it through!

May 9: This is the little room we would unload our Bibles in & it sure felt like a sauna in there, but it also felt like holy ground. We were busted again on our first trip (but still got 11 through), we finished the day with two of our biggest loads so far... 107 & 104, & God guided every single one of them safely through.

Stay tuned to the blog tomorrow for a video with some more highlights from China, & then on the weekend we hope to post the last "catching up" installment of Project Life. Thanks for joining us on this journey!

Project Life // April 26 thru May 2

2010-05-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

We're back from China! We had a great trip & we'll post some pics & video soon. In the meantime, it's time to catch up on Project Life. Here we go...

April 26: Papa had hired a logging company to clear some trees on the business property, but there were a few trees that the loggers didn't want to touch! So Papa grabbed his old logging gear & took care of those trees himself. Isaiah loved watching Papa in action.

April 27: This boy is pure joy & so much fun. His most famous phrase is "Mum, Dad, watch dis!" & then he runs off to do something, giggling the whole way.

April 28: Our little Cubbie has finished all of his verses & projects. Tonight we went to the final AWANA celebration of the year. On the way home he was already talking about being a Sparky next year! Have we mentioned that he loves AWANA?

April 29: Happy 5th birthday our precious boy! You are such a gift to us and we're so thankful for you.

April 30: As missionaries, we want to keep our financial & prayer supporters up to date on how God is working in our lives. We try to do this on a regular basis with the blog & social media, but every couple of months we also send out a prayer letter update. It is always such a big project for us! Almost without fail, each time we go to print something goes wrong- whether the labels or the letter or the envelopes... it is always a battle, but it's worth it in the end.

May 1: It was so much fun to have Ross' sister Cher & niece Demi visit. She is one of the sweetest little girls we know! She can't say "Ross" or "Uncle" so somehow she decided to call Ross "Tickles." He loved spending time with his little niece & he gave her plenty of tickles too!

May 2: Aunty Cher came all the way from Calgary for Isaiah's birthday. It meant so much to us that she came such a long way to see us. We always enjoy our time together and the boys especially loved all the extra hugs & kisses and fun she brings when she comes. It's just not the same without you Aunty Cher. We love you!

Stay tuned for the next edition... we hope to be all caught up on Project Life by this weekend.

Isaiah is 5...

2010-05-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

We're back from China & we'll get back on the Project Life Tuesday wagon tomorrow, but first, we had to celebrate Isaiah's 5th birthday on the blog!

He woke up to a room full of balloons! Isaiah & Elijah played with the balloons for hours (& days).

His birthday present from us perched precariously on top of the cake. He has been totally into Planets & Astronauts lately, so we did a space-themed party for him. He told us after the party that it was his favorite birthday ever (out of the two he can remember) & he really hopes that he can be an astronaut as well as a fireman someday.

This rendition of Happy Birthday has some incredible harmony, & Isaiah is one of the most meek candle-blower-outers we've ever seen.

What a gift Isaiah is to us. Happy Birthday buddy. We love you with to the moon & stars & back again.

Christians are just so stoppable...

2010-05-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

This short video of Francis Chan speaking about the early Christians really convicted me. I'm disappointed with the lack of boldness in my own life, or more correctly, the lack of reliance on the Holy Spirit to cause me to share the gospel boldly.

Would you describe yourself as a bold person?

Would you say you are more reliant on "Christian Professionals" to do the work of the church, or on ordinary people who love Jesus and trust Him to work through them?

Here's a clip from Francis Chan's #CatWest talk in 2009. Very challenging message about our dependence on the Holy Spirit and the need to disciple mature believers in the Church who can lead and teach others.

Highlights from Catalyst...

2010-05-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

We're traveling overseas right now & we'll post when we are able, but for now we've pre-scheduled a few posts to catch up on recent events.

Here are a few snapshots & soundbites from our time at the Catalyst conference. In addition to eating at In-n-Out Burger, watching the surfers at Huntington Beach, & worshiping with Chris Tomlin, we heard from 15 or so incredible leaders in Christian ministry. Our attitudes changed on a few things & our hearts were very challenged for a few things. It was a wonderful time as a couple & we felt like it gave us a big momentum boost for being in ministry, regardless of where we are.

Eugene Cho from One Day's Wages // "We are blessed. We need to sing that song over & over again." We are blessed to be a blessing. "Generosity isn't just for the purpose of blessing other people, it's to rescue us from the abyss of our greed."

Dino Rizzo // Read the local paper & see the things that happen in one night in our own community- domestic violence, house burned, etc. These are our neighbors. These are people who are in the midst of the worst day or worst week of their life... and how can we as the church serve them? Let's be a church that reaches out with no strings attached.

Dallas Willard // Grace is necessary for all of life, not just for forgiveness. It's not just the sinner who needs grace. The saint needs even more grace. The saint burns grace like a 747 burns fuel on takeoff. Everything the saint does consumes more grace.

Kay Warren // God is passionately concerned for 143 million orphans worldwide. While most of us give very little thought to them, they are on the heart of God day and night. We should not look at the problems of the world and saying "what's wrong with the world?"... but rather, we should be asking "What's wrong with me?" if we are unwilling to make a difference in the lives of orphans & widows.

Reggie Joiner // What if the first person the Prodigal met when he came home was the older brother? Do you think the story would be different?

Mark Driscoll // People get burned out & fail in ministry when they are not clear about what God does and what we do. Ministry is not what you and I do for God. Ministry is what God does for us. In us. Through us. Sometimes in spite of us. That's ministry.

Andy Stanley // A new command I give you. "New" means unusual, unexpected. Love one another became the hallmark of the early church. Is it a hallmark in my life?

Jesus reminds us to make love a verb. He's not asking you to feel something. It's a simple & difficult command. Love one another. No qualifiers. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this (not attendance, not worship style, not building program, not even preaching, etc.) everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

Tons of Fun in the Tulip Fields...

2010-05-03T14:06:00.002-07:00

We're about 10 minutes from boarding a plane for China, & blogging may be a little sparse for a few days while we travel & get our bearings... in the meantime, we thought we'd catch you up on a few fun events we enjoyed recently, including the Catalyst Conference, & Isaiah's 5th Birthday, but first up is the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

"It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." -Osho

A tribute to doing it wrong...

2010-05-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

What would we do without those incredible "As seen on TV" products? It's incredible to think that every day there are millions of people who struggle with pesky & challenging tasks like pouring juice, spraying hairspray, using a blanket & more... Watch for yourself!

*if the video doesn't load, click here to view it on youtube

Question: What is your favorite "As seen on TV" product?

April 2010 Prayer Letter

2010-04-30T07:30:00.001-07:00

We appreciate your prayers, support, & encouragement throughout the ups & downs of ministry. We're leaving soon on an exciting trip. Due to the unique location & nature of our trip, some details must remain confidential for now... but you're welcome to follow along with us on www.twitter.com/rossandtaya

Ross and Taya Prayer Letter // 4.26.2010 (concealed)

Project Life Tuesday // April 19 thru 25

2010-04-27T23:59:00.106-07:00

April 19: Isaiah & Aunty Taryn enjoying a fun moment together.

April 20: Thanks to the flu bug that hit our entire family, this has been our diet for the last few days. Fun times! =(

April 21: Ross has been wanting to go to the Catalyst conference for years... today his dream came true. We were able to leave the kids with our parents & fly down to Southern California for an incredible time together & an absolutely amazing conference experience.

April 22: Catalyst brought over 3400 Church & Christian Ministry leaders together for two days of dynamic teaching, leadership lessons and times of passionate praise & worship. We were among literally thousands of people who are spending their lives to show the love of Jesus to others.

April 23: One of our highlights from Catalyst was an evening of worship with Chris Tomlin & Louie Giglio. Chris led us in singing praise songs to Jesus at the top of our lungs, and Louie gave a hope-filled & inspiring message that we were still talking about days later. However, the thing that stood out to us most of all was the way Louie led us in worship. Chris was the "worship leader" but Louie was the one who led us in worshiping God.

April 24: Coming home. Always such a sweet reunion....

April 25: Ross & Isaiah have moved on to reading chapter books. They started with the Little House in the Big Woods & are now almost done with Farmer Boy. Isaiah loves the stories & Ross says he's actually learning a lot about being a good Dad. I love that they both enjoy it so much.

Project Life Tuesday (er, um Sunday... or Monday) // April 12 thru 18

2010-04-26T23:19:00.001-07:00

I guess it was bound to happen sometime over the course of this 365-day journey... we had a series of sickness & setbacks that hindered us from posting our Project Life Tuesday. Oh well, here it is now!

April 12: Ross has fond memories of playing with these balsa-wood airplanes as a little boy. When he saw one in a store the other day he just had to get it for "the boys" to play with. Isaiah loved it, but I think Ross may have loved it even more. =)

April 13: A peek inside my purse on any given day.

April 14: Elijah LOVES apples. We have to watch him closely because when we give him an apple he'll eat it right down to the core!

April 15: Grandpa Likkel's favorite coffee cup & Grandma Likkel's Dutch peppermints - a sweet childhood memory.

April 16: On Friday mornings the local library does an excellent story & craft time for kids. The stories are read with gusto & the crafts usually reflect the books that are read. This is definitely one of the highlights of the week for Isaiah, and we love tagging along too.

April 17: After a day at the library, Isaiah spreads out all the books & spends hours looking at them. We love it that he LOVES books so much.

April 18: Even though we've lived nearby most of our lives, this was the very first time we've ever visited the incredible Tulip fields of the Skagit Valley Tulip festival. Wandering through acres of beautiful flowers was surreal. The boys had fun playing in the dirt, smelling the flowers, & looking for cool sticks & treasures in the midst of the Tulip fields.

Thanks for checking out our better-late-than-never edition of Project Life Tuesday. You can see other examples by clicking the Project Life Tuesday button below:

Our Google Search Story...

2010-04-15T17:05:00.002-07:00

Do you remember Google's Super Bowl commercial? Here's what it would look like if we had made the ad...

Love the soundtrack. Love the "Booyah!" even more.

You can make your own at youtube.com/searchstories

Project Life // April 5-11

2010-04-13T23:11:00.002-07:00

Woohoo... It's Project Life Tuesday!

April 5: Ross was needing a pair of casual shoes & he thought it would be fun if he helped his nieces (Brielle & Taya) get some too. They bought TOMS Shoes, which are really cool because for every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS gives a pair to someone in need - one for one.

April 6: Sewing on the second-to-last patch of Isaiah's Cubbie vest. We started the AWANA year in Little Rock & we weren't sure if he'd be able to finish while we were in the process of moving... that's why it has been such a blessing for him to be able to finish the year of Cubbies at Grace Baptist. He loves his teachers & his friends there, & we love that he's learning to treasure God's word in his heart.

April 7: It was Spring Break for Taryn this week, & when we woke up, we realized that one of her friends had TP'd the front of the house. Then it rained... making her job of cleaning up the mess even harder. We all got a good laugh out of it, but I thought the prankster didn't do quite a good enough job, so while Taryn was gone, I add a little extra decoration to her bedroom!

April 8: Although we're still waiting on our Visas to be able to move to Australia, today we did receive other Visas in the mail. We'll have to fill you in on the details later, but we are very excited that we'll be soon be traveling on a short-term trip to a "Big Asian Country" & another communist country to bring extremely good news (the best news in the world!).

April 9: Isaiah LOVES "the boys" (Sam, Max, & Jack). Since it's Spring Break & they're out of school, I really wanted to take the boys out for some fun. We ended up at JumpZone where they played & bounced & jumped & got all their energy out. Cousins really are the best kind of fun.

April 10: This is the first bouquet of flowers Isaiah has picked for me on his own (without any prompting from Ross). I love it that when he saw these dandelions, he thought of me...

April 11: This was one of the first barbecues of the season for us. My Dad (Gary) got the fire pit going with Mesquite wood chips, carefully prepared a special blend of seasonings for the steaks, & cooked them to perfection! Even better than the dinner was getting to visit with Britt & Shana, and Brandon & Greta.

A year in words...

2010-04-09T19:48:00.001-07:00

I put the text from all of our blog posts over the past year into a fun site called Tagxedo.com and this is what I got.

Since connecting/networking is one of my strengths (and I'm a bit of a scrabble-fan/word-nerd), I couldn't help but see the way different words are connected. A few from this randomly-generated image that really stand out to me:

good God
big God
serve God
little time
love kids
family fun
incredible view

I think it's a perfect way to sum up the past year of our lives!

We serve a big, good, loving God... Sometimes life moves at such a hectic pace, and really, our lives are like a vapor, so we want to use what little time we have to love our kids, have fun as a family, enjoy the incredible view, and share Jesus.

What words would you use to reflect the past year of your life? What words would you hope will sum up the next year?

p.s. I also noticed the two words at the very top of the image: "faith.water" and instantly thought of Peter walking on the water. He's often criticized for "seeing the wind," getting afraid, and starting to sink... but of all the people in the boat, he's the only one who jumped out and walked towards Jesus, and as a result, the onlookers worshiped Jesus and said "Truly you are the Son of God." Maybe the same thing could happen in our lives.

*photo via RetroRed on Flickr

Project Life Tuesday // March 29-April 4

2010-04-06T23:58:00.001-07:00

Here we go with another round of Project Life Tuesday, a scrapbooking project I'm doing with people all around the world featuring one photo a day for a year. It's been such a fun project & a great way to capture "a day in the life" on a consistent basis. Click here for an archive of our past weeks, or click the button above to see how other people are doing their project. Enjoy!

March 29: A sweet surprise! Ross' sister is expecting & we're so excited!

March 30: Elijah is 18 months old today. He is...

Weight: 26 lbs (50th percentile) - Height: 33 1/2 in. (75th percentile)
We call him "The Little Buddy" & "Our Little Monkey," because he tries to climb up & over pretty much anything.
He loves slides & seems pretty fearless... which explains why he sports a new bruise weekly, especially on his forehead!
When people see him, the first thing they comment on are his eyes.
Sleeps 12 hours at night & takes 1 good afternoon nap.
He still struggles with separation anxiety & wants nothing to do with church nursery.
He likes most things, but he doesn't seem to enjoy big groups of people or his hands being dirty.
Favorite foods: "kah-caw" (cracker), "ah-pah" (apple), & "puh puh" (puffs)
He prefers eating with a fork, if we help him a little.
Love, love, loves bath time, & I have to hold him back from climbing in fully clothed while I'm getting the tub ready.
Favorite book: "In My Tree" by Sarah Gillingham - makes him laugh every time =)
Favorite song: "If You're Happy & You Know It" he loves to clap his hands and shout "Amen!"
Favorite sayings: "I love!" "Hi Dah (Dad)!" "uh, wuh, nuh, (his version of counting 1,2,3) GO!" And he likes to point & say "What dat?"
We're surprised at how big his vocabulary is getting. If we say, "Elijah, can you say....." he will attempt to say it... except for "Elijah, can you say cow?" His reply is always "Moo!" He loves to point and say, "a cow!" "a car! "a dog!" "a baby!" etc. Other words he can say: "hot", "ah-nah" (aunty), "bay bay" (baby), "peas" (please), "no", "yes mom", "day-tu" (thank you), "mah-mah" (milk), "wah wah" (water), "ju ju" (juice), & "heeeeeelp" (help *quickly*)
When he sees himself in the mirror he always says "Hi!" followed with a "Five, five, five!" and then gives himself a high five.
He loves to pray & we love hearing his version of it (hands folded, talking a mile a minute - so cute!)
He's Mister Sensitive. He'll usually cry if we talk firmly to him.
He is crazy about Isaiah & affectionately calls him "Bubbah"
He melts our hearts when he blows us kisses & says "mmmmmm....MAH!"
He is very generous. He loves to give & share & he's constantly bringing us things he finds around the house. The joy in his eyes when he's sharing something is so sweet.
He still loves to snuggle (& we love it too).

March 31: Cousins are so much fun! There was a hailstorm & instead of just watching it through the window, little Taya grabbed Isaiah outside to play in the hail & dance in the rain.

April 1: It was such a treat to have Brielle & Taya travel all the way from Calgary to visit us. Since our time together is so limited, we wanted to take the girls on a special date, so we took them to downtown Vancouver. Although our plans for Capilano Suspension Bridge, Outdoor Ice Skating, & shopping on Robson Street didn't exactly pan out (bad weather & early closing hours), we lots of fun anyway. Taya showed us how to make a Garlic Bread & Spaghetti Sandwich at the Old Spaghetti Factory, we saw incredible views of the city at the Vancouver Lookout, & we had fun walking around the city.

April 2: Only Nana would buy a mini-trampoline & bring it into the living room so that Isaiah could jump on it, & only Isaiah would think the only thing better than jumping on a trampoline in the living room is jumping on a trampoline with a doily on his head!

April 3: Ross & Isaiah did Resurrection Eggs together this morning. It was a good moment for them to consider what Easter is all about.

April 4: It was such a treat this Easter to attend church with family, decorate eggs, watch the kids do an Easter egg hunt, and enjoy fun times with aunts, uncles, & cousins.

Enjoying Easter...

2010-04-04T22:06:00.001-07:00

It was such a treat to be able to spend Easter with our extended family. The boys loved Resurrection Eggs, going to church with family, decorating eggs, an Easter egg hunt, and fun times with aunts, uncles, & cousins. We enjoyed every moment of it! How was your Easter?

7 Miles... (Did Jesus really die?)

2010-04-02T12:32:00.002-07:00

Today is Good Friday, and while maybe less than half the world (the current world population is somewhere around 6.7 BILLION people) will stop for a few minutes at some point today to consider the fact that Jesus suffered a brutal beating & death as a punishment for sins that He didn't commit, maybe a little more than half the world will carry on having never heard this fact, not knowing what difference it makes, or even worse... thinking that somehow Jesus pulled a Houdini act & escaped; making him an incredible con-artist, but a horrible Savior.

They think this man, whom they would call a good teacher & moral person, eventually pulled off the biggest hoax the planet has ever seen & tricked his closest friends into believing a lie & eventually giving up their own lives because they would not recant their faith in a Jesus who died on the cross as the punishment for our sins & rose again to conquer death & offer us new, abundant & eternal life.

*If the video doesn't load, click here to view it on youtube

"Upon a life I did not live... upon a death I did not die...
anothers life, anothers death, I stake my whole eternity."
-Horatius Bonar

It's Good Friday... do you think Jesus really died?

Project Life Tuesday // March 22-28

2010-03-31T16:55:00.004-07:00

Welcome to a ~~one day late~~ rare Wednesday edition of our Project Life Tuesday! You can click here to view the past 88 days of this photo-a-day project, or scroll down to see some highlights of the past 7 days of our life. Thanks for visiting!

March 22: Isaiah might be an astronaut in the making. He loves learning about space & planets & astronauts. Someone gave a telescope to Nana & Papa, so Ross set it up & found the moon on the only clear night of the week. It was an incredible sight & Isaiah was in awe (actually we all were in awe of God's creation when we saw the craters of the moon so clearly).

March 23: Elijah doesn't watch T.V. & rarely pays attention to it when it's on in the background. But today was different when i put on this John Deere DVD we borrowed from the library... he couldn't keep his eyes off it.

March 24: Trader Joe's is our new favorite store. It's a place that actually makes grocery shopping fun. We didn't have one in Little Rock, & we're pretty sure there isn't one in Australia, so we're going to miss it when we leave.

March 25: This kid has been sucking his fingers since birth (we even have video of him doing this at the hospital the day after he was born). Instead of sucking his thumb, he sucks his two fingers. So cute!

March 26: Isaiah's first bite of Grandma Likkel's homemade cinnamon rolls. He devoured it within seconds & immediately asked for more! It was so fun to share another family favorite with him. They are so amazingly light & delicious.

Recipe:

Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

Run hot water over bread machine pan till warm... Then add in order:
1 cup & 1 tablespoon hot water
1 room temperature egg
3 1/3 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons dry milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons yeast (place away from salt)
5 tablespoons butter

Set bread machine on dough setting. Towards end of the cycle prepare caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:

Melt together about 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar & 1/4 cup milk (if you like lots of caramel double the recipe) and pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

Preparation & Baking:

After cycle has completed remove dough onto a floured surface and roll out until about 1/2 inch thick.
Spread dough with butter, then sprinkle with some cinnamon & sugar.
Roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal.
Cut into about 12 slices.
Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan, on top of the caramel sauce & let rise until dough is doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
Bake at 350*F for 20 minutes or until nicely browned.
Remove from oven & turn upside down onto a cookie sheet.

March 27: I took a day-trip to Seattle with some of the Likkel girls, so Ross got to spend the whole day with the boys. First, they went to Starbucks where they shared a treat & made up a Scavenger Hunt list, then they drove to Whatcom Falls Park where they did a 2 hour hike & saw all kinds of birds, ferns, waterfalls, boulders & a few hippies playing drums with leaves in their hair. =)

March 28: Nana loves to give kisses & hugs (she also usually wears dark lipstick). People who have been around her usually walk away with some lipstick on their cheek. Today she left her mark on Elijah! =)

High Five & High Photo...

2010-03-26T15:55:00.002-07:00

If you've got 4 spare minutes, be sure to check out these two great 2-minute videos:

First, Have you ever gone for the handshake & somehow got stuck in some kind of awkward high-five-knuckles-rock/paper/scissor situation? Check out this funny high-five etiquette video to help navigate those situations better...

*If the video doesn't load, click here to view it

Next, this guy inspires me. I love it that he had a vision and let it take flight (literally) & that he's not intimidated by things most people would view as competition or roadblocks... such as NASA, the Air Force, or Gravity.

*if the video doesn't load, click here to view it

“People are like birds: some fly high in the sky, others run into windows.” -author unknown

HT: trippcosby.com

Project Life Tuesday // March 15-22

2010-03-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

We're 81 days into the new year & it's been so fun to capture one photo & memory each day! Here's the latest edition of Project Life Tuesday...

March 15: Isaiah's newest fascination is the way the water forms a funnel when we drain the bathtub. It's so cute to observe the things he finds absolutely fascinating.

March 16: We're still waiting on our Religious Workers Visas so we can move to Australia & begin working with FamilyLife Australia. We had originally hoped to move to Melbourne sometime in January, we're now 11 weeks past that, and it could be another 8-12 weeks before we have permission to move there.

We've been really challenged with Philippians 2:13-14, that we would do all things without grumbling or complaining... which includes waiting. We really believe that God will move us in His perfect time. And in the meantime, just because we don't live in Australia yet, doesn't mean we can't eat like it! We scored these cookies the other day at a grocery store in Canada. We're keeping the dream alive, one cookie at a time!

March 17: Isaiah's friend Lane came over to play today. These boys had such a blast. It was so much fun to watch them have fun & enjoy each others friendship.

March 18: After years of working from an office, Ross has set up shop at the dining-room table while we live in limbo. He had fun today trying to help Isaiah build a loader out of Lego's while trying to do a little online evangelism. Ross wouldn't trade this time with the kids for anything.

March 19: One of the best toys the boys received for Christmas was this little electric bug-catterpiller-thingy. It has given them hours of enjoyment as it buzzes across the floors. We love watching the expression on their faces as they get down on the floor & chase it around.

March 20: What a great way to spend the first day of Spring... at the city park!

March 21: About one Sunday a month, Taya's extended family gather's at Grandma Honcoop's house for "Honcoop Sunday," where we enjoy a wonderful meal & have time to catch up with everyone. Isaiah loves his "Grandma-Great-Honcoop" and we're so happy to get these moments with the family. Family is a gift that we'll never take for granted.

Something to chew on... (an update on our Visas)

2010-03-19T14:52:00.001-07:00

*photo via Jordan Kiley @ flickr.com

Many people see us in town & look a little surprised that we're still here. I'd say we get asked some variation of the question "Any word on your Visa's yet?" at least 5 times a day.

We're thankful that so many people are excited about what we're doing and are praying for us. Here's the latest update:

There's basically no news to report.

Sorry for the letdown. We did get a call from the Embassy last week saying we needed to order an FBI background check, which we've done. Other than that, we've just got to wait patiently for the sponsorship through the Australian Immigration Authority, and the Workers Visa through the Embassy.

We had originally anticipated moving to Melbourne sometime in January, we're now 11 weeks past that, and it could be another 8-12 weeks before we have permission to move there.

We were just reading a familiar verse that we wanted to share with you:

"For it is God
who works in you,
both to will
and to work for
His
good
pleasure...

Do all things
without grumbling or complaining."
-Phillipians 2:13-14

Doing all things without grumbling includes waiting. We have got to be able to wait patiently... without grumbling, whining, complaining, questioning, doubting, pouting, or trying to force things to happen on our own.

As we talked about this today, we really believed that this is something we can actually praise God for. We can take heart and be encouraged, because we know that it is God who is doing a work in us according to His plan and pleasure, and we're pretty sure it's going to be awesome. And we'll be sure to let you know when He completes this work.

By the way, just because we don't live in Australia yet, doesn't mean we can't eat like it! We scored these cookies the other day at a grocery store in Canada. We're keeping the dream alive, one cookie at a time!

Project Life Tuesday // March 8-14

2010-03-16T21:15:00.002-07:00

It's time for another round of Project Life Tuesday!

March 8: It has been so much fun to watch Isaiah enjoying Taekwondo. He is really putting in a good effort & we're proud of his hard work.

March 9: Enjoying the first sights of spring. Spring in Washington should be cold & dreary, instead we've had plenty of warm weather & sunny days. We'll take it!

March 10: I love it when Isaiah makes this face. He does it whenever he is concentrating. We see it when he's playing lego's, doing Taekwondo and even making cookies! =)

March 11: I finally broke down & ate my very first Girl Scout Cookie! And they were as good as everyone said they would be. =)

March 12: Elijah woke up at 7:00am & by 8:45am he was sound asleep in Daddy's arms. Apparently 12 hours of sleep wasn't enough!

March 13: Ross makes the very best egg scramble. Most Saturday mornings we have a little tradition of pancakes & Ross' Saturday Morning Scramble. Here's the recipe:

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on Medium-High
Add 2 cups of frozen hash-brown potatoes & cover for 6-8 minutes
Dice 1/8 cup Red Onion, 1/8 cup Green Pepper, & 1/4 cup Ham
Flip hash-browns & cook 3-4 minutes longer, then add above ingredients & let 'em sizzle for a few minutes
Add 6-8 eggs & scramble the whole mixture together (remove from heat frequently so the eggs don't burn)
Add salt & pepper to taste, then sprinkle with Cheddar cheese & put the lid back on the pan so it all melts together. Serve & enjoy!

March 14: We were invited to share about life as a missionary with the kids at Grace Baptist. Each week the kids are learning about different countries & about the missionaries from Grace who are serving in them. It was our joy to share about the work we hope to do in Australia, & we loved the wonder & enthusiasm of the kids.

That concludes another week of Project Life... I'm really loving this project! You can view recent editions of our "Project Life Tuesday" by clicking here, or click on the "Project Life Tuesday" button to see Project Life examples from Jessica Turner & other people all around the world!

Will you worship?

2010-03-12T09:46:00.003-08:00

We're taking some time today for fix our eyes on God & be revived by Him. This video seemed to perfectly match our prayer...

Open our eyes God. Teach us to worship, Lord. Teach us worship. Let our hearts and lives burn for you.

Project Life Tuesday // March 1-7

2010-03-09T03:49:00.004-08:00

March 1: Wake up sleepy head! ...from the day he was born this kid has had crazy hair.

March 2: Elijah is like a little monkey, he climbs onto anything & everything he can. He keeps us on our toes!

March 3: Ross recently started doing P90x (a series of tough workout DVD's). Not only does he need to keep up with the trainer on the DVD, but he's added a variety of toy obstacles & a toddler just to make things interesting. =) It is so cute to watch Elijah working out just like Daddy.

March 4: Today was Grandma-Great-Likkel's birthday, so we decided to bring a surprise birthday party to her house. We're so thankful that we were given this time to celebrate with her this year.

March 5: In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday this week, our local library celebrated by reading Dr. Seuss books & even had the Cat in the Hat as a special guest. "He's real!" was the first thing Isaiah said when he saw the Cat in the Hat, & he couldn't stop staring at him throughout story time. I love that I didn't even have to ask him to smile for this picture.

March 6: We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather, so we hopped in the van with Ross' parents & went to Birch Bay to catch an incredible sunset.

March 7: We had such a nice time at the ocean yesterday that we just had to go again! This time we went for a walk along Boulevard Park in Bellingham. The kids got to play in a fun park, we enjoyed burgers, fries, & milkshakes at Win's Drive-In, & once again we had front-row seats for an amazing sunset.

Lessons from a special Coke Machine...

2010-03-05T12:38:00.004-08:00

You may be like me as you walk towards a Coke machine.

My heart starts to pump a little faster.
Do I have the right change?
Have I got a crisp dollar bill?
Do I have a backup crisp dollar bill in case the first one doesn't work?
Will the machine be out of order?
Will the drink I want actually be available?
Will I get my change back?
Will my drink explode when I open it?
Will it be all sticky because another drink spilled on it somewhere inside the machine?

If you're like me, you don't always approach a vending machine with joy & excitement. You approach it with fear & pessimism.

Now, to be fair, Coke machines may have some complaints of their own... They have to sit outside in the cold. They are given canadian quarters & taped up dollar bills, they're covered with graffiti, they get kicked, they get yelled at, they get pounded on.

It has all the makings of a lose/lose situation.

I think it's a lot like many marriages or parent/child relationships. Both people approach each other with expecting the worst.

That's why when I saw this video clip about a special kind of Coke machine I couldn't help but think of how we could turn things around in our relationships.

*if the clip doesn't load, click here to view it

Notice throughout the video, when people have been given something more than they expected, what is their reaction?

Happiness, Joy, Excitement, Sharing, Laughter...

Are these things you've been experiencing in your relationships lately?

Would you like to see more Happiness, Joy, Excitement, Sharing, & Laughter in your relationships?

I love the way the Message Bible quotes 1 Peter 3:8-12:

"Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you're worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he's asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things"

Today, regardless of how much graffitti you've been covered with, or how much you feel you've been ripped off, would you consider a different reaction than the typical vending-machine/insult-for-insult response?

Would you consider being a "special kind of vending machine" that snubs evil & cultivates good, runs after peace, responds with sympathy & love, knowing that God will hear your prayer & strengthen you?

I recently saw a list of those famous old Coca-Cola slogans. Here are a few that stood out to me:

1887 - Delicious! Refreshing! Invigorating! Exhilarating!
1948 - Where there's Coke there's hospitality.
1905 - Coca-Cola revives and sustains.
1956 - Coca-Cola ... makes good things taste better.
1959 - Be really refreshed.

& finally, my favorite:

1979 - Have a Coke and a smile.

What would happen if you went home and offered the same to your family?

Project Life Tuesday // February 22-28

2010-03-02T22:46:00.002-08:00

I can't believe it's been 9 weeks since I started Becky Higgins "Project Life," and it's so fun that there are people all around the world who are doing the project too! Be sure to check out Jessica Turner's blog for more Project Life Tuesday examples... and you can always click here to see our past Project Life/Week-in-photos posts.

February 22: It was almost nap time when the next-door neighbors started bringing in tree-removal equipment. What excitement! So instead of sleeping, Isaiah spent his time watching the loggers fall a few of the tall trees & remove them.

February 23: Oooops... somehow in the chaos of moving we lost the keys to our own storage unit! In the years that we owned the mini-storage, Ross had to help many embarrassed customers with missing keys, but this episode had Ross blushing for days.

February 24: Isaiah started his first sport this week... Tae Kwon Do! We thought it would be a good activity for him because he'll learn to follow instruction, improve his balance & flexibility, & help him get a little extra energy out!!! =)

February 25: Ross has been meeting a few times a week with a couple of guys who are interested in finding out more about the Christian faith. They have gone through a 3-session study called LifeReady/Explore & they've been discussing questions like "Who is God?" "Is He trustworthy?" & "If Jesus is who He says He is, what does it mean to me?" We're praying that these guys will trust God for their salvation & that someday they would share their faith with others.

February 26: I love the special bond these two share. From the day Elijah was born Ross has been calling him "the little buddy" & they really are best-buddies.

February 27: Isaiah & Grandpa enjoying something they both love: WaFfLeS!

February 28: The week started with a big excavator working next door & it ended with Isaiah having the opportunity to play right in the middle of a real job-site! Our friends are building a house out in the country & they invited our family out for a groundbreaking party. We had a fun hot-dog roast & Isaiah loved playing with the dirt & lumber.

February 2010 Prayer Letter

2010-03-01T08:17:00.004-08:00

*In an attempt to "adapt-in-advance" to life overseas, the newest edition of our prayer letter is hitting the internet & e-mail before arriving in physical mailboxes.

**We also have some exciting news to report: near the end of this letter we mentioned that we still had a financial support need of $175 per month... well, about 3 minutes after getting the letters printed, we received a phone call from friends who said they would be taking care of that need!
Ross and Taya Prayer Letter // 2.24.2010

Harmony at Home Poster

Where is God?

2010-02-25T21:21:00.003-08:00

Project Life Tuesday // February 15-21

2010-02-23T22:33:00.001-08:00

February 15: Tonight we celebrated our first ever "Black-Likkel-Bowling-Bonanza -Five-Pin-Frenzy-Alley-Awesomeness" which is a long way of saying we took the kids 5-pin bowling in Canada. This was Isaiah's first time bowling and it was Ryan, Traci & the boys first time 5-pin bowling so we put the bumpers up & had lots of laughs to soften our looooooooow scores.

February 16: Today we finally signed papers on the sale of our house. We've been praying that God would allow us to serve in Australia completely unhindered by anything that would hold us back here and this seems like a huge answer to that prayer.

February 17: The leaders of the AWANA program at Grace Baptist Fellowship in Lynden asked Ross if he would do an outreach event for parents in the community. He called the event Harmony@Home, which seems like something that millions of families are longing for. It ended up being a small group, but it was a great opportunity for Ross to challenge them to combat conflict & arguments at home by setting a tone of forgiveness & offering a blessing instead of an insult.

February 18: Since we had been speaking at a church on Sunday and we had several other ministry opportunities throughout the week, we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day after most of our big events were behind us. We were given a free hotel room on Whidbey Island & our family took care of the boys so we were able to get away for 24 hours together. We walked on the beach, ate excellent clam chowder, slept in, & just enjoyed walking hand-in-hand. A perfect Valentine's Day.

February 19: "He's so tall!" That's the first thing people say when they see Isaiah. And it's true. Compared to other kids his age, he's in the 98th percentile for height! It's no wonder his pants are continually too short. =)

February 20: Tonight we got to watch a performance of "Aida" at Lynden Christian High School. It was so much fun to see my sister, Taryn, singing & dancing & loving her moment in the spotlight. She did a such a great job. We're really impressed by her dedication throughout the months of practicing & performing.

February 21: These little boys... are they not the cutest? We think so! They melt our hearts daily.

Thanks for visiting! Click here to view earlier Project Life posts, and be sure to come back each Tuesday for a weekly recap of our Project Life! Also, if you are doing Project Life (or something similar) be sure to let us know in the comments so we can follow along with you.

Hold on tight...

2010-02-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

"sometimes just holding hands is holding everything..." -author unknown

Project Life Tuesday // February 8-14

2010-02-16T20:28:00.001-08:00

Click here to view earlier Project Life posts.

February 8: Enjoying a sweet moment with Uncle Britt & Aunty Shana.

February 9: Papa loves to take the boys outside to check "the great outdoors." They love seeing the trucks go by, watching for birds, & listening to dogs bark. But most of all they love being together.

February 10: Elijah's first taste of a non-food item: Aunty Taryn's deodorant. Our first thought was "yuck!" Our second thought was "PANIC." And our third thought was "this has to be our picture of the day."

February 11: Isaiah has always loved books. Seeing him fall asleep part-way through this book was priceless.

February 12: As I was feeding Elijah peaches, he grabbed the fork right out of my hand & began to feed himself! Just another way he's showing us that he's growing up & wants to be a big boy.

February 13: In preparation for a special dinner with out-of-town family (the Reed's) we baked & decorated our traditional Valentines cookies. Isaiah is old enough to help me make them & his special job is to ~~gently sprinkle~~ cover them with sprinkles after they're frosted. They were delicious (& they were all gone by the next day)!

Recipe:
Mom's Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix butter, sugar, egg, & vanilla. Then add remaining ingredients. Cover & chill 2-3 hours before rolling out and cutting into shapes. Bake @ 375*F for 7-8 minutes. {pull from oven as soon as edges have barely turned brown}
Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup shortening & 1/2 cup butter {cream together]
{then add & mix} 1 teaspoon vanilla
{then add slowly & mix} 4 cups powdered sugar
{then add & mix} 2 tablespoons milk

February 14: Our Valentines day ended up being a crazy-busy day. Ross spoke at Victory Christian Fellowship in the morning, then afterwards we met some friends for lunch (while letting the kids play in the McDonald's play area). After the kiddos got up from their naps we were finally able to take some time to celebrate love as a family. There were lots of kisses & hugs & "I love you's!" We LOVE love.

Killer Marriage Tips...

2010-02-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

From the same lyrical geniuses who brought you "Don't do it," check out these 6 fascinating tips that are sure to bring [some kind of] change to your marriage.

*Reminder: earlier this week we posted a dashboard tool to spark communication in your marriage & announced a couple of door prizes. There are just three days left to enter for the door prize. So far ross' sister Cher is the front-runner to win both door prizes (she's the only one who was brave enough to comment!). Are you brave enough to comment? What are you waiting for?!? Get over to the Marriage Dashboard post and leave your comment now! =)

Project Life Tuesday // February 1-8

2010-02-09T22:54:00.001-08:00

Click here to view earlier Project Life posts.

February 1: Isaiah is completely fascinated by Nana's front loading washer & dryer. He loves watching the clothes spin. Who knew laundry day could be so fun?!! =)

February 2: The rain stopped, the sun started shining and off to the park we went. Thankful for days like these when we can get out & play.

February 3: Isaiah's biggest highlight when visiting Grandma-great-Likkel's house is playing with all of her big trucks. The moment we get there he runs right to the garage to play & we don't see him again until it's time to leave.

February 4: Papa & Elijah often share special moments together before Papa goes to work. This morning they enjoyed sharing a bowl of Papa's favorite cereal: Shreddies.

February 5: Everyone loves Grandma Likkel's chocolate chip cookies. She has been baking them several times a week for as long as I can remember & they are a fond childhood memory for many.

Recipe:

1 cup butter & 1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar & 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar {beat together w/ butter & shortening}
4 eggs {add one at a time}
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour

Combine the following & gradually beat into above mixture:

2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon water

Finally, add 4 cups chocolate chips

Scoop onto pan with tablespoon & bake in 350*F oven for 10-12 minutes

February 6: Playing on the stairs has become a daily source of entertainment for our boys. Coming from a single-story home, this is actually quite fun & exciting for both of them and they often spend a good portion of their day going up & down & giggling all the way.

February 7: Super Bowl Sunday. Our family usually roots for the underdog, and our team rarely wins... but this year we cheered on the New Orleans Saints & they won!!! We had such a fun day watching the game, enjoying appetizers, root beer, and we even splurged on Ross' favorite ice cream. At the end of the day Isaiah said "this was the best Super Bowl party ever!" (it was his first one) =)

Come back next week for more Project Life Tuesday! Or, as ross calls it "Tuesday's with Taya."

Check your Dashboard... (and enter for a FREE door-prize)

2010-02-08T18:18:00.001-08:00

Too often we see people taking better care of their vehicles than their most important relationships.

Imagine if you drove your car thousands of miles while ignoring the warning lights on the dashboard, never stopping for an oil change, never using your turn signals, ignoring your speedometer... you wouldn't expect your car to last long would you? In fact, you might even have someone scold you for the way you mistreat your vehicle. Like this:

Here's a little tool we created that couples can print off and use for discussion on a date night. Feel free to print a copy for each of you, quickly mark your score for each of the seven gauges, then switch dashboards and discuss your answers. Choose 1 or 2 areas that you want to focus on over the next week.

Now for the free door-prize...

We're giving away one copy of a great little devotional called "Moments Together for Parents" & one copy of our favorite FamilyLife Today broadcast on CD called "Enduring Love Stories." To enter, simply share your answer to one of the following questions in the comments (or as a comment on Facebook):

1. Other than at mealtime, when was the last time you & your spouse prayed together?

Or,

2. On a scale of 1-10, how fast has the pace of your life been this month?

*People who answer both questions will be entered into the drawing twice. The drawing will end on one of our favorite days of the year: Sunday, February 14!

Interviewing Isaiah...

2010-02-05T15:09:00.003-08:00

We call him Mr. Buddy, Tough Guy, and snugglebuns. He is a joy & a delight to us. This morning we did a little interview with Isaiah so you could know him better too!

In his own words…

Interests:
What’s your favorite color? um, all the colors. hmmm. um, I really like blue.
What’s your favorite food? I like tomatoes. bananas too.
What things do you learn now that you are 4? I'm really learning to help Mommy load the groceries into the van.
What about when you turn 5? I'll learn to unload the groceries out of the van. I'd like to learn about trucks too.
What are you most excited to learn for school? Math. I'd really like to learn math.
Who is your best friend? Henry... and Christian. *these are two boys he's only seen a handful of times
What do you want to be when you grow up? I know, when I grow up I'd like to do things just like you do dad. I'll drink coffee & shave too. I want to be just like dad & I would also like to be a police officer. *at this point ross beams with pride =)

Theology:
Do you love Jesus? Yes.
Why do you love Jesus? I want to obey Jesus. I also like to learn homework *at this point he was still mostly interested in the school question =)

Family:
What do you love about Elijah? I love to play with him.
What do you love about Mommy? Her hair.
What is something Mommy always says to you? I love you.
What makes Mommy happy? She loves my race car track.
What makes Mommy sad? When I get hurt.
How old is Mommy? She's 4. The same as me.
What does Mommy do when you’re not around? She gets sad.
What is Mommy really good at? Racing my race cars.
What’s your favorite thing to do with Mommy? I really like to snuggle with her.
What’s your favorite thing to do with Daddy? Riding my bike. *Riding bike is actually something Isaiah is quite scared of. Seems to be applying the power of positive thinking to it =)
What does Daddy do for his job? He goes to work. He works on the computer. *I was hoping it would sound more noble than that, but he's right that I spend a lot of time around the computer =)
What is something Daddy always says to you? He tells me jokes & makes me laugh.
What makes Daddy happy? Playing with Legos.
What makes Daddy sad? When I'm not with him.
How old is Daddy? Thirteen. I think. *This was one of the only questions he seemed hesitant about =)
What does Daddy like most about Mommy? Because she's the pretty lady and that's what he calls her.

Anything else you'd like to say?

He was getting tired of the interview, but his mind was still on the topic of Daddy telling him jokes so he said: I have a joke for you. Maybe a person can go to bed and watch a movie in bed, then eat popcorn, before even eating dinner! ...and he followed the "joke" by doing this huge fake laugh & hoping we'd laugh along. *this is something he really hopes will happen and is probably thinking that if he phrases it as a joke, we'll actually go along with it.

Smart boy. Funny boy. We're so happy he's our boy.

Project Life Tuesday // January 25-31

2010-02-02T22:35:00.001-08:00

Click here to view earlier Project Life posts.

January 25: ...and this is why they invented Kleenex. His poor face, nose & lips were incredibly chapped. We felt terrible for him.

January 26: Praising God for a solid offer on our house in Little Rock. We've been praying that we can serve in Australia unhindered by anything that would distract us. This looks like a big answer to our prayers.

January 27: This is how we get their energy out before bed =). We call them snarfles & hagglebagels & the kids love them!

January 28: Love these lashes...

January 29: One of the most treasured gifts Ross has given me. A simple reminder of the three people I love the most.

January 30: A perfect day playing with Papa & his big red truck.

January 31: Our hearts have been broken by the devastation following the earthquake in Haiti. While we were waiting to purchase this food at Costco, Ross did the math and figured out that if each person who was standing in line at that one moment just bought a bag of beans & rice, it would feed 200,000 people. Whatever we've done, we know it's not been enough...